The remaining Custodians quickly adjusted their tactics. They stopped trying to meet Axis head-on and instead coordinated perfectly to surround him.
They wove around one another like golden lightning, the edges of their Power Halberds forming a deadly net. The force fields of their Storm Shields overlapped, creating a nearly flawless defensive formation.
However, Axis merely grinned. In the face of absolute strength, everything was futile.
His figure suddenly blurred. In the next instant, the air split with a deafening boom as his fist, wrapped in a mass of ki, slammed straight into a Custodian's shield.
Boom—!
The Storm Shield's force field overloaded instantly, and explosive arcs of energy crackled in every direction. The Custodian holding it felt both arms go numb from the force of the punch.
He skidded back dozens of meters, his boots carving two charred tracks into the ground.
"His strength is actually increasing?!" one Custodian murmured.
"No, he wasn't even trying before!" Caesar gritted his teeth, forcing down the dull ache in his chest as he tightened his grip on his Power Halberd.
He'd fought Axis for over a month before. He knew the kid far too well.
The earlier fight had looked incredibly fierce, and the Custodians had been completely suppressed, but in truth, the kid had just been playing around.
He hadn't been taking it seriously at all. Even now, he still wasn't showing his true strength. The gap between them was so vast it was despairing.
Axis disappeared again. This time, he appeared right in the middle of the Custodian formation.
He stomped hard, and the ground caved in with a roar. A violent shock wave spread out in a ring, leaving the Custodians unable to keep their footing.
Was this guy a human-shaped Titan? Was he a real monster?
Axis's hands shot out like lightning and seized two Custodians by the arms. He spun around, using them as weapons and turning into a giant top.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The Custodians surrounding Axis were sent flying in an instant. The two being used as weapons fared even worse; their entire bodies twitched uncontrollably.
The remaining Custodians finally realized that they weren't facing an ordinary warrior, but a near-monster.
"Spread out! Keep him busy from range!" Caesar barked.
The Custodians quickly fell back. Their Power Halberds switched to energy-projection mode, and blazing plasma beams and bolter shells rained down.
Axis simply raised one hand. Golden-green energy gathered in his palm and became a translucent barrier. Every attack crashed against it and vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, without even making a ripple.
A force field sure came in handy! Axis even rested one hand on his hip, yawned, and struck a deeply provocative pose.
Teacher Malcador had forbidden him from using ki to bombard the Custodians, so there shouldn't be a problem with using a force field, right?
"W-what is that?" one Custodian asked in disbelief.
This was just absurd! Was it some kind of Void Shield or energy shield? But he clearly wasn't wearing any equipment!
"Ahem! That's Axis's unique power, ki. Be careful—he can project it outward," Caesar said as he staggered to his feet.
They hadn't seen each other in over twenty years, and the gap between them had become as vast as heaven and earth!
Before, Caesar had been confident he could take care of the young Axis once he put on his Power Armor.
But now, even with more than a dozen companions in Power Armor, they were being beaten up as if Axis were just playing around.
Axis suddenly swept his hand aside. The barrier burst apart, and the Energy Backlash from his Legendary Super Saiyan Ki sent the Custodians stumbling backward.
Axis darted in like a phantom. His fists, elbows, knees, and legs became a storm of blows, each one striking precisely at a weak point in the Custodians' armor.
Crack! A Custodian's breastplate shattered.
Boom! Another Custodian was kicked through the adamantium wall of the Training Room, only stopping once he'd smashed through it.
Thud! Axis grabbed a Custodian by the throat with one hand, then slammed him to the ground.
"Do you give up?" Axis grinned.
The Custodian didn't answer. He only raised a hand with difficulty, trying to pry Axis's fingers loose.
"Got some backbone." Axis nodded, then gave his hand a light flick. The Custodian flew away like a rag doll.
He crashed heavily to the ground, completely incapacitated.
The entire Training Ground fell silent.
Sixteen Custodians—the finest warriors of the Imperium of Man, considered the most perfect humans after the Emperor and the Primarchs.
Wearing Power Armor and wielding every weapon at their disposal, they'd been wiped out in just a few minutes!
Axis dusted off his hands and turned to Caesar, the only one still standing on the Training Ground. All the other Custodians lay on the ground. Axis had gone easy on Caesar, whom he'd spent some time with, leaving him as the only Custodian still on his feet.
"How was that, Caesar? It's been over twenty years, and I still went easy on you!" Axis said with a grin.
"You might as well come over and knock me flat with one punch," Caesar said darkly.
Damn it! I'd rather wrestle Orks bare-handed. I'd rather fight those awful Xenos. I just don't want to fight you, you bastard!
And what do you mean by leaving me as the only one standing?
"You're serious? Then I'll come over and knock you down!" Axis said with a gleeful smile.
"You! You—forget it. I give up." Caesar tossed his weapon to the ground and spoke.
What kind of monster had the Emperor and the Regent raised?
Malcador, who'd watched the entire battle from the sidelines, stared at the data panel in shock. Axis had only used a force field to defend against the Power Weapons.
He hadn't used a single Ki Blast or ki bolt. With nothing but his bare hands, he'd knocked down the Custodians as easily as a grown man beating up children, all while playing around.
This was no longer a matter of numbers. Even if there were twice as many Custodians, the outcome of the fight wouldn't change.
Even if there were a hundred times as many, Axis could probably still win easily by using his ki—and might even wipe out the entire Ten Thousand Legion by himself.
"Axis, you did well." Malcador walked in and nodded to him.
"Thanks for the praise, teacher. This Golden Corn is pretty good too," Axis replied.
This kid should be able to complete the mission perfectly. The Second Primarch wouldn't stand a chance against him, especially with Leman Russ there as well.
By now, the Custodians Axis had knocked down had all gotten back up. They straightened their somewhat damaged armor and lined up.
The way the Custodians looked at Axis had changed completely. His fighting ability had won them over.
"There are still more than ten days left. Should I have these Custodians keep training with you?" Malcador asked Axis.
They were the strongest sparring partners he could find. Anything stronger would mean getting a Primarch—or the Emperor himself.
Before you continue