Warhammer 40k: Shattered Steel Soul

"What essence?" Fulgrim asked urgently, his heart beating violently, and the fire on the surface of the Silver Lake became weaker and weaker. The Sun Spears ate away at their power coldly.

"As a product of the warp, your power will be a sacrifice for the stability of the Silent Realm and the rebirth of our Lord at the crossroads."

Constantine's voice was low, and he was not afraid to reveal the truth. Unlike the Emperor, he was not concerned about how the truth would affect the Primarch's emotions.

"As for your mind, fate will determine whether you find a lasting anchor."

The iron thorns brought by Ferrus Manus still work hard to thwart him. This gave him just enough time to explain, otherwise Fulgrim doubted he would have struck without saying a word.

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At the same time, the whispers in the darkness were also telling: "...no longer the commander of the Imperial Guard...but a traitor...an accomplice of Perturabo's rebellion..."

Fulgrim lowered his head and looked into Ferus' mirror-like eyes. He saw his own confusion and Ferus' sad plea. There was a twinge in his heart.

"One of the parties is lying, my brother!" Ferrus said sadly. If his incomplete essence still had arms, he might have stretched out his hand towards Fulgrim's pale face. "Do you think a person like the Emperor Will the strong man die one day? The Lord Advocate is here to kill us, Fulgrim! No matter what the reason is! We should serve the Emperor and not die because of lies."

Constantine paid no attention to Ferus's emotional fluctuations, and his logic operated coldly: "You have been contaminated, and the corrosion is irreversible. Offering your death to our Lord will be your last allegiance." He paused for a moment. , looking at Ferrus: "At least, Ferrus Manus is irredeemable. As for you, Fulgrim..."

Through the eyepiece of the golden armor, Constantine's eyes evaluated the purple phoenix he saw: "This is not something I can decide. Whether you can retain your power depends on my lord's final decision."

Fulgrim's breathing became rapid, and he subconsciously stepped up his protection of Ferus. He breathed soothingly: "Can this save us?"

"What is salvation?" Constantine said indifferently.

"Fulgrim?" Ferrus asked softly, struggling to speak, "You followed a lie that slandered the throne?"

He couldn't understand why his brother, Fulgrim, who once fought alongside him and swore to protect the glory of the Emperor, was so wavering at this critical moment, and might even...may have intentionally stood on the wrong side.

"No," said Fulgrim, "the voice of the Throne is a lie. Constantine Valdor sees the truth, Perturabo sees the truth. If the Warmaster or one of the Custodians doubts the Throne, then all It’s undecided, but they won’t make mistakes at the same time.”

"Fulgrim..." Ferus's voice cut through the silence of the lake like a blade, "You...the throne has been betrayed. And have you betrayed it too? Tell me you haven't, my brother."

He was breathing hard, and every word seemed to use up all the strength he had left.

Fulgrim's lips trembled slightly, but he did not speak to refute. He knew he couldn't argue.

"Ferrus, I..." Fulgrim's voice was low. It was impossible for him to convince Ferrus Manus to give up his loyalty to the throne and his trust in the Emperor... and it was still during his late arrival. Here, Ferus's soul has been so contaminated by this space, as Constantine said, "irredeemable" that he can't see through the throne's deception?

"I don't want to hear your excuses anymore, Fulgrim." Ferus growled in a low voice, with unspeakable pain, "I once believed in you...I thought you would fight alongside me until the end. . But now, you show me a deceived betrayer! Are you sure? Fulgrim, I hope I can believe you!"

Ferrus' words struck like a whip, piercing the depths of Fulgrim's soul. Every word cut through him like a blade, piercing the defense in his heart.

His arms relaxed slightly, as if he couldn't bear the heavy reproach from his brother.

Memories flooded Fulgrim's mind - the days when they had fought side by side, the glorious days of fighting together for the Emperor. But, what about now? All of this was thrown into the darkness of the abyss, and there was no way to recover.

"My brother," he said solemnly, "please listen to me. There must be something wrong with the Emperor. We must stand on the right side. I beg you to think carefully. Constantine Valdo is the Emperor." The messenger!”

