The war had entered its most brutal phase of urban combat; collapsed ruins were everywhere, and deadly bolter rounds, swords, and chainaxes could ambush them from the shadows at any moment.
However, despite the incessant roar of artillery and the rain of bolter fire, the Dark Angels still did not stop.
Clad in their dark green Power Armor, the Dark Angels moved through the chaotic battlefield like an unyielding fortress and a blade cutting through thorns.
The devout Chapter Priest shouted, invoking the name of the Most Holy Emperor.
Then, with swift, decisive movements, he unleashed the wrath of a thunder hammer, wreathed in a disintegration field, upon a heretic, crushing the skull of a world Eater Berserker, helmet and all.
But the next second, a roaring Bloodletter burst from the shadows, its deadly blade piercing the Priest's chest.
Blood immediately gushed out.
This sudden strike destroyed the Chapter Priest's second heart.
The serrated blade, after piercing his chest, savagely twisted, completely shattering any possibility of him being revived by an Apothecary.
Realizing that his life was about to enter endless darkness and return to the Golden Throne, the Chapter Priest's mind remained calm and composed; with a practiced swing, he crushed the head of the filthy Bloodletter.
Hormones were injected into his body, delaying the Chapter Priest's death.
He scanned the battlefield with fierce eyes, searching for a 'valuable' target.
As a warrior of the God-Emperor, a son of Lion El'Jonson, he could never accept dying a meaningless death; even in death, he would dedicate his last ounce of strength to this war and to the Most Holy Emperor.
Finally, he found his 'target'.
The Commander of the world Eater Berserkers—a highly valuable target, whose skull decorations on his blood-red armor clearly indicated him as the most significant target among the world Eater Berserkers besieging them.
The Priest, his heart shattered, dragged his heavy body and bit open a melta bomb.
"Cover me!" he rasped into the comms channel.
The other Dark Angels seemed to understand what he intended to do, and they all raised their bolters, suppressing the Khorne Berserker.
The Chapter Priest immediately seized this opportunity and charged forward.
The Khorne Berserker roared, unleashing a streak of blood-red light, and his chainaxe descended with a cruel shriek, splitting open the Chapter Priest's chest.
Ceramite armor shattered under the tearing of the chainaxe, and black carapaces mixed with flesh were ripped apart.
However, this excruciating pain could not affect the Chapter Priest's will; his gaze was icy, and with his remaining strength, he clung tightly to his opponent, released the pin of the melta bomb, and a faint smile appeared on his indifferent face.
"Great and Holy Emperor, may You forgive our sins... I offer all, bless my battle-brothers... with blades, slay the enemies of the Emperor, and may our souls return to the Throne!"
Amidst his blessings, a sudden, thunderous explosion erupted!
Boom!!!
The Berserker and he were both buried in the melta fire.
This was not an isolated incident, but something that happened every minute of every hour on the battlefield.
But Emrys had no mind to focus on the Dark Angels' casualty count; he was curious about the Chaos forces' actions.
These Khorne forces seemed utterly insane, yet they were subtly, perhaps even deliberately, herding them towards that 'Giant Tower'; the ambushes they encountered along the way were less about stopping them and more about wearing down their fighting strength!
"They... are doing this on purpose," Emrys mused, quickly understanding Chaos' scheme.
The Chaos forces were deliberately wearing down the strength of the Dark Angels.
These heretics hoped that only Emrys, not all the Dark Angels, would reach the 'Giant Tower'.
"Come on" Emrys whispered, a hint of madness in the depths of his pupils.
"Let the storm rage even fiercer!"
As the architect of the plan, he clearly understood the sacrifices such a plan would demand.
All the Dark Angels who had plunged into the Chaos capital, including himself, were merely 'bait'.
And the purpose of this bait was to lure Chaos and the Orks.
The next moment, he abruptly raised his hand, and a searing bolt of pure psychic lightning, condensed from psychic energy, shot forth from his palm; even the air seemed to twist as, with a piercing shriek, it traversed hundreds of meters and precisely struck a defiler cannon platform that was charging towards a Terminator and unleashing a torrent of firepower.
Boom!
Blinding electrical light exploded, and metal structures were instantly melted and vaporized under the impact of the ferocious psychic lightning!
The wicked Chaos cultists operating it were also incinerated into charred remains.
Immediately after, Emrys seemed to completely erupt; countless furious lightning bolts enveloped him, wantonly unleashing the roar from the Warp!
"Come, you cowardly wretches!" he snarled, his eyes fierce, as he swept his gaze across Chaos.
Every step he took was accompanied by the trembling wails of space.
