"Look what we've become!!!!"
In the damaged temple, Roboute Guilliman let out a nearly sorrowful roar.
He looked at the mural before him, which depicted Guilliman's magnificent deeds, and also the deeds of the Ultramarines after his death.
Of course, it also depicted his father, the so-called God-Emperor, a being devoutly worshipped by the entire Imperium.
"You!!!"
Roboute Guilliman pointed at the Emperor, shrouded in a faint glow on the carving, and roared:
"How could this happen, Father!"
"Look what a mess we've become!"
"Our Imperium is filled with ignorance, blindness, cruelty, decadence, and suffering. Humanity, like a group of ascetics whose minds have been corrupted by religion, endures so much pain. They even use your name to carry out religious persecution!"
"They even used mine! They actually said I was the Son of God!"
"Could anything be more ironic? How much you hated being worshipped as a god once!"
Roboute Guilliman's words were filled with pain, decadence, and sorrow.
Hera Fortress had returned to the control of the Ultramarines, and taking advantage of this brief respite, Roboute Guilliman began to try and absorb information about this era.
He accepted the opinions of all those he deemed worthy and held private conversations with them.
Calgar returned command to Guilliman, and with great emotion, recounted to him how the Astartes had upheld the Codex Astartes for ten thousand years.
Grand Master Voldus brought him news about Chaos and daemons, allowing him to understand the enemies humanity now faced.
Inquisitor Greyfax recounted to Roboute Guilliman the history hidden by the Inquisition and the current state of the Inquisition.
Saint Celestine knelt before him, her voice filled with piety, thanking the Emperor for his blessing.
Reyna of the Cadian Shock Troopers was extremely nervous, but still tried her best to tell him about the current state of the Imperium's lower echelons and the faith in Saint Doraemon.
Belisarius Cawl had become completely different from Guilliman's memory, but he still spoke of the Adeptus Mechanicus' decline and current situation.
The two Eldar declared that they had come for the Human Death God Ynnead, and demanded that Guilliman consider an alliance with the Eldar, and be wary of the "Human God of Death."
Roboute Guilliman praised everyone's insights and contributions, thanked them for all they had done for the Imperium and humanity, and displayed different personalities when dealing with them.
Everyone spontaneously felt that Guilliman was a kind, frank, and trustworthy person, and in turn, they couldn't help but treat Guilliman with kindness and frankness.
But every piece of information they spoke was like tearing at Guilliman's soul.
"If it was going to turn out like this, you shouldn't have made me bomb Lorgar's city of Perfectio in the first place!"
Guilliman looked at the Emperor sitting on the Golden Throne in the statue, saying with near-grief:
"Lorgar should have been allowed to bomb my Macragge!"
"Look how we have failed all of humanity? Think about how Horus claimed back then that you were trying to become a god, trying to turn the Imperium into this state?"
"Think about those Traitors—Lorgar, Fulgrim, Mortarion—how they must be mocking us in the Warp?"
"If I had known this, I should have let Horus kill me too, let Fulgrim's blade completely take my life, otherwise I wouldn't have had to face a future like this."
Just then, a hand clapped Guilliman's shoulder.
Guilliman turned his head slightly and saw Alexander take off the Blind Spot Star, pulling out a boltgun from the pocket on his stomach and handing it to him.
"Here," Alexander said lightly.
Roboute Guilliman's expression twisted slightly. He saw that behind Alexander, Sanguinius also took off the Blind Spot Star and appeared.
The two of them had been in the temple all along, and had heard Guilliman's conversations with the others.
Because deep down in Roboute Guilliman's heart, he wished to have one of his brothers face this pain with him, hoping for the presence of someone who could listen to and understand his inner feelings.
And, based on rationality, Roboute Guilliman could not show any rift with Sanguinius, nor could Alexander, who had resurrected him and Sanguinius and was revered by the Cadian 184th Regiment and the Blood Angels.
