Khârn's chest was torn open, blood gushing like a waterfall, yet he laughed madly, both hands clamping onto Calgar's arms.
"You think… this can kill me? Calgar, you're far too naive." His voice was low and twisted.
"The Blood God blesses me. My flesh… is inexhaustible!"
In the next second, countless tendrils of flesh surged from his wound, coiling around Calgar's arms, trying to haul him in.
At the same time Khârn raised his twin axes again, scarlet runes flaring as he cleaved down!
This was the most terrifying aspect of being the Blood God's chosen—he would not die, knew no fatigue, no pain, no fear.
Calgar snorted coldly and raised his massive power gauntlets to meet him. In battle state after his modifications, his ultra-beast physique also knew neither pain nor exhaustion—only lacking Khârn's horrifying regeneration.
Besides, this battle was not the same as last time. Did he really think his undying body had no counter? Today would be Khârn's death day.
Khârn roared, swinging his twin axes to strike at Calgar once more. The other refused to yield, lifting his power fists to meet the blow.
The two giants collided violently; everything within a kilometer collapsed, a colossal shockwave radiating from their clash.
Boom—!!!
Two destructive forces collided, shockwaves sweeping the battlefield like a tsunami. The ground of Vigilus shattered with a wail; gravel and dust blasted skyward, forming a murky mushroom cloud. Buildings, vehicles, even warriors who failed to escape were crushed to powder in an instant.
Khârn's scarlet runes and Calgar's power-field tore at each other, turbulent energies detonating between them.
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
Khârn howled, the runes on his axes burning white-hot. Each swing carried ferocity enough to hew through anything. His flesh kept regenerating, and tendrils writhing from his wounds began corroding Calgar's armor, seeking to burrow into his body.
Calgar said nothing. His massive power gauntlets erupted with high-frequency vibrations, pounding Khârn again and again.
"You still don't understand, Calgar?"
Khârn sneered, crossing his axes in a downward scissor, the scarlet runes tracing two incandescent arcs through the air.
"The Blood God granted me more than flesh—he gave me the power to destroy you!"
Axe-edge met power fist once more, energy turbulence exploding and cracking the ground beneath them like a spiderweb.
"Your god will witness your failure, Khârn."
Calgar suddenly surged, his gauntlets' force field spiking. One punch hammered Khârn's abdomen, blasting him back dozens of meters and plowing a deep furrow.
"It's you who shall be judged, traitor."
Boom—!!!
Axes and iron fists clashed a third time. This time, the shockwave flipped the terrain for hundreds of meters around. The sky over Vigilus seemed dyed blood-red. At the heart of the annihilating storm, the two giants still fought, deathless and relentless.
Blue light flashed on Calgar's power gauntlets as they fired a beam that blew Khârn into fragments.
After losing to Khârn last time, Rhodes had upgraded Calgar, adding a beam-emission ability so he could unleash an Super Beast ray.
The shattered Khârn rapidly healed; blood-red mist gathered, and even before his body had fully reformed, he charged with a manic grin, swinging his power axes.
"You cannot harm me. My flesh is infinite, while your power… will run dry!"
At the instant their blades were about to fall, a golden, holy radiance descended from the heavens!
"Heretic! Your arrogance ends here!" A golden greatsword wreathed in sacred flame speared through Khârn's shoulder, its impact forcing him back several steps.
Khârn roared and turned, seeing a towering figure radiating golden light, clad in immense golden armor with a cloak, wielding a golden greatsword. The newcomer's very body shone with aureate brilliance.
All human warriors bathed in that glow felt invigorated. Strength flooded their bodies; even the Battle Sisters let out frenzied war-cries.
Appearing at Calgar's side was a massive Avatar of the Emperor—and not an ordinary one. This was the very first Avatar Rhodes had ever summoned.
He was the first Ace Killer to absorb Rhodes's psyker power, then pushed by Rhodes's system to the absolute limit, bearing the Emperor's mightiest psychic force.
That power even fused with the energies of the material universe, forming a holier power of light. He was the strongest among all Avatars of the Emperor, no mere rank-and-file manifestation.
This first Avatar had been dispatched by Rhodes specifically to aid Calgar in slaying the Blood God's chosen. Having been enhanced to the state of ultimate divine power, he possessed the strength to kill a Daemon Prince or a Chosen Greater Daemon.
