The tide of the battle had turhe moment he arrived. The Emperor’s legions, who had been on the verge of colpse, rallied under his presehe soldiers stationed oer walls begareating into the fortress in an orderly fashiaining their posure and discipline. As the fortress gates creaked shut, Sanguinius stood alone before them, a solitary figure against an o of foes.

  He held the line, his sword carving through daemons and Chaos Space Marines alike. No enemy could stand against him for even a moment. With each swing of his blood-streaked bde, waves of foes fell. His white wings beat powerfully, sending gusts of wind that scattered debris and smoke. As golden light spilled from his feathers, it swept over the battlefield like sacred dust. Those touched by its glow—whether corrupted spirits or mortal traitors—burst into holy fmes, their screams lost amidst the cacophony of war. Enemy ranks disied into writhing torches before they could even approach him.

  Sanguinius wielded his sword with effortless grace, often using only one hand. The bde shimmered with aernal golden light, untarnished even by the blood of his foes. Each horizontal ssh cleaved through enemies within a fifty-meter radius, the sheer force of his strikes cutting through air, ceramite, and flesh alike. Yet no matter how many fell, more came, their corpses f a grisly path as the wave surged forward. Still, Sanguinius stood unyielding. The ground trembled uhe weight of their numbers, but he held firm, a singur force defying tless adversaries.

  Unseen amidst the chaos, Kayvaan Shrike fought alongside him. bck power armor, he moved like a shadow among the enemy ranks. If Sanguinius was the blinding sun, Kayvaan was the silent specter cast by its light. Using Sanguinius as a distra, he darted through the chaos unnoticed, his movements precise and calcuted. His Raven’s Talons struck without warning, each kill swift ahal. The enemy only became aware of his presence when it was too te—when his bdes had already pierced their throats or hearts.

  While Sanguinius tore through the enemy head-on, Kayvaan huhose who posed a gehreat. He targeted powerful daemons and infamous traitor Space Marine champions, eliminating them before they could reach Sanguinius. Though the Primarch could handle such adversaries, Kayvaan's intervention spared him the effort, allowing Sanguinius to focus on holding the lihese key eliminations sowed disarray among the enemy forces, leaving them leaderless and disanized. Chaos erupted within their ranks, their blind aggression turning them into fodder for the fortress’s ons and crossfire.

  Above the din of battle, Sanguinius smiled faintly. The golden light radiating from his armrew even brighter, drawing the gaze of friend and foe alike. Under his radiant cover, Kayvaan moved even faster, striking with relentless efficy. He disrupted enemy formations, assassinated anders, and crushed their attempts at anization. As a result, the assault became a disjointed mess. Daemons and traitors alike were cut down by the fortress’s defenses or shredded by Sanguinius’s uing bde.

  The tide began to turn. ons roared from the fortress, halting the advance of the enemy’s Titan legions. The bined efforts of Sanguinius and Kayvaan bought the Emperor’s forces precious time. For aire hour, the pair stood against the overwhelming horde, holding chaos’s Gate without faltering. Only when the fortress’s gates finally closed behind them did Sanguinius lower his sword. He turo the sealed gate, smiling softly. "The battle is far from over," he said, his voice calm but resolute. "Rest, my warriors. The war has only just begun."

  As Sanguinius turo retreat into the fortress, a sudden beam of light pierced the battlefield. It streaked across the chaos, cutting through flesh, ceramite, and stone. Sensing the danger, Sanguinius turned, his wings fring as he tried to evade. But in that instant, a powerful force seized him, log his body in pce. A malevolent will coiled around him, paralyzing him with its sheer presence.

  The beam surged toward him, unstoppable and deadly. Yet before it could strike, a shadoed into its path. Kayvaan, without hesitation, pced himself betweead his Primarch. The beam struck him directly, the force of it tearing into his armor and raking across his soul. Pain unlike anything he had ever known flooded his senses, but he did not falter.

  For a fleeting moment, Kayvaan's vision blurred. He felt something cold and invasive seep into his body, a dark force threatening to e him from withi even in his agony, he stood firm, his sacrifice a testament to his unyielding loyalty. "Victory, victory, or... or..." Those were the st words Joe said, his voice trembling with fusion, leaving Sanguinius utterly baffled.

  Oher side of the battlefield, Horus slowly lowered his hand, his face dark with frustration. This curse—guarao strike its intearget—had somehow rebounded, hitting an unintended bystander instead. The misfire forced him to make minor adjustments to the grand pn he had so carefully crafted. Yet, after a moment of seething silence, a sly smile carved its way across his face, as fwless as marble. Perhaps this was fate's way of proving his supremacy. Maybe destiny itself aving the path to show that Horus was not only more powerful but also a more perfect existehan the Emperor.

  Meanwhile, in airely different space, Kayvaan sat on a etal chair, his stern gaze locked on the young man before him. His expression held a mix of suspi and faint irritation. "Have you seen enough?" he asked, his deep voice cutting through the silence like a bde.

  Standing across from him was Joe, a regur teenager from another world. He wore light blue jeans and a pin white T-shirt. His posture was stiff, his gaze darting nervously around the strange enviro. The t man’s question caught him off guard, but he managed a stammered reply. "W-where am I? What were those things I just saw?"

  "Calm down, young man," Kayvaan said, his voice steady, carrying a hoarse but reassuri. "This is the first lesson I’ll teach you. Don’t panic. Stay posed. If there’s a problem, solve it oep at a time."

  Joe closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opehem agaiermio make sense of the situation. The room remaihe same—an enormous, otherworldly library. T bookcases stretched endlessly into the sky and outward in all dires, creating a maze of a knowledge. At the heart of it all stood a simple steel chair occupied by the imposing figure of Kayvaan. Even sitting down, Kayvaan was impossibly tall, at least three meters i. He dwarfed the tallest athletes Joe had ever seen on holovids.

  "Alright," Joe said cautiously, steadying his voice. "No panig. Let’s start with the basics. Who are you?"

  "I am Kayvaan," the giant man replied, his tone firm but not unkind. "A captain of the Raven Guard and a loyal servant of the Emperor." His gaze sharpened, his expression a mix of approval and critique. "You’re quick tain posure. Impressive—for an ordinary person. But as a soldier? You’d be woefully ie."

  Joe furrowed his brow. "I don’t uand half of what you’re saying, but fine. question—where am I, and how do I get home?"