Aboard the Pride of the Emperor, flagship of the Emperor's Children Legion.
"Tarvitz, do you know why the Primarch has broken up our formations again? You're clever, so you must know, right?" Lucius, captain of the Thirteenth Company, draped an arm over Tarvitz's shoulder and grinned.
"Heh, we finally get to lead the charge this time. How about we see who reaches the enemy's walls first?"
The question gave Saul Tarvitz, captain of the Tenth Company, a bad feeling. He smiled and patted Lucius.
"Ha! We'll see who's afraid!"
Then Tarvitz fell back behind the others.
At the rear of the formation, beneath the shadows, stood a massive Dreadnought.
Dreadnoughts were complex machines, requiring rare materials and specialized expertise to build. Every Space Marine revered them, for each Dreadnought was a veteran of countless battles, a respected elder.
Only those who had suffered unimaginable wounds and could no longer fight as ordinary warriors were granted this honor—
to continue serving the Emperor as an immortal Dreadnought.
The "elder" curled inside the Dreadnought like a fetus, his nervous system linked directly to the machine's systems.
Through this metal body—or coffin, if you preferred—the "elder" had been reborn.
The Dreadnought's pilot was Ancient Sage Rila.
He had once fought shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor. Countless ancient and glorious battle honors were engraved on his armor. One could even say that Rila's own history was the history of the Third Legion.
"Respected elder, would you permit me to delay our deployment?" Tarvitz sought the sage's wisdom to ease the unease in his heart.
Tarvitz waited a long while. At last, Rila, now little more than a remnant, stirred from the Stasis Field inside the Dreadnought.
A crackling, synthetic voice issued from the machine. "You may."
Tarvitz stared at him in disbelief. He had expected to explain himself at length, but still voiced his doubts.
"The Primarch has seemed strange lately. It feels as though he's become someone else."
"And now our formations have been completely broken up, while Eidolon, who has always led the charge, isn't here. This battle feels wrong to me, so I'm asking to delay deployment."
Hearing Tarvitz's explanation only strengthened Rila's conviction that he had made the right choice.
"You've done well! Our enemy is cunning. We must remain vigilant at all times."
"However, we cannot disobey the Legion's orders, so I'll take your place in the first wave."
Though the voice was cold and mechanical, Tarvitz felt deeply honored.
With a hiss and a series of clanks,
the heavy machinery turned. As everyone watched in astonishment, Ancient Sage Rila entered the Drop Pod first.
The other loyal warriors climbed into their Drop Pods as well, shouting in unison:
"Sons of the Emperor, slay the father's foes!"
One after another, countless Drop Pods shot from the battleship's underside, hurtling straight toward the rebel-held city of Choral.
The same scene played out aboard the Vengeful Spirit, the Conqueror, and the Endurance.
Their eyes burned with fervent loyalty to the Imperium. They believed that once again, they would bring glory to the Imperium!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amid countless screams, the Imperium's Drop Pods struck the ground.
With a hiss,
the hatches slowly opened, and countless Astartes charged out, shouting, "For the Emperor!"
At the same time, they had only limited gunships and communications support.
Only the Death Guard forces had brought heavy armored vehicles down with them, including Fellblade super-heavy tanks, Scorpion-pattern Whirlwinds, and Proteus-pattern Land Raiders.
"Come play~ Come on, come play~"
"Heh heh heh~ That feels so good~"
"Big guys, why don't you take off your clothes and have some fun with us~"
Countless bizarre creatures, corrupted by ■■■■, debauched themselves in the streets. Their skin had turned transparent, exposing their organs and blood vessels beneath, as if they had been flayed alive.
Their faces were twisted, their features askew, and their lips were fixed in a lewd smile.
Their bodies were covered in grotesque tumors, tentacles, and thornlike growths. These growths writhed like living things and gave off a nauseating stench.
Mutated reproductive organs fused different creatures together. They moaned endlessly, tearing at everything around them. Sometimes, the growths released alluring scents or let out piercing screams.
Their limbs had grown unnaturally long, twisting and moving like spider legs; others had become immensely thick, covered in heavy scales or calluses. Some had sprouted strange wings, tails, or finlike structures.
