Chapter 280

"Look at what we have become!!!!"

In the damaged sanctuary, Roboute Guilliman let out a nearly painful roar.

He looked at the murals before him, carving Guilliman's magnificent deeds, and also carving the deeds of the Ultramarines after his death.

Of course, it also carved his father, that so-called God-Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, an existence piously believed in by the entire Empire.

"You!!!"

Roboute Guilliman pointed at the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang shrouded in a faint light on the carving and roared:

"How could it be like this! Father!"

"Look at what kind of ghost we have become!"

"Our Empire is full of ignorance, blindness, cruelty, decadence, and suffering; humans are like a group of ascetics whose brains have been ruined by religion, enduring so much pain, and they even use your name to carry out religious persecution!"

"They even used mine! They actually said I am the son of God!"

"Is there anything more ironic than this? How much you hated being worshipped as a god!"

Roboute Guilliman's words were full of pain, decadence, and sadness.

Hera Fortress had returned to the control of the Ultramarines, and taking advantage of this brief respite, Roboute Guilliman also began to try to absorb information about this era.

He accepted the opinions of everyone he thought was worth accepting and had separate talks with them.

Calgar returned the command to Guilliman, telling him with great emotion how the Astartes had stuck to the Codex for ten thousand years.

Grand Master Voldus brought him news about Chaos and daemons, and he was able to know the enemies humanity was facing now.

Inquisitor Greyfax told Roboute Guilliman about the history hidden by the Inquisition and the current state of the Inquisition.

Living Saint Celestine knelt before him, thanking the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's blessing in a pious voice.

Leina of the Cadian Shock Troops was extremely nervous, but still tried her best to tell him about the current state of the bottom of the Empire and the belief in Saint Doraemon.

Belisarius Cawl had become completely different from what Guilliman remembered, but he still told him about the regression and current state of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Those two Aeldari claimed they came for the Death God Ynnead and asked Guilliman to consider an alliance with the Aeldari, as well as to be wary of the "Death God of Mankind."

Roboute Guilliman praised everyone's insights and contributions, grateful for everything they had done for the Empire and humanity, revealing different personalities to face them.

Everyone felt involuntarily that Guilliman was a kind, frank, and trustworthy person, and conversely could not help but face Guilliman with kindness and frankness.

But every piece of information they said seemed to be tearing Guilliman's soul apart.

"Since it would become like this, you shouldn't have let me bomb Lorgar's Perfect City in the first place!"

Guilliman looked at the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang sitting on the Golden Throne on the statue and said with near grief:

"Should have let Lorgar bomb my Macragge!"

"Look at how we failed all humanity? Think about how Horus claimed back then that you were trying to become a god, trying to turn the Empire into this look?"

"Think about those traitors... Lorgar, Fulgrim, Mortarion... Think about how they mock us in the Warp?"

"If I had known this, I should have let Horus kill me too, let Fulgrim's blade take my life completely, otherwise I wouldn't have to face this kind of future."

At this moment, a hand patted Guilliman's shoulder.

Guilliman turned his head slightly and saw Zhou Yun take off his Blind Spot Star, take a bolter out of the pocket on his belly, and hand it to him.

"Here." Zhou Yun said lightly.

Roboute Guilliman's expression also twisted slightly; he saw Sanguinius behind Zhou Yun also take off his Blind Spot Star and appear.

The two of them had always been in the sanctuary and had heard Guilliman's discussion with others.

Because in the bottom of Roboute Guilliman's heart, he hoped that one of his brothers would face these pains with him, hoped that there would be someone who could listen to and understand his inner feelings.

And, based on rationality, Roboute Guilliman could not show a rift with Sanguinius; Zhou Yun, who resurrected him and Sanguinius and was revered by the Cadian 184th Regiment and the Blood Angels, could not either.

