Lorgar Aurelian's roar was like a signal, instantly igniting the entire Oraculum Veritable. The piercing alarm no longer targeted external threats but shifted to the highest level of internal intrusion alert. Within the warship's intricate passages, heavy footsteps, demonic roars, and sorcerers' chants converged into a destructive torrent, surging towards the bridge from all directions. Word Bearers warriors, Possessed Marines, ferocious Bloodthirsters, twisted Tzeentch Horrors, and even bulky but immensely powerful Daemon Engines—all available forces received the Primarch's top-priority command: annihilate the intruders at all costs!
Inside the bridge, the smell of blood grew stronger. Corvus Corax showed no surprise at this anticipated encirclement. Facing Lorgar Aurelian, he never expected any form of fairness. This traitor, who had betrayed his father, brothers, and even all of humanity, had ingrained his baseness and shamelessness ten millennia ago. Any despicable method, coming from Lorgar Aurelian, seemed 'reasonable' enough.
Corvus Corax's pure black eyes, visible through the visors of his beaked helmet, remained coldly fixed on Lorgar Aurelian before the throne. He slowly raised his hands, between his fingers, several seemingly soft black feathers, whose edges glowed with a dark luster, had appeared at some unknown moment. These feathers were both his weapons and an extension of his power, capable of cutting through metal and jade, and annihilating souls.
Killing intent solidified as if it were tangible.
Just as Corvus Corax's body shifted slightly, about to transform into a black lightning bolt that would tear through space and strike directly at Lorgar Aurelian's head—
A sudden change occurred!
The wall on one side of the bridge, covered in writhing scriptures, suddenly rippled like water! A Daemon Sorcerer, who had been integrated with the wall, revealed himself. At the tip of his staff, a highly condensed beam of profane energy, imbued with the power of distortion and disintegration, shot out like a venomous snake, silently yet swiftly, towards Corvus Corax's back!
This attack was insidious and lethal, timed perfectly for the moment just before Corvus Corax unleashed his full assault, when his old strength had not yet faded and new strength had not yet manifested.
However, Corvus Corax seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, or rather, his control over his surroundings had reached perfection. The instant before the beam struck him, his entire body suddenly exploded!
It was not a shattering from being hit, but a deliberate, supernatural disintegration!
His body transformed into hundreds of thousands of pitch-black ravens, emitting silent shrieks, like an exploding black firework, instantly scattering in all directions! The profane beam passed through the phantom flock of ravens, striking the opposite wall, corroding a sizzling hole in the obsidian surface.
The flock of ravens circled once in the air, their wingbeats creating a disorienting sound, then, as if commanded by a single will, they changed direction, swooping down like a black arrow shower towards Lorgar Aurelian, who stood rooted to the spot! The eyes of each raven gleamed with the same pure black light as Corvus Corax, their sharp beaks and talons aimed directly at Lorgar Aurelian's vital points.
Facing this bizarre and fierce attack, Lorgar Aurelian was first startled, then let out an even more arrogant laugh: "Hahaha! Corvus! Ten thousand years have passed, and you still only know these tricks of feigning divinity? Before true divine grace, these are all futile!"
The expansion of his power and the success of his schemes over the millennia had long since caused him to lose himself in a self-constructed illusion of might. He selectively forgot the times during the Horus Heresy when Corvus Corax's elusive tactics had repeatedly forced him into embarrassing retreats, even nearly costing him his life. Now, he arrogantly believed himself to be an invincible being, the chosen of the Dark Gods destined to destroy the Imperium and reshape the galaxy.
"Disperse! You pathetic shadow!" Lorgar Aurelian laughed wildly, slamming his staff heavily onto the ground!
A burst of chaotic energy, a hundred times more powerful than the sorcerer's attack, erupted from him! The energy glowed with a dazzling, eerie light, a mixture of the four Dark Gods' characteristics, sweeping through the entire front of the bridge like a miniature Warp storm!
Where the light passed, metal decking melted, bodies vaporized, and even the air burned! The black ravens that swooped towards him, upon contact with this destructive energy field, instantly shrieked like moths thrown into a flame, incinerated into wisps of smoke, vanishing without a trace!
The dazzling chaotic energy glow lasted for several seconds before gradually subsiding. The front of the bridge was a mess, as if gnawed by a giant beast. And the flock of ravens had completely disappeared, leaving not even a trace.
"Hmph! Easily defeated!" Lorgar Aurelian triumphantly retrieved his staff, his lava-like eyes filled with contempt. He believed Corvus Corax had been annihilated by this full-power strike. A millennia-old nemesis, nothing more than this—
As this thought arose, a long-forgotten, deadly sense of crisis, originating from the depths of his soul, washed over him like ice water!
Behind him!
Lorgar Aurelian, almost purely by the instinct of a Daemon Primarch, lunged forward abruptly, simultaneously twisting his body with all his might!
Whoosh!
An extremely subtle whooshing sound grazed the back of his head!
Even with his lightning-fast reaction, he still felt a sharp pain on one side of his head! Accompanied by the crisp sound of something hard being severed!
Lorgar Aurelian stumbled a few steps forward, then turned back in a mix of shock and fury, simultaneously reaching for the top of his head.
Behind the throne, Corvus Corax's figure had silently reformed at some unknown point, as if he had never left. He maintained the posture of having swung his arm, and a black feather, its edge stained with a trace of dark red blood, slowly drifted down.
And on the spot where Lorgar Aurelian had just stood, a small, twisted, and smoldering demonic horn lay on the ground, its break smooth as a mirror!
Corvus Corax had used the raven phantom as a feint, his true self having already traversed through shadows, silently bypassing him to his rear, launching the true, fatal strike! Had it not been for Lorgar Aurelian's instinctive dodge at the crucial moment, it would not have been merely a horn that was severed, but his head!
"You...!!!" Lorgar Aurelian touched the excruciating pain and sense of humiliation from his broken horn, instantly erupting in fury! Ten millennia of arrogance were shattered by this blow, replaced by hysterical rage! He had almost fallen victim to this bastard, who only hid in the shadows, once again!
Just then, the heavy door of the bridge was violently thrown open, and a tide of Word Bearers elite, roaring daemons, and sorcerers exuding powerful psychic fluctuations swarmed in! They instantly surrounded the solitary Corvus Corax, drawing swords, aiming guns, and locking him with psychic energy, sealing off all his escape routes!
Seeing the reinforcements arrive, Lorgar Aurelian's shock and fury subsided slightly, transforming into a cruel confidence of victory. He pointed at the heavily surrounded Corvus Corax, his voice distorted by anger and triumph:
"Corvus! Look at you now! Like a rat fallen into a trap! You have failed after all!"
He spread his arms as if accepting worship: "Kneel! Kneel before me, before the Dark Gods, and repent! Perhaps, I might still be merciful enough to grant you a slightly more dignified death!"
Countless weapons and malevolent gazes focused on the solitary black figure in the center. Despair, it seemed, had already descended.
Facing Lorgar Aurelian's triumphant taunts and the dense array of muzzles and blades surrounding him, Corvus Corax showed no sign of panic. His beaked helmet turned slightly, his pure black visors sweeping over the menacing enemies, finally settling once again on the exasperated Lorgar Aurelian.
Amidst the roars of daemons and the battle cries of the Word Bearers, Corvus Corax's calm, almost icy voice cut through the clamor like a blade, clearly reaching Lorgar Aurelian's ears:
"Lorgar Aurelian," his tone carried a hint of faint mockery, "did you think I would be as foolish as you? I am not alone."
Lorgar Aurelian's lava-like eyes narrowed, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.
Corvus Corax continued slowly, as if stating a simple fact: "Look at your fleet, look at those 'powerful' allies escorting you, such as... the Black Legion's warships. Listen, that distant wolf howl, has it not already drowned out the screams of your underlings?"
"What?!" Lorgar Aurelian's face changed drastically! He immediately concentrated, his powerful psychic senses extending rapidly like tendrils, penetrating the warship's layers of decking, reaching out beyond the void, connecting with the nearby Black Legion flagship, the Eternal Crusader.
The sight he "saw" almost made his demonic heart stop beating!
The interior of the Eternal Crusader, which should have been orderly and exuding cold belligerence, had now become a bloody slaughterhouse! The intense sound of Bolters, the roar of chainaxes, and the distinctive, wild and savage howls of wolves intertwined, echoing throughout the warship's passages!
