Chapter 153: The Horus Heresy, the Funeral of the Golden Age, the Silence of the Myriad Worlds

Above the heavenly canopy,

The blood-red subtitles faded away like a brand.

【The peak of the Great Crusade is the beginning of destruction.】

The screen lit up,

No longer the gloomy iron-rust color, but a brilliant, eye‑blinding gold.

A grand symphony replaced the mournful hymn,

That was the victory anthem, a hymn of praise for humanity.

The camera focused on the space above a planet named "Wulanuo",

Tens of thousands of massive warships formed a steel Great Wall.

And beneath them, a vast empire built by the green‑skinned beastmen was turning to ash in the flames.

This was the pinnacle of the Great Crusade, the most glorious moment of the Human Empire.

On the observation deck of the flagship "Vengeful Spirit,"

The Emperor.

That man, clad in golden armor and resembling a god,

personally handed a war hammer symbolizing supreme power to his most beloved and finest son.

Horus Lupercal, the Primarch of the Lunar Wolves Legion,

"My son, Horus."

The Emperor's voice was gentle yet majestic, echoing in the ears of every being watching the heavenly canopy,

"The conquest of the galaxy is nearing its end, but I still have more important things to do."

"I will build on Taila a road of light leading to an eternal future for all our people."

"From today, you are the Warmaster."

"You will act in my stead, commanding all of humanity's legions to finish this final crusade."

Horus knelt on one knee, took the war hammer, his eyes shining with affection and fervor.

"For you, Father! For humanity!"

At that moment, fatherly love and filial devotion united all hearts.

The Human Empire stood at an unprecedented peak, about to shake off the shadow of Chaos and usher in a true golden age of reason and science.

The myriad‑world spectators,

were all moved.

The Land of Light.

Ultraman Father watched the scene on the heavenly canopy where father and son entrusted each other, and a relieved smile appeared on his face:

"Hand over authority to the finest offspring, while I lay the foundation for civilization's future."

"This Emperor is a truly far‑sighted monarch. Horus, too, lives up to his father's trust."

The Marvel Universe.

Tony Stark whistled, his eyes full of admiration:

"Are you building a 'cosmic subway' in the warp to completely solve the safety problem of interstellar travel?"

"This idea is crazy, it's genius! I love it! This move…"

"I hope he doesn't screw it up."

The flagship of the Stellarines Union.

Sidney Grand Marshal crossed his hands, leaned back in the chair, and for the first time showed an approving expression toward a "feudal emperor":

"Cut off the fire beneath the pot……by physical means, completely isolate the threat of idealism."

"This strategy……is correct."

"If he succeeds, humanity will truly become the master of the galaxy."

"From this, the Emperor seems not to be a sealed‑up god who rests on his laurels, but a person with ideals and ambition."

"But why, later, did he become that miserable sight?"

The Dragon Ball World.

The King of Worlds wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes:

"What a great father and son……not striving for power, but working together for the future of civilization."

"Such selflessness……is truly moving!"

However,

just as the myriad worlds thought they were about to witness a great civilization rising,

the image on the heavenly canopy, without warning, went black.

The victorious symphony came to an abrupt halt.

Replaced by,

was a maddening chaotic noise.

The screen lit up again,

on a barbaric planet named "Daiwen".

Warmaster Horus lay upon the altar,

a sinister‑emanating curved blade was plunged into his chest.

He had been gravely wounded by a Chaos weapon.

The local "priest" was conducting a "healing ritual" for him.

But that so-called ritual dragged his soul into the endless vortex of the Warp!

【The corrupted seed is planted at this moment.】

Horus's soul plummeted in the sea of chaotic energy.

He heard the first voice, filled with endless fury and killing intent; it told him that power is everything, and the weak deserve only slaughter.

That was Khorne's roar.

He then heard the second voice, full of the possibility of change and false hope; it told him that his father was deceiving him, that the future was not what he imagined.

That was Tzeentch's trick.

Immediately after,

A gentle, fatherly voice sounded in his ear, urging him to give up struggle and accept rebirth in decay; it told him that all resistance would ultimately end in despair.

That was Nurgle's gift.

Finally,

A voice that was both exquisite agony and exquisite pleasure wrapped around him, amplifying all his pride, envy, and discontent.

That was Slaanesh's temptation.

The four Chaos Gods,

joined forces to weave an inescapable nightmare for this heaven‑chosen prodigy.

Horus saw a vision:

In the future Terra,

The Emperor was not conducting any scientific project; instead, he sat upon the Golden Throne, accepting the kneeling of billions of humanity, becoming a true 'god'.

And he, Horus, the great Warmaster,

yet together with his brothers, all his achievements were erased, reducing him to historical dust.

"Look, Warmaster."

A voice whispered in his mind,

"Your father has betrayed the truth of the Empire we built together."

"He seeks to become a god, while you are merely stepping stones on his path to divinity!"

"No… Father would not…"

Horus struggled in the vision.

"He will!"

In the vision, his most trusted subordinate, the Chief Strategist of the Shadow Moon Grey Wolf, possessed by a demon, snarled at him with that face,

"He has abandoned us! He has used us! Now he wants to keep everything for himself!"

