Centaur Grand Stage-If You Have a Golden Ring, Come On!

Kasgar: "."

It seems like I won't be able to take this vacation.

Just when he thought he had finally solved a crucial problem and could finally relax, this situation would occur the next second.

The Xenos.

The Xenos that Kasgar feared most, and also least wanted to face, were right in front of their flagship Pride of the Emperor.

That planet covered in endless blue, its surface entirely ocean.

The Stinger Xenos are a branch of Xenos beings who have long worshipped one of the Chaos Gods: Slaanesh.

This isn't really the key point: after all, under the long-term planning and intervention of the Chaos Gods, even the Emperor himself fell for their tricks when he was young.

The reason why the Xenos is so important is because of the sword placed in the center of their Slaanesh temple, which is home to the evil Slaaneshi Daemon.

If Kasgar does not intervene, with the Legion having no Librarian, Fulgrim will pick up the sword without any precautions and then unknowingly believe that the demonic whispers within the sword are his own thoughts.

Then they will gradually be tempted by the sword and fall into the trap of the great Slaanesh.

This place is called Falling Phoenix Slope!

Of course, Kasgar would not allow this tragedy to happen.

The stabbing Xenos, in particular, was almost a deus ex machina turning point for Primarch Fulgrim.

Before this, Fulgrim could not be described as universally loved, but she was still considered a kind and benevolent person, with a reputation similar to that of the good-natured Vulkan. Apart from being slightly narcissistic and a bit of a drama queen, she had no flaws.

But once he took up the Laerda, it was as if his personality had instantly switched, transforming him from a slightly narcissistic good person into a wicked snake demon who even slit Iron Hands's throat.

The change was too fast and too rapid, as if the script had been prepared in advance, and the characters were like puppets executing the original plan.

—Perhaps it's because I couldn't continue making this up.

Although this juncture is abrupt, its advantage lies in the fact that Kasgar can eliminate this hidden lightning in advance. After Kasgar possesses the endless Psychic Power flames burning in his hand, he will have the ability to directly refine this Laerda.

Once the threat of the Laerda is eliminated, there will be no need to worry about Fulgrim's situation for a long time.

Since acquiring Psychic Flame, Kasgar has been actively searching for, and has asked Princess Irill Corsairs fleet to join him in, investigating the evil Xenos force that worships Slaanesh —the Seraph.

Princess Irill naturally took this very seriously: Slaanesh the Thirsting Lady was Eldar's number one enemy, and since the New Phoenix King felt that their thorn-wielding followers would hinder them in the future and must be eliminated immediately, Eldar naturally gave their full support.

Fighting the Slaanesh is the most important mission for every Eldar.

Even with Princess Irill's all-out search and the use of her vast information network as a Craftworld Aeldari, they were unable to find this Xenos force, known as the Thornman, with two pairs of arms and a sea serpent-like torso, anywhere in the galaxy.

It was as if this civilization had never existed.

This situation also caught the attention of Kasgar: after all, the Eldar were also an ancient civilization in the galaxy, and the Eldar were so well-informed, with such a wide reach during the Aeldari Empire, it was impossible that they had no information about this civilization at all.

If that's the case, Kasgar guessed—

It's quite possible that the trap isn't just that piercing sword, but rather, like the Nuceria where Angron is located, the entire planet has been corrupted by the Chaos Gods, waiting for Fulgrim to intrude.

They just didn't show it in front of others.

Kasgar even suspected that the planet might be under the protection of the Dark Gods, waiting to be quietly detonated when Kasgar was not paying attention.

The Khan and the planet Fulgrim were swapped during Warp turbulence, resulting in her being born in the desolate yellow earth of Chemos and growing up with great difficulty. She learned about the hardships and struggles of the common people and led them to shatter the noble forces in the fortress city.

Clearly, Fulgrim did not suffer the irreversible effects of the evil gods during her growth, unlike other Primarch who were preordained by Chaos.

But this does not mean that Slaanesh will give up.

That planet was actually waiting for her here.

The timing of the appearance of the Xenos is particularly intriguing.

He seemed to be waiting for the Nikaea ban to be issued in order to prevent Kasgar from using the power of Psychic Flame to destroy the demon in the sword.

The idea seems good.