Through the chaotic final images transmitted by the fallen Black Legion warriors, Lorgar Aurelian saw—burly warriors, clad in a mix of Power Armor and crude animal pelts, as if stepped out of savage myths, rampaging through the warship! Their fighting style was wild and efficient, often trading blows for kills, using the most direct and brutal methods to destroy all enemies in their path!
Leading them was a golden-haired giant, wielding a massive Power Axe, who laughed maniacally as he cleaved a Black Legion Terminator, armor and all, in two! His rugged face, wolf-like eyes, and the unique, terrifying aura on him, a blend of primal savagery and ancient majesty... Leman Russ! It was the Wolf of Fenris! He had come too!
Not only the Wolf Lord himself, but his dozen most elite Wolf Guard, too, were like a whirlwind of slaughter, wherever they passed, Black Legion soldiers fell like stalks of wheat! They coordinated perfectly, their tactics cunning, specifically attacking critical nodes and command centers of the warship, clearly aiming to cripple this capital ship!
Although the Black Legion warriors were elite, under the sudden, almost frenzied boarding assault by the Wolf Lord and his retinue, they were beaten back, their formations in disarray, with even signs of localized routs! The comms channels were filled with panicked calls and dying wails!
"Leman Russ!!! You damnable brute!!" Lorgar Aurelian let out a furious roar. He had calculated everything, but he had not accounted for the long-absent Leman Russ appearing at this crucial moment, directly targeting his relied-upon ally, the Black Legion! This completely disrupted his plans!
First, Corvus Corax's infiltration and assassination, then Leman Russ's forceful boarding—the simultaneous appearance of these two brothers, whom he least wanted to face and who were the most aggressive, made Lorgar Aurelian feel a tremendous sense of crisis.
In his enraged humiliation, Lorgar Aurelian no longer cared for any Primarch's "decorum." Pointing at the surrounded Corvus Corax, he issued a hysterical command to the surrounding Word Bearers and daemons: "Kill him! Twist his head off for me! Quick!"
Upon receiving the command, the Bloodthirster closest to Corvus Corax was the first to let out a deafening roar, swinging its massive Hellblade down! Several Word Bearers Terminators also simultaneously raised their Storm Bolters and Power Fists, attacking from the sides! The sorcerers began chanting malevolent incantations, attempting to bind or weaken Corvus Corax!
Facing this deadly encirclement from all directions, Corvus Corax made a move that surprised everyone.
He neither dodged nor parried, but instead, he violently shook his arms!
The enormous cloak behind him, seemingly woven from countless raven feathers, suddenly billowed and spread as if alive, despite the lack of wind! Pitch-black shadowy energy surged from the cloak like a tide, not as an attack, but rapidly permeating and spreading!
This shadow was so deep, so pure, as if it could absorb all light and sound. In the blink of an eye, the entire spacious bridge, from floor to ceiling, from walls to every corner, was enveloped by this impenetrable, absolute darkness!
Lights instantly extinguished, the glow of instrument screens was swallowed, and even the Warp fire burning on the demons became dim, as if covered by a black veil. Sound also vanished; the whistling of weapons, the roars of demons, the chants of sorcerers—all disappeared without a trace, like stones cast into a deep pool.
This canopy of shadows, created by Corax's power, not only deprived sight and hearing but also severely interfered with and suppressed psychic perception! The Word Bearers and demons instantly became blind and deaf, plunging into extreme chaos and panic!
And in this absolute darkness, tailor-made for him, Corax, the Lord of Shadows, was like a king returned to his kingdom.
He silently merged into the darkness, as if he had become the darkness itself.
The next moment, the slaughter began.
There was no sound, no light or shadow, only death silently descending in the stillness.
A Word Bearers Marine suddenly felt a chill at his neck, then lost all sensation.
A sorcerer, in the midst of chanting a spell to dispel the darkness, had his head roll to the ground halfway through.
A Bloodthirster furiously swung its weapon, only to strike empty air. Immediately after, its core was precisely pierced from behind by some sharp blade, and its massive body crashed to the ground.
In the darkness, only an occasional, extremely faint friction sound of a blade cutting through air or slicing into armor could be heard, along with the dull thud of bodies falling. Each sound represented the end of a chaotic life.
Corax transformed into the deadliest hunter, elegantly and efficiently reaping lives within this domain of shadows he commanded. Lorgar's encirclement, instead, became his perfect stage to perform.
The roles of hunter and prey were instantly reversed.
The thick, inky canopy of shadows still enveloped the bridge, transforming it into a silent death cage. In this absolute darkness, the Word Bearers and demons were like headless flies. Fear spread silently, and the subtle sounds of comrades falling one after another constantly pricked their taut nerves.
Just in this extreme oppression, at the center of the bridge, in mid-air, a faint light suddenly ignited—no, it wasn't light, but a focal point of darkness even deeper than the surrounding gloom.
Corvus Corax's figure materialized there out of thin air, as if stepping from nothingness. He spread his arms, his massive raven-feathered cloak flapping behind him, despite there being no airflow. His pure black eyes, peering through his beaked helmet, coldly gazed down at the chaotic enemies below.
The next second, he abruptly swung his outstretched arms forward!
"Ohm—–"
A low tremor, almost inaudible yet striking the soul, resonated!
With Corax at the center, the cloak behind him seemed to transform into an endless source of feathers! Countless pitch-black raven feathers, their edges glowing with an eerie light, shot out in all directions like shrapnel from an exploding bomb, or like a torrential downpour of death!
These feathers were no longer silent projectiles but had become arrows proclaiming death! They tore through the air, carrying a mournful shriek, covering every corner of the bridge!
Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff—–!
A dense, drumbeat-like sound of penetration instantly replaced the previous deathly silence!
The Word Bearers and demons trapped in the darkness had no time to make any effective response. Their heavy Power Armor was as fragile as paper before the feathers imbued with the Raven Lord's power! The feathers easily pierced armor, drilled into flesh, and even impaled some smaller demons directly to the ground or walls!
In an instant, the entire bridge seemed to transform into a giant, eerie woodland bristling with black feathers. The reinforcements who had just surged in with such ferocity were now almost completely annihilated, turned into "hedgehogs" impaled with feathers, each in a different pose of death. Gushing foul blood flowed down the feathers, staining the ground into a viscous swamp.
This was the Raven Lord Corax after awakening his Warp essence! His power was no longer limited to physical stealth and assassination but had ascended to control over shadows, silence, and even a certain concept of "ending"! This raven-feather storm was a terrifying manifestation of this power!
However, this devastating attack also brought an even more unsettling effect.
A particularly burly Chosen of Khorne, whose body shimmered with intense Chaos blessings, was impaled by at least a dozen feathers. But he did not die immediately; instead, he let out a painful roar, trying to pull out the feathers. But soon, he realized something was wrong—those feathers were not just simple physical damage; they were injecting a cold, dark power, utterly different from Chaos energy, into his body!
This power, with its absolute stillness and void-like characteristics, was frantically eroding and assimilating the Chaos blessings within his body! The Chosen of Khorne struggled in agony; his body began to undergo a bizarre distortion, not towards more insane Chaos mutations, but becoming... dim, losing color, as if to merge into the surrounding shadows!
His roars grew weaker and weaker, the Chaos flames in his eyes gradually extinguished, replaced by a hollow, pure black similar to Corax's. A few seconds later, he stopped struggling, standing quietly there, impaled with feathers, motionless, as if transformed into a pitch-black statue. Then, he slowly, stiffly turned around, facing the other surviving Chaos creatures not directly killed by the feathers, and raised the weapon in his hand, which had already been corrupted by the shadow power.
He was assimilated! Corax's feathers could not only eradicate him but also transform him into a shadow puppet subservient to his will!
Lorgar watched this scene, dumbfounded, his lava-like eyes filled with disbelief and fury!
"No... impossible!" he shrieked. "I! Lorgar Aurelian! Blessed by the Four Great Gods! Possessing the power to reshape reality! I am the strongest Primarch! I am the most perfect being! How could you... how could you possess such power?!"
His pride and arrogance were shattered at this moment. The power Corax displayed, so utterly different from Chaos yet immensely potent, filled him with an unprecedented sense of threat and... jealousy.
