40k: Midnight Blade

379.M39, during the infamous ‘wave of rebellion’.

——

If you sail against the current, you will retreat if you don't advance.

Fulgrim reached for his sword—but wait.

Before it actually chops off something or someone's head, please take a look at it. Take a look at its rough blade, its unpolished blade, its rough handle as blunt as the tip of a training sword. Are weapons worthy of being held in the hands of the Emperor's Son Fulgrim?

Many people have asked for the answer, but Fulgrim almost never answers.

The blade of the sword fell, or was smashed.

Although it was a 'sword' like an iron rod, Fulgrim still wielded it with a certain precision and power. It smashed a head away from the body on the spot and flew back dozens of meters. .

In fact, it was smashed into a wet and hot blood mist the moment it came into contact with the blunt sword, but this did not prevent the broken bones inside from tearing away more flesh and blood like bullets.

Phoenix raised his sword expressionlessly and struck it down again, then down, down, and down.

After a few minutes, there was no longer any living thing around him, only a vast expanse of blood. The stumps and broken arms were floating in the blood that soaked his ankles. It was originally a cruel and terrifying sight, but it became a bit more eerie and beautiful because of his presence.

Yes, who can deny his beauty? That shining silver hair, handsome facial features, and well-proportioned muscles

It doesn't matter if it's just these, it's just a beautiful skin at best, but he is not just the outside, his inside is as beautiful as the outside, or even surpasses it.

However, it is interesting to say that everyone who has never seen him praised him for being as handsome as a god. The roads he walked turned into gold and the water he drank turned into milk - but those who had really seen him praised him. Where are his people?

They would forget about his appearance and be captured by that powerful, pure and completely transcendent force of will.

Few people know that this willpower comes from the most extreme pain.

Fulgrim slowly sheathed his sword - or shouldered the sword - and then turned around and left without thinking that doing so would stain his long shawl hair with blood.

If you were like him and fought for four consecutive days in the world of Blue Larx 2, you would be too lazy to care about so much.

Today, this war has developed to an extent that far exceeds everyone's expectations. I am afraid that even its initiator, the mysterious traitor who is said to have bewitched more than three regional governors at the same time, could not have thought of such a thing in advance.

Although this person does have good means and knows how to cover up what he is really doing under the guise of seeking political benefits in the early stage, this alone is not enough.

Fulgrim stopped, raised his head, and glanced at the sky above Brolarx 2. It was night, and he could clearly see every meteor flashing across the gorgeous night sky, as well as the concentrated and scattered flashes of explosions.

This means that the naval battle is still going on, and all the loyal naval forces in the entire Larx sector are doing their best to kill the traitors. Compared to the ground, their situation should be slightly better, as counter-insurgency forces from nearby sectors had joined the battle six Terra hours ago.

However, considering the three fleets and an entire forge world in the hands of the rebels, it may take some time for this rebellion to be completely resolved.

Phoenix continued walking, disturbing the river of blood with long strides, while the ground trembled faintly.

A huge and loud sound came from the plain not far away. Cannonballs fell to the ground, nests collapsed, and some of the radiation-mutated creatures that were originally driven to survive in the wild were feasted on, while others were smashed to pieces by completely different gunfire from the two sides.

The war machines held their heads high, colliding with each other in this huge millstone of flesh and blood with determination to fight to the death. Humanity was crumbling, lives turned into numbers, and everything was slowly moving in a direction that Fulgrim was very familiar with.

He was familiar with it, but he never wanted to see even one percent of any world suffer that fate again.

The Chemos man clenched his sword unconsciously, and some ancient and dark impulse returned at the right time, gripping his heart tightly.

It would have been a bone-gnawing poison, setting him at that moment on a path he had once missed - if he had not strangled it with his own hands.

With a sullen face, he stopped and his blunt sword slipped from his shoulder, smashing into the river of blood, staining his half armor red. Blood flowed down, Fulgrim silently raised his hand to grab the helmet at his waist, gathered his silver hair, and then slowly put it on.

The cold analytical perspective of the tactical eyepiece took over the normal field of vision in an instant, and the messages in the communication channel poured through like water.

Looking at the continuous good news, Phoenix finally calmed down a little.

He and his legion came to Brularx II to hunt down the second-largest figure in the rebel force, a so-called marshal who was promoted by the rebel army. This man was just an ordinary major in the past. He had been in office for many years without any achievements, and his personal style was not clean.

