Warhammer 40k: Shattered Steel Soul

Dorn suddenly exerted force - no, the door suddenly became fragile, like an iron curtain, twisting to both sides under Dorne's palm... revealing the road leading to the bottom of the secret room.

His expression was still solemn, because he heard it.

A low and strange breath poured into their consciousness, and the air around them seemed to become heavier, as if an invisible hand was distorting reality, and shadows began to spread around them, as if the entire space was being swallowed, decomposed, and destroyed by an invisible force...

The secret room belonging to the Iron Hand was falling towards another unreal state, and a cold wind with a coke-like smell rolled in, invading their sense of smell.

"It's getting closer." Valdor whispered, with a flash of vigilance in his ruthless eyes. "Is that Fulgrim?"

He had seen the body of the Primarch of the Emperor's Children from the darkness: in the depths of the secret room, the purple phoenix fell to the ground in embarrassment, his eyes closed, his face pale and dim, immersed in the pain of endurance. In addition, his arm was tightly draped over something that shone with metallic luster. In this special dimness, Valdor could not see what it was.

At this moment, whispers in the darkness began to echo in their ears, and the hoarse voices seemed to come from all directions.

"Samus is close to you... Samus heard your end... Darkness and death are beside you..."

The voices overlapped like thousands of whispers, echoing in the valley of the mountains, and Rogal Dorn's heart was gripped by a fear that should not exist. He immediately knew that this emotion did not belong to him, gritted his teeth and clenched the Storm Fang, and his facial muscles twitched slightly.

The obsidian ground began to shake slightly, and the smell became stronger and filled the air. It was the smell of rotting organs and blood. The invisible darkness surged like a tide, gathering into a dark cloud that covered the sky.

"The end has come... Samus saw the end of the world..."

Suddenly, Rogal Dorn took a step back and saw a huge black figure rising from the shadows under his feet like a black tide, and in an instant it was the same height as him. Accompanied by the collision of metal and strange whispers, six arms, mechanical snake tails, and half-human and half-beast figures loomed in the darkness.

Dorn tried to swing the knife at his own shadow. He was not sure if it would work, but it was undoubtedly too late. The shadow demon separated along the traces cut by the blade and stood alone in the darkness.

It was a twisted, surreal existence, as if the body was made of pure shadow, and the surface skin was changing like floating black oil, covering a skeleton made of iron nets, thorns, blades and metal armor.

Its limbs have a mechanical texture, and the joints are wrapped in a spherical shell, but it also has the hideous features of a demon. There are sharp spikes on the forehead, shoulders, sides of the forearms, and knees; each arm holds a different weapon, and each finger is a short and sharp blade; the long tail like a snake swings behind it, making a harsh but eerily pleasant scraping sound.

An umbilical cord extends outward from the demon's abdomen, quickly turning into an invisible transparent state and disappearing.

"Prepare for battle." Dorn growled, and the Stormfang blade in his hand reflected a faint light. His eyes looked directly at the demon without fear, even though he couldn't think of how to fight a shadow.

Without his reminder, he noticed that Constantine was also ready for battle.

But the moment the battle began, Rogal Dorn realized that this was not an opponent that the commander of the imperial guards could contend with.

The demon in the dark suddenly pounced on Dorn, and six arms attacked him as fast as a sniper. Dorn's eyes shone, and he raised his sword to meet the attack. The Storm Fang collided with the demon's claws, and a deafening roar erupted. Sparks flew, and the air seemed to be twisted in the confrontation between them.

The demon's speed was extraordinary, and each attack was extremely destructive. Its arms were as swift as black lightning, and its long sword, sickle, hammer and scimitar kept hitting Dorn, trying to crush him. Dorn kept swinging his sword, blocking rounds of attacks. His movements were as steady as a rock, like an unshakable fortress.

Constantine Valdor tried to cooperate with him, but with the strength Valdor was created, it was extremely difficult for him to catch up with the speed of the two of them. The pale spear sometimes stabbed towards the shadow, but often stood still. This was a manifestation of his quick thinking.

Each arm of the shadow had a different way of attacking, and combined to form an almost impenetrable offensive network. Dorn had to parry and counterattack constantly. The Stormfang in his hand turned into silver snow, which fell dully and fiercely in this dark chamber.

"Constantine," Dorn said, "Go to Fulgrim."

