On the iron wasteland, the Khan stood on the ground and tilted his head. A short figure was reflected in the sharp eyes of the Primarch. Malcador raised his head, gently closed his eyes and opened his arms.
In front of the young man, within a finger's distance from the tip of his nose, there was complete disorder. The earth was sinking here as if cut by a knife. Violent and disordered sparks twisted and exploded in the air. The world here was upside down and time was out of order.
Within a finger's distance, everything was screaming and wailing, only the figure pierced by the spear was like an isolated island floating up from the source of life, maintaining the final rules.
There was nothing to say. Malcador calmly opened his eyes. The boy blinked and took the first step.
——————
Above Cadia, two cruisers collided, and the explosion was as bright as the falling of stars. The aftermath spread across the battlefield. The wails of the giant ships were silent, and the people on them were fighting their last battle before death. Countless warships passed by their dying bodies, and their gun barrels were hot, turning towards the enemy.
In this void battlefield, the sunken warships are as numerous as stars and as desolate as weeds.
Every explosion would result in the loss of tens of thousands of crew members, but the wails of hypothermia and suffocation would never be heard in the cold space.
———————
Small skirmishes broke out along every uninfested corridor of the Vengeful Spirit, shouts of loyalty and rage, prayers of devotion and despair, the hum of plasma gun overheating alarms, the deafening ticking of grenades before they exploded.
Stepping in from the breach created by a Death Guard ship at the stern, you see the mortal crew members of the Glorious Queen being blown out by the air pressure. Their incomplete and stiff bodies are thrown into the farther darkness by the air currents, and their eyes, which they haven't had time to close, have already been frozen, staring at you in a daze or in horror.
You watch them drifting into the void,
Compared to them, the death explosion of the giant ship behind them was no more than the sound of a trigger being pulled, so far away and so small.
Still silent.
Blood clings to your feet. You lift your feet and head deeper into the darker, more prosperous place. The fragments of armor torn apart by the power sword blade, chainsword, and bombs are soaked in a few fingers of blood. The Space Marines did not let go of the hilt before they died, and their intestines and stomach were knocked out of their abdominal cavity by heavy bombs.
Intestinal fluid mixed with green bile flowed down his smooth, waxed armor and mixed with the blood on the ground.
His armor was well maintained, and even the sticky bile only left a tear mark on the armor.
You look at him, his body stacked up with the bodies of his enemies, looking like comrades sleeping in a trench.
The battle here is over, the Sons of Horus have abandoned this place. You can hear the silent march of the Death Guard, with occasional orders being given.
You continue walking in silence. In the corner, you hear the small, fearful prayers of the mortals. So you walk over and in the darker place, you see the prayers of the dying hellhounds.
Space Marines often die a clean death in battle, but ordinary people are not so lucky. They are like mud splashed by artillery shells, and no one cares whether they are dead or alive.
After the initial landing battle, the war moved deeper. Those who were alive and able to fight continued to advance, while the dead and unable to move turned into flesh and blood under the feet of the army.
You don’t know whether they spontaneously found a corner that would not hinder the legion’s attack, or were dragged here by their comrades in the auxiliary army. They leaned against each other, leaning against each other, waiting for their final moment of death.
You heard their whispers, Hades, and you blinked. Their faces, pale from blood loss, became more numb and less painful. The people who fought to death for the Death Guard were looking forward to a clean and painless death, a death that was no longer noisy. You walked over and closed their eyes.
Leaving behind those bodies, you move on.
The closer you get to the heart of the battlefield, the noisier it gets.
The first thing you hear is the deafening war cries. The distance between each word has become blurred, leaving only the beast-like roar, which even drowns out the roar of the heavy bombs and the breath of the melta guns. The stinking smell of meat roasted by power swords fills the already narrow corridor, making you want to vomit.
But you have long been accustomed to this, so you continue walking, and you see beasts tearing against each other, saliva spurting from their roaring mouths, blending into the flashing of swords and sabers.
First came the bullets, the little pieces of metal ejected from the muzzles without any emotion, as if this did not tear open the enemy's chest and penetrate the heart, then the swords would scream, and if this did not cut off the enemy's head and sever the arteries, then people would wrestle together, punch after punch, breaking skulls and driving noses into their tough faces, their eyes bulging out uglyly, staring at the owner of the fist.
The winner stood up with satisfaction, exhaled foul air, shook off the bones and meat on his hands, picked up the sword knocked down by the enemy, and ran towards the next battlefield.
You walk on the battlefield and see mortals raising their guns at the giant Space Marines. You see the last warrior being torn to pieces by the enemy's encirclement. Death pours down like a heavy rain. You hear morbid laughter in the distance.
You stepped over countless deaths and continued to walk deeper. You pushed open a door and saw Gala.
You stood there, paused.
"Coward!"