Fulgrim couldn't see why the leader of the rebels wanted him to be the general manager of the military, but he didn't care. As long as he killed this person, he could give a serious boost to the morale of the traitors who were still stubbornly resisting. hit.

Thinking about these things, he became calmer and calmer, and the original dark impulse finally calmed down completely. However, all these feelings were completely dispelled when he entered a position.

Thirty-two minutes and forty-eight seconds ago, he left here after receiving supplies, using the tactics used by the Emperor's Children after the Great Heresy to block a small group of enemy troops trying to sneak attack from the side.

At that time, there were still two infantry regiments standing on the position. The tactical task they originally received was to garrison the position, but they were not satisfied with this. On this basis, they advanced the front several kilometers before giving up. , directly opened up a precious opening to the stalemate on the plain.

We only need to hold on for a few more hours, and when the mechanized troops arrive, victory here will be within easy reach.

But now, there are only broken corpses left here, which are even more tragic than the horrific scene he just created.

Fulgrim walked into it with a gloomy face, trying to piece together the evidence based on the corpse. Based on his long-term experience, he soon knew that the attacker must be cruel in nature and violent in his methods, and this thing did not like to eat people and drink blood like most chaotic things.

He turned his attention to the shell casings on the ground. Two heavy bolter machine guns that were twisted into a ball without any scratch marks on them came into view in the dirt.

Phoenix bent down and took them out, looked at them carefully, and frowned more and more - it is not a secret that demons possess the evil power of chaos, but the way they obtain power is also a shackle that binds themselves.

Logically speaking, a thing that is so cruel and kills the entire position with a frontal assault should not have such means.

Just as he was thinking about it, a feeling of terror rose from behind him.

Phoenix narrowed his eyes slightly, taking his time, tilting his head to the right to avoid being stabbed by something sharp, as if he were predicting the unknown. Then he shook his right hand, and while his wrist was spinning, the blunt sword actually moved backwards like a living thing. The strike was as agile as if he was holding a stabbing sword.

A heavy blow came from his hand. Fulgrim bent his knees and turned around, spinning naturally in a circle. He put his left hand on the end of the blunt sword, exerted force again, and slashed hard.

The thing was hit by him, but it was Fulgrim himself who retreated. The face under his helmet has become extremely serious, not for anything else but because the thing in front of him is a completely unfamiliar demon.

It does not have the characteristics of the four gods' lackeys, nor is it covered with the dark and angry flames that are unique to this family. In fact, it looks more like an indescribable black shadow with an asphalt-like surface color.

It seemed inconspicuous, but it was enough to make Fulgrim feel the sting of needles.

Dangerous, extremely dangerous. But why?

Such a powerful demon needs to rely on enough death and a qualified ritual site to appear in the world. This rebellion does not have much power of chaos mixed in, and its intensity is not high - how can such a monster break away from the curtain of reality? The shackles of the people came to the surface of Brularx 2 and carried out massacre?

Could it be that there is a biased god standing behind it?

Fulgrim felt ridiculous for a moment, but his movements were not slow.

While he issued instructions through neural connections to the few two hundred legion soldiers who were conducting scattered operations on the surface to be wary of demons, he raised his sword and moved forward, immediately preparing to fight.

Unexpectedly, the demon seemed to have lost the desire to fight, and scattered in all directions, like a giant network covered with meridians, blood vessels, white bones and densely packed black eyes, and went away with the wind.

Fenghuang was determined to pursue him again, but he also knew in his heart that even if he could catch up, he might not be able to gain the upper hand, let alone pursue him.

He could only watch it go away, then take off his helmet and take a deep breath with anger and control.

However, it seemed that today was destined to be an extraordinary day, or perhaps the Creator, whose existence was still unknown, was deliberately joking with him again. With almost no awareness, a voice sounded from behind him.

"Fulgrim?"

"."

Phoenix turned around silently and saw a pale and familiar face.

——

"We came after it," said Corvus Corax.

He seemed to have not spoken to anyone for a long time, his voice was extremely dry, and he paused several times in just one sentence, as if he was not used to it.

"It? The demon?"

The Lord of Crows nodded, took out something from under the right shoulder of the mottled and weathered armor, and handed it to Fulgrim.

But it wasn't until Phoenix took it in his hand that he saw that it was a curled parchment roll. The hard shell made of blood solidified dyed it a dark black, and it also became a natural color. disguise.

He looked up at his brother, and after getting the latter's permission for the second time, he smashed the hard blood stain with his fingers, and then slowly spread it out.

