The Beginning of War

A few days ago.

"But why did you tell me this?"

Gabriel asked the Sons of the Emperor before him with a puzzled look.

As the Second Captain commander of the Emperor's Children Legion, Aqua shouldn't be providing such crucial information to the Iron Hands Legion at such a critical moment.

The Azure Crystal Alliance members are currently hiding on the Star of Carolus, in orbit around a planet that everyone thought was safe from search. The fleet is quietly completing its recharge.

Their commander and leader are on this ship. Whoever can capture this ship first will win this battle.

Whoever can keep Kasgar in their own legion.

"I need you to inform Philus of this, even though it sounds alarming, but I need you to do it."

"Why? Aqua, you are clearly the Second Captain of the Sons of the Emperor, why did you do this?"

"Because this is my last chance."

In response to Gabriel Santo's question, Aqua's voice grew even lower. "Whether it's repaying Fulgrim or Kasgar, this will be my last chance."

The Azure Crystal Alliance's flagship is currently undefended in the planet's near-Earth orbit. Only under these circumstances can Aqua have the opportunity to break through its defenses and successfully board the ship solo.

"Once the flagship returns to space, the outcome between the Primarch will be entirely a matter of luck. I cannot guarantee that I can defeat the enemy faster than Philus when she boards the ship."

Luck might be on her side, but Aqua had no room to gamble anymore.

Kasgar is as important to the Sons of the Emperor as the Primarch; he plays a crucial role in the Legion's cohesion and future.

He must return to the Legion intact, or else, in his frenzy, Fulgrim will only slide into an even deeper abyss.

She had to do it.

"Gabriel, I must complete the final push. As for the Azure Crystal Alliance's ships lurking on Star of Carolus, I need you to report to Philus now and request her to send troops immediately."

"If possible, I would be even more grateful if you could find a way to hold off Philus while I charge toward the enemy flagship."

"If you can hold off Philus for a short while, she will know my determination when she sees me heading towards the energy zone, and then she will be unable to stop me."

Aqua is determined to accomplish what she failed to do last time—to cleave the energy core with a giant blade.

This could trigger a larger-scale explosion.

"But in that case, you would only perish together with the enemy's flagship in the explosion."

"That's right."

Aqua spoke casually, as if they weren't talking about her at all.

"I should have died in Gardinal; it was Kasgar who kept me alive until now."

"It's time for me to repay him again."

Gardinar Campaign.

The same situation happened back then, just like it is now.

Philus clearly remembered that when their main force was tied down and unable to advance quickly, it was the same Sons of the Emperor, Second Captain Aqua Duna, who streaked across the sky like a shooting star, who charged into the enemy lines alone and almost sacrificed his own life to destroy the core of the enemy's defensive facilities.

But this time, no Kasgar was able to follow her into the enemy lines and rescue her.

The image of the Sons of the Emperor in the Drop Pod now seemed to transport her back to the past, when she was just like that—

Etc.

Now is not the time to be nostalgic; she is disrupting her own plans!

The voice in her head still told her that this was nothing more than a longing for the past, and the crucial point was the bet she was making with Fulgrim—

Only the winner of this contest can possess the Kasgar wager, and Aqua, as the Second Captain of the Sons of the Emperor, is not on her side at this moment!

"No! Quick! Iron Hands! Prepare to board!"

She is the one who should be on high alert!

Dwelling too much on past camaraderie is meaningless sentimentality that will only hinder her progress.

As the Primarch of the Iron Hands Legion, she must discard these pathetic, weak emotions and become the embodiment of true rationality.

Fulgrim's experience taught her how foolish a sentimental human could be—in desperation, she was eager to launch a surprise attack on the Azure Crystal Alliance, completely forgetting to consider where their main fleet might be hiding.

You've become so impatient just because you lost Kasgar, Fulgrim. You really need a real lesson.

Such pathetic composure is utterly insufficient to make one an Imperium Warmaster.

We must strike the enemy flagship before Aqua does!

"The Iron Hands!"

Aqua may indeed be a good warrior, her swordsmanship is unparalleled in the Legiones Astartes, but she is still too inexperienced in front of Primarch Philus.

