Please Welcome the Next Victim

Seventeen hours later.

Above Baal.

"I hope I wasn't too late."

Angron said in his deep, muffled voice. He tore off the hatch of the battered combat barge as easily as ripping paper.

"I think you arrived at exactly the right time."

Guilliman's voice came over the channel. Because of certain "unknown" little secrets of the Underking, all those not descended from the Death Guard had been driven from the core area of the post-battle battlefield.

After briefly reassuring his sons, Angron turned toward the heavens to finish the war above, while Guilliman remained on the ground—

Hades and Mortarion might have run into a little trouble. Valdor, lord of the Custodian Guard, seemed quite dissatisfied with Hades.

With a cold snort, Mortarion directly drove Valdor away through sheer arrogance, while Hades exchanged an "innocent-looking" glance with Guilliman.

After enduring 0.13 seconds of dizziness, the latter decisively chose to sacrifice himself and draw Valdor's attention.

Inside Baal's civilian evacuation base, Guilliman spread out architectural maps of the entire planet before Valdor, attempting to discuss Baal's future and probe Valdor's attitude toward the "God-Emperor"—

Sanguinius, bound by Death's power, lay half-dead in a chair beside them.

They had two choices: let Sanguinius go with Mortarion and Hades, or not let Sanguinius go with them.

After a brief silence, the primarchs all chose the latter.

There was no need to torment the Archangel.

Neither Guilliman nor Valdor was a winged primarch, and neither was suited to Sanguinius's chair.

As a result, Sanguinius did not sleep very soundly. The Archangel would occasionally slide down slightly in his chair, and whenever that happened, Guilliman, who looked as if he were issuing imperial decrees, would cast a sidelong glance, seemingly eager to give Sanguinius a hand.

Valdor watched him with bright, piercing eyes.

In the