Ferus's eyes flashed with silver light, and through the mist of anger, his voice was cold and sharp: "From the moment the throne was betrayed, he was no longer!"

"I won't lie to you, and I can see the truth. Ferus..."

"So, you want to dedicate me to him and let him kill me?" Ferus shouted, his face turned red with despair, and the flames of anger burned in his silver eyes, even though he couldn't move at all now , but those eyes seemed to be enough to tear Fulgrim into pieces.

This moment awakened Fulgrim's evasive thinking. He had been trying to persuade Ferus, but he had ignored a cold fact - the real purpose of Constantine Valdor's trip was to execute them.

Fulgrim turned his gaze back to Constantine, and the struggle in his heart began to intensify. He couldn't... he couldn't let Ferrus die.

Constantine was still approaching step by step, the Solar Spear in his hand flashing a deadly light. The tip of the spear gently knocked the outer shell of the silver cocoon, and he had passed through the thorns and arrived in front of the two. The flames of the Phoenix burned slightly around, hesitating.

"Open it, and the Solar Spear will bring you pure liberation." He said that this shell was not easy to open, and he turned back to deal with the steel thorns that were chasing him.

Ferrus scolded angrily: "Traitor! How dare you tarnish the reputation of the throne! I can still hear the guidance of the throne, Fulgrim! Don't listen to him!" His voice burned with an unextinguishable anger, like the sound of steel.

Fulgrim looked down in surprise, he did not hear the "guidance of the throne" that still existed in Ferrus' mouth.

A trace of despair spread from his heart. Yes, the degree of corruption suffered by the two of them was probably different.

"Constantine..." Fulgrim pondered, took a deep breath, and his eyes wandered between Constantine and Ferrus.

He lowered his head and looked at his brother. Ferrus's face was still stubborn, and his eyes burned with unshakable loyalty. That was the power that Fulgrim once admired, but now it made him extremely painful.

"We have lost ourselves in the darkness..." Fulgrim's voice began to tremble.

He turned to Constantine, his eyes revealing a tired and resolute light: "But Ferrus is my brother... I don't want to see him die."

"So, how are you going to save him?" Constantine responded indifferently and patiently, without any mercy in his voice.

"Do you really believe that the Emperor's fate is so hopeless?" Fulgrim almost shouted, "We are his sons, his creations that he personally gave life to. Are we going to let our power become a sacrifice?"

Constantine was not moved at all, and maintained a cold attitude, "You trust my identity, Fulgrim, but you resist my decision."

He stretched out his hand, and his palm covered with golden gauntlets covered the outside of the iron cage woven by Ferrus Manus. There was an invisible barrier in the gap between the fences, blocking his progress. He could certainly waste time to stab the Solar Spear into it - if he didn't feel the coldness of Samus's arrival.

The messenger of the Dark Throne was approaching. This forced him to change his mind and persuade Fulgrim, who had already wavered, with words to avoid being attacked from both sides.

"You have been corrupted," he emphasized again, "therefore, you have only one end. I have met your three brothers, and I did not ask for the execution of any of them. They are alive and have made greater contributions than death - and you are just the opposite."

A wisp of phoenix fire spread over the cage, and Constantine retracted his five fingers. The phoenix was still not convinced by him.

Fulgrim spoke bitterly. If it was Chaos pollution, there would be a little possibility of turning around.

"We are loyal to the Emperor, Constantine, and you can remove the part of us that has been corrupted, and let us weaken! However, as long as we can leave here, we are always willing to serve our father, and let anyone help us. If my father is in trouble now, then at least Mag..."

"Magnus is dead." Constantine Waldo interrupted him coldly.

Fulgrim's flames trembled for a moment. "Who! Who did it!"

"No one." Constantine said softly, and there was a little respect in his voice. "The Crimson King bought a way out for my lord. Apart from Magnus, Artisan Morse and Regent Malcador stepped into the Astronomican. No one can save you, and your existence has become the source of the pollution of the Legion."

Fulgrim was stunned. Constantine's words were like a cold sword, piercing the deepest part of his heart.

"The Primarch and the Astartes are inseparable. In the outside world, your Legion is corrupting, Primarch. Only death can preserve the last purity of you and the Legion." Constantine paused, and the judgment fell as cold as iron.