The chasm between the Primarch and Astartes cannot be bridged by swordsmanship alone.

As long as she can ride the Stormbird, land on the flagship before Aqua, and seize control of the command center, victory in this battle will still be in Philus hands.

[Sir, all the Stormbird in our vicinity have been taken!]

[Company Commander, it was Company Commander Santo who moved these equipment to the front lines!]

"What?!"

The sudden change of events directly disrupted Philus's planned route.

As the backbone of the Iron Hands, she usually commands the combat resources of each war zone from a macro perspective during battles—whether it's ammunition, manpower, firepower configuration, or even morale, all can be precisely controlled and coordinated through her brain, thus ultimately achieving victory in the battle.

This is both the strength and the weakness of the Iron Hands —while the Primarch can maximize the effectiveness of the war by commanding the entire operation alone, allowing the Legion to crush any enemy who dares to resist like an indestructible steel torrent.

However, this also weakened the combat capabilities of these junior officers and soldiers, putting them in a state of complacency where they could win battles simply by following the Primarch's orders. As a result, once the Primarch lost his guidance, the entire legion, lacking individual combat capabilities, would be like a disorganized mess.

Normally, without the Primarch's order, it is impossible to move Stormbird to another location.

Only the First Company, the elite of the Primarch guard, and the Avini Clan to which Gabriel Santo belonged, could barely manage to do so.

"Damn it! I've never given such an order before!"

"Hurry! Have Gabriel recall the Stormbird, and notify the nearest Second War Zone to immediately send ten Stormbird to the First War Zone! Now!"

"No need, Lady Philus, I can handle this myself."

Amidst the cacophony of shouts and sounds of fighting on the communication channel, Aqua spoke.

Aqua did not explain the specific reason.

But the movement of the signal seems to have already proven her point—

Everything seemed to be a replica of the last Gardinar Campaign. In Philus's eyes, her signal was now firmly advancing towards the energy core area!

Just like last time, Aqua never expected to come back alive.

"Stop! Aqua! We don't need to resort to such extreme measures!"

"You stop approaching their energy compartment! I'll board the ship with you, and we'll take down their command center together, okay?"

Philus's tone was also filled with urgency.

Doing so would not only grant the Sons of the Emperor ultimate victory, but would also cost her Aqua, her close friend and longtime right-hand woman.

While the Iron Hands Legion possesses strong heavy firepower, its ability to break through single points is very weak.

Many of the enemies with formidable defensive capabilities, Iron Hands could not break through after a long period of attack, only secured their victory by having Aqua and her Sons of the Emperor launch Second Company assault and decapitate the enemy commander.

No. I refuse.

Aqua paused for a moment, as if she was thinking, or perhaps she was dealing with the enemy in front of her and didn't have time to answer.

"Philus, if you insist on forcibly boarding the ship, then the only option between us is to perish together."

"You!"

This was the most blatant threat to the Primarch of the Iron Hands, and also her farewell to herself.

Without hesitation, the point of light where Aqua was located, as detected by the instrument, headed straight for the energy compartment of the Azure Crystal Alliance flagship.

Without hesitation.

Inside the flagship of the Azure Crystal Alliance.

This interstellar Imperium, formed by humans and Xenos, is not as weak as it is said. Their physics engine technology is far superior to the most advanced Imperium of Man flagships, which is commendable.

Although the Warp Storm caused them to forget their former Warp Engine technology and long-range warp capabilities, limiting their activity to a few nearby star systems, this did not mean that their technology had stopped advancing.

In this world where the older the better, the more powerful they become. The Azure Crystal Alliance, which has survived part of the ancient human Dark Age of Technology, is a testament to their formidable strength, having managed to withstand the Iron Hands Legion until now.

But when faced with Aqua, with the heavy artillery fire protecting their flagship gone, leaving only swords and blades fighting in this confined space of just a few meters, the situation became dire.

All resistance was futile against the eternal swordswoman, Aqua, the Imperial Princess.

Amidst the flashing blades, anything that dared to block her path on her way to the energy chamber, whether human, Xenos, or Intelligent Machine, was sliced to pieces by her dazzling dual-blade swordsmanship.

No one could stop her from moving forward.

