Kruger felt his body becoming increasingly heavy.
Every step he took required him to wring out every last bit of potential from his body, his torn muscles and cells groaning as they neared their limit.
He clutched the gruesome, twisted wound on his chest with one hand.
He tried his best to prevent his shattered heart, spleen, lungs, and intestines from spilling out of the wound; as for how much blood he had lost, he no longer cared.
This body, far surpassing that of a mortal, had twenty bio-organs implanted, yet it still couldn't retain his fleeting life.
Coarse sand and air, mixed with fresh blood, poured into Kruger's nasal cavity and throat, making every inhaled breath feel like the most terrifying torture and torment.
Coarse yellow sand poured into his blood-soaked throat and, carried by the air, entered his two shattered lungs.
Pain?
These external sensations were no longer of concern to Kruger.
His consciousness grew increasingly blurry, and his body felt as heavy as if a mountain had been pressed upon him; pits he once easily crossed now caused him to fall awkwardly.
"How... how much further?"
He looked up in a daze, trying to find that familiar color on the desolate, sand-swept Gobi Desert.
But this hope was destined to be in vain.
Every inch of Draconys world's surface was filled with the evil sorcery of the Warp; a majestic mountain in the distance might transform into a chaotic fortress the next second, and a source of water nearby could suddenly twist into a swamp.
The distances, spaces, and perceptions of the real world all lost their value here.
So tired, truly so tired...
Kruger had never felt so exhausted, as if the slightest slackening of his will would plunge him into an Eternity of sleep the next second, returning to his long-awaited 'Golden Throne'.
Yet, whenever he thought of giving up, a voice in the darkness urged him to hold on just a little longer, just for a moment!
The vast yellow sand seemed to stretch endlessly.
But even in such circumstances, Kruger persisted, though he didn't know how much time had passed.
Finally, he saw a familiar color appear before him.
The other party clearly spotted him as well; several figures sped over, and a black-robed figure helped him up.
"You are... Ravenwing? What happened?"
"Daemon Forge Palace... daemon summoning... ritual" Kruger looked at the figure, who seemed like a savior, and struggled to utter a few words, mixed with blood, from his shattered throat.
His bone-shattered hand trembled as he gripped the arm of the tall, pitch-black warrior.
"Res... rescue... Ravenwing"
The black-armored warrior nodded, then clasped his hand.
"I am Chief Priest Asmodai. Your last words... I heard them. Is there anything else you wish to say?"
"This... beacon!"
Kruger painstakingly pulled out the beacon.
With this beacon, Ravenwing's location could be accurately pinpointed on the chaotic Draconys.
The black-robed Priest Asmodai took the beacon and solemnly placed it into his waist pouch.
"Can I... rest now?"
A relieved smile appeared on Kruger's face; his mission was finally complete.
He was truly very tired; now... he could finally rest.
He had not failed grandmaster Ravenwing's expectations, nor Ryan's teachings, nor the Imperium's trust.
Now, he wanted to rest.
"Rest in peace, my brother."
Asmodai slowly knelt, holding a book of Imperial scriptures, closed his eyes, and whispered.
"May your soul return gloriously to the Golden Throne, may you be by Ryan's side. Your duty... shall be carried out by us!"
The Apothecary carefully removed Kruger's gland and placed it into a collection jar.
In the silent atmosphere, Supreme grandmaster Azrael's eyes seemed to burn with fire. His voice, amplified by the array, covered the roaring yellow sand and echoed across the desolate land.
"Dark Angels! In the name of the Lion, in the name of Salvation! target—daemon Forge Palace! Advance!"
No hesitation, no delay!
This Deathwing company, which had just broken through, immediately turned and charged into the endless yellow sand.
Their speed was incredibly fast, even at the limit for Space Marines, completely pushing every inch of their bodies to the extreme.
But no one complained; they knew very well what a message that Ravenwing had fought to the death to deliver truly meant.
But soon, an unexpected event occurred.
"Large chaotic psychic energy signatures detected ahead!"
Suddenly, the Chief Librarian issued a warning.
"Do we need to evade?"
He was considering it from the perspective of the Chapter; after a long forced march and several previous encirclements, evasion was currently the best option.
