The Incompetent Daemon

That's impossible.

This situation could not possibly exist, whether in the chaotic and disordered Warp or in the real world we are in now.

The "Living Saint" could not believe what he was seeing.

Even if distortions exist in Warp.

It has also witnessed demons that have switched allegiance from one Chaos Gods to another, and even beings blessed by a combination of two Chaos Gods.

This includes beings who are directly blessed by the power of Chaos Undivided, and who do not serve any Chaos Gods, but are beings of even greater Chaos power.

Alignment has never been so clear in the Warp, though sometimes fierce competition and sometimes unity prevail—as its name suggests, Chaos. It has always been a scene of utter confusion and unpredictability.

Some Chaos Gods might use souls as leverage to threaten their demonic subordinates, but in reality, there aren't many who would actually offer their souls to the Dark Gods.

Even Khorne Skarbrand, the former chief Greater Daemon under Khorne, betrayed Khorne, let alone other demons.

But this turn of events is a bit too bizarre.

The demon within the sword once again tried to gather power and call upon the Slaanesh Slaanesh herself, but still received not even a glance in return.

That shouldn't be happening!

It panicked.

According to the original plan, it would corrupt Fulgrim's spirit from within, and then subtly lure her mind into Chaos.

Then, at the same time, they gathered other like-minded Primarch who were preparing to launch Horus Heresy against the Emperor, and placed brotherhood above the interests of the Imperium of Man through organizations within the Warriors' Guild.

"Bro, you smell so good!"

"Brother, brother"

"Brother, it's urgent!"

No! It should be like this:

"We've sacrificed so much for the Imperium, but when the Great Crusade ends, we probably won't escape the fate of becoming Thunder Warrior!"

"Although the Emperor says that the Thunder Warrior died because of rebellion, I absolutely do not believe that not even a single loyal Thunder Warrior can be found."

"Exactly! Those people stood by the Emperor through the most difficult Unification Wars, yet they chose to rebel after unification was achieved? Look at the High Lords of Terra now, where is any territory left for us Space Marine? All that land was won by us!"

Of course, this is only the general case.

But in Slaanesh's hands, things could be different.

After the Warriors' Society subtly spreads its mystical beliefs and Chaos the Legion, and purges the remaining Loyalist within the Legion, it can seize the opportune moment to instigate Horus Heresy, wipe out the other Legions before they can react, and then directly conquer Terra!

This is the great mission that Slaanesh has given it. As the very beginning of all the steps, the demon in this Laerda must be one of the best, an MVP that cannot be ignored!

That's how it should be.

But reality is often unpredictable.

The Demon of the Laerda, a key figure in the Horus Heresy, has somehow lost Lady Slaanesh's attention!

Impossible!

How could it be abandoned like a pawn, losing His favor and blessings?

What exactly went wrong?

After all--

Oh, right, that Centaur!

Within the demon in the sword, something that should not have appeared suddenly intruded into its memory.

That's right, it's that mysterious Golden Centaur.

No demon knows when this thing came into existence in this world; it's as abrupt as something that shouldn't exist in the Warp suddenly appearing.

This creature severed their connection just as it was about to successfully lure Fulgrim with the blessing of the Dark Prince.

And the Laerda demon after losing its blessing.

Suddenly, under a golden light, without even realizing that it was anything amiss or unusual, it was transformed into a demon who had lost the blessing of Slaanesh!

That's impossible!

Even if this Centaur, which had no origin, was powerful, it did not have the ability to transform a demon blessed by Slaanesh into its subordinate in an instant!

Just as the Chaos Gods couldn't transform the Adeptus Custodes, how could they possibly hand over such a demon, highly valued by the evil gods, so easily?!

In fact, the demon in the sword itself is not that powerful, but Slaanesh's protection could not be eliminated so easily.

In other words, Slaanesh herself didn't really care whether it lived or died.

