"The residents of Terra are suffering immensely, and your families must be too!"
"In the hive city, people's wives and sisters are cutting their own flesh to feed their children!"
"The corpse starch produced by the workers, they themselves can't even eat!"
"People have no food, they are starving, exhausted, and the Emperor does not want humanity to suffer like this!"
"It is those High Lords, officials, and Imperial Cult Priests in the Imperial Palace who have concealed the suffering of mortals from the Emperor, concealing the true state of the nation!"
"Cut off the heads of these bastards! Honor the Emperor and punish the traitors! Heaven strike the nobles! Skulls for the Golden Throne! Blood for the Emperor!"
"Food! Food!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Roars, blood-soaked roars, continuously echoed beneath the Eternal Wall, as the commoners transformed into tides of red and white, ceaselessly crashing against the Imperial Palace walls.
A priest, clad in tattered Imperial Cult robes, stood among the mortals, waving a battle banner painted with blood, roaring and shouting, preaching doctrines of anger, revenge, and slaughter to the surrounding commoners.
Beneath his feet, thousands upon thousands of mortals held hands, using their flesh and blood bodies to build an altar for the fallen priest. Some had already died from the crushing weight, hunger, and overcrowding, but their bodies were still carried forward by the people around them.
And around this living altar of flesh and blood, countless people roared, following the fallen priest. Their numbers were so vast that Valerian, the Shield-Captain of the Adeptus Custodes, even suspected that all the trillion residents of Terra had gathered beneath the Imperial Palace.
As those blasphemous, dangerous, and blood-soaked words continuously spewed from the priest's mouth, horrifying mutations appeared on the bodies of the commoners.
Men grew wings, women grew fangs. One by one, former humans transformed into half-human, half-beast monsters. Blasphemy spread among mortals, and with it, fear.
"Do not be afraid! This is the Blood God's blessing! The Blood God's grace!"
"Accept the Blood God's blessing! Only then can we kill! Only by killing can we survive!"
"Oh, Emperor! Please look upon us! The nobles have embezzled your grace, and we will save ourselves with the Blood God's blessing!"
The priest, fallen to the Blood God, preached with spittle flying. The distorted mortals were bewitched by his voice. They roared ferociously, gathering together, stepping on their comrades, forming a surging tide that crashed towards the top of the Eternal Wall.
But they hit an iron wall.
Bolter rounds, laser fire, and scorching psyker powers rained down on the tide of flesh and blood. The mutated monsters fell from the sky like raindrops, but soon more mortals gathered, forming even fiercer waves that charged upwards.
"The most heinous criminal is Imperial Chancellor Tieron! Corruption, bribery, self-serving in the position of Imperial Chancellor, his bloated, fat body is proof of his greed! Cut off his head!"
"Then there are the High Lords! Ignorant! Decadent! Depraved! Immersed in their power struggles, feeding hundreds of billions of officials, parasitizing the common people!"
"Finally, the corrupt Adeptus Custodes! They are the Emperor's guardians, the Emperor's creations, but they are indulging in pleasure within the Imperial Palace, streaking, exercising, and bathing in the Throne Room, abandoning billions of mortals, becoming the watchdogs of the nobles!"
Listening to the fallen priest's slander of the Adeptus Custodes, Shield-Captain Valerian's expression subtly shifted.
Although Valerian also did not fully support the Restriction Order, believing that the Adeptus Custodes should not be confined to Terra, the Adeptus Custodes streaking, exercising, and bathing in the Throne Room seemed a bit excessive, didn't it? Did they think the Throne Room was the Adeptus Custodes' bathhouse?
Valerian composed himself, subtly raising the ancient guardian Spear in his hand, named "intellect."
His task here was not to fight, but to monitor and assess risk.
Since Rogal Dorn, Roboute Guilliman, the Terra High Lords, and the first Adeptus Custodes Captain Constantin Valdor signed the Restriction Order, for ten thousand years, the Adeptus Custodes had never truly left the Imperial Palace, and no organized units had ever been deployed in war.
