Rumble…
The instant Chaos Horus finished shouting, the hundreds of Emperors surrounding him released psychic lightning in unison.
When each spread five fingers, psychic light gushed from the palms and condensed in the air into dazzling golden electric arcs.
Rumble…
Hundreds of electric arcs assaulted Horus simultaneously from different directions.
The first attack struck his left shoulder and created a burnt rent in the pauldron of the Warmaster's power armour blessed by the four gods.
The second wound immediately struck the back of his neck; the third pierced the chest; the fourth, the fifth, the tenth, the fiftieth…
That body, driven by chaotic energy, spun again and again in the air like a top whipped simultaneously from multiple directions.
A fierce impact slammed him into the palace's metal floor-plates; a dull sound rang again and again under the dome.
He created in the deck a dent that fit the outline of his own torso perfectly.
The metal plate with concave edges rolled up; servo-cables appeared from beneath. Electricity still ran through the cables.
The Emperors, as if by tacit understanding, began the attack again and poured a second wave of psychic lightning on the fallen Horus from hundreds of directions.
Lightning burst on the surface of his armour; every time an electric arc struck him, his limbs convulsed violently.
"It seems the blessing of Chaos IV is not that powerful," the Emperor of the Unification Wars era stated.
The other Emperors nodded in agreement.
The Emperor of the Ursh era faintly snorted with contempt.
The four Chaos Gods do not seem that strong.
Horus, lying on the ground, floated an expression of deep despair.
Destroy them while you can. Is there anyone who can face more than a hundred Emperors?
Even if the four Chaos Gods themselves intervened, they might not be able to.
The traitors including Erebus were completely crushed by the sight they witnessed.
Even Horus, blessed by the Empyrean, was utterly unable to defeat more than a hundred Emperors.
These accursed Imperial loyalists are truly shameless.
We are Chaos itself. Breaking rules and being shameless is our characteristic.
How can you be that shameless? Where is your sincerity and moral sense?
"But how do we kill him?" The Emperor of the early Great Crusade pierced Horus with a sword.
A longsword burning with golden flame pierced Horus's left chest, passed through the heart, came out the back; its tip stabbed into the deck.
After the sword was withdrawn, the stabbed wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye and was found to be completely uninjured.
"Perhaps this will work," Ollanius Persson shouted and raised the ritual dagger in his hand.
This dagger is made of stone; to modern people it has not a shred of technical refinement.
People of primitive ages peeled flakes from a large flint, repeatedly sharpened the edge with stone to make a sharp blade, and wrapped hemp-rope around the hilt to make a dagger.
The dagger's surface was rough and dull; to the eye it had no features.
However, it caused seven special deaths. Each has special meaning. It is ending and death.
The instant they noticed the dagger's existence, the darkness surrounding Chaos-god Horus revealed panic and unease.
This stone weapon is completely useless in combat. It cannot even pierce the most basic ceramite power armour.
However, it can kill Horus blessed by the Empyrean.
Because it was not attacking Horus-god's flesh but his existence itself.
The Emperor stepped forward, received the dagger from Ollanius Persson, yet hesitated to act.
The Emperor had finally come to feel goodwill toward Horus.
"Perhaps I can do it as well," another voice said.
When everyone turned, there was Horus who had come from the new world-line.
He pushed through the crowd, approached Chaos Horus who was under the other Emperors' control, and stared straight into his eyes.
"A cheap imitation!" Chaos Horus roared at the other self.
"No. I am the other you," Horus of the new timeline said calmly. "We are both from Cthonia. The difference is that I was not manipulated, but you strayed from the path."
"I have done nothing wrong. Look at my present power. I possess unmatched strength. Even Father cannot kill me." Chaos Horus glared at the other self with an unshakable gaze.
"But you still failed. The Nameless Ones easily defeated you. If you firmly believe that strength is correctness, why do you not listen to the Nameless Ones' words? Chaos merely used you as a tool. Whatever becomes of you they do not care. When the tool's mission ends, you will be discarded without mercy."
"They are under my control!" Chaos Horus shouted.
"No. You only think you control them. We are the same human. Our weaknesses are the same; we earnestly desire to be worshipped and seen as unique."
