"Damn it! We need to find a way to blast them out of the void!" Lion snapped the moment she saw the Word Bearers fleet displayed on the star chart.
So it turned out that, aside from Erebus, the Word Bearers had also stationed an expeditionary fleet in the Davin system. Worse, they had done it cleverly—deployed right on the edge of the area, close enough to matter, yet far enough to claim it had nothing to do with any of this.
An accomplice to the suspected culprit lingering right beside the crime scene?
And they expected anyone to believe the attack on Horus had nothing to do with them?
Only by wiping them all out could they truly guarantee Horus's safety and that of the Sixteenth Legion. Otherwise, who knew what filth the Word Bearers still had hidden away?
"But..." Horus still found it hard to accept what Lion and Bruce had told him. "The Word Bearers... and Lorgar... why would they want to harm me? What possible reason would they even have?"
She had no direct conflict with Lorgar. Their most recent real interaction had been after the destruction of Monarchia. Horus had even gone out of his way to comfort him, telling him not to brood, assuring him that their father had not meant it that way, and urging him not to direct his resentment toward the Ultramarines, who had merely carried out orders.
Because the Ultramarines had destroyed Monarchia, Horus had even considered finding an opportunity someday to have the two Legions cooperate in a campaign, to smooth things over and bury the grudge.
And yet...
Because of something like that, Lorgar had gone over to Chaos?
If it had not come from Lion herself, Horus would have assumed Bruce had some personal feud with the Word Bearers. Otherwise, why did he grit his teeth every single time their Legion was mentioned?
"Lord Warmaster," Bruce said, offering his own view of the matter, "why are you even trying to understand how those scumbags think? The moment they became tainted by Chaos, they were already beyond saving."
"Don't ask why Lorgar would do this. Ask how we're going to punish those bastards."
Horus let out a weary sigh.
It was not only helplessness at having been betrayed by a brother. It was also because he truly could not understand how things had come to this. How could a brother—someone who had once marched beside them—end up in the grip of Chaos?
All it did was make one thing even clearer.
This had to be reported to their father.
"At the time, the Word Bearers' Expeditionary Fleet 1301 did submit formal notice that they would be conducting maneuvers near the Davin system," Horus said, steadying himself and continuing. "The Warmaster's command approved the request. Though I admit, even then, I didn't understand why they wanted to conduct exercises there."
There it was again—the old Horus, the commander who always looked at the entire theater of war.
"If we open fire now and destroy that whole fleet, it will inevitably trigger direct conflict between Legions," Horus continued. "And it would damage our own standing as well."
"Very few people know the Word Bearers have fallen to Chaos. If the other Primarchs hear about this, they will go to Lorgar—and to us—for answers. And if it gets that far, then with Chaos involved, odds are they'll manage to corrupt one or two more people along the way."
"So I believe striking them head-on simply is not worth it. Better to wait and see."
A trap.
That was the word hanging unspoken between them. The initiative had shifted—what had once been reactive was now proactive—but Chaos still operated from the shadows. With the battlefield still obscured by fog, charging in recklessly would only mean walking straight into another snare.
"You're telling me we just sit here and watch them loiter around the area? Maybe even provoke us?" Lion's temper flared. What she wanted was simple: annihilate the fleet, then take everyone with her and smash through to Colchis itself.
Forget Monarchia. She wanted their homeworld put under Exterminatus too. Burn the whole thing down and see how much swagger they had left after that.
"Lion, calm down. What if that fleet is meant to be expendable bait?"
"From the moment you killed the envoy sent to corrupt me, it's entirely possible Lorgar had already moved on to the next stage of his plan. If we act now, we'll just hand them the opportunity they want."
"The best move is to behave as if nothing happened."
Bruce hated admitting it, but he sighed and nodded. "I agree with the Warmaster."
Painful as it was to let that fleet live, strategy wasn't decided by one satisfying tactical victory. You could win a battle and still lose the war.
