Golden Knights? That name felt strange to him. If his Legion had to be called something like that, he would rather name it the Saiyan Legion.
"I think Saiyan Legion sounds better," Axis said.
"Saiyan Legion? What kind of ridiculous name is that? Your Legion members will one day be able to turn into warriors with golden hair and bodies radiating golden light.
"So, if we're picking a name, it has to be something impressive, something tied to gold.
"If you don't like Golden Knights, how about the Shining Legion? Or the Glittering Gold Legion, the Radiant Gold Knights, the Sacred Radiance Knights, or the Holy Legion?" The Emperor rattled off more than a dozen names in one breath.
Although Axis felt these names were dripping with chūnibyō flair, in the Imperial military they would indeed sound imposing and commanding.
Especially to the common folk, just hearing them would be enough to inspire awe toward the Imperium's might.
"My Legion will be called the Golden Knights," Axis decided.
Names like, Sacred Radiance Knights, Templar Knights, or Holy Knights…he figured those could serve as the titles of his Legion's future sub-divisions…maybe?
"I told you this name sounds good! Golden Knights! Just hear it! it's grand, commanding, and perfectly symbolizes your Legion. After all, your transformation is nothing but gold and shine," the Emperor said with satisfaction.
Axis could only shrug. Dealing with a father-in-law deep in the late stages of chūnibyō was no easy task.
While they were talking, Malcador arrived in the underground laboratory with several stasis pods.
The subjects inside had already undergone preliminary Adeptus Astartes modification; only the black carapace implatation were yet to be completed.
"I have brought four test subjects. That should be enough. These warriors have completed all their superhuman organ enhancements; thay only lack black carapace," Malcador reported.
"Teacher, how many Astartes are in stasis like this?" Axis asked.
"There are roughly over a thousand, all in suspended animation," Malcador replied.
In total, more than three thousand had undergone modification, but over a thousand had died due to incompatibility with Axis's gene-seed. He could only hope this time the plan would succeed.
Axis nodded.
With these thousand warriors, plus his own thousand, his Legion would start with over two thousand Astartes. If developed well, they would grow into a formidable force.
"All right, let's begin."
The Emperor nodded to Malcador, and the two opened one of the stasis pods to begin the procedure.
Since their organs were already that of Axis' gene seed cultivated, the only thing they needed to do was introduce the newly modified gene seed template.
Once the new gene-seed was implanted, the dormant subject's body immediately underwent a drastic change.
S-cells began rapidly replacing ordinary Saiyan cells. These S-cells would normally remain in a dormant state, capable of coexisting with human cells.
Unlike regular Saiyan cells, they lacked aggressive dominance and could even neutralize the clash between human and Saiyan cells, creating a subtle balance.
The Emperor and Malcador watched the data intently, monitoring the subject's vital signs.
The heart began to pound violently.
All the enhanced superhuman organs were stimulated by the implantation of the gene-seeds, but soon fell into calm under the suppression of the S-cells, settling into a delicate coexistence with the human cells.
The subject's body began to change in a nopticable way.
The muscles, once tensed from the overactive Saiyan cells, gradually relaxed.
The bluish-purple veins on the surface of the skin slowly faded, replaced by a healthy tone radiating from beneath.
Vital signs steadily recovered.
"Vital signs are stable!" Malcador exclaimed, nodding as he stared at the monitor. "The cellular conflict is decreasing... no, it's reached a symbiotic state!"
The Emperor's prediction had been right. Axis's S-cells could indeed balance Saiyan and human cells.
The Emperor's pupils widened slightly.
Through the virtual display, he could see that the once-frenzied Saiyan cells were now encased in a new cellular structure.
These faintly glowing S-cells acted like gentle mediators, weaving an intricate network between the human and Saiyan cells, forming a flawless symbiotic equilibrium.
Inside the chamber, the sleeping warrior suddenly furrowed his brows. Golden ki flared from his pores, but quickly subsided.
"Some Super Saiyan traits have been activated, but they remain under control," Axis explained softly, "This way, they gain the boost in strength without losing their minds and becoming berserk."
This was an extremely weakened version of the Super Saiyan transformation. They wouldn't even be able to beat a normal Saiyan, but it would still allow them to multiply their combat power.
Honestly, such a feeble Super Saiyan form was a bit embarrassing. Still, without ki augmentation, reaching this level was not bad at all.
Malcador rapidly recorded the data: "Muscle density increased by 30%, bone strength... twenty percent above a standard Astartes!
"Metabolic rate actually decreased by 20%, which means longer sustained combat endurance, and an extended lifespan."
Saiyans naturally lived longer than humans, generally between 150 to 200 years. Moreover, due to their combat-oriented physiology, once they reached adulthood their appearance barely changed.
These traits would now manifest in the Astartes of Axis's gene-line. Though they would still have a lifespan limit, it would exceed that of standard Astartes by decades.
They would never lose fighting capability to age, remaining at peak condition until the day they died.
The Emperor studied the experimental data with satisfaction.
This was the kind of warrior he envisioned. If such a warrior could fully unleash the golden-haired transformation, their combat power could rival even the Legio Custodes.
The next step was to see if they could use Axis's Super Saiyan transformation, how long they could maintain it, and how much strain it would place on their bodies.
Axis's own transformation boosted his power fifty-fold, or even a hundred-fold, but these warriors would likely achieve a maximum of five-fold.
Malcador moved on to the final stage of modification, implanting the black carapace into the Astartes.
After the implantation of the black carapace, it would take several months for the subject's body to fully adapt, during which interface ports for power armour would gradually form across the skin.
