Chapter 136: The Eve of Destruction
"How could this be! That's an alien!"
"Chaos and xenos killing each other, how wonderful! Don't forget, the Eldar were the cause of the demon outbreak on Terra." As he spoke, Francis picked up a bunch of grapes and placed them in front of them.
"Do you want some? These are top-quality grapes! We just looted them from the Eldar warship."
Perturabo: "..."
Ferrus: "..."
Khan: "..."
"Are we just going to stand here and do nothing?" Ferrus continued to ask, his voice uncertain.
Perturabo, on the other hand, was quite pleased; as long as he didn't have to work, he could sit there and eat grapes. The Khan did the same; the three of them kept spitting out grape skins while also enjoying the beautiful scenery outside the warship.
Only Ferrus paced back and forth anxiously, looking them over repeatedly and shaking his head.
Rumble...
An invisible beam of light shot out from the eldar warship, instantly destroying a planet-sized area of land.
"Gurgle..."
Their throats tightened at the sight; it was genuinely terrifying power.
Francis quickly fired several more psionic projectiles to bolster the demon army. He turned to Ferrus with a calm expression.
"If they let them fight like this, how long will it last?! What are your next steps?" Ferrus approached Francis again, his voice somewhat hurried.
"Of course, we'll wait until they're almost all dead before we can take over the territory!" Francis continued. "If you're in a hurry, you can drop down a mechanical legion and see how long it survives."
Hearing him say that, Ferrus was also skeptical. They dispatched a mechanical army to Gamon, but unfortunately, they encountered the Eldar using a singularity device en route. Before they even reached their destination, the entire army and their ship were reduced to ashes.
Francis waved his hand again, releasing more than a dozen psionic projectiles. His movements were deliberate and controlled.
Ferrus: "..."
Upon seeing this, Ferrus obediently returned to them and began eating grapes.
This eating continued for a whole year!
The sky above Caliban was torn apart by blood-red lightning. The aftershocks of the warp storm roared through the air, and the entire land looked as if the end of the world had arrived.
Lion El'Jonson led his fleet and finally returned to Caliban through the warp storm.
However, as soon as it entered the atmosphere, it was met with a fierce attack from Caliban's ground defense artillery. The artillery fire poured down like a hellish rain, tearing several transport ships to pieces.
The surviving Dark Angels warriors forced their way down in landing craft and engaged in fierce street fighting with Luther's rebels. The infighting between the Dark Angels was everywhere, with warriors who remained loyal to the Imperium on one side and rebels incited by Luther on the other.
The rebel warriors, clad in black power armor and bearing runes corrupted by Chaos, surged madly toward the Lion.
"Kill the Imperium's servant! He abandoned us!" Their roars were filled with madness and rage.
"Get out of my way, all of you!" The Lion's voice cut through the chaos. "Are you rebelling?"
"Die!"
With a sweeping motion of his sword, the Lion decapitated several rebel warriors. Each strike of his longsword was like a thunderbolt, cleaving his enemies into pieces.
A massive Bloodthirster burst forth from the warp rift and lunged at the Lion. However, the Primarch was fearless. He gripped his longsword and, in a flash, swung it with pinpoint accuracy, aiming straight for the daemon's head.
The Bloodthirster let out a furious roar of resentment before collapsing to the ground and burning into black smoke.
Finally, he arrived at the monastery to face Luther.
Luther's figure was like a dark mountain peak. He wore ancient and battle-damaged power armor and held a longsword that gleamed with chaotic light.
"Are you here to destroy Caliban now?" Luther's voice echoed through the chamber. "Or are you going to tell me now that the Imperium hasn't abandoned Caliban, and that the Emperor will use his power to save us?"
Luther growled, his eyes filled with disdain.
"You have not only betrayed the Imperium, but you have also betrayed me, the glory of Caliban, and the oaths we once shared!" The Lion responded coldly, a hint of inner conflict in his voice.
"Hehe... You've changed." Luther tilted his head slightly. "Why don't you just tell me the answer? Are you here to destroy Caliban?"
Luther continued to press him for answers.
"Caliban has been completely corrupted by Chaos! There's no way to save it!" The Lion's voice grew firmer. "We have to leave here; we will have a new home! I promise! Even if there's only one chance, I will do everything in my power to protect Caliban!"
Hearing this, the Lion frowned and took a deep breath.
Upon hearing this, Luther covered his eyes with one hand and kept laughing bitterly.
"Hahaha... So this is why you came here, isn't it! You want to destroy Caliban with your own hands! In your eyes, Caliban is a resource, a tithe. Now that it's no longer of use, you want to destroy it, right?"
"Hahaha... What a load of bullshit imperium! That's all bullshit! Die, all of you!"
Before he could finish speaking, Luther was enraged.
