Illusory wings of psychic flame and glorious radiance spread from Lorgar Aurelian's shoulders, light blazing across his armor.
"Corvas Corax."
"Traitor!" Corax answered with a shriek. Flames roared from his jump pack as he hurled himself at Lorgar.
Corax evaded the crozius arcanum, firing his jump pack to vault over the hammerhead's sweeping arc.
Lorgar gripped Illumination of Truth, the warhammer Vulkan had forged for him, in both hands and swung upward with all his might. A thunderous peal rang out like a cathedral bell.
The hammerhead's energy field erupted with brilliant golden light, knocking the surrounding Astartes off their feet.
Corax lost his balance, twisted in midair, and landed.
"That golden psychic light—nothing but a crude reflection of our father."
He immediately lunged back in, clamping both claws around the haft of Illumination of Truth. Sparks crackled, scorching Lorgar's hands.
Lorgar's armored boots ground through the black dust and sand.
"I am revealing the truth to humanity."
"You are destroying the Imperium! You have betrayed your own blood!" Furious rage surged beneath Corax's pale skin.
"Lorgar, I will kill you."
Lorgar had never seen Corax so wild. Even when Horus had ridden roughshod over him at Akum-Sothos, inflicting grievous casualties on his sons and causing their falling-out, he had been cold as a blade, never displaying such savagery.
The claws closed on Lorgar, their lethal tips barely a finger's breadth away.
Searing electrical arcs sliced open Lorgar's cheek, charring his golden skin.
Pain stirred the psychic flames into a sudden, dazzling burst of light. Corax instinctively shut his eyes.
Lorgar seized the chance to raise Illumination of Truth and drive it into Corax, but the Lord of the Raven leaped up on a plume of black smoke, then swooped down.
Lorgar swung his crozius to knock the right claw