Explosions blossomed across the hull of the Shadow of the Emperor like flowers of death.
The shock waves, powerful enough to tear through an ordinary warship's armor, were absorbed by some invisible force the instant they touched the Shadow of the Emperor's hull.
The flames and debris vanished into the darkness on the hull's surface, leaving no trace.
The Shadow of the Emperor had long since fused with Doom Black Mahdavijahan.
After the fusion, the Shadow of the Emperor was no longer merely a warship, nor merely the flagship of the Raven Guard Legion.
It had become an existence poised between matter and spirit, a living warship with a consciousness of its own.
Its hull breathed, and its turrets writhed like living creatures.
Its interior was no longer merely a mechanical structure of steel and cables, but an organism woven from flesh and steel, bone and Warp energy.
One could even say that the Shadow of the Emperor was now a living creature.
"Oh, the Word Bearers' fleet."
Corax stood on the bridge, his gaze passing through the forward observation window to settle on the immense Superstar. A cold smile curled his lips.
Beneath his pale skin, pitch-black Chaos power ran rampant.
Black veins bulged and writhed beneath his skin, like countless tiny vipers slithering through his body.
His pupils had turned entirely dark red, reflecting the Warp's distorted light and shadows. His eyes had become windows connecting reality and Chaos.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Shadow of the Emperor's engines unleashed a tremendous roar, deep and thunderous, like the heartbeat of some ancient behemoth echoing through space.
The entire warship's hull trembled slightly with the roar, as though answering Corax's words, expressing its excitement and hunger.
Corax reached out and gently stroked the bridge wall.
The wall trembled beneath his