Chapter 73: Split
Guilliman and Lion El'Jonson were both stunned. If the Emperor knew they had done such a thing, they didn't know if they could handle it.
"However, the Second Empire cannot be disbanded yet."
Hearing Francis say this, all three of them looked displeased. They considered establishing the Second Empire because they believed something had happened to the Emperor, but this man knew the Emperor was fine and still wanted to create the Second Empire.
Was he even right in his head?
Seeing their wary eyes, he knew these people were misunderstanding, so he quickly explained. "Previously, there was an Alpha Legion mole in my legion. If you were to cancel the Second Empire now, they would definitely discover that we are going to support Terra. So, until we figure out if there are any moles here, we cannot disband. And we must make a grand show of it! To mislead the enemy!"
Guilliman and the other two were taken aback, as they did not expect Francis to think so far ahead.
Guilliman gave him a thumbs-up. "Long time no see, you also have the potential to become a great general!"
Hearing this, Lion El'Jonson couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
"That's right, Francis is correct. So, openly, we'll continue the Second Empire, and secretly, we'll prepare to return to Terra." Sanguinius nodded in satisfaction and even patted Francis's head.
Seeing that they all agreed, Francis stroked his chin. "Although it's a fake Second Empire, I still think it would be better for Sanguinius to be the Regent, don't you think? How about the Lion? I feel you are more suitable to be Warmaster than Horus!"
Hearing this, the expressions of the three were a bit peculiar.
Guilliman's face showed appreciation, Sanguinius frowned, and Lion El'Jonson, on the contrary, looked much more relaxed.
"I think what you said makes a lot of sense." Guilliman chuckled.
At this point, the positions in the Second Empire were basically irrelevant, but thinking of Lion El'Jonson as the Regent, he always felt something was missing.
"Finally, there's me! I'll be the Grand Commander." Francis waved his hand.
"No problem! So, let's do it like this. Sanguinius will be the Regent, the Lion will be the Warmaster, and I'll still be the Border Governor, how about that?"
As the words fell, Sanguinius frowned slightly but could still accept it, while Lion El'Jonson's expression became even more pleased.
Public Square, Ultramar
To make the event grander, they deliberately went to the square.
The four sat in a fan shape: on the far left was Francis in black multi-eyed armor, followed by Guilliman in blue power armor, Sanguinius in golden power armor, and Lion El'Jonson in dark green Terminator armor.
Ultramarines, Dark Angels, and Soul Drinkers constantly marched across the ground, being reviewed. Of course, there were mostly Ultramarines, making the scene overwhelmingly blue.
Soon, the existence of the Second Empire spread throughout Ultramar, and other Astartes scattered nearby, both loyalist and traitor, all rushed over.
One Week Later
Life without warp-spawned complications always passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
Sanguinius was dealing with state affairs with a look of utter despair. If not for Guilliman's assistance, he would probably have given up by now.
As the Warmaster of the Second Empire, Lion El'Jonson diligently patrolled every day, encountering multiple attacks from the Night Lords and Alpha Legion, which had become increasingly frequent recently.
Occasionally, Sanguinius, exhausted, fell asleep.
Then he saw himself lying on the Vengeful Spirit, seemingly severely injured. Horus, before him, was like a great mountain, emanating a deeply uncomfortable presence.
He kept shouting, "Turn back, Horus! If you turn back, Father will forgive you!"
However, he did not hear Horus's voice. An indescribable sound came from within Horus.
"Angel, if you surrender now, you will replace Horus and become the new King!"
That sound made Sanguinius feel very uncomfortable, and he angrily replied, "Who are you? Where is Horus? Don't even think about it. I will always be loyal to the Imperium, even if it means death!"
"Hehe..."
Just as Horus was about to step on him, Guilliman's voice came from his ear.
"Sanguinius, don't sleep! These state affairs must be dealt with today. There's more tomorrow. If you sleep again, I'll ask Francis for some strange medicine! Wake up quickly, Francis is here again!"
With a jolt, Sanguinius opened his eyes and saw Francis running over, carrying a pile of bottles and vials.
Looking at Francis's innocent appearance, he found it hard to imagine that the things he made could be so malicious!
Sanguinius thought for a moment and then told them what he had just seen. "I just had a premonition that Horus would kill me. He seems to be possessed by something."
Hearing this, Guilliman frowned. "How could this be! We will act together, and everything will be fine."
Francis, however, stroked his chin, thought it over, and placed several bottles of chemicals in front of Sanguinius.
Sanguinius looked at the colorful bottles on the table, feeling a little unnerved. "What are these medicines? Why are you giving them to me?"
"Ah, didn't you just say that Horus killed you?" Francis asked.
Seeing Sanguinius nod, Francis continued. "The pink potion on the far left is a pheromone bomb I made. As long as you throw it on the ground, once the enemy inhales it, he will become enamored and lose his combat effectiveness. If you can't beat Horus, just use this! If you can't beat him, make him fall in love with you. Disintegrate his will to fight."
Hearing this, Sanguinius looked at his brother with disbelief. He couldn't understand Francis's purpose in making this potion!
Guilliman said nothing.
"And the red one next to it, as long as the enemy inhales this potion, he will become incredibly itchy, but then he can only take off his armor to relieve the itching. And this, this is..."
Just as Francis was about to introduce it, Sanguinius stopped him. "Stop! Francis, who are you making these medicines for? They don't look like anything proper!"
Guilliman again said nothing.
"Uh, these were just made on the side. Didn't you want gene-enhancers? These are by-products made from scraps." Francis waved his hand.
Sanguinius said nothing.
Just as the two of them were getting headaches over Francis's strange concoctions...
Molech - The Same Time
On Molech, the planet's surface was covered with vast plains, ferocious volcanoes, and desolate forests corrupted by the Warp. The main battlefield was an open wilderness, with a burning sky and ominous Warp rifts visible in the distance.
Horus had gathered the Sons of Horus, Word Bearers, Death Guard, and parts of the World Eaters legions. Their biggest obstacles were the Salamanders, Raven Guard, White Scars, and a Blackshield legion composed of loyalists from the traitor legions.
Looking at his familiar brothers, Horus couldn't help but shout, "The False Emperor will only destroy humanity! He is just a selfish and self-serving immortal! Join us! We will bring hope to humanity! I will build a world ruled by Astartes. Vulkan! I know you are the kindest; you must understand me. Join us! Corax! I..."
Before he could continue, a roar came from the opposite side. "Shut up, Horus! I've disliked you for a long time! Come and fight!"
And a low growl from a warrior of the plains, "Horus, you have not remained loyal. You will burn everything we have built."
Hearing this, Horus suddenly felt a pang of heartache. He and Jaghatai Khan, the Primarch of the White Scars, had always had a good relationship, even a sense of mutual understanding.
He had thought he could definitely pull the other party to his side, but it turned out he had overthought it.
Horus thought a lot, and finally, with a fierce look in his eyes, he said, "Since that is the case, for the future of humanity, you must make sacrifices! Charge! Kill the False Emperor, for humanity!"
The great battle was about to erupt!
Chaos Daemon Engines summoned by the Word Bearers roared on the battlefield, the giant mechanical monsters spewing corrosive gas, destroying large areas of terrain.
The toxic mist of the Death Guard enveloped the entire battlefield, consuming the loyalist front lines.
[End of Chapter]