Dante stood before the ruins, his swaying figure, supported by an iron will, like an unshakeable monument.
The ancient golden armor was shattered, and the blood-red cloak was disheveled.
Yet, the Captain of the Blood Angels, despite being severely wounded and looking fragile, as if he could fall at any moment, still stood before Angron, emitting an aura that Angron intensely loathed.
What kind of aura was this?
In Angron's blood-red vision, a glimmer of dawn rising from the horizon shone through the ruins of the hive city onto Dante, its tattered rays like broken wings.
Pure, sacred, and dazzling!
For a moment, Angron froze.
The wings of light bestowed upon Dante, along with his broken golden armor and his bloodied, scarred body, were just like his 'brother' of old.
Immediately, in the depths of his daemon eyes, red as blood and filled with ferocity and brutality, a surge of jealousy seemed to emerge.
Why?
Why did everyone lady him?!
"Sanguinius? Sanguinius!!!"
This name had become a nightmarish presence in Angron's mind, and the 'Butcher's Nails' embedded in his skull filled his brain with excruciating pain and rage!
Sanguinius, what a perfect being!
He was excellent, powerful, noble, kind, and compassionate, yet not lacking in thunderous wrath, almost a synonym for 'perfection,' beloved by the Chaos Gods, and the 'Emperor's' most admired son.
And him?
Before such a perfect being, he was like an exact opposite: ugly, furious, vile—and so on!
Sanguinius' existence was like a mirror to him, reflecting his own ugly side, and in the eyes of the 'Blood God,' he was more like a substitute for that 'perfect Angel'!
"Don't—don't mention him in front of me!!!"
Angron was utterly enraged, his colossal body pressing down like a mountain.
Boom!!!
From the demonic artifact forged for him by sacrificing billions of souls, the screech of sawteeth grinding souls was like an ear-piercing demonic sound, echoing across the entire battlefield!
Torrential blood energy, like a tsunami, converged on the massive Hammer Skulls, which descended with the force of creation itself.
The wrathful strike of the Daemon Primarch was truly terrifying; even the surrounding air seemed to be sucked dry, as countless blood-red, malevolent spirits swirled around the axe blade, Warp energy surged like a torrent, and terrifying airwaves crashed like tides against rocks!
A radius of several hundred meters was engulfed in blood-red light!
In a scene that seemed to change heaven and earth, Dante remained utterly fearless, inhaling the foul, putrid air, his gaze resolute.
He felt his body had never been so light; every muscle and bone was infused with power.
The next moment, the gigantic axe descended!
Rumble!!!
The terrifying pressure caused by its destructive power made the air form a wave-like tsunami, violently spreading in all directions, and the earth collapsed and fractured with a mournful groan!
A cruel, arrogant sneer had even appeared on Angron's ferocious face.
"Sanguinius' bastard—"
However, before he could finish, the massive chainaxe suddenly lifted slightly, and a resistance was met, stiffening the smile on Angron's face.
Until the dust cleared, Angron's pupils suddenly trembled, revealing an expression of disbelief.
Dante, who should have died under the giant axe, still stood in place, though one of his knees was slammed hard onto the ground, and his golden armor was even more shattered from the impact of the blow, but the fact was, his full-force strike had actually been parried!
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Dante's power armor's servo-systems were extensively exposed, sparking with electricity, steaming with heat, and constantly emitting the hum of machinery operating at its limit.
It was clear it had reached its limit.
But even so, it couldn't explain how a mere Astartes could survive a full-force strike from a Daemon Primarch.
"Are you surprised?"
Dante's unyielding stance, like an unshakable mountain, suddenly exerted force, parrying the giant axe above his head, and then with brute strength, he forcefully pushed away Angron's massive body.
"This is impossible!"
Angron's colossal body crashed through a section of ruins, falling into it, and he let out a shocked roar.
"Fallen beast of darkness, you are no longer the Primarch you once were—Angron." Dante stood his ground, mocking, and at the same time, turned and immediately spoke, stopping the Sanguinary Guard who were trying to help.
"Don't come, your mission is to assist Emrys, leave this to me alone. This is my mission, and also—the duty my gene-father entrusted to me!"
Facing this command, the Sanguinary Guard still wanted to argue, but upon meeting Dante's extremely weary eyes, the Sanguinary Guard Captain fell silent for a few seconds, opened his mouth, and finally, in the depths of Dante's eyes, seeing that look of yearning, he closed his eyes.
"Go assist Emrys."
The Sanguinary Guard Captain's heart tightened.
He knew what this command meant.
Before coming, Dante had privately discussed a similar situation with him, with a hint of pleading in his tone.
He—could only obey.
Watching the departing Sanguinary Guard, Dante's eyes held a hint of lightness, then he turned to face the Daemon Primarch.
"Now, it's a battle between us!"
But this sentence enraged Angron again.
He... he was actually underestimated!