Jealousy, rage, the pain of betrayal, fear of the future…

All negative emotions were infinitely amplified at this moment.

Horus's indomitable will, under the combined assault of the four Chaos Gods, finally cracked.

"Why……"

"Why abandon me……"

"Why…… should I bear everything while you enjoy glory on Terra?"

Boom—

Deep within Horus's soul, something shattered.

He slowly, in the Warp vision, knelt before those four indescribable horrors.

When he opened his eyes again from the altar, those once‑clear, star‑like pupils had turned scarlet and clouded.

Warmaster Horus died.

In his place,

was Chaos's greatest puppet.

The myriad‑world spectators felt as if plunged into an ice cellar.

The Three‑Body First Fleet.

The Leader's thought‑body fluctuated violently, on the verge of collapse; its earlier fear of Chaos had now become reality.

"It's over…… completely over……"

"These terrifying Chaos Gods…… they don't even need fleets or weapons; just a lie, a vision, and they can corrupt a civilization's mightiest warrior, its most loyal son!"

"If…… if the Three‑Body Civilization faced such an enemy…… we couldn't even survive a single contact!"

"Our analysis of human nature, our suspicion chains, are mere child's play before them!"

"They will toy with us in the palm of their hand, making us slaughter each other, ultimately embracing destruction willingly!"

In the Leader's mind,

rose the emotion named 'Despair'.

Cybertron.

Optimus Prime gazed upon the fallen Horus, his blue optics dim and lifeless.

"The hero's fall…… is more heartbreaking than the destruction of ten thousand planets."

"Free will is so fragile in the Warp."

Megatron then let out a low, dark laugh:

"Consumed by jealousy and ambition? What a pathetic weakling!"

"But he chose the right path—rebelling against a tyrant is the instinct of every strong soul!"

Wandering Earth universe.

Liu Peiqiang felt a bone‑chilling chill.

"The psychological defense line… turns out this is the most fragile defense line."

"MOSS, do we have a contingency plan for this kind of mental pollution?"

"No."

MOSS's reply was simple and cruel,

"Human emotion is a loophole that logic cannot defend against."

"Humanity is strong because of emotion, and equally fragile because of emotion."

Above the firmament,

The fire of betrayal has been ignited.

【First Blood: Istvan III Star.】

In the picture,

Horus called himself "Cleansing the Legion of the Disloyal."

Tens of thousands of star‑fighters still loyal to the Emperor were selected from his own legion and the Death Guard, World Eaters, and other legions, then dropped onto the surface of Istvan III.

Those loyal warriors thought this was a suppression of a local rebellion.

However,

When they had finished assembling, what awaited them was coming from orbit, from their own warships.

Virus bombs.

A green death mist shrouded the entire planet.

Flesh turned to pus in a few seconds, leaving only stark white bones.

Immediately after,

【140】 Devastating orbital bombardment plowed the planet's surface over and over.

Devastating orbital bombardment plowed the entire planet's surface over and over again.

and also a massacre.

【Second Act: Landing Field Massacre.】

Istvan V Star.

When the loyal Iron Hands, Salamanders, and Raven Guard legions came to punish the traitors, they believed they had reinforcements from seven legions.

When the loyal Iron Hand, Fire Lizard, and Dark Raven Guard legions came to punish the traitor, they believed they had reinforcements of seven legions.

At the height of their battle with Horus's vanguard, those seven "reinforcements"—the Iron Warriors, Alpha Legion, and Word Bearers—simultaneously switched sides!

The guns of betrayal fired from all directions.

The loyalist troops found themselves trapped in a desperate encirclement on the landing field.

The primarch of the Iron Hands legion,

Ferrus Manus.

That iron‑like man roared as he charged at his former brother, the primarch of the Emperor's Children, Fulgrim.

But Fulgrim, now wholly given over to the embrace of Slaanesh, severed his head with a daemon sword.

The image froze on Ferrus Manus's lifeless, eyes‑open head.

The loyalists were almost completely wiped out.

Land of Light.

Ultraman Father let out a long sigh, his voice full of weariness and sorrow:

"A plot… too dark and sinister. The evil gods of the Warp never show themselves; they merely crack open a hole in the human heart, then watch the whole galaxy burn for them."

"Conspiracy…… too treacherous. The evil gods of the warp never personally intervene; they merely open a crack in people's hearts, then watch as the entire galaxy burns for them."

Seven's fists were clenched tight; he stared at the firmament, then involuntarily glanced at Zero nearby, who was staring agape.

"If… if Zero were corrupted by Belial in this way…"

"If…… if Seiro were corrupted by Belial in this way……"

the enemy he faces,

is wielding the Ultimate Combat Instrument,

with blazing chaos fire in his eyes, Dark Zero.

Seven dared not think further.

Such a disaster would plunge the entire Land of Light into an unprecedented catastrophe.

Such a disaster would be enough to plunge the entire Kingdom of Light into an unprecedented catastrophe.

The final straw that broke the Empire's back,

but did not come from the enemy.

but came from a "good intention".

