Boom!
Eden's powerful elbow strike hit like a ten-thousand-ton hammer, sending the Dark Emperor flying back into the Golden Throne.
The Throne reeled from the impact and erupted with even more black arcs of electricity.
Guilliman and the other Primarchs, still kneeling on the ground, looked up and saw the Savior knock the Dark Emperor—their father—through the air. Their pupils shook.
It was beyond anything they had imagined. Never had they thought their almost-invincible father would be beaten back in front of everyone.
And in such a humiliating way.
"How… how is that possible…"
Even Horus, inside his cage, found it impossible to believe. His throat seemed blocked by something, and he could not get the words out.
Even when he had dueled the False Emperor back then, he had never made that father of his look so miserable.
In truth, the Emperor had never fallen during that duel. Even after being ambushed, even after a blade pierced His body, He had remained standing until the very end.
The Emperor. The Master of Mankind. The Dark King. He had always been synonymous with absolute strength, always appearing before the world in His strongest posture.
And yet He had been sent flying by the Savior's elbow.
It was deeply humiliating.
It was not just the Primarchs. The Imperial elites and Chaos daemons all saw it as well. Even the Chaos Gods in the Warp felt Their hearts tremble.
They had not expected the Savior to be this ferocious. Using the gathered faith-based fell energy, he had broken through the blockade of the authority of destruction in the most violent way possible.
In that instant, the entire battlefield fell silent.
Even the cold Dark Damned warriors were the same.
Every being stared at that scene and sank into silence.
"Savior… how could the Emperor be…" A ten-thousand-year veteran of the Custodians swallowed, his face full of disbelief.
That supreme Master of Mankind, that Dark King, could actually be knocked down in such a humiliating fashion?
Whether Primarchs or Custodians, all of them felt strange deep down. After all, they had once been the Emperor's most loyal sons and warriors.
Now they had personally witnessed that being get beaten. Even though they knew the Emperor had fallen into Chaos, their hearts still wavered.
"What?!"
Half of the Dark Emperor's body was buried in the machinery of the Golden Throne. He clutched His face and touched the crack across His cheek, even more incredulous.
The authority of destruction had actually been broken through by the Savior, and He had even been struck by him.
This was something He could not accept.
No one could treat Him like this!
This Dark Emperor had not yet been fully born as the Dark King. At present, He was only a fetus, the darkest aspect of the Emperor.
Because of that, He had also inherited the Emperor's personality—especially the tyrant's side. He was so proud, and would tolerate no defiance.
Yet now, the Savior had inflicted enormous humiliation upon the Dark Emperor, causing His rage to erupt beyond all restraint.
The Dark Emperor overturned the machinery on His body, and the authority of destruction burned the surrounding matter into useless dust.
"What arrogance!"
He abruptly raised His hand and unleashed warped destructive power. Deep black fire formed a shockwave that swept over the Savior.
In an instant, the matter in the area around the Savior turned to ash. Even the nearby Dark Damned warriors caught in the blast were destroyed.
Not even their souls remained.
That was fire capable of destroying any matter. Destruction taken to its extreme.
"Oh, shit…"
Eden was caught off guard and swallowed by the black fire of destruction.
The remnants of armor on his body evaporated instantly. His bodily tissues did the same, decomposed into nothingness by the authority of destruction.
"This is bad. Am I about to get refined alive?!"
Eden went numb all over and hurriedly mobilized the authority of hope to resist the terrifying black fire.
"Run!"
The Tzeentchian Greater Daemons who had been trying to launch a sneak attack—the Everchanging Assassins—fled the area with all their might and no longer dared approach.
They had originally wanted to take advantage of the situation and stir up trouble, only to nearly throw their own lives away.
Just as the Savior had said, the Dark King was terrifying beyond measure!
The sudden reversal extinguished the morale that had just risen among the Primarchs of both the Imperial and Chaos camps. Their hearts went cold.
"Big Brother!"
Rogal Dorn, still kneeling on the ground, looked as if his eyes would split. He struggled to stand and help the Savior.
The other Primarchs were the same, their gazes full of worry.
Everyone's eyes fixed on that mass of black fire that burned away all things. They hoped to see the Savior's figure within it.
Yet they saw nothing.
It was as though the Savior had already been burned to nothing by the black fire of destruction.
Just as everyone was drowning in worry, a strange roar came from within the black flames. It sounded like the language of the Orks, yet mixed with many other things.
It sounded like—
MAN!
Then, under countless stares, a golden-yellow, gleaming, bald, muscle-bound figure broke through the black fire and flew out, pouncing toward the Dark Emperor.
That posture was so familiar that everyone's heart shook violently.
The Savior… was going for another elbow!
After breaking through the authority of destruction with the Sun of Hope and the authority of Greenskin Bro Eden, Eden repeated his old trick and slammed forward with another brutal elbow.
This might be his peak state. In the future, there would not be another chance for the Chaos Gods and countless lesser gods to give him power like this.
So he had to strike the enemy with the most explosive force possible!
What?
Under the Dark Emperor's incredulous gaze, the Savior charged in again with the same strange move.
