Scorching defensive lasers shot out from the last anti-air array, and the blazing inferno directly pierced through the Norn Emissary's body.
Dante gasped for breath, bathed in blood, while Sanguinius in mid-air also had his wings severed and fell, his body drooping, into the ruins of the city wall.
The Death Company warriors roared, brandishing their power axes beneath the Norn Emissary's corpse.
The Norn Emissary was incredibly powerful; his strength completely surpassed all Tyranids Dante had ever encountered.
Even with the help of Sanguinius and The Emperor's Cursed Legion, Dante had no choice but to deploy the Death Company to assist in the battle.
These warriors, consumed by ancient rage, mistook the Norn Emissary for Horus from ten thousand years ago, charging forward in a fury.
Their sacrifice helped Dante find the right moment, using the last remaining defensive laser to end the Norn Emissary's life.
But... their opponents were not just the Tyranids.
Angron roared, tearing off the brain of another Norn Emissary, purple and blue pus oozing from his grotesque blood axe.
This Khorne Greater Daemon let out a nearly furious roar, brutally crushing the Norn Emissary's corpse, then turned and swung at Dante.
Dante's nose instantly caught the scent of blood and sulfur, feeling as if his entire body was submerged in a pool of blood.
Hazy images flickered before Dante's eyes.
Blood, blood, blood, endless blood surged into Dante's heart.
"He resisted!!!!"
Angron let out a thunderous, deafening roar:
"But the Blood God does not tolerate resistance! The Blood God will eventually devour his mind!"
"And yours too!!! Dante!! Drown in blood!!"
Amidst the roar, Angron reached Dante, his roaring axe slashing down towards Dante's head.
Dante quickly activated his jump pack, dragging his injured body to leap away.
The axe deeply embedded itself into the ground, causing the Angel Keep's ground to shake instantly.
Dante pulled the trigger of the ancient melta pistol in his hand, and streaks of scorching flames exploded on Angron's face.
Angron's whip followed.
A warrior of The Emperor's Cursed Legion, wielding a silver longsword, blocked Angron's path.
That warrior seemed to have been a mortal in life, but his exquisite swordsmanship fended off Angron's whip for Dante, then dissipated into a wildfire under Angron's roar.
But Angron quickly reached Dante again, his sharp axe heavily striking Dante's body.
The golden mask split in half as the axe blade fell, revealing Dante's somewhat aged face to Angron.
Angron let out a wild laugh, the axe blade continuing its downward swing—
Dante's jump pack let out a final mournful cry, and scorching flames carried Dante into the air.
Then, its fuel depleted, Dante crashed heavily into the ruins.
Angron pursued—
"Horus!!!"
A roar full of anger erupted, and a black storm swirled:
"Face Kaso! Kaso will take your life!!!"
Death Company Dreadnought Kaso roared and rushed in front of Dante, blocking Angron's axe blade with his steel body.
This ancient warrior had been in Static Field since returning from the Battle of the Hades, only to be released earlier to counter the Norn Emissary.
Angron's axe nearly pressed Kaso into the ground, tearing apart the ancient warrior's power claw.
Chainsword whirred, Captain Finnie of the Crimson Angels had anger and madness in his eyes, his fangs pierced his lips like a legendary vampire, and his face took on an inhuman horror.
This Captain, who had always resisted the traditions of the Crimson Angels, finally embraced the Red Thirst.
He stomped on Kaso's steel body, brandishing his Chainsword, and leaped in front of Angron.
Angron's axe blade was restrained by Kaso; for a moment, he didn't have time to defend against Finnie's attack.
The Chainsword cut a bloody gash on Angron's face, and Angron let out a furious roar.
His axe blade suddenly broke free from Kaso's restraint, and the axe, swirling with a bloody wind, smashed into Captain Finnie.
The warrior's body was flung away like a rag, falling into the ruins.
The ancient melta pistol in Dante's hand whirred, and scorching flames exploded on Angron's body.
But Angron ignored it, rushing to Dante's side, and with a sudden flick of his axe blade,
Dante's golden power armor was instantly cleaved open, a grotesque bloody gash across Dante's body.
Dante could smell death, could feel the cold wind blowing.
"Most will die in the attempt."
Under the cold night sky, Aereas warned his son, Louis Dante:
"While a very small number of people can pass the trials of Angel Keep, even fewer can survive."
"No," Dante let out a low wail.
He felt like he was about to die, just like when he was almost dying of thirst on the path to the selection trials years ago.
He had served for a thousand years, he had saved humanity many times; death should have been the best reward he could receive.
Now his desire was about to be fulfilled, what more could Dante be unsatisfied with?
He had defeated enough enemies of humanity; even without this Angron, it would not diminish his honor.
"No."
Dante struggled against death, resisting:
"No, at least not now."