With a casual flick of his hand, he could unleash terrifying psychic flames or psychic lightning—precise and powerful strikes, like sparks cast into boiling oil.
One by one, the enemies of the Emperor, the blasphemous servants of Chaos, were burned to ashes by these terrifying psychic attacks amidst wails and screams.
"Seize him! For the Blood God!"
Emrys' exceptionally dazzling performance on the battlefield made him a target of all.
After all, an unrestrained 'Delta-level' psyker could exert an extremely terrifying influence on the front lines!
But more importantly, the Khorne forces had found their 'target'.
The war horns of the Khorne forces let out their most piercing shriek.
In an instant, heavy footsteps echoed from various parts of the streets and ruins; a crimson tide surged from the twisted breaches of the capital and from deep within the defensive fortifications, and a cold, brutal aura of terror, like a tsunami, engulfed them.
The Bloodletters roared, like hounds sniffing out blood, forming the first wave of attack.
Next came the Khorne warriors and the world Eaters Berserkers, forming a heavy armored torrent, emitting inhuman roars and horn blasts, actually pushing forward frantically despite the bolter fire, their target clearly Emrys, who was at the very center of the Dark Angels.
Daemon Engines, made of twisted metal and blasphemous flesh, stomped forward with heavy steps, spewing destructive barrages from their multi-barreled cannons.
Wave after wave of terrifying attacks crashed down like a furious ice storm.
Although the Dark Angels had prepared in advance, this insane assault by the Khorne forces still created a slight breach in their tight formation.
Facing the sudden, overwhelming surge of Khorne forces, the already outnumbered Dark Angels were subjected to dozens of times the pressure from all directions.
"Hold the line! Purge the heretics!"
The Captain's roar grew hoarse in the comms channel, and the firing of bolters intensified from dense to frantic.
Chainswords and power weapons clashed with Khorne's chainaxes, erupting in blinding sparks and deafening sounds of tearing metal.
A Dark Angel was struck on the shoulder plate by a roaring world Eater Berserker; his heavy body reeled back, green ceramite mixed with blood splattered, and before he could regain his balance, a Bloodletter, which had been lurking in the shadows, pounced and bit through his throat, tearing his flesh.
On the other side, a Raiders tank shattered a Daemon engine, but the next second it was hit simultaneously by several shells.
The turret was blown off in a dazzling explosion of fire, and the Terminators, who had been like an iron wall, began to deform under the sheer numerical impact of the Khorne forces; although the Terminators valiantly swung their greatswords, each strike raised a large mist of blood, yet the surrounding space continued to compress, and more and more crimson figures filled every gap.
Pressure bore down like a mountain collapse and a tsunami, and casualty figures rapidly climbed and fluctuated.
Suddenly, Emrys' psychic perception caught an unusual and extremely strange fluctuation from the chaotic battlefield.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the tumultuous battlefield.
Then, he noticed a fleeting green light hidden in a crack of an energy-transporting pipe, buried under ruins.
As he expanded his psychic perception, a sense independent of the five senses, like invisible tentacles, instantly spread out, covering the bloody battlefield.
He "Heard" the frenzied, murderous mental roar of the Khorne Berserkers as they charged; he "Saw" the Iron Warriors hiding behind cover, attempting a sneak attack; he "perceived" the pure bloodlust of the Bloodletters circling in the sky.
Then, he captured that vast, tyrannical, lava-hot consciousness—the daemon Prince, Seragrim!
A heavy, oppressive consciousness, like molten rock, was entrenched deep within that "Giant tower," greedy and cold, as if calling and tempting his soul.
His perception continued deeper, reaching beneath this blasphemous, defiled ground.
Amidst the tangled, nest-like transport pipe system, in that utterly filthy underground, he finally found his "Target."
Orks!
The cunning, treacherous Ork Orcs were actually hiding in the dirty, foul-smelling underground circulation and transport pipes of this hive city!
Even Emrys couldn't help but be shocked.
How did these Ork Orcs manage to bypass Chaos' reconnaissance and sneak into the hive city's underground pipe system?
This was simply unbelievable!
It was important to know that the Chaos Legions in this hive city not only had a large energy shield system but also extremely terrifying Chaos sorcery, which kept the hive city's space in a state of chaos, preventing the possibility of direct teleportation.
Emrys was able to lead his men directly in partly due to Lyon's "Mysterious Forest," but more importantly, the Chaos Legions, in order to lure him, had deliberately left several gaps in the "chaotic" space, so that he would walk into their trap.