He launched the first attack, his longsword slicing through the air, carrying destructive power as it struck the Lion. Each strike seemed to vent his rage, filled with determination and hatred.
The Lion swiftly raised his longsword to parry, sparks flying. He did not retaliate immediately, but instead continued to try to persuade Luther.
"You still have a choice, Luther! Chaos is not the answer!"
"Choice?" Luther sneered, his power growing even stronger. "Choose to be abandoned and forgotten? I am no longer your lieutenant! I am now Caliban's master, his savior!"
Luther's every strike was filled with rage, his power and speed even surpassing the limits of mortals, while the Lion displayed incredible calmness and precision. The towering stone walls trembled under the powerful energy impact, and ancient statues shattered in the battle. Each collision was deafening, as if the entire planet was shaking.
Their weapons clashed, sparks flying. The shockwave of psionic energy and matter swept outwards like a hurricane, leveling everything around them.
The Imperial glory etched on the sacred walls was now corroded and mottled by Luther's psionic power.
With a furious, sweeping slash, the Lion cleaved the entire hall's ceiling beam in two, sending massive chunks of stone raining down. Luther countered with an energy blast, completely destroying the altar.
As the battle continued, the entire monastery began to collapse. The spire collapsed with a crash, the ground cracked open like an abyss, and flames rose from the ruins.
Luther grew increasingly violent, and his longsword unleashed an even stronger dark power.
He roared. "You're always like this, so high and mighty! Like the sun! And I can only hide in your shadow! Why! It was I who saved you! It was me!"
These words pierced the Lion's heart like a sharp blade. He paused slightly, his grip loosening for a fraction of a second.
The Lion then launched a swift counterattack, knocking Luther's longsword away and kicking him to the ground.
The longsword was raised high, its golden light dazzling and intense.
Luther's breastplate was broken, and blood gushed from the wound. He collapsed to the ground, panting as he looked at the Lion, his eyes filled with resentment and sorrow.
But the Lion's longsword remained motionless, refusing to fall. His body trembled, and his heart churned like a raging sea.
He knew that Chaos had corrupted Luther, and keeping him alive would be an endless threat.
But!
This is Luther! This is the first person he met in Caliban! This is Luther, who raised him, who was like a father and a brother to him!
You deserve to die!
"You betrayed the Imperium, you must die!" The Lion growled in a low voice, his voice filled with struggle and pain. "But... but... but you're my brother too!"
In the instant the Lion hesitated, Luther quietly raised his hand, and a chaotic energy as black as night surged from his fingertips, accompanied by a piercing whisper in the air.
He suddenly attacked, and the chaotic energy slammed towards the Lion like a giant hammer.
The force was too fast to dodge, carrying an aura of corrosion and destruction, and struck the Lion's chest heavily.
With a look of utter disbelief on the Lion's face, his body slammed heavily onto the ground, shattering the surrounding stone slabs and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"What have I done?" Luther stared blankly at his trembling hands and murmured softly. "I killed the Lion? I killed the Lion?"
"I just want Caliban to live! I didn't want to kill him!"
"How could this happen! How could this happen!"
"No!"
He suddenly knelt down, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled violently. He could no longer control his emotions; tears slipped through his fingers and dripped onto the ground.
"What did I do... what did I do?" He roared in anguish, his voice breaking.
Dust filled the air as the Lion slowly stood up, his body still upright.
As he looked down at his chest, a dazzling black light came into view. Through the tear in his breastplate, a patch of black armor fragments, shimmering with a faint glow, was revealed.
The Lion reached out and gently stroked the armor's surface, feeling its calm yet reassuring touch. A rare smile appeared on his lips.
"I take back what I said before, my clever brother." The Lion muttered to himself, a hint of admiration in his voice. Although he was reluctant to admit it, at this moment, he was indeed filled with gratitude for his brother, who always seemed unorthodox.
Soon, he heard Luther's sobs, and with a wave of his hand, the dust vanished instantly.
"Heh... You think you can kill me!" The Lion's loud voice rang out through the ruined monastery. Then he snapped Luther's spine with a backhand, his movements swift and decisive.
"You're not dead! That's great!"
"This is wonderful!"
At this moment, Luther was crying with tears streaming down his face. It was hard to tell whether it was from regret or the pain in his heart.
Just as the Lion was about to take Luther away...
Lord Cypher stood side by side with Azrael before an ancient altar covered with artifacts stockpiled by the Dark Angels Chapter.
Just now, they felt the will of God!
Luther lost!
Lord Cypher and Azrael simultaneously reached out their hands, each channeling their power into the two artifacts. These artifacts emitted a deep hum, as if some long-dormant power had been fully awakened.
The air was filled with intense psionic fluctuations. The surrounding space began to distort, and the fierce energy tore apart the clouds overhead.
"All sins will be burned away in this storm!"
[End of Chapter]
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