Chapter 137: Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [137]

The clash between the two figures was immense and extraordinary. The golden greatsword and the purple demonic sword collided, producing waves of shockwaves. The Emperor's golden psychic energy and the depraved power of Slaanesh spread out, creating a psychic storm. Dust and debris filled the surroundings as if the entire earth was being torn apart. Although the two were merely acting, in the eyes of mere mortals, the commotion caused by two Titan-level warlords clashing could only be described as earth-shattering. The newly summoned extradimensional assassin had only been enhanced once with the power of Slaanesh and equipped with max-level armor but lacked any physical or weight reinforcement. Thus, it was still inferior to the Chaos Daemon Slayer in terms of strength. In terms of height, it also fell short. The Chaos Daemon Slayer stood 46 meters tall, while the newly summoned figure was only 40 meters. Moreover, their armor was completely different in style—one was a radiant, awe-inspiring golden armor, while the other was a sinister, purely demonic purple design. There was no way anyone would confuse the two. "What is that? That golden giant... what is it? It's even taller than a Titan-level warlord, standing a full 46 meters tall, weighing over 40,000 tons," a Grey Knight squad leader remarked. This was a planet that had fallen completely under the corruption of Chaos forces, so a combat barge had been dispatched. A hundred Grey Knights, led by a Grand Master and a Captain, had descended upon this planet. The Grey Knights would first target high-ranking daemons, Chaos Champions, Chosen of Chaos, and Greater Daemons, and then issue an Exterminatus order on the planet to ensure that its corruption would not affect the surrounding star systems. However, the scene that greeted the Grey Knights upon their arrival exceeded their wildest imaginations, leaving them utterly speechless. The figure clad in 40 meters of twisted and blasphemous purple armor, topped with a ferocious demonic helmet, and wielding a chaos sword inscribed with runes of corruption, left no doubt about its identity. This was a Chaos Greater Daemon of a type they had never seen before, and judging by its aura and colors, it likely belonged to the Slaanesh faction. When faced with such a Greater Daemon, the Grey Knights would launch a ferocious assault, no matter the cost, to banish it back to the Warp. But the golden giant battling it was far beyond anything they could have imagined. A crimson cape, golden armor, a golden helmet, a golden greatsword, and a presence that radiated the brilliance of the sun—this figure was indescribably divine. All the Grey Knights present felt a profound and inexplicable sense of familiarity, as though something within their very genetic code resonated with this figure. It was a feeling they couldn't describe, akin to standing before their father. "You all, go investigate the situation on this planet. Remember, no matter what you encounter, do not panic. We are the Grey Knights, the strongest force of the Imperium," the Grey Knight Grand Master said sternly, his voice steady despite the tremor in his body. The resonance they felt in their genes could not be a lie. For Space Marines, such phenomena only occurred when they were in the presence of their Primarch. And the Grey Knights' Primarch had always been shrouded in mystery. However, the most widely accepted and cherished belief among them was that their genetic Primarch was none other than the Emperor himself, making their gene-seed the most sacred of all. Ten thousand years ago, the Imperial Regent Malcador had instructed eight Grand Masters to establish the Grey Knights. Over the millennia since countless Grey Knights had fought and bled against the forces of Chaos. Not once had a Grey Knight fallen to corruption, betrayal, or heresy. Their loyalty rivaled that of the Custodes, and their combat prowess was second only to the Emperor's elite guard. Not only were all Grey Knights psykers, but their blackened armor was plated with silver. Every suit of their Terminator armor was inscribed with sacred texts, embedded with relics of Imperial Saints, and enchanted with the souls of psykers, making them a force specialized for combating demons. Several Grey Knights nodded silently and dispersed to investigate the planet's situation. "Grand Master! That golden giant must be connected to the Emperor," the Grey Knight Captain said. Were it not for the figure's sheer size, and the knowledge that the Emperor still sat upon the Golden Throne, he would have thought the giant battling the demon was the Emperor himself. It was simply too similar! That golden giant was the spitting image of the statues they worshipped day and night, and the descriptions in their sacred texts and scriptures. "Calm yourself, Captain! You are the commander of this force, and I am its mentor. We are responsible for the lives of all our battle brothers. Daemons are masters of deception. I cannot yet confirm that what we are witnessing is the truth. I need to investigate further," the Grand Master said, taking a deep breath. The golden giant was indeed a perfect likeness of the Emperor, but it was not a living saint. As for the daemon it was fighting, it appeared not to be a Warp entity either. It might be