Just then, an ordinary black raven, seemingly having slipped through the raven-feather storm, flapped its wings, passed through the pervasive smell of blood, and flew directly towards Lorgar on the throne.
Lorgar was in a state of shock and fury. Seeing this inconspicuous raven, he instinctively tried to swat it away without thinking.
However, just as his arm was raised—
The incoming raven suddenly twisted and expanded in mid-air!
A black shadow flashed, and Corax's true form had already appeared before Lorgar, at arm's length! His speed surpassed Lorgar's reaction limit!
A hand, covered in pitch-black armor yet imbued with terrifying power, gripped Lorgar's thick, demon-scaled neck like an iron clamp!
"Ugh!" Lorgar's roar was cut off in his throat.
Immediately after, Corax's other fist, carrying ten millennia of accumulated hatred and icy killing intent, struck Lorgar's twisted demonic face squarely, like a cannonball fired from its barrel!
Bang!!!!!
An extremely dull, colossal thud!
Lorgar's head snapped backward, and several sharp, fanged teeth, imbued with Warp fire, mixed with dark red blood, spurted from his mouth! His massive body staggered, nearly toppling from the throne!
What a humiliation! As a Daemon Primarch, to be struck so intimately!
Lorgar was both shocked and enraged. Chaos energy converged frantically. He brandished the staff in his hand and roared, "Vanish! You ant!"
A destructive energy beam, capable of vaporizing starship armor, shot at Corax from point-blank range!
Light flashed, and Corax's figure seemed to be completely erased.
But before Lorgar could even catch his breath, he felt a spine-chilling sensation! He abruptly looked up, only to see countless figures of Corax appearing in all directions within his field of vision! Each one was as real as the original, each wielding sharp raven feathers, striking at him from different angles with icy killing intent!
Illusions? Clones? Or extreme speed?
Lorgar could no longer distinguish; he was caught in the deadly trap woven by the Raven Lord!
Meanwhile, in the Hestia System north of Ultramar, the void battle had reached a fever pitch.
The Word Bearers' assault fleet's firepower was exceptionally fierce, especially their Chaos-blessed macro-cannons and lances, which possessed astonishing power. The Macragge's Honour's void shields, under continuous saturation bombardment, finally buckled. After flickering a few times, they completely collapsed and dissipated!
"Enemy void shields offline! Boarding parties! Attack!" Erebus's cold command came through.
Countless Word Bearers assault boats and drop pods swarmed towards the unprotected Macragge's Honour like bloodthirsty locusts!
Inside the battleship, alarms shrieked. Chapter Master Calgar's expression was grim, but his eyes were resolute: "All First Company units, supported by the Honour Guard, hold the critical passages and the bridge! We must not let the traitors defile our battleship!"
"For Macragge!" the veterans of the First Company roared. They were the most elite warriors, now transformed into the strongest shields, engaging in a desperate, inch-by-inch struggle with the surging Word Bearers in the battleship's intricate corridors. The roar of Bolters, the snarl of chainswords, and the impact of Power Fists echoed through every corner of the battleship.
And at this critical moment of defense, Captain Sibilus of the Eighth Company, known for her valor and assault tactics, looked at the star map at the Word Bearers' secondary flagship, belonging to the Dark Apostle Erebus, which was continuously pouring out firepower. A resolute glint flashed in her eyes.
She connected to Chapter Master Calgar's channel, her voice firm: "Chapter Master! Passive defense will only slowly bleed us dry! We must take the offensive and eliminate the enemy's command core! The Eighth Company requests permission to execute a boarding decapitation mission on the enemy flagship!"
Calgar immediately objected: "Sibilus! It's too dangerous! Consolidating our defenses and awaiting reinforcements is the best strategy now!"
"There's no time to wait! Chapter Master! Let us tear out their throats!" Sibilus's tone was resolute, even carrying a hint of defiance. "Eighth Company, all units! Board the Thunderhawk! Target, enemy flagship! For Ultramar!"
Before Calgar could issue another order to stop her, the warriors of the Eighth Company had already surged like a blue torrent towards the Thunderhawk Gunship hangar. Captain Sibilus led the charge, intending to counterattack the enemy in the most Ultramarines way possible, even if it was a desperate gamble with slim chances of survival!
Loyalty and betrayal, despair and courage, violently clashed in this cold void.
Inside the Word Bearers' secondary flagship, the torment of the word, the corridors had already become a meat grinder. The Eighth Company's boarding assault was like a dagger plunged into the enemy's heart, but it immediately fell into a heavy encirclement.
Blue-clad Ultramarines and dark red Word Bearers were locked in a brutal struggle. Bolters fired at each other in the narrow spaces, a hail of bullets flying, and every second a warrior was hit, Power Armour shattered, and flesh and blood splattered. The roar of chainswords and the hum of power weapons were the main melody, as soldiers from both sides fought for every inch of steel corridor in the most direct way.
Casualties increased dramatically, and the battle was exceptionally tragic. The Word Bearers, relying on their numerical superiority and home-ground advantage, stubbornly resisted the Eighth Company's advance, attempting to engulf these audacious invaders.
"For the Emperor! Advance!" a Sergeant roared, trying to lead his squad through a crossfire blockade, but a dense volley of Bolter fire instantly riddled him and two warriors beside him.
Just as the offensive stalled and the Word Bearers tried to counter-press at a critical moment—
"Roar—!"
A roar, like that of a wounded beast, erupted from behind a boarding shield! Immediately after, a figure wearing a red helmet burst out like a cannonball! He was Sergeant Vik!
At this moment, Vik seemed like a completely different person. He abandoned cautious tactical advancement, one hand tightly gripping a gleaming combat knife, the other wielding a roaring chainsword, completely disregarding the Bolter rounds firing at him!
"Sergeant Vik!" his squad members shouted in horror, quickly concentrating fire to suppress the enemies on his flank.
But Vik seemed deaf to their cries. A Bolter round struck his shoulder plate, leaving a deep dent and crack, making him stagger violently, but he only grunted, his speed undiminished! Another Bolter round grazed his thigh, armor fragments flying, yet he used the momentum to charge into the Word Bearers' line like a whirlwind!
The combat knife accurately plunged into a gap in a Word Bearer's helmet, then twisted! The chainsword, with an ear-splitting shriek, bisected another Word Bearer, who tried to block, cutting him and his weapon in half! His movements were wild yet efficient, full of a desperate resolve to fight to the death, and for a moment, he slaughtered the Word Bearers' line, sending them sprawling!
He was like a blue storm, swimming against the dark red tide! Bolter rounds continuously exploded on him, leaving shocking wounds; each hit made him stumble, but none could stop his advance! A bravery and endurance beyond reason sustained him, as if pain had been forgotten, leaving only a pure will to kill.
The other warriors of the Eighth Company were firmly entangled by more Word Bearers, unable to keep pace with Vik, and could only watch as their Sergeant plunged deep into the enemy lines like a lone boat, their hearts filled with anxiety and admiration. Sergeant Vik was using his life to create an opportunity for them!
Meanwhile, inside the Macragge's Honour, the situation took a turn for the worse.
As the void shields collapsed, the Word Bearers' boarding torpedoes rained down on the battleship's hull, forcibly opening numerous invasion channels. The most lethal of these directly breached the critical main engine room area!
"For the Dark Gods!" the Word Bearers roared, pouring out of their assault craft, instantly engaging the Honour Guard and First Company veterans defending the area! Inside the hangar, Thunderhawk Gunships and fighter jets became cover, Bolter rounds flew, lasers flashed, and both sides engaged in a brutal struggle for heavy equipment and access points. The loss or gain of every aircraft, the control of every passage, concerned the safety of the battleship's core areas.
Worse news arrived—on the lower decks, the figures of Word Bearers Possessed Marines had appeared! These daemon-possessed monsters, far stronger than ordinary Space Marines, instantly tore open gaps in the local defenses, leading the Word Bearers deeper into the battleship! The scales of victory were tipping towards the invaders.
Piercing alarms and the increasingly close sounds of gunfire had reached the medical bay. Gaius had just assisted a group of non-combat personnel and lightly wounded to move deeper into the battleship when he received an urgent notification: the Word Bearers had breached the outer defenses, and the medical bay might no longer be safe!
Luna!
