"So, Sanguinius, how exactly do you intend to test this? Otherwise, let's both return to our universe first and ask the Emperor directly," Axis said.
Since the Dark King had already been killed by Axis in this timeline, the Emperor had returned to normal. Communication should be possible. For something like this, asking the person in question was the best approach.
The person who understands you best is often yourself. The old man would certainly be able to tell if another version of himself was sane or not.
"That is one solution. But if we return to our own universe now, won't the Emperor of this world detect it prematurely? After all, your son is currently on Holy Terra," Sanguinius replied, his tone cautious. "There is also Kasha to consider. All these factors must be weighed. Furthermore, the Goddess of Life in this universe is of critical importance to you."
"That shouldn't happen. My power is impossible for him to monitor. If he could truly track my every move, we would be the ones on the defensive, and he wouldn't need to put on an act with me," Axis reasoned.
"Then the path is clear. I will stall for time here," Sanguinius said. "Axis, use your ability to cross back to our universe immediately. Ask Father about this matter, then return as quickly as possible. You must do this unbeknownst to gods or ghosts."
"That isn't difficult. If it's just me alone, I can move undetected," Axis assured him.
"We are still some distance from the fleet. Return now, verify this with the Emperor of our world. If Father can confirm it, we will have to plan our next move very carefully," Sanguinius said.
"Understood."
Axis nodded, and together with Sanguinius, they tore through the barriers of the Warp, emerging directly into the material universe.
It was easier to be monitored by the Dark King within the Warp. However, in the Materium, the Dark King's vision was far less clear regarding Axis's actions.
Axis gave Sanguinius a final nod. He gathered every ounce of strength in his body, igniting his divine power. He transformed into the red-haired Super Saiyan God form and punched the void barrier.
A rift capable of spanning dimensions was torn open. Axis glanced back at Sanguinius one last time before diving in, temporarily returning to his own world.
Crossing the barrier of worlds once more, Axis reappeared at his previous departure point, the Domain of life located within the Webway.
The moment he appeared, he felt a warlike, bloodthirsty psychic presence, a holy psychic presence, and a life-force energy belonging to a Supreme Kai lock onto him simultaneously.
Upon discovering it was him, all three forces radiated excitement.
"Hahaha! I knew it! I knew you would come back, Axis!" Khorne was the first to greet him.
Previously, due to the Dark King's machinations, even Khorne hadn't dared to get too close to this place, only able to secretly provide divine power to support Axis. He hadn't expected Axis to be so bold.
He had dragged the Dark King directly to another universe. The kid was truly warlike; he suited Khorne's temperament perfectly.
"Axis, you came back alive. What happened to the Dark King? And what of Kratos, Kasha, and Sanguinius? are they safe?" the Emperor asked immediately.
After Axis had taken the Dark King away, the Emperor had instantly regained his lucidity. He discovered that the link between himself and the Dark King had been severed. The Dark King's consciousness seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber, as if it had suffered catastrophic damage.
"Father! You have finally returned," said Isha, who was responsible for tending the God Tree, letting out a sigh of relief.
Everyone had been eagerly awaiting Axis's return.
"I'm back. How long was I gone?" Axis needed to confirm the time dilation between the two sides.
Was it identical, or was one faster than the other? Axis could clearly sense that Isha's strength had increased somewhat, implying he had been away for a significant period.
"Father, you have been gone for fully forty years."
Forty years. Axis nodded at the news.
He had only spent a few months in the other world. The time flow differential was roughly a hundred to one.
"Where is Magnus?"
"He has already returned to the Imperium."
After all, the only Primarch remaining in the Empire now was Magnus.
Because Axis had taken the Dark King away, no one threatened the Emperor anymore. Consequently, Magnus did not leave the Imperium. Instead, he stayed to stabilise the realm, acting as the last Primarch to oversee imperial affairs.
He was reportedly incredibly busy, to the point that he hadn't spent any time on the Domain of Life. The work of converting the God Tree's energy had fallen entirely upon Isha's shoulders.
Fortunately, Isha had mastered the power of a Supreme Kai. coupled with the fact that the God Tree converted some energy on its own, she had managed to hold on.