Until that final energy chamber, Aqua felt her swordsmanship with both hands continuously sublimating in her final moments.

A mysterious realm seemed to be unfolding from her.

She has already honed her swordsmanship to its peak; now, the only thing that can limit her is her lack of physical strength.

Without a doubt, if Aqua possessed Primarch- level power, she would truly be an invincible being in the galaxy, defeating all her opponents.

Unfortunately, she couldn't wait until then.

She easily broke through that last door, exposing the fragile core of the Azure Crystal Alliance, which was charging up, to her.

Not only did Philus find this moment familiar, but Aqua, who had experienced it twice, naturally thought of the Battle of Gardinal.

Unfortunately, this time, there was no one like Commander Kasgar of the Emperor's Children Legion, to descend from the sky and save her just as the Reactor was about to explode.

No one could stop Aqua, but just as no one could save her again.

But she still went ahead without hesitation.

"We absolutely must rescue Kasgar!"

Looking at the Reactor with its various colored lights flashing on the dashboard, Aqua moved.

She strained to draw back the longsword in her right hand, using the last and strongest force of her life to plunge it towards the spaceship's Reactor—

"For Fulgrim, for the phoenix rising from the ashes!!!"

The dazzling light first covered her eyes, and before the actual explosion could reach her ears, the terrifying impact seemed to be right next to her.

In her final moments, Aqua closed her eyes—

Just as the white light was about to engulf everything, a dark green crack appeared before her eyes, as if the Reactor was about to explode.

Is it just my imagination?

Aqua was unaware that, at this moment, she had no room to consider the existence of such a question.

"It wouldn't be in line with my usual style for a legend to end so easily."

As time seemed to freeze at the moment of impending explosion, the Necron Trazyn had awakened prematurely—or rather, hadn't slept at all—was quite satisfied with the "spoils" he had amassed on this trip.

Although he failed to obtain the rarest Kasgar this time, the thief never leaves empty-handed, and the Trazyn the Infinite never returns empty-handed.

As the eerie green light from the rift flickered again in the next second, Trazyn and Aqua, the Second Captain of the Sons of the Emperor, vanished at the other end of the rift the instant the Reactor exploded.

Click.

The pause in time ended, and an endless explosion of energy engulfed everything.

Amidst the violent explosion of the Reactor, powerful enough to instantly disintegrate the entire spaceship, and with Philus hearing the completely lost communication signals, Aqua and her Sons of the Emperor Second Company ultimately won the gamble.

But the price was devastating.

The once unparalleled swordsman, the undefeated Super Astartes War God who had never been defeated since his debut except for his Primarch, the invincible Second Captain Aqua Duna, the Sons of the Emperor, perished together with the Azure Crystal Alliance's flagship in the battle against them.

Although her body was not found after the battle, it was practically impossible to find her body on a flagship that had already disintegrated in near-Earth orbit.

Especially given the explosion at such close range, it's highly likely that Aqua would have been completely obliterated.

On the second day after the war was completely over, the Fulgrim fleet, with the Primarch's attempt, successfully used the Ska Punch, which imitated Horus's attack, and with the support of countless musicians and theatrical performances, to help the Navigator complete its repositioning after dispelling the Warp and return to the real world.

But Fulgrim never expected that, although she was indeed a step too late, the battle was already completely over.

Fortunately, thanks to Aqua's sacrifice, the Sons of the Emperor Second Company, lived up to his mission, launching an attack on the Azure Crystal Alliance's flagship at the most critical moment, perishing together with it.

Ultimately, victory still belonged to their Sons of the Emperor, though no one had anticipated it.

Although Philus didn't want to admit it, the ultimate victor was still Fulgrim, and she had to return Kasgar to him as agreed.

Although she wanted to use the Steel Hand Legion's strength to renege on her debt, she dared not attempt a two-on-one fight against Mortarion, who was equally enraged by Aqua's death.

"Why!"

"Why did you do something so foolish! The Azure Crystal Alliance's flagship was completely surrounded; all we had to do was break into the cockpit and take control!!!"

"You! You killed Aqua! You killed her!!!"

Mortarion, the Lord of Death, was overcome with grief.

He had never experienced such a strong mental fluctuation before.

