Chapter 582 - 582: Daram and Horus, Shattering the Nurgle Daemon Eye
The false Mortarion let out an inhuman howl, and from his severed arm, clusters of yellowish-green spore clouds suddenly erupted.
These highly toxic mists instantly enveloped Daram's entire body, even beginning to corrode the armor of the Giant of Light, leaving mottled rust spots.
"Hahaha! Thanks to the Father's gift—I am immortal; even a giant cannot defeat me."
"Too weak! You think such petty tricks can handle me? You think this plague can do it?"
Daram suddenly roared, his whole body erupting in brilliant crimson light.
The corrosion marks evaporated rapidly like dew baked by flames, the powerful light energy instantly dispelling any evil forces.
He lunged forward in a single bound, his right leg sweeping out with a whistling tear through the air.
"Boom!"
The false Mortarion's knee shattered on impact, his massive body crashing to the ground on one knee.
Daram seized the opportunity, grabbing his tattered bat wings, his arm muscles bulging like explosions: "Get up! Scum, witness my power."
The hundred-meter-tall plague primarch was swung entirely into the air, arcing in a semicircle before slamming into the other side with a thunderous crash.
After three consecutive violent slams, the ground now had three crater-like deep pits, Daram's attacks demonstrating to the world what violent aesthetics truly meant.
You idiot, you don't think Horus is stronger than me, do you?
Horus is indeed a very suitable human vessel, able to perfectly unleash his power and even evolve into new forms.
Everything about the giant belongs to the giant; all the power the human vessel gains will be accepted by the giant, and if he wishes, he can forcibly take control of the body.
When a giant fuses with an ordinary human, it's not the human who dominates, but the giant—unless that giant is a stone statue with no self-awareness.
Having fused with Horus for decades, he not only possesses the power of light but has also not discarded the dark forces, keeping them hidden within.
Now, whenever he wants, he can separate from Horus and retain his original power.
"It's over." The color timer on Daram's chest began to flash. He stepped back half a step, assuming a charging stance.
Crimson energy surged from the seams of his armor, condensing into a blazing white energy vortex on his right fist.
"Strong Force Demon-Breaking Fist!"
This move was developed based on the master's Strong Force Bull-Breaking Fist as a prototype, channeling all his proud strength into it and unleashing it.
The moment this punch was thrown, space visibly distorted. The false Mortarion's barely raised giant scythe melted into molten iron upon contact with the fist's edge, followed by his chest armor, his body, and finally that twisted face—
Dazzling white light engulfed everything. When the light faded, the false Mortarion's upper body had completely vanished, his remaining lower body slumping like a melted candle.
The wriggling maggots and spores were drawn by some eerie energy; even with half his body blown away, this Mortarion was still not dead.
Rhodes suddenly narrowed his eyes: "Something's wrong—look at that blood!"
The blood spilled from Mortarion condensed in the air, transforming into countless miniature Nurgle daemons that lunged at Daram.
These mutants exploded violently upon touching the red armor, their corrosive acidic liquid beginning to erode the light energy, while Mortarion's shattered body started to reform.
Countless Nurgle daemons, plague monsters, and even some giant zombie-like creatures suddenly appeared, entangling Daram.
The false Mortarion took the chance to roll away, more maggots surging from his severed parts to reform his body. His voice suddenly became ethereal and distorted: "You think this is the end? Look at the sky, Giant of Light."
The overcast sky suddenly cracked open, a massive rotting eyeball gazing down from the Warp onto the battlefield.
Viscous green raindrops began to fall, each one corroding deep pits into the ground; that eye was like Nurgle himself.
"The Father... is watching you... watching us." The false Mortarion's body began to mutate, his back bulging with countless tumors that finally burst into twelve wriggling plague tentacles. His head split into three faces, simultaneously screeching: "Now... let us merge as one!"
If this giant's body could receive Nurgle's blessing, if it could return to the Father's embrace, it would become an even more terrifying plague giant.
This special giant lifeform was even stronger than those other-dimensional killers; their bodies could accommodate various powers. The key to this battle was to make this giant reveal a flaw and expose his true form.
Only when his true form appeared would the real plan begin.
Daram's armor was sizzling from corrosion, but he laughed excitedly instead: "Now this is interesting! Horus, come out and play—"
The timer on his chest suddenly shifted from blue to gold, Daram's red body coated in a layer of sacred glow. A figure composed purely of silvery-white light formed beside Daram.
It was a giant over 80 meters tall, made of silvery-white metallic lines—this giant was none other than Horus, who had just been fighting the Nurgle monster Mortarion.
It was his Giant of Light state; Daram had somehow manifested Horus's body separately through special means.
The scene on the battlefield stunned everyone except Rhodes.
What was going on? They were clearly one person, so why had they split into two? No, what the hell was this?
"No need to be confused; this is the power of the giant.
The giant has fused with Horus for so many years; their minds are already in sync, their powers intertwined.
Moreover, both have their own bodies—the giant has his own, and Horus has his.
When they fuse, they can unleash even greater power, but most of the time, it's the giant's power repairing Horus's soul.
Now that repair is finally complete; the giant has left a portion of his light, allowing Horus to gain a giant's body as well." Rhodes explained the situation to everyone.
In simple terms, a sufficient bond has formed between the giant and the human vessel. The giant left a portion of light in the vessel's body, so even if he leaves, the vessel can transform into a giant and fight.
What he left was just a ray of light, granting transformation ability, but the strength after transformation is completely different from the original.