"Having human weaknesses is nothing to be ashamed of. That is precisely the proof that we are human. Erebus used that weakness; the gods merely amplified it further."
"Your fall is not a mistake. You only failed to see the truth behind it," Horus of the new timeline said.
"I will never believe your lies." Chaos Horus was somewhat tempted, yet immediately suppressed that thought.
"Enough already. What nonsense are you talking?" Datch was exhausted just watching and no longer wanted to hear the conversation.
Is operating the game with such a thin story your way of doing things?
When I get back, I'm writing a bad review!!
Datch opened the game store and searched for an appropriate item.
[Item name: Slap of Awakening]
If you lightly strike the other party with this prop, the other party will recover sanity.
Comment: There is no temptation so strong that a slap cannot resist it. If one blow is not enough, do another.
Datch chose to exchange for the slap prop, equipped it, charged, and slapped Chaos Horus left and right.
Smack. Smack.
Sharp slapping sounds ringing through the palace accurately struck Horus-god's face.
Horus's first reaction was anger and shock, yet by the "forced awakening" rule attached to the item, sanity returned.
(Source cut mid-slap. Aftermath continues.)
...
Machines overflowing with flesh and blood also rapidly malfunctioned due to the loss of the Empyrean's corrupt blessing.
Engines stopped; tracks broke; vehicles could no longer move.
In fact, these combat weapons had long since been destroyed. Distortion of Warp space had made it possible for them to keep operating.
When Warp power vanished, they too were reduced to their original forms by cruel physical law.
Traitors who lost Warp support fell into complete terror.
The instant the Warp vanished, their hearts were struck by unmatched terror. Before the Sanctum, millions of human rebels, beastmen, and traitor Astartes fled in unison without organised action.
At this time, Guilliman's Ultramarines fleet had arrived in Terra orbit.
It was accompanied by the Phalanx and numerous warships that had participated in the Solar War in the past.
Among them, even the Sisypheum was included.
In the final stage of the Solar War, Chaos Horus used the Warp to send the fleet directly near Terra and collapse the Sol System's defence network.
The Phalanx had no choice but to leave Terra orbit, hide at the edge of the Sol System, and wait for another chance to attack.
Seeing the Astronomican lit again, the Phalanx's commander firmly ordered the remaining units to assemble and begin an attack on the enemy.
Along the way, they encountered Guilliman's reinforcement fleet and together began an operation to encircle and annihilate the traitor fleet.
Having lost the Warp's help and received news of the Warmaster's defeat, the traitor fleet fell into unprecedented panic.
They were no match for the Imperial loyalists at all.
Numerous warships were struck by macro-cannon and plasma-torpedo attacks, exploded in an instant into dazzling fireballs in space, and formed rapidly cooling clouds of wreckage.
Some traitor warships tried to escape the battlefield and desperately navigated toward the Mandeville Point at the system's edge, intending to Warp-jump out from there.
However, the Dark Angels and Space Wolves also came to the Sol System after Guilliman arrived at Terra.
They immediately transformed into hunters and aimed at fleeing traitor warships.
The traitor fleet that had already suffered tremendous damage was completely annihilated.
Many warships self-destructed during escape due to engine overload or void-shield failure.
Surviving ships fled without even time to reorganise.
The traitors left on the surfaces of Terra and Mars became the most desperate group.
In the original story, due to insufficient loyalists and Guilliman's slow movement speed, many traitors were able to escape Terra and invade the Eye of Terror.
However, due to Datch's intervention, Guilliman's speed became far faster than in the original storyline.
The six thousand Vengeful Spirit ships blocking the way were indeed a threat from the Chaos Gods.
After Guilliman invaded the Sol System, the fleet of six thousand Vengeful Spirit ships vanished.
Of course, one great reason is that the gods feared the Nameless Ones and did not actually have the courage to build six thousand Vengeful Spirit ships.
The Nameless One truly possesses the ability to destroy six thousand Vengeful Spirit ships with a single blow.
That would make them pay a heavier, bloodier price.
Therefore, the four gods took no substantial action to stop Guilliman.
This means the traitors had no time to flee and were destined to be completely annihilated.
Even the Vengeful Spirit cannot escape the battlefield and will be captured and dominated by the Imperium.