"No, charge straight through them!"
Supreme grandmaster Azrael's gaze did not waver in the slightest.
"We have no time, Ravenwing... also has no time. We cannot detour, nor can we evade!"
He looked up at the bloody color in the yellow sand, his hoarse voice filled with a roar.
"Dreadnoughts, advance! Punch through them!"
Surging like a tide, the Deathwing, transformed into emerald lightning, charged towards the bloody color in the distant yellow sand, empowered by extreme rage.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst terrifying ground tremors, figures four to five meters tall, ancient Dreadnoughts emblazoned with the Dark Angels insignia, charged forward fiercely!
And the black-robed Priest Asmodai, wielding his scriptures and power hammer, led the charge at the very front!
"Damn heretics, repent for your actions—!!!"
The power hammer, wreathed in lightning, directly smashed the head of a world Eater.
Asmodai stomped, crushing his chest plate, and the crimson augur, emitting an invisible pressure, let out a chilling, deep roar from his throat, like grinding flesh and bone.
"None of you will escape!"
The combined charge of several ancient Dreadnoughts crushed this Chaos legion in an instant.
Among them, Asmodai was the most frenzied; anyone he caught had their head, limbs, and torso completely shattered.
"Continue to advance!"
Azrael looked down at the beacon, which guided them through the yellow sand.
They had just finished a battle, but without even a moment's rest, they embarked once more on a desperate forced march.
At the same time, the scattered Dark Angels sub-Chapters.
Also encountered the Ravenwings who had fought their way out of heavy encirclement; with the last of their life's strength, they delivered the crucial "Beacon."
If one were to look down from a higher holographic map, it would be evident that the scattered Dark Angels sub-Chapters across the entire Draconys seemed to have a common goal, beginning to charge towards that palace—the daemon Forge Palace—regardless of the cost or consequences!
The scattered Dark Angels sub-chapters, guided by the "Beacons" sent out by Ravenwing, converged on the Daemonforge Palace.
At the same time, the Sons of the Forest Chapter was facing an unprecedented crisis: the Daemon Primarch Angron!
If it were just the Daemon Primarch, Emrys might still find a way to temporarily control him.
But what they had to deal with was not just the Daemon Primarch, but also the even more troublesome Khorne Legion!
Due to the "Chaos Ritual," the already fragile reality barrier on Draconys was torn open with a huge rift, creating an excellent opportunity for the Daemon Primarch Angron and Khorne's daemon army.
On the brass-forged shrine altar, the reality and Warp barrier, torn by evil Chaos sorcery, resembled a giant blood-red eye, or a deep "wellhead" leading to the abyss.
Khorne's daemon legion poured out of the passage like an endless tide of blood.
For a time, the Sons of the Forest were at a complete disadvantage!
"Protect Lord!"
The well-trained Sons of the Forest immediately rallied around Emrys, forming a tight formation with him at the center, relying on the architectural remains in the Blood Palace to organize an orderly retreat.
The killing zone created by heavy bolters targeted the completely frenzied Khorne daemon army!
Huge, deep-red daemons with knotted muscles, like skinned monsters with pulsating muscles and blood vessels exposed, clad in extremely crude brass plate armor, formed a fearless tide of blood, assaulting the Sons of the Forest's defense line in wave after wave.
These monsters, like skinned creatures, were daemons called Bloodletters, and they were the most common core troops in Khorne's legions.
Upon entering battle, Bloodletters would display extreme fanaticism, bloodlust, and a craving for skulls.
They basically had no logic or thought; they were thorough "Madmen"!
Even if their "comrades" in front fell in swathes under the roaring heavy bolter suppression, like wheat being harvested in autumn, the Bloodletters behind them still roared slogans of "Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne," treading on mountains of piled bones and flesh, surging forward one after another!
"Fight our way out of here!!!"
Although Emrys was protected in the middle, he also participated in the bloody battle, occasionally using precise bursts to help his Chapter brothers around him.
To escape from here, they first needed to fight their way out; only by leaving the Daemonforge Palace's area of influence could they flee into the Lion's "Forest."
Malven fought to the death, gaining them precious time by blocking the Daemon Primarch Angron and the world Eaters Chapter within the psychic barrier, but as the chasm grew dimmer, it signaled that the "Barrier" could not hold much longer.
