Chapter 1218: Jaghatai vs. Angron (2)

Jaghatai did not answer.

He dodged an axe swing from Angron, while simultaneously slashing his Power Scimitar toward Angron's neck.

This strike was faster than any before it.

The blade sliced through Angron's neck armor, leaving a deep wound on the side of his neck.

Blood gushed from the wound.

Angron paused for a moment.

Then he laughed.

"Good! Good! Now that's more like it!"

His Claw swept out violently, and this time Jaghatai could not dodge it completely.

The Claw grazed his side, tearing a long gash in his Power Armor.

Fresh blood gushed from the wound, staining his white armor red.

Jaghatai staggered back, nearly falling.

"Do you know, Jaghatai? In those ten thousand years over there, I have killed countless people. But I have never killed my own brother."

He took a step forward.

"You are the first. You should feel honored."

Jaghatai steadied himself and raised his Power Scimitar.

"I will not let you pass. Father is coming. Before that, you must die."

Angron laughed loudly.

"Die? I have already died once, Jaghatai. I died in the Gladiator Arena of Nuceria, in front of those so-called 'brothers' of mine. Then I was resurrected, modified, and turned into what I am now. You think you can kill me?"

He raised his Chainaxe.

"Let me tell you what true death is."

He charged.

Jaghatai met the charge.

Two figures collided once more in the center of the spherical room.

The Power Scimitar and the Chainaxe clashed again.

Jaghatai was knocked back three steps, leaving deep footprints on the metal floor with each step.

His breathing became rapid, and the wound on his side was still bleeding, staining half his armor red.

Angron stood where he was, the wound on the side of his neck already beginning to heal.

"You have grown weak, Jaghatai. Ten thousand years have passed; what have you learned? Learned to run faster? Learned to hide further away?"

Angron stepped forward, each step making the ground tremble.

"Over there, what I learned was true combat. Not the dueling games you noble lords play, but real, life-or-death combat with no rules and no bottom line."

His Chainaxe swung down again.

Jaghatai dodged to the side, simultaneously slashing his Power Scimitar toward Angron's wrist.

The blade cut into flesh, nearly severing the hand, but Angron merely glanced at the wound and then shook his hand, the wound healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"See that?"

Angron laughed wildly.

"I am immortal!"

Jaghatai did not respond.

His gaze swept across every corner of the spherical room.

A dozen corpses of Space Marines already lay on the ground.

The casualty ratio was near one-to-one, but those World Eaters Chaos Space Marines were fighting madly even when severely wounded; if an arm was severed, they fought with the other, and if their chest was pierced, they used their final strength to bite at the enemy's throat.

A White Scars Space Marine was caught in a pincer attack by two World Eaters Chaos Space Marines.

He dodged the first Chainaxe, but was struck in the side by the second.

His Power Armor tore, and blood sprayed out. As he fell, he still used his final breath to drive his Chainsword into the abdomen of a World Eaters Chaos Space Marine.

Another White Scars Space Marine was surrounded by three World Eaters Chaos Space Marines.

He had already lost his weapon and could only fight with his fists and a combat knife.

He shattered the jaw of one World Eaters Chaos Space Marine and pierced the eye of another, before having his skull split by the third Chainaxe.

Those warriors who followed him into battle, those sons willing to die for him, were dying in this cursed room for a Task he might not be able to complete.

"Do you hear that?"

Angron laughed wildly.

"Your sons are dying! Crushed like ants! Just like those brothers of mine once were!"

"I once had brothers too."

Angron's voice suddenly became low.

"In the Gladiator Arena, we fought together, bled together, and... died together."

His body trembled slightly.

"But they died. All of them died. I killed a few with my own hands; the rules of the Gladiator Arena, only the last one standing could live. Do you know, Jaghatai? I have killed my own brothers."

Jaghatai looked at him.

At that moment, he saw a trapped soul in Angron's eyes.

"Angron."

Jaghatai said.

"That is not you. That is not your choice."

Angron looked up, the clarity in his eyes swallowed by madness.

"This is my choice! I choose to live! I choose to kill! I choose to become what I am now!"

He charged again.

But this time, Jaghatai did not dodge.

He stood his ground, gripping his Power Scimitar, watching the monster rushing toward him, the monster with the exact same appearance as his brother.

The blade began to glow.

That light surged from within Jaghatai, flowing through his arm into the blade, causing the entire Power Scimitar to ignite.

Jaghatai's speed was too fast to be captured by the naked eye.

The Power Scimitar slashed down.

It was not aimed at Angron's armor, but at the gaps in his armor.

That heart that was still beating.

The tip of the blade pierced in.

Blood gushed out.

Angron looked down at his chest, at the blade piercing his heart, and at Jaghatai standing before him.

"You... how did you..."

Jaghatai did not answer.

He simply twisted the hilt with force.

The Power Scimitar rotated within Angron's chest cavity, tearing his heart apart.

"How dare you!"

Angron roared, grabbing Jaghatai's arm violently.

He stood up; even with his heart pierced, he could still stand up.

"I am Angron! I do not need anyone's pity!"

His Claw stabbed toward Jaghatai's throat.

Jaghatai released the hilt and retreated rapidly.

The Claw grazed his cheek, leaving three deep bloody gashes.

Angron stood in the center of the room, Jaghatai's Power Scimitar still stuck in his chest, but he was laughing. Laughing madly.

"You think this is the end? You pierced my heart, but I have long since had no need for a heart! I am eternal life!"

He grabbed the hilt and pulled it out with a jerk.

Blood gushed out, but the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He threw Jaghatai's Power Scimitar onto the ground and walked toward Jaghatai empty-handed.

"Now, you have no weapon."

Jaghatai looked at the Power Scimitar on the ground.

That was the weapon bestowed upon him by his father.

It had followed him to slaughter countless Aliens and had never failed him.

"Khan!"

A White Scars Space Marine shouted, attempting to rush over, but was intercepted by two World Eaters.

Jaghatai did not look at him.

He only stared at Angron.

"You think that without a weapon, I cannot defeat you?"

Angron laughed loudly.

"Of course you cannot. That strike of yours just now exhausted all your strength. I can tell. Your speed is dropping, your reactions are slowing, and your wounds are bleeding. You are already finished."