A flaming longsword wreathed in golden light cut through the enveloping darkness.
The Master of Mankind and his guardians tore through the defensive line formed by the Sons of Horus and the Word Bearers.
The Emperor could clearly sense where Horus was.
He stormed straight into the throne room with unstoppable force.
Yet everything had diverged from what the Emperor had expected.
"Father!"
Sanguinius looked at the Emperor charging into the chamber with delighted surprise.
The members of the Sanguinary Guard surrounding the Great Angel bowed before the Master of Mankind.
Even here, on the battlefield.
The Emperor calmly regarded the angel, who seemed to have suffered only a few injuries, and gave a slight nod.
To escape his fate of falling and becoming the Dark King.
The Master of Mankind had discarded not only the Warp power he had absorbed, but also a portion of his humanity, leaving his emotions somewhat muted.
But after a rational assessment, he still offered a smile that looked quite gentle.
Sanguinius could sense that something about his father had changed, but could not quite grasp what.
The Adeptus Custodes swept their gazes across the throne room, only then understanding why the Great Angel and his Progeny stood to one side like spectators.
The explosions and billowing dust had scarcely ceased.
Silver figures constantly flashed through them.
"Special Federation Citizen identified."
"Current identity confirmed as—Emperor (former name verification: Gilgamesh...)."
"Special high-priority target, suspected progenitor of humanity."
Faces could change a thousand times, but genes remained the same. The Emperor had believed no one discovered his identity during the Federation Era, when in fact they had been watched all along.
The Men of Gold regarded them as a treasure trove of ancient wisdom. Unable to uncover the nature of Perpetuals, they had also allowed them