But these Ork Orcs had neither mastered the "Warp domain," making them unable to enter through the gaps, nor did they use teleportation technology—who knew how they got in!
Thinking of this, Emrys could only conclude it was the Orc tribes' unique "I reckon" power.
Aside from this incredible "I reckon," he really couldn't imagine how the Orcs had stealthily infiltrated this hive city's underground without alarming Chaos.
But, this was good news after all.
At least the Orcs had also joined this War; it was just that the cunning, treacherous Bonebreaker was still observing!
"Not enough, not enough!"
Emrys knew exactly what Bonebreaker was thinking.
Now was not the optimal time; he could only clench his teeth, his pupils emitting a terrifying red glow, ordering the Dark Angels to continue, to relentlessly tear apart the Khorne Legion's defenses, to build the cornerstone of victory with sacrifice!
He needed Chaos to commit more forces; he needed the Orks to believe the "Time" was ripe!
Since he was to be the final "Yellow Oriole," he would inevitably have to pay a heavy price to lure these two parties into the trap.
Beneath Chaos' hive city, in the intricate, labyrinthine transport pipes.
Countless greedy and cunning Ork Orcs, filled with a craving for War, restraining their restless hearts, were hiding in these dirty, rotting pipes, occasionally letting out low growls, like a pack of wolves eyeing prey in the night.
Massive War Machines were disassembled and hidden in these pipes; crude iron plates and huge rivets were pieced and welded into simple guns and weapons, while engines in the corners emitted a low rumble, yet showed no sign of starting.
Bonebreaker Salaka, his massive body squeezed into a narrow part of the pipe, his cunning single eye filled with fanaticism.
"No one is allowed out!"
He repeated his command again.
And those restless figures, the Orc lads, if not for their fear of Bonebreaker's prestige, would have rushed out to fight long ago.
The scent of blood and the fervent War atmosphere from outside made it hard for them to curb their impulses.
But Bonebreaker was still waiting, a hint of treachery in his cunning gaze.
He was waiting for both sides to commit all their strength, to exhaust everything.
He was waiting for the Chaos Legions, at their most complacent moment, just before victory!
Then, to taste the fruits of this War's victory, to seize all the spoils, including... that "Merchant" he detested!
Whenever he thought of himself, being trampled underfoot by a mere "Human insect," Bonebreaker felt utterly humiliated; he had to get revenge, not just on that "Merchant," but also on the Grand Marshal of the black Templars and that human commissar, Yarrick!
He would start here, leading the green tide, to sweep across the entire galaxy once again!
He, Bonebreaker Salaka, was undoubtedly the greatest War chief in Ork history!
The Orcs lurking in the shadows, the frenzied Khorne Legions... all of this, the entire situation on the battlefield, was under Emrys' gaze.
Deep in Emrys' eyes, there was a hint of ruthlessness, and his voice, transmitted through the communication array, reached the ears of every Dark Angel.
"For the Holy Emperor, for the honor of Lion, follow me... and crush them!" All were under Emrys' gaze.
Sacrifice was necessary!
He forced himself to ignore the rapidly rising casualty figures on his tactical display.
And the Dark Angels, standing like a fortress in the crimson tide of Khorne, showed no hesitation in the face of this command, which was almost a death sentence.
The elite Terminator squad, having received the order, immediately broke away from the central line, like a red-hot dagger, fiercely stabbing into the weak point of the Khorne daemon army—a phalanx heavily armed with heavy firepower, composed of a large number of Khorne daemon elites.
This was an extremely risky maneuver; even Terminator armor could not withstand heavy artillery bombardment.
And the Dark Angels' central line, due to the departure of the Terminators, faced increased pressure, adding insult to injury.
The Khorne Legions seemed to seize this fleeting opportunity, and immediately more Bloodletters, world Eaters Berserkers, and renegade Iron Warriors formed a terrifying torrent, assaulting the Dark Angels' weakened central line!
The Dark Angels instantly fell into a desperate situation, seemingly on the verge of collapse at any moment.
Emrys could clearly feel evil psychic sorcery bombarding his psychic shield.
Dense daemon magic poured down like rain, and his psychic shield shattered; he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, forcefully suppressing his churning blood, and once again guided psychic power, unleashing hundreds of lightning bolts, as thick as water barrels, towards the location where Chaos was casting sorcery.
However, this strike made his face even paler, and he swayed precariously, as if he might faint at any moment.
The Khorne daemon army's attack became even more frantic, as if they had already discovered the Dark Angels' tottering defense and the overwhelmed Emrys; with just a little more effort, a little more push... they could capture the human the "Blood God" craved!