Emrys was burning with anxiety; he knew that once Angron broke free, their fate would be total annihilation!
However, when it rains, it pours.
Khorne's daemon legion apparently also realized the Sons of the Forest's intentions.
The ground suddenly shook violently.
Emrys' pupils contracted slightly, and he suddenly turned his gaze to the endless army of Bloodletters, only to see these frenzied daemons, as if by tacit agreement, split into several queues.
Immediately following, dozens of taller, stronger figures, clad in sturdy armor, riding giant skinned beasts resembling Sabretooths under their arms, charged towards them with an unstoppable and utterly brutal momentum!
Rumble—
Ancient heavy cavalry charging into battle could be described as earth-shattering, but Khorne's daemon legion's formation was even more terrifying!
The entire Daemonforge Palace seemed to be shaking, and amidst countless rolling dust, it was like a blood-red mad dragon, carrying a heart-stopping might, surging towards them!
They were Khorne's Hell Riders, also known as "Bloodcrushers," typically used to assault and tear apart fortified human positions or to collide with large-scale armored formations.
"Damn it—is this world War I?!"
Emrys cursed inwardly.
Khorne was truly insane, bringing out heavy cavalry in a tiny Daemonforge Palace!
"Fire at them!" He led the charge, pulled out several high-explosive grenades, and threw them, then switched to a heavy bolter, held it, and pulled the trigger, his entire face illuminated by the light of the bullets in the roaring metallic torrent, twisted into a distorted color.
"Don't be stingy with bullets, fire at them relentlessly, heavy cavalry?
Do you think this is world War I?!"
The next moment, the members of the Sons of the Forest Chapter all pulled out various heavy weapons and began to target Khorne's legion charging towards them, one by one!
This scene seemed to be a reenactment of history.
Even heavily armored cavalry were no match for the storm of heavy weapon fire!
"Didn't expect that, did you?!"
Emrys' veins throbbed on his forehead, holding a six-barreled rotary bolter, standing on a hill of Bloodletter corpses, wantonly sweeping fire at the madness below.
"Times have changed, this is no longer the age of cavalry!"
However, before he could rejoice for a few seconds, he keenly noticed that on the brass altar in the distance, dozens of huge, bloated, sacrilegious constructs made of flesh and brass pipes slowly creepinged on mechanical tracks, appearing from the Warp rift.
At its core was a constantly twitching, massive biological internal organ cavity, seemingly made of flesh and brass... Emrys' expression drastically changed.
Oh no, times had gone back again!
"Artillery!" He only managed to shout this sentence before he saw those dozens of sacrilegious flesh constructs,
firing several blood-red cannonballs from their flesh cavities, making a wailing shriek in the air, and then accurately landing in front of their position.
Boom!!!
The explosive blast from the landing nearly knocked Emrys flying, and what shattered were not metal projectiles, but fragments of flesh like a rain of blood!
The destructive power of these flesh chunks was no less than that of bombs, and they contained evil Chaos corruption, clinging to power armor, even ceramite was corroded with pits, and the closest Sons of the Forest were directly blasted into meat paste.
Just as Emrys was dizzy from the "flesh cannonballs," he suddenly heard several shrieks from above!
Screech!!!
The shrieks pierced his brain, causing a sharp, needling pain.
Immediately following were several bat-like daemons with outstretched blood-red wings, snarling like vengeful spirits, circling the dome of the Blood Palace for a moment, then diving down like cannonballs, emitting a piercing tearing sound through the air!
Their target was Emrys!
The Flesh Hounds swooped down, their claws like hooks, clamping onto Emrys' shoulder plate, intending to drag him away by force.
"Get off me!"
Emrys, trained by the Lion, was no longer his former self; how could he be dragged away by a mere Flesh Hound?
He grabbed the daemon's upper jaw with his bare hands, exerted force, and slammed it from his back to the ground in front of him; before it could struggle,
he stomped on the Flesh Hound's chest again, brutally shoved the already hot, red bolter barrel into its mouth, and fiercely pulled the trigger.
Bang bang bang!!!