Garo scolded, one of his shoulder armor was completely shattered, a spider-web-like crack appeared on his abdomen, blood was faintly seeping out from there, his helmet had been knocked off, and a piece of his face skin was torn off, revealing his squirming muscles.
You can hardly recognize Garo, but his sword is still sharp.
"You and I just made the same choice!"
Abaddon roared, he looked much more embarrassed than Garro, but still full of energy, his sword collided with Garro's sword, sparks flew everywhere, both of them seemed to choose to shoot at the same time, but Garro was one step faster, and Abaddon's face had some new wounds.
Abaddon hissed in pain, and cold air entered his mouth from his scratched cheek. He stared at Garo with anger in his heart.
"As a son of Horus, I am loyal to Lupercal! This is my duty! It is an honor that I am willing to sacrifice myself for!"
"Coward," Garro raised his sword and stared at Abaddon. Abaddon's ability to resist injuries was quite good... Even among the Death Guard, who were known for their toughness, Garro could not find a few warriors who could match Abaddon.
Abaddon's skills are not that advanced, but his combat endurance is extremely high. Also, in battle, he can quickly identify the opponent's flaws and attack accordingly.
Garro raised his head and stared at Abaddon with contempt, "Abaddon, listen carefully."
The old soldier gnashed his teeth, his voice low but his words clear.
"I am loyal to the Emperor. If Mortarion betrays me, I will kill him immediately and then commit suicide to apologize."
"You!" Abaddon's pupils trembled. He looked at Garo in disbelief. He was sure that his heart had just trembled violently.
He recalled the split in the Council of Four Kings. Even Seganus, who was most opposed to his father, and Loken after him, had never been as cruel as Garo!
Abaddon subconsciously looked at the other Death Guards. Garro's words were too rebellious. But what frightened Abaddon even more was that these Death Guards who were immersed in fighting the Black Armor seemed to completely agree with what Garro said!
Garro raised his sword and slashed again, shouting, "For the Emperor!"
Abaddon's pupils dilated, and in the deepest part of his heart, Abaddon shrank for a moment.
For Gala, this moment is enough!
With a feint, his sword pierced through Abaddon's defense area and slashed upward. After a crisp sound of sword ringing, he held the sword with both hands. With his knuckles numb, Garo saw Abaddon's sword flying to the ground. His sword did not stop and continued to stab at Abaddon.
Abaddon reacted, he pulled his hand away to block, holding the sword. Abaddon was very strong, but relying on inertia, Garro continued to stab, and at the same time stretched out his foot to kick Abaddon.
Abaddon fell backwards and fell to the ground, and Garro fell down as well, using his own weight to stab the sword in his hand.
squeak!
As Abaddon clenched his hands tightly, Garro's sword groaned. The sharp tip of the sword was against Abaddon's nose. Abaddon clearly saw the blood oozing from his nose.
He looked up and saw a murderous face.
Jia Luo's eyes did not blink, his grey pupils were full of ruthlessness and coldness, a shadow shrouded his face.
Abaddon wanted to kick Garo away, but his legs were also held apart by the experienced Garo, so he was unable to exert any force.
Abaddon heard the roars of his comrades, but his companions' rescue was stopped by the Death Guard's even more crazy sacrifices.
They were in a stalemate for half a second, and Abaddon's arms began to tremble. He also saw Garro's face with bulging veins and wide-open eyes.
The panting mouth opened wide, breathing like a mocking devil.
Abaddon felt the muscles in his arms bursting, he could even feel the blood oozing from his skin, he just held on so hard... but the other side of death was slowly and unstoppably sliding towards him.
During the wrestling match, Abaddon felt his auditory organs explode. Amidst the dizzying buzzing, only Garro's firm gray eyes were judging him.
The sharp tip of the sword gradually pierced into the flesh.
For a moment, Abaddon thought he envied Garo.
He envied Garo who could easily reveal the Primarch of Sin and Punishment.
He just... No, Abaddon thought about the quarrel at the Four Kings' Conference. If Seganus had been tougher, would things have been different
But that was Horus Lupercal, that was their father.
He couldn't do it, Abaddon couldn't do it.
He could do anything except betray his father. This blood oath was deeply engraved in his bones and deep in his soul.
He, Ezekiel Abaddon, would never betray, Horus Lupercal.
The blood vessels in Abaddon's arms burst and he felt a piercing pain in his arms. Let go, let him go, end your life, Abaddon.
Abaddon thought with a shudder as he struggled through the chaos, choosing Horus with difficulty, but he was tired - the moment he saw Garro, Abaddon knew he was too tired.
His hands slowly relaxed—
Bang!!!
The gate guarded by the Sons of Horus was suddenly pushed open from the other side, which distracted Garro for a moment. Abaddon finally succumbed to his huge desire to survive. While Garro was looking at the intruder in astonishment, he pushed Garro away and rolled over to lie down in the team of the Sons of Horus.
