Chapter 186: Blood Slave Sanguinius

More than a hundred warriors entered the Well of Angels through the tunnel, their expressions weary, as if they had just endured battle.

They were led by a captain, a chaplain, and three Blood Priests.

The hundred-plus Astartes formed a battle formation; most of their power armor was damaged, and even the least damaged had large sections of paint corroded away by acid, exposing bare metal beneath.

Yet Zhou Yun still recognized the armor patterns—the dark red power armor adorned with white skull insignias belonged to the Crimson Angels Chapter, one of the sons of Sanguinius.

Zhou Yun's eyes narrowed slightly; things were becoming interesting.

The captain of the Crimson Angels walked forward to Dante and slowly raised his hand.

Behind him, the warriors bowed their heads and knelt on one knee—all of them, even the wounded, despite the agony it caused them.

Then the captain himself knelt before Dante, lowering his head and speaking softly:

"I am Captain Fenney," said Captain Fenney of the Crimson Angels, voice strained with pain. "We have come from afar to pledge our loyalty to you—to Commander Dante, Lord of Baal, now King of Armies—and to offer our aid."

Dante stood motionless, his golden mask making him resemble a golden statue.

A statue burning with rage, as if ready to roar.

"I did not summon you," Dante's voice was low and powerful, yet rougher than usual with fury.

"What does this mean?" asked Yor, standing beside Zhou Yun in the pit, surprised.

For Commander Dante to refuse the Crimson Angels' support was unthinkable.

Even the Blood Knights, branded as traitor chapters, had been accepted by Dante.

After the Crimson Grand Council, Yor had even privately revealed his chapter's secrets to Dante—and still, Dante granted Yor and his warriors the honor of battle and sacrifice.

"The Crimson Angels are unwelcome," Zhou Yun murmured to Yor.

Yor was startled—as if he hadn't expected Zhou Yun to answer.

"Five hundred years ago, Chapter Master Dante issued a ban against the Crimson Angels: permanent severance of all ties."

Zhou Yun glanced at Yor and continued softly; Dante made no move to stop him.

"The Blood Angels will never accept aid from the Crimson Angels, nor will they ever aid them."

"This matter is known only to Dante and a few senior Blood Priests."

Upon hearing this, the sons of Sanguinius fell into stunned silence.

Such a harsh ban—nearly a declaration of enmity between two chapters. How could two blood kin, both sons of Sanguinius, have descended to this?

Captain Fenney's face showed bewilderment—he could not fathom how this blue-armored warrior in the pit knew such secrets.

On his way here, he had heard rumors of the Well of Angels: that a Space Marine of the Ultramarines had brought a relic of the Archangel and issued a challenge to all sons of Sanguinius.

But why would an Ultramarine know this?

"Why?" asked Chapter Master Yor of the Blood Knights. "The Crimson Angels—they're practically a model chapter."

"Aren't we, the Blood Knights, the ones labeled traitors by the High Lords?"

Yor spoke what every brother in every chapter knew:

The Crimson Angels were the model among Sanguinius's sons; they resisted bloodlust and black rage, yet remained mysterious, rarely interacting with other chapters.

Captain Fenney snapped his head up, staring fiercely at Yor in the pit.

His eyes wavered—he could not believe Dante had accepted the Blood Knights, yet refused the Crimson Angels.

He clenched his teeth.

"The Crimson Angels have passed down a ritual: the Rite of Remorse."

Seeing Dante made no move to stop him, Zhou Yun continued.

"No!" cried Captain Fenney in horror, not understanding why this secret—

Then Fenney felt two gazes upon him:

One from the blue-armored warrior in the pit, the other from Dante—his gaze filled with fury.

Captain Fenney lowered his head.

"The Rite of Remorse? Honestly, I have no idea where you got this dark, blasphemous ritual."

Zhou Yun glanced at Captain Fenney and went on:

"Every fifty years, the Crimson Angels slaughter the population of their homeworld, drain the blood of innocent civilians, strip their flesh, and bury their bones. Then, the Crimson Angels bathe in the blood of these sacrifices."

"Then, they drain a Blood Priest to death and pour his blood into the pool." At these words, all present shuddered.

Blood Priests were specialized apothecaries of the Blood Angels and their successor chapters; unlike other chapters, they were not merely healers and gene-seed guardians—they were the Keepers of the Holy Chalice, the guides who helped brothers resist bloodlust and black rage.