Hot bolter rounds poured into its throat, blasting that disgusting head into pulverized flesh and blood foam under Emrys' cold gaze.
He wiped away the bloodstain on his visor and turned to look at the others, only to realize that due to the suppression from a distance, those formidable Khorne heavy cavalry had already shattered the Sons of the Forest's defense line.
And what was even more despairing was...
Because of the delay caused by Khorne's daemon legions, they missed the best opportunity.
That huge blood-red figure had already broken free from the psychic barrier cage that Malven had set up at the cost of his life.
Roaring like thunder, like a primeval savage beast, each step he took caused the entire Blood Palace to tremble with a mournful vibration; amidst the rolling dust, the Daemon Primarch named Angron now stood before them!
"Al-ven!!!"
The Daemon Primarch Angron's broken, reality-distorting, blasphemous voice was like a sudden clap of thunder, shaking the surrounding air currents into a tsunami of expansion.
"I'm not deaf!!!"
Similarly, being pushed to the brink again and again did not make Emrys fearful; instead, it ignited his gambler's mentality.
Can't escape?
Then he wouldn't run!
He suddenly took several steps, launching himself like a cannonball, propelled by the air jets of his power backpack, and directly charged towards the Daemon Primarch!
"Call me your daddy!"
Emrys' arms bulged with veins, his entire body stretched out, tracing a perfect arc in mid-air, gathering strength for a sword strike towards the Daemon Primarch.
"Angron—your daddy's here!!!"
"What the hell?!"
The Sons of the Forest were stunned by this sight!
As they watched their 'Grandmaster'—instead of retreating under the pressure of the 'daemon Primarch'—leap forward and strike at the 'daemon Primarch' with a sword, it felt as if tens of thousands of 'grass mud horses' were galloping through their minds!
Too… too brave, right?!
"Meeeee!"
The power sword struck Angron's demonic chair horn, producing a clashing sound like metal on metal.
Intense sparks flew from the sword's edge, followed by an extremely powerful tremor. Emrys' tiger's mouth was directly torn open by this force, creating several bloody gashes, and blood soaked into the sword hilt.
"Damn, that hard?!" Emrys' pupils constricted. He hadn't expected Angron's chair horn to be so incredibly tough that even this finely crafted power sword couldn't sever it!
Angron also seemed bewildered.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but it was quickly filled with boundless rage. A mere human—dared to swing a sword at him?!
"Die—!" Fully ascended, Angron's strength and speed were far beyond anything he had previously possessed. Even without a weapon, the force of a single punch was enough to turn a Leman Russ tank into scrap metal!
Boom!
The air produced a deafening sonic boom.
Angron's massive fist, like a cannonball, wrapped in rolling air currents and winds, slammed directly towards Emrys in mid-air.
"Lord!!!"
The Sons of the Forest who witnessed this scene all cried out in terror.
Emrys was currently in mid-air. Even with a power pack, there wasn't enough time to adjust direction. If he were hit by that punch, his fate would likely be the same as Krast, who was already 'lying down'.
But just then, Emrys in mid-air miraculously transformed into butterflies!
The spot where Angron's punch landed caused the air to expand like a bursting halo, but Emrys' trace was gone, only scattered butterflies remained.
"???"
Angron was bewildered again.
What was going on? He clearly felt like he'd hit something, but why did it turn into butterflies?
"Acaen's Form!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
Emrys had split into dozens of clones, and dazzling electrical light surged from his fingertips.
"Cythorak's Crimson Chains!"
Whoosh!
The clones manipulated chains, flying out and firmly binding the daemon Primarch in place!
"Roar!!!"
Angron fell into a frenzy, his brute strength erupting. Every bulging muscle, blessed by the mighty power of Chaos, actually caused the chains to strain and emit a grating, teeth-grinding sound!
Crack, crack!
Chain after chain snapped!
Angron was about to break free.
This sight made Emrys' eyelids twitch. It was the first time he had encountered someone who could snap 'Cythorak's Crimson Chains' with sheer brute force!
"Damn! He's really strong as hell!" Emrys had no time to think, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He frantically drew psychic energy from the Warp using 'white magic'.
Within the Daemonforge Palace, the reality domain was already severely damaged, and with a giant Warp rift present, Emrys' psychic energy absorption was very smooth.
