"This time, it wasn't my fault." The Emperor's voice rang out, as calm as ever, but with a rare, almost imperceptible trace of helplessness.
His golden eyes swept over the girl's cold corpse on the floor, then turned to the restrained Corax before finally settling on Lorgar's face.
"It is... a long story." He paused, as though arranging his thoughts—or simply stating an unpleasant fact.
Seeing the Emperor adopt this rare, almost defensive posture, Lorgar swallowed the further accusations that had risen to his lips.
Frowning, he stopped looking at the Emperor and turned his gaze back to the pale girl's body, curled up on the floor. Doubt mingled with an ominous premonition in his heart.
He stepped toward the girl, wanting a closer look, perhaps hoping to confirm something.
But—
The instant he came within roughly three paces of the corpse!
A low, hoarse, bestial roar, filled with boundless pain and violence, erupted without warning behind them—from Corax, who should have been unconscious!
The black figure pinned firmly to the floor by Angron and Curze seemed to have had his deepest taboo violated. Ignoring his injuries and clouded consciousness, he struggled violently upward on sheer reflex!
For that instant, some instinct pushed beyond its limits seemed to force its way through the strength restraining him!
Like a wounded bird of prey breaking free of a trap, he lunged at Lorgar as he approached the girl, with the desperate resolve to take his enemy down with him!
His black claws sprang out again, aimed straight at Lorgar's back!
"I knew it wouldn't be that simple!"
"Hold him down!"
Already prepared, Angron and Curze reacted almost in the very same millisecond that Corax surged upward!
They rushed him again from either side, like two perfectly synchronized bolts of lightning!
Angron braced