But just as the battle was about to end, he formally requested the Second Captain Company Commander, the Sons of the Emperor, to join the Death Guard as a cook!

Although cooking is just a tiny side job compared to her Sword Saint abilities, it is an unparalleled trial for the Death Guard's overall resilience!

(That's why you shouldn't make promises you can't keep.)

Fortunately, he ultimately failed to invite her.

Otherwise, by the end, probably no human would be able to stand up in the entire Death Guard.

But Mortarion's resentment still lingered.

Before the funeral for Aqua Duna and other fallen soldiers, Mortarion had a heated argument with another Primarch Philus.

In his view, Aqua's death was entirely Philus's responsibility.

If she hadn't engaged in that pointless contest with Fulgrim, Aqua wouldn't have sacrificed herself at the last moment to achieve her so-called victory.

Although he didn't know the stakes were Kasgar, it was clear that Mortarion had every reason to resent Philus, who had killed Aqua.

It's all because of her!

"Casualties in war are always inevitable. Mortarion, as the Lord of Death, you should understand the meaning of death better than anyone else. Stop making trouble for me. I don't have time to deal with children who have lost their toys."

"Child, toys? Ha, is this how you see us, how you see those Astartes under your command?"

"No, you're wrong, Philus, this is evidence of your guilt!"

"How many people have your steely head caused to die? How many soldiers have been forced to abandon their posts and face death because of your calculations? When have you ever considered this?"

"I don't sense any respect for humanity from you, Philus. Compared to a Primarch, you seem more like a pathetic Abominable Intelligence right now."

"That's why the Emperor wouldn't choose someone like you to be Warmaster."

Mortarion's words were piercing to the heart.

The last sentence, in particular, ignited Philus's anger.

It's more effective than "call your real legion commander."

"Mortarion!!!" Philus's fists were almost touching the Pale King's body.

"What? You want to fight me? I've already heard that you've set up an arena in your flagship, just waiting for us to show you just how incompetent you are!"

Mortarion was equally unwilling to be outdone, raising his power scythe high, ready to fight.

After Aqua's death, he really needed a fierce battle to vent his anger and also to get revenge on the fool who deliberately killed Aqua.

"Come!"

As Mortarion stepped forward, the silent Death Guard Space Marine behind him also stepped forward, forming an arc around the Primarch.

Come on!!!

Seeing this, Iron Hands was equally unwilling to back down— Iron Hands and his elite Terminator warriors met the silent Death Guard head-on, and the two sides formed a stalemate.

After a long argument, the two sides not only failed to ease the situation, but the two legions were so tense that it was almost as if not only the Primarch were about to fight, but their legions were also eager to fight.

Ultimately, it was Fulgrim, as the Imperium Warmaster, who, by virtue of his command over the Primarch, forcibly separated the two legions that were about to go to war.

Although Fulgrim could tell from the expressions of the two Primarch that they were not convinced, there was no better option than to pull them apart urgently at this moment.

Watching the two Primarch leave angrily with their respective personal guards, Fulgrim sighed deeply.

The good news is that, perhaps fearing being caught in the crossfire, Kasgar was finally released back to the Pride of the Emperor by Philus the day after the standoff ended.

Under normal circumstances, Philus is unlikely to let go, but it is clear that continuing to provoke Fulgrim after offending Mortarion is an unwise choice.

And so, with the help of numerous anti- Psychic Power restraint packages and Automated Mecha, Kasgar was finally able to board the shuttle back to the Pride of the Emperor.

—With her face covered in lipstick.

Kasgar didn't understand why Philus was doing this.

After all, in her view, these outward embellishments were nothing more than a ridiculous act of emotionally trying to cover up one's own flaws, and were something to be discarded.

But perhaps to vent her anger, or perhaps to deliberately provoke Fulgrim's jealousy, she did it anyway.

They even deliberately covered it with another layer when they sent it back.

Kasgar was also complaining bitterly.

If I go back like this, won't Fulgrim just cleave him into a bloody mist with one sword?

And so, with Kasgar filled with trepidation, he was finally transported to Fulgrim by the Automated Mecha, his entire body bound by anti- Psychic Power, like a silkworm in its cocoon.