Psychic energy, like a surging tide, poured into him, forming a raging torrent of lightning in the void, brimming with an aura of ultimate destruction!
"Psychic Lightning!!!"
Finally, just as Emrys was about to collapse, he unleashed all the 'borrowed' psychic energy as lightning towards Angron!
Boom—!!!
Endless lightning rained down!
The unleashed lightning carried destructive power, igniting even the air itself. The terrifying psychic torrent roared, directly engulfing an area tens of meters wide!
Angron's berserk figure was enveloped by the dazzling, blinding lightning!
"I refuse to believe it, you can't be fine after this move!" Emrys swayed, such immense psychic energy had left him feeling drained, and he panted weakly.
However, when the dazzling electric light dispersed, Angron stood in the center of the devastated area. His burly body was covered in ravines torn by the psychic lightning. In severe places, even his internal organs could be seen, and blood had been evaporated by the high temperature, turning into charred blood.
Rolling hot steam rose, and Angron remained motionless.
"Dead?"
Emrys panted, looking at Angron.
But, the next second.
A dense bloody light suddenly erupted from Angron's body. His severely damaged demonic body...
…actually recovered at an astonishing speed!
"Roar!!!"
Angron raised his head, his blood-red eyes filled with brutality and madness. He roared, gripping his great axe, and took a step forward, the axe blade cleaving through the air!
"Ring of Raggador!"
In his haste, Emrys conjured a massive energy shield.
But his shield was shattered by Angron's axe. The power within it remained undiminished, carrying a visible blade of air that ripped through the ground. The terrifying residual force directly sent Emrys flying.
Khorne, have you no shame?!
Emrys swallowed the clotted blood in his throat, glaring at Angron through gritted teeth. This bastard was openly cheating!
"You forced my hand!"
Emrys also became ruthless, not caring if he would be discovered. He directly pulled out a pure black banner from his personal space!
The flagpole of the banner was jet black, forged from an unknown metal. The banner itself unfurled horizontally, embroidered with densely packed mysterious runes. In the center was the Imperial Aquila, surrounded by numerous Khorne Daemon Legions, from which billowed thick black smoke!
"Come—out!!!"
Emrys clutched the flagpole, using it as a weapon, and violently swung it within the encirclement.
One swing, black smoke billowed!
Two swings, rolling black smoke enveloped the battlefield!
Three swings, hundreds of blood-colored, ethereal spirits surged from the black smoke. These spirits were all clad in twisted,
…terrifying armor, roaring as they charged towards the Khorne Daemon Legions!
"!!!"
The Sons of the Forest were dumbfounded by this sight.
Th-th-this—is this a Daemon Legion?!
But what happened next made their eyes widen, feeling as if their hearts were about to stop.
"Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne!!!"
The 'daemons' emerging from the black smoke actually shouted Khorne's slogan, fearlessly attacking the equally bewildered 'Khorne Daemon Legions'.
An internal conflict?
It didn't seem like it—the Sons of the Forest's adjutant swore he had never seen such a bizarre scene in his life: Khorne and Khorne's followers were actually slaughtering each other!
"What are you standing around for?! Run!" Emrys turned around and found the Sons of the Forest still in a daze,
He immediately snapped, "This small number of people can't stop these madmen!"
Although the souls of the Chaos Space Marines within the 'Human Emperor Banner' were branded with the 'Dark Mark' and were immortal, each resurrection required a 'price'!
He couldn't expect this small group of people to stop a berserk Daemon Primarch!
"Grandmaster—" The adjutant swallowed, his gaze fixed on the banner in his hand.
"This thing… it looks like a… Daemon artifact, doesn't it?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Emrys glared at him, angrily retorting, "This is the 'Human Emperor Banner,' a divine artifact bestowed upon me by the Emperor, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Daemon artifacts!"
The adjutant twitched the corner of his mouth.
A divine artifact bestowed by the Emperor?
When you say that, shouldn't you look down and see if this thing, constantly spewing black smoke, looks like an Imperial artifact?
The 'Human Emperor Banner' churned with black mist, and hundreds of souls of Chaos Space Marines, like a vast tide, surged towards the world Eaters, Khorne's legion.
