121 Dark Crusade (42)

Ka'Bandha couldn't remember the last time it had felt so content, but it said nothing. Whether its deepest desires would be fulfilled remained to be seen.

In the scorching air, the boundless sea of blood gradually submerged its curved hooves, the waves coming one after another, bringing an endless sticky sensation, yet without the slightest urging.

The Khorne —its god—exhibited unparalleled patience this time. Ka'Bandha knew why; it understood, respected, and fully comprehended what the Khorne truly wanted to see.

The death of a warrior, nothing more.

It, or Sanguinius, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, as long as there is blood, victory, and death, that is enough.

However, fundamentally, this battle is merely a continuation of the duel that took place ten thousand years ago, its purpose being simply to determine a result. If nothing had interfered, it probably wouldn't have continued to this day at all.

Ka'Bandha knew that this was also the biggest reason why the Khorne rejected that schemer.

Yes, He can plot many things in secret, even orchestrating a coincidental opportunity to take Sanguinius to the Warp, then stir up the stars, tame wild beasts, and chuckle to himself in the darkness.

Using these underhanded methods, He transformed Sanguinius' blood into a primal medium. With the Khorne's consent, the portals opened on the Red Tear by the summoning array could become a two-way gate, swallowing Sanguinius and his offspring whole.

The Khorne refused.

"No." The deity on the Brass Throne chuckled low. "I swore an oath with my sword. I am not like you."

Then Ka'Bandha came, crossing the void, crashing through warships, grabbing an angel, and flying towards a planet that never existed.

It was nowhere near as powerful as it had been on Terra ten thousand years ago, but so were the angels. The Daemon carefully observed its adversary, and beneath that golden armor, it saw a warrior clinging to life.

Tied up by mundane affairs and worn down by meaningless tasks, Sanguinius, once such a formidable warrior, has now become like this.

But Ka'Bandha was not disappointed.

It even continued to smile.

Beneath the blood-red sky, humans and demons once again clashed. Beneath their feet lay an endless sea of blood, boiling and scalding, its heat rising, yet unable to obscure the distant mountains of corpses.

Armed and clad in armor, they once shouldered lofty ambitions to achieve great deeds or the heavy responsibility of protecting their homeland. Now, they are merely a group of silent witnesses.

Before we really begin, there's something I want you to know.

Ka'Bandha spoke slowly, his voice clear and without the slightest tremor or madness.

"This is not the Empyrean, but a small asteroid located in the world you inhabit. It should not exist, but the Khorne has another use for it. Somewhere on this planet, a weapon is buried. It was once held in the Khorne's hands; it was His treasure and His most beloved possession."

"For a suitable place, He cast it to the end of time, burying it here, waiting to be used today. Just like ten thousand years ago, the battle between you and me will be witnessed by the gods, and His weapons will serve as the vessel of our oath."

"This battle will be absolutely fair."

The Daemon raised his spear and solemnly threw it at the angel. The Spear of Telesto fell at the angel's feet, its tip sinking deep into the sea of blood, its tail trembling. Sanguinius reached out and pulled it out, seeing a combination of black and gold.

"My bones. I have used them to kill countless humans. Hold them, Sanguinius, and feel my deeds."

As it had said, Sanguinius sensed the wailing souls. He silently released his grip, letting the Spear of Telesto fall into the depths of the sea of blood.

Ka'Bandha burst into laughter.

"How is it? Are you satisfied?"

Having said that, it twisted its neck and began to move.

It had lost the enormous size it possessed on Terra, but it was still seven meters tall. Its wings spread wide, blotting out the sky. A pungent smell of blood rose from beneath its feet, the sea of blood gurgling and shimmering, draping its brass armor in a crimson veil.

Unable to contain its rage, it grinned maliciously, then suddenly raised its steel whip, unleashing a thunderous roar.

"Boom--!"

The sea of blood churned, forming a genuine wave several meters high, surging towards Sanguinius. The angel flapped his wings and took flight, smashing through the terrifying wave of blood, and without a word, raised his sword and thrust it at Ka'Bandha.