But, just then.
The roar of huge engines, like rolling thunder, suddenly joined the battlefield!
Even the clamorous, noisy battlefield was drowned out by this colossal sound.
"WAAAGH!!!"
A deafening roar, like billions of beasts raging simultaneously.
An extremely pure desire for destruction and slaughter, like a tide, swept across the entire battlefield; the ground trembled violently, as if an ancient giant beast had awakened!
"They're here!"
The pale-faced Emrys' eyes showed a hint of coldness, and the corners of his lips slightly curved upward.
"Finally, you've decided to come out!"
Suddenly, countless green Orcs emerged from the broken openings of the ruins beneath the entire battlefield, and innumerable crudely made yet massively huge War Machines, spewing thick black smoke, like an out-of-control torrent, crashed into the unprepared flank of the Khorne daemon army!
This timing was extremely cunning and venomous!
The cunning Bonebreaker had seized the vulnerability where the main force of the Chaos Legions was fully engaged in annihilating the Dark Angels, leaving their flank completely exposed.
The Ork Orcs' long-planned, all-out backstab was fierce and precise, fatal and venomous!
For the Orks, tactics and strategy were basically nonsense; they advocated insane offense, slaughter, and trampling all life.
Crazy, unreasonable, and utterly lawless.
But it was precisely such an assault that once again made the unprepared Khorne Legion experience the pain of being backstabbed by these inferior beings.
In the chaotic battle, the first to bear the brunt were the Iron Warriors, responsible for the flank defenses. Their proud, sturdy defensive lines were like paper in front of the shoddy, crude, and utterly unreasonable super cannons manufactured by the Ork Mekboyz.
With just one volley, countless heavily armored Iron Warriors, along with the ground beneath their feet, were all blasted into the air, transforming into twisted metal and bloodied mud, falling like rain.
"Roar—!!!"
Bonebreaker Saraka was even more ferocious and formidable. With his exaggerated arm strength alone, he brutally tore apart a Hellbeast, clutching half a bloody jaw, and let out a soul-shaking roar to the sky, the sound waves spreading out like tangible air currents.
"Lads!" His massive body undoubtedly became the focal point of the battlefield. His terrifying 'Warboss Aura' affected every Ork.
"Crush these red cans for me! Go loot, go kill, go plunder!!!"
As an invisible force, like an Ork-exclusive domain, expanded, the Orks who joined the battlefield instantly fell into an extreme state of frenzy. Their eyes, a pair of tyrannical scarlet beast pupils, openly displayed their greed as they roared and charged towards the Chaos Legion!
The world Eaters, currently entangled with the Dark Angels, were suddenly impacted from behind by countless Killa Kans and Ork Boyz, and their formation instantly fell into disarray.
"Now!"
Emrys seized the opportune moment, his psychic power erupting like a torrent. Terrifying flames mixed with lightning surged majestically towards the world Eaters!
Rumble—!!!
The company of world Eaters surrounding them was instantly heavily damaged. Countless Warriors were engulfed by flames and lightning, turning into charred, mutilated corpses.
"Break out!" The power of a single strike directly blasted a huge gap in the tight encirclement. Emrys' anxious voice immediately came through the comms channel.
"Target the Great Tower! Get out of here quickly!"
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Orks, they had to approach the "Great Tower" as quickly as possible.
Only then could the subsequent plan be completed!
After suffering heavy casualties, the Terminator squad completely annihilated the obstructing Iron Warriors, creating an opportunity for the Dark Angels' main force.
He then scanned the Orks.
Realizing that these brainless idiots were actually being held up by the Iron Warriors, he immediately became furious, tore off his helmet, and shouted at Bonebreaker.
"Respected Bonebreaker, great Warboss, there, go fight there, there's the biggest, most 'Waaagh!', reddest target there.
We'll lead the way for you!"
As he yelled at the top of his lungs, he also deliberately used his psychic power to mark the conspicuous "Great Tower."
"???"
The Khorne Legion was stunned.
And Bonebreaker, who was in the thick of the killing, was also awakened by these words. He looked at the towering "Great Tower" with his single, beady eye, and a grim, chilling smile gradually spread across his lips.
"Great Bonebreaker, follow me!!!"
Emrys, fearing the Orks might be blind and couldn't see the "Great Tower," specifically lit up the tower with his psychic power and even simulated a pointing arrow.
"Big! Shiny! Come quickly!"
The originally chaotic battlefield suddenly seemed to be paused. Chaos, Orks, and Dark Angels all saw someone standing prominently on a high place, like a "Tour guide," desperately waving and beckoning everyone to advance towards the towering "Great Tower."