Taking advantage of Khorne's legion and the world Eaters being caught off guard by this sudden attack, the embattled Sons of the Forest finally got a chance to breathe.
However, including Emrys, they all knew very well that the crisis was far from over!
The real problem was the 'Daemon Primarch'!
Angron's roar unleashed rolling sound waves and air currents, shaking the entire Blood Palace, and the psychic barrier set up by Malven with his life was already in jeopardy, with the possibility of collapsing at any moment!
Time was running out for them.
"Quick, charge out!!!" Emrys vigorously waved the pitch-black tribal banner, roaring hoarsely amidst the rolling black smoke.
The Sons of the Forest chapter, centered around him, tore open a path to the outside from the frenzied, bloodthirsty legions of Bloodletters.
The roar of bolters and chainswords, the collision of flesh and armor, seemed to play a tragic melody!
Every step, every second.
Almost every member of the Sons of the Forest fell, and the others didn't even have time to retrieve the bodies, only able to watch as their chapter brothers, who had fought side by side through life and death, were submerged by the vast hordes of daemons.
They had arrived with two full companies of Sons of the Forest, and after such a brutal breakout, only about fifty people remained standing!
This battle could be described as a devastating loss!
The veins on Emrys' forehead bulged, he bit his lip tightly, his eyes were bloodshot, and his entire face became ferocious and distorted.
"I'll remember this debt!!!"
His heart was bleeding.
But his immense anger had nowhere to be vented.
The cause of all this was his over-reliance on 'prescience', which led him to overlook that the 'future' he saw might very well be 'false'!
From the moment he stepped onto Draconys, he had fallen into Khorne's trap.
Perhaps even this Daemon-forged Palace was deliberately revealed to Ravenwing, thereby luring him here!
Emrys, realizing all this, took a deep breath, knowing that no matter how angry or grieved he was, he absolutely could not stop, otherwise the sacrifices of these people would all be in vain!
Khorne's target was him!
For this reason, he absolutely could not fall into the hands of these Khorne daemons; he had to escape to find a way to take revenge!
Revenge against Khorne and Angron!
However, the fate that existed in the In the dark (realm of the unseen) seemed unwilling to let him escape so easily.
Just as the Sons of the Forest chapter, having paid a heavy price, had carved a bloody path out of the encirclement of endless Khorne daemons, and were about to leave the area affected by Chaos sorcery in the Daemon-forged Palace.
Right in front of them.
A rift was torn open in the Warp.
A blasphemous, blood-red figure, like an insurmountable towering mountain, appeared before them, treading on burning flames and the pungent smell of sulfur, becoming an impassable chasm blocking the Sons of the Forest chapter's path to survival.
"You won't escape, Emrys!"
Accompanying the thunderous roar were tearing air and sonic booms; the explosive gale was like a tsunami, forcefully knocking several Sons of the Forest flying.
Even with the protection of their power armor, they were still crushed by a brute force, their flesh and armor seemingly turning into scattered blood mist, exploding directly in mid-air.
The next moment, illuminated by the light outside the Blood Palace, the full form of the figure came into everyone's view.
His entire body was crimson, as if flayed alive, with blood vessels and even sinews clearly visible; every inch of his muscle seemed like bulging, hard rock, and his black arms were even thicker than those of ordinary creatures, covered in steel needle-like spikes.
A beast-like head, with a few human facial features still faintly discernible.
He did not have the iconic daemon wings, but he felt even more terrifying and horrifying than those daemons; the dense aura of blood around him seemed to signify that this terrifying daemon had slaughtered countless lives!
Just from that terrifying pressure and might, the Sons of the Forest whose path was blocked, including Emrys, felt their hearts sink to the bottom.
Without a doubt, the one who suddenly appeared and blocked their path was a Khorne Daemon Prince!
At this moment, the heavily injured Avcar, with great difficulty, opened his eyes and said in a weak, powerless voice.
"Lord, you should go."
"Go?"
Emrys, hearing this, looked back at his surroundings, a ball of fire gathered in his eyes, and shook his head bitterly.
"Where to go? How to go?"
If there was hope, he would also want to leave.
