When Axis unleashed his Ki sword, its power was no less than that of the Destructo Disc.
It was basically fatal upon contact!
There were so many ways to use Ki.
In Dragon Ball, plenty of people had developed similar energy blades; for example, one of Cooler's Armored Squadron, Salza, had created a type of energy blade using ki.
With his precise control over Ki, Axis could even command his projected sword to track enemies.
Honestly, it was a flawless technique!
Maybe he could even take inspiration from other anime, like the Rasenshuriken.
If he used Ki to mimic that, he could probably pull it off the area of effect attack.
The only catch was, its raw destructive force wouldn't be nowhere near that of a Ki blast, but damn, would it look cool!
Shaking his head, Axis glanced over at the kneeling Lion.
By now, Lion El'Jonson had climbed to his feet, looking at Axis with complicated emotions before letting out a helpless sigh.
"You were right."
"I lost. Completely and utterly lost. Your strength is far beyond anything I'd imagined."
It was a bitter loss as he hadn't even been able to put up a real fight!
"Losing to me isn't anything shameful.
"The Second Primarch, and even my old man, couldn't beat me either," Axis replied.
"In truth, your technique isn't all that strong!" Lion could tell.
When it came to pure technique, he was at least on par with Axis, maybe even ahead.
But Axis's astonishing speed, flawless reflexes, and overwhelming power kept him utterly suppressed.
Lion's own attacks were easily deflected, while even Axis's casual blows forced Lion to give his all just to defend himself.
How was he supposed to win like that?
He felt completely powerless, like a child who'd surpassed an adult in skill, but could never defeat them due to sheer difference in strength.
Axis simply smiled at this.
That was the tyranny of Ki, when your power completely outclassed your opponent's, what did skill matter.
Dragon Ball had shown this countless times.
Like when Vegeta, right on the verge of turning Super Saiyan, was utterly toyed with by Frieza's final form, he couldn't even catch a glimpse of his opponent.
Right now, if Axis wanted, he could have folded his arms and beaten Lion in the most arrogant, showy fashion possible.
To him, all of Lion's attacks looked like slow-motion replays. There was simply no comparison in power.
"Is that really all your strength? I feel like you're still holding something back!" Lion asked.
He had noticed that Axis had been radiating a golden glow, but Lion could also sense an even greater power radiating from within him, one that hadn't erupted yet.
"You're right. That was only a portion of my strength. I have a special kind of transformation.
"Once I use it, my whole body is enveloped in golden energy, my hair spikes up and turns gold, my eyes become green, and in that state, my power increases more than fiftyfold.
"Just now, the golden aura you saw was only a fraction of that transformation," Axis explained.
Letting a bit of Super Saiyan power leak out was nothing like a full mastery transformation.
This partial Super Saiyan effect could only be performed by someone who'd mastered the form and could use it freely.
Normal Super Saiyan transformations were bound to get used more and more in the future, so there was no need to hide it.
Even Russ knew about this transformation, what he didn't know about was the legendary Super Saiyan form.
"Hmph. Doesn't your transformation also include a giant ape form? My father told me about it," Lion pressed.
It was one of his father's most important instructions: to find out the secret behind the Great Ape transformation.
But so far, he'd found no way to make Axis reveal it in a real fight.
He'd also need to tell his father about this golden transformation. The mere thought of the fiftyfold power increase was just terrifying.
Never mind Axis, even a regular person powered up fiftyfold would be able to crush Space Marines.
"Axis's so-called Great Ape transformation just turns him into a mindless monster, and the boost isn't even close to that golden form, only a tenfold increase in strength," Russ interjected.
To him, the Great Ape transformation was useless. It just turned him into a total beast.
And the requirements were strict: you had to have a tail, and you had to look at a round enough moon, at the right distance from the planet, reflecting the sun's light.
Axis had used it once as a kid and had almost killed Russ.
Thankfully, they managed to cut his tail in time.
These days, Axis hadn't cut off his tail, but whenever they were on a planet with a round moon, he'd make sure to wear protective goggles just in case.
"There's something you need to know, Axis. You're not really a Custodes," the Lion said, looking right at him.
Lion had acknowledged Axis's strength, and it far surpassed any Primarch, so he decided it was time to tell Axis the truth and fulfill the Emperor's instructions.
"??? Lion, what are you talking about? He's an Astartes!" Russ blurted.
Only he knew about Axis's Custodes augmentations.
Publicly, Axis had always been an Astartes.
"Father told me everything. And he told me what you don't know, too. So just shut up and listen," Lion said coldly. The man really was salty.
Axis's mouth twitched; it seemed like Russ was now the only one left in the dark.
Russ opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.
"Axis, after you were brought back to Holy Terra, your gene-augmentation was performed in the lowest levels of the Imperial Palace, deep in the Himalayas.
"That isn't where the Custodes are modified; it was the place where the Emperor had originally created the Primarchs.
"So you didn't receive a Custodes augmentation, but a Primarch's. The only thing you miss is my Father's genes, but every other aspect of your modification was that of a Primarch," Lion revealed.
"A Primarch!? You've got to be kidding. Are you saying Axis is actually a Primarch? What the hell? He's my son, am I having to call him a brother now?" Russ was shocked, flabbergasted.
Axis, for his part, put on his best surprised face.
"I'm a Primarch?" Axis asked in astonishment.
