Cypher had imagined meeting the Emperor countless times.
Perhaps he would kneel like a knight, paying his respects and pledging loyalty once more.
Or perhaps, he would use the sword at his back to end it all—bearing the guilt of kingslaying.
Yet, when his wish came true, and he stepped into the throne room, bathed in endless radiance,
he realized how foolish his previous thoughts had been.
The one seated on the Golden Throne was the Master of Humanity,
one who could face and utterly destroy the Four Ancient Ones.
He was the most supreme and powerful being in the galaxy.
Cypher now saw that it was delusional to think he could influence such a fate.
Such arrogance—one that even the Fourth Ancient feared to possess!
Cypher gasped, pain etched on his face.
Hundreds of millions of voices echoed in his ears, countless phantasms appearing at once, his mind on the verge of shattering.
Just standing exhausted all his strength, let alone doing anything more.
The same was true for the Fallen Angels who had entered the throne room with Cypher.
All they could see was light. The endless brilliance swallowed everything.
The Emperor's voice resounded in the minds of Datch and the Fallen Angels.
"Cypher, you bear the fate of the Ouroboros.
It began with Caliban, and it will end with Caliban.
But now, the goal is not yet reached.
Step aside. There are more important tasks ahead."
Datch heard it clearly.
But the Fallen Angels under Cypher only felt a thunderous voice reverberate in their minds, unable to make out or understand the words.
The Emperor said little, only that the time had not yet come—that destiny was not yet truly bound.
As the words faded, an irresistible force enveloped Cypher and his companions.
In the next moment, reality rippled like water, an opening appeared, and the Fallen Angels were pushed through.
With the Golden Throne and the Emperor's body repaired, the burden of maintaining the Emperor's psychic Webway was lighter than before.
Even the ten thousand psykers a day that used to be burned as fuel were no longer required.
He still could not leave the throne or speak, but things were much improved.
The Emperor considered whether to restart the Webway project and try again.
If possible, the pressure on the Imperium would be greatly reduced.
But thoughts of Magnus and his treacherous kin made him give up for now.
For the time being, he would stick to the original plan and wait for a better moment.
…
When Cypher and the others recovered from the endless visions and light,
they found themselves no longer in the throne room, but within the Webway channel—a part of the Mechanicum's training.
Where the floor had once been made of gleaming metal and psychic plastic, now it was rusted and decayed.
Occasionally, fragments inexplicable by metaphysics would fall into the abyss.
"So, what do we do now?"
Korlael tried to recall what happened in the throne room, but all he remembered was the endless radiance.
The same was true for those who could not even hear the Emperor's voice.
"Let's leave here for now. We'll return when the time is right."
Cypher spoke calmly, stepping forward.
The others exchanged glances and followed.
…
Meanwhile, within the throne room, the Emperor's gaze once again fell on Datch.
"I have a new quest for you, Nameless One."
The Emperor's voice echoed in Datch's mind.
Datch ignored him, staring at the reward for completing his mission.
[Mission Complete: You successfully helped Cypher meet the Emperor. Congratulations]
[Reward: 1200 EXP, 1200 EXP, +200 Reputation, Thunderfury Power Hammer *1]
With a shift of his thoughts, a beautiful warhammer surrounded by bright arcs of energy appeared in Datch's hand.
"This new quest is more perfect than any before. As long as you're willing to cooperate, it will surely succeed.
The fate of humanity depends on you alone, child. I need your help."
Datch paid no heed, gazing at the blue-quality Thunderfury Power Hammer in his hand.
The hammer was heavy, the shaft forged from composite metal—highly durable and wear-resistant, inscribed with many esoteric runes and electromagnetic lines.
It could absorb and store electricity, and Thunderfury had its own unique abilities:
Kill Charge: Defeat enemies with this weapon to accumulate energy.
When fully charged, unleash all energy at once, delivering a thunderous judgment to foes.
Datch swung the hammer, lightning crackling, and couldn't help but shout:
"For the glory of the Emperor!"
"I am God of Thunder Datch!"
"If only Malcador were still here with me."
The Emperor muttered,
"He would surely help see this plan through."
"Why won't you pay attention to me?"
"By the way, where did you come from?"
"Why is your soul so pure, not a trace of warp corruption?"
"..."
"Find a place to test your new weapon."
Datch turned and strode toward the throne room's door.
The Emperor:
"...Do you dislike me that much? At least say something before you leave."
"Hey! Hey! Don't just leave like this!"
…
Datch left the throne room. Outside, Trajann and other Custodes were still waiting.
Seeing him emerge alone, their expressions changed slightly.
As Datch passed through and left, they hurried into the throne room, relieved to find the Emperor and the Golden Throne unharmed.