"Sanguinius' bastard—!" Angron's voice was as grating as a billion grains of sand, each word imbued with the malevolent curses of the Warp.
"I will crush every inch of your bones, turn you into a pulp like your gene-father! Make you kneel before the Red Angel—!"
As the daemon's foot stomped, the earth cracked in vast sections, and the chainaxe, wrapped in a bloody storm, transformed into a destructive crimson curtain, plummeting towards the small yet incredibly resolute golden figure!
This axe strike was enough to cleave mountains!
Terrifying hurricanes shrieked and roared, and the immense wind pressure was almost tangible, making one involuntarily feel that even super-heavy Imperial tanks, or even sturdy defensive fortresses, would be shattered into dust by Angron's axe strike!
"No, you are wrong!"
The daemon's reply was Dante's resolute voice.
"The bloodline of Sanguinius, the progeny of the Archangel, will never succumb to darkness."
"In the name of Sanguinius and the Emperor, I—Luis Dante, will here end your pathetic life and your atrocities!"
Even though his golden armor was covered in cracks, and his face was etched with exhaustion, Dante's upright figure remained like an unyielding monument!
At this moment, 'wings' unfurled behind him!
These were not mortal wings, but holy, pure Angel wings formed from pure faith and the glory inherited in his bloodline!
Holy light ignited the polluted atmosphere!
The darkness and malice of Chaos seemed to be dispelled by Dante's sacred wings; the golden armor and pure wings, complementing each other, made it seem as if the gene-father of the Blood Angels had transcended ten thousand years of time, converging with his son at this moment!
In the distance, Emrys, who was entangled with the Daemon Prince, naturally noticed this scene and was stunned.
"Holy crap, Sanguinius is resurrected?!"
"Your Angel is dead!!!"
Angron roared, disbelieving that his power could be lost to a mere Astartes. His bloody chain-axe tore through the air with even greater force, slashing at that tiny yet dazzling figure!
"No, as long as the Blood Angel still exists, the Angel will not die—!" Dante's eyes were bloodshot, and he unleashed his full potential.
Boom!!!
The metallic Impact's roar surpassed thunder!
A visible Impact, like a ring, exploded outwards, instantly pulverizing the surrounding rubble, debris, and even low-tier daemons within tens of meters!
The ground beneath Dante's feet collapsed with a rumble, spiderweb cracks spreading wildly. All the bones in his body screamed, sparks flew from the power claw's servo system, and the immense force slammed him onto one knee, golden blood seeping from the joints.
"Only power! This is freedom!
Angron cackled, the Butcher's Nails on his skull glowing intensely red, symbolizing a further collapse of reason and an even greater increase in power.
"The Emperor? Nothing but a hypocritical corpse! The Archangel you speak of is just a puddle of flesh! And I—will live forever!"
An even more terrifying force came from the chain-axe, its serrations frantically gnawing at the power claw's armor, emitting a grating noise. This was pure violent suppression!
The power of the Daemon Primarch was like an endless sea of blood, threatening to completely drown Dante.
"Death is not our destination!"
"Daemon, you are forever a slave to Chaos. Freedom? You have never escaped your status as a slave. You were once a Primarch, but now—you are merely a pathetic beast, toyed with by the Chaos Gods!"
Dante's eyes burned with a brilliant glow, a fire more intense than the light wings behind him, but in his eyes was not madness, but a will tempered by a thousand years of struggle, a resolute will ignited for the sake of protection!
He gave up defending.
The next moment, no one knew where Dante pulled out a golden spear.
"Daemon, in the name of the Blood Angel Chapter Master, I shall utterly end you here—!"
His body as a bow, his faith as a string.
Dante gripped the golden spear shaft, channeling all his strength into this one strike, abandoning defense and life, and plunged it into Angron's core, twisted by the Butcher's Nails and Chaos!
This spear was too fast!
And Dante, having resolved to abandon his life, disregarded the potential consequence of falling. He poured all his strength, will, and even the bloodline of Sanguinius into this single strike!
A golden trajectory cut through the foul air!
It was as if space itself had been torn, lingering for a long time. Under the blessing of those sacred wings, Dante seemed like the Angel of old descending, personally delivering this spear of vengeance and protection!
Pfft—!
The holy golden spearhead fiercely pierced Angron's chest, covered in wicked runes!
The indestructible daemon armor cracked in response, holy power infused within, golden energy like lava gushing from the daemon's wound, frantically searing Angron's demonic essence!
"Nghh—!!!"
Angron let out his most painful roar ever.
The pain from this strike made him feel it surpassed the agony he experienced when severely wounded by the Emperor's power in the Daemon Forge Palace by dozens of times!
The wound pierced by the holy golden spear hissed under the scorching golden flames, preventing the daemon's self-healing and simultaneously 'purifying' its demonic essence!
Angron wailed in agony, looking down at the holy spear in his chest, his crimson eyes reflecting for the first time that pure golden light.
