Surrounded by eight rivers of blood, atop a mountain of piled skulls, in front of the massive brass-forged shrine altar, the crimson portal finally began to open!
Almost simultaneously, the entire crimson palace was enveloped by an extremely tyrannical aura; surging killing intent, mixed with roaring gales, as if a god from the primordial era had raged, causing space and even the atmosphere to tremble, the ground to crack inch by inch, and the pillars supporting the palace to groan under the impact of the air current!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Amidst sounds like shattering glass, space let out a mournful wail, its reality torn apart by a pure, boiling malice surging from the highest heavens!
Dense crimson light, mixed with the pungent smell of sulfur and viscous, flowing rivers of blood, all poured out from that 'portal.' Emrys, being the closest, had no time to dodge and was doused from head to toe, as if he had been pulled from a river of blood.
Boom!
The brass-forged shrine altar was trampled by an extremely massive, utterly inhuman foot, its power shaking the grand altar.
"Failed?" Emrys' pupils suddenly constricted, his mind a complete blur.
It shouldn't be; the scene he had 'foreseen' clearly showed him stopping the 'Chaos Summoning Ritual' and destroying the evil Chaos sorcery!
But the scene unfolding before his eyes was like a slap to his face.
The future he had 'foreseen' had deviated!
Why did it turn out like this?!
Ever since he awakened 'Foresight,' he had never made a single mistake, but everything that just happened undoubtedly served as a warning to him!
'Foresight' was not omnipotent.
However, while his mind raced with a myriad of thoughts, the crimson figure, half-stepped out of the Warp rift, did not stop its actions at all, directly extending a massive hand and grabbing towards Emrys.
"Lord—!"
The enormous crimson hand, like a vault, descended from above, its five fingers spread wide, directly grabbing at Emrys, who was still in a daze.
Av Krast, who was half a step behind, immediately widened his eyes in fury, letting out a roar, and rushed forward, grabbing Emrys, not caring about the force, and pulling him back.
Emrys was jolted awake by the pull.
Looking up, the massive crimson figure, seeing that it had grabbed nothing, snorted two scorching streams of air from its nostrils, seemingly annoyed, and with a powerful exertion of its colossal body, squeezed out of the Warp rift.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—!!!
Amidst an extremely piercing, noise-like mechanical roar filled with the wails of souls, a massive chain-axe, carrying a terrifying momentum, like an endless river of blood pouring down, directly cleaved towards the annoying bug that had ruined its plans!
"Protect Lord—!"
That heaven-shattering blow, even for Av Krast, who had once slain a Great daemon, brought a sense of mortal danger.
But he was worthy of Lyon's trust; in such a perilous situation, he still pushed Emrys away with force.
Then, he spread his legs, one in front and one behind, like a tiger climbing a mountain, and with the exquisite skill honed on the battlefield, he swung his power sword from bottom to top in a remarkably precise arc, aiming for the axe handle, attempting to deflect that terrifying power.
But—he had greatly underestimated it.
Boom!!!
The giant axe crashed down without the slightest delay, directly shattering the power sword and then cleaving straight into Av Krast!
Crack...
The power armor, forged from ceramite mixed with adamantium, was actually split apart by a single axe blow!
But Av Krast was extremely experienced; long before the giant axe fell, he had twisted his body and yielded half a step, resulting in the giant axe only severing his right arm.
In just a second, Av Krast's heart sank to rock bottom; with all his years of battlefield experience, the crimson figure before him was an existence they absolutely could not contend with.
"Quick, take Lord and go—!"
With this thought, Av Krast had already made his decision. He unhesitatingly used his remaining left arm to draw the dagger from his waist, bit down on a melta bomb, and charged forward fearlessly.
He would use his life to buy time for the others!
As long as—as long as they could escape into the mysterious forest, this guy, no matter how powerful, wouldn't be able to catch up, and thus he would fulfill his oath to Lyon!
"Hmm?"
The crimson figure let out a soft snort, seemingly a bit surprised that this person still dared to attack him. Could he be out of his mind?
But very quickly, the crimson figure directly lifted its leg, and amidst a sonic boom like a cannonball, its whip-kick left trails of afterimages as it slammed into Av Krast!
Crack!
This whip-kick contained astonishing power, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting, all unleashed upon Av Krast.