There is no doubt that the person who wrote this parchment was a mortal, both in terms of its size and the size of the words on it, and what he wrote was actually very simple.

He first introduced himself, his birth and death dates, name, and family background, and then immediately moved to the main point.

This nobleman named Ravel Dent described the true appearance of a demon he called the 'Shadow of Crows' in extremely detailed sentences. Although it was somewhat exaggerated, Fulgrim still made Got the truth.

The Chemos raised his head in disbelief and sadness and looked at his pale and silent brother.

"Is it true, Corax?"

The latter nodded wordlessly.

"This" Phoenix took a deep breath. "I only know that there is no news from you. Why haven't you come to us for such a thing for so many years? Where is my father? Have you ever asked him?"

He had used great self-control to prevent himself from continuing to ask. However, the Lord of Crows still seemed to be overwhelmed by these questions and didn't know how to deal with it. He was silent for a long time, and finally a stiff bitter smile appeared on his face that seemed to be wearing a mask.

"He came to me, but this is my fate." He answered hoarsely. "As for you. As I said, this is my fate. This demon is the result of my sin and incompetence, and it must be crushed by my own hands. Besides, you are not having a good time, are you?"

Phoenix thought for less than half a second before deciding to lie.

He deliberately raised the corners of his mouth, and with the proud but not arrogant smile that he used most often in the past, he added a bit of credibility to what he was about to say.

"I am no longer the same as I used to be, brother."

Faced with his deliberate witticism, Korvus Corax simply cast a calm gaze. It was not until the smile on Fulgrim's face gradually became stiff that he finally dealt the final blow, completely shattering the lie.

"Don't lie to me, Fulgrim. I hunt in the warp, it's true, but the demon is always attracted to similar tragedies and bloodshed, and so are we. It is one side of us. Over the years, it has devoured many innocent people, and I have traveled many worlds. I know that you have reformed Chemos, but it is still extremely difficult for your legion to recruit -"

"--No, that's not the case." Fulgrim retorted in a low voice. "As long as you agree, the Emperor's Children will do everything they can to help you."

"Fulgen."

"."

"Look at me, Fulgrim."

Corvus Corax raised his hand, grabbed his brother's hands that still had human body temperature, and placed them on the blurred Skyhawk on his chest. His dark eyes stared at Fulgrim without blinking, and the face was reflected in them

"Please tell me the truth." The Lord of Crows gently threw out the request. "How many people did you bring to deal with this rebellion this time?"

". Two hundred people." Fulgrim answered painfully and honestly.

"How many people are there in your legion?"

"Four hundred and seventeen."

Corax hadn't spoken for a long time, and Fulgrim didn't even dare to look at him anymore - how to describe the feelings of the Chemos people now? To be honest, he himself probably couldn't explain it clearly.

At this moment, he felt both anger as if his pain had been touched and the pleasure of finally revealing the truth. However, he felt more guilty.

This work is compiled and uploaded by Liujiu Book Bar~~

In the past, when he was unable to fight and looked like a useless person, it was the Lord of Crows who patiently persuaded and helped him. In fact, without his help, Fulgrim would have died in the terrifying palace called the Spirit of Vengeance.

However, now, when Corvus Corax needed help, he was unable to provide any strength, and was even seen through by the other party at a glance.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh, and finally threw away the meaningless so-called brother's self-esteem, and spoke with self-blame and pain.

"I once fell into madness, and it was my father who saved me with his last bit of strength, but he was powerless to do more. My blood was changed to a certain extent, and the genetic modification surgery became very difficult. Most of the reserve forces would even die from various side effects during the vaccination stage, and only one in a hundred people could survive."

"In order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, Thor personally asked me to let him take charge of this matter. He did a great job, at least much better than me, but we are still..."

Phoenix stopped talking, his hands were shaking, and he didn't know how to continue.

Over the years, he has tried hard to prove that the Emperor's Children are still an efficient, fast and powerful strike force, and those children who carried his blood and survived the hellish test did not live up to this trust.

But why should they bear this heavy trust and the honor of their predecessors? You know, he, the father of genes, didn't give them anything.

In the early stage of vaccination, they had to endure countless hallucinations, and even their hearts would stop beating. Even if they could survive by willpower, the blood that had deteriorated due to his incompetence and stupidity would bring countless pain to these children.

After the inoculation, they had to watch the pharmacist cut them open and feel every bit of pain.