【Magnus's Folly: Webway Collapse.】

The primarch of the Thousand Sons legion.

Red Magnus.

The Emperor's most powerful psyker son.

He foresaw Horus's betrayal through forbidden sorcery.

He foresaw Horus's betrayal through forbidden sorcery.

He was anxious.

The Emperor had long ago issued a strict order forbidding anyone from using large‑scale psychic power for long‑distance communication.

The Emperor had long issued a strict order, prohibiting anyone from using large-scale spiritual power for long-distance communication.

Because that would leave clear coordinates in the Warp, drawing daemons.

But Magnus believed himself to be the exception.

He believed his power was sufficient to control the risk.

"I must warn my father!"

On the homeworld of the Children of Thorn,

on Prospero

Magnus sat cross-legged at the center of the sigil

He burned his own soul, drew upon the power of the entire Legion's Librarium, shaped it into a pure psychic shockwave, forcibly tore open reality, spanned tens of thousands of light-years, and hurtled toward Holy Terra!

And hurtled toward the deepest reaches of the Imperial Palace!

He only wanted to send a message.

But that message became a psychic shell capable of destroying a world!

The view cut sharply.

Holy Terra, beneath the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor stood before a massive archway radiating a soft golden light.

That was the entrance to the Human Webway. Construction was nearly complete.

Suddenly, he lifted his head.

The next second,

A crimson psychic spear, suffused with Magnus's will, erupted savagely from the Warp, striking precisely and unstoppably…

Boom!!!

It pierced the Webway barrier that the Emperor had painstakingly built over decades using countless ancient technologies and his own might!

At that moment, the sky gave two close-ups.

One was Magnus.

His lone eye first flickered with a hint of "I did it" elation.

But then,

when he felt the true will of his father the Emperor's plan,

and saw with his own eyes the massive rift he had torn open himself,

and heard the greedy roars of billions of daemons pouring from the rift, his expression froze.

Elation turned to shock, shock turned into utter, incomprehensible despair.

The flesh on his face seemed to be drained at that moment.

"No… I… what have I done?"

Another close-up,

was the Emperor.

He had no anger, no roar.

When that psychic blast from his own son pierced his life's work, he simply slowly closed his eyes.

On that godlike handsome face, what appeared was not the pain of being attacked,

but a profound weariness, as if the whole universe weighed upon his shoulders…

It was watching the sandcastle he was most proud of…

…being stomped flat by the foolish son he most wanted to protect.

The golden light of the Webway was instantly replaced by blood-red chaotic energy.

Countless Bloodthirsters, Pink Horrors, Plague Bearers…

Like a bursting flood, they surged from the rift Magnus tore into humanity's holy ground, Terra.

The Emperor opened his eyes and silently drew the flame‑tongued sword at his waist.

He could no longer go on crusade against Horus.

He must stay here, with his Custodes and Silent Sisters beside him, and personally shut this gate to Hell.

All worlds, silent.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden, absurdly treacherous stab in the back.

In the World of Armored Warriors.

Duanmu Yan covered her forehead and closed her eyes:

"I originally thought Magnus could be the key to breaking the stalemate, becoming an informant who breaks the deadlock."

"In the end, with a good intention he caused destruction worse than all traitors combined… How… how could this happen?"

In the Breaking Through the Heavens world.

Xiao Yan opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Beside him, Yao Lao sighed:

"Foolish… this cannot be made up for by mere strong talent."

"This Magnus possesses power to destroy heaven and earth, yet lacks the wisdom and reverence to match it."

"One reckless spark from such a fool is more terrifying than the schemes of ten evil gods combined."

In the Marvel Universe.

Doctor Strange gazed at the sky, his face ashen:

"He broke the absolute rule that must not be broken! I've warned how many times not to toy with spacetime and dimensions!"

"That red‑eyed giant used a nuclear bomb to send a text! He is a criminal of the whole empire!"

The flagship of the Star People United.

Grand Marshal Sidney slammed his fist on the control panel, producing a huge bang.

「Idiot! A complete idiot! 」

「Acting solely on one's own speculation, violating the supreme order! 」

「Such a primitive being should be the first to be sent to a military tribunal! 」

Three-Body First Fleet.

The Leader's thought signal instead calmed down, a calm worse than heartbreak.

「I understand, I completely understand…… The despair of this universe does not lie in how strong the enemy is. 」

「But rather, you never know if your teammate will, in the next second, deliver the most deadly backstab. 」

Wandering Earth Universe.

Liu Peiqiang leaned against the chair back, muttering:

「The Great Expedition, the Netway Plan—the Emperor has done so much, he is almost about to succeed. 」

「Just a little bit more! 」

「All his painstaking effort, the future he planned for humanity…… all ruined because of a foolish son. 」

Above the firmament.

The Emperor's blood-soaked figure fighting in the underground netways,

and the image of Horus gathering the rebel army, blades pointed at Terra, overlaid together.

A new line of subtitles, blazing with vengeful flames, slowly appears.

【The Siege of Terra, about to begin.】

【The end of brother-against-brother, the final showdown of gods and demons.】