When Mortarion declared the start of the Barbarus Unification War, a grand parade was held to celebrate this great moment.
At this ceremony, the newly trained army appeared in public for the first time.
The Death Guard clad in power armor arrived at the ceremony riding various vehicles.
They had neither been implanted with gene-seed nor undergone the nineteen gene-seed surgeries, yet they were still extremely powerful.
Seeing the mighty army under Mortarion's command, the people were filled with confidence and firmly believed that he would lead them to victory against the terrifying alien warlords.
After the ceremony, the war began.
Mortarion led his army straight toward the first target — the alien warlord Zharr.
Zharr's territory was located in the southern Rodal Mountains.
The concentration of toxic gas there reached hundreds of times that of the canyons, as dense as a soup pot.
The rivers winding through the mountains were filled with viscous, foaming, foul-smelling toxic liquid.
If an ordinary person fell in, their flesh and blood would corrode and disappear within ten seconds, leaving only bones.
In this region, only plants resistant to poison could survive.
However, because these plants were toxic, they generally gave a grotesque, terrifying, and spine-chilling impression.
Zharr's fortress was built on the highest peak of the Rodal Mountains, with walls tens of meters high.
Arrow towers stood every few steps along the walls, garrisoned by undead archers that Zharr had enslaved with plague.
There were also grotesque monsters assembled from corpse fragments and animated by Warp magic, as well as countless undead and aliens.
For ordinary people, it was an impregnable fortress.
Fortunately, Pugh and Orange participated in the expedition together with the team.
Wherever they went, the dense toxic fog and poison transformed into clean air and water.
Regions that had once planted terror in the hearts of the people of Barbarus and been regarded as forbidden lands that could not be crossed…
The toxic fog and water that the alien warlords had used as natural barriers were completely purified by Pugh and Orange.
The viscous river water saturated with toxic liquid was purified into clear pure water.
The stench that could kill a person instantly now felt unusually fresh.
Without the toxic fog and water, half of the defense system of the fortress Zharr had built became ineffective.
After all, in the Warring States wars of Barbarus, plague and toxins had been the key to victory.
The warlords devoted all their efforts to researching diseases and viruses, but did not delve as deeply into other fields.
This was the philosophy of war summarized by various warlords over thousands of years.
A single terrifying plague and a targeted virus could annihilate an army of tens of thousands.
Who would not prefer this tactic?
Unfortunately, both the plague and the viruses were suppressed by Pugh and Orange and lost their effectiveness.
Before this powerful human army, the once arrogant and tyrannical alien warlord Zharr and his subordinates became like lambs being led to the slaughterhouse.
A fierce battle immediately broke out between both sides.
The vehicles the humans rode advanced with a roar, crushing the undead and highly toxic plants in their path.
Countless cannons roared. Shells sliced through the air and struck the fortress along the way.
Ear-splitting explosions rang out one after another. Rubble and earth scattered, only to be pulled back to the ground by gravity.
Terrifying fireballs rose, trembling on the shattered earth and spreading like flowers.
Puppets assembled from corpses and undead enslaved by supernatural plagues were torn apart by humanity's terrifying firepower.
Mortarion charged forward, spinning his massive scythe at high speed in his hand like a wheel of death, reaping everything that blocked his path.
With every swing a bloody tragedy unfolded. Severed limbs flew, creating an extremely gruesome scene.
Mortarion was like the incarnation of death, frenziedly slaughtering everything that caught his eye.
Wherever he went, only miserable corpses remained.
Undead, aliens, and puppets piled up on the ground like mountains of garbage.
Blood splattered. Body fluids flowed endlessly. An unbearable stench drifted.
"We are the Death Guard, the scythe of humanity."
"In the name of the nameless ones, feel terror and despair."
Mortarion's roar echoed across the battlefield. His scythe was stained with blood.
The other soldiers also joined the shouts. Morale rose, and they continued charging toward the enemy.
Their voices became a torrent, echoing through the valleys of the Rodal Mountains.
Calas Typhon and many brave warriors were scattered around the Primarch.
Their long-range weapons continuously spat fire, accurately shooting down the surging enemies.
When the enemy approached, they would cut them down with chainswords.
The Death Guard knew no fear. All the harsh training they had undergone was for this moment of slaughter.
When the battle reached its climax, the powerful warlord Zharr appeared.
He was enormous, wearing armor that had been crushed, deformed, and rusted by his swollen body.
Foul-smelling viscous liquid flowed from the stretched cracks, dripping onto the ground with a hissing sound and corroding small smoking holes.
There was a thin slit in the collapsed helmet, from which two bright red eyes peered onto the battlefield.
That alien warlord swung an abnormally large cleaver wider than an adult's body. The cleaver was covered in thick, dry red blood.
On the back of the knife, a row of sharp spikes like shark teeth was lined up.
The moment Zharr appeared on the battlefield, he charged toward Mortarion, intending to behead the Primarch.
His massive body stamped on the earth, and the earth groaned.
Mortarion charged toward the other party without fear, swinging his massive scythe.
Clash...
Blades collided. Sparks flew. A terrifying sound wave visibly spread.