I'm back from fooling around outside. jpg

"Kasgar!!!"

Before she could even remove the anti- Psychic Power restraints from him, Fulgrim used her Primarch speed to push the Automated Mecha back dozens of meters and hugged Kasgar.

Kasgar felt a burning liquid flowing down beside him; it was Fulgrim's tears.

"Fulgrim, I'm sorry it's because of me—"

Promise me you won't leave without permission from now on.

"Please untie this for me first; there are so many Emperor's Children watching—"

Promise me you won't leave without permission again!

"Okay, I promise you."

"!"

And so, helplessly watching the Phoenix Guard and numerous Emperor's Children Commanders standing behind him, who seemed to be digging their toes into the ground, Kasgar was being held by Fulgrim was unreasonably wrapped up in an anti- Psychic Power restraint device like a dumpling.

And he was greeted by the gazes of everyone, whether of blessings, silence, or pity, as he walked across the decks and various cabins until he entered the door of the Primarch's bedroom.

Clang!

"Don't follow us! Phoenix Guard, disband!"

As he spoke, Fulgrim impatiently hooked the door shut with his heel, making a dull thud.

The Phoenix Guard standing outside the door looked at each other in bewilderment.

At that moment, they began to pray silently in their hearts.

Fulgrim has been very angry lately.

Kasgar is in a tough spot.

After completing the cleanup of the Azure Crystal Alliance and paying tribute to Aqua and the many fallen soldiers, the Sons of the Emperor's fleet immediately left the area amidst the increasingly turbulent Warp Storm.

Fulgrim simply couldn't believe that her Primarch sister, Philus, would betray her and her husband Kasgar.

We'll still ask for help.

If Kasgar hadn't said it was due to the influence of the Medusa's Blade in his hand, Fulgrim would have rushed up and fought the opponent to the death right now.

It was Kasgar who stopped her.

"We cannot act rashly now," Kasgar said. "The best course of action is to return to Terra immediately, report the situation to the Emperor, and let him handle it himself."

In addition, try not to provoke any further disputes.

"Should we contact Mortarion and take this opportunity to capture her together?"

It's best not to.

Philus is now on the verge of being affected by the Demon Sword. If we continue to push her too far, she might just receive the true Blessing of Chaos in a moment of desperation.

Kasgar feared that when the Blessing of Chaos truly descended, their two small Primarch Legions would face more than just the blessing of a wicked god.

It was a true selection by the Four Gods.

—In fact, Slaanesh's blessing alone is enough to cause a lot of trouble. The record of Iron's 10,000 defeating Emperor's 50,000 seems to be right before our eyes. Kasgar really doesn't have the confidence to gamble his own resources here.

"Let's go! Let the Emperor handle this!!!"

Shortly thereafter, the funeral was held aboard the Pride of the Emperor.

All three Primarch arrived at the flagship. Although the atmosphere was tense, a conflict was temporarily averted for the sake of Aqua.

Kasgar looked at Philus, who had come to visit, and seemed unusually downcast.

He wanted to go over and offer some words of comfort, but given his current status—his sensitive identity that had sparked a fight between the two Primarch —it was not appropriate to say anything to Philus at this moment.

And so, the funeral ended in silence, with even the once close friends Fulgrim and Philus, unable to exchange a single word.

The hatred of having one's husband stolen is irreconcilable.

Shortly after that, after seeing his guests off, Fulgrim immediately ordered the Sons of the Emperor's fleet to leave.

Mortarion left angrily, having nothing more to say to Philus.

Philus was left alone, not knowing what to do.

What to do.

What should I do?

Why did I end up in this situation?

Those who try to prove they don't need emotions will ultimately be consumed by the backlash of their emotions.

The more you try to prove your strength, the more it reveals that you are actually a ridiculously weak person.

You have never been a rational being; this is all just a self-righteous pretense.

"Camouflage.?"

That's right, it's a disguise.

You will never become—

[Warmaster]

At that moment, endless darkness engulfed Philus's entire body.

Warp, the Pride of the Emperor.

An endless, turbulent, and ever-changing Warp Storm blocked their path to Terra.

"This is."

Kasgar looked out the window with a somber expression.

The real war has begun.