Just like now, even though the Centaur Spirit is not here, He still hasn't responded to its call?

"No!!!"

Can't!

The demon in the Laerda felt endless regret and panic at the thought that he was actually abandoned by the other party.

No!

Even if Slaanesh doesn't give it a second glance, it has to take the initiative!

The thought of those two scoundrels made it feel terrible!

There's absolutely no way we'll give up here!

It is a demon.

The Unliving, Slaaneshi Daemon used to lure foolish and unaware humans onto the path of evil, has possessed the strange power to entice any intelligent being into the mire of desire ever since it tempted those wicked people to offer everything for the great Slaanesh.

Even an entire race has been seduced and become the plaything of Thirsting Lady, let alone this small, pathetic mortal!

How could its level of expertise possibly fail to convince a Fulgrim was already filled with desire?

Absolutely impossible.

You can do it!

You can definitely do it!

The demon in the sword calmed down.

Since previous punishments and attempts to sow discord have failed, let's think in reverse!

Let her reward Kasgar in front of all the Emperor's Children, thereby arousing the envy of the other Sons of the Emperor and making it a source of jealousy.

[Fulgrim, haven't you thought about how to reward him?]

After all that Kasgar has done for you, shouldn't he display his glory before all the Sons of the Emperor?

"Award!"

Having finally released Kasgar, Fulgrim acted as if he had heard a better and more convenient excuse.

She was overjoyed.

That's right!

Kasgar bravely stepped forward in the previous Temple of the Assassins, rushing to prevent the tragedy from happening when the Primarch was blinded by some mysterious power!

He deserves a better reward.

However, in front of all the Emperor's Children, it's best to leave it at that; Kasgar doesn't like that.

"Kasgar, I want to reward you!"

Mua!

Then the two of them got tangled up again.

[I--]

Shut up!

The demon in the sword wanted to try more, but it seemed that before it could say anything, it was interrupted by the despairing Kasgar.

This time, being single-minded will turn into being blocked at both ends.

"Fulgrim, stop for a moment, listen to me first—"

He tried to break free from the female Primarch's hands.

"Still want to refuse?"

"What a humble and good child," Fulgrim said with a grin, her amethyst eyes curving into two gleaming crescent moons. "Now, I'll reward you even more!"

Hmph, trying to escape?

With a speed that defies human reaction, Fulgrim pounced on Kasgar like a hungry tiger.

It's impossible.

It can't do anything.

The powerless demon returned to the Laerda, looking desperately at Casca, who was still shouting, "Someone's still here, stop it!" and trying to break Kasgar.

This is just their daily routine.

There was no acting involved, nor was there any difference caused by the influence of Slaaneshi Daemon.

Those two scoundrels are no human being!

At this point, it's impossible to even mention being unemployed (referring to not being able to contact Slaanesh).

Sure enough, Slaaneshi Daemon like me could never find happiness.

I probably haven't qualified to be a demon anymore.

Actually, you've already done a remarkable job.

With countless lipstick marks on his face, Kasgar helplessly communicated with the demon residing in the sword who refused to come out.

Faced with Kasgar's strong resistance, Fulgrim had no choice but to reluctantly retort that he would have to wait and see, and after tidying himself up, he left the room to continue working in his Imperium Warmaster's office.

Kasgar was left staring at the Laerda placed before him.

So, this is how you've always lived?

For some reason, the demon felt a pang of pity for Kasgar.

[Yes, she has been just as enthusiastic ever since we met on Chemos over two hundred years ago.]

However, it seems that Fulgrim's affection for me has not diminished over time; on the contrary, it seems to have grown stronger.

Two hundred years!

Oh my god!

He actually survived such torment from Fulgrim for so long!

And they're still alive!

At that moment, the demon within the Laerda felt a deep respect for Kasgar.

Hiss.

No, logically speaking, no ordinary person would allow Fulgrim to run rampant like this.

You're not enjoying this too, are you?