Zharr possessed tremendous power. Every swing of his sword carried primitive madness.
No technique was needed at all. Pure power alone could tear everything apart.
However, because Mortarion was a Primarch, he was stronger. His massive scythe counterattacked with even greater speed and force.
After fierce collisions and combat, Primarch Mortarion gradually gained the upper hand.
After the intense battle, the Primarch found a gap in the enemy's defense and, without hesitation, swung his massive scythe horizontally.
The sharp blade instantly sliced the giant Zharr cleanly in half at the waist. Foul-smelling blood and pus gushed out.
This alien warlord possessed extraordinary regenerative power. Even after being cut in half, he was still crawling on the ground and had not completely died.
Mortarion raised his scythe and cut off the other party's head. Only then did the other party finally fall silent.
Seeing the Primarch defeat the alien warlord, the warriors raised ear-splitting cheers.
What followed was one-sided slaughter and a crushing defeat.
The fortress enveloped in toxic gas was breached. The solid fortress was reduced to ruins.
The enemy was annihilated. As a declaration of victory, even the head of warlord Zharr was hung on a high pedestal.
The fall of the warlord Zharr, composed of diverse forces, was only the prologue of the Barbarus Unification War.
Afterward, Mortarion led the Death Guard and waged war against the other alien warlords.
The foreign warlords who had brought endless despair and terror to Barbarus and treated humans like livestock had now reached the time to receive their retribution.
Datch used "Golden Hammer" to repair many factories left from the colonial era, greatly improving human productivity.
Various factories operated day and night to produce weapons and equipment.
Mortarion's army was fully armed. Every single soldier was clad in power armor.
Thanks to the abundant logistical supplies, they were able to carry out various indiscriminate bombing operations without any sanctions and weaken the enemy to the maximum extent.
Next, advance the vehicles in coordination with the infantry and crush the despicable enemies.
Furthermore, there was also the Primarch-level combatant Mortarion.
Faced with this situation, the alien warlords were no match for them and were defeated one after another. The flag of the Death Guard was raised in various places around the world.
Pugh and Orange continuously purified the toxins drifting in the ruins and breathed life into the ruins.
The mountains and rivers that had been eroded by toxic fog for thousands of years regained life with Pugh's help.
Wherever they went, the rescued villagers raised shouts seeking the nameless one and the unknown one. The name of Mortarion was a sign of respect for everything they had accomplished.
They had struggled for far too long in this despairing world and had even lost the ability to hope for salvation.
Therefore, when they saw the alien warlords destroyed, the toxin-filled world purified, and people giving them pure bread and water, they were severely shocked and for a moment even wondered if they were dreaming.
Upon realizing the situation, they immediately regarded Datch, Mortarion, Pugh, and the others as incarnations of gods.
"Praise the Nameless God… Praise the great God of Life… Praise Mortarion… Praise the Death Guard…"
Statues were being built one after another throughout the world.
The number of those who believed in the nameless one and the God of Life continued to increase, becoming the largest religious group on Barbarus.
...
As time passed, Mortarion waged hundreds of wars.
The alien warlords who had once rampaged and committed countless terrible crimes were all eliminated by him.
Their fortresses were destroyed, and their heads were hung on the ruined fortresses as proof of humanity's desire for revenge.
After yet another memorable war, the only thing remaining on Barbarus was the most powerful alien warlord.
That is, Necare, Mortarion's former adoptive father. Necare had not yet been defeated. Necare lived on the highest peak of the planet Barbarus, where toxic fog hung so thick that even ordinary mutants could not endure it.
If left a little longer, they would die from internal organ decay. Truly a tragic end.
Only Mortarion's adoptive father could endure it.
It is easy to imagine just how terrifying this man's power was.
However, no matter how strong he was, Mortarion possessed the confidence to defeat the other party.
...
"It will soon be over."
"A new history of Barbarus will be shaped by our hands."
Mortarion stood before the hologram projection in the strategy room, surrounded by the senior members of the Death Guard who had been summoned.
They were about to begin the final war.
Once the last alien warlord Necare was beheaded, the suffering of Barbarus would end.
Calas Typhon and the others all showed excited expressions upon hearing the Primarch's words.
"This is all thanks to the nameless one and you," a high-ranking member of the Death Guard said.
Mortarion shook his head. "The majority of the credit belongs to the nameless ones. I merely supported them."
"Without him, we would not have been able to pay so many sacrifices and liberate the entirety of Barbarus in such a short time."
"Praise the Nameless God! Praise the God of Life!" Calas Typhon seized the opportunity and shouted.
The others also joined the shouts.
"Praise the nameless one!"
"Praise the God of Life!"
"..."
"Alright, first let's discuss the pre-battle strategy." Mortarion pointed downward to quiet everyone, then assigned tasks to each of them.
After finishing the pre-war preparations, Mortarion resolved to kill his adoptive father with his own hands and swiftly began the war.
...
The sky above the battlefield was extremely gloomy. Thick dark clouds hung low. Thunder roared. Lightning flashed as if green snakes were crawling through the clouds.
Dense toxic gas flowed slowly around the soldiers like a real river. A single breath would mean instant death.
