Chapter 534

Zabriel was one of the five thousand Astartes originally created by the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang. They were born from Lion's gene-seed, inherited names from ancient Terran legends, and were the leaders of the Legions.

They were called the Uncrowned Princes. They were primordial, they were pure, they were powerful, they were pristine. Those tactics that other Legions were proud of were all initially practiced by them.

When they launched decapitation tactics against the King of Mutants in the dark caverns of Pluto, the Luna Wolves had not yet welcomed the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's first returned son.

When they moved like lightning under the dim starlight of the Oort Cloud, the warriors of the White Scars had only just begun to learn to ride motorcycles.

When they slaughtered those distant relatives of humanity near Proxima Centauri, the World Eaters did not yet know the true shape of anger.

The Legions might have surpassed the Uncrowned Princes in these tactics, but the Uncrowned Princes were always the original pavers of these tactics.

But as the Primarchs returned one by one, as one Legion after another welcomed their fathers, the glory of the Uncrowned Princes gradually paled in comparison to the other Legions.

Who does not speak with reverence when mentioning Horus and the Luna Wolves? Who does not speak with fear when mentioning Russ and the Space Wolves? Who does not sigh at their ambition when mentioning Guilliman and the Ultramarines?

Thus, the Uncrowned Princes were left behind by the Legions, once losing their glory, once not knowing where honor lay...

Until, after countless days and nights of longing, the Lion returned to his Legion.

He was going to give them true honor.

Zabriel witnessed the Lion's return. He knelt on one knee together with the Uncrowned Princes, swearing allegiance to the Lion who came from the forest.

No one would doubt the Lion's rule, because the Lion was like the embodiment of their Legion. Every warrior believed that the First Legion was forever pure, and the Lion was the embodiment of the Legion, and also the longest, the first, and the purest among the Legions.

He was the Legion, the Uncrowned Prince... no, he was the father that the Dark Angels deserved.

The Lion reshaped the Legion, forging the Legion into a fierce blade. No one could know what the internal structure of the First Legion was like, but no one could doubt the danger and lethality of the Legion. The Dark Angels regained the awe of allies and enemies.

Until the betrayal of the Sarosh occurred. Every Dark Angel knew that the Sarosh tried to assassinate the Primarch with nuclear weapons, but they ultimately failed.

But after this, sudden, inexplicable, and seemingly unconnected things happened. The Primarch split the Legion, demanding Lu Se lead a portion of the Astartes, including Zabriel, back to Caliban to train new recruits.

Zabriel felt like a stranger to Caliban. He also could not appreciate the wild scenery on Caliban. He felt it was not as magnificent as Terra, not as shocking as Macragge, not as beautiful as Prospero, nor as soul-shaking as the ice and fire of Fenris, nor as soul-cleansing as the grasslands and blue skies of Chogoris.

He did not have much affection for Lu Se either. In his view, Lu Se was not a general worthy of respect, and Zabriel keenly sensed that this strange transfer was likely due to the conflict between Lu Se and Lion. Zabriel was simply suffering an innocent disaster because of his position.

Especially when the Lion did not even leave a single ship for Caliban, imprisoning that portion of the Dark Angels, including Zabriel, on Caliban.

This was undoubtedly exile. When others among the stars were gaining honor, Zabriel was idling on Caliban, only able to train new recruits...

And then, and then came the Horus Heresy. At that time, chaotic news was flying everywhere. Who betrayed the Imperium, and who was loyal to the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, no one knew.

Some said Guilliman was carving out his own territory and betraying Terra, some said Sanguinius was crowned Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, some said Lion was providing weapons to the traitor Perturabo, some said Lion had become Guilliman's house cat, and others said Lion was bombing Macragge. In short, various rumors were mixed together, making it truly impossible to distinguish.

Until Lion's fleet suddenly returned to Caliban, hanging in orbit above.

And then the tragedy happened.

Zabriel still does not know whether it was Lu Se who fired first or Lion who fired the first shot.

The whole world began to burn, just like those planets once destroyed by the First Legion.

Zabriel watched with his own eyes as those new recruits he had trained put on power armor for the first time, but it was to oppose their gene-father.

He watched with his own eyes as Lion descended on Caliban with anger, slaughtering his offspring, letting blood dye the earth red.

After countless days and nights of longing, the Lion finally returned to his Legion.

This time, he did not bring honor; he brought only death.

The Lion let them die.

Everything after that became chaotic in Zabriel's mind. He only knew the planet burst, space-time was disordered, and when he woke up, it was already ten thousand years later.

The Imperium had become corrupt, the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang was worshipped as a god, Lion's whereabouts were unknown, the current Dark Angels Chapters were hunting him down indiscriminately, and Lu Se appeared inexplicably, demanding he follow his orders.