Gaius's heart leaped into his throat. Luna's injuries were severe, making movement impossible! He immediately grabbed his "Hawkeye" sniper rifle and Power Sword, and quickly said to the Apothecary in charge of the evacuation: "I'll guard Luna's medical room! You transfer everyone else as quickly as possible!"
Without waiting for a response, Gaius shot towards the depths of the medical bay like an arrow from a bow. Only one thought was in his mind: he must not let the traitors harm Luna!
As he passed through corridors filled with smoke and pungent odors, and arrived outside the reinforced medical room where Luna was, the sight before him almost froze his blood.
The corridor outside the medical room was a mess; the bodies of several mortal Apothecaries and medical personnel lay in pools of blood, clearly indicating a brief but intense firefight had occurred here. The medical room's alloy door was covered in bullet holes and cutting marks, but it remained tightly shut.
And right in front of the door, a tall figure, not wearing Power Armour, stood there like a rock, blocking the only passage to the medical room.
It was Dorian!
But the Dorian before him made Gaius feel a strange sense of unfamiliarity and dread. Dorian's back injury was clearly not yet healed; he had winced in pain with every movement before, but now he seemed to feel no pain at all!
He was bare-chested, his knotted muscles taut, his bronze skin covered in scars and fresh bruises. He faced an onrushing Word Bearer, neither dodging nor evading, letting out a low growl, and his fist, as big as a bowl, struck directly with a terrifying whoosh!
Bang! The Word Bearer's chest armor caved in, and he flew backward as if struck by a battering ram, slamming into a distant wall and slumping down!
Another Word Bearer tried to ambush him from the side. Dorian didn't even look, delivering a backhanded elbow strike to the side of the opponent's helmet, directly deforming it, and the Word Bearer fell without a sound.
However, the real threat arrived. A massive Possessed Marine, radiating an evil aura and with arms mutated into huge bone claws, crashed through the debris in its path, letting out a defiant roar at Dorian, and lunged!
Dorian's eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a guttural roar that was not human-like, yet he met the charge fearlessly! The Possessed Marine's massive bone claws fiercely grabbed at Dorian's shoulders, intending to tear him apart! Dorian, in turn, extended his large hands, capable of crushing steel, and firmly gripped the Possessed Marine's wrists!
A pure test of strength erupted instantly! The Possessed Marine's strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Space Marine, but Dorian held his ground! Veins bulged on his forehead, his entire body's muscles strained to their limit, and the metal deck beneath his feet slightly deformed!
"Uh, ah, ah—!" Dorian let out a deafening roar, and his arms suddenly erupted with unimaginable power!
Crack! Crack!
The sickening sound of bones shattering rang out! The Possessed Marine's incredibly tough bone claws were crushed to smithereens by Dorian's sheer brute force!
The Possessed Marine let out a painful shriek, but Dorian's attack was not yet over! He released the now pulped bone claws, drew his right fist to his waist, and then, like a cannonball leaving the barrel, slammed it squarely into the Possessed Marine's chest!
Boom!!
The Possessed Marine's massive body flew backward like a broken kite, collapsing a pile of equipment, and lay motionless in the wreckage.
Gaius watched all this dumbfounded. The strength, ferocity, and complete disregard for pain that Dorian displayed at this moment far exceeded the normal capabilities of a wounded Ultramarines Sergeant! This was simply... a humanoid beast!
Just then, perhaps due to extreme shock and tension, or perhaps the chaotic energy permeating the air affected his perception, Gaius's vision blurred, and he experienced a bizarre hallucination—
He seemed to see Dorian, standing in front of the medical room door, covered in blood, panting heavily, his hospital gown instantly transforming into a crimson Power Armour adorned with spikes and skull decorations! The armor on his left arm was gone, revealing a scarred arm covered in knotted muscles, and his right hand gripped a humming chainaxe!
That familiar face, in the hallucination, became incredibly ferocious, his eyes burning with pure murderous desire, like... like a Chosen of Khorne!
"Dorian...?" Gaius instinctively murmured, his voice trembling slightly.
The hallucination flickered away, and Dorian was still Dorian, unarmored and covered in wounds. He heard Gaius's voice and abruptly turned his head. Gaius saw that Dorian's eyes were indeed bloodshot, but that redness... seemed to be more than just bloodshot, more like an ominous red glow emanating from the depths of his pupils.
Dorian looked at Gaius, opening his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, only a suppressed, beast-like growl escaped his throat. That growl was filled with savage battle intent, and a hint of… an unsettling unfamiliarity that Gaius had never felt from his brother.
Khorne's whispers, it seemed, were not confined to dreams. Under the stimulus of war and death, the seed that had been planted was quietly sprouting deep within Dorian's heart.
The bridge of the Oraculum Veritable had completely become a domain of death, a mixture of blasphemy and silence. The thick canopy of dark shadows still hung low, cutting off external light and noise, leaving only the silent feast of slaughter within.
Lorgar Aurelian, the Daemon Primarch, looked wretched and insane at this moment. His massive demonic body was densely impaled with black raven feathers, like a humanoid porcupine. These feathers not only brought intense pain but also continuously eroded his chaotic essence, making the operation of his psychic powers sluggish and inefficient. Dark red foul blood gushed from countless wounds, pooling into viscous puddles at his feet.
Ten millennia of accumulated arrogance and conceit, under Corax's absolute crushing power, transformed into hysterical fury and incredible fear.
"Illusions! All illusions!" Lorgar shrieked, his lava-like eyes flickering with confusion. He frantically waved his staff, unleashing powerful Chaos spells that twisted reality and disintegrated matter. Dazzling warp energy sometimes transformed into roaring demonic heads, sometimes into corrosive green acid, and sometimes into soul-freezing icy breath.
Each spell was enough to easily destroy an Emperor-class Titan, or even severely damage a small warship. However, in this shadow domain dominated by Corax, these destructive attacks seemed so clumsy and powerless.
One of Corax's doppelgangers was swallowed by a warp energy demonic head and dissipated; another was drenched in acid and turned into green smoke; a third was frozen by frost and shattered into ice crystals… But every time he destroyed a doppelganger, immediately two or three new doppelgangers coalesced from the shadows, wielding raven-feathered blades, attacking from even more unpredictable angles. These doppelgangers were indistinguishable between real and illusory; each carried the cold killing intent of the main body. Lorgar's attacks were like a heavy hammer striking quicksand, futilely consuming his strength without being able to touch the true threat.
His other arm, mutated into a claw, thrashed wildly as if out of control, tearing through the air and leaving deep gouges in the deck and walls. However, his movements, in Corax's eyes, were as slow as if he were stuck in the thickest glue. The Raven Lord's true form was like a phantom, always gracefully dodging by a hair's breadth just before the claws could strike, his pure black eyes showing not the slightest ripple, only cold mockery.
This duel had long lost its suspense. This was not a battle, but a one-sided crushing, an ultimate judgment of shadow against arrogance.
Just then, all the doppelgangers entangling and harassing Lorgar paused in unison, then, as if receiving a command, simultaneously drifted backward and merged into the surrounding darkness.
In the center of the bridge, from the deepest point of shadow, Corax's true form slowly emerged.
He had removed his iconic bird-beak helmet. However, what was revealed was not the pale and sharp human face of old. His head had undergone a significant transformation; his mouth and nose had become like a true raven's beak, sharp and naturally curved, its edges gleaming with a metallic cold light. His eyes, the pure black pupils, had grown even larger, almost filling the entire eye socket, revealing an inhuman, predatory ferocity and grimness.
This was a manifestation of his deeper power, a further integration of his dark raven essence with his Primarch form.
On the outer side of his armguards, accompanied by a subtle, crisp mechanical whirring, three glowing, elegantly curved adamantium Power Claws extended. The air at the edges of the claw blades was slightly distorted, indicating their unparalleled sharpness.
There was no roar, no declaration. Corax—or rather, he who was now more akin to an avatar of the Raven God—crouched slightly, his raven-feathered cloak billowing without a breeze.
The next second, he moved!
Not running, nor leaping, but like a true raven pouncing on its prey, transforming into a black lightning bolt that almost blended into the background! His speed was so great it surpassed the limits of visual capture, even leaving a blurred afterimage in the shadow canopy!
Lorgar's perception, confused by fury and pain, only abruptly awakened when Corax was almost upon him! His lava-like eyes instantly widened, filled with extreme terror and disbelief! He wanted to dodge, to parry, but the heaviness of his body and the drag of his injuries made his movements, compared to Corax's swiftness, seem as slow as if frozen!
