Vergil pressed on, determined to reach the location from his vision. His journey led him toward a hill, its rocky slope matching the landscape from the Emperor's dream. According to the map and the Holomap he carried, the coordinates were correct. He was close.
As he crested the hill, the entrance to a cave came into view. Above it, faint but unmistakable, was the worn symbol of the Imperial Aquila etched into the stone. The sight sent a shiver through him—this was the place.
Standing at the mouth of the cave, Vergil looked out across the landscape. In the distance, the Citadel of Titan loomed, just as it had in his dream. Everything was exactly as the Emperor had shown him.
This was no coincidence. The relic, the power, and the truth he sought were here, waiting for him inside. Taking a deep breath, Vergil tightened his grip on his Nemesis Force Spear and began his descent into the cave, ready to uncover the Emperor's will.
Vergil stepped into the cave, the darkness swallowing him as he advanced deeper. A presence called to him, not with words, but with a sensation that stirred something deep within. It was an ancient pull, one that had waited for him for what felt like millennia. The call wasn't aggressive or malevolent—there was no hint of Chaos in it.
Vergil had been trained to detect the foul stench of Chaos in all its forms. Whether it promised power, forbidden knowledge, or anything else, Chaos always left behind a trail of corruption, an unmistakable foulness that clung to everything it touched. But here, there was none of that.
Instead, the presence was pure, almost welcoming. It beckoned him further into the depths, like an ancient force awaiting the one it had chosen. Vergil's senses remained sharp, but he knew this was no trap. The Emperor's guidance had brought him here, and he could feel that this was where his path led. The spear from his vision, the relic untouched by Chaos, was near.
With his Nemesis Force Spear ready, Vergil continued down the stone passage, each step bringing him closer to the mystery that had been hidden away for so long. Whatever awaited him here, he knew it would change his fate—and perhaps the fate of the Imperium.
As Vergil ventured deeper into the cave, the walls came alive with ancient carvings and illustrations, all depicting the Emperor of Mankind himself. The images portrayed scenes of great significance—scenes that had long been lost to the records of the Imperium.
One particular mural caught Vergil's eye. It depicted the Emperor surrounded by the twenty Primarchs, his chosen sons. Yet, something was disturbingly absent—both the 2nd and 11th Primarchs had their faces erased, their identities lost to time and memory. It was a haunting reminder of the forgotten history of the Imperium, the missing legions whose names were forbidden to be spoken.
Vergil pressed on, his eyes tracing the numerous depictions of the Emperor. In many of the scenes, the Emperor was shown working alongside ancient craftsmen and workers, guiding them in the creation of something monumental—a spear. The craftsmanship was unlike anything Vergil had seen before, a blend of technology and techniques from a bygone era. The spear itself seemed to glow with a divine purpose.
Vergil paused at an inscription, carefully etched beside the image of the spear. It spoke of a single weapon, forged under the Emperor's direct supervision, using methods that had since been lost to time. The text hinted that this spear was unique, and had been left behind deliberately when the Emperor departed.
The realization struck Vergil. This was the weapon he had seen in his dream—the relic that had been calling to him. The spear crafted by the Emperor's own hands, now hidden and waiting for the one worthy of wielding it. Vergil's heart quickened. The significance of this discovery was beyond anything he had anticipated.
The deeper he went, the more certain he became that the spear was not just a weapon—it was a relic of immense power, forged for a purpose that even he did not fully understand yet. And now, after millennia of being hidden away, it was calling out for him to claim it.
Vergil ventured deeper into the cave, his footsteps echoing against the stone walls as he entered a vast hall. In the center of the chamber stood a plaque, its message carved in ancient script: "Complete the unfinished business of the past to move forward into the future."
Vergil paused, reflecting on the words. His mind wandered through the many battles and moments of his life, searching for something unresolved. One memory surfaced immediately—Shadow Blackheart. He recalled a conversation with Shadow about a massive silver knight fighting a vampire. Vergil had met that knight too, and the encounter had always left him with questions.
Suddenly, without warning, Vergil felt a powerful pull, and in an instant, he was transported back to a place he hadn't seen in years: Red Coal Village in the Kingdom of Azeroth. It was a pivotal moment, from a time before he had become a Grey Knight, when he had fought alongside the villagers against the vampires of the House of Red Night.