Whether during the Beast Arises, the Age of Apostasy, the War of the False Primarch, or even the Fall of Cadia, the Adeptus Custodes had never truly violated the Restriction Order.
Within the Adeptus Custodes, many also supported this point: the Adeptus Custodes are not part of the Imperium of Man; the Adeptus Custodes exist solely to guard the Emperor.
The Restriction Order was like a chain woven from commands, tradition, and the Adeptus Custodes' own guilt, binding Valerian and his brothers deep within the Imperial Palace.
Unless the Emperor's safety was threatened, the Adeptus Custodes would never deploy in an organized fashion for battle — — — — clearly, these rioting civilians were not yet at the level of threatening the Emperor himself.
However, Valerian still pulled the trigger on "intellect," firing a scorching disintegrating beam at the roaring fallen priest on the altar.
His duty was to monitor and assess risk, and firing was also to test the strength of these fallen ones, to facilitate risk assessment — — — — Valerian explained to himself in his heart.
The disintegrating beam from "intellect" came from ancient technology known only to the Emperor himself. This terrifying light could sever the internal bonds of matter, disintegrating any substance into a flash of residual light.
But to Valerian's surprise, the disintegrating beam he fired seemed to be affected by some unknown force in the Warp, dissipating before it could touch the fallen priest.
Was it the Blood God's power? Some blessing that resisted ranged attacks?
Valerian also noticed that the defensive firepower on the Imperial Palace walls could not cause substantial damage to the mutated rioters on the ground.
Only when they rushed towards the wall, getting close enough, could the Astra Militarum's lasguns, the Astartes' boltguns, and the psyker' powers begin to take effect.
Valerian lowered the spear in his hand. Since that was the case, he alone couldn't help much.
Moreover, his help was not particularly needed on the Eternal Wall at the moment. The mutated mortals were like continuous waves, constantly crashing against the reef named Eternal Wall, then shattering into pieces.
How could mortals shatter the creation of Primarch Rogal Dorn?
Even the Adeptus Custodes, who had many doubts about the Primarchs and considered them imperfect creations, had to admit that the Primarchs' talents far surpassed their own.
Valerian had joined the Adeptus Custodes relatively recently and had not experienced the Great Crusade and Great Heresy eras. However, after brief interactions with the two Primarchs, Valerian could still feel their power and glory.
And that one... that one who appeared mortal but was worshipped as a god by many, Saint Doraemon, that Lord Alexander.
Valerian's impression of him was not deep, only clearly remembering that he constantly emphasized, "I am not a god."
Just like the Emperor of old in the Adeptus Custodes records... This gave Valerian a good impression of Alexander, considering him a person worthy of respect.
There were many beings revered as gods throughout the galaxy, but only the Emperor and Saint Doraemon refused divinity.
It's just that... those three had now gone directly to the Lion's Gate to speak with Adeptus Custodes Captain Trajan Valoris. Their purpose could only be to go to the Throne Room.
Currently, there were already many suspicions within the Adeptus Custodes regarding the Primarchs and Saint Doraemon. Knowing their goal was the Emperor, this suspicion and doubt would likely erupt.
"Captain Valerian, are you distracted?"
Standing on the Eternal Wall, Reyna, the commander of the Cadia 184th Regiment, who was constantly unleashing psyker power upon the fanatics, said with some surprise.
She seemed surprised that the Emperor's perfect creation would be distracted on the battlefield, surprised by the dullness exposed in Valerian's will.
Valerian nodded slightly, feeling some guilt. He also vaguely realized that ten thousand years of the Restriction Order had, in fact, made the Adeptus Custodes dull.
"I am worried that my brothers will use words full of suspicion to trouble Lord Alexander," he explained to Reyna.
"Hmm?" Reyna listened to Valerian's words, her expression a little strange.
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I think you should worry about your brothers..."