Fulgrim was in a trance. This was the first time he was so shaken since he entered this chaotic space.

How many times had he imagined that he could take Ferrus away from all this, escape from darkness and corruption, and regain their former glory and faith?

Is all this just a dream? He asked himself.

He had persisted all the way here, hoping that someone would come to rescue him and Ferrus, and looking forward to the arrival of his real father... But were these just a thin bubble?

And have the two of them begun to bring disaster to their legions? Those descendants who were looking forward to him and trusting him?

"Don't listen to him, Fulgrim!" Ferrus's advice came from his arms, still with cold and hard tenacity. Perhaps Ferrus still believed that Fulgrim could be persuaded by him.

"Fulgrim, don't be sad for his betrayal, expel him with me, respond to our father, respond to the call of the throne, you can hear it, right? Even if he has a thousand sweet words, even if he was once the Emperor's left hand, his betrayal was obvious when he lied about the Emperor's death. Do you want to be deceived by him? Don't show such sadness for lies, my brother!"

After talking about it, Ferus became emotionally excited. His belief in the throne almost turned into a kind of stubbornness... Or maybe, at a certain moment, he once again made the most loyal choice, and Ferrus Manus was never a person who would waver.

Fulgrim fell silent. His fingers touched Ferus's frown.

"No, Ferus. Constantine Valdor told the truth," his voice was ethereal and distant, sometimes he thought of their Legion, sometimes he thought of the Emperor, sometimes he thought of Ferus. Familiar scenes flashed through his mind, each memory weighing each other on some invisible scale.

"The Emperor is no longer...our father. And you, your will is indeed seriously damaged...otherwise, you shouldn't be unable to sense it, and you shouldn't misunderstand the person we are truly connected by blood."

"Fulgrim..."

"Ferrus, stop talking." Fulgrim lowered his head gently, his silver hair swaying across Ferus' injured face.

"No, Fulgrim..."

Fulgrim had never seen such anxiety and pleading appear on the stoic face of the Iron Hands Primarch. The steely and determined expression broke, revealing an emotion he had never shown before. It took Fulgrim a moment to realize what it was. He recognized the color of fear and despair... Instead of worrying about his own fate, Ferrus Manus was not afraid of life and death. He was afraid of Fulgrim. Mu is about to make a mistake and step into the abyss, his wings covered in dust.

He feared that Fulgrim would lose his glory.

And he might not know that it was he who was wrong - he might not believe that Fulgrim, who had tried his best to save him, hesitated at the last moment whether to give up their common glorious future.

Fulgrim thought, he couldn't believe it himself. He twitched the corners of his mouth.

"Fulgrim, don't be deceived again! Don't stray into the path of betrayal! This should not belong to you!"

Fulgrim's hands were shaking slightly...but he had to make a choice, now, as a brother, as a son of the Emperor.

Constantine Valdor saw only one path - to end the Primarch's corruption and collect the remains to pave the way for the Emperor's resurrection.

Constantine watched with cold eyes, and dark eagle claw marks began to be drawn on his body in reality. The approach of Samus made him feel the urgency of time. Rogal Dorn faced two demons alone and could not hold on for long... His body was being hurt, which affected his spirit here.

Between tearing down the iron cage Ferus had built with all his strength or resisting the invasion of darkness, he quickly chose the latter.

"Choose quickly, Fulgrim," he said coldly, "or we die together in the dark."

Fulgrim spoke softly: "Ferrus, I don't want to lose you."

Ferus didn't respond, his silence said it all. His silver eyes burned with anger and pain.

"You still have to betray," he said disappointedly. "And I am powerless to kill you for the throne, Fulgrim."

"Betrayal? No, Ferus... I will give you the final decision-making power. Tell me, what should I do?" Fulgrim asked.

"Never fall," Ferus said, as if Fulgrim's question aroused some expectations, his eyes lit up, "See our path clearly, Fulgrim."

"At any cost?" Fulgrim asked.

"Any price. Those who dare to block and resist us will only become ruins under the chariot." Ferus said in a deep voice, so sincere and full of expectations.

