The Blood Greataxe... Khorne wanted Titus, but after his Primaris transformation, the Dark God could no longer claim him.
The Dark God could only control his body, directing his movements like a puppet on strings, just as he had controlled the Adeptus Custodes to attack the Emperor when the Emperor boarded Horus's flagship.
But he could not bless Titus. Daemonic power would not surge through his body, nor would he ascend into a daemon. Once control of his body ended, he would still be a powerful warrior loyal to the Emperor.
War spread across the galaxy like a virus, but here, the God of War had failed.
Titus pulled out the Blood Greataxe. Although it had no physical form, the Alpha Librarian's psychic power enveloped it, making it seem as though it were constructed from white, loyal psychic energy. Now, the sealed remnants of that power were utterly extinguished.
Titus collapsed to the floor. His hands, clenched with all his strength, suddenly relaxed, and there was nothing left in them.
Flames no longer burned on Alpharius's body. Only an axe wound remained in the center of his armor, with black blood flowing from it.
The fallen captain of the Victrix Guard twitched an ear as he suddenly heard animal calls.
Peaceful, unhurried, relaxed animal calls.
He quickly turned his head and discovered that thick fog had completely shrouded their retreat. Their surroundings had become a forest.
The Alpha Legion's Primarch's Guard emerged from the mist.
When he turned back, the primarch was already sitting half upright on the ground.
"I salute you, lord of the Dark Angels." Titus's feelings were complicated. If Roboute Guilliman had been lying here, he would have been urgently calling an Apothecary, and might even have had the Terminators bring an enormous "stretcher" and teleport the