At the same time, he pressed closer and closer to the shadow, entangled with the huge demon. He was not sure if this was the "Samus" that kept whispering, but it didn't matter at all.

Constantine observed for a moment, then withdrew from the battle and stepped cautiously to Fulgrim's side. The messy white hair of the phoenix was just in front of his boots, but at such a close distance, he still couldn't see what Fulgrim was holding.

He stretched out the Solar Spear, and the tip of the spear slowly picked up the darkness and approached what Fulgrim was holding.

Behind him, the battle intensified, and every attack of the demon tried to break Dorn's defense and force him into trouble.

Its tail swung out suddenly, trying to wrap around Dorn's waist and pull him into the depths of darkness. Dorn growled and raised his sword to chop at the demon's tail, making a series of metal-intertwined reverberations. He silently memorized this feature: soft limbs and hard tail. Even though the creature was completely black, it did not prevent him from judging it.

Dorn dodged the claws and immediately raised his sword to slam the demon's shoulder with lightning speed. The blade cut into the demon's flesh and blood, bringing out a stream of black liquid. Then, he added another sword, and the huge sword tore open the shadow demon's arm and cut off the part that should have been the bone.

For a moment, the demon paused for a moment, and then there was the trivial sound of gears running, and the broken hard objects were quickly welded together. The demon attacked again, and the sharp blade pierced Rogal Dorn's wrist, then cut up his forearm, uncovering a piece of arm armor and a handful of blood.

Dorn returned to a defensive posture cautiously. The demon was about to swim towards Valdor. Dorn decisively ignored his injuries and pursued it, leaving time and space for Valdor.

As the one holding the Solar Spear, Constantine Valdor was ordered by the Emperor. He must know better how to deal with and solve unrealistic troubles.

"Darkness will devour everything..." Samus's voice echoed in their consciousness like thunder.

Valdor stood at the edge of the battlefield, his eyes turned to the Solar Spear in his hand. At present, there was only one thing in this area that was worthy of suspicion, and that was the dark thing in Fulgrim's arms.

He felt the heavy darkness passing over the tip of the spear, and his wrist turned quickly. An invisible tendril-like object broke under the spear, and the wind of corruption and fragrance rose from the ground and swept across his visor.

Correspondingly, from the sound of Dorn's sword swinging in the battle behind him, he heard that the demon was slightly injured. Dorn took advantage of the victory to pursue and kill, and part of the demon was pierced, and the wet and dripping sound exploded dully. At the same time, Dorn's breathing suddenly became heavy. The Primarch had suffered a counterattack.

Constantine looked straight ahead, without turning back, to make more judgments.

- Yes, this is still the real universe, the invasion of demons is not stable, and the source is right under his spear.

Although Fulgrim's posture seems to be a kind of protection...

Constantine did not hesitate, and immediately stabbed the sharp blade of the Solar Spear into the thing in Fulgrim's arms.

For a moment, there was a crisp sound of metal tearing, and then the picture brought to him by the Solar Spear rushed into his mind.

The Solar God reveals the truth to the holder, and he is indeed ready to accept some images, just as he has done repeatedly recently.

But this time is different.

What flashed before him was a vision of a silver lake burning with golden red flames, surrounded by endless darkness, which could erode inward at any time. In the center of the lake was an egg-shaped object like a steel cocoon, with silver wires woven into a loosely spaced circular cage, and flames overflowed from each thread. It was vaguely visible that there seemed to be two phantoms in the cage.

"Samus is waiting in the darkness..." Samus's whisper continued.

Amidst a series of cracking sounds, the sharp blade of the Solar Spear instantly pierced through the existence in the real world that was still shrouded in darkness - even though Constantine had guessed the origin of this thing, his piercing was still without a trace of hesitation, with only the precision and determination of an executor.

The power in the spear was constantly gathering, as if invisible light extended from the tip of the spear, penetrating reality and connecting to an area that he could not describe in words. The light seemed to extend to his feet, waiting for him to move forward.

What can make the Solar Spear a channel for energy connection?

Constantine concentrated all his energy. This was the first time he used this spear to really pierce a Primarch. He was not sure what would happen next.

The sound of the battle behind him became more intense. As the battle continued, the walls of the secret room began to twist, as if eroded by the breath of the devil, the stones silently cracked, and the air was filled with a sickening sweet smell, intertwined with the smell of destruction of burnt oil.