"This matter is to be listed as classified for now,"
Trajann ordered Warden Borsa.
"Understood,"
Borsa nodded.
Trajann glanced up at the Emperor on the throne, then turned and left the chamber.
With the Golden Throne and Emperor's condition improving, the throne room's defenses were somewhat relaxed.
He planned to deploy the Custodes to wider battlefields, to prevent war from ever returning to Terra.
Following discussion, the ban on the military was lifted.
They would embark on a great crusade with the Primarchs to reclaim fallen worlds and rescue the Imperium's desperate people.
…
The palace stretched across vast distances, and Datch easily found an open space suitable for weapon testing.
"For the glory of the Emperor!"
Datch shouted, raising the warhammer and smashing it into the ground.
BOOM—!
A violent thunderclap erupted from the hammer's head, transforming into countless dancing electric serpents that crashed down.
In a single blow, a dazzling field of lightning spread instantly, engulfing everything within several hundred meters.
Shattered stones became dust, metal melted into rivers of red, even the air hissed with the sharp sound of ionization.
"Yes, this power! Amazing!"
Datch was elated.
"Now, with this hammer, I don't have to worry about getting beaten by Old Yellow anymore."
After testing Thunderfury's wrath a few more times, Datch sheathed the warhammer and continued his work.
…
Terra, Grand Strategy Hall
On the table before Guilliman lay a human-skin map marked with many Chaos symbols.
This was a trophy Aleya had acquired at Hellion Quintus Station while hunting the Chaos Order.
It detailed the plans for the Siege of Terra.
The enemy's cunning exceeded even the Primarch's expectations.
The Chaos traitors, realizing he had returned to Terra, quickly sealed it off.
"I still don't understand this map,"
Tyrion said with a puzzled expression, pointing to a fallen world.
"Will the enemy attack along this route?"
"No…"
Guilliman shook his head.
"They will not attack. Why? These traitors are so close to Terra, a single warp jump would suffice to reach it.
This is their best chance."
Tyrion asked,
"Why don't they take it?"
Guilliman activated a data projection, illuminating the planets marked on the human-skin map one by one.
"The warp blockade surrounding Terra has eight key nodes, representing eight routes capable of accommodating massive fleets in and out of Terra.
Now, seven of these nodes have fallen to Chaos. If the last one—Arraissa—also falls, Terra will be isolated.
In that case, the Imperium's counterattack would be organized, but strangled in the cradle.
With Terra besieged, the Imperium would have to use vast resources and manpower just to break the blockade."
"In this way, the Imperium cannot mount a counteroffensive, and Chaos can use the opportunity to ravage even more worlds."
Upon hearing this, Tyrion suddenly understood.
"So Terra isn't their real target—they just want to confuse us and force a decision."
"Their real goal is to trap the Primarch and the expedition. If they succeed, we'll be stuck here, and the crusade will be severely delayed."
"That's right. Arraissa is our last hope. It must not be lost."
Zlatad Aph Kerapliades, Master of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, also spoke:
"But Arraissa previously sent a distress call, claiming to be under Chaos invasion.
We've reported the matter to the High Lords Council, but are still awaiting review and approval."
"We must send reinforcements as soon as possible,"
Guilliman said.
"Defend the last passage at all costs."
"Who will go?"
The Primarch looked around. Terra's situation was too complicated, with every faction deeply entrenched and hard to root out.
If they followed normal procedures to organize the army, Arraissa might fall before they were ready.
In this emergency, they could only skip the process and immediately organize a relief force.
"I'll go,"
Aleya stood up first.
"I still have a blood feud with the Black Legion. Time to collect some interest."
"I'll go too,"
Valerian stepped forward.
With the Custodes unshackled, they were to support the Imperial Guard on various battlefields, and the Battle of Arraissa was just an exercise.
It wouldn't be hard to find people willing to reinforce Arraissa's world.
Soon, a substantial force was assembled.
At this point, Datch also approached.
"Is there anything I should do?"
Guilliman nodded,
"Arraissa is the only remaining node to the outside world from Terra. If it falls, Terra will become a near-inescapable prison.
Nameless One, we need your help to defend Arraissa's node world and maintain the passage."
The moment the Primarch finished speaking, Datch received a mission prompt.
[Mission: Defend Arraissa's Node World.
Chaos Traitors are plotting to seize the node and isolate Terra, tightening the cradle around the Imperial crusade.
Roboute Guilliman is troubled, and seeking warriors to reinforce Arraissa's node world and thwart the chaos plot.
Mission Rewards: 1000 EXP, 1000 credits, +100 Reputation, Ripper Power Claw *1]
"I'll defend Arraissa's node world,"
Datch accepted the mission.
Given that Chaos might launch an attack on Arraissa, reinforcements were dispatched as soon as they assembled.
