Axis heard Leman Russ's words, and his heart sank. He couldn't help cursing inwardly:
You've got to be kidding me. You want me to fight the strongest human in history—the Emperor?
The Emperor hadn't yet taken his seat on the Golden Throne, nor had he become the supreme God-Emperor, the being capable of grievously wounding Nurgle.
But he was still the most powerful individual in human history. There was no one else even close.
The Emperor's accomplishments could only be described as staggering and unbelievable. His battle that first made him famous was the sealing of a C'tan Shard—the Void Dragon.
This event took place around the fifth or sixth century AD. According to the records, a knight clad in golden armor and wielding a sword defeated an evil dragon and sealed it beneath Mars.
Later, during the Rangdan Campaign, the Emperor brought the Void Dragon out of the Labyrinth of Night and thoroughly defeated the Rangdan Xenos, turning the tide of the war between the Imperium of Man and the Rangdan Xenos.
Although none of this had happened yet—not even the First Rangdan Campaign had begun—Axis could still infer from these legends just how terrifying the Emperor's combat strength was.
What level of being was the Void Dragon? After it was released, it destroyed the Tomb Worlds of several Necron Dynasties. Destroying a planet was as easy as lifting a finger for it, and it could even extinguish an entire star.
The Emperor had defeated the Void Dragon in direct combat. That alone showed that his fighting strength had reached an almost unimaginable level.
The Emperor's true combat strength was probably no less than King Frieza's in the Dragon Ball World. He might even have been stronger than Frieza.
If Axis could transform into a Super Saiyan, he might have a chance. But right now, he was just a little kid. How could he possibly beat the Emperor?
As Axis fretted, the Emperor smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Oh? You want your adopted son to fight me in the third match? Are you sure you want to stake your fate on this child?"
Even a fully grown Primarch would be easy for him to handle. He could beat one senseless with one hand tied behind his back.
But Leman Russ didn't seem concerned in the least. He burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Stranger, don't underestimate Axis, or you'll regret it.
"When I was his age, I wasn't nearly as strong as he is. My little Wolf Cub is a formidable fighter. In the whole tribe, he's the strongest after me."
The Emperor's expression changed at Leman Russ's words. He narrowed his eyes and studied Axis carefully, a trace of doubt rising in his heart.
Russ says this kid is stronger than a Primarch of the same age! How is that possible?
The Emperor knew just how powerful the Primarchs were. He had poured countless years of effort into creating them. He had even made deals with the Chaos Gods in the Warp, gaining unimaginable Psykic Power knowledge and fragments of the souls of lesser Warp gods, before finally creating these perfect human demigods.
Even as children, the Primarchs could easily defeat Eldar warriors, whose fighting ability far surpassed that of the original Space Marines.
By the age of seven, a Primarch could already stand over two meters tall. Their physical strength had completely surpassed that of the original Space Marines, making them a match for the Adeptus Custodes.
Once they grew a little older, even the Adeptus Custodes were no match for them.
The Adeptus Custodes were the most perfect human warriors the Emperor had created, and each one underwent a bespoke process of transformation.
Using biological alchemy and technology from the Dark Age of Technology, they had been altered at the genetic level to come as close as possible to the Emperor himself. They were the most powerful warriors in the Imperium of Man.
Yet Leman Russ claimed that Axis was stronger than a Primarch of the same age. The Emperor found it hard to believe.
A glimmer of interest entered his gaze as he looked at Axis. "If that's what you say, then I'm rather interested in this child. I agree to the match."
"Hahaha! Did you hear that, my little Wolf Cub? He's agreed to fight you!
"Come on, let's go to our usual sparring ground," Leman Russ said with a hearty laugh.
Axis glanced helplessly at his adoptive father and sighed inwardly.
You've already said all that. What can I say now? Besides, the Emperor's noticed me. Fine, I'll fight.
He nodded and said, trying to sound calm, "Since you put it that way, Russ, I'll give it a try."
Leman Russ patted Axis on the shoulder, satisfied. "That's my boy, Wolf Cub!"
Soon, the three of them arrived at the place where Axis and Leman Russ usually sparred. It was a vast, frozen wasteland, and the Emperor noticed signs of fierce fighting everywhere.
Some of the nearby mountains had even been shattered. The ground was uneven, and countless fierce battles had taken place here. These weren't just minor scuffles, either—the destruction was incredible!
The Emperor frowned as he surveyed the battlefield, surprise rising in his heart. "Interesting. Could such a powerful child really have been born naturally among humans?"
Standing to one side with his arms crossed, Leman Russ grinned. "Let me make one thing clear. I'm only having you fight my little Wolf Cub so you can earn the right to fight me. Even if you beat him, you'll still have to fight me afterward."
The Emperor nodded. "Heh, no problem. I'm quite interested in the child anyway. Let me see your strength."
Axis took a deep breath, stepped in front of the Emperor, and assumed a fighting stance.
"Come at me with all your strength. If you can make me take one step backward, you win.
"And I promise I won't let you get hurt in this fight." The Emperor stood motionless with his hands behind his back.
Axis nodded. The Saiyan battle blood in his body instantly surged. He unleashed all the ki within him, leaned forward, and shot toward the Emperor like a streak of light.
He moved at incredible speed, reaching the Emperor almost instantly. Then he threw a punch straight at the Emperor's chest.
But just as his fist was about to make contact, an invisible force suddenly sent him flying backward.
Axis felt as though his fist had slammed into an invisible wall. The tremendous rebound sent him hurtling through the air. He was about to hit the ground when another invisible force protected him, leaving him completely unharmed.
"W-what kind of power is this?"
"This is Psykic Power. It has many uses. You can control things like ice, fire, and lightning, or form a telekinetic force—for example, to grab an object from a distance or crush something out of thin air.
"It can also form an invisible wall around you to protect you, or catch you." The Emperor looked at Axis as he spoke.
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