His greatsword was forged of extradimensional metal, alloyed with auramite, and personally quenched and enchanted by the Emperor's own psychic might—tantamount to an alternate Emperor's Sword.
"By the Emperor above, His Avatar has come."
"The great Avatar of the Emperor has come to sweep away evil and save His children."
Gazing up at the sky's holy aura, Khârn felt a crushing suppression. The Blood God's blessing seemed weakened.
"Dog of the False Emperor! Damn corpse-emperor's avatar—show yourself before me! I don't need Abaddon to kill you. I'll do it myself!" Khârn bellowed, scarlet eyes burning with rage—yet a hint of wavering crept into his voice.
The Avatar gave no reply, only slowly raising the golden, flame-wreathed sword. Where its tip pointed, the air itself warped under the holy fire.
His existence was like an unscalable mountain. Pure holy power became tangible radiance, blanketing the battlefield.
"Heretic, your blasphemous flesh will be reduced to ash in the Emperor's wrath. The crimes you have committed against Humanity will be repaid today."
As the words fell, the Avatar flashed forward like golden lightning, sword carving a brilliant arc straight for Khârn's head!
Khârn roared and swung to parry, but—clang—!!!
At the instant scarlet runes met sacred flame, cracks split Khârn's twin axes!
Worse, the holy fire crawled along the axe-blades and began burning his flesh!
"No—!" Khârn snarled in shock and rage. He had never felt such agony—the Blood God's blessing was fading! Those tendrils that had crazedly regenerated now withered and blackened under the sacred flames, crumbling to ash!
This time the Blood God did not favor him. The endless well of chaotic power in his body seemed to vanish, replaced by an indescribable pain of the soul.
The Avatar gave him no respite. The greatsword lifted again, runes along the blade flaring with blinding gold, like a miniature star forming in his hand.
"Traitor, your judgment has come."
Boom—!!! The blade fell. Holy flame became a heaven-piercing pillar of light, engulfing Khârn completely!
Under that force, the ground of Vigilus split apart. A golden storm of energy swept outward, purifying all chaotic filth in its glow!
Countless Chaos daemons and Chaos Space Marines died under the Avatar's assault, while the Imperium's forces erupted in jubilant shouts.
All cried, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"Aaaahhhh—!!" Khârn's shriek echoed across the field. His body writhed madly in the sacred flames, regenerating, only to be burned again. The Blood God's boon and the Emperor's might warred within him—but this time, Chaos regeneration was suppressed!
"Daemon—vile traitor—go pray to your god again. Will your god bless you once more under the Emperor's power?"
Calgar did not miss the chance. He cranked his power gauntlets to maximum output; blue Super Beast light gathered at his palm and blasted Khârn.
"This strike is for all warriors slain by Chaos!"
The Super Beast ray and the Emperor's holy flame struck Khârn together. Two utterly different yet equally annihilating forces intertwined into an unprecedented vortex of energy!
"No… impossible! Blood God… grant me… power—!"
A certain Chaos God seemed to hear his chosen's cry, but at this moment was powerless.
Khârn's roars twisted. His flesh collapsed under light and fire; even his soul was quenched by the Emperor's power. Finally—ka-thoom—!!
After a blinding flash, only a vast, charred crater remained.
Khârn, the Blood God's chosen, the undying berserker—the enemy of Mankind—was annihilated! The battlefield fell silent, then the warriors of Humanity erupted in thunderous cheers!
"Long live the Emperor!!!"
Ultramarines, Battle Sisters, even local mortal militia shouted as one.
This is the Emperor's power!
"The claws of the Chaos Gods have been severed, but the war is not over." He looked to Calgar, his voice rolling like thunder.
"Advance, warriors of the Imperium, sons of Humanity—attack until every inch of the galaxy's chaotic filth and xenos evil is purged."
"For the Emperor! For Humanity!" The Imperium's reply shook the heavens.
The Avatar's figure gradually faded, scattering into countless golden motes, yet his power lingered on the field, inspiring every warrior to fight on. In the depths of the Warp, the Blood God's roar shook the realms of Chaos—His chosen had been utterly erased!
With the Chaos champion slain, the Imperium's morale exploded, and they began a counteroffensive against the Chaos host.