Of course, Alexander had two other reasons: first, Roboute Guilliman could instinctively feel his connection with him and believed he couldn't hide from his sight; second, the item Alexander used, that item called the Blind Spot Star, could completely conceal one's figure, making it very easy for him to eavesdrop.
"He did kill me," Sanguinius said slowly. "It wasn't a good experience, Guilliman."
Guilliman's expression softened slightly. He turned around, then knelt on one knee before Sanguinius.
"This is my fault. I failed to reach your side."
Roboute Guilliman bowed his head deeply. This sorrow had tormented him for ten thousand years. He had countless times wondered if he could have changed everything if he had arrived in time.
Could he have saved the Emperor and Sanguinius, even if it meant dying on the Vengeful Spirit himself, it would have been worth it.
He also always believed that the deaths of the Emperor and Sanguinius were his responsibility.
"A proud man doesn't talk about it."
Sanguinius looked down at Roboute Guilliman and said softly:
"Alexander described Fulgrim that way a while ago, and you are exactly the opposite of Fulgrim. Although you don't say it, you are actually the proudest among us twenty-one brothers."
"Fulgrim is outwardly arrogant but inwardly self-abasing, Magnus is more blind than proud, Dorn's pride is more like stubbornness, Mortarion and Perturabo are completely mentally ill, Khan feigns aloofness but knows things others cannot, and Konrad Curze had long since submitted to fate."
"..And me, though I presented a perfect facade, deep down I worried about the Warp power within me and the mutation of my sons."
"That's why you were often unwelcome, because we could sense your pride, an infuriating pride."
Saying this, Sanguinius stepped forward and slammed his fist heavily into Roboute Guilliman's face.
Guilliman did not dodge. He stood still, taking Sanguinius' punch head-on.
Sanguinius watched Guilliman silently, then continued slowly:
"You are utterly proud. You believe you can solve problems, save all of humanity, and bring enlightenment, civilization, and wisdom to everyone through reason, wisdom, and strength."
"If you fail to do so, it must be because you made a mistake, not because it was inherently impossible."
Roboute Guilliman remained silent.
Alexander, leaning against a marble pillar, watched this brotherly drama unfold.
Or rather, he watched the Second Empire Emperor rebuke the Regent.
However, Sanguinius was right.
Guilliman was an out-and-out idealist, more idealistic than any of his other twenty brothers.
He immensely hoped that humanity—all of humanity, whether mortals, Astartes, or Primarchs—everyone could step into a bright future.
And he sincerely believed he could achieve it, which was an extraordinary talent in this messed-up universe.
"But the most infuriating thing is that at this moment, you are right."
Sanguinius slowly exhaled:
"In this dark and blind forty-first millennium, Sanguinius cannot save the Imperium of Man, nor can Dorn, Khan, Leman Russ, or Lion El'Jonson."
"Humanity needs Roboute Guilliman, and if you insist on embracing death—"
Sanguinius looked at Alexander, who smiled and shook his four-dimensional pocket.
"—you can also go inside and provide some remaining value."
Sanguinius nodded and said, then he looked at Roboute Guilliman:
"Now, Roboute, what is your answer?"
Roboute Guilliman gently rubbed the bruise Sanguinius' fist had left on his face.
Then he stood up from the ground, walked to the temple window, and looked out at Hera Fortress through the stained-glass window.
Mortals and Astartes were working together to repair the fortress, their faces filled with hope, glory, and light, as if believing all darkness had ended.
They were far weaker than Guilliman, born in a darker age, but they were still fighting on unyieldingly.
"This truly is humanity's dark forty-first millennium, filled with ignorance, blindness, and war."
Guilliman slowly exhaled, and light burst forth in his eyes:
"But hope remains."
Guilliman, now brimming with renewed hope, turned his head. He now needed to solve the first immediate problem.
Guilliman's gaze fell upon Alexander.