Axis nodded in agreement.
The potential of a human-Saiyan hybrid was indeed quite remarkable, so long as the father was a warrior capable of transforming into a Super Saiyan. In that case, his descendants would most likely be able to achieve the transformation with ease.
A child born of such a union with a human would possess a high concentration of S-Cells from birth.
This was the Warhammer galaxy, of course. If this had been the Dragon Ball universe, the boy could have mastered the power of Ki without any trouble.
The potential of hybrids was exceptional, yet even in the Dragon Ball universe, only Gohan had truly had his moment in the spotlight.
For the most part, their training had capped out at the Super Saiyan 3 level. While Gohan had developed his Mystic and Beast forms, none of the hybrid Saiyans had ever achieved the Super Saiyan 4 transformation.
Theoretically, a hybrid Saiyan was capable of the transformation. As long as they possessed a tail and the ability to become a Great Ape, the potential was there.
However, among the known hybrids, only Gohan had been born with a tail. It was never clear if Goten and Trunks had them, as they were never shown in the storyline.
But according to Magnus's description, his own son did possess a tail.
Therefore, in theory, he could also reach the Super Saiyan 4 stage. Yet theory was just theory. This universe lacked the power of Ki, and Axis felt that his son having the physical enhancement of a Super Saiyan 1 was already an incredible achievement.
"So, can his hair turn golden-green? And during the transformation, does it become more rigid and vertical, with lightning arcing around his body? Have you seen such a form?" Axis asked.
"My apologies, Father, we have not witnessed Brother Kratos display the transformation you describe," Khârn replied, "His is identical to our golden transformation. His hair turns gold, and his body erupts in a powerful, golden flame."
"I see," Axis said. "I am leaving this war in your hands. Do not disappoint me."
Axis had no intention of dealing with the weakest of the Primarchs himself.
"Leave it to us, Great Father," Khârn said. He gave Axis a deeply respectful bow before turning and leaving the palace.
"It seems our son did not inherit your Legendary Super Saiyan transformation," Kasha remarked.
"That transformation is a genetic mutation among Saiyans," Axis explained with a smile, "I didn't possess it at first either. It was your father's modifications that allowed me to attain it. If born naturally, only one appears in our race every thousand years."
Kasha smiled back. "If my father lived in your world, he probably would have seen forty or more Legendary Super Saiyans by now." In the eyes of an immortal, a millennium was not a long time.
Her father, the Emperor, had lived for over forty thousand years, perhaps closer to fifty thousand.
"Haha! You are not wrong there."
"Axis," Kasha began, "if you only gained that form after father's modifications, does that mean our son could undergo the same procedure?" As a mother, she naturally wanted her son to be as strong and brave as his father.
"That is not realistic," Axis said, "A major reason I survived the surgery was because of my Ki. Without it, the modifications cannot be completed. A Legendary Super Saiyan is even more extreme than a normal one. The fact that our half-blood son was born at all and survives without relying on Ki is already a miracle."
The Emperor had likely already experimented with such a thing.
Otherwise, his son would have long since transformed into a Legendary Super Saiyan. There was no guarantee that the child of a Legendary Super Saiyan would inherit the trait.
"I understand. But our son already possesses the power of a Primarch. That is more than enough," Kasha said, content.
What more could she ask for? After all, her own father had personally told her that the son she bore could defeat a great many of his own Primarchs.
"I am glad you see it that way," Axis said with a smile, "He is second only to his old man."
However, nothing was truly absolute.
If he could master the power of the gods in the future, perhaps a different kind of attempt could be made.
"Alright, I am going to the Psyker Chamber to monitor the system's Warp presence and watch for Lorgar's approach," Kasha said, waving to Axis as she departed for the observation hall.
From there, she could perfectly channel her psychic power to monitor the entire system, ready to alert the Legion the instant a Warp rift opened.
Time passed quickly. Three days later, Axis's Legion had completed its re-equipping and had familiarised itself with the teleportation bracelets. The Legion's overall strength had increased dramatically.
A ripple tore through the Warp.
A fleet of roughly one hundred and fifty thousand legionaries and over a hundred battleships emerged into the Nuceria system.
