Abandoning every last troop that had landed on the Blackstone Fortress, Vashtorr returned to his flagship, the Divine Edict Raider, with the Charalatu Engine. The moment the engine met the other two Sacred Relics, they began to merge.
These relics were divine artifacts left behind by the Old Ones, split into three over the ages and now reunited as one.
It had many names. The Orks called it one thing, the Aeldari another, but Vashtorr preferred the Key of Truth, for it was the key that opened the Gate of Truth, allowing him to pass through every obstacle and reach the "Origin."
The instant the Key of Truth took shape, Vashtorr seized it impatiently.
"Open the path to the Origin. Now!"
"Insufficient energy. Unable to comply."
Vashtorr had not expected his command to be refused. His mind raced, determining how much energy the Key of Truth needed and how to feed it enough to activate it.
As the master of smelting and forging, Vashtorr was also exceptionally intelligent. In roughly three seconds, he found a solution.
"Destroy Evil Dragon Forest. Charge the Key of Truth with the energy released by tearing it apart."
Lion El'Jonson swiftly crouched and raised the Emperor's Shield in his left hand. Its energy conversion field activated immediately, not only blocking Angron's greatsword but reflecting the full force of his attack back at him.
Angron staggered backward, but used the force of the rebound to swing the great axe in his other hand through a lightning-fast spin. The attack came so quickly that Lion El'Jonson had no time to move his shield to the side.
The battle-seasoned Lion King immediately blocked with the longsword named Loyalty. Sword and axe collided with a thunderous crack, and Lion El'Jonson stumbled back several steps before regaining his footing.
Loyalty's