The papyrus tarot card in Alexander's hand depicted a lifelike, jet-black raven.
The Raven was like a shadowy specter, agile and swift, with crimson eyes and pale skin interspersed between its black feathers and flesh.
This tarot card came from Khayon's collection of daemon Tarot, but Khayon himself had never noticed its existence.
Not long ago, in the Terra Inquisition fortress, Alexander and Sanguinius used a Memory Projection Hammer to observe Khayon's memories, seeing Khayon learning daemonology from Lorgar and being attacked by Corax.
Corax sensed the gaze coming through the memory, vaguely perceived the flow of fate, and felt the auras of Sanguinius and Alexander existing in the future.
He didn't know Alexander's situation, but he recognized Sanguinius' scent. Although he didn't know what had happened in the future that led to Sanguinius' resurrection, Corax still laid a trap on Khayon.
He silently split himself, quietly inserting one of the countless ravens into one of Khayon's daemon Tarot cards, establishing contact with the present-day Alexander and Sanguinius.
Nobita abruptly threw the daemon Tarot card he held. The papyrus was consumed by black flames in mid-air, and the Raven flapped its wings, flying out from the card face like a black arrow, soaring past the Lion's shoulder, sweeping past Khârn and Raum, and, under Erebus' bewildered gaze, directly piercing towards Lorgar, who was emerging from the Warp.
Lorgar saw the jet-black Raven, his pupils sharply constricted, and his eyes revealed timidity and fear. He recognized the aura on that Raven, the aura that made him afraid—it was a part of him.
"I usually summon the One-Star Monster 'Corax's Raven,'" Alexander's will, residing within Nobita, grinned.
"Then, by releasing 'Corax's Raven' on the field, I Special Summon the Ten-Star Monster 'Corax, the Raven King' from my deck!"
As if to match Alexander's words, the Warp, deep within Lorgar, which resembled a hellish landscape, was suddenly covered by a dark cloud. The crimson, brownish-green, ethereal blue, and deep purple sky of the Empyrean was obscured by a black shadow.
Then, that dark cloud suddenly opened ten million crimson eyes, looking down upon the Warp from the Empyrean.
"Lorgar!!!!"
An angry roar shook both the material and Warp dimensions. Its power was so immense that even the Lion was shocked and trembled.
"Corax?!" Lion exclaimed in astonishment and bewilderment. He recognized the dark cloud as his gene-brother, Corax, the Primarch of the Raven Guard.
But why did he look like he had ascended to daemonhood? Even more twisted, abstract, and formless than those daemon Primarchs.
"I told you, I remember your scent. I will hunt you to death!"
A voice steeped in hatred drowned out everything. With the Raven released by Nobita as a beacon, Corax finally caught Lorgar once again.
The raucous cawing of a multitude of ravens rose. The dark cloud in the sky instantly exploded, transforming into ten million ravens, descending from the heavens amidst black lightning, striking Lorgar.
The Raven released by Nobita also returned to the flock, all together pouncing on Lorgar.
Lorgar, terrified, raised the Illuminarium in his hand, and countless murky lights flashed, striking the flock of ravens in the sky.
But it was meaningless. The ravens were like shadows, seemingly without substance, and in the blink of an eye, they passed through Lorgar's attack, pouncing on him.
As if an invisible giant blade had slashed, Lorgar's chest was suddenly torn open, and blood flowed out.
The runes of the Armor of the Word suddenly solidified, forming a shield to try and resist the attack of the ravens.
But it was meaningless. A jet-black lightning bolt shot out from the flock of ravens, violently striking the runic shield. The burning runes shattered in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, the Raven King took on a physical form.
The Primarch, whose face was as pale as snow on a winter's day and whose black hair was like a starless night, stepped on Lorgar's chest.
Corax wore jet-black power armor, with a pair of steel wings on his back resembling raven's wings, and his arms bore a pair of ferocious talons.
"I am Vengeance, I am Righteous Redemption, I am Resistance, I am your Undertaker."
"Lorgar! Look up! Welcome death!"
"Do you think I'm still the same, Corax?! I'm constantly improving, I'm vastly different—"
Talons tore through, and Lorgar's horned head flew into the sky.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the Great Word Bearer's body burst into flames, and he transformed into a mass of flames surrounded by runes, hastily slipping away from beneath Corax and fleeing into the distance.
But the Raven Lord would not allow him to escape. A shimmering, inconstant black domain appeared in the Warp, and the magnificent energy of the Empyrean continuously poured into Corax's body.