The filtration system of the power armor could not process such toxic gas. They had no choice but to rely on the internal breathing system to supply sufficient oxygen.
Necare, the most powerful warlord on Barbarus, had long understood that his adoptive son would one day definitely come looking for him.
Therefore he seized this opportunity, used various plagues and viruses to strengthen his army, and increased fortresses and gun emplacements.
Furthermore, he had also discovered a virus bomb left from the Age of Technology.
If it exploded, it would annihilate all organic matter on the planet and completely deprive it of any possibility of survival.
Necare intended to use this virus bomb as a trump card and was determined to make his traitorous adoptive son receive retribution.
...
Despite the help of Pugh and Orange, the battle ultimately became extremely fierce.
The army loyal to Necare was more tenacious than the armies of the other warlords.
Mortarion's Death Guard paid a great price with every step forward.
Through relentless bombardment from the rear, every fortress that was discovered was completely destroyed.
Led by Mortarion and supported by the bombardment, the Death Guard advanced toward the mountaintop.
Along the way they experienced one gruesome battle after another where blood flowed like rivers.
"Die!!"
Mortarion roared as he swung his scythe downward, slicing a fat grotesque monster cleanly in half, then charged toward the next enemy.
Behind the Primarch, countless countless chopped pieces of flesh piled up. Blood and pus soaked the ground.
Waves of the dead, aliens, and puppets surged one after another, as if there would be no end.
However, no matter how many charged, they were torn to pieces by the Primarch's scythe.
Calas Typhon and his warriors surrounding the Primarch desperately advanced through the raging waves, cutting down enemies and fighting with all their strength.
After repeatedly engaging in fierce combat, Mortarion and his companions arrived at the palace.
The palace was built on the edge of a cliff. The pedestal on which the throne was placed floated in the air above a bottomless abyss.
While Calas Typhon and the other guards fought the remnants of Necare's army, Mortarion walked alone toward the pedestal where the throne was placed.
Necare sat on the throne, waiting for his adoptive son to arrive at the throne.
"So you've finally returned, cowardly son."
Necare's voice was hoarse and grating, like rusted iron being dragged across gravel.
"I am not your son, monster." Mortarion raised his scythe and pointed it at the other man.
The awe and fear of the past had vanished from his eyes. Only the desire to completely kill the other party remained.
Necare rose from the throne. His body was enormous, taller than Mortarion.
The rusted armor was stretched and distorted by his swollen body. Yellow-green mucus seeped from the gaps, and terrifying spiritual power surged through his entire body.
Necare's weapon, like Mortarion's, was a massive scythe. Its blade was covered in twisted runes and emitted an eerie light.
"Every warlord is killed by his successor. From the day I adopted you, I knew this day would come," Necare said. "Now the time has come to test whether you can bear that heavy responsibility."
"Don't worry. Today is the day of your execution." Mortarion coldly pronounced the death sentence on the other party.
"I also hope for your success," Necare said sarcastically.
"What do you mean?" Mortarion felt something was wrong and pressed him.
Necare pointed at a torpedo-shaped device next to the throne.
"That is a virus torpedo capable of destroying all life. And I have already activated it."
"The only way to neutralize that virus torpedo is to kill me within five minutes. Otherwise, all life on the world will perish in an instant."
Hearing this, Mortarion was enraged. "You are a genuine madman!"
Necare gave no answer and charged toward Mortarion while brandishing his massive scythe.
His speed was completely disproportionate to his physique. It was so fast that multiple afterimages remained.
The sharp scythe sliced through the air with an ear-splitting sound.
Mortarion received the attack at the same speed and deflected it with his scythe.
On the foothold atop the cliff, the ear-splitting roar of metal colliding rang out. Sparks flew.
Necare's power was tremendous. Every swing carried the momentum of a landslide. Mortarion's hands went numb.
Furthermore, every time Mortarion gained a slight advantage, Necare would release psychic lightning and blow him away.
The two men grappled on the cliff. Scythes collided. The sound of metal scraping was enough to make one's teeth ache.
Dazzling lightning flashed one after another, illuminating the dim surroundings.
After colliding again, Mortarion was forced back several steps. His heavy boots scraped against the stone slabs with a grating sound.
He involuntarily glanced at the virus torpedo. By that time the countdown had already passed the halfway mark.
If that virus bomb from the Age of Technology exploded, Barbarus would once again be infected with virus, and countless people would lose their lives.
In an instant, countless images of living together with those ordinary people successively rose in Mortarion's mind.
Killing his adoptive father with his own hands had been the obsession he had held for many years — the means to end all hatred.
However, in this moment, when this obsession and the smiles of those people were placed on the two extremes of the scales, he realized that the scales were tilting.
The words the nameless man had asked him years ago once again echoed in his heart.
"For the people, or for yourself?"
Mortarion gritted his teeth and made the decision that would change his own fate.
He turned on the communicator and shouted at the top of his voice.
"Ferrus, help me. You should be able to hear my voice. Help me kill that bastard."
The moment he finished speaking, a bright green hole of light appeared out of nowhere above the platform.
Datch, with a smile on his face, led Ferrus out of the light cave.
"It seems you have made your decision, Mortarion."