Looking at the ever-growing blue planet during its space voyage, Kasgar had to admit it.

But even if he doesn't use the Psychic Flame in his hand, he has other methods.

A tiny glint of gold flashed across the lifelike Centaur gold ring carved on his finger.

The Lamiian civilization was discovered by humans not long ago.

Even some members of the advance team who went to explore said that they had explored this area before, but found no signs of a planet.

They had no idea how this blue ocean planet had suddenly appeared before them.

But the reconnaissance must continue.

As the exploration progressed, the reconnaissance ships discovered evidence of civilization within this binary star system and determined it to be some kind of complex culture.

A Xenos civilization lives in the vast oceans of this planet.

They have two pairs of arms, unlike humans, and a serpentine tail; they have no feet.

The aliens call themselves Lar, which means "thorn people".

Most of society seems to exist on numerous city-sized floating coral atolls that crisscross the sky above Laal's Realm. Only the peaks that were once its highest mountains and buildings protrude from the sea that covers its entire surface.

Officials of the High Lords of Terra believed that the Ral could perhaps become a vassal state of the Imperium, as conquering an advanced race could be a long and costly undertaking.

Although the Thorns were not initially hostile to the Imperial Army, the alien race reacted fiercely when one of their scout ships was sent to their homeland.

Finally, the reconnaissance report was delivered to the core of the Expeditionary Fleet and fell into Kasgar's hands.

The piercing Xenos he had been searching for for countless years was now right in front of him.

"We must fight them, just like the bizarre Xenos we encountered on Interes. They are a faith that is absolutely incompatible with us."

"Kasgar said in a deep voice."

The good news is that, after so many direct and indirect clashes with the forces Xenos Chaos, even Fulgrim has accumulated some knowledge and experience about Chaos.

"Their evil beliefs are destined to be incompatible with ours. As for how far-reaching the influence of Warp Chaos will be, didn't we already experience it back in Interes?"

Even after thousands of years of defense by the Interes Federation, and after everyone had a deep understanding of the dangers of Chaos, it was something they could not prevent day and night.

We must absolutely not allow even a trace of it to circulate within the Imperium.

"Alright. After a long negotiation and Nikaea's scheming, we're all a bit tired."

Fulgrim nodded in agreement, excitedly flicking the heavy scarlet cloak behind her that symbolized her status Warmaster.

"Today I'll show you what it's like to be Warmaster— "

"No, you can't go."

But it was quickly rejected by Kasgar.

"Did you feel that the appearance of the Xenos was so abrupt? There had never been any trace of a planet here before, and suddenly an ocean planet appeared."

"The appearance of this planet is not due to the improvement of detection technology, but rather it was deliberately brought to this moment under the manipulation of Warp forces, just to lure you into a trap."

Kasgar recounted in detail to Fulgrim how the evil Chaos beings had scattered their Primarch brothers and sisters across the world in the beginning, and how they had placed the Laerda deep within the temple on Xenos to lure Fulgrim away.

And if Fulgrim unknowingly picks up this loot, what terrible and tragic fate will she suffer?

At such a crucial moment, he dared not hold back even the slightest bit.

—Of course, some scenes have been slightly modified. In the "future" that Kasgar mentioned, the person who was about to be slit by the crazed Fulgrim has changed from Senior Sister Fei to himself.

This makes it even more cautionary.

"How could this be?! This must be fake, right, Kasgar? How could I possibly lay a hand on you and cut your head off?"

"That's because you, as a proud Warmaster, had no sense of caution whatsoever and were simply led by the nose—until the evil being residing in the sword finally possessed it and swung the final blow."

"Then my head was gone, and you, in a state of collapse, held my head and cried."

Kasgar helplessly shrugged and said that in order to scare Fulgrim from picking up equipment randomly, Kasgar even took the initiative to act Senior Sister.

As Kasgar narrated, Fulgrim's expression also became less pleasant.

After all, the thought of killing Kasgar with her own hands filled her with utter despair.

"But I still insist on going with you."

After a long period of contemplation, Fulgrim spoke.

"But--"

"Don't worry, I will always be on guard against this. As the Warmaster of the Imperium of Man, we will encounter many more challenges from this... is it called Chaos?"