He tried to block or dodge the attack, only to discover that He had been locked down by some kind of rule.
There was no way to stop it.
Yellow hits the hardest! If I reckon it'll land, then it'll definitely land!
With the support of immense faith power, Eden's Ork authority had already reached another level.
Only this kind of "I reckon" power could ignore the gap between them and strike the Dark Emperor.
Bang—
The Dark Emperor was hit by the elbow again, His features twisting as He was knocked back onto the Throne.
He looked even more miserable than last time.
This kind of attack was not lethal enough, but it was extremely insulting.
He could feel His intimidation weakening. The fear people felt toward Him was fading.
The Dark Emperor was truly getting anxious. This was already affecting His birth and the final destruction.
"You dare?!"
He abruptly climbed up and looked down at the Savior, His voice filled with thunderous wrath.
"Savior, you are nothing but a lowly being sheltered by me. How dare you defy the Master of Mankind?"
The Dark Emperor changed tactics, attempting to suppress the Savior's momentum with authority and thereby dismantle the fighting spirit he had gathered.
He pointed at the Savior, and invisible power pressed down.
"Kneel!"
Earlier, the Dark Emperor had used this method to make the Primarchs submit and kneel at the foot of the Throne.
Although this god of destruction had not yet been born, He already understood how to use the Warp's idealistic nature to break people's resistance to destruction.
Following the Dark Emperor's words, many beings could not help looking toward the Savior, as though the Savior were a traitor and a rebel.
He had no right to strike the sole ruler of mankind, much less betray Him.
"Who said I was defying you?
"I'm merely following the old Emperor's wishes."
Eden paid no attention to the Dark Emperor's moral coercion. This was nothing more than a method of destructive corruption.
That supreme authority did not only represent the destruction of matter. It also involved manipulating and destroying the mind, dismantling people's reason.
The Dark King who was about to descend had no emotion and no honor. He would use any means necessary to achieve His goal.
Now, He was using the Emperor's dark persona to appear before them only to protect His own birth.
If the situation worsened, Eden suspected that the Dark King would use even crueler and more shameless methods.
That was what made Him truly terrifying. The Chaos Gods at least basically had principles and rules of conduct of Their own.
But the Dark King had no scruples. He existed only to bring about the final destruction.
Hum.
Eden gently raised his hand and revealed the Edict of Final Absolution left behind by the Emperor, along with some of His words.
The contents were simple. They proved only one thing: Eden, the Savior, had satisfied the Emperor's wishes.
He pointed at the Dark Emperor and spoke with righteous certainty.
"Look closely. You're the one who told me to do this!"
Eden's beating of the Emperor was fully justified, righteous, and meant to stop the old Emperor from leaving the Throne.
This completely baffled the Dark Emperor.
In other words, the Savior was "beating Him by imperial decree."
I ordered the Savior to beat me?!
Yet before He could react, the Savior shouted "MAN!" again and drove another elbow into Him. It had already become his go-to move, and it worked every time.
He was using this humiliating attack method to dismantle the Dark Emperor's authority.
For high-level beings and gods in this world, this method was extremely effective.
Once they lost their dignity, it became difficult for them to gain more power from the Warp. If others thought you were weak, the Warp would truly make you weak.
It was practically rule-breaking!
The Dark Emperor was stunned by the elbow, and was then bombarded by countless knockoff authorities. How was He supposed to fight this?!
He subconsciously touched the bridge of His nose. Dark, black liquid flowed from His nostrils, making Him look hideous and pathetic.
As His authority was dismantled, even the Dark Damned warriors were affected, and their combat power dropped somewhat.
But just as Eden was about to continue attacking, golden light suddenly emerged from the Dark Emperor.
He sensed something and hesitated, stopping his attack.
Then the Dark Emperor's figure vanished, replaced by an aged figure.
He sat upon the Throne, filled with sorrow.
"Child, I wished to light the flame of reason for mankind, yet with my own hands, I built an altar and brought darkness to the Imperium.
"I have made too many mistakes. I have wronged you all, my sons…"
The aged Emperor's phantom was so sacred. He looked toward the Primarchs and the Imperium's warriors with a gaze full of compassion and regret.
He was repenting.
At some point, Guilliman, Sanguinius, and the other Primarchs had already stood up and regained the ability to move.
"Father!"
When the Primarchs saw the Emperor's aged figure appear, they were all moved. Even their voices choked.
The aged figure in golden armor continued speaking. He sounded as though He were pleading, yet also commanding.
"My sons, I cannot die yet. I must preserve my will to suppress that abominable darkness.
"Hurry and stop the Savior. He has stepped onto the wrong path. He must not be allowed to destroy all of this…"
The aged Emperor's voice came in broken fragments, filled with sorrow. He had endured ten thousand years of pain for mankind.
His appearance and His words made the Primarchs and the Emperor's elites hesitate.
He seemed so real.
They did not know what to do. That influence continued to grow stronger, making them want to obey without realizing it.
Perhaps the Emperor is right?
Some Imperial beings thought this in their hearts, and they turned their eyes toward the Savior, the Emperor of the Imperium.