The moment they arrived, Lorgar sent a psychic message to the planet, claiming he was there to assist Nuceria in its defense against an impending Ork invasion.
He requested that the planet power down all of its orbital defense batteries.
Axis gave a cold sneer.
This time, he did not have Kasha relay his message. Instead, he connected his own psychic might directly with Lorgar aboard his flagship.
"We meet for the first time, Lorgar," Axis said, "I am Axis. I am delighted to welcome you and your army to my planet."
"It's you, Axis! You have returned to realspace? I am so pleased for you. I am here to assist in your legion's defense. Please, disable the orbital batteries around the planet so we can avoid any misunderstandings," Lorgar replied, his thoughts racing.
Damnation! How could that monster suddenly be back on his homeworld? That fool Horus swore he had blown Axis to bits!
Of all the Space Marine Legions, Lorgar despised Axis's Golden Legion the most. It was they who had razed his Monarchia to the ground all those years ago. He remembered the warriors descending from the sky, wreathed in golden flame, and effortlessly crushing his city's garrison. By the time he returned, he had found only ruins and a warning from the Emperor.
From that day forward, his sanity had unraveled.
Under the sway of his First Chaplain, Erebus, he had journeyed into the Eye of Terror and knelt before true gods, the Chaos Gods themselves.
He had later orchestrated Horus's fall, yet the Four held Horus in higher esteem, a fact that filled Lorgar with bitter resentment. He had hoped to finally have his revenge on this day, but he had never imagined that the butcher Axis would be waiting for him. Now, Lorgar had to figure out how to withdraw from this system.
"Enough, Lorgar. Do not play games with me, for I have no patience for them," Axis's voice cut through his thoughts, "I already know that you have betrayed the Emperor. I know precisely what you intended to do by coming to my homeworld."
Hearing this, Lorgar's expression darkened. For a moment, he was at a loss for how to respond.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Axis? I have committed no betrayal. Do not speak such slander," Lorgar attempted to bluff.
He reasoned that only four Primarchs had officially declared their treachery. Perhaps Axis was not certain of his allegiance and was only trying to frighten him. He could not afford to show any weakness now, or with Axis's power, he was as good as dead.
"Do not lie to me," Axis's psychic voice was sharp, "My Ki is exceptionally sensitive to the power of Chaos. I can feel it. Your entire legion, every one of your sons, has been corrupted by its filth. Your disguise is futile, Lorgar. You know, I actually feel pity for you. Was it really just because a city was destroyed? The fruit from the Tree of Might I once gave you was far more valuable than that city, your children weren't even killed. You held a grudge against me, and even the Emperor, over such a petty thing?"
Axis's mockery finally ignited Lorgar's fury.
The Word Bearer Primarch's face twisted in rage as the energies of Chaos swirled around him. His hysterical roar thundered through the psychic link.
"Blasphemer! Do you think destroying Monarchia was a small thing? It was a symbol of faith! A sacred hall! And you, your son, and your yellow dogs leveled it!" The Word Bearers' primarch snapped.
"How childish," Axis sneered, severing the connection, "Some of you Primarchs are nothing but neurotic man-children. In any case, I have no more to say to you. Rest assured, I will not be dealing with you personally. You are not worthy of my time. My sons will take good care of you." The Primarchs, he reflected, were all flawed in some way.
Even the great Horus was prone to fits of childishness.
Turning to Khârn, who stood beside him, Axis spoke softly. "Begin, Khârn. Show Lorgar what true power is."
A savage grin spread across Khârn's face as he activated the fleet-wide broadcast. "Golden Legion! Attack! For the Father!"
The first shots came from the planetary orbital cannons that the Golden Legion had arrayed in the void.
In response, the weapon ports of the Word Bearer warships flared with a profane purple light, and countless daemon engines glowed with malevolence. Lorgar had dropped all pretense.
The two fleets crashed into each other across the blackness of space. Led by their captains, the sons of Axis launched a massive boarding assault against the Word Bearers' fleet.
There was no artifice, no complex strategy. With nothing but absolute power, the sons of Axis fell upon their foe.
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Ps?