Angron gently picked up Khârn's mangled body, an unimaginable tenderness gracing his terrifyingly ferocious face.
Momotaro Maruko had 'tamed' Angron, removing his brutality, rage, and the constant, crushing pain that oppressed him.
It had also reclaimed his soul from the Blood God's grasp; he was no longer enslaved by rage, the Butcher's Nails, and Khorne.
At the same time, Momotaro Maruko had made Angron docile. This docility wasn't conjured from thin air; rather, Momotaro Maruko had awakened the faint shadows of his old self that still remained within Angron's mind.
That was the true Angron, not the one controlled by the Butcher's Nails.
Momotaro Maruko, originally used to enslave and tame people or animals, had instead liberated Angron from cruel servitude.
Or perhaps, compared to the enslavement by Khorne and the Butcher's Nails, Momotaro Maruko's slight taming was practically indistinguishable from freedom.
In fact, as the tide of rage receded, Angron began to perceive the emotions of those around him again, and could even absorb them.
Angron clearly felt the pain of his son in his arms.
Khârn's ten thousand years of accumulated suffering exploded in Angron's mind, seeping into Angron's soul.
Much of this suffering had been caused by Angron, yet Angron felt no hatred for himself in Khârn's soul.
Khârn had always wanted to understand his father and, through that, to save him, which was why he had implanted the Butcher's Nails.
"..I, I am sorry, my child."
Angron's face contorted in pain:
"My cowardice destroyed you all."
Only now, with his mind clear again, did Angron painfully realize that his sons, like his brothers and sisters of old, had loved him.
It was just that the Angron of that time had long lost the ability to perceive emotions; these feelings had not entered Angron's heart, nor had they been able to bolster Angron's will.
Like a blind man, no matter how bright the sun, he could no longer perceive it.
"You are all far better than I am, and you deserved a better father," Angron said, his voice filled with pain and sorrow, his tears falling onto Khârn's head.
"What we gained from you was no more than what you gained from your father," Khârn said, his lips barely parting. "We still experienced the same pain as you, father."
"..You are wrong, Oenomaus was a good father," Angron said, shaking his head.
But after a few brief seconds, he realized that Khârn's 'your father' was not referring to Oenomaus, but to the Emperor.
Both fell into a slight silence. In the quiet, Angron gently tightened his embrace on Khârn's mangled body.
Khârn was somewhat surprised to find his pain alleviating, not just the physical pain, but also the pain in his soul.
The suffering, anger, and sorrow accumulated in Khârn's soul over ten millennia were slowly melting away, gradually flowing into Angron's body.
Angron was absorbing and alleviating Khârn's pain, healing Khârn's mind, and bringing Khârn peace.
This was the duty he was originally given, a capacity he was born with but which had been destroyed by the Butcher's Nails.
Khârn felt a peace and warmth he had never known before.
Those painful memories gradually faded from his sight. Amidst a halo of light, he seemed to see many beautiful memories.
He seemed to see himself fighting alongside Angron in the arena, saw Sigismund imitating him by wrapping chains around his arm, watched Captain Loken show kindness to him, a World Eater, for the first time, saw the crude Nasir Amit pounce on him like a ghoul, and saw Captain Sarine complain to him that the crew was growing increasingly insane.
He even, in his blurred state, saw a possibility.
In that possibility, his father had not been implanted with the Butcher's Nails. In that world, Angron had always been a kind father, and the affection between him and his Legion was enough to make all other Legions envious.
He saw Angron in that possibility turn his head to look at him, seemingly waiting for him, inviting him.
Khârn's lips couldn't help but curve into a slight smile.
Angron gently laid Khârn's body down.
Until the moment of death, Khârn's face wore a serenity he had never known.
Raum's figure slowly emerged from Khârn's body. Raum looked at Alexander, bowing slightly to him with gratitude.
Then Raum let out a few satisfied chuckles and, carried by the breeze, vanished into the tides of the Warp, leaving no trace.
Angron also gently turned his head to look in Alexander's direction.
But Alexander did not speak to Angron; instead, he gestured for Angron to look at the Golden Throne behind him.
".." Angron was silent and hesitant at first, but the gaze emanating from the Golden Throne behind him was so intense.
He finally turned around and looked at the desiccated corpse on the Throne.
Angron's fingertips lightly rubbed the hilt of the chain-axe named bloodfather in his hand, as he looked at his gene-father.
"Emperor." Angron had become docile due to Momotaro Maruko's influence, but anyone could hear the anger and loathing hidden in Angron's voice.
Even with the influence of the Butcher's Nails removed, Angron felt only loathing and anger towards the Emperor.
"Number Twelve."
"Healer."
"Butcher."
"Tool."
"Broken tool."
"Rebellion."
"Failed rebellion."
"Completely destroyed."
"Khorne."
"Slave."
A thousand, ten thousand, a million, even more voices overlapped, ringing in Angron's ears.
These voices brought Angron immense pain, constantly drilling into Angron's head, making Angron clench his teeth and let out a low growl.
At the same time, Angron clearly perceived the emotions brimming within that desiccated corpse.
Just as he had seen ten thousand years ago, that dark, cold sun hung behind the desiccated corpse, containing only utter destruction.
But this time, Angron perceived more. Without the influence of the Butcher's Nails, his ability to perceive emotions had become sharper.
He understood a truth:
The Emperor had known long ago that Angron would become Khorne's slave. He could even be said to have allowed Khorne to enslave Angron.
This would significantly reduce the Blood God's attention on other Primarchs, lowering the likelihood of other Primarchs being corrupted by the Blood God.
"Why?" Momotaro Maruko suppressed Angron's rage, leaving only a cold emptiness in Angron's mind.
"Damaged."
"Salvage."
"Necessary sacrifice."
Both Angron and Angron's brothers and sisters were necessary sacrifices in the Emperor's plan.
It was inevitable that some Primarchs would fall to Chaos.
Compared to other more intact Primarchs falling, Angron, damaged to that extent, falling to Chaos was actually a good thing.
For the overall benefit of the human race, to protect other Primarchs, Angron was sacrificed.
Those of Angron's brothers and sisters who died on Nuceria were sacrifices to ensure Angron's complete turn to Chaos.