Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!-Chapter 196
---3rd Person POV---
Placing their ships in orbit over Solemnace, the allied forces began teleporting onto the surface of the artificial world. Securing their entry point without any resistance, the three groups immediately began moving on our designated targets. Quickly deducing what they were trying to do, Trazyn mobilized what defenders he could to prevent losing everything. Pursuing Victor and his men personally with his few Necrons, he dispatched millions of hapless prisoners to delay the others.
Screaming and shouting at their kinsmen, Trazyn’s victims pleaded with them to end their suffering. Swearing that they were not acting of their own volition, they sought the sweet release of death over harming their own kind. Vehemently rejecting them, leaders from both groups swore to do their utmost to save them. Bracing themselves for the initial assault, the Emperor and his Primarchs froze when a very familiar face appeared within the stampeding crowd.
“It… It cannot be…”, Fulgrim gasped, his eyes fixating upon his father and brothers. “Brothers! Father!! You are all alive?!”
Hearing his voice for the first time in countless millennia, Corvax and Vulkan clenched their fists in anger. Recalling the death of Ferrus Manus and the Drop Site Massacre, it took every ounce of willpower not to break formation to take his head. Accepting the scorn and shame the Imperials began hurling at him, he begged his brothers and father to end his life.
“I… I have already taken one of my beloved brother’s heads. Please do not let me take another!”, Fulgrim cried out, trying desperately to stop himself. “Not a day has gone by that I have not regretted my actions. Free me from my torment so that I may go find Ferrus and beg for his forgiveness. Had I heeded his many warnings, I could have prevented my fall to the Ruinous Powers.”
“Do not utter our father’s name, you Kinslayer!”, the Iron Hands Chapter Master howled, pointing his Power Sword at the Primarch. “The Sons of Ferrus Manus have long waited for this day to come. We will have vengeance for our fallen father!!”
“And we will have you pay in blood for our fallen sons!”, Corvax and Fulgrim seethed, their veins bulging from their necks.
While he sympathized with their anguish, the Emperor of Mankind commanded everyone to refrain from killing Fulgrim. Telling them that Fulgrim would return with them to Terra, he swore to make his fallen son repay his debts tenfold before dispensing judgment. Making their discomfort known immediately, Corvax and Vulkan demanded an explanation from him.
“I have spent over ten thousand years reflecting on the events that led up to the Horus Heresy, and a portion of it falls upon my shoulders. In my attempts to shield the Imperium from the Ruinous Powers, I wittingly exposed all of you to them.”, the Emperor acknowledged, looking upon Fulgrim with pity. “Had I forewarned you of their existence, you would have known what to look for and could have avoided their temptations. The sword Fulgrim claimed on Laeran was a Daemon Weapon, but none of you were aware of it at the time.” freewёbnoνel.com
“Father, none of what I did was your fault!”, Fulgrim asserted, bloody tears streaming from his eyes. “The fault is mine, and mine alone. I allowed my arrogance, pride, and vanity to blind me to the bitter end. By the time I realized what I had become… my beloved brother lay dead at my feet.”
“If I had been more attentive and not buried myself in my projects, I could have stopped all of you. It is a father’s job to guide and raise his children, in that regard… There is no bigger failure than me.”, the Emperor said. ‘My grand vision for humanity’s future blinded me to what was going on around me. Had I been more available and a father to my sons, perhaps the Horus Heresy would have never come to pass.'
Opening his mouth to further refute his father, another familiar voice chimed in. Knocking over several Terminators to pull alongside the cloned Primarch, everyone stared at Constantin Valdor in shock. Giving them a curt nod, he smacked Fulgrim upside the head and told him to accept the Emperor’s words.
“Accept the Emperor’s mercy and stop being a baby! Your name is not Guilliman.”, Valdor snickered with a grin. “If you are truly remorseful, use your blood, sweat, and tears to show it. Though it has been over ten thousand years since I last saw the Imperium, I am certain that there are many places your abilities could be utilized.”
“You can start making amends by helping us slay your original body and retrieving Manus’ body. Our nephew, Aremus’ biological son, intends to resurrect Ferrus and Sanguinius.”, Guilliman spoke up, having already spoken to Victor about this. “After that, come with us to Cadia and slam shut the Eye of Terror. These three things will go a long way toward redeeming yourself in our eyes.”
“Those will be your first three labors, Fulgrim. From there, we shall see what happens.”, the Emperor said, tapping on the Corvax and Vulcan’s shoulders. “While I forebay you from killing Fulgrim, we ultimately need to stop him until the scarabs burn out. With that in mind, please use measured means to incapacitate him.”
