"Murder."
Erebus whispered softly, pulling the ritual dagger from Titus' back. The crimson blood couldn't conceal the malevolent gleam flickering on the obsidian blade.
Erebus had once again accomplished what he did best: presenting a valuable Saint to the gods.
This brought a faint smile to Erebus' lips.
Not only would this please the Blood God, earning Erebus more favor, but the corrupted Titus, now a chosen of Khorne, would become a valuable combatant, turning to slaughter the loyalists for Erebus.
In Erebus' view, Titus' corruption was a fated outcome.
After all, even Horus couldn't resist the corruption brought by the ritual dagger.
Moreover, the wrath the Blood God had implanted in Erebus' body had also seeped into Titus' through the ritual dagger.
With the Blood God personally intervening to corrupt him, could he really escape?
Surely not?
Erebus thought of Sanguinius, of Rogal Dorn.
No, no, no, Titus was just a mere ordinary Ultramarine, a demoted Captain of the Second Company; how could he be compared to a Primarch?
Erebus then thought of the countless Blood Angels, of Mephiston, of Dante, of the Blood Knights.
No, these were not corrupted by the Blood God directly, but merely by Greater Daemons or through indirect means.
Even if the Blood God truly couldn't corrupt Titus, surely imprisoning Titus' will and preventing his escape was still achievable?
"Beast! How dare you!!!" Kaso's roar echoed from behind Titus.
The Death Company Dreadnought flew into the air with a speed completely unsuited to its massive frame, lunging towards Erebus.
"I have freed him, Dreadnought."
Erebus subtly moved a finger, and a swarm of Tzeentch daemon shrieking flying sharks burst from the void, intercepting Kaso and Erebus.
"I have liberated him from the False Emperor's shackles. I have set him upon the Eightfold Path of Blood. He shall become, through me, a vessel of eternal wrath, never to die, forever mighty and enraged."
"Kaso, oh ye dead, I can grant you the same boon. Come, recite: Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
"Offer your mother's brass toilet, does the Blood God want Kaso his daddy's shit?!" a deafening voice boomed from Kaso's vox-caster. He swung his arm, crushing the shrieking flying sharks in an instant, and landed heavily on the ground.
Erebus quickly put distance between himself and Kaso. He hastily summoned another group of Bloodletters riding Steel Bulls from the void. These Bloodletters, wielding their Hellblades, charged at the Death Company Dreadnought.
Kaso's Power Claw roared and spun, seizing a Steel Bull and the Bloodletter riding it, crushing them together.
Another Bloodletter seized the opportunity, circumventing Kaso's Power Claw, and skillfully guided its Steel Bull to plunge its horned blade into Kaso's armor.
Kaso remained unshaken, simply swinging his arm and flinging the Steel Bull and Bloodletter away.
"Kaso! Ye dead! Why do you stubbornly resist?!"
"Titus has received the Blood God's blessing and is about to be reborn as a chosen of the Blood God. If you do not submit to the Blood God, you will only become Titus' sacrifice."
Erebus sneered, mocking Kaso with a cold smile.
But suddenly, Erebus' smile froze.
Because Titus was gone. The Titus who had just been standing there had suddenly vanished.
Rip!!!!
Erebus let out a sharp shriek of pain as the Power Armor on his back was torn by a Chainsword. Blood flowed uncontrollably, and the innocence greedily drank the traitor's blood.
The Hand of Fate hastily dodged, turned, and used a daemon to fill the wound on his back.
If not for a sudden surge of alarm, causing him to avoid the vital spot at the last moment, that single strike would have directly claimed Erebus' life.
Erebus looked at Titus, who stood before him.
Titus had changed; he was not quite the same as before.
He seemed shrouded in a dim hue, like someone standing in a deep alley on a rainy night, chilling and bleak as a phantom.
He just stood there, yet he seemed unreal, filled with a constantly flowing dullness, exuding a quiet eeriness.
Something…something more was inside him.
But Erebus was certain it was not the Blood God's blessing.
It was something more extreme, something so extreme that even the gods would not deign to pity it.
"Still not proficient enough." Titus said in a low voice, with a subtle hint of regret, regretting not having killed Erebus just now.
Goosebumps rose all over Erebus' body, and an inexplicable fear spread in his heart.
Titus looked at him.
Then Titus' figure flickered, and like a phantom, he suddenly appeared before Erebus.
Erebus saw Titus' eyes at that moment: they were completely black, lidless pupils.
A malevolent light flashed on the ritual dagger; this blade of murder still yearned to take Titus' life.
So the obsidian blade cut through the air, striking at Titus' neck.
But Titus seemed to have foreseen the ritual dagger's trajectory, dodging the blade a step ahead of time.
Erebus hastily dodged, but the Chainsword in Titus' hand, named innocence, was already waiting in the direction Erebus was trying to evade.
"For the Emperor, punishment."
Titus growled, saying:
"For justice, kill."
The Chainsword roared, tearing through Erebus' body, cutting him in half at the waist.
Blood, gore, and shattered flesh splattered, a horrifying sight.
" . Konrad." The Erebus, split in two at the waist, murmured in terror, unable to believe it.
Then his figure flickered, and the one cut in half at the waist transformed into a Tzeentch Great Unclean One Wrestling Eagle Person.
Erebus' figure flickered, appearing not far away. One of the tattoos on his body suddenly disappeared again, leaving only three.
Titus gripped the Chainsword in his hand, looking at Erebus with an icy gaze.
He felt the power within him.
A part of Konrad Curze was squeezed within Titus, providing him with a continuous stream of chilling power.
This power was very useful…
But power was not without its price. Titus' eyes were constantly being bombarded with layers of illusions.
These illusions continuously showed Titus chilling, dark scenes, terrifying evils, and also some glimpses of the future.
But Titus only cared about the future shown in the illusions.
He sharply turned, swinging the innocence in his hand behind him, cutting at the shadow that was silently lunging at Titus.
Be'lakor's Shadow Blade pierced out from the shadows, only to be blocked by Titus.
Be'lakor was in a terrible state at this moment, covered in bruises, one arm broken, Imperial Fire burning in his wounds, his eyes wide and bloodshot, and blood streaming from his ears, as if he were completely deaf.