Horus squatted in front of Magnus, looking at his demon-corrupted brother with a look of firm resolve.
"Father gave me a second chance, and Brother Rhodes gave me another. The power of those two allowed me to return to this world.
It gave me the opportunity to atone for my past sins. Now, Magnus, you also have a chance," Horus said.
"Hahaha, he gave you a chance! He resurrected you!
You're not worthy! Horus, you are the least worthy one!" Magnus struggled to lift his head, then spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm directly onto Horus's face.
Horus could easily have dodged, but the Warmaster chose not to because he felt unworthy before this brother.
Although the one who did the deed was Leman Russ, the Wolf King, the one who changed the orders and doomed Magnus's homeworld to destruction was Horus.
"You bastard! You alone don't deserve forgiveness! My homeland, my people—all died because of you," Magnus spat, glaring fiercely at Horus.
Even after falling to Chaos, he never helped this dark Warmaster. When Horus was killed by the Emperor, Magnus celebrated madly.
He rejoiced at the death of the one who destroyed his home. But who could have imagined that Horus would be resurrected, and by the last person anyone would expect?
Magnus immediately guessed the truth: only the Emperor could have done that.
"If cursing me will make you feel better, then curse away! I am a damned bastard. My actions were unforgivable," Horus said.
"I'm guessing he's about to get up from the Golden Throne and become the fifth Chaos God, with you two as his first Daemon Primarchs," Magnus sneered.
Is the Emperor finally going to rise from the Golden Throne and become a Chaos God? What great news—another player joins the Great Game!
"Magnus, you can insult me but don't insult our father. He's endured ten thousand years of torment on the Golden Throne for humanity—willingly, without regret," Horus said.
"Heh! Without regret? I doubt it! He wanted me to sit on the Golden Throne in his place and suffer as he did. Let me tell you both a secret!
Back when I attacked Holy Terra and stood before our father, he showed me a beautiful vision.
A new future for humanity—me sitting on the Golden Throne. My flesh was on the throne, but my soul wandered the Warp with him, exploring the mysteries of magic and knowledge.
But it was all a lie! He said he'd prepared a batch of new gene-sons for me, but I had to give up my children," Magnus said.
He had almost believed his father's lies, believed in that beautiful future, believed he was still a good son—even after Leman Russ had slaughtered his homeworld and his people.
If he repented, he could return to the Emperor's embrace and help suppress Horus's rebellion.
He was planning exactly that.
But then the Emperor said something that made Magnus give up his last shred of hope.
The Emperor told him he could return as a Primarch, but his Thousand Sons could not—they'd have to be destroyed.
Because their gene-seed was flawed! The legion was beyond saving, and the Emperor demanded he give up his sons.
The Emperor claimed he had prepared a new legion for him, one more perfect, with even better gene-sons.
But Magnus would never abandon his children, so he refused the Emperor's offer.
Ten thousand years passed, and the Emperor became a corpse trapped on the Throne. Magnus realized the beautiful future the Emperor showed him was nothing but a lie.
"No! Father would never do that! What he promised you—the beautiful future he showed you—was real," Horus said.
"Hmph! Do you owe him? The other traitors owe him? But I, Magnus, owe him nothing. If anything, he owes me," Magnus said.
"The Emperor has a thousand faces and hundreds of personalities. For everyone, he has a different face. In your presence, he becomes exactly who you want him to be: a wise man if you want wisdom, a strong leader if you want strength, and a loving father if you want love.
But it's all an act. The Emperor never truly loved the Primarchs!"
Magnus's words left Horus and Guilliman silent. Some truths are better left unsaid, but with their wisdom, they knew their father never truly loved them.
The Emperor saw the Primarchs as tools. He never loved anyone—only humanity as a whole.
"Magnus, you're the most powerful psyker among the Primarchs. I always thought you were a wise master, a true master of magic and knowledge. But now, I see I overestimated you," Rhodes said, walking over with a smile.
Magnus looked at this so-called new era Primarch. He'd thought him an impostor, but now it didn't seem so.
His body was even more perfect than the ancient Primarchs, and his soul power was at least as strong—maybe even stronger.
"You're young. You've never seen his true face. Trust me, in the future, you'll see differently," Magnus sneered.
"Believe me, I know the Emperor's character better than you do. The Emperor truly loves humanity, but it isn't true he has no love for the Primarchs.
But that's not the point—the point is, has Tzeentch never lied to you?
Is your current master a good father, or even a good master? Is he so great?" Rhodes asked.
"Hmph, at least he never lied to me. At least he gave me true magical knowledge, let me understand the secrets of the Warp, and sincerely helped me save my gene-sons," Magnus snorted.
Clap clap clap!
"Hahaha, you believe Tzeentch doesn't lie?
Did you never consider that the reason your gene-seed is flawed is thanks to a certain Chaos God?
The Emperor realized your gene-sons were beyond saving, which is why he gave up on them," Rhodes said mockingly.
"Nonsense! The problem was in the gene-seed, just like Sanguinius's. It was my fault—my genes were flawed, so my sons were flawed," Magnus shouted.
"Lies! The Changer of Ways is the master of lies and deceit. Every step you took, even the loss of your eye, and your eventual fall, was all part of Tzeentch's game.
Your gene-seed was sabotaged by Tzeentch, which is why your legion developed so many problems. Even the Rubric Marines were manipulated by Tzeentch.
Your gene-seed was perfect—possibly the most perfect among all the Primarchs," Rhodes said.
Tzeentch was the one who sabotaged Magnus. The poor guy still hadn't realized. It's so easy for a schemer to destroy you.
When you first entered the Warp, Tzeentch noticed you, and your legion's gene-seed was sabotaged. By the time the Emperor found out, it was too late.
"You don't have to comfort me. I know my problems," Magnus said.
To this day, Magnus firmly believes it was his gene-seed's fault, not Tzeentch's handiwork.
"The Emperor didn't lie to you. He did prepare a new batch of gene-sons, a perfect new legion of Astartes.
This legion is now the elite of the Imperium, the vanguard against Chaos—the sharpest sword against the dark gods," Rhodes revealed.
"What do you mean? Are you saying there's a hidden legion?" Magnus asked.
"He didn't hide them, Magnus. With your intelligence, surely you can guess which chapter it is.
The Emperor was waiting for you to discover them. Or maybe you have, but refuse to admit they are your gene-sons," Rhodes's words hit Magnus like a hammer.