Leaving behind the visual pollution of the Three Brothers, the three of them entered the Imperial Palace. A figure blocked their path.
"Hogg, you're finally here. I was going to... Hm?... How did you get so big?" Perturabo had been wearing a smug expression, ready to block Hogg and beat him up to vent his anger, but Hogg's current size left him stunned.
Seeing that Perturabo was clearly trying to block the entrance, Hogg didn't hold back. He grabbed him in one swift motion.
"Well, well! If it isn't my dear Pepe. What's the matter? Miss me?" Hogg taunted as he shook Plankton in his hand.
Perturabo struggled with all his might, but he still couldn't resist Hogg's strength. He dangled in Hogg's grip like a doll. Humiliated beyond belief, he yelled, "Let go of me, you bastard! Put me down!"
Magnus, who was closest to Perturabo, tried to rescue him, but Hogg grabbed him too, leaving him stuck in the same predicament.
Little Pony now fully understood what Perturabo had meant about Hogg not knowing proper manners. But the noble Crimson King was no pushover. With his vast psychic power, all he had to do was unleash it and teach Hogg a harsh lesson in manners.
But when Magnus summoned his psychic power, the energy that had once answered his every whim no longer responded. He struggled to control it until his already crimson skin grew even redder, but it was no use.
Seeing the two Primarchs still trying to fight back while he held them, Hogg swung both arms in a windmill, successfully interrupting their movements.
He kicked open the door in front of him and walked into the hall with the two Primarchs in hand. Several people were already seated around the enormous dining table, staring at him in surprise.
Hogg strode right up to the Emperor. Seeing the Emperor smile at him from the head of the table with a kindly, fatherly expression, he obediently set down the Primarchs, who had been shaken nearly senseless. "Neoth, I'm back."
A tall, handsome giant with very little hair on his head heard Hogg's voice and warmly invited him to sit down. He even thoughtfully pulled out a chair for him. But when he saw Hogg's enormous size, he instead dragged Angron onto it and hurriedly called for someone to bring a bigger chair.
"Hello, brother. I'm Horus Lupercal." The giant's perfect, amiable smile put even Hogg at ease. But Hogg said nothing, simply gazing down at the effusively friendly Horus, a crimson light flickering in his eyes.
Sensing that something was wrong, Horus stopped talking and stared at his mysterious brother. The strange tension lasted until a hearty laugh broke the silence.
A giant with blond hair and prominent canines stepped forward and slapped Hogg's thigh with gusto. His voice was rough and deep. "Brother, you're huge! Even Vulkan isn't this big. I reckon you could kill a Kraken with one punch."
"Phew!" Hogg let out a breath and relaxed, no longer holding himself so stiffly. He crouched and held out his hand to Horus.
"Hello, Horus. Sorry, I'm having a bit of a problem with my body."
"So that's what it is! Ha ha! For a moment there, I thought you were going to punch me into the next life." Horus forgot about the awkward moment just before. He was genuinely happy that Hogg had come.
The truth was, Hogg really had considered killing Horus just then. But the Emperor certainly wouldn't have wanted that, and the Emperor must have been the one to ask Horus to welcome him. That old bastard was always plotting something.
Hogg also began to understand a few things. He couldn't blindly trust some so-called future. At this point in time, Horus was a genuinely good man—the best of the Primarchs, a good big brother suited to leading them as Warmaster. People deserved to be saved, and good men shouldn't have guns pointed at them.
With his misgivings set aside, Hogg tried to take a seat, but his enormous frame meant he could only crouch. Furious, Hogg turned to the Emperor, who was beside him, currently working on Angron.
"Old Man Yellow, you didn't call me back just to watch me crouch, did you? Give your good son a hand!" At that, Russ, who had been wolfing down food, lifted his head. Everyone turned to look at Hogg.
The Emperor, who had been playing the loving father and drumming the Imperial Truth into Angron, frowned. Hogg really never could say anything decent. Irritated, he stood up.
Golden psychic energy instantly immobilized Hogg. He swallowed nervously, but then remembered he hadn't said anything wrong and puffed himself up again.
"Old Man Yellow, what are you doing? I've got all my brothers here! You're supposed to be a good father! ┗|｀O′|┛ Awooo! Pepe, don't just stand there! Horus, help me!"
The angry Emperor began administering some old-fashioned discipline, pummeling Hogg's body with powerful punches. With every blow, golden psychic energy entered Hogg's body, beating out wisps of crimson flame.
As Hogg screamed, clumps of machinery came spilling out of his mouth, and his body gradually shrank.
Seeing this, Angron and Perturabo were inwardly delighted. They ate two more plates of food to the accompaniment of Hogg's screams.
Horus tried to step in and stop the beating, but one look from the Emperor sent him back. All he could do was pray that his father wouldn't beat Hogg to death.
After nearly half an hour of beating, the Emperor finally stopped. Hogg had shrunk back to his original size, and machinery was scattered across the floor. A squad of Adeptus Custodes came over, gathered up the Blackstone Device Hogg had vomited out, and took it to a storeroom beneath the palace.
Hogg lay motionless on the floor, aching all over, but feeling strangely good too. The Emperor's beating had fused the Chaos energy he'd swallowed into his body, restoring it to a stable state. It had just hurt like hell.
The Emperor kicked Hogg, who was still pretending to be dead. His voice sounded beside Hogg's ear. "Get up. Don't go eating random things. You're not strong enough to deal with those useless fools yet. Go back to your seat."
Hogg was very quick to obey. He sat meekly on the new chair they'd brought over, only to look up and see Russ grinning at him across the table. Unable to do anything about it, Hogg took his anger out on the food, shooting Leman Russ a challenging look before resuming his ravenous feast.
At the dining table, the Emperor patiently explained the Imperial Truth and his ideals to Angron, like a real father. Horus kept the mood lively, and his Imperial jokes made everyone laugh from time to time. At the far end, Hogg and Russ stuffed themselves like a pair of pigs. The Adeptus Custodes on guard duty recorded the scene and made it into a painting, which they hung in the palace.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, it was time to brag. The Emperor was giving the Primarchs an impassioned speech at the front. Sitting farthest away, Leman Russ admired Hogg's enormous appetite, which matched his own, and asked:
"Brother, I'm curious. Why is Perturabo so friendly with all of us, but can't stand you?"
Hogg put down the mystery meat in his hand and quietly recounted what had happened after he'd first found Perturabo. To convince Russ, he even transformed into Martha. The two of them snickered foolishly together in a corner.
Perturabo, who had been listening to the Emperor's speech with growing excitement, saw the kind, loving figure in his heart snickering foolishly with Russ. Humiliating memories immediately came flooding back.
"Hogg! Don't run! I'm going to beat you to death!" Furious, Perturabo chased after Hogg, who had transformed into Martha, and ran out of the palace.
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