Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

Gibbs led four Shadows of Order into the palace. The native king's cramped throne room could barely accommodate their towering form.

Wearing a golden crown and holding a scepter of gold, the swollen-chinned king sat on his false throne, visibly trembling.

"The Imperium of Man?"

"You descend from the heavens and demand our submission?"

The Shadow of Order replied in a calm voice, as if speaking undeniable truth:

"You have no choice."

"What?"

The king sneered. "I have an army of a hundred thousand men. I also have—"

But Gibbs had discussed this scenario in detail with Arsena beforehand and received strategic advice from the Primarch's aide.

Everyone in the Legion knew that Arsena came from a primitive world and could understand the mindset of the natives.

Now a "Lawyer", Gibbs decided to follow the suggestion: demonstrate power first to make the natives understand their weakness, then persuade them with "patience."

In a flash, He drew his pistol, raised it, and fired.

BOOM!

The palace's left wall disintegrated in a thunderous blast.

The entire building shook; the pillars trembled, but managed to hold.

The "Lawyer" looked around at the frightened crowd and addressed the king, who had tumbled from his false throne.

"This is the power of our weapons. Even your elite knights in formation would be reduced to rubble."

"Your weapons cannot scratch our armor."

"To make you fools understand, I'm giving you one chance."

The Shadow of Order slapped his armored chest with his right gauntlet.

"Fire upon my armor with your best weapons, all at once."

"A-Are you serious?"

The king, still supporting himself with his scepter, asked in disbelief.

Though the black armor of the giant looked thicker and sturdier than their golden knight armor, the flintlocks of the Golden Lion Dynasty were the pride of all kingdoms.

A full volley would surely riddle this black knight with holes.

A flicker of crimson passed through Gibbs's eyes.

The foolishness of this king tested the limits of his patience.

For a moment, he wanted to unsheathe his chainsword and execute the king and his court, just as he had done countless times before.

He could have; these backward people were no threat to him, and he had thirty Legionaries behind him.

But then Gibbs remembered the Gene-Father expects better.

Reason should overcome rage.

"You have only one chance."

The king, regaining some confidence, decided to avoid more "divine wrath" by calling his best men.

"Summon the Royal Guard Marksmen! Surround him!"

Shortly after, at the royal training ground, Gibbs stood alone, facing a hundred of the Golden Lion Kingdom's finest gunners.

"Begin. Don't waste my time."

As he spoke, the eager king raised his hand:

"Fire!"

Muzzles flashed, a hail of bullets surged toward the black-armored warrior.

By local standards, the marksmen were exceptional.

Most of the bullets hit.

White smoke billowed into the air, blinding the view.

The king was both thrilled and fearful. If this black knight was dead, there were still thirty more of them with weapons that could smite like gods.

Still, he had made arrangements. All knights had been mobilized.

If he could kill the black knights and seize their divine weapons, he could unify the world.

But just as he was about to give the command, his eyes widened in shock.

The black armor emerged from the smoke, untouched.

The black-armored warrior was still alive.

Calmly, Gibbs dusted himself off and stepped forward, his massive figure towering over the stunned king even while the latter sat on his high throne.

"Now you see, your weapons cannot harm us. Our weapons can reduce your army to dust."

"Accept the truth, we could erase your pathetic kingdom."

"You should be grateful. Monarch Nareth has chosen to give you a chance. Submit."

The king's face turned ashen.

Looking up at the giant before him, he finally understood the terrifying power this being possessed.

The memory of him walking through the smoke like a god from myth was still vivid in his mind.

"I…" He asked, trembling, "If I submit to your Monarch… will I still keep my lands? My…"

"Mortal. If you serve the Monarch faithfully and execute his will, you will keep what is yours."

"I… choose… to submit."

The king forced out the words, humiliated and helpless.

With the first kingdom conquered, Gibbs used the native king as a guide and led his troops to swiftly conquer the neighboring kingdoms.

Meanwhile, on Persephone Prime EX1, Kirkland's progress was even smoother.

This world was ruled by a single false king, obsessed with music, poetry, oil painting, and other forms of art.

When he witnessed the overwhelming power of the Shadows of Order, the king immediately surrendered.

Now, only one problem remained.

The king, speaking on behalf of his people, made a request.

Through inquiries, Kirkland learned that the low population was due to a common affliction: nightmares.

Every night, when they slept, they experienced terrifying dreams, giant man-eating fish, charging panthers, and more.

These nightmares left them sleepless at night and dazed during the day, plagued by fear.

The king begged the strangers from the sky to free them from this ancient curse.

Kirkland agreed. Winning the people's hearts was key.

He gathered his three squads of Shadows of Order.

"Tonight, we'll spread out through the capital. Stay alert, find the source of these nightmares."

That night, under the soft glow of moonlight, the warriors stood vigil in the streets, ever watchful.

Suddenly, Kirkland's eyes caught sight of a black cat.

It walked gracefully out of the shadows, its movements rhythmic, its obsidian-like eyes glinting in the dark.

More importantly, his spirit vision stirred.

Kirkland instantly realized this cat was the source of the nightmares.

'This cat is no ordinary animal. Father collects peculiar creatures and artifacts. He'll love this!'

Without hesitation, Kirkland ripped off his gauntlet and sprang forward.

Sensing danger, the cat bolted.

But Kirkland was faster.

Within seconds, he caught the elusive cat, scooping it up with a single finger.

By the end of the operation, Kirkland had captured 23 black cats.

Upon receiving the gift, Nareth immediately recognized them as "Black dream Cats", the main ingredient for the potion of Sequence 7: 'Nightmare' of the Darkness pathway.

One stellar month later, Nareth, having conquered the Persephone system, ordered the fleet to move out.

Bukayo reported the discovery of a knight-ruled world, which immediately drew Nareth's interest.

.....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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