But the problem was, in the current situation, where could he run? With a Daemon Prince blocking the front and a Daemon Primarch behind, surrounded by Khorne Daemon legions, it was truly a dead end, with no way to ascend to the heavens or descend into the earth.
As if seeing what he was thinking, Avcar spoke with difficulty.
"Lord, you hold the 'Key to the Forest'; as long as you can leave this palace, you can escape. We will create an opportunity for you!"
This was the only way.
"Lord, you should go!"
"We will cover your retreat!"
The people around him spoke earnestly.
"Forget it—" However, Emrys sighed and shook his head.
"To have you cover my retreat, my skin isn't that thick. Besides, even if I ran, what then? Do you want me to live with this guilt for the rest of my life?"
"Lord!"
Avcar wanted to say more.
But Emrys interrupted him, his expression solemn, his tone suddenly firm, and said.
"No more talk. I know you protect me because of the Lion, but don't forget, I am also the grandmaster of the Sons of the Forest!"
His tone was beyond doubt.
Without giving anyone else a chance to refute, he stepped forward half a pace and drew his power sword.
"Today, we may die here, but—even in death, we will never yield to Chaos. We are with the Emperor, in the name of Lion, we will not fail Caliban, nor the Imperium. May we—return gloriously to the Golden Throne!!!"
His words were not as sharp as a preacher's, able to directly touch people's hearts, but—as a grandmaster, willing to live and die with everyone, this was already a great honor!
It was this determination that ignited the fighting spirit of the Sons of the Forest; their pupils turned red, an aura surged, and they were actually able to contend with the Daemon Prince!
Boom!!!
The Daemon Prince's arm, as thick as a giant ape's, destroyed a supporting pillar of the palace with a single blow. Falling rocks rained down, but he seemed unfazed, only grinning as he looked at Emrys.
His pupils, burning with blood-red fire, seemed to be telling him—none of you will escape!
"Heh heh."
Emrys was also fearless, his gaze burning, meeting the 'Daemon Prince' who looked like a beast. A deep crimson color gradually ignited in his eyes, and he provocatively crooked his finger.
"Run? I'm not running today. Whoever chickens out is a coward!
Come, let's fight to the death!"
Emrys had been running for a long time and was getting tired of it.
Moreover, with his escape route blocked and his retreat cut off, even if he grew wings from his ribs now, he wouldn't be able to fly out of this 'daemon Forged Palace'!
As for the 'Traveler'?
Emrys had considered this method, but unfortunately, it clearly wouldn't work!
The 'Traveler' had a fatal flaw.
According to the rules, the position he returned to each time was fixed, meaning that even if he traveled to other Worlds for refuge now, upon returning, his position would still be the current one.
Emrys couldn't be sure whether this daemon Forged Palace was in reality or the Warp.
This meant that regardless of the flow of time, if this place was in the 'Warp', then time would lose its meaning; even if he patiently waited a hundred years, when he returned, the 'time' here would probably still be at the moment he left!
Emrys had no doubt that the 'Blood God' on the Brass Throne possessed such ability.
In other words, his retreat was already cut off.
Now, the only way to survive was to hold on and wait for reinforcements. Perhaps—he meant perhaps—the intelligence sent out by Crowwing could reach the Dark Angels, who would then break through the daemon Forged Palace from the outside.
"The robes are yours."
Emrys took a deep breath, then looked at the 'daemon Primarch', who had already broken free and was stepping forward.
"I'll hold him off. As long as we persevere, there will be hope!"
In the current situation, it was clearly impossible for the remnants of the Sons of the Forest to stop the daemon Primarch, but with Kamar-Taj's magic, he should at least be able to hold off 'Angron' without much difficulty.
Thus, the division of labor was clear.
Without allowing anyone to question him, Emrys suddenly flew into the air, and several bursts of flame and lightning struck the roaring daemon Primarch.
"Come on—you bastard, is here!"
"For the Emperor!!!"
Avkar injected himself with hormones. Although severely wounded, he still held onto a breath and commanded everyone to attack the daemon Prince.
On one side, Emrys and Angron fought with all their might, while on the other, the Sons of the Forest fought a nearly desperate battle against the daemon Prince.
