Adam murmured softly. He stood on the balcony of the High Celestial Tower with his hands behind his back, his head tilted slightly as the golden radiance of the sun pierced the thin atmosphere and spilled across his face without obstruction.
In the distance, the giant hive cities on Terra—once layered like mountains of iron piercing the sky—had changed their appearance. The redundant industrial structures that had occupied Terra for ten thousand years, the rusted production arrays, and the facilities long ago rendered obsolete by time had all been dismantled.
Countless massive gravitational tow-ships from the Adeptus Mechanicus hovered in the sky. Pale blue anti-gravity fields acted like invisible giant hands, lifting tens of millions of tons of steel components and sending them into the void, casting them toward the waste star belts at the edge of the system. Such terrifying productivity was the ultimate manifestation of human wisdom in this universe. Unfortunately, for the past ten thousand years, it had been trapped in the dust of history by a decaying, rigid political system and bigoted, blind religious thinking.
With the complete reorganization of the Adeptus Mechanicus and the significant expansion of Prometheus Labs' influence within the priesthood, those long-buried technologies finally broke free from their shackles and reappeared in the world.
A full week had passed since Adam returned from Trazyn's Solemnace Museum.
The resurrected Great Angel, Sanguinius, displayed efficiency that far exceeded everyone's expectations. On the main planet of Baal, he gathered representatives from the Blood Angels and all successor chapters who had rushed from across the galaxy upon hearing the news. Under the tearful gaze of countless Space Marines, he announced the return of the Genetic Father. Within just a few days, he consolidated the power of all the bloodline chapters, formed an unprecedented honor guard legion, and boarded a starship for Terra, surrounded by Dante and various Chapter Masters.
This was an inevitable journey. No matter which Primarch returned after ten thousand years, the first priority was to travel to the heart of Terra to have an audience with the Emperor seated upon the Golden Throne and to announce their return to the entire galaxy.
As everyone expected, and as planned, when Sanguinius's starship entered Terra's low-earth orbit, a welcoming ceremony of unprecedented scale had already unfolded on the Sacred Plaza of Terra. The grandeur even surpassed the scene when Guilliman was revived and returned. For the citizens of the Empire struggling in the darkness, this Great Angel—famed for his compassion and valor—was the very definition of hope. Even the Regent of the Empire, who was buried in imperial administrative duties and exhausted by endless paperwork, rarely left his office to personally welcome his brother from whom he had been separated for ten thousand years.
Adam raised his eyes slightly, his gaze falling toward the center of the plaza. Two tall, majestic Primarchs stood side by side, facing the crowd surging like a sea tide below. Everyone's eyes shone with near-mad excitement and fanaticism; they stood on their tiptoes, jumped, stretched out their hands, and screamed the names of Sanguinius and Guilliman at the top of their lungs. Those shouts converged into rolling thunder that echoed over Terra for a long time.
Their feelings were sincere. After all, the last Primarch to return had indeed brought tangible changes to the Empire. Now, the return of Sanguinius made them firmly believe that this Great Angel would sweep away the darkness of the universe and bring true light to humanity. They were convinced of it.
At that moment, Sanguinius, clad in golden armor, suddenly reached out and grabbed Guilliman's arm. Facing the mountain-like cheers, he raised their joined hands high toward the sky. In an instant, the atmosphere of the entire venue was pushed to an unprecedented peak.
Of course, the metaphors regarding the Second Empire contained within that gesture were unknown to the public. One could only say that a certain Great Angel's sense of humor was inherent; even after opening his eyes ten thousand years later, it had not diminished in the slightest.
A while later.
The fanatical atmosphere gradually dissipated. Sanguinius withdrew the gentle smile from his face, folded his wings slightly, and walked slowly to Adam's side by the balcony.
"Your whisper just now sounded full of concern." The Great Angel's voice was clear and peaceful. His gaze fell on Adam with a hint of understanding.
"Oh? You actually heard it?" Adam raised an eyebrow, a trace of surprise appearing on his face, yet he did not hide it. He simply raised his hand calmly. On the back of his hand, the golden double-headed eagle emblem shone brilliantly.
"The Emperor just sent a message to me." Adam's tone remained calm. "The Four Chaos Gods have begun to make big moves. Before long, they will launch an invasion against the entire Empire that is enough to shake its foundations."
Hearing this, Sanguinius simply nodded calmly, indicating he already knew. This event had already appeared in his prophecies; it was not enough to cause him the slightest surprise. After all, he was the one who had witnessed his own tragic death in prophecy yet stepped onto the battlefield without hesitation. This level of threat was not enough to shake him at all.
"Then, will you fight alongside us?" A steady and majestic voice came from the side.
Guilliman walked over slowly. The Imperial Regent's face remained serious, his deep eyes looking directly at Adam.
"Of course not," Adam shook his head. "I will face the Four Chaos Gods head-on."
His words were concise.
"The Chaos Gods will stir up trouble in the Warp, just like ten thousand years ago. They have temporarily set aside their mutual slaughter and calculation and united once again, determined to drag all of humanity into eternal decay and darkness." Adam's gaze looked toward the void, as if he could pierce the barrier between reality and the Warp. "Fortunately, with the Emperor's power on the Golden Throne and my own abilities, it is enough to stand against the Four Gods within the Warp. At the very least, I can tie them down so they cannot project too much divine power into the material universe."
He paused, his gaze falling back on the two Primarchs, his smile filled with absolute certainty. "But the disputes in the material universe must ultimately be resolved by you. However, I have brought so many changes to the Empire. The current Empire, and the current you—surely you have the confidence to win this war?"
As his voice fell, Sanguinius and Guilliman looked at each other. In both their eyes, the same steady and confident light ignited. Facing Adam's gaze, the two Primarchs spoke in unison, their voices decisive and carrying unshakable determination:
"Rest assured. We will win."