"..I hope Alexander's blasphemous words will not trouble the Adeptus Custodes' minds."
"I feel a strong sense of distrust in your gazes."
"Is this how you look at me and Sanguinius? With such doubtful gazes?"
"You suspect Guilliman, and that's one thing! But you even suspect a loyal Emperor follower like me? Even an Archangel?"
"If you dare to doubt me today, dare to doubt Sanguinius, I can't even imagine what you'll dare to doubt tomorrow."
In front of the Lion's Gate spaceport, Alexander, who had emerged from the anywhere door, looked at the at least four-digit number of Adeptus Custodes in front of him and said with indignation.
These Adeptus Custodes looked at Alexander, Sanguinius, and Guilliman with suspicion and vigilance.
It was as if this unit was arrayed here precisely to guard against them.
But before the leading Adeptus Custodes could express this wariness in words, Alexander preemptively began his accusations:
"Where were you when I was refuting the genestealer Four-Armed Emperor's false faith in the Bottom Nest?"
"Where were you when I was fighting the Tyranids in the Underworld?"
"Where were you when I was fighting the Great Devourer and the Blood God on Baal?"
"Where were you when I was resurrecting Roboute Guilliman on Ultramar?"
"Where were you when I was casually slurping a whole pot of thick soup in Nurgle's Garden?"
Adeptus Custodes Marshal Trajan Valoris slightly opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Alexander gave them no such opportunity.
"You were giving yourselves names thicker than dictionaries, you were streaking in the Imperial Palace, you were playing bloody games."
"We, who are loyal and wise for the Emperor, came here with full trust in you, three people without any guards, exposing our fragile bodies beneath your power spears."
"And you, who for ten thousand years have at most sprayed water on the Emperor's corpse to moisturize it, are fully armed and wary of us. Where is the trust? Is there any trust left?"
The Adeptus Custodes' bodies began to tremble. They tightened their grip on their power spears, wanting to refute Alexander, but Alexander's rapid-fire words had just impacted their countless-times-tempered minds, leaving them speechless for a moment.
Only Adeptus Custodes Captain Trajan Valoris looked at Alexander and the two Primarchs with a strange gaze, then carefully chose his words and spoke:
"So, why are all three of your skins so red?"
Sanguinius and Guilliman, whose skin was as red as fresh blood, subtly averted their gazes.
"Then I ask you, are you a male Adeptus Custodes or a female Adeptus Custodes?" Alexander, whose skin was also red, said without changing his expression.
[Item Name: Siegfried's Elixir]
[Origin: 22nd Century Earth - Future Department Store]
[Production Date: 271.M3]
[Function: An item created based on the legend of Siegfried, a hero who bathed in dragon's blood and became immortal. After bathing in the blood-like liquid in the bottle, the skin turns blood-red, granting immortality for thirty minutes, with only a small, leaf-shaped vital spot on the back.]
[Value: 89,900,000]
Alexander applied this item, based on Siegfried, the great hero from the 'Nibelungenlied', to himself and the two Primarchs.
For the next half an hour, the three of them would be immune to all forms of harm, pain, and mental control, achieving near-absolute immortality.
To compensate for the elixir's mere half-hour duration, they also used 'Mad Timing' to slow down their own time, making their personal time flow slower.
Then, through 'Accelerator Gears' and 'High-Efficiency Pills', they sped up their actions, making their movement speed appear normal.
Finally, they used 'Deflection Cloaks' to securely cover the single weak spot on their backs.
This way, without affecting their own actions, they gained long-lasting immortality and could also avoid their back's weakness.
They certainly weren't worried about the Custodians; even if the entire Custodian Ten Thousand-Man Legion were here, they couldn't harm Guilliman, Sanguinius, or Alexander.
After all, the Custodians wore auramite armor, and the machine spirits within were ancient and powerful, unable to resist Alexander's control over them.
What Alexander and the two Primarchs truly worried about was the Emperor Himself.