"I am indeed back. Don't rush, speak one at a time," Axis said calmly. "I traveled to an alternate universe. It was a parallel universe ten thousand years in the future, the same universe that Khârn, who crossed over to our world, came from."
"Another world? You really are something, Axis. I would like to visit another world as well, but regrettably, I am bound by the Warp. Unlike you, I cannot leave at will," Khorne noted.
They rose by the Warp, and they were bound by the Warp. As the four Chaos Gods, their power within that realm was unparalleled, arguably the supreme existences of this universe.
But it was precisely because of the Warp that they were shackled. They shared in the Warp's glory and its decay.
"If you consume a Fruit of the God Tree, you can obtain a physical body. If you wish, in the future, you could travel to other worlds too. I guarantee, the multiverse is far more exciting than a single universe," Axis offered.
The effects of the Divine Fruit needed no elaboration. In time, Khorne could obtain a physical vessel that matched his divine power.
"Axis, never mind other matters. Tell me, what exactly happened over there? How are Sanguinius, Kasha, and Kratos?" the Emperor asked with urgency.
He was far more concerned about his son, daughter, and grandson. He had finally escaped the Dark King's threat; it would not be worth it if he lost two children and a grandson in the process.
"Rest assured. Kasha, Sanguinius, and Kratos are all fine... We arrived in that other world," Axis began carefully. "That world also has a version of you. We experienced many things there."
Axis did not want to reveal his suspicion, that the Emperor of the other universe might be the Dark King, to Khorne. He shot Khorne an apologetic look.
"You should catch up with your old man first. If you have time, come visit my Brass Throne for a chat." Khorne naturally picked up on Axis's cue.
He waved his hand dismissively and returned directly to his own domain.
Once Khorne had departed, the Emperor erected a golden, holy psychic barrier to block any external scrying. This psychic barrier even contained the power of the Holy Light.
Having sat on the Golden Throne for hundreds of years while Sanguinius constantly repaired his body with Holy Light, the Emperor had inadvertently grasped that power as well.
Axis added a layer of his own divine power to create a double insurance policy, completely cutting off the possibility of anyone sensing their conversation.
"You can speak now, Axis. What exactly happened in the other world?" the Emperor asked.
"It went like this. We arrived ten thousand years in the future... The version of you there has sat on the Golden Throne for ten millennia... And I do not exist in that timeline... Afterwards, Sanguinius and I decided to aid the Imperium of that other universe, and its Emperor..."
Axis recounted the entire sequence of events, explaining the causes and consequences to his own world's Emperor in detail.
Finally, he asked the most critical question: "Could the Emperor sitting on the Golden Throne in that other world, ten thousand years later, actually be the Dark King?"
"Axis, Sanguinius's caution is correct. You must learn from him. You must have a guarded heart in these matters," the Emperor stated, his voice grave. "If your description is entirely accurate, then I can say with one hundred percent certainty: the entity sitting on the Golden Throne in that other world, ten thousand years in the future, is absolutely not me."
The Emperor spoke with ironclad conviction.
There were things he would do, but there were things he absolutely would not. Tempting Axis to consume the power of a Chaos God was one of the latter.
It was a joke. Those four entities were essentially four piles of excrement, aggregates of negative energy. Who would trick their own ally into consuming such filth? How was that any different from feeding someone poison?
"Think about it, Axis. What is the ultimate goal of Khorne cooperating with you? Is it not to shed his Chaos godhood and escape the shackles of the Warp?" the Emperor reasoned. "If he truly meant well, how could he encourage you to actively absorb that evil power? Sanguinius guessed correctly. If you truly absorbed the divinity of a Chaos God, you would become deeply bound to the Warp. You would be trapped in that other universe instantly and become a new generation's Khorne!"
The Emperor continued, laying out the dire consequences. "At that point, you would be thoroughly filled with the negativity. You might not even be able to maintain your own self-awareness."
"It's just as we suspected. I didn't spot the issue at first; I thought I was cooperating with the other you to kill Khorne," Axis admitted.
Now that the Emperor himself had spoken, it was essentially confirmed. The Emperor on the Golden Throne in the other world, ten thousand years in the future, was the Dark King in disguise.
'That bastard is ruthless,' Axis thought. 'He even helped kill off the version of himself from another universe.'
...
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ps?