Titus showed no fear when faced with the World Eaters unit that had suddenly teleported before them.
The relic Chainsword, innocence, hummed in his hand, exuding the scent of blood.
the machine spirit craved the hunt, the machine spirit craved blood, the machine spirit craved the slaying of the False Emperor's enemies.
It was as if a thousand Blood Knights roared and howled within the sword, eager to continue their unfinished slaughter.
But Titus remained calm; he was observing the enemies before him.
Ultramarines should not be controlled by rage and murderous intent; observing enemies and analyzing them carefully leads to true insight.
The scent of blood emanated from the four Chaos Astartes leading the charge; Butcher's Nails were implanted in their heads, grotesque and buzzing.
Titus had seen this terrifying machinery on Khârn's head and knew how horribly it could twist a person's mind, turning them into a monster driven by rage.
"Ha! Lackeys of the False Emperor!"
A World Eater, holding a staff, cackled. The top of his staff was a brass-carved symbol of the Blood God, adorned with grotesque skulls. On his power pack behind him, a sulfur-smelling torch burned, its smoke silently provoking the nerves of everyone present, subtly stirring anger.
He slightly opened his distorted, blood-stained mouth and exhaled a foul, crimson breath:
"I am Kovien, the Dark Apostle, chief of the four Blood Lieutenants under Lord Kossolax, Regent of the World Eaters, serving the glory of the Blood God—"
Bang!!!!
Kossolax had great confidence in Kovien the Dark Apostle.
He was one of the few World Eaters who could retain a shred of sanity, having even studied among the Word Bearers, mastering eighty-eight blasphemous and terrifying killing techniques. These killings were the prayers offered by the Blood God's priests to the Blood God.
Through these sacrificial killings and techniques, Kovien had received immense blessings from the Blood God, his body becoming extremely distorted. Every word and action carried the sulfurous stench that could incite murderous desires in others.
However, the image reflected in the blood pool made Kossolax wonder if he was hallucinating.
A loud bang echoed, and the blood pool rippled.
Kovien's headless body, missing shoulders and most of his torso, crashed to the ground.
A large-caliber steel needle had directly pierced his brain, and then the explosives within the needle detonated, shattering Kovien into a swirling cloud of grey and gold smoke.
The World Eaters standing near Kovien, who were touched by this smoke, let out bone-chilling wails. The blessings of the Blood God, now out of control, tore their bodies apart.
Even those who avoided the smoke were not spared. Silver splashes of Water of Thirst erupted from the smoke. These splashes clung to the bodies of the World Eaters, instantly shriveling them as if their moisture had been drained.
"Untouchable ash? What is this golden powder?"
"And this silver liquid—"
Butcher Surgeon Lorek let out an angry roar, and then...
Bang!!!!
Another explosion sounded.
Butcher Surgeon Lorek's body fell with a thud.
This time, no Untouchable ash, Astropath ash, or Water of Thirst splattered out.
After all, these three things were very precious, and the sniper hidden in the shadows seemed to have decided that Kossolax's four lieutenants were not worth wasting bullets on.
"Who!!!!" Decapitation Master Sarojin demanded savagely, the Butcher's Nails buzzing in his head. Rage consumed him as he looked in the direction from which the bullet had come.
Then, a large-caliber steel needle arrived as expected, piercing Sarojin's head, softly, casually, killing another of Kossolax's capable subordinates.
Moghaliva the Warp-smith, the only one left, fell silent. He realized that as soon as they spoke, a large-caliber steel needle would take their lives—
Bang!!!
The sound of the steel needle piercing the air rang out, and Moghaliva's head exploded with it.
It proved that even if you didn't speak, you'd still be shot.
Kossolax stared dumbfounded at the scene before him.
His most elite World Eaters, accumulated over ten thousand years throughout the entire galaxy, were being slaughtered like chickens.
"..Nikonya Sarojin, Raven Guard." Erebus whispered, appearing beside Kossolax at some point, murmuring the name.
"Who?" Kossolax cried out in horror. He turned his head to see Erebus already wearing his helmet, which was inscribed with rows of blasphemous runes, stirring layers of Warp evil energy, making Kossolax feel that this helmet was more impregnable than a city wall.
But what captivated Kossolax more than Erebus' helmet was the name Nikonya Sarojin.
This was a name Kossolax had grown somewhat unfamiliar with, and for warriors who hadn't experienced the Great Heresy, the significance of this name was even harder to grasp.
Raven Guard Nikonya Sarojin, Son of Corax, Raven Guard.
Kossolax had heard this name during the Great Heresy.
It was said that he had once, in front of an entire legion of Emperor's Children, a legion of Iron Warriors, and Perturabo, shot Fulgrim, the Primarch of the Emperor's Children, in the head. Then, he left calmly, not only unharmed but also taking out dozens of Emperor's Children and Iron Warriors along the way.