"No—!" Lorgar only managed to let out a short, desperate shriek.
Corax's right Power Claw, with a shriek that tore through space, effortlessly sliced through Lorgar's thick, powerful demonic arm, which was clutching his staff, like a hot knife through butter!
Screech—!
A soft sound, accompanied by the grating noise of bone and metal being forcibly severed!
Lorgar's arm, brimming with vast Chaos energy, along with the precious staff, was severed at the shoulder! Dark red blood gushed like a fountain from the wound!
Before the severed arm and staff could even hit the ground, Corax's left Power Claw followed up! Three dark, cold lights flashed across, savagely raking across Lorgar's heavily armored chest!
Rip—!
The sturdy demonic armor was torn open like paper, revealing the writhing, warp-energy-emitting flesh and bone beneath! Three huge, bone-deep wounds, almost spanning the entire chest, appeared, the flesh at the edges of the wounds instantly turning charred and necrotic, as if corroded by some void energy!
"Urgh, ahhh—!" Lorgar let out a heart-wrenching shriek, his massive body stumbling backward, crashing heavily into his black stone throne, shaking the entire bridge.
He looked down at his bleeding stump and the terrifying wounds on his chest, then looked up at the avatar of the Raven God standing silently before him, his Power Claws dripping with his demonic blood, and his eyes were finally consumed by boundless fear.
At this moment, where was the slightest trace of his previous arrogant claim of being the "most perfect Primarch"? Before Corax's absolute power and speed, he was like a lamb stripped of its claws and teeth, pressed under the butcher's knife, left with only desperate struggles and impotent rage.
And Corax, like the most patient hunter, slowly raised his still-dripping Power Claws, the killing intent in his pure black raven eyes, like ten thousand years of ice, locking onto this traitor Primarch who had betrayed everything. The moment of termination was at hand.
At the same time, outside the violently damaged main door of the bridge, the battle was equally fierce.
The Chosen of Khorne, assimilated by Corax's raven feathers, had now completely transformed into a shadow puppet of the Raven Lord. His body had taken on an unnatural, jet-black appearance, as if formed from solidified shadows, his eyes burning with pure black flames of the same origin as Corax. He wielded bone claws, also corrupted by shadow power and made huge and sharp, and a Power Axe wreathed in dark energy, picked up from who knows where, like an indestructible iron tower, firmly guarding the vital passage to the bridge.
Endless Word Bearers reinforcements and daemons attempted to break through his blockade, but whether Bolter fire or demonic claws, striking his shadowy body, their effects were greatly diminished. And each of his swings contained the cold power of the void, easily tearing or cleaving in half the enemies who rushed him.
"For the Primarch! Charge through!" a Word Bearers Champion roared, leading a squad of Terminators in a charge.
The shadow puppet let out a silent roar, its Power Axe sweeping out with a shriek that tore through the air! The Word Bearers Champion's raised shield, along with half of his body, was cleaved open! The Terminators behind him were also sent sprawling by the immense force.
Empowered by the Raven Lord's strength, this former Chosen of Khorne had become an insurmountable barrier of death for the Word Bearers, faithfully carrying out its mission of protecting its master's hunt.
Inside and outside the bridge, the absolute rule of the Raven Lord Corax continued.
The bridge of the Black Legion flagship, the Eternal Crusader, had now been completely transformed into a display of Fenrisian barbarism.
The air was thick with the heavy scent of blood, the acrid smell of burnt oil, and the raw, untamed odor unique to wolves.
The floor was littered with the grotesquely mutilated corpses of Black Legion warriors, most having been cleaved or smashed by immense force.
Control panel screens were splattered with gore, and some instruments still sparked.
Leman Russ, the Wolf Lord himself, sat imperiously in what was once the Black Legion captain's command chair, one foot resting on the headless corpse of an officer nearby.
His massive power axe leaned casually against the chair, its blade still dripping dark red blood.
The dozen or so of his most elite Wolf Guard, like a pack of wolves that had finished their hunt, were dispersed throughout the bridge, their fierce gazes sweeping over the surviving Black Legion crew and technicians who huddled in corners, trembling with fear.
Most of these crew members were un-mutated mortals or low-ranking Chaos cultists, and facing the Wolf Lord and his Wolf Guard, who had slaughtered even Astartes like they were cutting melons, they were utterly terrified.
Russ picked up the grotesquely shaped communicator from the command chair, blew off the bloodstains, and then, in his booming gothic voice with a heavy Fenrisian accent, roared at the survivors:
"Hey! You scum hiding in the corners! Listen up!"
His voice rattled the damaged bridge, making the crew flinch.
"Now, I'm giving you a chance to live!" Russ pointed his thumb at the complex weapon control panels around them, "Go, operate these damn things for me! Point the cannons at your comrades' warships still floating out there! Shoot them down!"
What?! Attack their own people?
The crew exchanged bewildered glances, their faces etched with horror and hesitation.
Attacking other Black Legion warships? That was suicide!
Even if they survived now, they would surely be purged later!
Seeing their hesitation, Russ frowned impatiently, but before he could speak, a Wolf Guard with a hideous scar on his face, standing beside him, understood.
Without a word, he moved like a ghost, instantly striding to the nearest crewman, whose face showed the most intense hesitation.
Under the terrified, widening gaze of the crewman, the chainaxe in his hand activated and swung without warning!
"Buzz—CRACK!"
The ear-splitting roar of the chainaxe and the sound of shattering bone occurred almost simultaneously!
The crewman didn't even have time to scream before he was split in two from top to bottom!
Organs and blood splattered everywhere, and the intense, fishy smell smell instantly permeated the air.
"Roar!" The Wolf Guard let out a low growl like a true wolf, shook the blood from his axe blade, and his fierce gaze swept over the other survivors.
This was the Wolf Lord's "explanation." Simple, direct, effective.
The threat of death instantly overshadowed the fear of the future.
The survivors scrambled to their respective control panels, fumbling to operate them.
They dared not hesitate for another second, fearing that if they were even a moment slow, they would be the next to be split in two.
Soon, the massive hull of the Eternal Crusader slowly began to adjust its direction, and the macro-cannon arrays and lance emitters on its broadside glowed with charging energy.
In the void outside, the other Black Legion warships had no idea that a deadly strike from their "friendly" flagship would suddenly descend upon them!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Eternal Crusader's gunfire unleashed a fierce barrage onto an unsuspecting Black Legion strike cruiser!
Huge explosions erupted on the cruiser's broadside, its armor was torn apart, its engine room detonated, and the entire warship broke in two within a few dozen seconds, becoming burning wreckage in the void!
The other Black Legion warships were stunned, and the comms channels were instantly filled with angry questions and chaotic calls.
"What's going on?! The Eternal Crusader is attacking us!"
"Don't stop! Keep firing for me! Aim for the biggest ones! I want to see more fireworks before the shells run out!" Russ excitedly slapped the armrest of his chair, urging them loudly, as if watching a spectacular performance, "If I find any of you shaking, or trying to pull a fast one..."
He paused, his wolf-like eyes sweeping over the sweating crew, revealing a chilling smile: "...I believe my pups will be very happy to have a 'deep discussion' with you about Fenrisian hospitality."
The crew were scared out of their wits and operated the cannons with even greater effort, unleashing deadly energy beams and solid shells upon their former comrades.
For a time, the Black Legion's battle line fell into immense chaos, caught off guard by the attack from behind, suffering heavy losses.
Taking advantage of this opening, Russ attempted to contact Corvus Corax through some secret Primarch link.
"Hey! Corvus! How are things on your end? Have you beaten that traitor yet?" Russ shouted into the air, as if Corvus could hear him.
However, after a moment, there was no response.
Only silence.
Russ pouted, grumbling discontentedly: "This annoying raven, he's probably hiding in some shadow, playing tricks again!"
He turned his attention back to the battlefield before him.
Watching the Black Legion fleet descend into chaos under friendly fire, Russ stroked his furry chin, a calculating glint in his eyes.
"With all this commotion, the pups should be arriving soon, right…" he murmured to himself.
As if to confirm his words, in the void not far in front of the Eternal Crusader, space suddenly began to violently twist and tear!
A massive Warp jump window was forcibly opened!
