Shai-Tan raised his right hand and grasped at the air. The Stormbird was crushed to pieces like a toy.
Hathor Maat looked up and saw metal wreckage falling from the sky.
Amongst the metallic debris, he spotted a grey sphere, shimmering with starlight.
Hathor took in every arc, every line, every meticulous detail crafted by master artisans.
Also captured in his gaze were numerous distinctive features, showcasing the maker's profound understanding and mastery of machinery.
'That is a Warp navigation device, crafted by Lord Perturabo. Father once tasked him with creating it based on data relics from ancient times.'
Hathor's attention was then drawn to a cubic device, etched with dazzlingly bright runes.
He recognized the runes as originating from the Warp-circuitry COG drones of the Grimnyr, capable of gathering immense Warp energy.
Those runes were bestowed upon him by the Black Emperor, which he in turn had given to his Gene-Father.
Hathor saw the crimson giant, using telekinesis to lift the devices connected by adamantine chains and runes.
Shai-Tan raised a hand, and a torrent of fiery molten energy swept across the heavens.
In Hathor's vision, the sky was dyed blood-red, engulfing Magnus and that machine.
Instantly, in his aetheric sight, multicolored light flared as a psychic storm clashed with the flames, producing continuous explosive roars.
In the colliding energies, the lightning-riddled clouds were erased.
Amidst the ongoing explosions, vast swathes of flame melted away like ice and snow.
Magnus, holding the machine, landed steadily.
His eyes now shone with silver, identical to Ferrus Manus's, fixed intently on the red-armored warrior.
The figure clad in crimson armor bore a resemblance to Atharva, but the power surging within him blazed like a star within the Immaterium.
'Hathor's intelligence was indeed correct.'
As Magnus pondered, his hands flew across the modified machine's controls.
Runes lit up one by one, and from the sphere shot forth a stream of etheric energy, shining with a blue light.
The blue energy stream shot like an arrow towards Shai-Tan.
Warp energy flooded violently into Shai-Tan's body, and his speed suddenly exploded.
Magnus saw the red figure move rapidly, even faster than he could.
'Only the winged Nareth or Sanguinius could match such speed.'
'But I had Hathor's intelligence. I was prepared.'
A beam of grey light shot from the cube, merging with the blue energy stream.
The two beams intertwined, smashing into the rapidly approaching Shai-Tan.
Shai-Tan was sent flying, crashing heavily into the colonization ship.
The blue energy beam tore through the metal hull of the colonization ship, blasting a hole several meters wide.
"Father," Hathor quickly approached, sending a thought-pulse: "The device you forged has severely wounded that Warp entity."
"Now is not the time for celebration. It is not dead yet, merely retreated into the colony ship," Magnus responded mentally.
"I believe Father will surely defeat it," Hathor thought of his Lord command and pleaded with his Gene-Father.
"Before your arrival, I communicated with him."
"I discovered many voices within him, likely from those psykers who were persecuted to death."
"Resolving some of that resentment, I believe, is the best way to address the threat of Shai-Tan."
A glimmer of appreciation shone in Magnus's silver eyes as he looked at Hathor.
During his recent clash with Shai-Tan, he had made a similar discovery.
What surprised the Primarch even more was that Shai-Tan possessed power similar to his own.
Atharva's will had been overwhelmed, brought under control.
Hathor had not only resisted Shai-Tan's psychic domination but also successfully bought time.
"I will bind him within the device I brought, but it was not originally designed for sealing."
"My runes cannot restrain him for long. You will have very little time."
"I will be ready."
The two communicated swiftly in their minds. Suddenly, Magnus frowned.
The earth trembled violently, this time not from magnetic forces, but from the colonization ship.
With the roar and vibration of engines, the slumbering iron behemoth of millennia rose into the air.
Air currents battered against Hathor. Bio-energy surged within his half-naked form, allowing him to stand firm against the gale.
He saw numerous cannons on the vessel swivel, aiming downward.
Though a colonization ship, its firepower was mismatched with its massive metallic frame, yet its various shipboard weapons were still lethal.
Magnus's expression turned grave. His consciousness spread outwards, skirting the electromagnetic storm zone, issuing commands to the Thousand Sons.
"Converge on my position."
Then, his consciousness retracted, piercing into the colonization ship.
The Primarch pushed his mental state to the Tenth Enumeration, a layer unique to him, unreached by any of his sons.
His consciousness swept through the ancient vessel in an instant. The ancient construction techniques and accumulated history flooded his thoughts.
Under normal circumstances, Magnus would have leisurely admired this artistic achievement.
Now, he had to hurry.
In a flash, Magnus's consciousness traversed the entire ship, arriving at the bridge.
No crew manned the control consoles, yet binary data-streams flickered, levers moved up and down, and gauge needles spun.
It was as if ten thousand souls were operating it.
Magnus's consciousness scanned the figure in golden armor hovering in the air. Indeed, thousands of souls were at the controls.
Lightning flashed in Shai-Tan's eyes as he looked at the luminous form of Magnus's condensed consciousness.
A supernatural collision erupted within the Immaterium.
All Thousand Sons felt a titanic psychic tsunami surging, its terrifying waves even surpassing the magnetic storm.
After Phosis T'kar led the wounded Thousand Sons away for treatment, within the ruins of Zharrukin, Ahzek Ahriman was closest to the Primarch's location.
Feeling the collision within the Immaterium, he couldn't help but feel a secret shock.
'An existence capable of rivaling Father!'
'And he was right here in Zharrukin, and I didn't detect him.'
"Hurry!" he said mentally. Followers of the Athanaeans Cult relayed his command to everyone.
Hastar was the only former Pavoni Cult leader who had sided with Ahriman. He hoped Ahriman would defeat Hathor, allowing him to reclaim his position as master of the Pavoni Cult temple.
Hastar raised both hands, bio-energy infusing the group.
Everyone felt energy filling their bodies. Their speed increased dramatically, racing towards the Gene-Father at a pace exceeding a forced march.
A red tide of ceramite swept rapidly through the ruins of Zaqqum, mercilessly shattering the blue stones they once treasured.
Moments later, Ahriman's vision filled with the tall form of his father.
Simultaneously, a rapid series of images flashed through his mind.
"No!" Ahriman shouted aloud. "Father, the colonization ship is crashing! Beware!"
Magnus did not turn. He looked skyward.
His psychic duel with Shai-Tan had not only destroyed the colonization ship's weapon systems but also its control consoles and power systems.
The colossal entity in the air ceased its ascent. Just as Ahriman had foreseen, it was about to fall.
"My sons, focus your power upon me!"
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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