Fulgrim blinked, and the flames of the phoenix continued to converge and submerged into his own body, like a dying blood-red star in the center of the galaxy, on the verge of disappearing in the depths of the universe.

"Then this will be my choice, Ferrus," Fulgrim smiled. "We will ensure that you and I are loyal to the Emperor."

"Constantine...I'm here to end this." Fulgrim's voice suddenly became low and calm, and he moved his gaze away from Ferus's face and turned to Constantine's back.

The Spear of the Sun in Constantine's hand shone with bright snow-white light, constantly dispelling the approaching darkness around him. From his back, Fulgrim discerned some martial arts from the Emperor. His father was familiar with various combat skills accumulated by humans for tens of thousands of years... But what is more similar?

In his aura, there was a similar aura that was infiltrated by the Emperor...

Constantine didn't respond, but he must have heard. He didn't care about Fulgrim and Ferrus's hesitation, all he needed was the result.

"My brother..." Fulgrim murmured in a low voice, the words almost blurting out. He wanted to ask Ferrus for forgiveness, but swallowed those words at the last moment.

"Take away our essence," Fulgrim said to Constantine, "if that is the price of loyalty."

This was the last thing he could do for Ferrus Manus, for this was Ferrus's choice.

Loyalty at any cost.

His brothers were so loyal to a throne he could no longer see - and he had heard what the Emperor wanted from them.

Fulgrim lowered his head and touched his brother's forehead with the silver hand given to him by Ferrus Manus.

The five fingers of his silver hand merged and turned into a silver sword, with a cluster of flames covering the blade.

Untimely, he recalled a scene in the play he had acted with Ferrus at Olympia many years ago. Everything at that time was so far away, yet so clear before his eyes. Thinking about it now, thinking about it now...

"Just listen, you will think that I have become so evil and want to take your life! Oh, you are speechless..."

He sang softly, locking his eyes deeply with Ferus, looking directly into Ferus' murderous eyes. Before he took action, his own heart might have been pierced by Ferus' eyes. he thought quietly.

His silver hand brushed against the bridge of Ferus' nose.

The last time he took his head, it was with the hope of saving him and freeing him from the shackles of the steel body, so he did not hesitate.

Now, his sword edge approached several times and then quietly moved away.

He sang in a low voice, showing a soft smile in an absurd way: "Where is the old appearance? Where is the old beauty gone? Your gift has become my skill to take your life! Is this what I want? When you die, you still have What to say?”

Ferus looked at him steadily, and he also remembered the drama. Fulgrim's face burned in his pupils.

"My heart and soul will always carry deep hatred." He said coldly.

The sword light flashed suddenly, and the world seemed to become silent. Gorgon's head fell from his disembodied body, fell to the silver mirror-like lake, and solidified into steel in the blink of an eye. Fulgrim fell to the ground almost subconsciously, holding his brother's head tightly in his arms.

The silver cocoon that protected them disintegrated in an instant as Ferus's consciousness ended, scattering into large swaths of silver shavings. Constantine seized the first moment and inserted the Sun Spear into the lake. Silver shavings gathered into a butterfly-like storm and poured into the spear.

Ferus's body also quickly turned into nothingness. Part of it rose up as clear silver light, and part of the dark residue fell to the ground from where he was originally, dissolving into the deep darkness.

Those darkness were probably irreversible, because after Ferus' protection of him ended, Fulgrim once again heard the shrill laughter from the depths. It finally gained something. In this long delay, It finally paid off.

Soon, the silver light dried up completely, leaving only the flames of the Phoenix, draped over the Phoenix's low-lying body like gauze feathers, gently and gradually melting away.

Constantine's eyes turned to Fulgrim. "Time is running out." He said, and before he knew it, Constantine Valdo's golden armor was covered with many deep black scars. The demons of reality still exist, and Rogal Dorn still fights them.

"I understand," Fulgrim said hoarsely, the flames wrapping around him as if he were tugging at a veil to resist the non-existent cold, "I am also a tainted soul."

Constantine said nothing, just raised the Sun Spear.

Fulgrim closed his eyes.

——

He could still hear the tender childish voice.