Immediately after, one, two, three… an entire, enormous fleet, like a pod of giant whales emerging from the deep sea, slowly sailed out of the Warp jump window!
These warships were primarily painted in grey and pale yellow, with massive wolf head statues or runes adorning their prows, their style rugged and wild!
The largest battle barge was none other than the Space Wolves Chapter's flagship, the Fang of the Wolf!
The sons of the Wolf Lord Leman Russ, the main fleet of the Space Wolves Chapter, had finally arrived at the Ultramar battlefield at the crucial moment!
Communications from the Fang of the Wolf connected immediately, and a rough voice, filled with excitement and reverence, rang out: "Father! The Space Wolves Chapter reports for duty to you! We received your summons!"
Russ looked at the familiar fleet outside the viewport, and finally, a truly hearty and fierce smile spread across his face.
"Perfect timing, pups!" Russ's voice was filled with battlelust, "See those black and red wrecks? Tear them to shreds for me!"
"For the Emperor! For Russ!" The comms channel erupted with a thunderous chorus of wolf howls.
The fresh forces joining the battle instantly shifted the balance of power in the void.
The wolves' morale soared, while the Chaos allied forces plunged into even greater panic.
The Wolf Lord's audacious gamble had secured crucial reinforcements.
The scales of the battle were slowly beginning to tip towards the Imperial side.
Inside the Oraculum Veritable's bridge, a deathly silence had fallen once more.
The Shadow Veil subtly rippled, as if also pulsating with the impending end.
Lorgar Aurelian lay sprawled beneath its blackstone throne, demonic blood still gushing from its severed arm and chest wounds, its massive body convulsing from the excruciating pain and loss of power.
However, in its lava-like eyes, the last vestiges of madness and malice burned.
It knew it had lost, utterly and completely.
Ten millennia of plotting, the favor of the Four Gods, had proven so fragile before this accursed raven.
But even in death, it would never let Corvus Corax have an easy time of it!
An extremely unstable, destructive surge of Chaos energy began to gather wildly within its shattered body.
It sought to detonate its core demonic energy, even willing to drag this massive warship and the entire area into the abyss of the Warp!
Even if it couldn't kill Corvus, it would severely wound him, making him pay the price!
"Let us… perish… together…" Lorgar uttered a hoarse curse, the energy fluctuations growing more and more violent, the blasphemous runes on the bridge flickering, and the spatial structure groaning under the strain.
However, just as this self-destruct sequence was on the verge of activation—
A voice, cold as absolute zero, whispered right behind its head, as if from the depths of the netherworld:
"I will take your head and offer it to Father."
Lorgar Aurelian's pupils suddenly constricted to pinpricks! He used his last ounce of strength to violently turn his head!
Reflected in his eyes was Corvus Corax's completely raven-like, ferocious and cold head. The sharp raven beak seemed to hold a hint of mockery, and his pure black, abyssal eyes mirrored his own horrified and twisted demonic face.
And, those three adamantium power claws, already raised and gleaming with the cold light of finality!
"No—!" Lorgar Aurelian let out his last desperate and unwilling shriek.
A flash of cold light!
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a soft but crisp snap.
Lorgar Aurelian's massive, demon head, covered in twisted horns, was completely separated from his neck. The Raven Lord's hand steadily caught the head, which was still grimacing, its expression frozen between terror and rage.
The massive, headless demon body twitched stiffly twice in place, as if unable to accept the fact, then crashed to the ground as if all support had been pulled away, splattering large amounts of foul blood. Residual Warp energy uncontrollably dissipated from the severed neck, making sizzling sounds, but it could no longer pose any threat.
Corvus Corax held Lorgar Aurelian's head, his pure black eyes devoid of any joy of victory, only a cold emptiness. He knew clearly that for Lorgar Aurelian, who had ascended to a Daemon Primarch, severing his head in the material universe was not a true end, but merely a temporary banishment of his powerful essence back to the depths of the Warp. In due time, under the mighty power of the Dark Gods, he would eventually be reborn.
But no matter what, in today's battle, he had inflicted unprecedented heavy damage on this traitor Primarch, severing his flesh and taking his head. This was undoubtedly a severe blow to the forces of Chaos, and a complete reckoning of ten millennia of accumulated grievances.
He no longer looked at the headless corpse, his figure gradually fading, like ink dissolving in water, disappearing into the shadows of the bridge along with the demon head in his hand. Only the mess on the ground and the gradually cooling demon body remained, telling the tale of everything that had just happened.
At the same time, near the Eternal Crusader, which had just finished the boarding action and was initially controlled by the Wolf Guard, the Space Wolves flagship, the Fang of the Wolf, stood majestically like a grey mountain.
Wolf Lord Leman Russ had already returned to the mothership with his Wolf Guard via the docking bridge. Inside the huge hangar, Space Marines who had rushed to hear the news surrounded their Primarch, and excited wolf howls and rough laughter echoed through the sky. After ten millennia, being able to fight alongside their Father made every Wolf's blood boil.
Leman Russ looked at his excited sons, a hearty smile on his face, and vigorously clapped the shoulders of the nearby Wolf Lord and Wolves: "Good! Good lads! You came just in time! I knew you couldn't hold back!"
And those Wolf Guard who had boarded with Leman Russ gathered to the side, spitting as they argued over who had killed more Black Legion, showing off their spoils and scars, the atmosphere lively and boisterous.
"I killed at least twenty!"
"Bullshit! I saw you get cornered by three guys!"
"That was tactics! Do you understand tactics, you brute?!"
Just as this jubilation and clamor reached its peak—the shadow beside Leman Russ twisted without warning.
Corvus Corax's figure silently coalesced and appeared like a ghost. His appearance was so abrupt that the surrounding noisy Wolf Guard and Space Marines instantly fell silent, all eyes turning to this uninvited guest with surprise and vigilance.
Corvus Corax paid no attention to the reactions around him. He had resumed his usual black artificer power armor and bird-beak helmet, but in his hand, there was something extra—a demon head enveloped in shadow energy, still maintaining a ferocious expression, which was precisely Lorgar Aurelian's head.
He extended the head forward, and although he said nothing, the meaning was unmistakable.
Leman Russ was first stunned, then his wolf-like eyes widened, he leaned in to examine the head carefully, then looked up at Corvus Corax, and suddenly let out a deafening burst of wild laughter:
"Hahaha! Good! Well done, Corvus Corax! I knew you would succeed! That bastard Lorgar Aurelian, he had it coming!" He clapped Corvus Corax on the shoulder, then took the head and raised it high like a trophy!
"Lads! Look closely! This is the fate of betraying the Emperor! Raven Lord Corvus Corax has brought us the best gift!"
"For Leman Russ! For the Emperor!" The pack erupted into even more fervent cheers, their wariness of Corvus Corax instantly turning into admiration and gratitude.
Leman Russ handed the head to the Wolf Lord beside him for safekeeping, then with a wave of his large hand, pointed to the chaotic Word Bearers and Black Legion remnant fleets outside the viewport, his voice like thunder:
"We can't let the Raven Lord steal all the glory! The enemy is already disheartened! Charge, tear them apart! Let these Chaos scum see the might of the Fenrisian wolves!"
"For Leman Russ! For Fenris!" The Wolf Lord roared, immediately turning and rushing to the command post.
The massive Space Wolves fleet, like an enraged pack of wolves, engines at full throttle, fiercely pounced on the leaderless and demoralized Chaos warships. More Wolf Guard boarded assault boats, preparing for boarding actions; they wanted to win more glory for their Primarch in this great battle!
Meanwhile, deep within the Word Bearers' secondary flagship, the torment of the word, the battle had entered its most brutal phase.
Sergeant Vik was covered in blood, like a fiend risen from a pool of gore. Both of his shoulder pads had long been blown off by bolter fire, revealing bloody wounds beneath. The most fatal injury was to his abdomen, a fist-sized Penetration wound clearly visible, even showing his writhing internal organs! For an ordinary person, or even a regular Space Marine, such injuries would have long been fatal.
But Sergeant Vik seemed to feel no pain at all! His eyes were wild, leaving only a pure, destructive will to kill everything! With astonishing tenacity and superhuman vitality, he, alone, carved a bloody path through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, approaching the bridge area!
However, just as he was about to break through the last line of defense, a bloated, massive Word Bearer monster, completely fused with some kind of flesh daemon, blocked his way. The monster wielded twisted tentacles and claws, sweeping in an attack. Sergeant Vik barely parried with his chainsword, but the immense force sent him reeling backward.
