A roar, suppressed for ages! Like a shout of joy after ten thousand years of captivity, the Void Dragon's largest shard broke free from the labyrinth beneath Mars.
Dalia Cythera, the immortal human girl guarding it, was terrified. She never imagined the Void Dragon she'd watched over for millennia would escape.
In the 5th century BC, a golden-armored warrior wielding a golden sword fought this dragon in a battle that shook the world.
The knight defeated the dragon and sealed it on Mars, then voluntarily underwent the immortality alchemy to become an Eternal, staying in the lightless palace for millennia, guarding the Void Dragon.
She waited silently, for the day when humanity was strong enough to destroy the monster for good.
Now, with the monster loose, how would humanity respond? Were the golden knight and his powerful companions still around?
"Don't panic, Cythera! I released him. This time, I will destroy him and end his threat to humanity," the Emperor's voice echoed through space to her.
She was a girl he'd known before he called himself Emperor or left Earth. She had volunteered for the process and watched over the Void Dragon for millennia. Now her task was finally complete.
"You—who are you, noble knight? It's been over 30,000 years. I've prayed every day for your return to defeat him," Cythera, still appearing as a young girl, said.
"Rest assured! This time the Void Dragon will be destroyed—but it will be my children who strike," the Emperor replied.
"I believe in you, noble golden knight," Cythera said.
"My children will fight this monster. Someone will come to take you away—do not resist," said the Emperor.
The noble golden knight—that was one of his ancient titles from humanity's age of swords. It was nostalgic. Now, everyone just called him the Emperor. No one called him the golden knight anymore.
A flash of light, and Rhodes used teleportation to appear in the palace, nodded to Cythera, and instantly whisked the girl back to the battle barge.
With the guardian rescued, the Void Dragon was now fully exposed to the Mechanicus.
A monster thousands of meters tall, gleaming with metallic light and impossible to describe, appeared on Mars' surface.
"My people! My followers! Your master has come—kneel before me!" the Void Dragon bellowed.
He was the largest and most complete shard, capable of using his laws instinctively, manipulating or creating all technological constructs.
During his 30,000 years of imprisonment, in humanity's golden age, he had shown a glimpse of his powers in dreams to Mars' colonists—showing them true technological wonder.
He even communicated with the Mechanicus' founders 20,000 years ago, demanding they call him the Omnissiah.
His power drew fanatical worship. Though not a Warp god, he gained some power from mankind's faith.
Over 10,000 years ago, the Emperor arrived on Mars again and tricked the Mechanicus into believing the Emperor was the Omnissiah's avatar—maybe even the Omnissiah himself.
The Emperor stole his believers. The Void Dragon hated the golden-armored Emperor, despising him ever since he took the Golden Throne.
Now, free for unknown reasons, he wanted his followers back—to show them who the real Machine God was!
He had many names—Necrons called him the Void Dragon, Eldar called him Mag'ladroth, humans called him the Omnissiah.
As soon as he appeared, every machine on Mars was affected. Machine spirits flickered, programs glitched.
Even highly augmented Mechanicus members felt their bodies weren't their own.
"Who—who are you? What are you?" a senior Magos screamed.
His body was 90% steel and circuitry. In Mechanicus dogma, the more augmented you were, the closer you were to the Omnissiah.
Unaugmented?
You were a heretic!
But the being before him, in his presence, made his machine body feel beyond his control—as if this being was truly the god he worshipped.
The same feeling swept countless Magi, Tech-priests, and even mindless servitors—all paralyzed in awe.
"I am your god—I am the Omnissiah! I am the Void Dragon! I am Mag'ladroth, master of science and machinery!" the Void Dragon roared, using words humans could understand. Humans were useful, at least as temporary servants to help him collect his other shards. Once reunited, he could control all machines in realspace—he would be the Machine God!
"This—this can't be. You—you're the Omnissiah?"
"I have no time for lies. Feel my power! All technology is under my control. I am the Machine God!" the Void Dragon proclaimed.
He unleashed his power, affecting every machine on Mars. Compared to when he was first sealed 30,000 years ago, he was now even stronger.
He commanded a law of physics—science and machinery—the very thing humanity worshipped. Many workers on Forge Worlds gave some faith to the Emperor and some to the Void Dragon.
Among the Mechanicus, 40% of faith was his, 30% to the Emperor, 30% to an unknown Warp entity.
In truth, the Omnissiah's faith belonged to all three, but the other two were mere usurpers. The inspiration and even the description of the Omnissiah's form came from him.
Many Mechanicus now looked delighted—the being before them matched their sacred texts exactly.
"Omnissiah! Praise the Machine God! You—you have truly descended!"
"This is a miracle! Our god has come to his faithful at last!"
"Yes, my servants. I will grant you greater technology. I will reveal the true laws of the cosmos—teach you to command black holes, control stars, and transform you into immortal metal beings," the Void Dragon promised.
He repeated the old lies he'd told the Necrons—now to humanity.
Most humans would never want to become metal, but the tech-priests were the exception.
Contrary to the Emperor and Rhodes' expectations, the Void Dragon didn't rampage through the Mechanicus—he began subjugating them with his own powers.
His technological mastery let him command all machines, even some Titans built by Rhodes.
Anything made of metal was vulnerable to his power. Only his incomplete state prevented him from seizing control of every tech device, even including Holy Terra.
Even as a fragment, he could destroy dozens of human worlds.
…
"Things aren't as we expected, Father. The Void Dragon isn't rampaging—he's subjugating the Mechanicus," Sanguinius said in shock.
"That's why I've always feared him. I thought the seal would weaken him—but it made him stronger. I shouldn't have encouraged Mechanicus worship of the Omnissiah," the Emperor said helplessly.