“Just as a friendly reminder, we do have a large stockpile of healing potions from Victor with us. Given that our armor and equipment have recently been significantly upgraded by him, I do not think we will be needing many of them.”, Leman pointed out, giving his brothers and the Iron Hands a big grin. “Victor doesn’t need to know how every potion is utilized… If you catch my drift.”
Turning to the Emperor for approval, he reluctantly agreed with a long sigh. Before the Corvax, Vulkan, or the Iron Hands could utter a word, Leman shouted that Valdor was his to fight. Looking at him in confusion, Valdor asked what he did to deserve the Primarch’s ire. Shaking his head, Leman assured him it was nothing like that.
“I have always wanted to duel you, but the Emperor forbade me from doing so. Given that I will likely never get this chance again, I am taking full advantage of it!”, Leman laughed, extending the Power Claws that Victor gifted him. “Now then… GET OVER HERE!!”
Leaping over the front line, Leman and several of his sons barreled toward their target like a herd of elephants. Using their hulking bodies to plow through the mortified prisoners, Leman leapt into the air and boot-slammed Valdor in the face. Reinforcing their father’s flank while the Custode and Primarch duked it out, Fulgrim gave his brothers a meek smile.
“I… uh… If that is how it must be, may I at least request you not hit my face?”, Fulgrim requested.
“Sorry, I cannot hear you over all the noise.”, Vulcan said, picking up his massive hammer. “Did you say aim for your face? Okay!”
Certain that his sons would manage without him present, the Emperor put Guilliman in charge before breaking away with his Custodes. Needing to disable the Pharos before Necron reinforcements could arrive, he and his Custodes made their way there as fast as they could.
---Victor POV, Fifteen Minutes Later---
Fighting for control of the Tomb World’s computer system alongside Dair, Luxion, and UR-025, the four of us were steadily gaining ground on the Necrons. Unable to effectively fight back, with the sentient metamorphic virus running amok, all we needed now was for the Pharos to go offline. Once the planet’s connection to Gheden dropped, we could place complete control of the planet under me.
“Victor, we got those shards you wanted.”, Bo-Katan said, running into the chamber with my subordinates in tow. “What do you want done with them?”
“If you could, please bring them over here. I would like to have a chat with them.”, I requested. “Do you guys have it from here?”
<Please proceed with whatever you have planned, Master.> (Luxion)
Thanking them, I stepped away from the console and turned to receive C’tan Shards. Gingerly handing their containers over to me, the shards immediately began begging for their freedom. Promising me riches and power beyond my wildest dreams, I let them prattle on until they eventually fell silent. Releasing the Deceiver from his containment field, I immediately smashed him into pieces with Stormbreaker.
“Let this serve as a warning to you C’tan. I am more than capable of permanently ending your existence with a single blow of my hammer.”, I stated, drawing his power into Stormbreaker. “You are free to join my cause or leave this place immediately. Should you choose to leave, know that the people of this galaxy are under my protection. Lay so much as a finger on any of them, and I will make it my mission to snuff your pathetic existence out permanently. Do you understand?”
<Crystal clear…> (Nyadra'zatha)
<I sense the essence of a kinsman on you. Who among us has already joined hands with you?> (Mag'ladroth)
“A fragment of Yggra'nya has aligned himself with me. In exchange for his knowledge and teachings, I grant him a certain degree of freedom and supply ample amounts of food.”, I remarked. “He spends most of his time in a pocket dimension I crafted for him.”
Taking a moment to ponder my offer, the remaining C’tan fragments agreed to join my cause. Seeing this as a chance to get revenge on the Necrons and reconstruct themselves, they inquired how they could help me. Freeing them from their containment units, I explained what we were in the process of doing and inquired if they could help. Confirming they could, Mag'ladroth floated over to the console to begin working on it.
<I was the one who taught the Necrontyr how to build these contraptions during their early days. My credentials were buried deep in the base code so they should still be active. Give me a moment, I should be able to sever the connection for you.> (Mag'ladroth)
Thanking him for his assistance, gunfire began to erupt outside the room. Hearing Trazyn hurling insults at us for destroying his precious museum, he swore to make me pay dearly for this. Firing a Doomsday Cannon at my men, his ship abruptly swung upward, causing the beam to tear a hole in the wall high above their heads. Cursing the virus for toying with him, we heard a loud explosion, followed by a scream from the Necron Overlord himself.