Of course, Zhou Yun had two other reasons: one was that Roboute Guilliman could instinctively feel his connection with that existence and believed that he could not hide from his gaze, and the other was that the prop Zhou Yun used, that prop called the Blind Spot Star, could completely hide his form; it was also easy for him to eavesdrop.

"He did kill me." Sanguinius spoke slowly: "That was not a good experience, Guilliman."

Guilliman's expression moved slightly; he turned around and then knelt on one knee toward Sanguinius.

"This is my mistake; I failed to arrive by your side."

Roboute Guilliman lowered his head deeply; this sadness had tormented him since ten thousand years ago; he had thought countless times whether he could have changed everything if he had arrived in time.

Whether he could have saved the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang and Sanguinius, even if it were he who died on the Vengeful Spirit, it would have been worth it.

He also always believed that the death of the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang and Sanguinius was his responsibility.

"Proud people don't put it on their lips."

Sanguinius looked down at Roboute Guilliman from above and said softly:

"Zhou Yun described Fulgrim like this a while ago, and you happen to be the exact opposite of Fulgrim... Although you don't say it on your lips, you are actually the proudest one among our twenty-one brothers."

"Fulgrim is arrogant on the surface but is an inferior person in his heart, Magnus is more blind than arrogant, Dorn is more stubborn than arrogant, Mortarion and Perturabo are completely psychological illnesses, Khan pretends to be aloof but knows what people cannot do, Curze has long surrendered to fate..."

"... And me, although I made a perfect gesture, I was worried about the Warp power in my body and the mutation of my offspring in my heart."

"So you are often unpopular because we can perceive your pride, infuriating pride."

Saying this, Sanguinius stepped forward, and his fist smashed heavily into Roboute Guilliman's face.

Guilliman did not dodge; he did not move or dodge, taking Sanguinius's punch head-on.

Sanguinius watched Guilliman silently and continued to say slowly:

"You are arrogant through and through; you think you can solve problems, save all humanity, and bring enlightenment, civilization, and civilization to everyone by relying on rationality, wisdom, and strength."

"If you didn't do it, it must be because you made a mistake, not because it was completely impossible."

Roboute Guilliman remained silent.

Zhou Yun, who was leaning on a marble pillar, watched this big drama between brothers.

Or rather, watching the Regent of the Second Empire denounce the Regent.

However, Sanguinius was right.

Guilliman was an idealist through and through, more full of ideals than any of his other twenty brothers.

He hoped immensely that humanity—all humanity, whether mortal, Astartes, or Primarch—everyone could step into a bright future.

And he sincerely believed that he could do it; in this shitty universe, this was an extraordinary talent.

"But what is most infuriating is that at this moment, you are right."

Sanguinius exhaled slowly:

"In this forty-first millennium full of darkness and blindness, Sanguinius cannot save the Human Empire, and Dorn, Khan, Russ, and Lion cannot do it either."

"Humanity needs Roboute Guilliman, and if you insist on walking toward death—"

Sanguinius looked at Zhou Yun, and Zhou Yun smiled and shook his four-dimensional pocket.

"You can also go inside and exert some residual value."

Sanguinius nodded and said, then he looked at Roboute Guilliman:

"Now, Roboute, what is your answer?"

Roboute Guilliman rubbed the bruise Sanguinius's fist had made on his face lightly,

then stood up from the ground, walked to the window of the sanctuary, and looked at Hera Fortress outside the window through the stained glass.

Mortals and Astartes were working together to repair this fortress, their faces full of hope, glory, and light, as if believing that all darkness had ended.

They were far weaker than Guilliman, born in a darker era, but they were already fighting unyieldingly.

"This is truly the dark forty-first millennium of humanity, full of ignorance, blindness, and war."

Guilliman exhaled slowly, light bursting from his eyes:

"But hope remains."

Guilliman, who had regained hope, turned his head; he now needed to solve the first problem at hand.

Guilliman's gaze fell on Zhou Yun.

(End of chapter)