Twisted illusions and shadows swarmed everywhere, moving like living things.
At the sight, the Imperial warriors all roared.
"Destroy the heretics! Charge!"
The battle erupted in an instant.
The corrupted monsters let out piercing shrieks and hurled themselves at the Astartes. They attacked every living thing nearby with their chaotic powers. Some brandished sharp blades, while others unleashed twisted psychic waves, trying to tear through the Astartes' defenses.
"Mmm~ So good~ So good~"
"Shoot me again! Shoot me again!"
But the Astartes' Power Armour could withstand most attacks, while the Boltguns in their hands whispered of death. Every shot punched through an enemy's flesh.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Meanwhile, their chainswords and Power Fists had long been thirsting for blood. Every swing ripped their foes apart, bone fragments clattering against the chainsaw teeth.
Fetid fluids splashed over them, but they charged the monsters without hesitation.
A corrupted Psyker suddenly appeared before an Astartes. His eyes had become two enormous whirlpools, trying to devour the Astartes' mind.
But the Astartes showed no fear. He swung his chainsword and cut off the Psyker's head, then hung it from his belt as he roared on.
At the heart of the battlefield, the Dreadnoughts seemed to rule the whole region.
Their Terminator Power Armour gleamed with a cold blue light in the sunset. They wielded enormous Thunder Hammers and Boltguns, each step falling upon the enemy dead as they sailed fearlessly across an endless sea.
Their Thunder Hammers carved streaks of silver lightning through the air. Each blow came with a deafening boom, smashing armor and flesh alike.
Every charge was like a flash flood, scattering the enemy in all directions; every strike was like a thunderbolt, crushing them to pieces.
Blood mist filled the air and corpses piled high. The Dreadnoughts left blood-red trails across the battlefield.
Just as they began to secure a victory,
the scene shifted to the Vengeful Spirit.
"Begin deploying the Virus Bombs."
Horus gave the order himself, his expression calm, as if he had done something utterly trivial.
As the order went out, Tarvitz, aboard the Strike Cruiser Andronius, was the first to discover that dangerous Virus Bombs were being loaded into his ship's guns. He also received orders to attack indiscriminately.
At that moment, Tarvitz, captain of the Emperor's Children Legion's Tenth Company, finally understood.
"They're going to kill the Imperium's warriors! The Warmaster and the Primarchs have betrayed us!"
Tarvitz stared furiously at the order. The corners of his eyes split open, blood seeping out and staining them red.
"Why? Why? Why would they betray us?"
Tarvitz tore apart the device containing the order. Trembling all over, he clenched his teeth and said, "No! I have to get this message to them!"
With that, he piloted a Thunderhawk down from the battleship alongside countless Virus Missiles.
"I have to hurry! Faster!"
And aboard the Conqueror,
Angron lay sprawled there, languid and indifferent, as if none of it had anything to do with him.
"Primarch, how much longer are you going to lie there?"
"Get up and fight! The enemy is right below us. Why are you still lying here?"
Kharn roared furiously. He couldn't believe that the man before him, lost in pleasure, was their Primarch.
The Primarch had led them into slaughter, then abandoned it himself.
"Once the Virus Bombs have finished doing their work, that'll be that. What's there to fight?" Angron luxuriated in the ecstasy surging through his mind. All he wanted now was to lose himself in it.
"Fine! If you won't go, we will! You're nothing but a useless coward!"
Kharn trembled with rage. He was utterly disappointed. He felt that the Angron before him was unfit to lead the World Eaters.
He slammed his fist into the wall, punching a huge hole through it, then turned and strode away.
Meanwhile, Leman Russ, hidden on the planet's dark side, began quietly deploying anti-gas devices and slowly approached the planet.
"Damn it! That bastard Horus has betrayed Father's trust!"
"Contact the Ultramarines, Dark Angels, and Blood Angels Legions at once. Tell them to return and arrest Horus, and send a message to Terra!"
"Yes!"
However, the Warp around Istvaan III was already being disrupted by an inexplicable storm. No one knew how long it would take for their message to reach its destination.
Before you continue