"Don't worry about that, Magnus. That black giant has nothing to do with you. Now you face me." Roboute Guilliman handed his Emperor's Sword to Rhodes, flexed his body, and stepped up to Magnus barehanded.
He didn't need the Emperor's Sword against Magnus—it might kill him.
Now that he was fully awakened, his power was beyond what any other Primarch could imagine, even the most powerful psyker Magnus.
In the Warp, there were many minor gods, but none had matching physical bodies—except him.
"Heh! Bring it on, Guilliman," Magnus sneered, drawing his Blade of Magnus and unleashing powerful psychic energy at Guilliman.
Guilliman smiled, and struck a strange pose with his hands on his chest, a blue-green light shone, and a shield appeared around him.
He stood with his arms folded, and to Magnus's surprise, he transformed into a giant over 60 meters tall.
"Come, Magnus! If you can make me take even one step back, you win," Guilliman said.
Rhodes had recently taught him this taunt—when facing a strong enemy, stand with arms folded, looking down on your opponent, but actually activating the ultimate Xuanwu defense.
Let your opponent attack all they want, breaking their spirit and exhausting them, while also reflecting some damage.
"You can grow larger too!" Magnus exclaimed in surprise.
This giant transformation has become very popular recently. Abaddon, the Black Warmaster, could do it. The new Slaanesh child could do it and even crushed Fulgrim. Now Guilliman and the black giant, plus the rumored Emperor's avatar—there were a lot of them.
"Never mind my abilities! Magnus, bring it on!" Guilliman said.
"Hmph!"
Magnus grunted, conjured a massive Chaos energy ball, and hurled it at Guilliman. Just because you're bigger doesn't mean you can beat me—Magnus could shred an Emperor-class Titan with his psychic power.
The energy ball was instantly blocked and bounced back by green energy as Magnus watched in shock.
He swung his sword and barely deflected it, astonished at Guilliman's power.
When did Guilliman get so strong? Among Primarchs, he'd always been one of the weaker ones, on Lorgar's level.
Unconvinced, Magnus launched several probing attacks, but his vaunted long-range psychic spells couldn't even scratch Guilliman's shield.
No matter how strong his Chaos attacks, they were all reflected by an invisible force.
Magnus frowned. He was proud, but not arrogant—he never underestimated an opponent.
Guilliman's giant body was different from other Primarchs. He stood unmoving, taking a dozen Chaos spells without flinching—this was astonishing power.
Magnus signaled his Thousand Sons and Chaos sorcerers to assist him with a powerful psychic storm.
As they raised their staves to attack, Rhodes snorted, raised his hand, and unleashed a scarlet flame, encasing Guilliman and Magnus in a suitable battlefield.
He also set up a barrier with his powers to prevent anyone from interfering in the brothers' duel.
"Charge to aid the Primarch!" a group of Thousand Sons tried to break through Rhodes' flame barrier.
"Steel-Breaking Ox Fist!" Rhod, now also a 55-meter giant, punched, sending hundreds of Thousand Sons flying, their bodies shattering into power armor fragments.
Rhodes' attack was deadly to them—many were soul-bound to their armor, having lost their bodies long ago, with only a few retaining flesh.
"No! Damn you!" Magnus howled, firing a psychic lightning bolt at Rhodes, devoted as he was to his sons.
But Rhodes easily batted it away.
"Magnus, looks like you're out of tricks! Now it's my turn!" Guilliman shrank to Magnus's size and began pummeling him with fists. He'd been diligently training in Cosmic Phantom Beast Fist, and now his close combat was formidable.
Magnus had mighty psychic power, but in melee, he was a joke—he didn't even have his original body anymore, just a Daemon Prince's. Leman Russ had already killed his real body, and his soul was split into five pieces, one of which the Emperor still kept—Magnus's only bright, good aspect.
Against Guilliman's fierce blows, Magnus stood no chance. In a few rounds, he was being soundly beaten.
When did Guilliman get so strong?! When did this non-combatant get such power?!
At the start, Magnus tried to use his psychic strength to attack Guilliman's mind and slow him down, a trick that always worked before. But now, it was useless—his attacks disappeared like stones in the sea.
"This is a new martial art I learned, Cosmic Phantom Beast Fist, just the basic version. Take this, Magnus!" Guilliman said, hammering Magnus relentlessly.
The Xuanwu style focused on defense, but its attacks were also strong—each move was overwhelming, relying on absolute power.
Magnus grew anxious, glancing around—just as the fight started, the Tzeentch Greater Daemon who'd come with him had already disappeared!
As Magnus and Guilliman fought and Rhodes cleared the field, the Tzeentch Daemon quietly slipped away, unnoticed.
In the fiery ring, Guilliman hammered Magnus, leaving the fallen Primarch unable to resist.
Rhodes and the others didn't sit idle. Under Rhodes' orders, Elena, the Custodian, and Mephiston joined forces to devastate the Chaos Marines and daemons in the ship.
Together, they quickly cleaned out the Chaos forces that had teleported to Macragge's Honour.
Outside, the battle was nearly over. The Dark Giant Daram, now in Dark Emperor form, displayed overwhelming power with endless beam attacks.
Magnus's Chaos fleet was completely helpless. When the last ship was destroyed, the battle's outcome was beyond doubt.
In the cabin, Magnus was thoroughly subdued.
The once-proud Primarch lay on the ground, eyes hollow, pinned immovably by Guilliman.
A black flash appeared as Horus returned to human form and entered.
"Magnus, surrender," Guilliman said.
"I've lost! Don't humiliate me, Guilliman—just finish it!" Magnus said.
"You're still the same, Magnus! Won't you even give yourself one last chance? I fought hard for this opportunity," Horus said, now restored to his original four-meter form.
"It's you! That's impossible!" Magnus's eyes widened in shock.
He saw the once-leader of the Chaos rebellion, the chosen of the four Chaos Gods, Warmaster Horus!
"Magnus! Father gave me a chance to atone, and I seized it. You have a chance too," Horus sighed.