With Horus's repentance, the four Chaos Gods shrank and were forced to flee into the abyss of the Warp, causing terrible upheaval across all Terra.
Of course, this is not an earthquake; it is a space-time ripple caused by physical laws being re-established after the collapse of the Warp anchor point.
When physical laws returned to normal, the turbulence gradually subsided.
Afterwards, the reckoning was carried out.
Meanwhile, Datch also received a series of game notifications.
Horus has repented; progress of related missions has been recorded.
Quest complete, and congratulations on successfully seizing the Horus Chaos stronghold.
[Quest reward: 5,000 experience, 5,000 points, reputation +1,000, Mind Gem ×1]
Datch completely ignored the first point.
Chaos Horus repenting is a good thing, yet there is still a long way to go to achieve the "Priest of Repentance" achievement.
He was more interested in the newly obtained game reward, the Mind Gem.
When Datch thought, a yellow gem appeared in his hand.
After examining it for a while, he fitted it into the last empty slot of the Infinity Gauntlet.
The next instant, the six Infinity Stones resonated.
The Space Stone's deep blue, the Time Stone's emerald green, the Reality Stone's golden red, the Power Stone's deep purple, the Soul Stone's warm orange, and the Mind Stone's vivid yellow…
At the gauntlet's knuckle portion, the six colours converged and mixed, changing into rainbow light that constantly flows and changes.
Now, with only a snap of the fingers, one might be able to rewrite the laws of the entire universe.
Datch felt the Infinity Gauntlet's tremendous power and just wanted to stand there with both hands on his hips and laugh aloud.
Then let me ask who else is there. Who else is there?
The Warhammer world is vast. Who can stand against me?!
Fools, feel the terror of the Player.
Datch did not immediately snap his fingers.
After all, an item like the Infinity Gauntlet that can change the game's story development affects the game's ending score, so it cannot be used lightly.
"Now that the anchor point has been removed, the next task is to deal with the Chaos Gods. At that time, using the Infinity Gauntlet should be no problem."
After muttering to himself for a while, Datch put away the Infinity Gauntlet.
The final battle between Chaos Horus and the Emperor is over. If all remaining problems are resolved, the mission will truly be complete.
Datch pushed the Emperors and Primarchs who had come from different ages into the TARDIS telephone box and sent them back to their original timelines.
Next, using the TARDIS telephone box, he returned to the 42K timeline he had not visited for a long time to confirm which NPC he should seek in order to accept the quest to deal with the four Chaos Gods.
...
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Executive Council of the Macragge galaxy on the 42K timeline,
Malcador shut himself alone in his study and handled official business.
Suddenly a voice was heard from behind him.
"The Nameless One has succeeded. He has removed the anchor of the Horus Heresy. A new timeline will replace the old timeline and the Chaos Gods' influence will be minimised."
"From next time, please inform me in advance before dragging me into a dream." Malcador turned toward the Emperor and asked in a helpless tone. "After the new timeline replaces us, will we vanish?"
"No." The Emperor shook his head. "After the four Chaos Gods are completely destroyed and humanity completes ascension, the new timeline will fuse with the present in a unique form. We will retain the memories of both timelines, and all the dead will return together to complete ascension."
"Then what should we do from now?" Malcador asked.
"Those four are weaker than ever now; this is when they should be completely eliminated. Of course, before that, the Great Rift must be repaired."
"The Nameless One has completed the mission we gave him and will soon seek a new mission. When he appears before you, give him this mission."
"..."
The Emperor and Malcador carried out a thorough exchange of opinions.
The dreamlike meeting finally ended after the next step was decided.
The Emperor's figure vanished without a trace; Malcador suddenly opened his eyes and realised he had been sleeping at the study desk.
The Emperors are becoming increasingly skilled at the method of drawing people into the dream world.
Malcador pondered the Emperor's words, stood, and began preparing to stretch his aged body.
Just then, the spatial structure at the centre of the study began to warp.
Countless cracks appeared; dense light erupted.
The next instant, a TARDIS-type telephone box suddenly appeared on the study floor.
"The Nameless One has at last returned."
Malcador smiled.
Now we need to think of a way to trick the Nameless Ones into fighting Chaos IV.
...
…
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