The Longlin Star seemed mired in a bog. As a flagship of the same class as the orac, even theoretically one tier higher, and now bolstered by an ancient artifact, it actually couldn't break free from the Sith's grasp immediately.
The surrounding rebel warships were utterly stunned. Those who still chose to follow Abaddon now were either sworn eternal enemies of the Empire or genuinely unaware that a figure like the Sith existed in the galaxy.
Thus, witnessing this scene, they all felt their worldview was being shattered.
A single individual? Crossing the void?
And finally, raising a hand to hold back a celestial body?
Wait...
Didn't the False Emperor say there were no gods?!
Rebel fleet members stood dumbfounded by the viewports. Many Astartes even removed their helmets, straining to see with their naked eyes, fearing they were hallucinating.
While they observed the Sith, he too was studying these rebels, suppressing the pain of his body that could no longer fully heal, somewhat surprised he couldn't completely restrain the Longlin Star.
His gaze swept over them. These warships, like other rebel vessels, were of ancient models.
But unlike the rebels the Sith had encountered before, these ships didn't appear particularly aged.
Moreover, the scale of the rebel fleet Abaddon had brought this time was no less than the Ancient Legions the Sith had initially drawn from the Eye of Terror.
Abaddon certainly could muster a rebel force of this size—he had summoned even more during the Long War.
But the problem was...
The Sith glanced at the fleet frantically rushing to support him from behind, then at the rebel fleet before him.
For the first time, he doubted whether the Eye of Terror could truly produce fleets from the Warp?!
Only when a Macro Cannon blast struck the Sith head-on did the violent explosion forcibly suppress his doubts.
The Macro Cannon erupted with a deafening roar and billowing smoke.
The surrounding rebels tensed, and Abaddon felt a surge of eager anticipation.
But even though the Macro Cannon had hit the Sith directly, the speed of the Longlin Star didn't slow in the slightest.
As the flames dissipated, the Sith remained standing in mid-air, the golden sun behind him still intact.
Without even glancing in its direction, the Sith simply extended his right hand toward the rebel warship that had fired the Macro Cannon.
Golden light blazed. While single-handedly restraining the Longlin Star, the Sith casually waved his hand and, before the widened eyes of all the rebels, crushed a warship!
Then, as all the rebels finally snapped out of their stupor amidst the explosions, the once-menacing rebel force instantly split into two factions!
One faction continued to coordinate with the Longlin Star, firing wildly at the Sith. The other stood by the viewports, fanaticismly cheering for the Sith, immediately turning their guns to fire upon their 'comrades' from minutes before.
The support from the Sith Legion behind hadn't arrived yet, but the fleet Abaddon had brought was already embroiled in internal strife.
Inside the Longlin Star, Vashtorr frantically increased the output of the ancient artifact, trying to pull the warship into the escape corridor.
Abaddon, watching his own fleet's 'conversion' happen with such alarming efficiency, gritted his teeth in fury.
He then shot a rather reproachful look at Vashtorr:
"I told you not to bring those Word Bearers, but you wouldn't listen!"
While Abaddon complained, Vashtorr was too busy to pay him much heed.
He merely brandished his hammer-scepter, controlling the Longlin Star, and snapped back angrily:
"You should say that to your God-Emperor!"
Vashtorr's words stunned Abaddon, because he and Vashtorr had considered everything—except the possibility that the Sith could truly bear the full might of the God-Emperor.
Though one glance told them this state couldn't last long for the Sith and would leave him severely wounded afterward.
But what did that matter?
Before those old entities in the Warp settled their disputes, who in this galaxy could kill the Sith? Who would dare?
The God-Emperor dared to place all this pressure on the Sith precisely because he was certain that, even if he did nothing, the Chaos Gods and Gork and Mork would have to carefully protect their shared 'Sith'.
They absolutely would not allow the Sith to enter the Warp!
So, since the Sith had this safety net, on this day, no one should speak of opposing him.
They shouldn't even think about it.
After all, even the Tyranids were solely focused on fleeing. In this galaxy, who would dare face the Sith in his divine form?
Now, they could only try every means to escape the Sol System with the Longlin Star and the massive rebel fleet, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the divine Sith.
Finally, as the edge of the Longlin Star touched the escape corridor, that peculiar energy fully enveloped the vessel.
With covering fire from the surrounding fleet, the Longlin Star, held fast by the Sith, finally traversed the corridor, emerging in a void far from the Sol System.