Instead of choosing its preferred direct confrontation, the Daemon sidestepped the thrust, allowing Sanguinius to charge away with his sword before taking flight again and circling overhead.

"Too slow!"

Ka'Bandha raised his head and roared in fury, clenching his free left claw into a fist and slamming it into the sea of blood to vent his rage.

It contorted its face, raised its right claw again, and a flash of light appeared. The steel whip, like a venomous snake, shot out and, with the power of Ka'Bandha, fiercely coiled around the angel's wings. The vicious barbs on it instantly pierced into the angel's wings, then tightened again, turning flesh and bone into prey.

This weapon, born from the brass furnace deep in hell, is stained with too much blood; it can inflict torture and punishment on its enemies without any cruelty from Ka'Bandha.

Sanguinius gritted his teeth to resist the pain, but he couldn't stop the bleeding. His blood immediately flowed out, some falling into the sea of blood, while some slid down the lines left on the steel whip, gathering at the edge of the Daemon's forearm armor, Radiance on the brass armor.

With a sinister grin, Ka'Bandha exerted his strength once more, yanking the angel from the sky and sending him crashing into a sea of blood, utterly disheveled. Blood seeped into every perfect arc of the angel's golden armor, staining his beauty, his wings, and his teeth crimson.

The Daemon strode forward, extending his left claw to grab the angel, only to be pierced through by a sword. Sanguinius, his golden hair stained with blood, gritted his teeth and growled, twisting his wrist to transform the sword into a murderous weapon, leaving Ka'Bandha's left claw in a gruesome state.

"Not enough!"

Faced with his own flesh flying everywhere, the Daemon growled and lowered its head to approach him.

At this moment, its scarlet eyes were filled with rage, yet clear as a mirror, reflecting Sanguinius' own face. Then, it nonchalantly extended its injured left claw, pressed down on the angel's head, and sank him into the sea of blood.

It roared angrily.

"You have neglected yourself, allowing your blade to become dull and your skills to deteriorate, even your strength and perception have weakened to this extent! How dare you, Sanguinius? How dare you?!"

The Daemon roared and dragged him out, wanting to smash the angel back in, its beast head filled with resentment.

Sanguinius ignored its words, seized the opportunity to take a deep breath, and then suddenly swung his sword, severing two sharp claws from Ka'Bandha's left claw. He then quickly flapped his wings, trying to regroup.

However, it seems that Ka'Bandha had already anticipated his battle strategy.

In that instant, it gripped the weapon in its right hand tightly and skillfully manipulated the steel whip, causing the venomous snake, which had not yet left, to writhe cruelly, transforming it into countless fanged monsters that began to frantically bite at the angel's wings.

In just a second, the terrifying steel whip had already torn the angel's wings to shreds, sending feathers flying and exposing the pale bones. A huge amount of blood gushed to the ground several seconds later.

The angel was in so much pain he could barely stand. He fell again, barely managing to rise from the sea of blood, inevitably gasping for breath. The pain was secondary now; he needed to breathe, he craved air.

Ka'Bandha still refused to let him go.

It charged forward again, swinging its broken left claw with a sonic boom. Before it even touched Sanguinius, it had already caused another giant wave to surge through the sea of blood behind him.

The powerful punch landed precisely and viciously on the angel's nose, doubling the pain and causing him to briefly shed tears due to a physiological reaction. His vision blurred, and he could only see a blood-red mass.

Left with no other choice, he began to swing his sword with all his might, hoping to weather the storm. The Daemon, however, burst into laughter, revealing for the first time a biting sarcasm.

"Is that all? Great Sanguinius, proud Sanguinius? You've not only forgotten how to wield a sword, you've even forgotten how to fight!"

"I am no longer the person I once was. In these ten thousand years, I have not dared to relax for a single day. The Khorne's killing spree has always started with me and centered on me! Have you never heard of my name? Do you not know those pitiful worlds that I have slaughtered?"