The Emperor had ruled the Imperium for countless centuries. His deeply rooted authority would require a very long time to uproot.
He was recognized as the wisest, strongest, and most dominant being in the galaxy and the Warp.
Mankind's fiercest man.
The Emperor's words always made people obey, especially under the influence of the Warp. His speech became like an irrefutable divine decree.
Visible to the naked eye, the Imperial camp began to stir. One being after another turned their gaze toward the Savior.
And those gazes were not entirely friendly. There was wariness, warning, and caution. They hoped the Savior would stop harming the Emperor.
"Hiss.
"This is trouble. Those guys won't get bewitched by the Dark King and come hack me apart, will they?!"
Under the stares of more than a dozen Primarchs and even more Imperial elites, Eden felt numb all over.
He had almost forgotten that the Dark King, like the Chaos Gods, was a supreme evil god of the Warp and also possessed the ability to bewitch hearts.
Even though Eden had spent the past several centuries working hard to reduce the Emperor's authority, the time had still been too short.
He, the Savior, still could not completely cover the Emperor's authority. Not to mention, the Emperor was the Primarchs' biological father and had a natural advantage.
Now, no one knew whether the Emperor before them was real or false. Perhaps all of His personalities had fallen into darkness. Perhaps He had suddenly decided He no longer wanted to die.
But without a doubt, this was a contest of authority, and Eden, the Savior, had fallen into a disadvantageous position.
As the most explosive man in the galaxy and the Warp, the Emperor had also endured so much pain for humanity.
It would be extremely difficult for Eden to surpass Him in authority.
Eden took a deep breath and did not act rashly.
If he continued attacking, the Primarchs and Imperial elites might very well intervene and stop him, which would further dismantle his authority.
The Custodians might even be tempted by the Dark King to destroy the ancient artifact Shadowlight!
"Child, stop your mistaken actions. I will suppress that abominable darkness…"
The aged figure in golden armor spoke, His gaze so firm that it allowed no argument.
He was the ruler here.
Just as Eden was hesitating over how to act, he suddenly discovered that Guilliman and the other Primarchs had somehow arrived behind him, while the Dark Damned Champions had also closed in around him.
More importantly, the aged figure in golden armor had once again grabbed the cable on His chest.
He was going to pull out the final anchor and obtain freedom!
Eden watched all of this and found the situation extremely tricky. If he acted in his current state, there was a very high chance everyone would stop him.
Those Primarchs and Dark Damned Champions were not his match, but they could buy time for the Dark King.
As for the authority-based power of the Chaos Gods, it could no longer penetrate deeper into Holy Terra.
What should he do?
What method could he use to break the Dark King's bewitchment?!
Eden's thoughts flashed rapidly, eliminating one possibility after another as he considered which trump card would be best.
"Savior, do you still intend to continue your defiance?"
The aged figure in golden armor pulled hard on the cable at His chest with a hiss, His tone allowing no refusal.
"You should obey…"
A faint smile even appeared at the corner of His mouth.
Now, nothing could stop the descent of destructive corruption.
No matter what the Savior did, nothing would change.
"Begone!"
"Abomination, I can tell at a glance that you are not the Emperor!"
At that moment, Eden suddenly shouted, grabbed hold of some substance with both hands, gathered his strength, and flung it toward the aged figure in golden armor.
Bang!
The glittering bone powder struck the aged figure and erupted, catching Him off guard and making Him cry out in pain.
Eden had used his secret technique, "glutinous rice and black dog's blood," scattering Emperor-bone powder infused with hope energy onto the disguised Dark Emperor.
In an instant, two wills intertwined within the consciousness of that aged figure, and another golden, aged figure could faintly be seen.
At the critical moment, the old Emperor's remaining consciousness took effect and suppressed the Dark Emperor's personality.
The Emperor's true, residual soul-consciousness gave the Savior a gratified smile.
He had not chosen the wrong person.
"No—"
Then the aged golden figure vanished, and the Dark Emperor appeared once more, so furious and so evil.
The bewitchment affecting Guilliman and the others eased at once. They stared at the Dark Emperor before them in disbelief.
They had been deceived!
Yet in their sight, the Savior moved again, bursting with brilliant golden light.
Eden gathered all his strength and, amid stirring sacred music, slammed into the Dark Emperor.
It was a continuous chain of violent impacts—one Iron Mountain shoulder-check after another, followed by elbow strikes. The entire Throne shook.
He poured out every authority-based power he could use, including his knockoffs, and crushed forward with mad force.
Boom, boom, boom!
Every strike from Eden possessed the terrifying power to shatter mountains, and each blow carried unnatural attacks as well.
He pinned the Dark Emperor—or rather, the fetal Dark King—against the Golden Throne, leaving Him unable to move.
He was still elbowing Him!
He had beaten that terrifying being into a concussion!
At that moment, every being in the entire area was shaken by the Savior.
"No! Stop him! Destroy him!"
Such ferocious attacks and the immense offensive pressure of so many authorities forced the Dark Emperor to scream.
All His dignity was gone.
The Savior had completely suppressed the fetal-form Dark King.
He had suppressed the destructive corruption!
(End of Chapter)
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