He prayed in the depths of his heart,
Prayed to the Archangel, prayed to the Emperor, prayed to his deceased father, prayed to the various patriarchs of the chapter, prayed to all the glorious warriors of the Imperium, prayed to all beings he trusted.
He even couldn't help but pray to Saint Doraemon. He prayed that they would grant him a little more life, just enough life to defeat Angron.
Just one more, just one more, and Dante could accept death with equanimity, accept this reward.
But Dante's life continued to ebb away.
Angron let out a wild laugh, even this one would do, as long as he offered this one more head to the Blood God, perhaps—
"Taste my Pimp Boss' Special Friendship Laser Punch!"
A scorching defensive laser suddenly traversed most of the Angel Keep, striking Angron's face.
Angron let out a painful shriek, half of his body ignited by the defensive laser's scorching.
Dante felt astonished; the last defensive laser had clearly...
He cast his gaze over, only to see Alexander standing before a red-pink wooden door, with the severely wounded Seth and Mephiston standing beside him.
Neither Seth nor Mephiston's faces showed the pain from their injuries, nor the despair from the battle unfolding before them.
On their faces was only hope and glory, simply because—
Dante watched the scene before him in disbelief.
Streaks of scorching, pale golden flames suddenly ignited on Angron's body.
The Greater Daemon's body suddenly began to shrink, the power of the Blood God entrenched on Baal steadily weakening.
Instantly, the sky of Baal was covered by a warm, sun-like glow, and the grotesque Great Rift spanning the entire Baal sky became hazy.
Instead, the two Baal moons, high in the sky, became clear and bright, reflecting the light of the star.
Dante held his breath, watching the scene before him.
Feathers gently drifted down from the sky, pure white mixed with faint blue.
Sanguinius, whose wings had been broken by the Norn Emissary and who was on the verge of death, let out a cheer.
His injuries seemed to recover in an instant, and he vibrated as he flew into the sky, circling beside the white light.
Death Company Dreadnought, the cursed Kaso, let out a shout full of excitement; the anger born of the Black Rage seemed to vanish in an instant.
Finnie knelt on the ground in disbelief, tears streaming down his face, head bowed, mournfully confessing his sins.
"I will not forgive, but I will bear it with you, for your sin is my sin."
A clear voice slowly resounded; instantly all pain, anger, sorrow, and death disappeared.
The mortals in the ruins uttered devout prayers, weeping with emotion.
"Sanguinius!!!!"
A roar full of anger came from the mouth of the Khorne Greater Daemon Angron.
He was the first to utter the name of that figure.
"I want this one."
Alexander pointed at Angron, his voice slightly smiling, as if a restaurant customer ordering from a waiter.
"A bit more complete," he added, almost as if talking about cutting a steak.
"Good," the clear voice resounded again.
Dante only saw a golden-red storm of burning flames sweep across the sky.
Angron let out a wail, the Khorne Greater Daemon's chest pierced by a teardrop-shaped spearhead.
The Khorne Greater Daemon struggled to brandish his blood axe, but it was deftly parried by the spearhead.
Wings gently flapped, stirring up a fierce wind, and the Spear of Accomplishment lifted Angron's body, throwing him violently before Alexander.
At the same time, the dazzling white light shimmered slightly.
Four power swords scattered across the battlefield inexplicably flew up, instantly igniting with scorching flames, transforming into spikes that plunged into Angron's four limbs, fixing Angron firmly in front of Alexander.
Alexander calmly picked up the white pouch on his stomach; the pouch slightly opened, revealing a pitch-black abyss.
"No————"
Angron shrieked in alarm, but it was useless.
Dante only saw Angron's head grabbed by the figure in the white light, forcibly stuffed into the pouch on Alexander's stomach.
Then, Angron, like a stream of liquid, flowed into Alexander's white pouch and disappeared without a trace.
The figure in the white light slowly walked towards Dante.
Dante felt his life force slowly ebbing away, but this time he no longer resisted.
Death, the death Saint Doraemon had promised him, had finally arrived; that peaceful and serene death, that ultimate liberation.
Dante saw Sanguinius' face, not carved from metal, but flesh and blood, a face full of holiness and nobility, filled with blazing power.
"Finally... I have completed my mission," Dante said, his throat parched. "Did I do well? Am I a good Blood Angel?"
"Almost the best one," a clear and gentle voice resounded in Dante's ear.
That broad hand rested on Dante's shoulder, and Dante suddenly felt a surge of vitality flowing in.
Dante showed a surprised and bewildered expression.
"You cannot join them yet."
Sanguinius glanced at The Emperor's Cursed Legion, who were disappearing into the flames not far away, and said:
"I need you more than my father."
"..Dante, you will still live."
Dante stood stunned, rooted to the spot, he turned his head to look at Alexander, who had a faint smile on his lips.
Sure enough, making deals with Warp entities never ends well!
Dante's gaze towards Alexander was nothing short of hatred.