Both Alexander and Sanguinius had noticed that the Emperor's mental state seemed unwell, almost like He had senile dementia.
Even if the Emperor's mental state was abnormal, He was still one of the top two most deceptive beings in the galaxy, with a credit score in both reality and the Warp that was deeply in the negative.
Alexander's trust in Him, and even Guilliman's and Sanguinius' trust in Him, wasn't particularly strong, as both Primarchs had also been deceived by the Emperor.
Conversely, the Custodians' vigilance towards Alexander and the two Primarchs made Alexander feel inexplicably confused.
As soon as he stepped out of the anywhere door, Alexander noticed the suspicion in the Custodians' eyes.
Adhering to the principle of accusing others before being accused, Alexander directly condemned the Custodians for suspecting loyal subjects and for doing nothing for ten thousand years.
However, the Custodians truly were one of the Emperor's most perfect creations; their bodies and minds were tempered through a thousand trials.
Even if their minds had dulled during ten millennia of reclusiveness, under Alexander's condemnation, they still maintained basic composure, not—
"We have been guarding the Emperor for ten thousand years during the Great Heresy!"
Before Alexander could finish praising the Custodians in his mind, an indignant roar erupted from behind Custodian Captain-General Trajan Valoris.
"I would have preferred you to guard the Emperor properly during the Great Heresy ten thousand years ago," Alexander retorted almost without hesitation.
There was a moment of silence behind Trajan Valoris, then a chorus of unpleasant curses arose.
A Custodian in auramite power armor, wielding a twin-eagle shield, stepped out from diagonally behind Trajan Valoris, power spear in hand, attempting to charge at Alexander, who had insulted the Custodians' honor.
"Kerken! Maldorvar Kerken!" Custodian Captain-General Trajan Valoris roared, trying to stop the Custodian named Kerken.
But—
Thump!
Kerken tripped flat, his corn-like pointed helmet making intimate contact with the Palace floor.
Alexander subtly withdrew the finger he had just extended.
He had cut the power to that Custodian Kerken's left leg power armor, causing him to lose balance.
Kerken dragged his powerless left leg, struggling to get up from the ground.
But before he could charge forward again to defend the Custodians' honor with his blade, Trajan Valoris stopped him.
"Though Kerken is impetuous, what he says is not without reason."
Trajan Valoris' aged face turned to Alexander, and he said calmly, "Your accusation is baseless. The Custodians have never been part of the Imperium, and their duty has never included guarding the Imperium."
"We serve only the Emperor. Ten thousand years ago, we failed, and precisely because of that, for the past ten thousand years, we have guarded the Emperor even more diligently."
Setting aside whether the Emperor needed Custodian protection ten thousand years ago, let's talk about now—
"The Emperor does not need your protection now."
Alexander sincerely pointed out this fact.
This was truly what Alexander found most inexplicable.
Does the current Emperor really still need the Custodians' protection?
As long as the Chaos Gods show even a slight weakness, that golden big guy would dare to set fire to Nurgle's Garden, raid Slaanesh's six rings, stand tall in the Brass Fortress, and install a lie detector in the Crystal Labyrinth.
His venerable self, with a set of Six Flavors Emperor's Fist, could even make the Four Ruinous Powers ache so much they couldn't sleep at night.
And the Custodians actually think such a being needs their protection? Even the entire Custodian Ten Thousand-Man Legion combined is far inferior to the current Emperor.
Moreover, if the half-dead Emperor currently sitting on the Golden Throne were to die, Alexander guaranteed that those entities in the Warp would be more anxious than the Custodians.
The Emperor has always been a true immortal; He will not die, and even if He truly dies, He will eventually recover. But the danger is that if the Emperor dies now, the resurrected Him will absolutely not be the original Emperor, but will directly complete His ascension, becoming the true Destroyer.
This is an outcome that neither the Emperor nor the Chaos Gods wish to see, or rather, an outcome that no one with a normal mind in the entire galaxy wishes to see.