In an instant, his body was like a rag doll, directly sent flying backward, all his bones and power armor shattered with a snapping sound, and blood gushed out.
Bang!
Av Krast slammed into the ground.
Looking again, his entire power armor was almost completely shattered, his chest caved in, his helmet cracked, and he was clearly taking in more air than he was letting out.
"Knight-Captain!!!"
Everyone from the Sons of the Forest was shocked by this scene. This was their Knight-Captain, an existence hailed as the 'One-on-One King.'
But what was the result?
In less than a second, he was severely wounded!
Everything that had just happened occurred in less than a second; even Emrys hadn't reacted in time before he saw the gravely wounded, dying Av Krast.
Only then did everyone, with stunned, shocked, and horrified gazes, look up at the terrifying crimson figure on the shrine altar.
His physique was extremely robust and majestic; his already muscular body had grotesquely bloated after his ascension to daemonhood. Each bulging mass of flesh was like molten lava, with hot, foul dark-red light flowing beneath his reddish skin, and his heavy armor was covered in blackened blood.
The hot air he exhaled was like a hellish forge, its scorching heat distorting the surrounding air, filling it with the pungent smell of sulfur and blood.
Most terrifying was his head.
Completely devoid of human features, twisted horns like a battering ram violently jutted from his temples, pointing directly to the sky. From the tips of his horns dripped scorching slag and thick, solidified blood.
And on his crimson face, completely corrupted by the Warp's evil, muscles were knotted and contorted, and foul-smelling liquid dripped from his everted fangs.
But most striking of all was the red, destructive device embedded in his head, like a nail!
The blasphemous metal device seemed to have coexisted with the daemon, pulsating like a living thing!
And each throb would provoke the daemon's already volatile mind, keeping him in a constant state of tyranny and madness. Amidst the flashing crimson arcs, the roaring air currents enveloped the entire Blood Palace!
The crimson wings, made of black iron and bone, extended from his shoulder blades and spine, exuding a suffocating pressure. Each flap was accompanied by thick smoke and sparks, unleashing the terrifying malice from the Warp without reservation!
With every step he took, the air in his wake distorted from the heat, and the ground cracked under his heavy footsteps, leaving burning imprints.
"Emrys—!!!"
Enveloped in thick smoke and sulfur, the daemon, whose every step made the Blood Palace tremble, cast shadows from his desecrated wings that shrouded the entire shrine altar.
At this moment, the hundreds of kneeling world Eaters, clad in crimson, fervently raised their axes and chainswords, shouting the 'honorifics' of this blood-red figure!
Red Angel!
Blood Father!
Lord of the Nail!
Damn it, I almost didn't recognize him—Emrys' forehead pulsed with veins; these familiar titles allowed him to identify the daemon summoned by the 'Chaos Ritual' as none other than the Daemon Primarch, Khorne's living war engine, Angron of the world Eaters!
Because Khorne's daemons almost all look alike, Emrys didn't immediately notice the shiny nails on the other party's head.
But now, he was truly dumbfounded.
Are you kidding me? The daemon summoned was actually the Daemon Primarch—Angron?!
Angron's past is quite tragic.
His madness stemmed from the 'Butcher's Nails' embedded in his forehead, a miraculous device that even the Emperor could not remove, ultimately leading to his downfall.
This device suppresses fear and pity, keeping those with the Butcher's Nails in a constant state of pain and rage, turning them into complete lunatics. Its ceaseless torment utterly twisted Angron's mind, transforming him into his current state.
What happened later—whether it was the Emperor's forced conscription that extinguished Angron's last shred of humanity, or his dragging the entire legion into the abyss—right or wrong, it no longer holds any meaning.
Standing before them now was merely a slave utterly consumed by rage and the desire for slaughter!
If one were to choose the most intelligent among the twenty Primarchs, many might have different choices, but if one were to choose the least intelligent—there's no doubt it would be 'Angron'!
Of course, many also believe that the true Angron died long ago, and what now lives is merely a shell controlled by the Butcher's Nails!
So, the question arises.
What was truly elevated to daemonhood by Khorne: the Daemon Primarch Angron, or that single Butcher's Nail?!
"Retreat!"
Emrys gave the order without hesitation.
Talk is talk, and joking is joking.
But who could take 'Angron' lightly?
