Reborn as Humanity’s Emperor Across the Multiverse

As the chilling laughter reverberated, the group suddenly realized that an unassuming figure had somehow appeared right in the middle of their formation.

What?!

Startled, Jalan, Aldemo, and their forty-man squad quickly turned to reform their ranks, raising their massive shields to encircle the seemingly harmless individual.

Selene, deemed a non-combatant by the Dark Angels, retreated to the outer perimeter to avoid disrupting their combat efficiency.

Through the gaps between the towering warriors, Selene finally managed to catch a glimpse of the source of the sinister laughter:

The figure stood about 1.8 meters tall with a standard build, clad in a black hooded robe. His skin was deathly pale, devoid of any color.

His face appeared unremarkable, with no grotesque or striking features—except for his eyes. His pupils glowed faintly with an eerie, blood-red hue.

Without needing to guess, Selene immediately recognized this seemingly harmless figure as none other than Satan, the Lord of Hell, who had taken on a human guise.

Facing the hulking Dark Angels, Satan remained calm and confident, a smirk playing on his lips as he began to speak:

"Little ones, you—"

Clang! Clang!—Boom!

Zing!—Zap!

Before Satan could finish his taunt, he was cut off by the deafening roar of bolt rounds and plasma rifle fire.

The precision of the Astartes ensured every shot landed squarely on target, with no fear of friendly fire. The explosive shards of the bolt rounds and plasma projectiles failed to harm the Dark Angels' titanium-alloy armor or energy shields.

The squad, in turn, fired freely, uninterested in hearing Satan's monologue. Time was of the essence—they needed to eliminate the Lord of Hell before Athena, the Grey Knights, and the Greek demigods could descend to the ninth layer of Betrayal and steal the glory of the kill.

"Hahaha! You little ones are far more entertaining than those knights and nuns!"

To their surprise, Satan laughed loudly, even as his body was engulfed by explosions and plasma flames. His voice brimmed with a disturbing enjoyment of their assault.

What?!

Realizing their firearms, including plasma rifles, were ineffective, Jalan abruptly activated his power claw, which crackled with arcs of lightning, and charged forward.

"Firearms are useless! Engage this scum in close combat!" he commanded.

At his signal, Aldemo and six elite squad members advanced, while the others widened the encirclement to keep Satan contained. A small detachment of four stayed back to guard Selene.

The Dark Angels, disciplined and tactical, avoided an all-out rush. Crowding the fight could hinder their effectiveness, so they chose a systematic approach.

Jalan led the charge, swinging his right arm's power claw in a downward strike toward the much smaller Satan.

"Hmm."

Satan easily sidestepped the blow with a dismissive smile.

But as Jalan's strike missed, his left hand—clad in another power claw—lashed upward in a lightning-fast uppercut aimed at Satan's throat.

The speed of the attack created afterimages, forcing Satan to react seriously for the first time. His grin vanished as he narrowly dodged the strike.

Boom, Boom!

Before Satan could recover, Aldemo closed in, his powered sword arcing down in a deadly slash aimed at Satan's neck.

Caught off guard, Satan was forced into a clumsy roll to evade the attack.

Though immune to conventional firearms, Satan quickly realized that the resolute strikes of these warriors could harm his true form.

In his arrogance, he had taken on a human guise to mock and toy with his foes, only to find himself on the defensive.

As Satan finished his roll, he summoned his weapon—a blood-red trident glowing with ominous energy.

But as he prepared to counter, a squad member carrying a massive shield charged in from behind, slamming into Satan with full force.

Boom!

The impact sent Satan hurtling forward, directly into the path of two other squad members wielding a power sword and a chainsword.

Hummm—Sizzle!

The plasma-charged blades tore into Satan's side, leaving deep, gory wounds. The chainsword's high-speed spinning teeth mangled his flesh further, reducing it to a bloody mess.

The entire sequence of events, from Jalan's initial strike to Satan being wounded, lasted less than four seconds.

Selene, observing from a safe distance, absorbed every detail with crystal clarity.

As an advanced AI, Selene rarely participated in combat operations directly. She usually assisted by hacking systems or analyzing data, leaving the fighting to enhanced soldiers. But seeing the Dark Angels in action left her in awe.

Despite lacking a human soul, Selene simulated an emotional response akin to admiration.

"Arghhhh!!!"

Satan roared in fury, his rage echoing through the ninth layer of hell.

Never had he imagined being wounded by "mere grunts."

To make matters worse, it wasn't even the strongest among them who had inflicted the injuries—it was two seemingly ordinary soldiers.

Overwhelmed by anger, Satan's body began to transform. His pale human guise melted away, revealing his true form: blood-red skin, curved horns, and six bat-like wings sprouting from his back.

Yet Satan did not grow to the towering heights of Asmodeus or Beelzebub. He remained roughly the same size as his foes, a calculated choice to maintain agility.

Brandishing his trident, Satan lunged at the nearest Dark Angel with blinding speed.

Boom!

The energy shield protecting the soldier shattered instantly.

Splat!

The trident pierced through his chest, its supernatural sharpness rendering the Astartes' titanium armor useless.

With a furious motion, Satan hurled the impaled soldier across the battlefield, where he collided with three others, knocking them to the ground.

The tide of battle shifted rapidly.

What had been an overwhelming advantage for the Dark Angels turned into a desperate struggle as Satan broke through their ranks.

Hovering in midair, his wings beating furiously, Satan surveyed the battlefield from above, his gaze searching for his next target.

The injured soldier lay motionless, but Jalan and Aldemo remained composed. They knew their fallen comrade was not truly dead.

Astartes could enter a "suspended animation" state when critically injured, allowing them to be revived with proper medical intervention aboard their flagship.

Still, Satan's ability to fly presented a new challenge.

As Satan dove toward his next victims, Jalan shouted:

"Selene! Retreat and rendezvous with Athena immediately!"

Then, using his power claw and thrusters, Jalan launched himself upward in a sacrificial attempt to buy time.

"Hahaha! How pathetic!" Satan mocked, effortlessly swatting Jalan back down to the icy surface.

As Satan prepared to crush the Dark Angels beneath his colossal foot, a golden beam of light suddenly erupted from below, forcing him off balance.

Boom!

The radiance pierced through the darkness, heralding the arrival of a new force.

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