In an instant, everyone seemed to see a jet-black supernova explode in the Warp, releasing black light that swept over everything.
Under this light, the connection between the Warp and the Blessed Lady became fragile, almost completely shattering in the blink of an eye, leaving only a Psyker explosion that blew the entire bridge into chaos. Lorgar's statue also turned to dust.
Erebus let out a terrified scream. He was thrown by the exploding Psyker energy, slamming hard into the corner of the room, his flesh aching from the fall.
And the tide of blood formed by the Khorne daemons was also completely cleared away under Khârn's constantly burning Emperor's Flames. The avenger, bathed in blood, vibrated his wings and looked at Erebus.
Death was imminent.
Erebus held his breath, but just then, the ritual he had long inscribed on the Blessed Lady, which aggregated the three divine artifacts of the old ones, suddenly began to flow on its own, as if some will was driving the ceremony's progression.
Suddenly, Erebus' will established a connection with another will.
Erebus felt the things before his eyes constantly shifting and twisting, his vision tunneling through the deep chambers of the Rock, finally settling in a chamber that even the current Dark Angels Chapter itself didn't know about.
It was a giant spherical instrument, with faint electric sparks flickering within it, constantly tearing at reality and space. An iron pipe extended from the instrument, inserted into the corpse of a thin, barefoot child.
The child's eyes glowed pale, gazing at Erebus.
The Tuqiaocha Engine, one of the three divine artifacts of the old ones.
This artifact was found by the Lion during the Great Heresy and had been stored in the deepest part of the Rock Fortress ever since the rebellion ended.
Erebus showed a joyful expression, because the Tuqiaocha Engine could create rifts that linked time and space, allowing for arbitrary travel across the galaxy.
If it wanted to, it could save Erebus.
"Save me, and I will help you all aggregate!" Erebus shouted at the Tuqiaocha Engine.
The child's corpse connected to the Tuqiaocha Engine nodded slightly.
"Good."
The Tuqiaocha Engine nodded slightly, uttering a clear syllable: "Good."
This sound was as melodious as celestial music to Erebus' ears.
The three divine artifacts of the old ones has an instinct to converge; the Tuqiaocha Engine, plagueheart, and ouroboros yearn to reunite, to form the three divine artifacts of the old ones of old.
Presumably, it was for this very reason that the Tuqiaocha Engine would actively help Erebus.
Indeed, indeed, he, Erebus, was the one favored by destiny.
He would not die, he would never die!!!
"Tell me the location of plagueheart."
The Tuqiaocha Engine opened its mouth slightly and said:
"Bring plagueheart… together…"
The Tuqiaocha Engine's words were fragmented, seemingly lacking much intelligence, only a childlike instinct.
Erebus' will to survive overwhelmed everything, and he immediately told the Tuqiaocha Engine the location where plagueheart was stored.
The Tuqiaocha Engine nodded slightly, and scorching electric light flickered around him, tearing the continuity of time and space in the blink of an eye.
Then, this part of the three divine artifacts of the old ones vanished from the Dark Angels' fortress in a flash.
The Tuqiaocha Engine and Lion El'Jonson had established a certain degree of friendship; he was a collaborator of the Dark Angels, who had achieved cooperation with Lion El'Jonson with the utmost mutual trust, not a servant or possession of the Dark Angels. The Dark Angels had not established any kind of containment device around him, nor could they possibly contain the Tuqiaocha Engine, a creation of the three divine artifacts of the old ones.
Almost in an instant, the Tuqiaocha Engine's figure appeared deep within Luther's flagship, upon that living asteroid made of flesh and blood.
That was plagueheart, also one of the three divine artifacts of the old ones.
The child's corpse controlled by the Tuqiaocha Engine slowly squatted down, caressing the asteroid beneath its feet.
"plagueheart… after thousands of years… finally reunited."
Erebus did not focus his attention on the Tuqiaocha Engine.
Because Khârn, burning with the Emperor's flames and with wings spread, had already reached Erebus.
The Avenger looked down at Erebus, and a cold killing intent filled Raum's and Khârn's eyes.
Erebus grinned and laughed: "Fools, do you two truly think you can kill me?"
"I am the Hand of Destiny, I am the Son of Chaos, I am Erebus, I am he who will ultimately — — — — — —"
bloodson tore through the air, crashing down onto Erebus' face, blood gushing out uncontrollably.