The same applies here; Daram has chosen to separate from Horus at this moment. This fusion with Horus has given him even greater power.
It's time for him to leave this human vessel.
"My partner, are you leaving me? Don't you want to fight side by side with me anymore?" The silver giant that Horus had become looked at Daram and asked.
After reviving from a 10,000-year slumber, Daram had always been by his side, their minds connected, fighting shoulder to shoulder.
The giant's power had restored him to his peak, even making him stronger than before, but now this partner was suddenly leaving. In the gene primarch's experience, they had only been together for a few decades.
That was a very short time; he had thought it would be thousands of years later!
"There's no banquet that doesn't end, and besides, I don't want to stay inside you forever without stretching my limbs. I've left a portion of light in your body; even if I'm not there, you can use part of my power to transform into a giant and fight." Daram waved his hand and said.
Of course, the light left in Horus only allows him to transform into a giant for battle, but further evolution is impossible. Horus is a pure warrior.
He has learned enough from the other, and even transformed into a Giant of Light; it's time for them to part ways.
Horus was silent for a moment, then sighed heavily and nodded at Daram.
"I understand. Daram, you will always be my partner, my best brother, without equal. I will remember these days fighting alongside you."
"Me too, my partner. Let me finish this last battle—together." Daram finished speaking and looked up at the giant eye in the sky.
If not stopped, this giant eye might pull the entire planet into the chaotic Warp.
"I know, partner; let's stop this disaster together, but first, deal with this guy." Horus finished speaking and turned to the false Mortarion, whom Daram had severely wounded.
He planted his feet firmly, pulling back his right fist to charge, his entire arm bursting with blinding silvery-white light: "Take this—it's the bond between me and my partner, Sacred Storm."
A terrifying storm of light energy enveloped the false Mortarion, centered on Horus.
The false Mortarion's massive root tentacles stabbed out simultaneously but turned to ash upon touching the golden light.
"Let me help you too!"
Daram said, his heavy fist piercing through the three twisted faces, momentum unbroken as it smashed into the chest, directly shattering the Nurgle mark at the core!
"Impossible!" The false Mortarion's body froze in place, cracks emitting increasingly strong golden light.
Daram withdrew his fist and turned away coolly: "Explode, small fry."
"Boom—!!!"
The false Mortarion exploded into particles of light scattering across the sky, even the rotting eyeball in the sky letting out a pained roar as it retracted into the Warp. The green rainstorm abruptly stopped, and sunlight once again bathed the battlefield.
Horus said: "Well done, partner."
Daram gave a thumbs up. "Now only that giant eye in the sky remains."
On the battlefield, the red giant and the silver giant exchanged glances, then together assumed their stances, looking up at the giant eye in the sky.
One red, one white—two streams of energy shot skyward, striking the giant eye in the sky.
The Eyes of Nurgle in the sky trembled violently, its pupil burned by the light energy, oozing pus and blood.
The entire sky began to distort, Warp rifts tearing open like festering wounds. Countless plague flies and corrupted daemons surged from the cracks, trying to block the two giants' assault.
"Horus—" Daram growled lowly, his whole body boiling with crimson energy, arms crossed over his chest, lava-like glow bursting from his armor seams.
"Understood!" Horus's silvery-white body shone, his hands overlapping in front of the timer on his chest, endless light energy gathering into a brilliant blue orb.
"Combination Technique—let's call this one Daram-Horus Storm!"
The two giants stood side by side, palms joining as they unleashed a terrifying combined skill.
Daram swung his fist fiercely, crimson energy erupting like a volcano, while Horus's orb split into countless beams in mid-air, intertwining with Daram's strong force energy.
"Boom—!!!"
The crimson and silver light streams spiraled together, forming a world-piercing torrent of destruction, charging straight at the Eyes of Nurgle!
Plague flies turned to ash upon contact with the light stream, corrupted daemons letting out agonized wails as their bodies disintegrated in the purifying light.
The Eyes of Nurgle contracted frantically, trying to close the rift and escape, but it was too late—
"Ao... No... Impossible—Ahh." A terrifying roar echoed from the sky, like a green fat man screaming in agony.
The light stream smashed into the center of the eyeball, the corrupted pupil shattering like glass. Yellow-green pus rained down like a storm but evaporated mid-air by the light energy.
The entire sky was torn apart, the Warp rifts rapidly healing under the light torrent's scour, the chaotic filth thoroughly purified.
Even all the Chaos Space Marines on the planet, all surviving beings connected to chaotic forces, were purified by this terrifying light storm.
A sacred storm swept across the entire planet. Some mortal soldiers, upon contact with this light power, were instantly healed, feeling warm all over.
Some mortals wanted to pray to the Emperor but stopped, because this was different from the Emperor's power—it wasn't even the Emperor's power.
"It's over." Daram retracted his fist and said.
"We won." Horus deactivated his giant form, returning to human form, and looked up at Daram.
Daram's massive red body looked down at Horus, grinning: "Yeah, we won. But time's up; it's time to say goodbye for real."
He was still a bit reluctant to leave this human vessel, but he had more important things to do.
"You're leaving?" Horus asked.
"Yeah."
Daram's body transformed into a streak of crimson light flying toward the universe, but his voice remained clear: "Remember, Horus, the power of light doesn't just come from me—it's from your own will, humanity's hope. As long as your heart still burns with light, you will never lose this power."
Horus was silent for a moment, then nodded solemnly: "I understand. Goodbye, partner."
The Warmaster's eyes were a bit moist.