It was said that he had once single-handedly killed three Company Captains of the Emperor's Children, taking their lives in mere moments.
It was said that he had killed Lucius, Slaanesh's chosen, twice, both times with a single sword thrust to the throat. Had it not been for Slaanesh's blessing, Lucius would have long since returned to the Warp.
No one knew where Sarojin was in the shadows, no one knew when Sarojin would pull the trigger. Perhaps he was right beside you, perhaps he would pull the trigger the next moment.
The sound of his steel needle piercing the air was the cry of the Raven Guard, but no one, save a Primarch, could hear this sound before death, because his bullets always arrived faster than the sound.
Most terrifying of all, people rumored that Sarojin had once said: He was just an ordinary Raven Guard, and there were many warriors stronger than him in the Raven Guard, but they all died at Isstvan.
So it was rumored that the spirits of those Raven Guard who died at Isstvan haunted Sarojin, constantly waiting to transform into a legion from the shadows to take revenge on the traitors, which was why Sarojin was so terrifying.
"Bring me my helmet!!!!" Kossolax shrieked, and a crew member hastily brought over his long-unused rabbit-eared helmet.
Donning the helmet and feeling his head encased in ceramite, Kossolax finally felt a little more at ease.
"How is Sarojin still alive? It's been ten thousand years?!" Kossolax demanded, looking at Erebus, who was also wearing a helmet.
"Ha, ignorant fool." Erebus scoffed, "Reversing life and death is but a trifle for Saint Doraemon. How could mere mortals like you comprehend his great power?"
"Well said. That Saint Doraemon must be on our side, then." Kossolax couldn't help but mock.
Erebus whispered, and a powerful, terrifying curse surged from the void, violently stabbing into Kossolax's chest. A searing pain erupted, and Kossolax couldn't help but let out a shriek, falling to one knee, trembling uncontrollably.
"Insignificant World Eater, I hope you remember that I am Erebus, Hand of Destiny, and not someone you can mock with your words."
"Maintain respect, or I will let you know how many blasphemous and dark curses reside in my mind."
Kossolax lowered his head, not daring to let Erebus see his hateful gaze.
"What will you do? My men cannot resist Sarojin," Kossolax said through gritted teeth. "Nor can they resist—"
Through the blood pool, he could see his warriors dying. Without his four lieutenants to command them, they were like scattered sand, easily crushed by Karlaen and the force led by the Ultramarine.
Especially that Ultramarine, whom Kossolax had initially underestimated; he wielded his Chainsword with such ferocity that he seemed more blessed by the Blood God than any World Eater.
Kossolax pondered for a moment and didn't think he had anyone under his command who could withstand them.
To his surprise, Erebus chuckled deeply: "Do you think I'm counting on these wastes of yours?"
"It's time I showed you the subtlety of Word Bearers' enchantment techniques."
Kossolax raised his eyes, a strange look on his face.
He remembered that Erebus had once taken many of his World Eater Berserkers. The more bloodthirsty, enraged, and insane they were, the more he needed them.
Most of those warriors had died; only a very small number, eighty-eight, had survived. But what use were merely eighty-eight warriors?
As if noticing Kossolax's confusion, Erebus chuckled.
He dragged Kossolax to the teleportation device, softly recited a few short incantations, and commanded the "Mistress" on the throne to let out a sharp growl, but she was utterly unable to resist Erebus' commands.
The Conqueror's teleportation system activated, and after a few brief seconds, it transported Erebus and Kossolax into a dark ship cabin reeking of blood.
Kossolax smelled the Warp, dangerous and deadly, sending shivers down his spine.
Before him were eighty-eight cages.
"Kossolax, do you know that the servants of the Blood God have a great creation?"
"They have mastered a technique that allows eight powerful Khorne daemons to simultaneously reside within a single World Eater. Their souls will battle with the daemons, and the victor will be possessed by all eight daemons, becoming a powerful and terrifying monster we call an Eight Bound."
Most of the cages opened before Kossolax, and a group of grotesque, flesh-mutated, daemon-like World Eaters stood before him, their entire bodies emanating terrifying blood energy.
"It's not over yet. If an Eight Bound becomes powerful enough to completely subdue those eight Bloodthirster daemons and fully integrate with them, reaching a certain degree of the blessed children of old, we call them Godly Eight-Bound."
Eight Godly Eight-Bound, their bodies wreathed in chilling blood energy, emerged from cages spewing blood. Their flesh was highly mutated, closer to daemons than humans.
"But I am the true master of this art; I have an even more astonishing and unparalleled creation."
The last cage slowly opened, and a terrifying scent of blood rushed into Kossolax's nostrils. Kossolax's body instinctively trembled, fear rising in his soul, his blood almost boiling, as he suppressed the urge to scream.
"I call this enchanted warrior Tu Fu. Within his flesh, I have bound a Greater Daemon of Khorne, a Godly Bloodthirster."