Abaddon rejoined the ranks, panting and looking at the intruder with blurry eyes. Only then did he realize that both armies had ceased fire.
He saw... a headless Primarch lying on the ground, its body almost torn apart by brutal claw marks.
But this body still struggled and climbed forward in a posture that was hard for ordinary people to imagine.
Abaddon's pupils trembled. He looked in horror along the trail of blood and saw the head rolling out. Golden liquid gushed out.
+Death Guard... +Blood oozes from Lorgar's mouth, +Quick...intercept Horus' fleet...bombing Cadia. +
Luo Jia's head, which was lying on the ground, struggled and rolled to Jia Luo's side. He opened his eyes and said his last words with all his strength:
+Horus wants... to die together... Hurry... leave... leave... alone+
Jialuo stared at Luojia's severed head in amazement, but then he realized something. Almost at the same time, Jialuo began to try to report on the channel, but the crackling sound of electric current told him that the radio waves here had been cut off.
Without any hesitation, Garo immediately led the Death Guards to retreat. Garo stepped back and tried to leave, but then, a bomb hit his retreat path.
From the other side of the door that Luo Jia pushed open, laughter could be heard from the dark corridor.
[Lorga...Lorga Ollian, we are no longer brothers... Why do you still understand me so well? ]
Out of the darkness, walked the mad Horus.
Garro tried to retreat again, and a few more explosive shells were fired, blood splattered, and the fearless Corina who had blocked the Primarch's bullets for Garro fell down.
This allowed Garo to successfully retreat from the hall, and he began to run, calling out to the outer fleet as much as possible.
Horus walked out slowly and complacently, holding Lorgar's scepter in his hand. At this moment, the shining scepter had already turned into an ordinary stick.
[Go after them.] Horus said, and with a few more casual strikes, the retreating Death Guards fell. Abaddon responded immediately and led the black armored men to chase after them.
Horus shook his head, raised his staff in glee, and stabbed it down at Lorgar's fallen form, impaling the filthy body on the pole. Then he held up Lorgar's body like a banner.
Horus hummed a little tune, bent down, picked up Lorgar's head, held the severed head in one hand, and walked back to the corridor from which they came.
Blood was dripping from the broken neck.
You stood there, watching the whole process, you turned your head and looked at where Garo left, and finally, you chose to walk towards the corridor where Horus left.
You followed them and heard the voice of Horus,
[Yes, yes, they are all traitors.]
Horus said softly, stroking and playing with Lorgar's bald head with his fingers, as if playing with a skull, but Lorgar still had flesh and blood, [I have good news for you, Lorgar, Guilliman and Angron's army are coming soon, they are at the outermost edge of the Eye of Terror. ]
Horus said, pointing his finger at Lorgar.
He put his hand away and pointed at himself, [Traitor.]
+You...can't do this... +
Lorga gasped.
[No, I can.]
Horus raised his head and looked thoughtfully at the darkness surging at the end of the corridor. He patted Lorgar and said, "Don't worry, Mortarion will not come this way."
[Thanks to your prayers, the ghosts on this road are coming up faster. ]
Horus sneered, he threw Lorgar's body to the ground, pulled out his scepter, broke the Primarch's limbs, then he raised Lorgar's head and stared at Lorgar,
[Cry... just cry.] Horus said, [Isn't this good? If our father can't bear to do it, then let me do it.]
In the equatorial orbit of Cadia, the Horus fleet's whirlwind torpedoes were quietly waiting.
[At least I can help him get rid of the traitorous Second Empire, and those beings in the warp will be safe for a while... As for Sanguinius... ]
Horus was silent for a moment.
[Maybe he was just confused for a moment? But at least I took away most of the dark side's supplies, they won't pose a real threat to the empire.]
Horus laughed. [And I... and my fleet... ]
He looked at Lorgar with an ambiguous look, [Those dark side fleets that choose to support me... are also a threat.]
The black domain was almost at their feet. Horus threw Lorgar's head directly onto his body, then pierced his head and body with his scepter, nailing Lorgar to the ground.
"Okay," Horus said lightly, "since you believe in him, I will let him grant you absolute death."
Then the Warmaster turned and walked away.
The surging underworld water rose.
——————
Horus brushed past your shoulder, and you looked at Lorgar's tattered body and felt sad.
Lorgar was still wailing, not because of the fear of death, but because of the fear and self-blame he felt for not being able to stop Horus' actions.
You closed your eyes, and when you opened them again, you were already standing in front of Luo Jia. You squatted down and stretched out your hand to him.
He was still struggling, but he could rest.
That's enough. That's enough.
…Hades…Hades…!
You stand up and turn around, hearing the call from Cadia.
Malcador coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, "Hades, come back!!!"
The young man screamed at the top of his lungs.
———————
Horus stood at the end of the corridor, watching Lorgar's body sink completely into the darkness.
Then he turned around and started chasing after Garo.
Great, no more!
(End of this chapter)