Even worse, the disgusting tip of the monster's tentacle accidentally grazed the withered flower wreath on Sergeant Vik's left arm guard, which he had always carefully preserved!
That wreath, symbolizing memories of Vesta, symbolizing his bond with Eilaas, Lina, Gaius, and Dorian, instantly turned to dust under the corrosive slime and brute force of the tentacle, scattering into the air... Seeing the wreath destroyed, Sergeant Vik's already bloodshot eyes instantly turned pure crimson! The last thread of his sanity completely snapped!
"Ah—!!!" He let out a beast-like roar, completely inhuman, filled with endless pain and fury!
This roar seemed to ignite the last of his potential! A power, violent to the extreme, erupted from his scarred body! He no longer defended, no longer dodged, like a completely insane berserker, he wielded his chainsword, launching a suicidal charge at the massive fused monster!
The chainsword roared with an unprecedented, insane frequency, tearing the monster's tentacles and flesh to pieces! He was deaf to the monster's painful shrieks! He felt no new wounds added to his body!
At this moment, Sergeant Vik had only one thought—to kill all enemies who threatened the lives of his brothers!
He transformed into a true storm of death, sweeping along the corridor towards the bridge where Erebus was located!
Macragge's Honour, like a heavily wounded giant whale, struggled in the raging torrents of war. Although the support fleets from the 7th Company and 9th Company arrived in time, repelling some of the besieging Word Bearers warships and successfully docking to provide aid, the boarding action inside the warship remained brutal, especially in the core areas.
Inside the main hangar, it had become a gladiatorial arena for Astartes and demons. Three massive Possessed Marines, exuding a dense aura of Chaos, were the most lethal threat here. Their strength far surpassed that of ordinary Space Marines; their colossal bodies rampaged through the hangar, easily overturning a Thunderhawk Gunship loaded with ammunition, which then crashed into a wall, causing a secondary explosion and a towering inferno.
A 7th Company Space Marine attempted to attack from the flank with a Meltagun, but was backhanded away by a Possessed Marine, his body slamming into a distant support pillar like a rag doll. Another Possessed Marine lifted its massive, bone-plated foot and stomped on a Tech-Priest who couldn't dodge in time, along with the Servo-Skull in his hand, letting out a bone-chilling crunch.
"For the Dark Gods!" the Possessed Marine that had crushed the Tech-Priest roared incoherently. Its Bolter barrel, fused with its arm like a biological organ, began to charge, aiming at a group of crewmen and mortal Tech-Sergeants who were trying to resist using the wreckage of a damaged fighter.
"Scatter!" a crewman yelled in despair, but it was too late.
Bang bang bang bang—!
A barrage of Bolter rounds, like the scythe of death, swept across the area. The fragile bodies of the crewmen and Tech-Sergeants were no match for such fierce firepower, instantly falling in swathes like harvested wheat. Blood and severed limbs splattered everywhere, and screams were drowned out by explosions.
Another Possessed Marine fixed its gaze on a 7th Company Space Marine lying on the ground. The Space Marine's leg was pinned by a fallen steel plate, rendering him unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as the colossal demonic figure approached step by step. The Possessed Marine let out a pleased growl, raising its right arm, which had mutated into a massive bone claw, and aimed it at the Space Marine's head, preparing to deliver the final blow.
Just then, a figure stumbled forward, spreading her arms, and resolutely blocked the path between the injured Space Marine and the Possessed Marine!
It was Eilaas!
Her petite figure seemed so insignificant before the massive Possessed Marine. Her face, usually bright with a hint of cleverness and stubbornness, was now etched with uncontrollable terror. Her small body trembled incessantly from extreme fear, and her face was ashen. She was just a mortal Tech-Sergeant; facing such a terrifying demon, primal fear threatened to consume her.
But she did not back down.
"No... you won't hurt him!" Eilaas's voice was tearful yet unusually firm. She gripped the Power Fist she usually used to hammer bolts and adopted a completely unthreatening defensive stance against the bone claw, which was larger than her entire body.
"Eilaas... get out of here!" the pinned Space Marine shouted anxiously, knowing this was a futile sacrifice.
The Possessed Marine seemed amused by the defiance of this tiny creature, letting out a mocking gurgle, and its bone claw swung down without hesitation, bringing with it a foul gust of wind!
Just as Eilaas was about to fall—
Boom!
An exceptionally loud Bolter shot rang out from high in the hangar! The next instant, the massive bone claw, as if struck by a heavy hammer, violently exploded from the wrist! Shattered bone and disgusting tissue fluid splattered everywhere!
The Possessed Marine let out a roar of pain and fury, abruptly turning its head towards the source of the attack.
On the upper gantry of the hangar, several majestic figures in deep blue appeared—it was the First Company Terminators! They had finally broken through the outer defenses and arrived at the most crucial combat zone!
The one who fired was a Terminator armed with a Storm Bolter, smoke still curling from its barrel.
"For Macragge! First Company! Purge them!" The Terminator squad leader, a veteran with a laurel wreath on his helmet, let out a deep and powerful war cry.
Two Saturnine Terminator Space Marines, like moving fortresses, leaped directly from the gantry, crashing heavily onto the hangar deck with a dull thud. They then advanced with an unstoppable stride, charging towards the three Possessed Marines!
At the same time, on the defensive platform high in the hangar, a twin-linked Plasma Cannon, originally used against enemy aircraft, slowly rotated its barrels under the emergency control of a Tech-Sergeant. Intense blue energy gathered within the barrels.
"Target locked! Fire!" With the command, a thick beam of plasma roared out, precisely striking a Possessed Marine that was about to pounce on the Terminators!
Vwoom—hiss!
There was no explosion, only the annihilation of extreme heat! The Possessed Marine couldn't even let out a scream; its massive body instantly vaporized in a dazzling blue light, vanishing without a trace, leaving only a melted scorch mark on the deck.
The arrival of the Terminators and the precise heavy weapon support instantly turned the tide of battle in the hangar. Although the remaining two Possessed Marines were fierce, they were locked in a desperate struggle against the well-coordinated and well-equipped veterans of the First Company. Blue figures grappled with dark red demons, and the roar of Bolters and the hum of Power Weapons once again became the main melody, but this time, the scales of victory began to tip towards the loyalists.
However, deeper within the warship, in the Medical Bay, the situation was even more critical. The defenses here were relatively weak, and the Word Bearers' boarding parties had already breached the outer perimeter and infiltrated.
In the main corridor of the Medical Bay, gunfire, explosions, and battle cries were incessant. Gaius, leading some lightly wounded but still able-bodied Space Marines and armed medical personnel, was using sickbays and corners to fiercely contend with the invading Word Bearers, fighting room by room and corridor by corridor. They lacked heavy weapons and sufficient ammunition, relying only on terrain and sheer will to hold on, suffering constant casualties, and their defensive line was steadily retreating.
And the most important place—outside the intensive care medical room where Luna Aisa was located—had become a bloody island.
Dorian stood like a guardian god before the reinforced alloy door of the medical room. He was still not wearing his Power Armor; his bare upper body was already stained red with blood, some his own, but mostly the enemy's. His muscular body was covered in wounds, the most severe being on his right shoulder, where a large chunk of muscle and skin had been directly shorn off by a Bolter round, blood continuously gushing out and dripping onto the floor along his arm.
Around him, no fewer than ten Word Bearers' bodies lay piled up; some had their helmets smashed by his fists, others had their necks twisted, and some had their chest plates torn open by bare hands. He had held this door solely with his bloodied fists and savage strength, not allowing a single traitor to cross the threshold.
But his condition was clearly not right. His eyes were blood-red, his breathing was heavy like bellows, and he was letting out unconscious, guttural roars, completely in a state of berserk fury, fighting purely on instinct, having lost all reason. The whispers of Khorne and the bloody stimulation of the battlefield were dragging him into the abyss of madness.
Gaius, while directing the resistance, anxiously looked towards Dorian. He saw Dorian once again use terrifying brute force to send a Word Bearer attempting to approach flying, but at the same time, he also saw Dorian's steps beginning to falter from blood loss and rage. At this rate, he wouldn't last much longer.