A few verbal taunts were fine, but when the Daemon Primarch truly appeared before them, the infinite malice, the bone-deep sense of oppression, the screams from every cell and even their souls, and the primal fear of a living being, all told Emrys just how terrifying that colossal, crimson figure was!
With this small group, they wanted to drive out a Daemon Primarch?
They must be dreaming!
"Quickly, retreat!" Emrys called out to everyone, forming a tight formation. The mission to stop the 'Chaos Summoning Ritual' had failed; their current mission was to live and escape!
But unfortunately, the mad Daemon Primarch Angron immediately noticed Emrys and the others attempting to flee, and roared commands to the world Eaters.
Those frenzied world Eaters immediately surged forward like a tide, surrounding them!
And the 'Daemon Primarch' of the world Eaters, Angron, pursued them with massive strides from the shrine. A single strike from his crimson chainaxe cleaved through an iron pillar that several men couldn't encircle. Amidst the falling rubble and collapsing dome, his blood-red wings roared with sulfur and sparks, as if the apocalypse had arrived!
"Am I f*cking cursed to encounter 'Primarchs'?!"
Emrys cursed inwardly. Why was he so unlucky? In such a short time, he had continuously run into Primarchs!
From Corax the Raven King, to Lorgar of the Word Bearers!
He thought it was over, but then he ran into the recently awakened Lion King, and that was bad enough—now even Angron had arrived?!
Are you serious? Didn't Abaddon say the age of the Primarchs was over?!
Liar!
The era had gone back again!
But no matter how angry or resentful Emrys was in his heart, he had to face an extremely cruel reality—the Daemon Primarch Angron had plunged the entire war on Lynwood into a desperate situation.
Right now, unless Lyon came, who could stop the 'Daemon Primarch'?!
Don't look at how everyone online in his previous life could mock Angron as the Butcher's Nails' mount, the Iron Lung's Mist, the shame of the Primarchs. But that was only in fiction; if he truly appeared before them, they would all be on their knees faster than anyone else!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Inside the Blood Palace, the Sons of the Forest surrounded Emrys, desperately trying to break through the encirclement, but the surrounding world Eaters were utterly fearless madmen, surging forward one after another!
And from the opened Warp rift, an unending stream of world Eaters and Khorne daemons poured out, looking like a crimson ocean, inspiring despair.
The most terrifying was Angron!
In a perpetual state of extreme rage and madness, he roared and shrieked, tirelessly and fearlessly, spewing fragmented, blasphemous syllables. His crimson chainaxe, whistling with a cracking The Message in the air, smashed the surrounding Chaos Sorcerers. He stepped on their flesh, walking towards the group, step by step.
"Al—vin—!!!"
The 'words' that issued from his mouth were no longer comprehensible to any human or creature; it was a blasphemous sonic storm, a physical-level mental pollution, the most direct outpouring of Eternity's agony and endless fury!
Even helmets could not block the roar; every blasphemous syllable was brutally forced directly into Emrys' and their minds!
"Lord, quickly go!"
The adjutant of the Sons of the Forest, taking over for Krast, guarded Emrys, trying to carve a bloody path for him.
Emrys, carrying a heavily wounded Krast, had his power sword and bolter resonating. Crimson almost dyed his body, and even his Sir-crafted power armor had been slashed with cracks by countless daemons and world Eaters in the chaotic battlefield!
But when he looked back, he felt even more despair.
Damn!
Angron was still pursuing!
Angron's massive figure, shrugging off the falling dome, rubble, and the Sons of the Forest's sniping, simply ignored it all, like a high-speed Leman Russ, bearing down on him in an overwhelming manner!
As for the others?
Angron didn't care at all; at most, he'd casually swing an axe, then continue rushing towards him!
His target was Emrys!
Given Angron's mind, he clearly couldn't be doing this on his own, so there could only be one reason: this was Khorne's will!
Where are the Yellow Skins? Save us!
Just as Angron was about to catch up, Barton suddenly stepped forward, his gaze firm.
"Fallen Angel, I'm repaying your favor for Ravenwing!"
How could the proud scions of the Lion tolerate owing a favor to the 'Fallen Angel'?
As he spoke, the psychic librarian's armor suddenly exploded, blood gushing out like a river, and he let out a terrifying roar.
"I'll hold him off, you all go—!!!"
He exerted himself to the utmost, disregarding the risk of backlash, drawing heavily on the Warp's psychic energy. Terrifying and destructive bolts of electricity erupted before him.
