Sanguinius beat his wings and retreated swiftly, but the golden Destructo Disc followed him like a shadow, cutting through the air with a piercing hum.
The Great Angel's pupils constricted. The sharpness of this energy disc was far beyond his imagination. He had a premonition that if he were struck head-on, not even the body of a Primarch could withstand such an attack.
"A homing attack? Interesting." A martial smile touched Sanguinius's lips. With a powerful beat of his wings, his form suddenly accelerated, leaving a white afterimage in the sky.
Axis hovered in mid-air with his arms crossed, a playful grin on his face. He casually raised his right hand, and the Destructo Disc that had been in linear pursuit suddenly split into three.
"What!" Sanguinius felt a jolt of shock.
Three golden discs now converged on him from different angles, completely sealing off all his escape routes.
Was this some kind of joke? An attack that was incredibly fast, could track its target, and could multiply itself? What manner of technique was this?
At that moment, even with his superhuman agility, he could no longer evade the attack. Left with no choice, Sanguinius could only brace for impact.
The Great Angel let out a mighty roar, swinging his power sword in a wide arc to intercept one of the oncoming discs.
Then, something unbelievable happened.
The golden Destructo Disc launched by Axis sliced clean through his power sword. There was not a shred of resistance. The blade in his hand had been cut apart as if it were an ordinary iron sword.
Half of the power sword clattered to the ground. Sanguinius's eyes widened in utter disbelief. By now, the other two discs were inches away, and he had no way to dodge. Sanguinius could feel the searing, cutting power of the discs. He knew that if he was hit, he would be instantly bisected, even with the protection of his power armour.
For the first time, Sanguinius felt that death was this close.
His thoughts froze in that single instant. Time itself seemed to stretch. He could clearly see the trajectories of the other two golden discs as they tore through the air, one aimed at his neck, the other at his waist.
Will I die?
The thought of death flashed through his mind. Just as the two discs were about to strike, Axis lifted a finger, and they vanished into thin air.
"You lost," Axis said as he slowly descended from the sky, patting Sanguinius on the shoulder.
At that moment, Sanguinius was drenched in sweat, and even the giant wings on his back trembled.
He had been a hair's breadth from being killed. The power of that golden energy disc was far greater than he had ever imagined.
"For a moment there, I thought I was done for," Sanguinius said, taking a deep breath before turning to face him. "What was that attack called again?"
The golden, disc-shaped energy was terrifyingly lethal. Its destructive capability surpassed anything he could have conceived; it was the perfect killing technique.
Even a Primarch in full power armour would be doomed if Axis chose to use it. Aimed at the neck or waist, homing, and capable of splitting, the technique was simply impossible to evade.
"It's called the Destructo Disc. It's a move I recently developed," Axis said with a smile, "Its cutting power is beyond what you can imagine, and as you saw, it can track its target and multiply."
The Destructo Disc was one of the most powerful single target skills in the Dragon Ball world. Other techniques that surpassed it were the Solar Flare, Instant Transmission, and Fusion. The move, originally invented by Krillin, was incredibly potent. Used correctly, it allowed a warrior to defeat enemies far beyond their own power level. Fans had often speculated that if Krillin had used a Solar Flare followed by a Destructo Disc against Frieza, Goku's intervention would have been unnecessary. Frieza would have been killed on the spot, as the technique was known to be capable of harming him. Frieza himself had even copied the move to use in a surprise attack against Goku during their final battle on Planet Namek.
The principle behind the technique was not overly complex. For a someone of Axis's caliber, once the theory was understood, it was simple to execute. In the Dragon Ball world, the only being to ever withstand a direct hit from the Destructo Disc with his raw flesh was Perfect Cell. But Cell's power level at that time was astronomical, far exceeding a full-power Super Saiyan and nearing the level of Super Saiyan 2. Krillin, by contrast, likely had a power level in the hundreds of thousands, certainly not over a million.
If an opponent of equal or even superior strength was targeted by the Destructo Disc, they could not afford to block it head-on. The only exception, of course, was a creature like Majin Buu, who could regenerate even after being cut into a hundred pieces.
"It's terrifying," Sanguinius said. "It could easily kill a Primarch in a single blow."
"Not necessarily. A Primarch could stop it, just not by tanking it with their body," Axis replied with a smile.
Among the Primarchs, Magnus would be able to handle such an attack. The magic pony could use his formidable psychic powers to teleport away.
He could also raise a psychic shield or unleash any number of warp-sorceries unknown to Axis to counter it. As long as one did not try to block it physically, there were ways to defeat the technique.
"You mean by using psychic power?" Sanguinius immediately understood what Axis meant. If he had been willing to use his own latent abilities, he might have been able to deal with the attack.
A psychic barrier was different from a conventional defense. A shield woven from the energies of the warp was not merely a physical ward; powerful psychic force could interfere with energy itself, even with space and time.
"Exactly. Psychic power," Axis confirmed. He conjured another small, golden Destructo Disc at his fingertip, flipping it like a coin. "This thing is sharp, but it's not invincible. All you have to do is disrupt its energy structure with a psychic blast before it hits, or just shift yourself through space." He flicked his finger, and the disc shot toward an alloy target dummy in the corner of the training ground.
Almost instinctively, Sanguinius unleashed his own psychic might. "Like this." He raised a hand, releasing a brilliant psionic ripple.
The Destructo Disc, just moments from hitting the target, suddenly stopped as if trapped in amber, and then popped, dissolving into specks of golden light. He had used his own psychic energy to disrupt the disc and successfully neutralize it.