"We must hold this place!" Gaius gritted his teeth, using his Aquila Eye Sniper Rifle to drop another Word Bearer peering around a corner, but more enemies were surging in. The Medical Bay was on the verge of falling.
Meanwhile, on the surface of the Hive City world, "Crown of Constancy," the battle had also entered its most brutal phase of urban warfare.
The 2nd Company, led by Captain Titus, was tasked with clearing out the Emperor's Children warband entrenched in the upper Hive City areas. These degenerates, who sought extreme sensory stimulation, had undergone severe mutations due to the corruption of Chaos energy. Some had extra organs growing on their bodies that played distorted music; others had skin that became like smooth purple crystal, reflecting eerie light; and still others had completely transformed into half-human, half-serpent monsters, slithering rapidly through the ruins.
Titus, the Company Commander, led from the front, each swing of his Power Sword precise and lethal. "For the Emperor! 2nd Company! Purge these abominations!" he roared, leading the warriors of the 2nd Company in a charge against a magnificent building, once an administrative hall, now occupied by the Emperor's Children.
Bolter fire poured like rain onto the building's exterior, but the mutated Emperor's Children used the terrain and their warped abilities to put up fierce resistance. Distorted sonic waves left the Space Marines dizzy, and their sudden, elusive attacks repeatedly broke through the Ultramarines' defensive lines. Every step forward came at the cost of blood.
Across the entire northern Ultramar battlefield, from the vast void to the interiors of massive warships, and down to the scarred surface of the planet, every inch was burning, and every moment saw sacrifices. Loyalty and betrayal, courage and despair, clashed in the most extreme ways upon this scorched earth.
On the bridge of the Macragge's Honour, though not directly breached by the Word Bearers, the atmosphere was more solemn and oppressive than anywhere else. Chapter Master Marius Calgar paced anxiously before the tactical command table, like a lion trapped in a cage. On the holographic display, blue areas representing Ultramarines control were being constantly eroded by red, symbolizing the enemy. The distress signals from the medical bay and the hangar, in particular, pierced his heart like thorns.
Captain Cassius and Company Commander Golden stood by, their faces equally grim. Cassius's fists were clenched, while Golden continuously tried to mobilize every available reserve unit via tactical link, but responses were few; most units were already embroiled in fierce combat.
"We can't wait any longer!" Calgar abruptly stopped, a look of grim determination flashing in his eyes. "Cassius, Golden, take the remaining Honour Guard and come with me to the medical bay! We must rescue the wounded and drive these invading scum off my ship!"
He could no longer stand by and watch his Space Marines fight alone deep within the warship, especially in the medical bay where Dorian and Gaius were, as the situation had become critical. Even though a Chapter Master was needed at the command center, at this moment, he preferred to fight alongside his Space Marines, even if it meant facing a mountain of blades and a sea of fire.
Cassius and Golden didn't hesitate, immediately straightening their postures: "Yes, Chapter Master!"
Just as Calgar was equipping his master-crafted Power Fist, preparing to lead the last of his elite forces into the internal battle, a voice cut through the air.
"Chapter Master!" The communications officer's voice was tinged with surprise and urgency. "We've received a communication request from the Space Wolves flagship, the Fang of the Wolf! Signal priority… extremely high!"
Space Wolves? Why would they suddenly initiate contact? And with such high priority? A flicker of doubt crossed Calgar's mind, but any external message now could potentially influence the battle.
"Patch it through!" Calgar said gravely, simultaneously motioning for Cassius and Golden to wait.
The main communication screen flickered; the signal seemed unstable due to battlefield interference, but it quickly stabilized. The image that appeared on the screen caused everyone on the bridge, including the battle-hardened Chapter Master Calgar, to freeze instantly, as if struck by lightning!
It was not an ordinary Space Wolves Wolf Lord, nor a Wolf Guard Battle Leader.
At the center of the screen sat a giant figure on a crude stone throne, clad in a mix of Power Armor and precious pelts, exuding an indescribable aura of savagery and majesty. He had a wild mane of Golden hair, a rugged, chiseled face, and eyes as sharp as a wolf's, now regarding the camera with a scrutinizing gaze.
This face, this face that had only appeared in the Chapter's most ancient and sacred records and portraits... Leman Russ!
The Primarch of the Space Wolves!
The Lord of the Sixth Legion, who had been missing for millennia!
Calgar felt his heart almost stop at that moment. A Primarch! A living Primarch, not Lord Guilliman, had appeared in communication! The shock of this news was no less than a galactic explosion!
"Hey! You there... Ultramarines Chapter Master!" Russ's voice boomed through the comms, loud, direct, with a thick Fenrisian accent, even a bit unrefined, yet full of an undeniable sense of power. "Can you hear me?"
Calgar snapped back to attention, suppressing the tumultuous waves in his heart, and saluted with the most formal military posture, his voice slightly strained with emotion: "Lord Primarch! Chapter Master Marius Calgar of the Ultramarines Chapter, I salute you! Communication is clear!"
"Hmm, good that you can hear me." Russ seemed to care little for formalities, waving a hand and cutting straight to the chase, his tone carrying a hint of post-victory exhilaration. "Long story short, I've got good news for you! Lorgar, that traitor, has been dealt with! Its head is hanging right here with me now!"
What?! Lorgar... dealt with?! Calgar, Cassius, and Golden were once again stunned by this bombshell! The Daemon Primarch who had orchestrated this invasion had been slain?!
Russ continued: "The main Word Bearers fleet has been mostly crippled by us; the rest have either fled or scattered. I... uh, I and my sons are now heading your way at top speed! What's the situation on your end? Can you still hold out?"
Calgar immediately realized this was an excellent opportunity to turn the tide of battle! He suppressed his excitement and quickly reported: "Thank you, Lord Primarch! Our situation is critical; the Macragge's Honour is under fierce attack from Word Bearers boarding parties, multiple areas have fallen, and casualties are heavy! We urgently need support!"
"Boarding action? Hmph, that's exactly what the Wolf Cubs are best at!" Russ grinned, revealing his stark white teeth, but then, as if suddenly stuck, he scratched his unruly hair, turning awkwardly to look off-screen and asked, "Uh... what... Corvus, what was his name again? Marius... what comes after that?"
It was only then that Calgar and the others on the bridge noticed another figure standing silently in the shadows behind Russ's throne.
He was tall and slender, cloaked in a pitch-black garment, as if merged with the shadows, his presence so quiet that he was almost overlooked. But when everyone's gaze focused on him, they could feel a cold presence, deeper and more unsettling than Russ's wildness.
Hearing Russ's question, the dark figure stirred slightly, and a calm, low voice, like the night wind sweeping over ruins, softly spoke:
"Marius Calgar."
It was Corvus Corax! The Primarch of the Raven Guard, the Raven Lord! He was there too! Two Primarchs, missing for nearly ten millennia, appearing simultaneously and having slain Lorgar!
The successive shocks of the day were almost too much for Calgar, who had seen many storms.
"Oh, right! Marius Calgar!" Russ slapped his thigh, turning back to the screen, his tone becoming serious. "Chapter Master Calgar, listen! Hold on! Hold on no matter what! The Space Wolves fleet will be there soon! When we arrive, it will be the end for those Word Bearers scum!"
"Yes, Lord Primarch! Ultramarines, we will hold to the death!" Calgar's voice was filled with unprecedented strength and determination.
The communication ended, and the screen went dark. But the atmosphere on the bridge had completely transformed! The previous despair and solemnity were replaced by immense hope and surging fighting spirit!
"You all heard it!" Calgar turned, his gaze sweeping over Cassius, Golden, and all the officers and crew on the bridge, his voice ringing with power. "The Wolf Lord and the Raven Lord have returned! The traitor Lorgar has been slain! Reinforcements are imminent! Now, it's our turn to show the enemies on board the resilience of the Ultramarines!"
"For the Emperor! For Ultramar!" A thunderous roar echoed on the bridge.
Calgar once again gripped his Power Fist, but this time, his eyes no longer held the tragic resolve of a desperate fight, but the sharp glint of impending victory: "The plan remains unchanged! Cassius, Golden, let's go! To meet our Space Marines, and while we're at it, clean up the trash on this ship!"
Hope, like a torch lit in the darkness, illuminated the Macragge's Honour in its desperate plight. Everyone knew that as long as they endured this final, most difficult stage, victory would surely belong to the loyalists!