In response to Calgar's question, Daniel replied, "I am the spokesperson for the Emperor's will. You can call me the Guide."
"You are not Sanguinius?" Calgar frowned. He was justified in asking; their resemblance was uncanny.
Daniel shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not the guy you think."
Calgar took another look. He noticed Daniel's face was different from the iconic images of the Primarch. Realizing the man was not Sanguinius, Calgar let it go and turned toward Hera Fortress.
"Come on. I'll take you to the Primarch's Temple."
On the way to the temple, Grand Master Vodace of the Grey Knights' Third Brotherhood joined the group. Calgar had summoned him, a clear sign that the Chapter Master wasn't taking any chances and was keeping his guard up around Daniel and the others.
The players craned their necks to look at the Grey Knights, kibitzing excitedly in the communication channel. The Grey Knights, a legacy left by the Emperor and Malcador, were humanity's ace in the hole against Daemons.
They soon arrived at the breathtaking Primarch's Temple. Thanks to Daniel, players like Rigby, Shicilang, and Tulu were permitted to enter.
The Primarch's Hall was a grand, vaulted tomb. Marble columns supported a dome of stained glass and obsidian, where murals depicted Guilliman's past glories.
The Primarch, seemingly in eternal repose, lay in state on an exquisite throne, eyes closed. The wound on his neck was clearly visible, his gem-like blood glistening. Across his knees lay the Emperor's Sword itself.
The stasis device stood beside the throne, making a humming sound, its matrix emitting a mist-like static force field that held the Primarch stuck in a perpetual moment before death. The pilgrims approached the throne, with Cawl's Auto-Reliquary following automatically.
"Is this the blue sun in the hearts of the people of Ultramar?" one player quipped.
"You're talking crazy, I'm craving a Loyal Orange," another replied, referencing an in-game general's legacy.
"I've been racking my brain about this: when Horus was struck, Abaddon insisted on sending him to the Temple of Davin. Why didn't they just put him in a stasis field and call Terra?"
"Don't ask. If you ask, Erebus won't allow it. If you ask again, it's the might of the Four Gods. If you ask again, it's the power of the great Black Library."
"Heretical talk! Call the Inquisition!"
"You keep calling me a heretic. Believe it or not, I'll snitch to Terra!"
"It's time to go through the plot again? Can't we just get the party started?"
"You must be the type who always hits the spacebar to skip the whole cutscene."
"I have no intention of understanding the cause and effect; I just want to kill everything in sight."
The players' jokes and utter lack of seriousness made Calgar's frown deepen. If it weren't for the Living Saint Celestine vouching for them as "chosen by God," Calgar would have thrown these clowns out on their ear.
"Now, can you tell me why I absolutely have to see the Primarch?" Calgar took a deep breath and asked Cawl.
Seeing the Primarch in person, Cawl no longer insisted on secrecy and revealed his mission. Years before Guilliman was mortally wounded by his brother Fulgrim, he had summoned Cawl and laid out a plan.
The first directive was to recover the original matrix and create a new group of warriors to become the guardians of the Empire. The Astartes rebellion made Guilliman realize the risks of large-scale Legions.
He hoped Cawl could make the Astartes stronger, allowing them to perfectly practice the Codex Astartes and act as the Empire's elite special forces. Unfortunately, within a few years, Guilliman was put into the ICU by Fulgrim's blade. Without resources, Cawl had a rough go and could only accumulate what he needed slowly.
The second directive stemmed from how Horus was blindsided by a Warp weapon, sent to the Temple of Davin, and ultimately corrupted. To preempt any Chaos schemes, Guilliman made two preparations:
He carried a stasis field device with him, ensuring that if he was seriously injured, he wouldn't be sent to a Dark God's temple by helpless descendants.
He commanded Cawl to create equipment that could clear the evil power of the Warp.
Due to insufficient resources, Cawl's progress was slow. The commission was finally completed only recently. "Now, the last piece of the puzzle is to put the forged Armor of Fate on Guilliman to restore him."
The announcement stopped everyone dead in their tracks. Even Greyfax and Amalrich's eyes widened. They knew Cawl was on a big mission, but resurrecting the Primarch was something else entirely.
Tigurius and the Ultramarines around them looked ecstatic. Getting the Lord of Ultramar back online would be a massive boon for the Ultramarines and a much-needed reassurance for the fragmented Empire.
Yvraine stood up. "This is why I'm here. I am the Saint of the God of Death."
"The miracle of reviving a Primarch requires more than just Cawl's effort. It also needs the power of the God of Death."
"And to resurrect Guilliman, we must first let him die."