His blood made the use of anesthetics a luxury, and made these children silent early on, and they were even always worried that they were not doing well enough.

They had experienced a hundred times more pain than others, but they could not be like other Astartes. The monastery of Chemos was always empty.

How much did they pay to maintain the glory of the so-called Emperor's Children?

Fulgrim closed his eyes and denounced his incompetence. He didn't know that Korvus Corax was considering two things.

First, it was a very important strategic intelligence. But second, he thought it was not the right time, and he had never confirmed the matter with the Emperor, but he really couldn't just watch Fulgrim like this.

Even if it was a false hope --

The old phantom of Konrad Curze appeared before him, smiling.

--it was still a ray of light in the darkness, wasn't it, Corax?

The Lord of the Crows reached out and touched the side of his belt, his jaw muscles tightened, and waves gradually surged on his marble face.

"Listen to me, Fulgrim," he said slowly, the previous dryness gone.

Fulgrim opened his eyes in confusion.

"You are suffering because of my arrival, and I don't like this. You don't have to grieve for what happened to me. My Legion is still there, and my justice is still there - and so are you. The world knows the nobility and dignity of the Emperor's Children. Powerful, isn't it? You have done the best within your capabilities, and so have your descendants. So, don't blame yourself anymore, we are just doing our best."

He paused, and his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he suddenly remembered something.

"That's right," he said. "Do you remember what day it is today?"

Fulgrim was startled for a moment, then quickly reacted - he couldn't help but laugh, laughing at the fact that he had been immersed in this war.

"How did I forget this?" he whispered. "Today is the Emperor's Ascension Day."

"Yes, the Emperor's Ascension Day. I want to tell you two things, Fulgrim."

"What?" Fulgrim asked confused, because of his sudden seriousness.

"First thing, about the rebellion you're dealing with. Like I said, I was called upon - vengeance and justice, men have always longed for both. The Warp is a place beyond reality. A place with reason, and I’ve been in it for so long that I can vaguely know things that you can’t know.”

He looked into Fulgrim's eyes extremely seriously.

"The traitor, the traitor who started this rebellion—" he said slowly. "——He came for the demon I am hunting. He wants to cover up the past with his schemes and worldly ambitions. You know who he is, right?"

Fulgrim was silent, then nodded without saying a word. It's not that he doesn't want to spit out the bastard's name with hatred, it's just that he can't.

That name has long since become a mantra.

"Very good, so next, I want you to hand over the ground to us. He is not on the surface and is watching indifferently. Find him and kill him, Fulgrim."

The Chemos people were not moved by such an alluring suggestion at all. When he spoke again to break the silence, his tone had become cold.

"You?" He asked a question.

Corvus Corax smiled softly at this question. There is no cold indifference anymore on the pale and clean face, only the warmth of the past when he was a human remains.

He raised his cloak, and the shadows twisted and scattered like living things. In this way, hundreds of shadows gradually stood up on the battlefield. Each one is unusually tall, with extremely terrifying scarlet eyepieces and murderous intent.

"We will hunt down all traitors and evil spirits here." The Lord of Crows raised his hand, his claws shining with cold light. "And you just have to do what you have to do, Fulgrim."

Facing this scene, the Chemos smiled helplessly.

"Looks like I have no choice." He said softly. "Just, Corax, what's your second thing?"

Without any concealment, the Lord of Crows immediately revealed everything.

"It's simple - decades ago, I was summoned once on Nocturne, and I met Vulkan. He told me that he had not left his hometown for many years. I asked him why, He told me that he was forging a treasure so important that he could not leave it."

Fulgrim shouldered his sword and issued orders to his descendants through the neural link, while the crows gradually turned into shadows and disappeared.

But the voice of Corus Corax still echoes.

"I was confused because his forge had gone out. But he told me that he had built a new forge and that it was in his heart. So I asked, what is he forging?"

"Says Vulkan, Horus."

——

In 319.M39, the 'tide of rebellion' that triggered a series of chain reactions was ended under the swords of two hundred Emperor's Sons and the original body Fulgrim. The conspiracy was finally revealed. The source of the rebellion was the traitorous Erebus.

It is worth mentioning that during the Heresy, the soldiers aboard Brularx II submitted numerous reports after the war concerning the supernatural entity 'Raptor' and the Primarch of the XIX Legion, Corvus Corax. eyewitness reports.

Regardless of the report or description, they all mentioned one word.

"Never again."