The covering warships were frantically following through the corridor in retreat. Only the Word Bearers remained steadfastly guarding the Sith.
Watching the Longlin Star actually manage to escape his grasp...
The Sith glanced at the reinforcements desperately rushing from behind. Ordering the orac to command the others to follow, he too gave chase into the corridor.
In his divine form, even the Four Gods would get slapped twice by the Sith!
But just as the Sith passed through the corridor and was about to use his divine power again to seize the Longlin Star, the moment he crossed, a strange spatial fluctuation instantly enveloped him.
This fluctuation caused no harm, yet once it covered him, the divine power flowing from Terra's Golden Throne was instantly severed.
What remained within the Sith was only the maximum divine power his physical body could endure.
Simultaneously, the eyes of the gods that had just returned vanished once more!
The Sith hadn't anticipated this at all. The eyes of the gods had truly and completely lost track of him.
Even in the final moment of the power severance, the Sith sensed the God-Emperor's eyes widening—a rare occurrence—and heard a single word transmitted through the divine connection: 'Bad!'
Then, the corridor closed!
Deprived of Terra's divine power, the Sith could no longer hold the Longlin Star. To the horror of Abaddon and Vashtorr, the Longlin Star successfully made the jump to Warp travel and left.
Along with the surrounding rebel fleet, equally terrified and bewildered.
For a moment, only the Sith and the orac remained in the dark void. The nearest star system was extremely distant.
The Sol System, the site of the recent bloody battle, had completely vanished from sight.
The Sith helplessly scanned his surroundings, feeling the severe injuries in his body as the divine power receded and the severed connection with the gods. He could only return to the orac behind him first.
But when the Sith returned to the deck, an ancient Transport from the 30K era was already parked there.
Several Word Bearers, upon seeing the Sith, Excitedly knelt on the spot.
They continuously cried out confessions of 'Our God, we have committed grave sins.'
At this moment, the Sith felt some confusion. He was curious why the gods had lost track of him, curious about what exactly was 'bad' in the God-Emperor's warning.
And the most important point...
Where was he now?
The Sith took one last look at the void behind him. Though he had gazed into it countless times, for some reason today, it felt like something was missing.
But he couldn't pinpoint it immediately. He turned his attention to the muttering Word Bearers before him.
Using his remaining divine power to slowly heal his body, grievously wounded from forcibly bearing the God-Emperor's might, the Sith sat down on a supply crate in front of the Word Bearers. Flexing his right hand, he asked:
"What sins have you committed?"
Seeing the Sith actually respond to them, the Word Bearers' faces lit up with even greater Excited. The leader pietyly kowtowed before daring to answer:
"We should not have been seduced into wounding the Warmaster and inciting him to prepare for The Great Rebellion."
It was the standard confession Word Bearers gave when seeking redemption. The Sith prepared to offer some casual appease, but as he opened his mouth, his expression suddenly froze.
Then, carefully pondering the Word Bearer's words, after a brief moment of Frozen, he whirled around to look at the galaxy again.
This time, the galaxy was indeed missing something.
The Sith's eyes gradually widened, and even his breathing grew rapid.
He stiffly turned his neck, looking back down at the kneeling Word Bearers. Wide-eyed, he enunciated each word:
"What do you mean..."
"'prepare' to launch The Great Rebellion?"
He emphasized the word 'prepare' heavily. After this question, he added another that seemed baffling to everyone else on the deck.
"And the Warmaster you mentioned..."
"What is his name?"
The Word Bearers below, having already Determination the Sith as a true god due to his earlier display of power, naturally dared not conceal anything.
The Word Bearer kowtowed again, then gave an answer that plunged the Sith, and indeed the entire deck, into dead silence.
"Because we have not formally risen up yet; we are still in the preparation stage."
"As for the Warmaster..."
The Word Bearer paused slightly, also finding the Sith's question somewhat Redundant.
Van Roth and the others thought it was Redundant, because wasn't the Warmaster Abaddon?
The Word Bearer also thought it was Redundant, because the Warmaster...
"...is named Horus!"
Dead silence!
Only dead silence remained on the deck!
The Sith's eyes gradually widened. Van Roth, Bayer, Huron—their eyes all widened too!
Then, to the bewilderment of the Word Bearers, they collectively drew in a sharp breath.
What the hell did he just say...
Horus is preparing for The Great Rebellion?!
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