"Fuck (High Gothic obscenity)!"
The world Eaters' Lord, including the Greater Daemons, seeing this scene, had dozens of veins throbbing on their foreheads.
You're leading the way for the Orks, aren't you?
And you even specifically used psychic power to highlight the "Great Tower," fearing that these brainless idiots wouldn't find the most valuable target?
"Stop him quickly!"
The world Eaters Lord shouted urgently.
But unfortunately, it was too late. The "Great Tower," illuminated by Emrys' psychic power, perfectly fit the Orks' definition of a good thing.
It was big and shiny!
Bonebreaker's eyes were glowing. If he could dismantle this "Great Tower," the scrap and materials would be enough for him to rebuild a ramshackle fleet!
"Lads—!!!" Bonebreaker threw aside the target he had just been chasing and roared excitedly.
"Charge over there for me and tear down that big, shiny thing!"
"Brothers, charge with me!" Emrys stood on high ground, raising his power sword.
"Kill all these red cans! Clear the way for the Orks!"
Honestly, if it weren't for Emrys' past performance, which had already won over the Dark Angels, the Chaplain would have shot him dead just for that one sentence!
Clear the way for the Ork brothers?
But Emrys had already led the Honor Guard directly towards Khorne's Legion. They couldn't abandon their Supreme Commander, so they could only suppress their anger and follow him.
Before long, the Dark Angels converged with the Orks, jointly attacking the Chaos Legion.
And the Chaos front line, under the furious combined assault of the Orks and Dark Angels, was like glass struck by a heavy hammer, instantly developing huge, extremely fatal cracks. Chaos spread like a plague!
What a strange sight this was!
The Orks stabilized the left and right flanks for the Dark Angels, while the Dark Angels acted as the vanguard!
The Orks effectively compensated for the Dark Angels' small numbers, and the Dark Angels, in turn, perfectly compensated for the Orks' weakness in siege warfare.
Even the world Eaters Lord was greatly shocked, his entire face a picture of bewilderment.
Wait, the Orks are fighting alongside the Dark Angels, and the Dark Angels are even clearing the way for these filthy, despicable creatures?
Were they too conservative, or were the Dark Angels too heretical?
Soon, the two torrents collided!
The Khorne Legion intertwined with the Orks and Dark Angels, both sides hacking and slashing madly. Blood mixed with the roar of bolters and chainswords, like a symphony describing flesh and slaughter!
"You… you are simply heretics!"
The world Eaters Lord blocked a sword with his chainaxe, but was then ambushed by an Ork Boy next to him, almost meeting Khorne.
Bang!
He blew the Ork's head off with a shot. Before he could catch his breath, he saw the Dark Angel opposite him charging forward to press the attack again.
This was the current situation for every Warrior of the Khorne Legion.
Not only did they have to deal with the experienced Dark Angels, but they also had to guard against the Orks who would sneak attack whenever they had a chance. With this back and forth, it was simply impossible to defend against everything!
The world Eaters Lord's face was full of rage, gritting his teeth, racking his brain, and finally, from his almost shattered teeth, he spat out this sentence.
"You... you are simply heretics!"
Being called a heretic by a heretic—this Dark Angel almost lost his composure. He swung his chainsword even faster, striking the heretic opposite him again and again.
"You're the fucking heretic! You're the fucking heretic! You're the fucking heretic!!!"
"Cooperating with these filthy, vile, despicable creatures—" The world Eaters Lord fled in disarray, being ganged up on by Orks and Dark Angels. Even he couldn't endure it and couldn't help but turn back and curse furiously.
"And you call yourselves Dark Angels? You're simply insulting the Emperor, insulting the Lion's reputation!"
"...None of your business!"
The Dark Angel's veins throbbed with anger.
"Aren't you a Khorne worshipper? And you have the nerve to run? If you've got the guts, don't run, come back!"
"You are a heretic!"
"You're the fucking heretic!"
"You are a coward!"
"If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one, don't sneak attack!"
Such shouting matches occurred almost everywhere on the battlefield, a rare moment of the Dark Angels losing their composure, trading insults with the world Eaters.
Emrys' plan was to lure the daemon Prince out of the "Giant Tower."
Once the "Giant Tower" lost the daemon Prince's presence, it would be equivalent to losing its greatest defensive strength.
Only then could he exploit the weakness and destroy this wicked "Giant Tower" in one fell swoop.
But the daemon Prince simply refused to take the bait.