a Chosen of Slaanesh. But could such massive humanoid beings truly exist in the universe? Possessing the height and physique of a Titan at the level of an Imperial Warmaster, this was simply inconceivable. The Grey Knights' captain nodded, suppressing the tremor in his heart, and took out his observation telescope to watch the battle between the two giants today. However, his body trembled—a reaction born of genetic excitement. A golden greatsword and a violet demon sword clashed, golden fists and violet claws striking each other in a fierce exchange. The battle between the two giants even altered the surrounding terrain, with towering mountains being cleaved in half. After more than ten minutes, several scouting brothers from the Grey Knights squad returned and reported the latest situation to the Grey Knights' Grand Master and the captain. "Grand Master, we conducted a scan of the planet's surroundings. On this planet, only these two colossal lifeforms remain. All other forms of life have vanished. However, based on some residual traces, it's evident that a demonic summoning ritual was indeed performed here. The Warp rift has been completely sealed, and the demons that descended upon this place were destroyed by some force. All the demonic creatures were burned to cinders, leaving behind black ashes scattered across the ground. They are the remains of daemons slain, and there is also a large amount of blood. The daemons had conducted a sacrificial ritual," the Grey Knights member reported everything from their investigation to the Grand Master and the captain. "We also recovered some surveillance footage left behind in the remnants of the city. The footage shows that the golden-armored giant even flew into the sky and fired golden beams of energy from his palms," said another group of returning Grey Knights. "Play the footage," the Grey Knights' Grand Master ordered with a nod. Video evidence was the most crucial—it would reveal what had truly transpired on this planet. The footage was quickly played. At first, it showed the invasion of Chaos daemons, followed by the appearance of two Chaos Champions. They performed a heretical ritual, sacrificing all the citizens of the Imperium, and took the planetary governor—the culprit—away for torture. Next, the golden-armored giant descended from the heavens like a god of war. Wielding his massive sword, he unleashed a bloody massacre upon the daemons. The Chaos warband attempted to escape aboard their fleet, but the golden-armored giant flew into the skies above the planet. The battle in the planet's orbit wasn't fully captured by the surveillance footage, but fragments of imagery transmitted from space confirmed that the Chaos fleet had been annihilated by the golden-armored giant. After returning to the planet's surface, the golden-armored giant raised his arm into an L-shaped position and fired a golden beam of energy that eradicated all the daemons on the planet. Unfortunately, the final moments where the two Chaos Champions were slain were not captured on video. After the fall of the Chaos Champions, this violet monstrosity suddenly appeared and engaged in an intense battle with the golden-armored giant. "From what we can tell, this planet was invaded by Chaos—a Chaos Space Marine warband and a corrupted Chaos Sister. Together, they deceived the planetary governor, opened a Warp rift, and summoned an endless army of daemons. After slaughtering the entire population of imperial citizens on the planet, the golden giant descended, sealed the Warp gate, and killed all the daemons on the planet," the Grey Knights' captain explained. "As for how this violet daemon appeared, that remains unknown. However, it doesn't seem to be a Greater Daemon but something akin to a Chaos Champion," the Grey Knights' Grand Master said, scrutinizing the violet daemon before them. Although this violet daemon appeared to be massive, it wasn't a Warp entity. While its combat strength might surpass that of a typical Greater Daemon, it wasn't a daemon. As an expert in combating daemons, the Grey Knights' Grand Master could discern this. It seemed more likely to be a Chaos Champion chosen by the gods. This opponent had emerged out of nowhere, without any warning, as if it were specifically meant to counter the golden-armored giant. "Grand Master, should we assist that golden-armored giant?" the Grey Knights' captain asked. In just the short time they had been observing, the mysterious resonance in their genes grew stronger and stronger. The Emperor's golden psychic light could not be faked. The Grey Knights even had records of living saints. The Grey Knights' Grand Master fell silent. He didn't know what to do—should they aid the golden-armored giant? What connection did this golden-armored giant have with the Emperor? As the Grey Knights hesitated, the battlefield changed. After a fierce clash, the two combatants simultaneously soared into the sky, transforming into streams of violet and golden light. The sky seemed to shatter from their battle, an earth-shattering conflict. Their speed was unimaginable, so fast that the Grey Knights could barely capture afterimages. "This is a battle we cannot intervene in—it's beyond our level!" the Grey Knights' captain exclaimed. They had no means to provide support! The speed of their battle had already surpassed the speed of sound.