Ferrus Manus's hands itched. Living metal twisted and writhed. He reached under the thick iron curtain of his cloak, his fingers finding the ebony hammer handle.
His fingers burning, he gripped the hammer. The eagle-wing-shaped head leaped out as he attacked.
His giant form skimmed across the dust.
He swung the hammer at Nareth.
With a crack, the dust was blasted away by the shockwave.
Nareth drew the Sword of Vaul, raising it swiftly to parry the Headbreaker.
CRASH!
The opposing forces pushed them apart, like secondary repulsion.
Gabriel Santar, Captain of the Iron Hands' 1st Company, and the Morlocks, watched in shock as the liquid metal on Ferrus's forearm flowed, as if repelled by the collision, surging towards the Gorgon's biceps.
They thought the same thing in shock: Lord Nareth could match their father, and the Iron Hand.
That was the stacking power of a Primarch and the silver wyrm, Asirnoth.
Nareth's palm tingled. He had been at a disadvantage in a contest of strength with Vulkan.
But that was before his advancement to "Baron of Corruption." And Vulkan was likely the physically strongest Primarch.
'The Void Dragon fragment is powerful.'
'I have a C'tan fragment too.'
As he thought, his golden wings blazed with flame, spreading to his right arm.
The golden eagle and the silver wyrm's light clashed. The dazzling flash tore through the industrial world's thick dust. The heat wave vaporized countless crystalline industrial waste.
The silver did not recede this time. Waves of living metal surged towards his fist, reflecting off Ferrus's shale-grey hair.
Ferrus roared. His high neck guard rose behind his head. The rivets on its silver trim shook. He poured out pure, brute force from both arms without reserve.
Santar saw the Gorgon's boots sinking into the crystalline sand. The corrosive poison couldn't damage the armor forged by their father and Vulkan, but it showed their father was using his full strength.
But Lord Nareth was not. He held his sword one-handed. The sand had not reached his boots.
He glanced at the layers of silver living metal.
'Ferrus, you've reached your limit.'
'But I haven't.'
As he applied pressure, his body unmoving, the muscles on his left side collapsed, his right side bulging.
His muscles twisted and writhed in "Extension and Contraction," pumping to create new force, allowing him to achieve "Power Burst" without moving.
His muscles bulged. His wrist still, the muscles of his arm moved.
Ferrus's silver-coin eyes flickered. He keenly perceived the armor's curvature, the bulge from his waist to his arm.
'A special bio-psychic ability?'
'He shouldn't be skilled in this area.'
The thought flashed through his mind. The blue-white blade and the golden eagle suddenly surged, completely overwhelming the hammer and the silver wyrm.
CRACK!
A rivet flew.
The hand-forged plates of Ferrus's armor hummed piercingly.
The iron hand gripping the ebony hammer handle burned like molten iron.
He resisted with all his might, but was still pushed into the crystalline sand.
The sand sea rose past his calves, swallowing his knees.
Nareth pressed down with one arm, forcing Ferrus's elbows up. The ebony hammer handle struck the iron curtain cloak.
As his shoulder plate dented, the blade wedged between the iron plates.
His golden wings rose high. The silver wyrm suddenly collapsed.
Iridescent silver liquid, in a bizarre arc, sprayed onto the pitch-black armor.
The silver heat wave struck the blue-white force field, producing a piercing crackle.
The "Mentor of Disorder's" left chest collapsed, his right side swollen. His right armor hummed.
The Sword of Vaul swept down, aiming for Ferrus's neck.
The silver-white blade struck the silver liquid. No matter how he pushed, he couldn't cut through the seemingly thin liquid.
'The Void Dragon fragment's defense is the ceiling in physical combat.'
He knew that in the original Gardinaal Campaign, Ferrus had been ambushed by Stradacon's sacred reliquary battle armor. Another Primarch, caught off guard, would have been at least seriously wounded. But the Void Dragon fragment had allowed him to withstand the blow unscathed.
Though the Void Dragon fragment was physically indestructible, in the non-material realm, it was not invulnerable.
Fulgrim, using the Laer Blade containing a Slaaneshi greater daemon, had beheaded Ferrus.
As he withdrew his blade, he decided not to channel psychic energy to activate the sword forged by Vaul, nor to use abilities like "Concepts Swap."
The "Mentor of Disorder" believed he could breach the Void Dragon fragment's defense using only his physical-based beyonder abilities, "Power Burst" and "Extension and Contraction."
Ferrus's numb left arm slammed on the sand pit, propelling him up.
His arm spun like a rotor, swinging the hammer in arcs.
A swing of the silver-powered hammer could shatter a Titan's armor.
Golden light blazed. The power gauntlet's force field activated.
The "Mentor of Disorder's" right side suddenly collapsed. His left wrist abruptly extended at the moment of collision.
The golden power gauntlet missed the Headbreaker, slamming into the silver-covered armor.
As the silver receded, a scorched spot was revealed.
His body slid backward, boneless, avoiding the swinging Headbreaker, while his right arm extended. The blue-white blade, like a venomous dragon, thrust at the exposed black breastplate.
A streak of silver flashed.
The iridescent metal, as if alive, flowed, licking the black armor.
With a hiss, the "Mentor of Disorder" spun, thrusting, his wrist twisting, striking the black left leg with an Otsberg-Vaya 10th form.
Hasik Khan gripped his glaive, his eyes straining to follow Lord Nareth.
As golden flames blazed, golden light dazzled. The blue-white blade traced arcs.
Strike after strike, swift as thunder, the newly promoted "Pyromaniac" could barely follow.
Lord Nareth didn't pause, forcing Lord Ferrus back step by step, the Headbreaker only able to parry.
Lord Nareth wielded immense power and ferocious offense in perfect, natural balance.
Hasik believed this was what the Chogorian Stormseers called the Perfect Way.
The Way the Great Khan Jaghatai sought.
Sparks flew, incinerating the crystalline sand, raising toxic fumes.
Perturabo's Trident, unaffected by the fumes, couldn't follow the rhythm of the two Primarchs' offense and defense.
They were like mortals who had wandered into a demigod's battle, helplessly chasing the brilliant light, judging the situation from the flashes.
Forix, the Warsmith and blade of the Trident, asked his father beside him.
"Father, is Lord Nareth gaining the advantage?"
"No," Perturabo's words stunned the Trident. "The outcome is decided."
His transhuman mind had collected the two brothers' combat data.
Ferrus's armor had sixty-one breaches. His silver metal was nearly vaporized. He was at his limit.
Nareth's armor showed no damage. He still had reserves.
Three seconds later, Perturabo's prediction was validated. The golden fist slammed into the black armor.
As the leg plate shattered, the sound of breaking bone was heard.
Silver liquid misted. Ferrus's body crashed to its knees.
The silver-white blade swept down. The blue-white force field cut through the black armor.
Nareth pressed his thumb, deactivating the runes. The light faded. The blade forged by Vaul cut Ferrus's pale skin. Blood stained the sword's tip.
"Gorgon!"
Santar screamed in terror, charging down from the hilltop. The Morlocks followed.
Ferrus's silver-coin eyes stared at his chest.
Blood dripped, staining the crystalline sand.
He rose, raising his left arm. The panicked Santar and the others stopped.
Ferrus Manus's silver-coin eyes, steaming with heat, fixed on Nareth.
"So this is defeat."
"One day, in battle, you will lose."
"This feeling... not bad!"
He laughed, his leaden voice booming.
After ten seconds, his laughter subsided.
"I thank you, Nareth."
"I have learned much from our duel. I will be able to better control my power."
"I've finally suffered my first defeat. I am closer to perfection."
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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