"I understand you fear that I will fall into the abyss because of this. But Kasgar, I am your Primarch," Fulgrim gently stroked his cheek. "I cannot sit alone on the flagship and watch my Sons of the Emperor go to their deaths before me."

"Especially you. While you worry about me, I also worry about you."

"He can harm me, and he can harm you too."

"If it really does harm people as you say, I will go with you to protect you from that demon."

Fulgrim was very determined.

While Kasgar was unwilling to see her in danger, she was also unwilling to see Kasgar in danger, yet she, as the Primarch and Imperium Warmaster, cowardly hid in the rear.

This was the Sons of the Emperor's first independent battle since he ascended to the position of Warmaster in Fulgrim.

Normally, despite being the commander of Warmaster, the Sons of the Emperor rarely fight alone due to the special requirements of their missions; they usually participate in battles as auxiliary troops for other legions.

There's no way to get anyone else's approval for this.

Some Astartes even scoffed, saying that the achievements of their Sons of the Emperor were all earned by doing nothing, and could not compare to their legions that were always fighting the most powerful Xenos.

Although this is an anonymous statement, it has a strong sense of déjà vu with Perturabo.

While many Primarch praised Fulgrim for his intelligence and, together with the Kasgar, used wisdom and diplomacy to reclaim these planets, few people actually believed that the Sons of the Emperor was capable of fighting.

Although he can cooperate well with all the legions, unfortunately his ability to fight independently has not been recognized by everyone.

How can the Sons of the Emperor be called the most glorious and powerful legion without undergoing a formal trial of blood and fire?

After refusing further negotiations, the fleet perfectly anchored above the ocean planet.

The Emperor's Children Legion is eager to prove itself, and after becoming Warmaster, Fulgrim seeks to push further beyond the Imperium's borders to demonstrate the courage and worth of his legion.

Lalan, which is the ocean world below them.

Its official name is 28-13, which is the thirteenth world conquered by the 28th Expeditionary Fleet.

(Actually, I don't really understand the naming rules either. In the original story, the next world Horus conquered after becoming Warmaster was 63-19, which means that before that, he only had the honor of eighteen worlds.)

(Two hundred years, conquering eighteen worlds—that already makes them the legion with the most achievements.)

In previous negotiations, the Assassin Imperium had expressed its willingness to submit to the Imperium of Man, but this willingness was rejected during the Kasgar takeover negotiations.

He pointed out that the ancient beliefs of the Arrancar Imperium had serious problems, and that the Sons of the Emperor's fleet must dismantle the temples and eliminate all the filth in the world before peace talks could continue.

This is clearly a condition that the assassin absolutely cannot accept.

A battle between the two sides is now inevitable.

"Stormbird are ready on launch track, the entire army is ready, and with just one order, we can fly to Lalan at any time."

Fulgrim nodded to the ready Sons of the Emperor.

Her bright gold armor gleamed, as if it had just been handed to her by the armorer.

The armor's trim shimmered like the sun, and each steel plate was engraved with exquisite spiral patterns. She wore a long cloak symbolizing her status as Imperium Warmaster, and a purple high collar representing the legion's colors. A golden eagle's wings, outstretched, fluttered over her left shoulder.

Before her stood countless Sons of the Emperor Space Marine, clad in full armor, equally prepared for the battle to come.

As the only Space Marine legion qualified to wear the Imperial Two-Headed Eagle, the Sons of the Emperor have always been the proudest and most honor-conscious legion.

Through long-term training and refinement, each of them has continuously improved themselves in an effort to achieve perfection.

However, due to the Emperor's arrangement, the Emperor's Children Legion must spend most of their time dealing with the newly returned Primarch, helping them return to the Imperium and assisting in the battles.

Although the Emperor's Children have the ability to serve as supporting characters to highlight others, Emperor's Children clearly do not want to be supporting characters to highlight others forever.

Especially after Primarch Fulgrim became Warmaster, this feeling of resentment grew stronger day by day.

It's time to test our achievements with a thrilling battle and demonstrate the formidable fighting power of the Sons of the Emperor!

From the appearance, each of the piercing figures is not exactly the same, and they can be said to be very diverse.

Because biological forms vary greatly in different regions, and through long-term evolution, coupled with their own unique genetic modifications, the thorn people have developed a wide variety of forms depending on their roles—winged, aquatic, and all sorts of other thorn people.

