"Is something funny?" The man spoke, his tone calm yet suffused with an unquestionable authority. "I am the Emperor. That is how you may address me from now on, or you may call me 'Father,' if you prefer."
Seated on his throne, the Wolf King Russ regarded this self-proclaimed father, self-proclaimed master of mankind, and self-proclaimed Emperor with a mocking smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, it's funny all right! I'm the king here, and yet you want the king to kneel to you, and you call yourself my father? My father is dead! Before he died, he handed leadership of the tribe to me, and I led my warriors to conquer this whole world. That's how I became the Wolf King." Russ's reply was blunt, without a hint of courtesy.
"That was only your adoptive father, just as this child before you is not of your own by blood," the Emperor replied, his voice still calm, but every word heavy with power. "I am your true father. You are my son. My blood runs in your veins."
"Oh really? So what now? Am I supposed to break down in tears and kneel before you, crying 'Father'? And then you'll weep and call me 'son' and we'll embrace?" Russ scoffed, his tone dripping with ridicule.
"There's no need for that," the Emperor said, unfazed. "But I am launching a great crusade to save humanity. It may last for hundreds, thousands of years, perhaps even longer. I need you to join this crusade. That is why you were born."
Russ laughed. "The Emperor of Mankind, huh? Door's on your left. You can get lost. I have zero interest in your so-called crusade."
Life as he saw it was simple: spending time with his wolf brothers, sparring with his little wolf cub, leading his warriors on the hunt.
That was the life he wanted. He had no desire to join someone else's war, let alone serve under another.
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice," the Emperor said, his calm tone now carrying an unyielding finality. "After the crusade, you may return here and live as you wish. But only after humanity is saved."
As his words faded, the Emperor swept back his cloak, revealing a suit of resplendent golden armor.
He seemed even taller and more imposing than before, a tremendous energy radiating from him that instantly forced everyone in the hall to their knees.
The only ones still standing were Leman Russ and Axis.
The Emperor's gaze lingered on Axis with interest, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes. 'This child's body is undeniably strong… Even a standard Astartes would buckle under my psychic pressure, but this one can remain standing?'
Axis, however, was far from comfortable.
His mind felt clouded, his very will close to being crushed.
Gritting his teeth, he forced the ki inside his body to circulate at full power, flooding every cell with energy just to remain conscious.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Deep within him, it felt as though a great ape was roaring in defiance, as if provoked by some invisible challenge.
That furious roar shattered the Emperor's psychic pressure, clearing his mind completely.
"What's that supposed to mean? If it's a fight you want, I'm game." Russ stepped in front of Axis, his gaze sharp as he locked eyes with the golden-armored man before him.
He could feel the terrifying pressure radiating from this man. In just a split second, he sensed, and the other could flatten him, or even kill him outright.
"I'm only making sure they can't move. I haven't harmed them, so there's no need to worry. As for your foster son, he's made quite the impression on me. I admit I underestimated him before." The Emperor looked at Axis with a hint of admiration in his voice.
He couldn't sense any psychic resonance from the child, meaning Axis wasn't a psyker.
That was a good thing. Psychic power, while formidable, was dangerous and easily corrupted by Chaos.
To have such physical strength without any psychic taint, now, that was rare. It seemed that, in addition to finding his son, he might have stumbled upon an unexpected prize.
"On Fenris, we have a tradition: when two parties can't see eye to eye and neither will back down, we settle it with three contests. If you win, I'll do as you say. But if I win, you must leave this place." Russ declared, a clear note of challenge in his voice.
"You want to challenge me? Name your contests." The Emperor smiled faintly.
"Fenrisians love three things most: eating, drinking, and wrestling," Russ replied, brimming with confidence.
When it came to drinking, he was the undisputed champion of the entire planet.
Maybe Axis would surpass him one day, but for now, Russ was king.
As for eating, that was this kid's specialty. Wrestling? Russ still had confidence in himself.
All those months of sparring with Axis hadn't just made the boy stronger, he himself had grown as well.
The Emperor gave a small smile, accepting Russ's challenge.
The tribesmen quickly regained their senses and bustled about, preparing food for the contest.
In no time, mountains of food were piled high before the two competitors.
The result of the first contest needed little explanation.
Unsurprisingly, the Emperor of Mankind was thoroughly defeated by Russ in the eating challenge; the Emperor barely managed a third of what Russ consumed.
After his victory, Russ grinned with satisfaction.
This stranger didn't seem so formidable after all.
For the second contest, the warriors brought out huge barrels of mead.
The Emperor sat at the table, lifted a mug, shot a smile at Axis, and downed it. Russ, on the other hand, seized an entire barrel and drank straight from it, wild and relentless.
By the time the Emperor had finished his second cup, Russ had drained three massive barrels.
"Haha! Looks like I've won this round too!" Russ tossed the empty barrel aside, brimming with confidence.
"Russ, don't get cocky!" Axis couldn't help but warn.
'Seriously… You're about to get your butt handed to you and be calling him 'Dad' before long!
'Who knows how strong the Emperor of Mankind is, how would he stack up in the Dragon Ball universe?'
"Haha, relax, my little wolf cub! This stranger isn't as impressive as he looks. I bet you could take him on. Why don't you handle the third round for me?" Russ was clearly starting to get drunk.
Axis: "..."
'Damn! Me, fight the Emperor? Are you kidding me?!'