*Endurance*, the Dueling Cage.
Now.
The once spacious dueling hall now seemed somewhat cramped. An unexpected crowd had gathered in the darkened stands, their eyes fixed intently on the duel above.
A towering figure, the Primarch, sat below, his face obscured by shadows and mist, making it difficult to discern his features.
But those soldiers close to Mortarion could feel the immense pressure and displeasure emanating from him.
The cause? The chaotic psychic energy fluctuations on the stage.
Apart from the xenos lords of Barbarus, none had ever dared to wield psychic powers so brazenly in Mortarion's presence.
Brilliant psychic white light danced wildly on the stage, the space slightly distorted due to the powerful psychic fluctuations. Frost snaked its way, covering the entire dueling cage.
Ugo held a longsword, suspended with ice. The entire blade was covered in frost, but psychic-powered white flames flowed serpent-like along its length.
His enhanced physique and strength, amplified by psychic energy, made Ugo glow faintly. His eyes sparkled with psychic energy, fueled by rage.
Such a strong psychic display! Even in the usual duels among the Librarians, it was never this exaggerated. The Librarians, who value wisdom and order, would never expose their psychic powers so recklessly. They were usually like stingy stewards when it came to psychic energy, knowing that excessive use could lead to exhaustion or worse — madness.
But Ugo was furious. He glared at the fearful Carlast Typhon across from him.
The traitor!
Moreover, he wanted to show everyone, right here on this dueling platform, that the Death Guard's Librarians were not to be underestimated. Even if restricted by the Primarch, they could stand tall within the Death Guard!
The bell rang mercilessly, signaling Typhon's defeat.
Seeing Ugo's venomous gaze, Carlast could no longer hide his abilities. A faint psychic aura enveloped him.
But how could a novice psychic, with only basic training, stand against a seasoned Librarian?
Ugo, almost showing off, muttered incantations, using his immense psychic pressure against Typhon. He then swung his sword, sending a roaring fire serpent straight for Carlast Typhon's face.
Pinned by the pressure and unable to move, Typhon raised his scythe in a futile attempt to block the fire serpent. He also chanted a counter-spell, creating an invisible semi-spherical psychic barrier in front of him.
To be fair, Carlast Typhon's psychic talents were among the best. But against the vast experience and combat prowess of Ugo, it was all in vain.
The fire serpent easily shattered the barrier and charged unobstructed towards Typhon. With a blinding white explosion, Carlast was sent flying off the platform, lying on the ground, barely alive.
The audience below was utterly silent.
Ugo's full psychic display was beyond what most could imagine in a duel. On regular battlefields, Librarians often used group traps, ambushes, or prophecies. Rarely did one see a Librarian in single combat.
But now, they had witnessed it.
Even some of the older Terran soldiers in the legion realized they had underestimated the Librarians, who were often seen as a support group.
Below, the Barbarus natives stirred. A few close to Carlast Typhon surrounded him, and an Apothecary hurriedly made his way into the crowd.
On the stage, Ugo's psychic energy showed no signs of waning. He stood there, staring intently in the direction of the Primarch, the space around him distorting even more terrifyingly.
Apart from some commotion among the Barbarus natives, the rest were silent.
Mortarion's censer chimed.
The Primarch, who had been sitting with his arms crossed, began to rise—
But suddenly, Mortarion halted.
A distinct, rough set of footsteps grew louder.
When Hades, almost dragged by Vox, entered the hall, the Primarch spoke.
His raspy whisper echoed clearly in the hall.
"Hades, step forward."
Hades, now filled with questions, looked at the stage, the distorted space, and the figure clearly different from the usual Astartes.
He instantly pieced together what had just transpired.
Mortarion, are you treating me like some sort of Pokémon? Using a dark type to counter a psychic type?
On the dueling platform, the white light mercilessly illuminated the two figures, with small psychic sparks crackling in the air.
Hades stood there, holding a scythe.
The training scythe that Carlast Typhon had held was already broken by psychic energy. Seeing a slightly hesitant Hades, Ugo pulled another scythe from the weapon rack and threw it to him.
"Thanks," Hades caught the scythe, instinctively expressing his gratitude.
Ugo raised an eyebrow.
Polite, but that's not a reason for me to go easy on you.
Hades, however, missed Ugo's change in expression. He readied himself, his mind racing.
Facing the slightly distorted space in front of him, Hades estimated that Ugo's psychic level was stronger than most xenos lords on Barbarus but not quite at the level of Necare.
If it were the Hades from Barbarus, he would have been confident in winning this duel.
But now...
His "Black Realm" ability could no longer suppress the surrounding space as before. It could only suppress as far as his skin!
The scythe in Hades's hand wasn't the "Death Knell" that could channel the Black Realm, meaning he couldn't use the weapon to extend his ability.
Due to the changes in the Black Realm, Hades was at a clear disadvantage.
But Mortarion didn't know about Hades's changes. He thought Hades still had his old abilities! That's why, upon hearing Hades's footsteps, he chose to send him into the duel.
What no one knew was that Mortarion initially intended to step into the duel himself!
Ugo's actions were nothing short of a challenge to Mortarion.
Hades's arrival, however, changed Mortarion's initial plan, inadvertently saving Ugo's life.
Now, with Hades holding a training scythe and facing Ugo, both dressed in standard combat attire and surrounded by the shimmering psychic sparks, there was only one way to win.
Hades looked at Ugo.
Well, since you're using psychic powers, I guess I can take an unconventional approach, right?
Ahem... ahem, I've read some snippets about this new book.
Horus feigning madness, the Custodian Guard being corrupted, Dorn almost being taken by the Chaos Gods (which explains why Dorn held back and retreated), and that Dark God...
His hand, holding the pen, trembled slightly.