Boom—!!!
The next moment, a psychic explosion!
Terrifying Warp psychic energy transformed into scorching flames and destructive lightning, filling the entire Blood Palace,
creating a clearly defined chasm between the world Eaters, Angron, and the Sons of the Forest!
Barton stood on the other side of the chasm.
He calmly turned his head, and beneath his shattered helmet, a resolute gaze was revealed. His lips parted slightly.
"For... Lion."
Kruger, a three-hundred-year-old veteran, served in the Dark Angels Chapter. He was later selected by the Inner Circle and joined the 'Ravenwing', one of the six wings, executing numerous top-secret missions such as infiltration, exploration, and hunting Fallen Angels.
The lives of many Dark Angels are accompanied by secrets, and Kruger was no exception.
He once secretly infiltrated Armageddon, witnessing the tragic end of the Ork War. He also pretended to be captured by Eldar pirates, enduring cruel torture, all to uncover the whereabouts of the Fallen Angels.
Unlike other Inner Circle brethren, the Ravenwing's missions are mostly clandestine and often shoulder the responsibility of 'reconnaissance'. They search for intelligence on the battlefield in perilous environments before the main forces arrive, creating favorable conditions for the Chapter's assault.
It can be said that every mission the Ravenwing undertakes is a brush with death!
But today's mission, for Kruger, was among the most dangerous he had ever undertaken in his life.
Dozens of Ravenwing warriors, lightly equipped, had to rely on experience and intuition to find their scattered brother Chapters in this land enveloped by Warp sorcery, under the constant threat of Chaos encirclement!
As they broke out of the encirclement, as if sensing the Ravenwing's intentions, the cunning Commander of Chaos also dispatched many scout teams, pursuing them along their tracks.
The already dispersed Ravenwing successively encountered bloody battles. Ultimately, more than a dozen Chapter brethren, in order to cover the retreat of the others, were unfortunately entangled by the Chaos scout team, their lives unknown.
Kruger skillfully concealed his tracks and found a dilapidated building complex that looked like it had just experienced a fierce battle.
To avoid being detected by Chaos radar equipment, he shut down most functions on his Power Armor, abandoned all electronic devices that might reveal his whereabouts, and even the Auspex was turned off.
Anyway, due to Chaos interference and demonic sounds, all their communication arrays, Auspex, and other electronic devices were completely paralyzed and useless.
Kruger cautiously moved through the shadows of the corners, using the ruins of the dilapidated buildings as cover, while carefully observing his surroundings.
In this ruined Chaos building complex, bullet casings were scattered everywhere, and there were many bullet holes on the walls. The lingering smell of gunpowder in the air all confirmed one thing—a fierce battle between loyalists and Chaos had erupted here not long ago.
Although he didn't know the outcome, judging from the absence of loyalist bodies, he speculated that the victorious side was likely the Dark Angels!
Thinking of this, Kruger immediately crouched down and sniffed the blood in the air, on the walls, and even seeping into the soil.
The implanted 'Gene-Detection Nerve' organ gave him a Superman-like sense of smell, allowing him to accurately capture the pheromones of his own kind from the chaotic scents.
And it was this organ that allowed Kruger to confirm his conjecture: there were indeed Dark Angels here, and it had been no more than five hours since they left!
This discovery undoubtedly gave Kruger a boost of confidence. As long as he could find the approximate direction this Chapter had departed, he could complete his mission of relaying intelligence!
He picked up a smear of dust and put it in his mouth.
After chewing for a moment, a glint appeared in Kruger's eyes.
"It's the 'Deathwing' Company!"
Space Marines can obtain some information by consuming matter. The blood in this soil allowed him to discern that the unit that had fought fiercely here was precisely the 'Deathwing' of the Dark Angels!
Excellent!
For a moment, a surge of ecstasy rushed into his brain.
This was not only because he had finally found his brethren, but more so because the 'Deathwing' unit often carried a large amount of heavy equipment, including Dreadnoughts, possessing the strongest frontal assault capability within the Dark Angels Chapter!
Moreover, before they separated, he remembered that the grandmaster of the 'Deathwing' was with Supreme grandmaster Azrael. Finding the 'Deathwing' meant finding the Supreme grandmaster!
This handful of soil was like a lifeline!