"Malcador, begin large-scale modifications at once. I want to see a thousand Golden Knights awakened within a month, each having completed the final stage of the Adeptus Astartes transformation," the Emperor commanded.
Only after all the procedures were finished could he truly assess the combat potential of these new Astartes, born from Axis's gene-seed.
"As you will. Leave it to me. In one month, we will have the finished warriors," Malcador replied with a nod.
Over the next month, not only did the dormant warriors receive Axis's gene-seed and black carapace implantation, but even members of the Space Wolves, under Axis's orders, entered the deepest halls of the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra.
After a stirring speech delivered jointly by the Emperor and Axis, these warriors formally severed their lineage from Leman Russ and became the sons of Axis.
Unlike the fresh recruits still in stasis, these were battle-hardened Astartes veterans. For them, the process was simply a gene-seed template replacement, a surgery that could be completed in a day or two, but the genetic overhaul and adaptation still took time.
Axis handpicked the most formidable warriors of his new Legion.
Once they had adapted to their new physiology, he brought them straight to the training grounds. The Emperor himself arrived, accompanied by several Custodians.
This was an important trial to measure just how powerful Axis's gene-sons truly were.
In theory, Axis's gene-line should be thirty to fifty percent stronger than a standard Astartes.
With their golden transformation, a single one of his warriors could potentially face four or five regular Astartes at once.
And this was without ki augmentation. If Axis chose to further enhance them with his own ki, their capabilities would rise even higher.
"Begin," the Emperor said.
The supervising officer for the test was Axis's old friend, Caesar, along with the same Custodian squad that had once accompanied him.
Axis exchanged a friendly greeting with them, and Caesar returned it politely.
One Custodian, clad in golden armour, stepped forward.
With the help of his comrades, he removed the auramite plate, leaving only the black under-suit. He walked to the centre of the training ground.
Axis's four sons stepped out as well, also wearing only their under-suits.
Since this was a strength test, neither side would wear power armour. The battle would be fought with their bodies alone.
At the moment the bout began, the Custodian exploded into motion. His movements were lightning-quick, every strike precise and carrying a force far beyond that of a typical Astartes.
Bang!
One Golden Knight was sent flying by a single heavy punch, slamming into the training hall wall hard enough to leave a deep dent in the metal.
Crack!
Another had his ribs broken by a swift spinning kick, collapsing to the floor.
Boom!
A third tried to block but took a crushing elbow to the chest, dropping to his knees and coughing blood.
Whoosh—
The last didn't even see the attack that felled him. A single knife-hand strike to the neck had him on the ground instantly.
This wasn't a contest; it was a one-sided suppression.
The gap between a Custodian and an Astartes was immense, at least for ordinary Astartes recruits such as these. Of course, this did not account for the rare, exceptional outliers.
Yet just as the Custodian prepared to disengage, the four Golden Knights slowly rose to their feet.
Their eyes had changed.
Vmm!
Golden aura flared violently from their bodies. Their hair turned to dazzling gold, and their pupils burned with blazing battle spirit.
Their muscles swelled, bones hardened, and their S-cells fully awakened.
The Super Saiyan mode had been triggered.
Their strength spiked, roughly fivefold across the board. Durability, raw power, speed, reflexes all surged to five times their normal level.
The Custodian's eyes narrowed. He could feel it now. A threat.
Boom!
One Golden Knight lunged forward in an instant, his fist leaving golden afterimages as it slammed toward the Custodian.
This time, the Custodian could not casually parry; he was forced to step back and deflect the blow.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The pace of the fight flipped entirely.
The Golden Knights' strikes came like a storm.
The Custodian, though still fast and precise, found each blow met with overwhelming force.
In their transformed state, the four warriors' power had undergone a qualitative leap.
Crack!
The Custodian's guard finally broke.
A punch hammered into his chest, driving him back several steps. The momentum had shifted, and he was now being forced onto the defensive.
In their Super Saiyan forms, the Golden Knights only grew fiercer with each exchange. The Custodian could now only defend, his defeat a matter of time.
"Enough," the Emperor's voice rang out.
The battle stopped immediately.
The Golden Knights stepped back, their golden aura fading, hair returning to its normal hue.
They dropped to one knee, their bodies trembling slightly.
Even in its weakened form, the Super Saiyan transformation still left aftereffects.
These aftereffects, however, amounted only to mild fatigue. A short rest would be enough for them to recover.
The Custodian stood silently, his chest aching faintly. He had nearly been brought down. Composing himself, he returned to his comrades.
To have been pushed back by four Astartes, was humiliating, no less infront of the emperor.
He resolved to train even harder.
Malcador immediately ordered a medical scan of the Golden Knights, recording their current physical state.
"In their normal state, four Golden Knights cannot match a Custodian," Malcador concluded, "But once the golden transformation is activated, their individual combat power approaches Custodian level. Four working together can defeat one.
"However, the transformation places a burden on their bodies. My estimates are as follows: if they disengage within three minutes, the strain is minimal, and they can resume fighting after a short rest. At five minutes, they require one to two hours of recovery. Ten minutes means at least a full day's rest. Beyond that, there is a risk of shock. Their bodies cannot endure the S-cells' amplification indefinitely.
"Theoretically, maintaining the state for more than thirty minutes would cause cardiac arrest and total cellular collapse. They would die instantly."
It was a precise and thorough assessment.
The Super Saiyan transformation was undeniably powerful, greatly boosting Astartes combat strength, but three minutes was its ideal window. The longer it lasted, the heavier the toll.
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Gimme powerstones!!! Guys!!!!