Their veins even carried the blood of Sanguinius himself, preserving their Primarch's blood within their own flesh.

To drain a Blood Priest to death and pour his blood into the pool was equivalent to—

"You dare," roared Yor, his chainsword pointing at Captain Fenney. "You dare defile the blood of Sanguinius!!"

Captain Fenney's body trembled slightly; he could not speak.

"Then, you turn that blood—infused with Sanguinius's blood—into liquid rations, stored in armor dispensers to sustain you. One massacre and one Blood Priest's sacrifice provide half a century's supply."

Zhou Yun ignored Yor's roar and continued.

The chamber fell utterly silent; all seemed to doubt they had heard correctly—liquid rations?

Liquid rations infused with Sanguinius's blood?

Even Yor, the one among them most fallen to bloodlust, looked dazed.

"So, could you tell me—who taught you this ritual? Don't you find it strange?"

In the silence, Zhou Yun spoke with an odd tone:

"Are you certain this ritual isn't tainted by the Warp? And when you drink blood infused with Sanguinius's blood, haven't you felt anything… off?"

The sons of Sanguinius remained deathly silent, staring blankly at Captain Fenney, too stunned even to accuse.

Among these sons of Sanguinius, some slaughtered civilians in madness, some treated mortals as food, some institutionalized killing like the Crimson Angels—

But to use Sanguinius's blood in a blasphemous, dark ritual, and to consume it as liquid food—this was beyond anything any son of Sanguinius could imagine.

If Zhou Yun were to say it plainly, the Crimson Angels were a breed of geniuses—so deep in bloodlust they'd turned to the Primarch himself. Was Sanguinius's blood just that potent? They'd turned him into a blood slave.

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The most insane part was the Rite of Remorse itself—it clearly had something wrong with it. Zhou Yun couldn't help suspecting some Warp elder was playing the Crimson Angels for fools.

"The Chapter Master says… this sacrifice is necessary," Fenney said, voice trembling. He sensed the fury in the eyes of the brothers around him:

"We discovered that satisfying bloodlust suppresses it—and suppresses black rage."

"No," said Chapter Master Yor. "Satisfying it only sinks you deeper."

He stared fixedly at Fenney, his voice hoarse: "You'd better pray with me."

"Pray that the Blood Knights die in the coming battle."

"For as long as even one Blood Knight lives, we will hunt down the Crimson Angels."

Yor had once thought Dante's severance from the Crimson Angels was extreme.

Now he thought Dante had been far too merciful—he should have wiped them out entirely.

Yet Yor was puzzled: why hadn't Dante done it?

"This isn't really Dante's fault," Zhou Yun said, shaking his head.

"The real issue lies with the Crimson Angels' Chapter Master, Chaud. After Senior Blood Priest Herion discovered this, Chaud—"

"Chaud declared: if the Blood Angels act against the Crimson Angels, we will expose to the Inquisition the curse within Sanguinius's blood—the truth of bloodlust and black rage."

"Then not just the Crimson Angels, but the Blood Angels and all Blood Chapters will be scrutinized. The once-perfect Angel's name will become synonymous with horror."

"Yes. He meant: if Dante dares touch the Crimson Angels, they'll drag everyone down with them."

The Well of Angels fell into deathly silence; every Astartes of every Blood Chapter stood stunned, listening.

Fenney kept his head bowed, offering no denial. Dante stood motionless, offering no rebuttal.

This meant the blue-armored warrior had spoken the truth.

"Crimson Angels? Chaud? I fuck your eighth-generation Chapter Master!"

Goren, Chapter Master of the Holy Angels, roared, drawing his power axe from his belt to strike Fenney.

Nearby, Kaon, Chapter Master of the Crimson Blades, grabbed his arm: "Goren, brother! Calm down! Calm down!"

"Killing one captain won't solve anything! Calm down!" Kaon held Goren back. "After the Battle of Baal, I'll lead the Crimson Blades with you to Corinarl—straight to their homeworld to settle the score."

Fenney's body trembled—he knew the Crimson Angels had now enraged every Blood Chapter.

He had defied his Chapter Master's orders, left his homeworld, endured hardship to reach Baal—he must, he must—

Fenney pondered how he might restore the Crimson Angels' standing with Dante.

Then his gaze fell upon Zhou Yun in the pit.

Finney pondered how to make the Crimson Angel accepted again by Dante

Then Fenny's gaze fell upon Zhou Yun in the sandpit.

(End of Chapter)