But these things are not important to the advancing Emperor's Children, nor do they care.

These peculiar the Beast are tall, grotesque monsters. All the Ral people have serpentine lower bodies, and their muscular chests are covered with silver armor from which two pairs of limbs sprout. Each upper arm has long, lightning-encircled blades, their elegant shapes curving like scimitars, while each forearm wields a crackling gauntlet.

As fighter jets roared down from the sky, the Sons of the Emperor chose to land on a floating landmass known as Atoll 19.

Warriors from the Sons of the Emperor trained. Under the cover of fighter squadrons, they completed the first phase of the landing operation.

Surrounded by countless grotesque Xenos, Bolter and plasma flames continuously detonated on this battlefield.

The strength of the Emperor's Children Legion is now vastly different from what it used to be.

With a numerical advantage, a large number of Emperor's Children can form modular combat units.

Unlike other legions with their singular combat methods, the Emperor's Children Legion can form a united force by defining the responsibilities of each legion.

They possess defense comparable to the Imperial Fists, firepower comparable to Iron Warrior, and their mechanized army has also earned Philus's approval.

As for the Emperor's Children Motorcycle Corps, it is also the only Astartes unit within the Imperium capable of racing the Khan.

With the assistance and cooperation of the Emperor's Children and his all-rounders, the spiky Xenos near the landing point were quickly wiped out under the crossfire.

Before the Emperor's Children could even demonstrate his close-combat skills, the piercing attack was gradually neutralized by the Emperor's Children.

After the initial encirclement, the Sons of the Emperor Company, which was being used as fortifications, began their work of clearing mortar in the center of the battlefield.

After completing the construction of their surface Defensive Fortifications, they will face even greater challenges—especially this time, at Kasgar's request, to build more unique equipment to deal with the Spikes.

A small, portable stage.

Although the Sons of the Emperor' Emperor's Children Legion found Kasgar's orders extremely bizarre, they believed his claims because he had previously used his extraordinary Prophecy to calculate various avoidable events, including those involving Fulgrim.

But merely repelling the first wave of the assassins' attack did not mean they were safe.

"Enemy on the flank!"

Sensing the ripples emanating from underwater, Kasgar directed the Sons of the Emperor to respond to the threat with steady and precise fire.

When the assassins emerged from their hiding place, they were met with a disciplined barrage of Bolter fire, followed by a skillful evacuation where units that had recharged and reloaded took over from the previous wave.

Despite being scattered in bunkers and unable to receive real-time signals, despite the smoke-filled battlefield and even the disruption of long-distance signals due to unknown interference, the Sons of the Emperor showed no panic or tension.

With mechanical precision, the Bolter bombs pulverized one after another the thorny creatures that emerged from the water.

The Emperor's Children Legion do indeed prefer to reclaim planets through diplomacy, but that doesn't mean they are incapable of fighting.

Kasgar watched from the center of the battle formation as they displayed a perfect and coordinated military discipline that no other legion could match.

The fury of the Russ' wolf pack and the wild charge of the Khan are not typical traits of the Sons of the Emperor, but both can be present. The Fulgrim's legions perfectly utilize strength and discipline, constantly evolving and progressing through self-coordination.

The stabbing attacks emerging from the water seemed endless.

Another spiky wave surged toward the Sons of the Emperor, their snake-like lower bodies propelling them across the uneven ground with extraordinary speed. Taking advantage of the Emperor's Children Legion' reloading breaks, they brandished their blades and glided swiftly toward the Emperor's Children Legion.

The distance is already close; using firearms now would only put us at a disadvantage.

It's time for close combat.

Emerging from their bunkers and assembling with impeccable discipline, the Emperor's Children Legion donned their long-awaited close-combat gear.

Finally, we can fight hand-to-hand!

What the assassins didn't know was that the Emperor's Children's previous prowess in using long-range firepower didn't mean that this was their strength.

The true strength of the Emperor's Children lies in their unparalleled close-combat abilities.

Seeing the thorns crowding around, the Emperor's Children Space Marine no longer needed to pretend to fire his Boltgun.

Melee combat is the romance of Space Marine!

Kill!

Without even thinking, just kill them all!

After enduring and holding back for so long, I can finally find a Xenos I can kill and risk my life for it!