Kruger clutched the soil, his eyes gleaming. He looked up, trying to discern the direction, and in the gunpowder-filled air with various scents, he barely managed to find a direction that was very likely the withdrawal route of the 'Deathwing'!
However, blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come singly.
Just as Kruger was rejoicing at finding the 'Deathwing's' whereabouts, his 'Lyman's Ear' suddenly picked up an unusual sound not far away.
The 'rustling' sound was so jarring in the dead silence of the ruins!
His pupils instantly constricted.
Immediately, almost instinctively, Kruger executed a standard tactical maneuver, rolling into the nearest broken wall.
Boom!!!
A terrifying shell impact erupted with astonishing heat, carrying rolling air currents that almost blew away the broken wall and the room where he was hiding!
Shrapnel splattered like bullets against his armor. In a pervasive cloud of dust, Kruger's pupils, aided by his 'visual controller', clearly saw vague masses of figures through the thick smoke.
"I found you, lackey of the False Emperor."
A voice came. The 'world Eater', clad in blood-red armor, adorned with dozens of skulls, iron chains wrapped around his arm, and clearly of the highest rank, carried an axe blade stained with blood and mud. In his other hand, he conspicuously held a—... Ravenwing helmet!
The opponent threw the helmet over, his blood-red gaze falling on Kruger, and sneered.
"Lackey of the False Emperor, weak son of the Lion, your head will become my twenty-seventh collection!"
Twenty-seven—
Looking at the broken helmet, stained with bloody and white viscous matter, Kruger slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress the anger welling up in his heart.
That meant—twenty-six Ravenwing brethren had already been caught and beheaded by the enemy!
The total number of Ravenwing dispatched by the grandmaster for the mission was only about fifty. Several died during the breakout, and then more than a dozen covered the retreat when they were encircled. Now, sixteen more have been discovered and massacred. How many are left?
Thinking pessimistically, perhaps—only he was left of those who broke through!
Kruger remained silent, looking at this Khorne Chapter, numbering about a hundred. It was primarily composed of a small number of Daemons and world Eaters, supplemented by Dark Mechanicum Priests and mortal auxiliary troops, and also included a Chaos psyker Librarian.
And such a formation was apparently just to deal with him, a lone Ravenwing.
"I can give you a chance to live!"
The world Eater leader's huge axe fell, striking the ground and stirring up a gust of wind. His violent gaze fell on Kruger, as if he wanted to toy with him.
"Kneel, pledge your loyalty to the great 'Blood God', and I will spare your life. What do you say?"
"What are you still hesitating for?"
His seductive voice echoed in Kruger's ears.
"Your brothers are already dead, your mission is impossible to complete. At this point—why don't you embrace Chaos?"
"The False Emperor will not listen to your prayers!"
"But Chaos—will bless you, just like me now, possessing unrivaled power. This is the reality, not the hollow words of loyalty you speak!"
"Children of the Lion, look around!"
"You pledge allegiance to the False Emperor, but what have you ever gained? All that is promised to you is death, but I—I have the blessing of Chaos!"
"Join the black Legion, Children of the Lion, let us join hands and attack the False Emperor's fortress, tear apart the False Emperor today—Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
"No—!"
Responding to the world Eater leader was a resounding, iron-firm roar.
Kruger gripped his chainsword. Even though he was deeply surrounded, the light in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
"Even if the God-Emperor is but a corpse, His light still illuminates the entire galaxy. And your Chaos gods are nothing more than a group of disgusting, blasphemous cowards, shameful traitors. Do you think your atrocities can destroy the Imperium of Man? No—never!"
"Humanity stands here!"
"I stand here!"
"My battlefield is here, my end is here, I am here with my brothers!"
"And you, traitor!"
"Your fate is to burn in hell!"
Kruger stepped forward, his chainsword, amidst his roar and thunder, carved a terrifying streak of violence, slashing towards the world Eater leader!
"Children of the Lion, never yield!"
"For—Lion!!!"
"Foolish!"
The leader of the world Eaters couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, "Since you don't agree, then I'll send you to meet your 'False Emperor'!"
With that, he took heavy steps, each one like a heavy tank charging, the ground in his path spewing thick smoke.
Facing this scene, Kruger showed no fear.
"For Lion El'Jonson!"
Amidst his shouts, the high-speed rotating chainsword's teeth roared deafeningly, tearing through the air, and struck directly at the terrifying, tank-like figure crushing forward!