+Enough. + said the voice.

So, he woke up from the nightmare...

Fulgrim slowly woke up from the depths of consciousness, feeling as if he was struggling out of the abyss.

The surrounding flames and silver lake have dissipated, leaving only the cold reality. His body fell limply to the ground, feeling there was still a weight in his arms. He lowered his head and finally saw clearly what he was holding.

In his arms was Ferus' silver head sealed in steel. His eyes were still open, filled with endless pain and sorrow, still immersed in his brother's betrayal.

Fulgrim's hands gently stroked Ferus' head, his fingertips sliding across his hard and cold metal surface.

He no longer thought about his body's weakness, nor did he pursue the answers to the tangles in his heart... He just felt a strange sense of calm, as if the torrent of fate had completely swallowed him up.

The Emperor's voice confirmed that he had made the right decision, and no matter what the reason was, he opened his eyes to reality again.

He helped his dearest brother avoid being bewitched and dedicated everything to his loyal Lord of Mankind.

Although, Ferrus Manus would not know.

There was a strange smell in the surrounding air, accompanied by mysterious whispers coming from a distance. Fulgrim turned his head and saw Rogal Dorn still fighting fiercely with the demon.

The demon's figure loomed in the darkness, with six arms waving sharp blades. It seemed to be given more vitality, and its shape was becoming more concrete... When Fulgrim looked at it, he was convinced that the demon was also Turning to look at him.

A sudden realization dawned on him: there was a connection between them...

He looked at it, and from its blurry face, he gradually recognized some features... Maybe he should be surprised, but there was nothing in his heart. He neither wanted to speak nor react. He discerned the information sent to him, making silent and rational guesses.

All kinds of speculations ran through his mind. Who does its fighting posture resemble? Whose face is it modeled after? The weapons it holds, the blade and the warhammer, were modeled after who...every swing and every movement it makes...

What has the power to create a new demon, and this demon is enough to fight Dorne for so long... Fulgrim still remembers how exciting his battle in the Garden of Corruption was...

That's his reflection.

No, not just his reflection. It was also a reflection of Ferus.

It was the shadow of the two of them, a thing pieced together with the stolen power...

That was the first thing Fulgrim had seen in the Warp, a variation of the steel machine. Its face and arms were Fulgrim's, its body and weapons were Ferrus's. Their blood, lost in the darkness, gave birth to such a creation.

A being that should not have been born.

An incomplete fallen demon.

But powerful enough, even more powerful. Because it was not complete, it still instinctively longed to be complete, hoping to possess the essence and mind of Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus to fill its missing strength and mind.

The dark form gradually twisted, as if preparing to approach Fulgrim.

Constantine stood up on the ground, bleeding all over. He pulled the Solar Spear from the ashes, and the weapon that symbolized truth flickered with a faint light.

Constantine glanced at Dorn in the fight, and with a flick of his wrist, the Solar Spear drew a silver light in the air and flew towards Dorn.

Dorn reached out his hand without hesitation to catch the flying spear. Without a moment's hesitation, the spear fell from his hand like a thunderbolt, pointing directly at the demon's chest.

The dark form began to disintegrate under the burning of the silver light, like a torn shadow. Before it was completely broken, it suddenly disappeared, and with it went the influence of the warp here.

After the tide of darkness sank into the veil, it lost its last anchor point, and Chaos gave up maintaining its infiltration of reality. It faded away in an instant, taking away something it coveted.

Dorn looked down at the spear in his hand, with a strange light in his eyes.

He frowned and recited the truth that the Solar Spear brought him: "This demon... it is not just a servant of Chaos... it comes from the power of Ferrus and Fulgrim, it is their creation... a prince belonging to one of the Four Ancients."

He raised his head and looked at Fulgrim, his face grim: "It will hunt, Fulgrim, it will never let you go."

Fulgrim did not react much. He even had time to wonder if he was too indifferent. This feeling of emptiness made him feel strange, and he still held Ferrus's head, his eyes fixed on the broken face.

But Ferrus Manus was free. He thought, answering Rogal Dorn's words in his heart.

Suddenly, a hearty laugh came from the depths of his throat.