The Astronomican That Went Dark!

"Roar!!!"

A roar, filled with extreme rage, pain, and madness, echoed across the ruins of the Blood Palace.

Even the Warp rift torn apart by Chaos Sorcery, the core of the Khorne's Realm's Forge at its deepest point, seemed to share the Daemon Primarch's pain; the fragile Reality Veil was shaken to its core and shattered inch by inch by the Daemon Primarch's roar.

This roar, emanating from the deepest reaches of the Warp and filled with eternal curses, crashed against the remaining Dark Angels like an invisible tidal wave.

After an unknown amount of time, Ezekiel finally awoke from the agonizing grief that had been piercing his soul, and with a forced open of his eyes, looked at the Daemon Primarch.

Angron's massive figure reappeared after the burning golden flames disappeared.

Sleeve still stood, but her condition was completely different from before. The heavy armor covering her entire body was almost completely burned away, and the blood plasma full of blasphemy and filth was also completely evaporated, revealing the severely burned and charred parts inside.

His obsidian-like, powerful muscles were melted away, leaving mostly exposed black bones. The residual high temperature still burned his Daemon blood, and wisps of white smoke swirled around him.

The Daemon's prized "wings" have been reduced to nothing more than a pitiful skeleton.

As Daemon Prince, his current predicament is truly tragic.

But what's even more terrifying is that this power will never disappear. Whether or not he regains his physical body, the Emperor's raging flames will forever burn his blood, bones, muscles, and even his soul!

That lofty, translucent figure, like jade, looked down with a pair of emotionless eyes amidst the blazing golden flames.

Gazing at the wolf-fox's wretched state, its entire body almost charred black by the flames, yet still filled with venomous hatred, the Daemon Primarch whispered, "You—you shouldn't be like this. This isn't your path, yet you still betrayed me."

"Betray?!"

Pierced by the Butcher's Nails into his brain, the excruciating pain caused Angron to glare savagely at the figure, roaring, "No, it wasn't me who betrayed you! You—you were the first betrayer! You betrayed us! You wove a laughable future with false lies, and Chaos, to reveal the truth, tore off your hypocritical mask!"

Alvin paused for a moment, a hint of complexity in his voice. "You should have been—the sharpest sword."

"The sharpest sword?!" Angron glared menacingly, his maniacal laughter like the wails of millions of living beings, shaking the surrounding space. He forced himself to stand up, staring directly at the figure. The twisted Daemon giant finger pointed at his head, sharp nails digging into his flesh, letting blood flow freely. He gripped the deeply embedded "Butcher's Nails," radiating endless pain and rage. "Look at this sword! This is the masterpiece you forged yourself! Is this the result you wanted?! You've always treated us as mere 'tools,' stop with this hypocritical tone, your hypocrisy disgusts me! False Emperor!"

Alvin sighed but offered no explanation. A desolate and lonely atmosphere seemed to materialize, enveloping the entire ruins.

At this moment, though no words were spoken, the Dark Angels could sense the profound sense of loss emanating from that magnificent golden figure.

The more silent he remained, the angrier Angron became. His sinister and violent gaze pierced through the figure enveloped in golden flames.

Staring at that face. "You're protecting him, aren't you? That's ridiculous... Why?! Why is his prayer answered, while I... can only ignore it? Tell me, you hypocritical thief!"

"He is the key, and he is hope."

Amidst the intense golden flames, "Alvin" gazed upon "Angron".

That heavy gaze seemed to pierce through people's hearts, peering into the depths of Angron's soul beneath the surface of madness.

The ruins and wreckage, utterly destroyed and crushed by the Butcher's Nails, revealed a broken heart and jealousy. "I have never abandoned any of you."

"Lies! Hypocrisy!!!"

Upon seeing "Alvin's" face, Angron's heart twisted with even more jealousy, and even hatred. The excruciating pain made him roar, "Where were you when I was in the arena of Nuceria, when these filthy nails were driven into my head?"

Where were you when I was endlessly wailing and suffering? Where were you, my "father," when those slave owners whipped me, strangled me with chains, and forced me to tear apart my companions like a wild beast? Where were you, my "Master of Mankind," when I knelt and begged you to save my companions? Answer me!!!

Every question, every roar.

The painful, hoarse voice seemed to contain the impact of Angron's shattered soul.

Faced with the questions, the golden flames rippled slightly, like a calm lake tossed with the Rock, remaining unmoved.

However, the gaze on that blurred face seemed to have become even more profound, heavy, and complex.

"You're wrong." The figure in the golden light paused for a moment, then whispered, "From the moment you placed your hopes on others, you were destined to walk this path. Humanity, you, and they—all must walk alone. No one can be relied on forever, not even me."

"Going it alone? Hahahaha!"

Angron seemed to have heard the most absurd joke, "Hypocrisy! Utter hypocrisy! It was Chaos that exposed your false disguise, allowing us to glimpse the truth! And you... are nothing but a hypocritical traitor. You betrayed not only us, but also humanity, betrayed promises! Betrayed our trust! Betrayed the name of the Father! We are all... merely your tools!"

"No, I've never thought that way."

The golden figure let out a heavy sigh.

"Lying!" Angron glared at him, a sinister sneer spreading across his face. "He's also your 'tool.' I'm eager to see... what path he'll take once he sees through the hypocrisy hidden beneath your mask!"

"He is different from you, and he doesn't need to follow your path."

The golden figure's voice remained steady, completely unaffected.

"Yeah?"

Angron laughed maniacally, "Will his future really be as you imagine? If he knew what his fate would be..."

You've said too much...

The golden figure suddenly took a step forward, and the blazing golden flames instantly condensed into a sword.

Then, the blade gently pierced out; the sword, formed from pure will, seemed to compress the brilliance of billions of stars.

It forcefully pushed back the surging crimson surroundings without wavering, like a divine decree, transforming into a beam of light that severed destiny.

The sword light flew slowly towards Angron.

It wasn't a thunderous strike, but a "fall" that transcended the realm of concepts.

The "sword" wreathed in golden flames, along with "Alvin's " dazzling golden figure, seemed to transcend the distance of space, intending to completely erase the "Daemon" before them from the most fundamental level, from the essence of the soul.

However, at that moment...

In the depths of the turbulent High Heavens, the terrifying figure on the Brass Throne suddenly stretched out its hand from afar.

Driving the absolute power of the Chaos God and the boundless Blood Qi, it forcefully crashed into the cold, lonely sun in the Warp!

That's enough!

A chilling, brutal voice, accompanied by terrifying waves, surged towards the "sun."

Holy Terra, Astronomican Tower.

But that eternal, inextinguishable light suddenly dimmed.

To the horrified gaze of the Star Whisperer, the absolute pillar symbolizing the survival of the Imperium of Man, guiding the human fleet's course, the Psychic Power beam that served as a "lighthouse" in the Chaos, turbulent, and malevolent dimensions of the Warp —was extinguished!

At the same moment, in the human fleet on its long voyage, the navigators who relied on the "Astronomican" felt their light completely extinguished.