"Your movements are too slow, Caliban's coward!" A deep, distorted voice, filled with endless bloodlust, emanated from the blood-red helmet's grille respirator, accompanied by a chilling echo and the pungent smell of sulfur.
Just before the chainsword's teeth were about to touch the world Eater's shoulder guard, amidst the sound of air tearing, accompanied by a blast of violent wind, the blood-red great axe, which had been dragging on the ground, suddenly came from behind, rising from below with even greater speed, at an incredible angle, sweeping upwards!
Clang—!!!
A deafening clang of metal echoed.
Blinding sparks, like fireworks, splattered everywhere, and a huge impact made the surrounding ruins
Tremble and wail!
Kruger's tiger's mouth instantly split open!
He felt as if his chainsword had struck the outer wall of a steel fortress; the power armor's servo system and sensors buzzed with overload in his helmet!
But then, the world Eater let out a brutal, low roar, and the blood-red axe blade suddenly exerted force, a mountain-toppling power directly infused into his body, and he was directly sent flying backward by that incomparably savage force, his chainsword almost flying out of his hand!
"Is this all the Lion's offspring are capable of?" The leader of the world Eaters mocked him maniacally, his laughter like a daemon's howl, his massive body suddenly taking a step, like a cannonball striking.
"You are as weak and ridiculous as your brothers!"
The heavy great axe, in the world Eater's hand, seemed to transform into a blood-red storm, striking blow after blow, continuous slashes, as if his strength was inexhaustible.
And each slash was like tearing space!
Kruger was no match for him at all, instantly falling into a desperate situation, barely relying on three hundred years of experience to resist with difficulty, like a dying ember, under the world Eater's frenzied assault.
The impact carried by each slash, each collision, made this warrior of the Ravenwing feel his bones and flesh within his body wailing!
"Too weak! Too weak! Too weak!"
The world Eater's leader mocked him wantonly, sweeping his great axe with the power to crush everything.
"Is this the Lion's offspring? He doesn't even have the qualifications to please the Blood God!"
Kruger rolled awkwardly, bending and crouching with great difficulty, narrowly dodging the blow; the axe blade grazed his helmet, making a harsh scraping sound and leaving a deep scratch!
"Coward! Do you only know how to dodge?"
The world Eater pressed forward, his great axe's offensive like a violent storm, seemingly without pattern, yet each strike was filled with extreme violence, that endless, raging power, like a natural disaster, capable of crushing all.
Each of the world Eater's swings was powerful, heavy, and at a tricky angle, forcing Kruger to constantly retreat, roll, and parry.
Each collision between the chainsword and the great axe erupted in dazzling sparks and deafening roars, but each time the result was the same as the initial exchange: his chainsword was violently knocked aside, and the great axe descended like a collapsing mountain, causing his arm and body to tremble under the immense impact!
The leader of the world Eaters seemed not to be fighting, but rather to be toying with this Ravenwing warrior; he enjoyed watching the other's gradually despairing emotions, like a cat playing with a mouse, cruel and elegant.
"Is this the chivalry you pride yourselves on? Before absolute power, it's nothing!" The world Eater said mockingly, his great axe making a strange upward sweep, precisely jamming the chainsword's teeth.
The two weapons twisted together, emitting a teeth-grinding friction sound.
Kruger pressed down with all his might, every muscle in his body straining, trying to saw through the other's axe blade, but the leader of the world Eaters merely let out a disdainful snort, and his thick arm suddenly exerted force!
Instantly, the chainsword's teeth were twisted and broken by the Hammer Skulls's torque, flying from Kruger's hand, spinning and landing nearby, embedding itself in the ground with a buzzing sound.
"Game over, cowardly Lion's offspring."
The world Eater leader's voice was low, containing an even more terrifying killing intent; he was tired of this boring game, gripping the great axe's handle with both hands, his crimson gaze locked onto the disarmed Ravenwing, and a thick, suffocating smell of blood and insane killing intent spread out like a tangible presence, making the surrounding air viscous.
He slowly raised the great axe, which symbolized destruction and sacrifice; the dark red glow lingering on the axe blade seemed to come alive, like a daemon thirsting for fresh blood.
The entire space seemed to freeze.
Only the world Eater's heavy breathing remained, and the chilling, muffled roar of the great axe tearing through the air.