"No, no! Father always said Primarchs can't be copied. Not even he could make another one," Russ protested. He didn't want to address his son brother.
"We Primarchs were all created by our Father. The ultimate authority over the Primarchs has always rested with him. If Axis wasn't a Primarch, do you really think I would have brought a Gloriana-class battleship here?" Lion said.
"This Gloriana-class battleship started construction as soon as Axis's modifications began. It took a full fifty years to finish building it."
Whatever the Emperor said, you believed.
If it was possible to create one Primarch, it was possible to make a second; if you could make a second, then why not a twentieth? A twenty-first, a twenty-second… nothing was really strange about that.
But then, why hadn't Father made more Primarchs?
There had to be something unique about the Primarchs themselves.
He had discussed this privately with Magnus, and he was sure it had something to do with the Warp.
Most likely, Axis had received the same modification as a Primarch, but lacked whatever Warp-born power they had.
Still, Axis had managed to create a soul projection by special means, so he could use psychic powers; in a way, he had made up for the deficiency.
"So, what's the point of telling us all this?" Russ asked.
Was Father planning to let Axis form his own legion? That wouldn't be a bad thing.
The Space Wolves might lose their strongest fighter, but for Axis, it was a good opportunity.
"For now, Axis will serve as an Astartes. Axis, your gene-seed is very unusual, and it has two major flaws.
"The first is the risk of transforming into that giant ape. The second is that your gene-seed produces a new type of cell.
"This cell is extremely aggressive. It devours the host's original cells and tries to transform them into your physique, but only halfway.
"Once it reaches the halfway point, the cell dies because it lacks the nourishment of Ki," Lion explained.
The Emperor had told him that Axis really was a Primarch, that his combat strength was fully up to par, even beyond.
But without a proper Astartes legion, he wouldn't truly live up to the name.
"So, you want Axis to fix these two issues, is that it?" Russ asked.
"Exactly."
"Father should have just asked us sooner. For Axis' giant ape transformation, I just had to cut off his tail. What about his Astartes? Do they have tails?" Russ asked.
The tail was the key weakness for the Great Ape transformation.
You just had to cut it off and the transformation no longer remained a problem!
"The tails? I'm not sure about that. Father only told me the flaws in the gene-seed, but I haven't seen any finished Astarte," Lion replied.
He decided he'd report to Father, they could either cut off the tail as a permanent solution.
"As for the Ki issue, there's might be a solution for that.
"Axis Ki can create a perfect gene-seed.
"If Axis were to infuse his gene-seed with his Ki, it should have enough Ki to finish the transformation. It should be worth a try," Russ said.
If the problem could be solved this easy, Axis's Ki, or even the Saibamen's Ki, would more than suffice!
Russ even considered revealing the truth about the Saibamen.
"I understand.
"I'll report all of this to Father myself. After this war ends, Axis, you'll likely return to Holy Terra with me to deal with your gene-seed issue.
"By then, a new Astartes legion might be founded," Lion said.
"That's great news. Axis, you're about to become a true Primarch," Russ said, patting Axis on the shoulder, though his expression was a bit awkward.
What could he do at this point?
Going from foster son to brother was bound to feel a little strange.
Then again, a big brother of his had gone through something similar.
Lion's foster father, while couldn't receive his gene-seed due to his old age, had become his second in command.
Luther, who had raised and taught him as a knight, ended up in the position of his son.
At least he was only going from son to brother, it wasn't nearly as twisted, still within the bounds of acceptability.
"Father, I'm not going to call you my brother, you shouldn't either. It'll just be weird," Axis recoiling at even the idea.
Besides, he didn't share the Emperor's blood.
Even as a Primarch, he wasn't truly brothers with the other Primarchs.
Maybe, once Kasha restored her status, he could appear as the Emperor's son-in-law, then the Primarchs would be his brothers-in-law!
Ew, that still sounded weird.
Russ had a genuine smile on his face as he caught Axis' neck in his arms and ruffled his hair.
"That's my boy!"
"Stop, it old man! Or I'll blow you outta this ship!" Axis struggled in Russ' grasp.
Lion just ignored the father-son bonding moment and rudely interjected.
"Axis, Father told me that if you can solve your gene-seed's problems, you'll be granted your own Astartes legion. If not, you'll never get one.
"You'll have to serve as Custodes commander, or just remain with the Space Wolves forever," Lion explained.
Now he needed to confirm if Axis could resolve the issue of Ki nourishment.
"Since you've said so much, I think it's time to tell you something as well," Axis said.
In the future, the modification of his gene-sons would require the power of Ki, and the Saibamen would be the best Ki source.
Axis decided to reveal the truth about the Saibamen, including the one with Magnus.
"If I understand you correctly, you're saying there's a type of Xenos that can merge with human genes…and use Ki, that is supposedly unique to you?" Lion asked in surprise.
"They're not xenos, they're subhumans. We've even improved the cultivation method to make them more human. if you use gene-seed to grow them, there's almost no difference at all," Russ explained further.
"I see. Can you make one with my gene-seed?" Lion asked.
"It's possible…but it'll cost extra," Axis replied.
Magnus had helped him awaken his psychic powers, trained up his own Librarius, and taught him psychic arts, that was why Axis had given him one.
Russ was his old man, so it was a gift.
But if Lion wanted one, he'd have to pay up!
This stuff wasn't free!
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here's your bonus chapter!! have a great day/night!