Warhammer: I don't want to become a stinky can!

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“You should probably get used to this, Magnus.”

Hades said kindly,

"Perhaps the universe has always been this cruel, but you were previously deceived by lies—so you didn't realize the truth."

Hades continued, lowering his voice.

“You should take a good look at this cruel world, Magnus. If you want to hear the story of Mortarion or Angron, I can tell you anytime.”

Blood and tears seeped again from the spot where Magnus's face was covered by the white sheet. He said dryly...

[I am not one to gloat over the misfortunes of others, Hades... tell me when I may speak to my people.]

"Are you really ready?"

Hades asked.

【maybe.】

Magnus remained silent, once again enveloped by immense grief.

That's it, great!

Chapter 382 The Burning of Prospero

In the dim light, the warning lights flashed a chilling red.

The white-helmeted figure stomped on the ground, causing the floor to tremble. The scythe scraped across the ground, sparking faintly. In the silence, the respirator emitted a heavy sigh, and a red light flashed across the barrel of the explosive gun.

Claws and boots pounded the earth, a rough roar rang out, beneath the thick fur, a cold light flashed across the blade, wolves howled softly, the battle axe hung down, its blade hard.

The airdrop capsule is in place.

The Lord of Death raised his head, silently raising his scythe; the Lord of Winter lowered his head, roaring as he gripped his battle axe. Below the fleet, Prospero's faint light shone through the portholes, casting a pale, cold glow upon the Primarch.

The emperor held his sword, his eyes lowered.

"let's start."

He said.

"...I can, I can."

Magnus took a deep breath, then blankly touched the microphone propped up in front of him with his large hand.

Is this real-time?

"No."

Hades, the watchman, answered him calmly.

【All right. 】

Magnus gave a wry smile, then took a deep breath—

A warm sea breeze, carrying a slightly salty smell, blew by. The scholar was leading his daughter on the way to the Great Library of the Pyramid of Vote. The sandy yellow streets were spotless, and in the distance, the crystals atop the Great Library of the Pyramid shimmered.

As if sensing something, she raised her head, squinting slightly as she stared at the bright blue sky over Prospero—

My people,

The authoritative voice rang out, and her legs went weak. She knelt down, supporting herself on the child.

"mom?"

The child looked back at her in confusion, but her mother quickly covered her mouth tightly. "Shh, she's too young to understand what the Primitive means."

She saw people on the street waiting with either panic or joy, some kneeling down and saluting the sky.

As a prophetic psychic, her heart skipped a beat.

I'm so sorry.

Magnus sat in his cramped cell, his hands clasped together, and Hades could see blood trickling from between his fingers.

Magnus tried to open and close his mouth, but his voice was hoarse and he couldn't make a sound.

You have to tell them the truth, Magnus.

You can't... you can't let him down again.

I once claimed that I had cured Chizu, just as I had rebuilt Prospero.

She held the child tightly in her arms, her body trembling uncontrollably.

I still remember Prospero as a wasteland; all the towns except Tizca had fallen.

Magnus clenched his fist repeatedly, then clenched it again with a spasm.

It was I who led you to reclaim our lost territory and rebuild our homeland, our city-state.

I will always acknowledge Prospero as my pride.

【but……】

Magnus opened his mouth again in vain; he felt blood seeping from his vocal cords, and he struggled to make a sound.

There was a long silence.

The emperor's lips moved, and Hades raised the speaker, his brows furrowed.

"You need to give him a little more time."

As if hearing Hades' whisper, words struggled to escape Magnus's throat with a cough.

[...The psionic array surrounding the entire planet is flawed; it could explode at any moment.]

The Crimson King managed to squeeze out those words—no, not the psionic array, but… its psionic energy—but he couldn't bring himself to say them.

In the name of Crimson Magnus, all should refrain from resistance, deactivate Prospero's defenses, move away from the summoning array, and proceed to the plaza to await orders.

The Empire promised me that if I didn't resist, I wouldn't shed tears—

The crackling sound of electricity stopped, and the recording was unilaterally cut off.

Magnus was pale and swayed.

With a thud, the trembling Magnus lost consciousness and slammed onto the table.

Outside the cell, Hades turned on the channel and roared into the other end.

"Let him finish speaking! Then just cut that last sentence out!"

The emperor calmly raised his hand, watching as a thin layer of light appeared in the sky above the entire planet, then quickly faded away.

"Let death and winter come."

He said.

The next moment, tens of thousands of flames streaked across the void.

The scholar looked up and saw the sky begin to bleed, people screaming and roaring, and the Scarlet King's last words echoing shrilly in the air.

[No one should resist...]

She looked blankly at her daughter, who was also staring at her. The next moment, the child burst into tears, and the dessert in her hand fell to the ground with a thud.