It's just that the Custodians seem to be unaware of this, after all, when the Emperor designed the Custodians, He didn't even give them one percent, or even one basis point, of Psyker power.
"For ten thousand years, He has protected humanity's million worlds and the souls of all uncorrupted humans from the Chaos Gods and xenos—though not perfectly—but you actually think that with fewer than ten thousand men, you can protect Him?"
Alexander waved his hand somewhat helplessly and said, "Lord Trajan, your protection and suspicion are meaningless. Let us proceed to the Throne Room."
"Believe me, this is the Emperor's will. He needs us."
After Alexander pointed this out, the Custodians were clearly even more agitated; if not for Trajan Valoris' suppression, these golden corn people would likely have already charged forward to try and tear Alexander apart.
"What my dear friend says is not pleasant to hear, but every word is true."
"My father is far more powerful than you imagine, even more powerful than He was ten thousand years ago."
Sanguinius spoke softly, "He is the King of Ages, like a god. Though His material body is severely wounded, He is still a god, powerful beyond measure."
"He might also be another existence, more terrifying than anything you know. I am unwilling to utter that name here, for I myself fear being cursed."
"The Custodians once witnessed the power represented by that name aboard the Vengeful Spirit, a power like a cold, black sun. That power still exists and is even stronger now."
If Alexander's words made the Custodians angry, even causing irrational cracks to appear in their tempered minds, then Sanguinius' words made the Custodians' hearts tremble. His gentle words were infectious, making one instinctively believe.
But all of this was within Alexander and Sanguinius' calculations.
Alexander's words created a crack in the Custodians' minds, and Sanguinius then pierced that crack to persuade them.
"..I must proceed to the Throne Room."
Guilliman's words were even more resolute, with no idle talk or persuasion, only pure authority:
"Perhaps one Custodian is equivalent to ten excellent Astartes, but I assure you: one Primarch is equivalent to a thousand Custodians."
"With Alexander's assistance, Sanguinius and I are equivalent to an entire Ten Thousand-Man Legion."
Alexander's accusations, Sanguinius' persuasion, and Guilliman's authority left the Custodians present in a state of slight bewilderment and confusion.
They had initially thought they were there to vet Alexander and the two Primarchs, to determine if they were loyal and could enter the Throne Room to meet the Emperor.
But now, the Custodians all felt that, in just a few words, they had become the passive party, the one being judged.
And Alexander and the two Primarchs were giving them a chance to rectify their mistakes.
The Custodians had, after all, not left Terra and the Imperial Palace for ten thousand years. While their bodies and martial skills may not have atrophied with training, their will, their thinking, and their minds had actually dulled, even deteriorated.
Just like that Custodian Kerken, Alexander had an impression of him.
In Alexander's memory, this Kerken became a Custodian Tribune in the normal timeline, serving as a liaison between the Custodians and Guilliman.
And Guilliman noticed Kerken's problem: he had stayed on Terra for too long, causing his will to become dull, often angry, almost incapable of adapting, even showing disdain for mortals, and extreme distrust of Primarchs and Astartes.
This problem was not unique to Kerken; in fact, most Custodians suffered from similar issues to varying degrees.
However, there were also excellent and wise individuals among the Custodians; they were, after all, one of the Emperor's most perfect creations.
For example, Valerian, the Shield-Captain who had once supported Alexander and others on the Moon, and Custodian Captain-General Trajan Valoris...
"The Eternal Gate will open for the three of you."
"I am willing to believe this is the Emperor's will."
This caused a brief stir among the Custodians, but Trajan Valoris quickly suppressed it.
"My mind is made up!"
"Touching fire is always dangerous, but if one always shrinks from fire, humanity will never have warmth and light."
"You have made the correct decision," Sanguinius said softly.
Trajan Valoris was silent, simply performing an aquila salute to Alexander and the two Primarchs.
"Come, all three of you."
"The Emperor awaits."