It raised its hand again, but hesitated to let the steel whip fall. Instead, it patiently waited for the angel to recover, its tone returning to normal, as if it were merely two old friends conversing.

"War," Ka'Bandha narrated in a low voice. "You understood it, Sanguinius. You knew how a war should begin, how it should go on, and how it should end—at least you used to, and now, you seem to have forgotten."

"It's alright, I will tell you again and make sure you remember it well."

"Listen well, Sanguinius, information is the most important thing in war. Over the past ten thousand years, I have fought against most of you. In my opinion, your brothers, those warriors who, like you, were stuffed with human skin, all understand this principle and apply it to their fighting style."

"And you? You occupy the most important position in a vast and violent organization, yet you'd rather send this valuable information, which you could have used, into nothingness?"

It spat out two hot breaths with disdain, and suddenly the steel whip in its hand flashed, striking the angel. This strike was cunning and ruthless; it did not aim for the angel's strong side holding the sword or his already folded wings, but instead struck the soles of his feet.

The sea of blood churned, waves surged, and the ensuing chain reaction completely shattered the angel's balance. He could have taken flight and escaped this perilous situation, but his wings were already broken.

Ka'Bandha has created a weakness in him, and now it is relentlessly attacking that weakness.

The angel realized what was happening, but it was too late. The wave of blood suddenly shattered, smashed by a completely calm beast, its seemingly tattered wings already flying.

It used both claws to grab Sanguinius by the neck and carried him into the sky.

The angel gritted his teeth and swung his sword, struggling to maintain his balance. Each strike was incredibly fast and ruthless, turning Ka'Bandha's hands and face into a bloody mess in an instant. Yet, the Daemon's eyes remained bright.

The pure bloodlust and fighting spirit were boiling under the nourishment of pain, gradually transforming into an uncontrollable rage.

It roared, its claws clenched tightly, and then it suddenly plummeted downwards. Blood flames began to burn on its body, turning it into a terrifying meteor that cleaved the sky in two with its trail of flames.

A fierce wind blew, causing the angel's blood-stained golden hair to flutter wildly. He continued to swing his sword, his eyes fixed on Ka'Bandha. In the Daemon's eyes, he saw his own reflection once more.

Baring its sharp teeth, its face contorted in a grimace.

A monster.

"Sanguinius--!" the Daemon roared, calling out his name as he plunged deep into the sea of blood.

In an instant, the earth shook violently, and the ground hidden beneath the sea of blood shattered inch by inch. Countless remains of the dead, who had died at some unknown time, surged out and floated upwards. Sanguinius' vision was filled with blood red, and his back had completely lost all feeling, while Ka'Bandha still held him tightly in his grip.

The corpses of the fallen surrounded them, their rusted weapons and clenched bone fingers trembling as the two powerful creatures fought, as if they had come back to life and wanted to join the battle.

Sanguinius was thus taken to the deepest part of the sea of blood.

--

Calistarius knelt on the ground, drenched in sweat, gripping the hastily acquired the Emperor statue in his hand, and began to use his psionic powers amidst the aim of numerous Boltgun.

He willingly accepted this treatment, even though Gabriel Seth, whose attitude had suddenly reversed, vehemently objected; he still insisted on having those dark gun barrels pointed at him.

He understood why the Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers had such a drastic change in attitude—it was all because of those golden lightning bolts; what other reason could there be?

However, he knew in his heart that it wasn't his power at all. He was a Psyker, that was true, but that didn't mean he could summon such powerful energy.

However, there are no better options now.

They had to determine whether Sanguinius was dead or alive.

Calistarius took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. The ritual array was complete, incredibly simple; he was, after all, the son of Sanguinius, and the blood connection was enough to overcome any complexity.

He gripped the Emperor statue tightly and nodded to the Sons of Sanguinius around him. Most of them were unwilling to aim their guns at him, for they, like Gabriel Seth, had witnessed the so-called "miracle."

"Your the Emperor," Calistarius thought with a wry smile, "Is this truly your power?"

He received no response.

The young Librarian delved into the deepest recesses of their minds and began to communicate with his power.