The Emperor's immense psychic power had utterly stunned both Leman Russ and Axis.
Psykers forged links with the Warp through their powerful souls, channeling its energy into Realspace. That was psychic power.
Psychic power was the most overpowered force in the Warhammer Universe. Everything in Realspace obeyed the laws of physics—except psychic power. It was the only supernatural force.
Psychic power had many uses. Powerful psykers could foresee the future, instantly control the wills of every living being on an entire planet, probe other people's thoughts, and alter their memories.
They could reverse time within a certain area, summon duplicates to fight, and wield all kinds of extraordinary abilities, one after another.
Axis gritted his teeth. Saiyans didn't give up so easily.
He unleashed the ki within him once more. This time, he focused all his strength into his fist and charged at the Emperor like a cannonball. His fist whooshed through the air, as if it could tear the very atmosphere apart.
"Ha!" he roared.
Axis put nearly all his strength into a punch and swung it at the golden-armored man before him.
But the Emperor merely raised one hand, palm facing Axis. A surge of powerful psychic energy erupted, forming an invisible barrier.
Axis's fist stopped less than an inch from the Emperor's palm. It couldn't move forward at all, no matter how hard he tried.
The Emperor remained where he was, wearing a faint smile. "A fine attack, but nowhere near enough."
Axis sprang backward, spun in midair, and swung a side kick at the Emperor's head, but an invisible force stopped him again.
Axis tried everything, attacking from every angle, but he still couldn't break through the Emperor's defenses.
"Your strength is impressive, but it's still too weak to overcome my psychic power," the Emperor said calmly.
Though his tone remained even, the Emperor now looked at Axis differently. What tenacity. What strength!
An ordinary seven-year-old would have stopped attacking after a setback like this. Even a Primarch might have given up. But all the Emperor saw in this child's eyes was a yearning for battle. He was a born warrior.
Axis felt immense pressure closing in from every direction, as if it were about to crush him.
He clenched his teeth and fought desperately against it, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free of the Emperor's psychic restraint.
So this is... the Emperor's power?
Axis was stunned. He'd known the Emperor was strong, but he'd never imagined he was this powerful.
The Saiyan strength he'd always been proud of was utterly outmatched by the Emperor. But that only made this more thrilling! This was what made his blood race!
Only a mountain this impossibly high could excite a Saiyan.
I'll surpass you. I swear I'll surpass you! One day, I'll defeat you!
"Axis, use your ki! Show him what it can do!" Leman Russ shouted from the sidelines.
"Ah! Ah!" Axis roared, his body wreathed in crimson-white ki.
The Saiyan bloodline had once again broken through its combat limit, raising Axis's power even further.
The wave of ki surging from Axis left the Emperor astounded. What is this? It isn't psychic power, but it isn't something from the physical universe either.
Fascinating. Is there still a power in this universe that I don't know about?
Axis was already in the air, arms spread as he took aim at the Emperor. An invisible, white energy gathered in his palms.
"Kikoho!" Axis bellowed, concentrating all his strength into this one attack.
A massive white beam blasted toward the Emperor. A golden energy barrier formed around him, holding firm against the attack. Even Axis's strongest Ki Blast couldn't break through the Emperor's psychic shield. The Emperor's feet hadn't shifted backward even a centimeter.
One minute later, Axis ran out of strength and fell from the sky.
The Emperor immediately shaped his psychic power into an invisible hand and caught Axis as he fell, gently lowering him to the ground. He'd promised not to let Axis get hurt, and he wouldn't let him suffer so much as a scratch.
"All right, that's enough. I've seen how strong you are, child." The Emperor withdrew his psychic power. The pressure on Axis vanished, and he slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
Seeing this, the smile gradually faded from Leman Russ's face. He hurried over to Axis and patted him on the shoulder. "Are you all right, my little Wolf Cub?"
The boy was even stronger than he'd been a few days ago, when he'd fought Russ. But even so, he hadn't been able to beat the man standing before them.
Axis shook his head and managed a faint smile. "I'm all right, Russ. It's just... he's so strong. It's hard to imagine."
The Emperor had fought him using nothing but defensive techniques. He hadn't even been taking the fight seriously!
Leman Russ lifted his head and looked at the Emperor, a complicated expression in his eyes. "You're definitely much stronger than I am. But I still want to fight you. Do you want to rest first?"
He didn't want to take advantage of anyone. Even though the Emperor had seemed completely at ease during his fight with Axis, Russ still offered him a chance to rest.
"Not at all. I've got plenty of stamina. Come at me whenever you're ready," the Emperor replied with a smile.
This was nothing! If Russ underestimated a Perpetual's recovery, the Emperor would be in trouble. He could fight for months without feeling tired.
"Hahaha! Good! Since you put it that way, I won't hold back!" Leman Russ laughed, his voice echoing across the frozen wasteland like thunder.
"Be careful, Russ. If you really can't win, just give up," Axis warned him. Honestly, you're about to get beaten to a pulp.
"Haha, Wolf Cub, watch me avenge you."
Leman Russ nodded to Axis, then turned to the Emperor. A fierce battle hunger flashed in his eyes. He grinned, baring sharp fangs, and tensed his muscles like a beast poised to strike.
Although he'd seen the Emperor easily overpower Axis, Russ's pride and fighting instincts wouldn't let him back down. If I retreat, I'm no Wolf of Fenris.
The two were on the verge of clashing.
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