Chapter 489: Bael Assault!!

Precisely at this moment, precisely at the most dangerous instant, the Blood God's fury ignited within Aribas, searing his body and lashing his soul, compelling him to corrupt Titus.

The Blood God did not lend Aribas the Seed of Annihilation—His most powerful demon prince next to Angron—without cost; Aribas must bear the Blood God's fury in his own flesh, enslaved by the Blood God's will, ensuring Aribas follows the Blood God's command to corrupt Titus and forge for him a new, mighty Chosen or Demon Prince to act as His agent in the material realm.

At this very moment, Aribas could not defy the Blood God's will and was forced to risk everything to corrupt Titus.

Otherwise, the Blood God's fury would reduce Aribas to ash, and the Seed of Annihilation would betray him.

Aribas gritted his teeth and went all in!!

Facing the Astartes charging him, the blood tide swirling around Aribas coalesced once more into the form of a Khorne beast, lunging at the Space Marines and Flesh Eaters.

Seizing the opportunity, Aribas swung the ritual dagger, slicing through space in an instant, carving a rift in reality before vanishing into it.

This ritual dagger could not oppose the Daoju of Saint Doraemon; it could only move within this cabin.

Behind Titus, a fissure opened—Aribas emerged from it, wielding the obsidian greatsword forged from the ritual dagger, striking at Titus.

The profane shadow of the former nemesis blade reappeared in Aribas's hands—the murder weapon that had slain the Emperor's father and son, terrifying in its ferocity, stabbing with ruthless, inexplicable violence toward Titus's back.

Titus spun around, raising his chainsword, the Unsinful, to block Aribas's weapon.

"Space Marine, can you not hear?"

"The Blood God roars for you, summoning you to the Eight Blood Paths."

"You can burn this galaxy. You can gain unmatched glory."

"Think of your betrayals, your doubts, your interrogations—awaken the fury within you."

Aribas's voice was deeply seductive, luring Titus toward the path of Khorne.

"My fury is reserved only for the Emperor's enemies." Titus spun, unleashing the martial arts he had learned from Kaen, Seth, and Sarokin—his chainsword roared with ferocity, forcing Aribas to retreat step by step.

Aribas had no choice but to mutter several cold incantations, detonating psychic energy between them to create distance from Titus.

Then Aribas raised the obsidian blade to his lips.

"Demetrian Titus," Aribas whispered coldly.

The former nemesis blade had once been held by the Interspecies Federation, but the scattered human clans knew nothing of its true origin.

It was the first weapon ever forged for murder, dug from the chalky earth, shaped by one hundred and thirty hammer blows, used to commit humanity's first murder.

Throughout humanity's long history, this weapon took countless forms to commit countless murders, slaying heroes who once shaped and led human tribes—Enkidu, Tutankhamun, Caesar, Oda Nobunaga, Archduke Ferdinand, Rosa Luxemburg, Trotsky, Sadat, Horus.

Countless murders nourished this weapon, countless murders fed the obsidian, countless murders granted it power.

Simply whisper the name of the murder blade, and the weapon fixes murder as fate—rarely ever fails.

Though the nemesis blade had been shattered by Aribas into eight ritual daggers, each still carried echoes of its former might.

The ritual daggers had already marked Titus—his death by this blade was his fate.

Thus, Aribas followed the dagger's guidance and swung the blade toward Titus.

The obsidian blade glowed with lethal radiance, ravenous and cruel, as if eager to tear Titus's flesh apart.

The swordplay was so vicious and malevolent it seemed not Aribas wielded the dagger, but the dagger wielded Aribas—Titus growled, swung his sword, blocked.

A dense net of obsidian blades flashed, striking Titus; Titus swung the Unsinful, barely holding back this storm of attacks.

Malice—Titus sensed malice clearly, blazing malice flickering in the blade, the lust for murder drooling toward him.

Sweat dripped from Titus's hair.

In skill and strength, he would not yield to Aribas, but Titus felt something deeper beneath reality, in the warp—a cold, cruel fate drawing near.

It was the fate once borne by the Emperor's father.

It was the fate once borne by the Emperor's son.

It was death—fated murder.

Titus did not know how to resist this fated death.

But he was not afraid.

If death was inevitable,

then before fate arrived, he would swing his sword all the harder against humanity's enemies.

"You cannot escape."

Aribas whispered:

"The Blood God watches. The Blood God observes. The Blood God hungers for you."

"Chant with me: Blood sacrifice to the Blood God————————"

Before Aribas finished speaking, a thunderous roar erupted from the sky:

A black dreadnought fell like a meteor from beyond the heavens, its heavy bulk crushing Aribas, who had no time to react.

"Aribas! You damn dog! Traitor! Taste my Bael Assault, you bastard!!"

Kasso, having flown into the sky using his bamboo dragonfly, had watched the entire battlefield; noticing Titus's peril, he did not hesitate—he used the bamboo dragonfly's instant acceleration to dive straight at Aribas.

Aribas had no time to dodge—he was crushed into pulp beneath Kasso's buttocks.

"Thank Kasso, Space Marine kid!!" Kasso roared, swinging his Storm Claw at Titus.

Titus opened his mouth slightly—he could feel:

The cold presence hidden within the warp had not vanished.

Fated murder still drew near.

Inescapable.

The corpse beneath Kasso's buttocks instantly transformed into a naked-muscled Tzeentch Daemon.

Fate shifted in its most twisted turn.

The obsidian blade pierced from the void, tearing through Titus's power armor, entering his lower back and exiting his chest, blood streaming down.

A searing, burning pain surged through Titus's body.

Behind Titus stood Aribas, his bird tattoo now one fewer, driving the ritual dagger deep into Titus's flesh.

Into Titus's body surged, along with the dagger, the Blood God's fury.

Savage laughter erupted—Khorne let out a piercing war cry; Titus's vision darkened, feeling hot sand crashing against his face.

(End of Chapter)