He glanced down at his hands, gripping the Nemesis Force Spear. This time, he was not the untested warrior he had once been. Standing beside his past self, Vergil saw his younger form, wielding a much more basic weapon, struggling against the overwhelming vampire forces.
Without hesitation, the present-day Vergil rushed forward to aid his younger self, the weight of experience and the power of the spear guiding his every move. Together, the two versions of Vergil fought side by side, striking down the vampires with precision and strength. The combined efforts of his past and present selves overwhelmed the vampires from the House of Red Night, their dark forms crumbling under the onslaught of psychic energy and physical might.
"Ah, knight, who are you?" Vergil's past self asked, his eyes narrowing as he observed the imposing, mechanical armored figure before him.
"I am you, from the future," the future Vergil replied, calmly removing his helmet to reveal his face.
"How is that possible?" the past Vergil asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"A few months from now, you will be called in a dream. When that moment comes, accept the call, and a great adventure will await you," the future Vergil explained as he slid his helmet back on, his words confident and reassuring.
"And what about Shadow?" the past Vergil asked, concern flashing across his face.
"Call for reinforcements and help immediately. I'll handle the rest," future Vergil said firmly.
Vergil from the past quickly searched for a suitable location to call for reinforcements from the Assassin Guild. Meanwhile, the present-day Vergil made his way to the palace doors, where Shadow and his party were engaged in battle against Count Dracula. He tried pushing the door, but it was locked. For a brief moment, Vergil stood in silence before delivering a powerful kick to the gate. The force of the kick was so immense that it echoed like an explosion throughout the palace.
Vergil immediately stepped inside, surveying the scene. He saw Shadow lying unconscious at the far end of the room, having been thrown across the battlefield. His focus then shifted to Count Dracula, who stood menacingly in the center of the room.
As Vergil advanced toward Dracula, the vampire lord turned to face him, his eyes narrowing.
"Who are you?" Dracula asked, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"I am the hammer. I am the right hand of the Emperor, the instrument of His will, the tip of His spear, the gauntlet upon His hand, the sharp edge of His sword," Vergil declared, his voice unwavering, full of righteous fury.
Without wasting another moment, Vergil charged forward, his Nemesis Force Spear glinting in the dim light. Count Dracula, sensing the threat, drew his own sword, meeting Vergil head-on. The clash of their weapons filled the room with a metallic ring, sparks flying as Dracula and the Grey Knight locked into battle.
Despite his massive frame, Vergil moved with surprising agility and precision. Count Dracula, wielding his sword with expert technique, launched a series of well-executed attacks, but Vergil effortlessly parried them. Each clash of their weapons echoed in the grand hall, but it became clear that Vergil had the upper hand. His skill with the Nemesis Force Spear, combined with his combat prowess, quickly put Dracula on the defensive.
As the duel progressed, Vergil identified openings in Dracula's technique. With pinpoint accuracy, he struck, driving the tip of his Nemesis Force Spear deep into Dracula's chest, piercing his heart. The force of the strike was devastating, and as Dracula recoiled in pain, Vergil swiftly followed up, slashing the spear upward toward Dracula's left shoulder, further incapacitating him.
Without hesitation, Vergil spun his spear with deadly precision, aiming the blade at Dracula's neck. In one swift, decisive motion, he beheaded the vampire lord, severing Dracula's head cleanly from his body. The vampire's head tumbled to the ground, and his body crumbled lifelessly, a fitting end for the ancient menace.
Vergil knelt beside Shadow, who lay unconscious on the cold stone floor. Placing two fingers on Shadow's neck, he carefully detected a faint pulse, the weak rhythm of his heartbeat evident. Shadow's condition was dire. Without hesitation, Vergil pulled out a small syringe containing a low-dose Stim Pack and injected it into Shadow's arm. He watched closely as the stimulant began to take effect, hoping to stabilize his old companion.
Standing up, Vergil looked down at Shadow, who still lay unconscious but was now breathing more steadily.
"I always keep my promises, Shadow," Vergil said quietly. "No matter if it's from this time or the future, I will always be there to help you."
With that, Vergil turned and walked away, leaving Shadow to recover. As he exited the chamber, the world around him shifted, and in an instant, he found himself back in the vast stone hall where he had first encountered the inscription: "Complete the unfinished business of the past to move forward into the future."
A sense of relief washed over him, as though the burden of his past had been lifted. His task was complete, and now, free of the weight of old debts, he continued his journey deeper into the cave, knowing that something far greater awaited him.