It was as if through that golden light, he saw the being in the Imperial Palace on Terra ten millennia ago, and the immense pain and defeat he had inflicted upon him!
"In the name of Sanguinius—and the Emperor!"
Dante gripped the spear shaft tightly, all his strength pressing down, attempting to completely pin this fated daemon here!
This way, his mission would be complete, and he would rest in peace!
"Aaaah—!!!"
Dante let out a roar of rage, the light wings behind him burning to their extreme, almost merging with the light of the holy spear, briefly illuminating this battlefield!
"Get away—you lowly bloodline of Sanguinius!!!" Angron furiously swung his chain-axe, attempting to cleave apart the stubborn golden insect before him.
But, his great axe fell, shattering Dante's armor, splitting his flesh, yet still unable to stop that golden holy spear!
The holy spear pushed in inch by inch!
His berserk power was bound, weakened; each struggle brought Angron deeper pain. He let out an earth-shattering roar,
Warp energy furiously converged, attempting to annihilate this holy fire.
For a moment, both sides fell into a brief stalemate.
On one side was the Blood Angel, burning life and faith, vowing to expel the daemon; on the other was the tyrannical daemon, howling in pain, attempting to break free from the holy restraint!
Golden holy flames and scarlet blood light, like two raging storms, intertwined and violently collided, energy currents tearing at space, forming a spectacle of destruction and holiness above the ruins!
The surrounding battles also seemed to have paused.
Whether it was the sorrowful Blood Angels, the charging Dark Angels, or even Khorne's daemon legions and the world Eaters, all were deeply shaken by this almost fated duel between the two.
"Dante—!!!"
Emrys, who was fiercely fighting the Daemon Prince Skarbrand, saw this scene and his heart stopped, his movements slowing by half a beat.
Dante must not die!
Not only because of his identity, but also because of the kindness Dante had shown him on Baal!
Skarbrand keenly seized this opportunity. This human was too annoying; although his lethality wasn't strong, he was agile and as difficult to catch as a fly. But now—the chance had come!
A huge palm pushed forward like a mountain, thick fingers spread, fiercely grabbing Emrys.
"I got you!"
Skarbrand grinned ferociously. His mission was complete; as long as he sacrificed this damned human to the great 'Blood God,' he would once again receive a grand boon!
However.
Just as he clenched his five fingers, he felt something was off; the resistance was—too great, as if he wasn't grabbing a human, but a piece of adamantium!
"You said—who did you grab?"
Skarbrand was startled, discovering that Emrys, whom he held in his palm, was enveloped in golden flames, like a red-hot branding iron, the high temperature scorching and eroding his flesh, the pain deep into his soul, mixed with the smell of burning flesh, permeated the air!
Emrys' veins throbbed on his forehead, his hands gripping the daemon's fingers that held him, exerting force to pry them open inch by inch!
Skarbrand's face filled with horror. He suddenly realized that he was actually—losing in strength to this human?!
"Don't misunderstand, I just didn't want to do this." As his emotions fluctuated violently, the golden flames enveloping Emrys grew more intense and dazzling.
"You forced my hand!!!"
When the thread controlling emotions and reason broke under Emrys' deliberate guidance—crack!
Skarbrand's five fingers were actually snapped off, the sound of bones shattering echoing.
What on earth was going on?!
He was completely bewildered. Just minutes ago, this human was at a disadvantage, only able to be suppressed and scurrying about like an annoying fly.
But in just a few minutes, he suddenly became so strong?!
"Don't you think it's strange?" Emrys' indifferent voice seemed to carry some inexplicable power, every word trembling the air.
"Why did I suddenly become so powerful?"
Skarbrand's heart suddenly leaped, and a bad premonition arose.
"Because I've been holding back!"
Emrys' eyes were suddenly pure gold, utterly pure. Compared to the Daemon Prince, his tiny body contained astonishing power. He grabbed the severed fingers, looked at the daemon with a face full of terror, and his eyes revealed a sinister grin.
"You brought this upon yourself!!!"
The next moment, he exerted force violently!
Snap—!
A bloody daemon arm was forcibly torn off by him. From the willow-like wound, a large amount of foul blood gushed out, raining down on Emrys' body like a downpour, making him look like a daemon reborn!
"Aaaah!"
Skarbrand clutched his severed arm, wailing in pain, but upon seeing the abnormality on Emrys' body, his face instantly filled with fear.
"This is impossible—how, how is this possible?!"
Golden flames enveloped Emrys, but his face seemed to be blurred by blood, forming terrifying, twisted, violent faces. Golden light and blood red mixed and intertwined around him, neither willing to yield to the other, forming a bizarre balance!
"What's impossible about it?"
Emrys sneered, holding his severed arm, walking step by step towards the Daemon Prince.
"Khorne's blessing? I'm sorry, you're not worthy, and I just wasn't interested."