As soon as Yvraine finished, Calgar's shock turned instantly into a volcanic rage.
"Xenos, are you trying to trick me? I'm right here! None of you are allowed to lay a hand on the Primarch!"
Vodace stood beside Calgar, keeping a suspicious eye on the Eldar. Greyfax and Amalrich were ready for a fight. The surrounding Ultramarines raised their bolters, pointing them at Daniel, Cawl, and the Death Army.
Calgar looked warily at the Saints, but found they were standing far away, weapons holstered, simply watching the show. This made him wonder if they were totally chill about the whole thing.
Just as the standoff was about to hit the fan, a rapid siren blared.
Boom!
A blue Thunderhawk gunship, belching black smoke, crashed right through the temple dome and slammed onto the marble floor. Before anyone could react, the gunship's attack ramp dropped, and a squad of Black Legion Chaos Space Marines rushed out, firing wildly at the Loyalists.
A panicked report came over Calgar's comms: the orbital space station had fallen. The enemy had mixed in with evacuating Thunderhawks used exclusively by the Ultramarines and blasted their way into Macragge City.
Before Calgar could recover from his shock, Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted everywhere, shaking the ground. Hell Claws continuously broke through the Ultramarines' air defenses and slammed into the Primarch's Temple. Chaos Space Marines poured out in an endless stream, unleashing a fierce torrent of firepower.
This was just the beginning. A horrifying Warp crack appeared out of nowhere. Accompanied by shrill screams, a gentle figure slid from the Warp into the real universe and began to dance gracefully.
"Masquerade?" Yvraine and the other Eldar felt their hearts sink.
The Masked Dancer of Slaanesh was the most notorious Daemon and vanguard officer of the Prince of Pleasure. Her dance was mesmerizing and seductive, instantly drawing the attention of all living beings.
Even the players, protected by the Emperor's blessing, were affected, standing still with dazed eyes. Only Rigby, whose resolve was rock-solid, and Vodace, the Soulless who was immune to the Warp, remained unaffected.
Daniel took the lead. Holding his spear in one hand and the Blade of Holy Judgment in the other, he rushed toward the Masked Dancer, determined to stop her from seducing the Empire's Loyalists. The Daemon produced a razor-sharp blade. Her swordsmanship was like a patterned venomous snake: beautiful and deadly.
While Daniel fought the Masquerade, others sprang into action. Celestine drew her blazing blade, humming a war-song as she charged the enemy. Amalrich did the same, leading his Black Templar warriors against the Chaos Space Marines. Vodace fired his bolter and called for support.
Cawl did not join the battle. Instead, he approached Guilliman on the throne with the Auto-Reliquary, guarded by Skitarii, Death Legions, and Librarian Tigurius.
Cawl moved fast. His robotic arm operated rapidly, opening the holy box layer by layer to reveal the exquisite azure power armor. The robotic arm reached out and began to slowly fit the Armor of Fate over the Primarch's body.
"No!" Calgar, who was tied up fighting the enemy, roared angrily. "Stop! In the name of the Emperor, stop now! Brother Tigurius, stop it!"
Tigurius rejected Calgar. "I'm sorry, I can't. This is the only shot we have to bring the Primarch back."
Calgar was beside himself with rage, but he had his hands full and couldn't break away.
A moment later, the Auto-Reliquary perfectly wrapped the original body. Yvraine slashed her sword to cut the stasis field's supply cables, instantly ending the Primarch's life. Then, she used the power of death to try and wake him up.
The Chaos offensive grew more intense, wave after wave. Hell Claws continued to fall, reducing the temple to ruins. Soldiers from the Black Legion, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, Alpha Legion, and others poured out.
Under overwhelming firepower, the Ultramarines fell one by one. Their fearless Terminators were shattered into corpses in the hail of bullets. The Loyalists' defeat was inevitable.
As the chaos raged, the readings on the Auto-Reliquary returned to zero. A clear, pure sound, a mechanical prompt praising the Omnissiah, sliced through the noisy battlefield, momentarily silencing everyone.
The Auto-Reliquary made a pleasant sound, its mechanical gears turning like blooming petals, slowly unfolding.
Guilliman, moments ago a pale statue, snapped his eyes open. His presence hit like a freight train, shaking the hearts of every living being on the battlefield. The Primarch surveyed the scene, his extraordinary mind getting the lay of the land instantly. His eyes burned with rage, and the Emperor's Sword in his hand burst into scorching flames.
At that moment, a Khorne Berserker broke ranks from the enemy, battle-axe raised, and rushed toward the Primarch—determined to take his head for the Blood God.