The first airdrop pod crashed into the streets of Tizka, revealing scythes and fangs amidst the thick smoke.

------

Prospero is burning.

The earth cracked open, night fell suddenly, lightning flashed, and torrential rain seemed to fall from the ground into the sky, plunging into an endless hell.

Black raindrops splashed at his feet as the emperor stood expressionless on the steps of the Great Pyramid of Fortep. The black rain, accompanied by piercing lightning, howled in his ears, tearing at his golden helmet.

He climbed the steps.

Below, amidst the howling wind, the Emperor caught a glimpse of the shivering people out of the corner of his eye. He saw the thousand children, possessed by the "Guardian Spirits," burst forth with ghostly light, surrounded by howling wolves, and flames piercing the night.

That was a necessary sacrifice.

He continued upwards, the flames of the Emperor's Sword gleaming on his golden helmet. Raindrops evaporated before they even touched the flames. At the apex of Prospero's largest pyramid, where the subspace and the physical world merged, he heard a sharp, mocking sound.

The waves of the vast ocean crashed against him. He saw the turbulent currents suddenly accelerating, the ghostly blue shadows twisting and laughing loudly, the galaxy burning, stars falling, and giant waves of psionic energy pounding towards Terra. The distorted river of fate was about to flow back to its original place under the hand of chaos.

He saw Horus, Horus's empty shell; he saw Astartes facing off with swords; he saw the offspring trapped in place by the warp currents; he saw Magnus howling at him in anguish.

[Father, Father—I have never betrayed you!!!]

The winter wind lashed against his face.

Lions are imprisoned by desire, phoenixes fall from the depths of heartbreak, steel decays, steeds are bound, wolves howl as they charge toward their former kin, watchmen crumble in forgotten corners, madmen mock nobles in the night, blood and laurels adorn golden hair, and those who scorn flesh and blood are ultimately devoured.

Those who break free from fate are dragged back into its vortex; those who firmly believe in the prophet walk the path again; kings are devoured by their own people; sinners finally disembowel themselves to prove their innocence; those who have compassion are shattered by betrayal; the devout draw their swords before the gods; dragons hide deep underground; and ravens cry out as their wings are ripped off one by one.

+Fate—oh! What a wonderful fate! +

A sharp, blood-curdling laugh tore at his flesh and pierced his nerves; a blue, eerie shadow seemed to be singing close to him; the emperor raised his sword, flames blazing.

+You should join the game! You're out of time! You scornful bastard! You'll pay the price!+

"lie."

The next moment, golden light suddenly burst forth.

Flames swept up and ignited, darkness vanished along with the phantoms, more like a voluntary departure than a banishment, the last shriek still echoing in his ears, but he never listened to the lies of the liar.

The light dispelled the deep night, and he saw the final, agonizing screams of those whose souls had been corrupted at his feet. Some fled, while others died there. The wind tore at him, and he heard a call, calling to him from afar.

【All Fathers!!! All Fathers!!!】

He looked down and saw his son struggling against the wind and rain, desperately climbing the slope of the pyramid, trying to reach his feet. What had been reflected in the wolf king's sharp eyes that made him risk everything to protect his father?

The emperor blinked.

"No problem."

He said calmly that he saw the wolf king grin and try to smile.

This gave him a sense of relief.

He watched as the wolf king continued to struggle and try to move forward, but the wind was no longer so fierce and the rain was no longer so heavy. In his light, they all fled far away, and he watched as the wolf king began to relax.

The emperor raised his hand, opened it, and Magnus's single eye was staring at him from within his palm, raindrops sliding down as if weeping.

He looked at the wolf king, recalling the biting winter wind.

The emperor extended his hand, gesturing for Lemanrus to catch it.

He released his grip, and Magnus's single eye fell from the top of the Pyramid of Phaepe into Lemanrus's hand.

"Get it."

He said.

There should be more

Chapter 383 Under the Blazing Flames

Hades took a deep breath, listening to the silence in the surrounding darkness, which meant the current that had enabled communication had been extinguished.

He glanced at Magnus, who had already fainted, and decisively activated the communication.

"Nios—Magnus has fainted. Is he alright?"

"No problem."

The Emperor's calm voice rang out from the other end, and Hades imagined the Emperor in the command room admonishing Mortarion and Lemanrus about the main objective of this attack.

The emperor's voice trailed off for a moment, as if in thought.

"Hades, tell Magnus to be careful with his words."

Hades paused, then suddenly realized that Magnus Ben was connected to Tzeentch, so...

You mean, just now—

“Prospero has a strong psychic inclination, Hades, which means that the words or actions of any key figure could become a bullet aimed at the future.”

Hades blinked.

"But I'm using Blacklist."