Erebus screamed and wailed, but bloodson's roar covered his cries. The chainaxe continuously scraped across his face, stripping away the flesh inscribed with the contents of the Book of Lorgar, repeatedly striking Erebus' skull, filling his cranium with the vibrating sound of the chainaxe, making his brain shake violently, bringing intense pain and torment.
"Save me!!!"
"What are you doing!!!!"
Erebus screamed, shouting at the Tuqiaocha Engine standing on plagueheart.
The child's corpse controlled by the Tuqiaocha Engine slowly stood up. Its glowing eyes were no longer dull, but instead became cunning and intelligent.
Its voice also no longer stammered, becoming smooth and fluent.
"Stupid primitive."
The Tuqiaocha Engine extended its hand, giving Erebus the middle finger with its gaunt fingers:
"We do indeed desire convergence, but we hope that the people who want us to converge can line up from one side of the galaxy to the other."
"Then why should we converge in the hands of a disgusting thing like you?"
"Aren't the Emperor, Vashtorr, and Doraemon all better choices than you?"
"Say hello to Lion El'Jonson for me, ignorant and foolish primitive."
As the words fell, scorching electric light enveloped plagueheart, tearing apart the fabric of reality, and then both the Tuqiaocha Engine and plagueheart vanished from this star system in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace.
Erebus was stunned, but Khârn and Raum did not give him much time to comprehend the situation.
bloodson crashed down, slamming violently into Erebus' already completely skinned face, throwing him against the nearby wall.
Erebus hit the wall like a piece of rotten meat, his skinless face leaving an ugly bloodstain on the wall.
He fell to the ground, struggling to escape, but bloodson descended, violently shattering his legs.
Khârn stood behind him, watching Erebus with cold silence.
"Spare me, Khârn, spare me…"
Erebus shrieked in terror:
"No, you don't understand, that was the will of the Gods. Your fall into darkness was an inevitable outcome, and your journey on the Eightfold Path of Blood was also inevitable."
"Angron was merely hindering you; I helped you clear the obstacles so you could become the Blood God's chosen!!!"
"And ten thousand years have passed, ten thousand years!!! What hatred cannot be forgiven!!!"
Khârn looked down at Erebus' grotesque form, listening to Erebus' words. He suddenly remembered what the Seed of Destruction had told him…
"Can a grudge from ten generations still be avenged?"
"Even after a hundred generations, it can be."
Khârn's tone was cold and silent.
Yet, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve slightly, and a hint of color appeared in his eyes, which had been as hollow as black holes.
He felt a sense of fulfillment; his mind, tormented into emptiness by the Butcher's Nails and the Blood God's blessings, finally had something in it again.
"I am willing to pay the price, I can, I can help you become a god…" Erebus pleaded mournfully.
"I don't care," Khârn replied, then tilted his head to look at Raum: "Do you care?"
"I only want him dead," Raum growled in response.
"Then let him die," Khârn nodded in agreement.
bloodson crashed down, striking Erebus' back, crushing his torso, tearing his spine, and pulping his internal organs.
Erebus shrieked miserably, realizing with disbelief that he was truly dying.
No, it shouldn't be like this, he should have become one of the Gods, he was the Son of Chaos after all…
Erebus screamed, a hysterical scream.
"Khârn! What do you know!!!"
"Do you think killing Angron was my will?!!!"
"It was the Blood God!! The Blood God desired your fall!! And Angron would prevent all of that!!"
"It was the Blood God's will that made me kill Angron!!! Khârn!!!"
"Oh," Khârn responded coldly. bloodson descended, smashing violently onto Erebus' head.
Bang!!!!
Erebus' head exploded like a watermelon under Khârn's chainaxe, his brains splattering everywhere, a terrifying sight.
Erebus' soul screamed, trying to escape into the Warp, but his soul was instantly devoured by the Emperor's raging fire on bloodson.
Raum roared with laughter, his shattered body emerging largely from Khârn, biting Erebus' soul, tearing it into complete fragments, then devouring it along with the Emperor's flames.
Looking at Erebus' corpse on the ground, Khârn showed no expression; he was very calm.
He slowly turned around. Lion El'Jonson and Nobita stood behind him; they had not interfered while he was taking revenge on Erebus.
Khârn nodded, offering silent thanks.
Then his gaze slowly lifted, looking into the Empyrean, at the Blood God who had been observing all of this from start to finish, and who now let out exclamations and wild laughter at Erebus' death.
"Khârn," the Blood God's voice was deafening.