"I see..." The Great Angel flexed his fingers thoughtfully. "Using psychic resonance to destabilize the energy's balance. However..." He glanced wryly at his bisected power sword on the ground. "In a real battle, one might not have the luxury of so much time to react."
The disc Axis had just thrown was a pale imitation of the true attack's power. He dared not imagine the terrifying force of a Destructo Disc used by Axis in earnest.
Axis laughed and shattered the remains of the sword with a stomp of his boot. "That's what training is for, Sanguinius! The power of the psyker is your birthright, a force you already possess. Why resist it? As long as you remain true to your own heart, there is no wrong in using this power. Even if you don't, it is still a part of you. It is always there."
Sanguinius nodded his head in agreement.
He had indeed used his psychic power, and the feeling was not as unpleasant as he had feared. The next time he faced that attack, he could project a psychic field around himself. When the Destructo Disc entered it, its speed would be reduced, giving him an opportunity to dodge or even interfere with Axis's control over it.
"I'm glad you understand," Axis said, "Psychic power is not some all-consuming evil. An ordinary psyker must indeed worry about the corruption of the warp, but you Primarchs are different. You were born of its energies. As long as you do not willingly invite corruption in, you cannot be turned."
"I look forward to your fight with Magnus in three days," Sanguinius said, "The clash of your Ki and psychic power will be a sight to behold." He had been soundly defeated this day, and he knew Axis had not even used his full strength.
He was aware that Axis's sons could achieve a golden transformation that amplified their combat strength at least fivefold, a technique Axis himself had yet to display, though a faint golden aura had been radiating from him.
"The battle in three days will certainly be worth watching," Axis agreed, his arms crossed as a golden Ki aura swirled gently around him.
After the two exchanged some more thoughts on training, Sanguinius took his leave. He now understood just how vast the chasm was between their respective strengths.
Facing Axis, he had felt the same overwhelming presence he felt from his father, the Emperor. He had thought that after eating the two fruits from the Tree of Might, the gap between them would have shrunk considerably. After all, his power now eclipsed that of the Horus of old. But it seemed he had been mistaken. He would have to train his psychic abilities, or else he would remain powerless before Axis and his Ki.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
In that time, Magnus had assimilated a vast library of offensive, defensive, and support-based psychic disciplines. The day of his battle with Axis had finally arrived.
The planet where Axis had previously planted the Tree of Might had since withered into a dead world, making it the perfect arena for their duel.
At present, only Axis, Magnus, and Sanguinius stood upon the planet's desolate surface. Only Sanguinius was deemed worthy to witness this contest of titans.
"I have been waiting for this day, Axis!" Magnus declared, his face radiating confidence, "I know my physical might is no match for yours, but the unpredictable nature of psychic sorcery will far exceed your imagination." Psychic arts contained many disciplines that could interfere with space and time, as well as those designed to target an enemy's very essence.
"I am looking forward to it. Come at me with everything you have, Magnus," Axis replied.
Magnus nodded, raising his staff and beginning to chant. He knew he could not possibly win a direct confrontation.
Victory would only come through his mastery of sorcery. Over the past few days, he had been studying the spells of the Aeldari and had learned many incredibly practical techniques.
"Enfeeble! Decelerate! Curse of Confusion! Soul-Quake! Impending Doom! Blindness! Curse of Aging! Hyper-Gravity! Shadow of Fear…" Magnus's voice was a ceaseless torrent as he unleashed more than a dozen curses and debilitating hexes upon Axis.
Axis immediately felt a tide of psychic energy attempt to wash over him, seeking to impose its negative effects upon his being. A smile touched his lips as his Ki flared violently, beginning to purge the hostile energies.
He was surprised, however, to find that while his Ki could counteract the influence of the warp, the sheer power of the caster mattered. Spells cast by a psyker of Magnus's caliber, even the most basic ones, wielded immense potency.
The barrage of maledictions rained down, and Axis was shocked to find his body suddenly grow incredibly heavy, his limbs feeling as though they were filled with lead. Worse, his thoughts began to slow, and illusions flickered at the edge of his vision.
He saw the face of Frieza, the shadow of a Dark King, and even the visage of Beerus the Destroyer. Axis had some experience dealing with such phantoms. Focusing his Super Saiyan energy into his mind, he shattered the illusions in an instant.
But while the mental assault had failed, the other curses were now taking hold.
"Interesting," Axis muttered, trying to raise his arm. He found the simple motion now required ten times his usual effort.
The flow of Ki within his body had become sluggish and unresponsive. This was an excellent training opportunity, far more effective than any gravity machine. Magnus was proving to be an invaluable training partner.
Magnus raised his staff with a triumphant smirk. "This is only the beginning."
As the words left his lips, the ground beneath Axis split open, and countless psychic chains erupted, binding him securely.
"Psychic Shackles! And to that, I add... Time Dilution." Magnus took a deep breath, his casting complete.
He considered adding a Warp Banishment to exile Axis completely, but he held back, deeming such a move too lethal for a spar.
Axis could feel his condition weakening under the onslaught, but his Ki continued to fight back, pushing against the encroaching powers of the warp.
A grin spread across his face as a golden light erupted from his body. His hair shot upwards, instantly transforming into a brilliant gold.
For the first time in a battle against one of his Primarch brothers, Axis had become a Super Saiyan.
The moment he transformed, the psychic power binding him shattered. Every curse, every chain, every negative hex disintegrated into nothingness.
Axis stretched his newly freed body. "Continue, Magnus."
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