And right now, the initiative lay with them.
There was no need to rush.
If anything, it was the Word Bearers and the Chaos Gods who should be panicking.
All they had to do was plaster the evidence in front of the other Primarchs, then notify Holy Terra. Once that happened, the Word Bearers were finished. Lorgar could scream until his lungs gave out and no one would be able to save him.
"Of course," Horus said, his expression sharpening with pride, "that doesn't mean we simply let them leave. That would be too kind."
"I will use my authority as Warmaster and order them to remain in the Davin system for an extended period. I'll also assign people to watch them."
If they'd come all this way, then they were not going anywhere.
That was the meaning of the powers the Emperor had entrusted to Horus as Warmaster.
Normally, Horus hardly ever used those powers in a heavy-handed way. They were brothers, after all. There was no point in humiliating one another. And above all, he had always tried to be fair.
But since the Word Bearers—and Lorgar—had chosen to act without shame, then they could not complain when he returned the favor.
"Good," Lion said, finally somewhat satisfied. "If Lorgar was willing to abandon that fleet, then let them stay abandoned."
If she could not kill them, then at least she could make them suffer.
"That means we have to move quickly," Bruce said, turning to both Primarchs. "We need to inform the other Primarchs that Lorgar and the Word Bearers have fallen. And Holy Terra has to know too. Otherwise, if we slip up, this still turns into a civil war."
"Or this," Horus said after a moment. "I summon Lorgar under Warmaster's authority, then seize him and deliver him to our father. Would that work?"
He no longer cared whether such a move was strictly elegant or politically clean. If it worked, then it worked. If anyone wanted to argue afterward, let them. The Emperor's subjects could judge him later.
"He'll never come," Bruce said flatly. "And the moment he realizes what you're trying to do, he'll probably lash out immediately."
Lion fell silent.
So did Horus.
And Bruce as well.
There were plenty of possible courses of action. The problem was finding one that came even close to ideal.
"All right," Horus said at last. "I'll go to Holy Terra myself and tell Father—"
Before he could finish, Lion cut in.
"I'll go."
"I will travel to Holy Terra, explain everything to our father, and recall the First Legion as well. The Rangdan remnants have already been reduced to scattered fragments. My forces can be freed."
"To deal with what comes next—to punish traitors—I have to do this. The First Legion is too dispersed as it stands. And besides..." She lowered her gaze. "There are matters I must settle on Caliban as well."
She looked to Horus. "You are the Warmaster. If you suddenly halt the Great Crusade's progress, the Lords on Terra will use that against you."
"In truth, I've always understood what the title of Warmaster really means. It brings burdens as much as honor. The duties you bear go far beyond the word itself."
"So let me go to Holy Terra. Let me explain it all to Father."
Of course, there was another reason she did not say aloud.
Compared to Horus's current state—rabbit ears, small frame, the whole absurd transformation—Lion knew that she stood a far better chance of persuading the Emperor. She had changed in size and form, yes, but she was still recognizably human.
The same golden hair. The same fierce blue eyes. The same leonine authority.
Horus, on the other hand...
Even the bald head was gone.
If you told someone that was the Warmaster, where was the proof?
"Lion..." Horus's heart grew heavy again. He understood exactly what she meant.
"And if," Lion said carefully, "I mean if Father hears what happened to you... and chooses to erase you and your Legion..."
She hesitated, then spoke her mind.
"Run."
"You did nothing wrong. I will not allow the tragedy of those other two brothers to happen again. Horus—you understand what I mean."
Horus nodded slowly, his expression grave. "I do."
Then he fell silent, the full weight of it settling over him once more.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 132)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter140)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter95)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter165)
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Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 145
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
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From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 95
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 155
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 125
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 105
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 62
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 80
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 80
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 62
Uma Musume: I Want All 65
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
Summoning an Evil God, but the 41
Supernatural Multiverse 45
My Harem Is Indescribable 35
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 46
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 26
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 36
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