"In the name of the Blood God, offer your skull!"
The great axe, carrying the terrifying power to end all, crashed down!
Splat—!!!
The blood-red great axe met no resistance, smashing through Kruger's power armor, cables and coils shattering, sturdy ceramite cracking, the axe blade severing his pectoral muscles and cleaving his heart.
"It's over."
The world Eater leader sneered.
Looking at the fallen Ravenwing, his body already soaked in blood, his breathing gradually weakening, he felt a bit disappointed, and carrying his great axe, he turned and left, instructing the others.
"Cut off his head!"
Kruger's vision plunged into darkness.
"Am I—going to die?"
"It hurts so much!"
"My heart is shattered—"
"Cough, cough, no, I can't die yet—this isn't my end!"
"Hundreds of thousands of Dark Angels, their lives and deaths, all depend on me alone. I cannot fall here; even if I die, I must persevere until I see the grandmaster!"
"Merciful Emperor—"
"If You truly exist, please listen to—my prayer."
"I don't aspire to merely survive."
"I just want—to be given a little more time, to complete my mission, alright?!"
"Emperor—did You hear me?"
Kruger, gradually succumbing to death, suddenly saw a glimmer of light in that darkness.
It was like the Sun, yet it was extremely cold.
Just then, the leader of the world Eaters suddenly felt a chill envelop him; he turned back in alarm, only to see the 'Ravenwing' who should have died, standing upright in a pool of blood.
"???"
The world Eater leader was stunned.
Space Marines have tenacious vitality, but his axe had shattered both of the opponent's hearts, along with most of his internal organs; how could he still stand up?!
Can't win, so you're cheating, huh?
Raevenwing stood in a pool of blood, clad in broken armor.
The winged sword emblem on his chest, symbolizing the 'Dark Angels', was also tattered, like a wilting flower petal.
Logically, he shouldn't to live now, or even be standing.
Even if the Emperor had bestowed upon the Astartes an extremely tenacious vitality, a demigod's body with two hearts and three lungs, the world Eaters leader still couldn't understand why this Raevenwing could stand up again?!
He was certain that his strike had completely destroyed both hearts of this Raevenwing.
Even with the 'Artificial Dura Mater' implant, it should be impossible for it to function, and the opponent clearly hadn't undergone 'Primaris' upgrade, nor should 'Belisarius Furnace' exist within him. Why could he still move?
This was simply... a 'miracle'!
The world Eaters leader's mind was suddenly consumed by this word, and his pupils contracted sharply, like an earthquake.
A miracle, could it be?
Before he could collect his thoughts, he saw Kruger in the pool of blood, his eyes filled with terrifying blood-red, as if he had transformed into a beast from the world Caliban, emitting fragmented roars and howls from his broken throat.
Those broken syllables could vaguely be pieced together into a sentence.
"For Lion, for the Emperor!"
The mag-boots slammed down, and the surrounding ground churned like waves.
Boom!
An extremely terrifying storm, enveloping that broken, bloody figure, approached at a frightening speed!
His already shattered power armor could no longer provide assistance to Kruger.
The electromagnetic coils, the muscle coils, and even the power pack – he had lost all external assistance in the previous bloody battle.
But, so what?
"I am a Dark Angel! Son of the Lion! Knight of Caliban!"
"I am Raevenwing, Son of Lion!"
Kruger's broken throat could no longer produce normal sounds, but that meaningless war cry seemed like the most terrifying words.
He wildly swung his fists, smashing them at the huge, bloody figure before him.
"Why are you still to live? How can you still to live?!" The world Eaters leader was horrified, but also shocked by the other's madness.
He didn't understand what kind of belief was supporting this body, which was like an oil lamp running out of fuel!
But the world Eaters leader re-gripped his Hammer Skulls, his thick, pillar-like arm stretching out freely, every inch of muscle swelling under the blessings of Chaos, dragging a bloody arc, and with the force of Mount Tai pressing down, he fiercely chopped at that figure.
"Too slow—heretic!"
Kruger's gaze followed the trajectory of the Hammer Skulls, recalling the opponent's previous taunt.
He could feel his senses as if completely activated; the trajectories that were previously difficult to discern were now so clear, and even every cell of his body, including his spirit, was in a state of extreme excitement.