If not for the Emperor's Banner, whose souls of Chaos Warriors helped them hold back the daemon legions behind them, the situation would likely be even worse now.
Yet, even so, without heavy equipment, and having gone through several bloody battles, the Sons of the Forest, whose stamina had severely declined, found it incredibly difficult to stop a daemon Prince!
Boom!
The Sons of the Forest, who had fallen into despair, were suddenly attracted by a loud bang.
The Blood Palace gate, which had been covered by fallen boulders, was violently forced open, emitting an enraged roar through the crude amplification array.
"Damn Fallen Angels—where are you?!"
"???"
The Sons of the Forest were momentarily stunned.
The Angels... it seemed to be them. The daemon Prince in front hadn't even clearly seen what had burst in before he was hit by several cannon shells in the face.
Boom!
The Impact from the exploding shells pushed the daemon Prince back several steps. Immediately after, amidst the roaring sound of mechanical rotors, a dense torrent of metal 'smashed' solidly onto his body!
Blood boiled and burst.
Even the daemon Prince couldn't withstand the Impact of this metal torrent, letting out angry roars. He raised his arm, thick as a giant ape, clenched his fist, and was about to smash the suddenly intruding enemy.
Whoosh!
The air seemed about to explode from that punch.
However, to the surprise of the Sons of the Forest, the daemon Prince's furious punch was caught by the intruding figure.
!!!
The air in mid-air seemed to explode in a ring.
The sonic boom-like air current pushed aside the giant rocks, finally revealing the full appearance of the figure: it was a colossal armor giant, entirely black, about four to five meters tall. The sword-winged emblem engraved on its chest now appeared as hope in the eyes of the Sons of the Forest!
That was an ancient Dreadnought of the Dark Angels Chapter, also known as a Contemptor Dreadnought!
All warriors interred in such Dreadnoughts were once 'Heroic' figures of exceptional renown in the history of the Dark Angels Legion!
"Ahhh—damn daemons!!!"
The voice of the black metal armor giant, amplified by the crude sound system, was extremely harsh, yet to the Sons of the Forest, it sounded like heavenly music.
They had come, they had finally come!
The Contemptor Dreadnought suddenly exerted force, shaking off the daemon Prince's fist. The power fist mounted on its right arm, enveloped in terrifying electric light, blasted out like a cannonball, smashing into the daemon Prince's head!
Rumble!!!
The mighty daemon Prince was sent flying by this punch, his entire head seemingly twisted, blood and flesh splattering.
After punching the daemon Prince away, the Contemptor Dreadnought stepped on the blood and flesh of the surrounding Chaos daemons. Its left arm's Hellfire autocannon began to roar, and a torrent of metal from countless bullets brutally turned Khorne's daemons into pulp!
Boom!
At the same time, the boulders blocking the entrance shattered, and with them, batches upon batches of deep-green armored warriors poured into the Blood Palace. Their target was clear: they immediately aimed their guns at the daemons besieging the Sons of the Forest.
Bang, bang, bang.
Amidst the rapid gunfire, a black-armored priest, leading the charge, wielded a power hammer like a God descending, tearing through the daemon legion.
Each step he took was accompanied by the exploding electric light of his power hammer and the shattered Chaos flesh and corpses. His black armor was stained with horrifying blood, and the crimson glow of the bird-like eye on his skull-like helmet remained fixed on the Sons of the Forest.
"Hiss—Asmodai!!!"
The almost genocidal actions, and the terrifying killing intent that could be felt even through his helmet, made the Sons of the Forest instantly recognize his identity.
Confessor Asmodai!
Don't ask why; it's 'bloodline suppression'. Confessor grandmaster Asmodai was, in the minds of these former 'Fallen Angels', a terrifying existence comparable to the Chaos Gods!
"...C-Captain—"
The adjutant beside him, seeing Asmodai, who was almost madly slaughtering Chaos daemons and rapidly approaching them, couldn't help but swallow, asking with a hint of fear.
"This guy wouldn't get too carried away and deal with us too, would he?!"
"...I-I don't think so?"
The severely wounded Avkar also couldn't help but swallow, saying with uncertainty.
If they fell into Asmodai's hands, they might as well have been killed by the daemon Prince; at least the latter wouldn't torture them.