Even now, with the Khorne legion outside showing signs of collapse under the combined assault of the orcs and the Dark Angels, the cunning daemon Prince remained holed up in the "Giant Tower."
It seemed he had guessed Emrys' intentions and stubbornly refused to emerge.
Even if the Khorne legion outside were completely annihilated, as long as the "Giant Tower" stood, it could not be destroyed from the outside, unless Emrys went in.
But going in would be akin to walking into a trap.
Emrys could guess, even with his eyes closed, that the daemon Prince had set up an inescapable snare for him in the "Giant Tower"; once inside, he wouldn't be able to get out.
Therefore, to destroy the Giant Tower, he first had to lure the "Daemon Prince" out, which would give Emrys a slim chance.
"Let's see how long you can sit there!"
Emrys wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, pulled out the "Human Emperor Banner" he had refined, and a fierce look appeared on his pale face.
"It's not chaotic enough, is it? You're going to hide inside and not come out, are you? Then make it a little more chaotic for me—come!"
Rumble—!
The next moment, above the streets crowded with Green-skinned Orcs, Khorne daemons, Iron Warriors, world Eaters, Dark Angels, and others, the clouds suddenly churned, and wisps of black mist, as if drawn by a force, swept down from the low-hanging clouds, swirling as they descended!
Chilling winds blew, and ghosts wailed!
Before the Khorne legion and the Green-skinned Orcs could figure out what was happening, hundreds of Space Warriors in tattered armor, like vengeful spirits, shrieked and howled as they burst forth from the rolling black mist that hung down from the clouds!
Amidst the sky-obscuring black mist, those Space Warriors, whose armor was damaged like deceased vengeful spirits, had fierce eyes, were ferocious and unafraid of death, rushing towards the Chaos and orcs in a desperate scramble.
At first, the Chaos and orcs didn't believe that such a suddenly appearing 'peculiar legion' could inflict any harm on them.
But soon, they realized something was wrong.
These guys, even if their heads were blasted by bolter guns or they were chopped into meat paste by chainaxes, would only dissipate into black smoke.
However, it wouldn't be long before these individuals who had dispersed into black mist would quickly reform their bodies within the black mist, and then once again charge madly!
These guys were unkillable!
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
Don't misunderstand, it wasn't the Khorne legion shouting this, but those Space Warriors who had surged out of the black mist; each of them was more Khorne-like than a Khorne Warrior, not only unafraid of death, but even facing blades aimed at them and incoming bullets, they wouldn't dodge or flinch, prioritizing a hard-headed, direct confrontation!
"Com-, Company Commander?!"
Suddenly, the Praetor of the world Eaters spotted his former Company Commander among these Warriors conjured from black mist, and he was struck as if by lightning.
"Company Commander Royce, you, why are you here too?!"
"Oh? It's you, Matthias!"
The 'soul-form' named Royce, upon discovering the Praetor, his eyes burst with light.
"Hahahaha—give him to me, he's mine!"
"???"
Matthias was stunned, but the soul-form of Royce suddenly flew over quickly, wielding a bloody great axe, and without a word, chopped towards his head.
"Company Commander Royce, what are you doing?!" Shocked and panicked, he quickly used his power claw to block the axe.
Clang!!!
The great axe's force was undiminished, striking the power claw and erupting in dazzling fire.
Matthias was shaken back several steps, his expression a mix of shock and anger.
"Company Commander Royce, have you betrayed the 'Blood God'?!"
"Betrayal?" Royce's face showed a ferocious, violent aura.
"I believe in the Blood God, but when I was locked in that dark, sunless banner, being tormented, where was it then?!"
As he spoke, Royce kicked out, sending Matthias flying, while dragging his great axe that ploughed a furrow in the ground, he powerfully chopped at his head again.
"I don't believe in anyone, I'm doing this for myself!!!"
Clang!
The great axe forcefully broke through Praetor Matthias' chest armor, and blood gushed out uncontrollably.
His face was filled with bewilderment; even at this moment, Matthias still couldn't believe how his Company Commander, who was once the most fanatical believer in the Blood God, had become like this.
"You—you really have betrayed the Blood God!"
"Matthias, quick—let me kill you!" Royce, seeing blood, became even more frenzied, his eyes gleaming like flying swords.
"Don't worry, you won't die—as long as I gather a hundred souls, I'll be free, don't run! Don't you dare run! Get back here!!!"
Emrys had already promised them.
As long as they killed a hundred enemies and seized a hundred souls, their psychic energy would be freed from that damned banner!
Thus, this caused these 'souls' to frantically slaughter enemies; they had had enough of the terrifying torment in that dark, sunless banner, where they were always being tortured!