"Dorn, hold it." Constantine reminded loudly.

Dorn did not speak, still concentrating on the battle. The blades intertwined and produced sparks and arcs, stirring up waves of turbulence in the air.

The snow-white light surged along the Solar Spear, as if gushing out from a punctured wound. Constantine heard his golden armor creaking and the temperature continued to rise. He half-knelt on the ground, lowered his head, and held the spear handle tightly with both hands.

At that moment, Constantine's consciousness was torn into another world. His body was still kneeling in the darkness where he was, but his spirit had entered the silver lake he saw through the guidance of the Solar Spear.

——

Constantine's combat boots stepped on the lake, and the golden-red flames danced around his golden boots. The darkness around him was slowly pressing down, like a huge net covering the sky and the earth, which instantly brought great pressure to Constantine.

He ignored the crisp sound of his bones, lowered his head, and his eyes penetrated the lake.

Deep within the clear silver waters, he saw two Primarchs - Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus.

They lay in a cocoon of steel, with gaps large enough for Constantine to see them clearly.

Fulgrim's body was now half-real and half-illusory, like a beautiful ghost. The silver flames reflected on his pale face, which was once proud, but now his eyes were closed and exhausted.

Ferus' body was also uncertain. He lay in Fulgrim's arms, his limbs almost gone, silver light flickered on his remaining torso, his breathing weak, but he was still awake, his eyes locked on his brother.

Constantine silently thrust the Solar Spear into the lake, the tide of the Silver Lake seemed to be attracted to the tip of the spear, after an invisible filtration, leading to the Supreme Crossroads.

The water level began to drop, and the space occupied by the lake was like a reverse ripple, shrinking in circles until Fulgrim and Ferrus emerged from the water.

Fulgrim opened his eyes, and his broken arms tightly hugged Ferrus' body. He saw Constantine and recognized the former commander of the guards. The corners of his mouth raised slightly, trying to regain a little of his former posture.

Did Rogal Dorn bring him here?

"Commander of the Guards..." Fulgrim said hoarsely, and the fire retreated slightly under his control to let Constantine approach.

He forced a smile: "It seems that we have caused trouble for our father. Then, this power does not belong to the throne. Ferrus, what do you think?"

"Constantine?" Ferrus murmured in a low voice, his eyes full of doubt.

Constantine did not respond, his eyes swept coldly over Fulgrim and Ferrus, and the Solar Spear in his hand flashed with silver light, like a cold star from the sky. Without answering or pausing, he walked towards the two primarchs step by step.

The smile on Fulgrim's face disappeared, and the joy in his heart was gradually replaced by uneasiness.

He looked at Constantine's figure getting closer and closer, his eyes subconsciously fell on the sharp tip of the spear, and a chill surged in his heart. As Constantine approached, he felt the threat brought by the spear approaching, just as the spear was more dangerous and irresistible to them than anything in the world.

Fulgrim's heart beat very fast. This was a strange feeling of near death, which sounded the alarm in his mind.

He hugged Ferrus tighter with his arms. Ferrus also felt something strange. Even though he doubted Fulgrim's judgment, he still tightened the iron cocoon to protect Fulgrim.

"Constantine? Are you here to lead us away?" Fulgrim asked hesitantly.

Constantine did not stop, as if he could not hear Fulgrim's question at all.

He assessed the situation around him in his own way, then raised the Solar Spear and pointed it at the silver cocoon where they were.

The Phoenix's flames suddenly burned violently, as if threatened, and silver thorns grew wildly from the flames, trying to stop Constantine from approaching.

"What are you going to do?" Ferrus asked Constantine coldly, with majesty in his voice.

Constantine maintained his spear-holding posture expressionlessly: "By order of the Emperor, I have the right to execute the Primarch. You have been tainted with corruption, enough to become the nourishment of my Lord."

"Father's order?" Fulgrim asked in surprise, unable to believe what he heard.

The remaining waves of the Silver Lake began to stir, and from the surrounding darkness came a seemingly anxious emotion. The presence of the Terra throne became stronger and stronger, and the dark eagle claws suddenly appeared from the darkness and flashed past, knocking the unprepared Constantine aside. The former commander of the imperial guards looked down at the burn marks on his chest, supported his spear and stood up again.

