In some respects, the Dark Angels could indeed be considered a model Chapter.
They didn't suffer from severe genetic mutations like the Space Wolves or the Blood Angels.
They didn't have the Iron Hands' aversion to flesh and their obsession with mechanical ascension.
Nor would they make one suspect them of ambition, like the Ultramarines.
Their Apothecaries and Librarians would deliver babies for mortal women, and be moved by the birth of a child.
They would protect mortals, respect the Astra Militarum, and fight reliably and loyally alongside their comrades, never retreating.
They were true knights, a continuation of the Caliban spirit, a re-enactment of King Arthur and his court of knights from ancient Terra legends.
But all of this was predicated on their little secrets not being involved.
Once their little secrets were involved, the Dark Angels became a group of extreme fanatics; they would try to kill anyone who might know their secrets, abandon all duties to hunt down Fallen Angels, and become as insane and deranged as a Blood Angels suffering from the Black Rage.
If they were told about Lion El'Jonson, they would only come to cause trouble, disrupting Alexander's hunt for Erebus, and would not follow orders at all.
Guilliman's considerations were more political; if the Dark Angels were informed of Lion El'Jonson's situation, and Guilliman refused to retrieve Lion El'Jonson, it could very likely agitate the Dark Angels' nerves, which would be detrimental to stability.
It wasn't that Lion El'Jonson shouldn't return, but in Guilliman's view, now was not a good time for Lion El'Jonson to return.
At least one more Primarch needed to return to achieve balance and restrict Lion El'Jonson; that would be the best time.
"If Erebus' scheme involves Lion El'Jonson, then the situation is a bit different," Guilliman turned his head slightly. "Do you need Sanguinius and I to intervene?"
Both of them were currently in positions where they couldn't easily disengage, one responsible for the Imperium's sacred territories and the other for its dark side.
But considering Alexander's safety, Guilliman was willing to sacrifice a few worlds.
"There's no need for that," Alexander shook his head slightly.
Alexander had Nobita with him; Guilliman didn't know that Nobita could serve as a vessel for the Emperor's divine descent. If Alexander was in danger, the Emperor would surely come to his rescue.
Even without Nobita, Alexander recalled his discovery in Khayon's stack of daemon Tarot cards. At a critical moment, that card could provide more help than Guilliman, or even Sanguinius.
"Moreover, if the two of you intervene, it might directly cause Erebus to abandon his defense of the Conqueror and just flee."
"Then all our previous preparations would be wasted, and we wouldn't achieve the effect of wearing down Erebus."
This was Guilliman's plan: to cut with a dull knife, not to push Erebus to a dead end all at once, but to weaken him little by little, slowly bringing him to a point where he had nowhere to run.
"The fleet led by Mephiston has already formed an encirclement; Erebus will soon lose the chance to warp out with the Conqueror."
Sanguinius said with a light tone:
"He's clearly prepared to rely on the Conqueror and fight you."
"No hurry, let's play along with him," Alexander also showed a slight smile.
Counting the time, Captain Karlaen, Titus, Sarojin, and Khârn should also have started their actions.
Twisted, deformed corpses mixed with blood were poured out of a barrel by Kossolax.
These corpses were the crew members who had died in mutual slaughter, food for the terrifying behemoth before Kossolax.
A hundred-handed, hundred-armed Chaos beast, like the hundred-armed giants of ancient myths, filled a corner of the bridge.
Seeing Kossolax pour its food onto the ground, the young boy's head, buried within the behemoth's crimson flesh, slowly extended, its face crazed as it gnawed at the corpses on the ground.
Kossolax roughly knew the origin of this behemoth. Erebus had performed a brutal sacrifice, eight hundred million lives slaughtering each other, and this child was the final victor, yet also became a host for Chaos energy, twisted into this form.
"Eat, eat. It's truly your good fortune that I, Kossolax, Regent of the World Eaters, am feeding you," Kossolax grunted with slight dissatisfaction.
The Butcher's Nails on his head hummed, and Kossolax tried his best to suppress the anger brought by this terrifying machinery.
Logically, such a task should not have been Kossolax's.
But this behemoth contained the power of the Blood God; any World Eater who approached it would have their Butcher's Nails activated, be devoured by rage and bloodlust, attack the behemoth, and then be killed by it.