As long as they could be freed—never mind making them slaughter their former 'comrades,' even if Emrys ordered them to hack Khorne to death, they would absolutely not hesitate, grabbing their blades and charging forward.
Matthias ran away in fear.
Damn it, it was too terrifying—he could be very sure that these 'Warriors' conjured from the black mist were no longer the people they once knew!
They were madmen!
Complete and utter madmen, even if they were crushed into meat paste, they would use their remaining teeth to bite off a piece of the enemy's flesh!
"Fight, fight!"
Emrys stood on high, frantically waving the 'Human Emperor Banner,' and rolling black smoke, like thick fog and like a tide, surged towards the battlefield, his eyes filled with madness.
"The more who die, the better; all of you—enter the Human Emperor Banner!"
The black mist surged, but the souls of these dead Chaos Space Warriors, Loyalists, and even Orks, were all sucked into the 'Human Emperor Banner.'
This pitch-black banner, after a continuous influx of souls, became even more profoundly dark in color!
"Am I the target?" Emrys' pupils contracted, and then a cold expression appeared on his face.
Gripping the sturdy flagpole, he suddenly spun around and swept it.
Whoosh!
The banner fell like a collapsing mountain, its terrifying momentum tearing the air with a sonic boom, sweeping like a thousand armies, unstoppable.
The Bloodletter that lunged down was directly smashed apart in mid-air by that flagpole, leaving only its head, which fell at his feet.
Blood mist scattered, Emrys stood holding the banner, stepping on that ferocious head, his blood-stained face like a daemon, as if he could meet the gaze of the daemon Prince behind it through the bloody pupils of that head.
Then, a cold arc formed on his lips.
"You think these wastes can catch me? If you have the guts—come yourself, I'll wait for you right here, Daemon Prince Selagrim!"
The name, which means 'chaos' or 'disorder,' is used here to describe the intensifying battle and confusion.
It must be said that the Daemon Prince, Selagrim, was truly patient. Even as the Chaos legions outside the hive city were divided, surrounded, and annihilated by the Green-skinned Orcs and the Dark Angels, he still did not emerge from the "Giant Tower."
The Daemon Prince seemed determined to make Emrys walk into his trap.
But the question was, would Emrys fulfill his wish?
Absolutely not!
Make him walk into a trap?
Dream on!
Soon, Emrys' eyes darted around, and a plan formed in his mind. Still won't come out, huh? No problem, he had plenty of ways!
Suddenly, the Dark Angels seemed to receive some command, converging on Emrys with extreme speed.
Although the Khorne legion noticed the Dark Angels' strange movement, on one hand, they were surrounded by mad Green-skinned Orcs, and on the other hand, they didn't understand what the Dark Angels were doing.
But soon, they understood.
As a touch of verdant green, strangely appeared on the battlefield, vines and ancient trees, along with damp soil, seemed to materialize like an illusion eroding reality!
The Khorne legion was all too familiar with this sight!
After all, countless times before, the Dark Angels had appeared or disappeared suddenly, accompanied by such strangely appearing forests.
"No, they're running!!!"
The world Eaters' governor screamed in terror, "Quick, stop them, don't let them escape!"
But his orders could not be carried out.
The Green-skinned Orcs, caught in the throes of war, had completely lost their sense of reason, or rather, their last vestiges of thought. They completely ignored the Dark Angels, relentlessly charging at them.
"Damn it, you're still chasing me, they're all getting away!!!" The governor roared furiously at Bonebreaker, trying to get the Warboss' attention.
But Bonebreaker didn't care at all, only waving his great axe, his single eye filled with fanaticism.
"Mine, mine, the red cans, the shiny things are all mine!"
"Are you an idiot?!"
Orcs truly had pig brains, the governor cursed angrily, "You've been tricked by the Dark Angels, they're getting away!!!"
Emrys sneered, his gaze drifting towards the "Giant Tower."
Well, can you still sit tight?
He was gambling!
Gambling that Chaos, the Daemon Prince, didn't want him to leave!
Gambling on who could remain calmer, gambling on who had more guts, gambling on who was—more insane!
Daemon Prince Selagrim's pupils constricted as he looked at the 'forest' quietly appearing in the chaotic crowd, his heart suddenly tightened, and his breathing became heavy and hurried.
"He's running?!"
Selagrim refused to believe it.
They were clearly just a step away from the "Giant Tower." Were the Dark Angels and Emrys truly willing to give up?
Did they really want to see Draconys become a second 'Cursed Scar'?!