Kruger suddenly lunged in, swinging his fist from bottom to top, intercepting the falling axe blade midway.
The inability to fully exert his strength made the world Eaters leader feel frustrated, but before he could retaliate, Kruger moved even faster, striking a punch before him.
Bang!
The power contained in this punch caused the world Eaters leader pain.
But what caused him even more pain was the strange power that surged into his body with that punch.
"Ahhh!" He grew even angrier, abandoning his Hammer Skulls and rushing to exchange blows with Kruger.
He was a great world Eater, a champion of Khorne; how could he fear a coward?
Both sides seemed to have completely abandoned technique, relying solely on their physical bodies and willpower, under the gaze of numerous Chaos Legions,
They began a pure slugfest.
One punch for you, one punch for me, neither attempting to dodge.
It was as if whoever dodged would fall into a disadvantage.
But gradually...
The world Eaters leader felt something was wrong; this guy seemed to have no limit at all.
No matter how many punches he took, this Raevenwing warrior seemed completely unfazed, yet every punch the opponent threw at him became heavier and heavier, to the point where the world Eaters leader could no longer bear it.
"Why! Why! Why?!"
The world Eaters leader roared in fury, his bloodshot eyes bulging, his entire face contorted, a hint of fear, imperceptible even to himself, mixed with his madness.
"Why aren't you falling? Why aren't you dying?!"
Is it faith?
It seemed he once had such faith... In a daze, the world Eaters leader's face took a heavy iron fist.
The knuckle, carrying immense force, shattered his helmet.
That helmet, which he considered his pride, inlaid with skulls and emblems, along with the feathered adornment on his back, was also smashed by this punch.
Thump, thump, thump.
The world Eaters leader stumbled back several steps, his helmet shattered, revealing his ferocious and twisted face.
Looking at Kruger, the fire burning in his eyes and the moving determination made him pause.
Once upon a time, he was also so resolute, but when exactly did he become like this?
The world Eaters leader's mind was shaken, and he forgot to counterattack, being repeatedly struck by this berserk Raevenwing warrior, retreating again and again.
From the world Eaters leader's perspective, Kruger seemed to be cloaked in golden fire.
That scorching, intense, unwavering determination, and the conviction to guard until death, were like an invisible fire, burning his heart!
It hurts, it really hurts... The world Eaters leader averted his gaze; he didn't know why, but he dared not look directly into the other's eyes.
It was as if he was afraid to see his past self through those eyes!
However, Kruger pressed on, step by step. He had lost his weapon and was well aware that his continued movement was entirely due to the 'Emperor's' mercy.
He had to seize every opportunity, seize the fleeting time!
"Why... what exactly are you holding on for?"
The bloody tint in the world Eaters leader's eyes seemed to recede somewhat, and looking at the figure still standing tall, his tone was full of complexity.
"Because, I am the Emperor's Angel, a Son of Lion, bearing the duty to... guard the Imperium and protect humanity!"
Kruger swayed with each step, the bones in his fists shattered and dripping blood, yet he still walked towards him steadily, his gaze unwavering as he looked up.
"If I am destined to fall in battle here today, then my destination is the Golden Throne, and you... you pathetic, tragic heretic, your destination is the Eternity of purgatory!"
The next moment, Kruger moved like lightning, unleashing a powerful punch that landed on the world Eaters leader's face.
Amidst the sound of shattering bones, the world Eaters leader's figure crashed to the ground.
He quietly gazed at the sky, already twisted by the Warp, and murmured.
"Faith? I actually lost to you, lost for such a ridiculous reason... But why don't I feel ashamed?"
The world Eaters leader was not powerless to resist; rather, he... felt very tired, too exhausted to move.
Seeing the surrounding world Eaters stirring, he suddenly spoke.
"Let him go, this is the victor's reward."
The Blood God revered honor above all, and Kruger's actions had earned his respect.
Kruger gasped for breath, and under the watchful eyes of the surrounding, covetous world Eaters, he staggered out openly and honestly.
Watching the departing figure, the world Eaters leader lay quietly on the ground, a complex emotion in his eyes,
Suddenly, he shouted loudly:
"Remember my name, Raevenwing!"
"I am the world Eaters Legion, Captain of the Third Assault Company... Barret O'Brien!"
After a long pause, a weak voice came from the direction of departure.
"Dark Angel Raevenwing, Second Company... Kruger!"