As the Emperor's Children Legion, possessing the most magnificent swordsmanship among the Blade of the Court, they drew their swords from behind—

Long spear.

—Of course, it's a long spear.

Who in the Blade of the Court?

Even within the legion, some people modified their gun barrels to a chainsaw mode in order to increase their lethality.

Click! Thump!

In an instant, the Sons of the Emperor had assembled.

With the heavy thud of the heavy shields hitting the ground and countless spears emerging from the gaps, the assassins were momentarily at a loss.

The assassins who were about to get close were not facing individual Emperor's Children swordsmen, but a whole row of spear and shield formations standing ready.

The stabber. "?"

Is this how a legion that values duels and honor the most fights?

—It wasn't like this originally.

But it's obvious that this kind of fighting style will lead to victory.

Initially, Kasgar's fighting style was vilified within the Legion—those who used guns and shields were seen as cowards, while true dueling masters would only use dazzling swordsmanship to kill their opponents with exquisite skill.

Then all the Duel Masters were smashed to pieces, leaving only those who didn't deserve to be called Duel Masters in the arena.

In the end, even the dueling masters were forced by life's circumstances to complain that Kasgar had corrupted the atmosphere and that the old ways were better, when everyone played with swords and fought against each other, making it more competitive and entertaining.

He was having a great time poking at the ground with others in the training room while using a long spear and a large shield.

The one who can win is the strongest.

Even if the victory is ugly, it's still a victory.

However, this tactic is not invincible!

All it takes is one skilled individual to close in and cut down the spears extending from the shield formation; without their spiked shells, the tortoise formation is doomed to be crushed.

But just as the captain of the thorn-wielding man was about to step forward to be the hero, a spear flew out at an impossible length.

Call out!

The blue Disintegration Field with the gun tip, amidst the utter disbelief in the opponent's eyes, instantly retracted after delivering a point-and-click kill.

Looking at his accomplishment, Kasgar smiled happily.

Telescopic gun head, kid.

Under the unstoppable advance of the Absolute Shield Formation, the Assassins' encirclement and suppression offensive at the landing point was quickly crushed by the Emperor's Children Legion.

"Let's take stock of the battle losses. This is just the first battle; the real large-scale battles are yet to come."

Looking into the distance, where Motorcycle Unit were still chasing the remnants of the Northern Assassins, Kasgar spoke into the communication device.

He was satisfied with the result of this long-awaited independent practical exercise.

Not only did his position perfectly defend against the enemy's attack, but the other Lord Commander also stabilized the defensive line with minimal casualties, ensuring that Fulgrim, who was in command in the center, was not threatened in any way.

"What should we do next?" Fulgrim asked over the communicator. "Should we just storm in and strike right at the heart of the enemy's capital?"

No.

Going in without any protection is too hasty.

Clearly, this is a trap set by Slaanesh for the Emperor's Children Legion and Fulgrim. If it were truly the evil god himself intervening, even Kasgar, with his Psychic Flame, would not be able to stop the corruption.

Of course, Kasgar couldn't just jump down like that.

"Prepare to set up the stage in the center of the landing point. We will perform the [Centaur gold ring] while advancing into the heart of the thorny territory."

Urgent help needed: Centaur gold ring!!!

This was the first time, and Kasgar hoped it would be the last (though it was no use hoping), that the tactic of summoning the Centaur Spirit was officially used in war.

Although the art style looks infinitely weirder now.

But to win, and to protect Fulgrim, he had to do it!

At the same time, he also hoped that this tactic against Chaos would not become the norm as Chaos forces come to power.

"If it's possible to perform the summoning of Centaur, wouldn't that violate Nikaea's prohibitions?"

Of course not.

If performances can be considered witchcraft, then our Word Bearers are more like a galaxy touring dance troupe.

—However, I heard that recently, Lorgar has been participating in the expedition to reclaim the planets like crazy, as if he has been given a stimulant by the Dark Eldar, and he has been reporting good news one after another.

In any game where the outcome is overwhelming, given the large number of personnel and equipment of the Word Bearers and their fervent morale, Lorgar can usually achieve good results in his Great Crusade if he gets serious.

They won't end up like Magnus, who was good at nothing.

"Let's prepare for the performance first. We must be extremely vigilant when facing a thorny person."