"Great Selagrim, we—we detected an unknown Warp domain opening, eroding our Warp!"
The Dark Tech-Priest shrieked in terror.
"No!" Selagrim clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the battlefield's holographic image, as if reassuring himself.
"He can't leave! He would never abandon the "Giant Tower"! He's deliberately luring me out!"
To prevent Emrys' 'ability' to escape at any time, he had to cut off the Warp connection, or use Chaos sorcery to distort the space here.
Although the Chaos hive city could also block him, if Emrys was determined to leave, the Chaos sorcery that distorted space would find it difficult to completely stop him.
As the forest domain expanded, eroding the Chaos hive city's original Warp domain, the increasingly intense fluctuations all indicated that the Dark Angels could disengage from the battlefield at any moment!
"Whether it's true or false—"
Selagrim's eyes were sinister, as if he had made some kind of decision.
"Order the Chaos Sorcerer Coven to destroy his ritual at all costs!"
The Dark Mechanicum Priest, hearing the order, hesitated for a few seconds.
"Great Selagrim, if we are to destroy his ritual, many sorcerers may be sacrificed."
"So what?"
The Daemon Prince sat on his blood-red throne, his expression indifferent and cold.
"Let alone one sorcerer coven, even if all legions are sacrificed, all of you, as long as he can be captured—it will be worth it!"
"Yes…"
The Dark Mechanicum Priest bowed his head and tremblingly relayed the order.
At the cost of tens of thousands of Khorne mortal cultists, hundreds of high-ranking Chaos sorcerers sacrificed themselves as offerings. A massive Warp current converged into an invisible hammer, smashing towards Emrys, who was in the midst of communicating and summoning.
Boom—bang!!!
The terrifying psychic collision distorted space itself. Emrys, who was in the process of communicating and summoning, was immediately heavily injured, his face pale and bloodless. A jet of blood shot from his mouth, and he flew backward like a kite!
The forced destruction of a summoning ritual causes extremely terrifying damage to a psyker!
Emrys seemed to wilt, his breath weak as he lay in the ruins, blood even flowing from all seven orifices, as if his life was fleeting.
"Lord!!!"
This scene plunged the surrounding Dark Angels into great turmoil and panic.
"Hahahahaha—!!!"
Selagrim laughed incessantly, immensely proud of his correct decision.
"Now! Go, capture him!!!"
What kind of trouble could a psyker suffering from psychic backlash cause?
Emrys was completely finished!
Next was simply catching a turtle in a jar!
No. He couldn't let others take this credit. Daemon Prince Selagrim, looking at the Dark Angels struggling under the world Eaters' frenzied assault, and at the seemingly unconscious Emrys, suddenly had another idea.
If the world Eaters captured Emrys, it would mean that he would have to share at least half of this credit with that useless Primarch. But if he captured him himself, it would be different. The "Blood God" would surely favor him more!
Thinking of this, Daemon Prince Selagrim decided to act personally and immediately rose from his throne.
"Let me!"
Daemon Prince Selagrim, leading his daemon legions, joined the battlefield with a sneer, crushing the Green-skinned Orcs with overwhelming force.
At this moment, even Bonebreaker was considering whether they should run, as their allies were almost dead.
However, just then.
Emrys, who lay in the ruins, pale-faced, barely breathing, and bleeding from all seven orifices, suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint bursting forth!
All fatigue and pretense vanished at this moment, leaving only cold calculation and the decisive control of the entire situation.
"Your—Lord, are you alright?!" The surrounding Honor Guard stared dumbfounded as Emrys, quite nimbly, got up from the ground, brushing dust from his clothes as if nothing had happened, stammering.
"But—weren't you bleeding from all seven orifices?"
"Bleeding from seven orifices is one thing, death is another; these are two separate matters and cannot be confused."
Emrys calmly patted his clothes, a smile playing on his lips.
"What the eyes see doesn't necessarily represent the truth. See—weren't they fooled?"
In that situation just now, let alone Chaos being fooled, even they were badly scared, truly believing Emrys was on the verge of death!
"Heh, you still fell for it—"
Emrys looked at the Daemon Prince, a cold smile on his face.
The seemingly weak golden aura that had always surrounded him, like the vast brilliance of a star, suddenly erupted and expanded at this moment!
"Now—!!!"
Buzz—!
An unimaginably vast psychic energy exploded from him as its center!
But this psychic energy was not offensive; it was pure, belonging to the Warp itself, and mixed with an unprecedented power that did not belong to this spacetime!
This power instantly enveloped the remaining Dark Angel positions!
The light was dazzling, like a supernova explosion!