"Kill! For Russ and the Allfather!"
"Kill!"
The warriors on both sides closed in and began fighting hand to hand.
With superb close-combat skills and expert command of their weapons, the Space Wolves warriors engaged the heavily armored World Eaters in a fierce struggle.
Every clash rang with the sharp clang of metal and sent sparks flying, while the air filled with the heavy stench of blood.
"Primarch, shouldn't we join in?" Sarpedon asked Francis anxiously from beside him.
"What's the rush? Have you prepared what I asked you to?"
When Sarpedon nodded, Francis continued, "Haven't you noticed the Space Wolves getting closer and closer to Angron? Let's watch for a bit. Then we can swoop in and save the wolves like heroes."
Sarpedon asked in confusion, "But isn't Primarch Leman Russ winning? Why do you say he'll lose?"
"You understand the situation, but you don't understand people. Leman Russ is holding back. He's going to mess things up in a minute." Francis shook his head.
Just as Francis had predicted, the Space Wolves had no desire to get bogged down fighting the World Eaters. Meanwhile, the World Eaters fought as individuals, with no coordination at all.
Before long, the Space Wolves' small groups had temporarily defeated them one by one.
After a fierce exchange, Angron's Chainaxe collided with Leman Russ's great axe in midair, unleashing a deafening boom.
The impact was so powerful that even Angron couldn't withstand it. Their weapons flew from their hands and went spinning into the distance.
"I'll beat you just fine without a weapon!"
Seeing this, Leman Russ roared and tossed aside his own weapon.
In an instant,
Angron became like a frenzied beast, driven mad with rage. His muscles swelled, and every punch and kick carried enough force to shatter mountains.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
He lunged forward, a moving mountain trying to crush Leman Russ beneath him.
But Leman Russ nimbly dodged Angron's attacks and punched him in the face.
The two grappled, every collision unleashing a deafening roar, every clash seeming to tear the air apart.
Just as Leman Russ straddled Angron, ready to beat him soundly, he suddenly spotted the Space Wolves Legion not far away.
Something seemed to occur to him, and he stopped short of striking.
The result—
Angron turned the tables on him, his eyes bloodshot as he slammed his fists down viciously.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Cough, cough... Angron, you've lost. You're surrounded."
"Your World Eaters don't care about you. That's why we managed to surround you. You've lost. Now come back with me!"
Leman Russ spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at Angron smugly.
But Angron had already been consumed by rage. He kept pounding Leman Russ without holding back.
Nearby, Francis turned to the watching Soul Drinkers and said, "See? Once people start fighting, they're bound to see red."
"So even brothers have to beat each other into submission first. Then they can talk things through."
The Soul Drinkers stood in a circle, taking out little notebooks and jotting down the Primarch's words of wisdom.
"All right, time for me to step in. Otherwise, Leman Russ won't be able to hold out much longer. Follow the plan. Soul Drinkers Legion, attack!"
As soon as Francis finished speaking, the Soul Drinkers sprang into action.
At the same time, a support strut extended from Francis's biological armor, and all the Navigator's Eyes on his body lit up.
Vrrrrm—
Just as Angron's fist was about to smash into Leman Russ,
A dazzling beam of white light flashed across the battlefield in the distance, carving a deep, vitrified trench into the ground. Quite a few World Eaters felt their arms vanish painlessly.
With a boom, Angron was blasted away. The attack didn't seem powerful enough, though, leaving only a mark on his armor.
Leman Russ looked up at Francis: ???
"No need to thank me, Sixth Brother. Just remember you owe me two favors!" Francis said, quickly rushing toward Angron.
As the dust settled, Angron roared, "Magnus! Are you ever going to stop?!"
Just as Angron was about to challenge Leman Russ again, Francis appeared from who knew where.
He locked his legs around Angron's upper body from behind, then grabbed the Butcher's Nails with both hands and yanked hard!
"AAAAAH!"
A howl of unbearable pain erupted from Angron. He clamped both hands around Francis's and thrashed wildly, smashing into everything around them.
With a bang, they crashed into a mountain and burst straight through it.
"Ptooey! You think I can't handle you?" Francis spat out a mouthful of blood. His arm armor was already crushed beneath Angron's grip, with shards driven into his flesh, but he still refused to let go.
"Let go!! AAAAAH!"
Angron was in excruciating pain. He felt as if someone were tearing his mind apart. He could even hear metal separating from flesh.
He kept crashing into everything around him until Leman Russ ran over, too.
"I'll hold his arms. Just don't kill him! He's your brother, after all."
Leman Russ pried Angron's hands apart and dragged them in front of himself, holding them firmly.
With his hands restrained, Angron could only attack with his legs, but Leman Russ dodged every blow.
As time passed, Angron's cries grew weaker and weaker, until he finally passed out.
"Phew... He finally blacked out."
Only then did Francis dare let go. His arms were covered in blood, and he couldn't tell which of it was his and which was Angron's.
"That's true. Angron seems to be in a very dangerous state. If he keeps going like this, will he really be all right?"
At Leman Russ's question, Francis fell silent for a moment before answering, "If things keep going like this, Angron probably won't even survive to the end of the Great Crusade."
"...Even Father can't do anything?" Leman Russ asked, unwilling to give up.
Francis could only shrug. "If there were a way and he refused to treat him, wouldn't that make him very biased? So he can't do anything either."
"Or rather, with the Imperium's technology as it stands, there's simply no way."
At that, Leman Russ gazed intensely at Francis, making him feel uneasy.
"What are you looking at me for?" Francis swallowed and took a step back.
Unexpectedly, Leman Russ stepped even closer and said, "You said it yourself: the Imperium's technology as it stands. So could those heretical technologies you have be the answer?"
Francis: "..."
He looked at Leman Russ's fervent gaze, then at Angron lying in a bloody heap on the ground.
Francis took a deep breath and said solemnly,
"Now, let me have a taste of Angron first!"
Leman Russ: "..."
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