Fulgrim heard some voices faintly, which seemed to be whispers from the throne...

"My son, I have been betrayed..." He heard the Emperor's voice sounding low from the darkness.

Is this the Emperor's voice? Who betrayed him? A trace of doubt flashed through his mind-Constantine?

The next moment, he quickly suppressed this doubt and told himself firmly: No, this is not the Emperor.

Ferrus also apparently heard the whispers. With anger in his eyes, he looked directly at Fulgrim: "Someone betrayed the Emperor."

"That's not the Emperor! Believe me, the throne is deceiving us, Ferrus," Fulgrim said excitedly, "The real father..."

His voice stopped abruptly, and the contradiction in his heart made him speechless for a moment. The real father...sent Constantine to execute them? How is this possible? Constantine is the Emperor's tool, how could he kill his son for the Emperor's death?

How is this possible?

The surrounding darkness seemed to have life and began to devour the glimmer of the Silver Lake. The whispers echoed in his ears like a tide, which seemed to be the voice of the throne, and seemed to be some deeper malice.

"Betrayal... The Emperor has been betrayed..." Every word he heard seemed to strangle his throat, making Fulgrim's breathing more and more difficult.

"Fulgrim, what are you talking about?" Ferrus looked at Fulgrim, his eyes filled with doubt and pain, his face pale, as if he had never seen his brother before him, "Who is deceiving us? Are you still awake?"

Fulgrim's throat tightened, he wanted to answer, but found that he could not find the words. Those beliefs and oaths that he once firmly believed in, now collapsed rapidly in his heart like sand. His heart was full of confusion and contradictions, and Ferrus's doubts made him feel torn.

Constantine stood up quickly, and the dark eagle claws penetrated the sky eagle breastplate, leaving a pair of charcoal-like scars on his chest. The hormones that should bring fear in his body were rapidly increasing, but there was no emotion in his rational mind.

He didn't care about these details, while observing whether there were any new attacks, he approached Fulgrim and Ferrus again.

Fulgrim's heart was in turmoil, but he still realized that they needed the truth, yes... at least, they needed to know the truth that they missed during the period when the Star Torch was dim - maybe this can Counteract Ferrus' confusion, or change Constantine's mind.

"Constantine!" Fulgrim shouted, reluctantly moving his eyes away from Ferus's face, "Tell me...why? Why were you ordered to execute us? What is the meaning of this order? What did we do? ?”

Constantine stopped, looking directly at the two Primarchs through the flames and thorns with indifferent eyes. The firelight danced on his armor, but could not penetrate his emotionless eyes.

He used the Sun Spear to push aside the steel thorns, and the silver light flickered along the tip of the spear, gradually absorbing the barrier built by Fulgrim's flames with spiritual power.

The obstacles constructed by the two Primarchs through mental power were vulnerable to his spear. Or is that what the spear was made for?

"The Emperor is dead." Constantine's voice was low, but with a chilling coldness, as if announcing an established fact.

"What?" Fulgrim felt as if his heart was suddenly squeezed, and he felt dizzy in his mind. The surrounding silver lake and flames were blurred in his sight.

Father... is dead?

His fingers were trembling as he gripped Ferus' shoulders tightly, not daring to let go.

Every moment in the past echoed in his mind - the emperor's orders, the brothers' oaths, the time they fought together... Now all of this is really just like what Constantine said, only the shadow of lies remains. Already?

"This is impossible..." He whispered, almost forgetting the purpose of Constantine's coming here, and the arm hugging Ferus also trembled slightly.

Constantine said bluntly: "The one on the throne is no longer the emperor you believe in, but the King of Darkness. My Lord's throne still exists, but the throne has long been eroded."

Ferus' eyes turned to Constantine, and the anger on his face gradually turned into cold murderous intent. "What are you talking about, Constantine?" His voice was low and dangerous, as if he was about to explode at the next moment. "You said our father has..." He couldn't bring himself to say those fatal words, but the anger in his heart had been ignited.

Constantine continued to speak, letting the truth fall like ice rain.

"The Dark God has ascended the throne, and the Empire will spread his worship. You can continue to be loyal to a false shadow, but you will not have the opportunity to enter an era of lies."

The Sun Spear shone with blazing light.

"Until then, you will offer your essence to the Emperor's resurrection."