Erebus didn't care about the lives of the World Eaters, but Kossolax couldn't not care; they were his brothers, his Legion.
So Kossolax took on the task of feeding this behemoth himself—not to mention this behemoth possessed by the Blood God's power, even in front of Angron, Kossolax could maintain his sanity.
The crimson behemoth slightly extended its child's head. Its eyes were vacant, full of madness, yet it gently rubbed its head against Kossolax's hand, seemingly expressing gratitude to Kossolax.
Erebus believed that the behemoth's will was only rage and madness, and the original boy's will had long been devoured by the countless daemons residing within him.
But Kossolax could vaguely sense that this behemoth still hid a tiny bit of sanity that Erebus hadn't discovered. Of course, Kossolax had no intention of telling Erebus about this discovery.
"Kid, if there's a chance, how about you and I take a big bite out of him together?" Kossolax asked in a low voice.
The boy's head lifted blankly, staring at Kossolax somewhat dully, making no response.
This greatly disappointed Kossolax.
However, he only dared to say it; to truly rebel against Erebus...
His reason told him that Erebus was not someone he could contend with.
That was the Hand of Fate, the mastermind behind the entire Great Heresy; opposing him would only lead to death.
In fact, Kossolax felt that he had survived until now only because the Loyalists' offensive came so quickly, so fast that Erebus hadn't had time to take control of the warbands that originally belonged to Kossolax. Erebus still needed Kossolax to command those World Eaters on his behalf, which was why Kossolax was spared.
This was, of course, very humiliating, but what could Kossolax do?
The Butcher's Nails hummed, and rage constantly urged him to swing his axe at Erebus.
But Kossolax knew that it would only be an act of self-destruction.
He could only endure the humiliation—
The Conqueror suddenly shook violently.
Sharp roars emanated from the ship's intercoms, like a furious bellow.
Invasion—the Conqueror was being invaded?!
"Tell your men to resist," a whisper sounded in Kossolax's ear, sending a chill through his entire body.
He looked at Erebus, who stood not far away; Erebus' cold gaze signaled him to act quickly.
Kossolax shivered and quickly came to the command console.
The haggard phantom of the Mistress appeared beside Kossolax.
"Mistress Sarine, what happened?" Kossolax respectfully inquired.
He already knew the identity of the lady before him.
The Mistress wearily raised a finger and gently pointed at the command console.
A mass of twisted flesh immediately filled with blood; the blood pulsed, reflecting a scene within.
The tremors and flashes caused by teleportation appeared in a remote ship compartment.
Appearing next was a group of Blood Angels clad in crimson Terminator power armor, led by a man wielding a master-crafted power hammer.
And after these Blood Angels appeared, a red-tinted, pinkish wooden door opened, and a group of Ultramarines quickly emerged from the door.
Leading this group of Ultramarines was a man with a service stud embedded in his head and a resolute face.
The first Blood Angels, Kossolax identified from his insignia and markings, was Captain Karlaen of the Blood Angels' First Company.
But the Ultramarines, he didn't recognize, had no impression of him at all.
Although the service stud proved he had served for a long time, he had no honor medals, so he should just be a small figure, right?
Kossolax calmed himself and began to make arrangements:
"Kovien the Dark Apostle, Butcher Surgeon Lorek, Moghaliva the Warp-smith, Decapitation Master Shalok."
"Have them lead their respective forces to teleport directly to the invaders' location via the Conqueror's internal teleportation devices."
These four great generals were all recruited by Kossolax over ten thousand years; each was an excellent warrior, leading a powerful warband.
Their strength was absolutely no less than that of a typical Chapter Master, and under the influence of Chaos blessings, they were even superior.
Dealing with a mere First Company Captain and an unknown individual should be very easy.
Kossolax simply wanted to crush this group of invaders with full force, utterly destroying them to prevent them from scattering throughout the Conqueror and becoming difficult to eliminate in a concentrated manner.
Kovien the Dark Apostle, Butcher Surgeon Lorek, Moghaliva the Warp-smith, and Decapitation Master Shalok, four Chaos Astartes, led their respective forces, appearing directly before the Blood Angels and Ultramarines in a whistling crimson light.
Kossolax smiled. Let these loyalists witness the power of the World Eaters.
Bang!!!!!