At that moment, the Macragge's Honour pilgrim fleet arrived just in time.
After the battle at the Blackstone Fortress, the pilgrims had split in two.
Guilliman's fleet advanced through the Webway, arriving at Terra first.
The remaining pilgrims took another route, pushing warships forward to regroup.
News of Macragge's Honour's arrival on Terra delighted Guilliman.
The firepower of a Queen of Glory-class battleship was beyond doubt. With proper command, it could hold Arraissa's node world.
With everything ready, the relief force set off.
Datch, Valerian, Aleya, and other Imperial heroes boarded the Macragge's Honour and headed for Arraissa.
Soon after boarding, Datch grew bored and chose to skip the waiting time.
To outsiders, Datch seemed to fall into a deep sleep, only waking when the fleet arrived at the star system containing Arraissa's world.
Upon entering realspace, the Imperial commanders realized the situation was dire.
Arraissa's void defense forces had been annihilated.
Space was strewn with debris and corpses.
Chaos warships dominated low orbit, shuttling troops with landing craft, seeking to seize the node world and completely seal off Terra.
"Launch an immediate assault and reclaim control of Arraissa!"
"The passage must remain open!"
Fleet commanders made swift decisions, and the order to commence hostilities was instantly transmitted via encrypted channels to the entire Imperial fleet.
At the same time, the Chaos fleet encircling Arraissa detected the uninvited guests.
Flesh-and-blood-covered Chaos ships, bristling with eyes and fangs, broke from low orbit and charged the Imperial fleet.
In an instant, the silent void was ablaze—
Grand cannons traced death arcs, lances sliced through darkness, torpedoes trailed fiery plumes.
Carrier aircraft clashed like ants among steel behemoths, exploding amid the chaos.
Both fleets collided fiercely, energy shields flickering.
"Now it's my turn,"
Datch produced Sadako's videotape, preparing to terrify the traitors.
The minimap automatically unfolded, and a playback device appeared.
Datch selected a device within the Executioner-class heavy cruiser.
Upon confirming playback, Datch vanished from the air in an instant.
…
Inside the Executioner-class heavy cruiser, it was a hellish scene.
Metal corridors and decks were covered in thick red fleshy membranes.
Bulging veins entwined like cables, pulsing along the walls, blood flowing through them.
Moans of pain, as if from countless people mingled together, echoed through the air, filled with despair.
Demonic limbs twisted and fused with human bodies and cursed machines, writhing in the shadows, forming unspeakable horrors.
Datch used Sadako's videotape to easily infiltrate the ship.
Finding a spot, he took out a frog candy and popped it into his mouth.
Smoke billowed in a puff, and Datch transformed into a frog with a green body and round eyes.
He hopped lightly, hiding in a corner among twisted pipes and rotting flesh.
"Ugh... coo..."
Soon, someone heard it.
A wizard in tattered robes, adorned with strange copper ornaments and bone fragments, dragged twisted limbs along.
"Quack..."
The wizard suddenly stopped, bloodshot eyes turning toward the source of the sound.
"Huh?! Here... Why is there a frog here?!"
He pried open the ruined pipeline, and upon seeing the frog, his heart sank.
Many human worlds with terraforming have frogs, so even without visiting Terra, most people know of them.
The wizard crouched, gently cupping the turquoise frog in his palm.
Feeling its warm, soft touch, his twisted face smiled.
"Listen... look what I found... a cute baby..."
The wizard muttered, stumbling through blood-stained, rotting corridors toward the ship's command center—the bridge.
"Quack..."
The emerald frog instantly drew the attention of many mutant crew members.
They gathered, reaching out to touch the frog.
"Back to your posts!"
A thunderous, deep roar erupted.
Chaos Space Marines in thick, battered power armor—engraved with curses and spikes—advanced.
Their helmet lenses glowed crimson, and a cold, murderous aura panicked the crowd, forcing them back to their posts.
The Chaos Marines stared at the wizard and his frog, their gazes icy.
They were at war with the Emperor's fleet, and yet this man was idling with a frog.
"Don't disrupt morale, you bastard."
A Chaos Space Marine raised his shotgun, intending to execute the wizard and that damn frog.
"Ugh."
Datch cried out, decisively using the Emperor Transformation Card.
A burst of brilliant light exploded, making everyone blink reflexively.
A radiant golden figure appeared before them.
First came eerie silence, then a piercing scream.
The Chaos Marines who had intended to execute the wizard widened their eyes.
As veterans of the Great Crusade, they had once glimpsed the Emperor.
That figure and aura were seared deep into their souls, unforgettable even after betraying the Imperium.
"Could it be... is the Emperor here? Is the Great Crusade starting again?"
…