No, I didn't (feeling guilty)

Really?

The demon within the Laerda sighed in the void.

Really!

Neither of these two people is normal.

It finally understood why Slaanesh had left after its first attempt to seduce it failed, never to cast another glance or offer a blessing.

Is this what it means to cut your losses in time?

Or rather

Actually, He was always watching, but He was just—peeking?

[So that's why my flames no longer have a burning effect on you.]

After listening to the demon's lament from the sword, Kasgar fell into deep thought.

I roughly understand.

The only possible explanation is that you are actually a Warp Entity being formed from the purest power of love in the universe.

The reason you ended up under Slaanesh's command is because He devoured and corrupted a portion of the power and authority that did not belong to Him, causing you to previously believe yourself to be a Slaaneshi Daemon.

That's not actually the case; you were never originally a member of the Slaanesh faction.

The Warp Entity in the Laerda was originally a pure-love demon, but given Slaanesh expanded his territory in the Warp after his birth, he also absorbed that authority.

Just like Tzeentch at his most powerful moment could control the Hellstorm and the Invisible Twisting within the entire Eight-pointed Star.

However, with the combined resistance of the other three Chaos Gods, even the mighty Tzeentch could only spit out a portion of the power he had devoured, and even his staff was torn to pieces.

But this Eight-pointed Star does not mean that the entire Warp only has these eight corners.

Besides the eight directions of the Chaos Star, there are countless Warp Entity that symbolize extremely finely divided domains, and their existence may also be affected.

This demon with the Laerda was originally a demon of pure love, but unfortunately, under the influence of Slaanesh's power, he mistakenly believed that he was Slaanesh's follower.

Actually, you've always been a pure-hearted devil who loves looking at Centaur gold ring.

This is a compelling explanation for why, in the original work, it disappears from the story after seducing Fulgrim.

Logically speaking, how could such a great achievement as luring Fulgrim and killing Ferrus not shine brightly in the Slaanesh camp, which is desperately short of manpower?

Then look at the Chaos Daemons of the other three factions. Don't even mention that useless Kabanhah who could be killed twice by Angel. Can any demon be as effective as his Laerda?

Such a powerful entity subsequently disappeared without a trace.

While it's a bit embarrassing to be killed by Fulgrim, its disappearance can only mean that it wasn't originally part of the Slaanesh faction.

Now, it's just a matter of acknowledging one's ancestors and returning to one's roots.

Is this for real?

Although it sounds a bit eerie, this seems to be the best explanation.

Of course, this is just my speculation, but it fits the current situation quite well, doesn't it?

[Hello? Are you alright?]

A long silence followed as Kasgar questioned the Laerda.

This was a huge blow to that demon's worldview.

He does not cultivate good deeds in his daily life, but only loves to steal the head of a bull.

Suddenly the temple opened, and there they encountered the madwoman.

The tides come in at Lalan Atoll, and only today do I realize that I am truly myself.

You mean to say that I'm actually one of the Centaur's subordinates?

In the end, the demon trembled and chose to accept Kasgar's explanation.

Having lost the blessing of the powerful Slaanesh, the current Demon of the Laerda has lost much of its power.

It urgently needs to find a new job to draw energy from.

Otherwise, Warp Entity would quickly wither and die.

That's right.

Kasgar nodded at the other person, feigning sadness.

Although it's hard to accept, it's better to accept it as soon as possible.

The Laerda fell silent again for a long time.

Wrong.

No, no, no!

Wrong!

Pleasure must outweigh that ridiculously awkward Centaur gold ring between those two scoundrels!

The so-called pure love is nothing but a foolish rhetoric. Some people have rejected it with the same argument, but in the end they all fell into Slaanesh's arms!

If you still refuse, I have a suggestion.

Kasgar communicated with it in this way.

At that moment, a very dark plan suddenly came to mind.

What suggestion?

Well then, since you also find the Centaur gold ring hard to accept...

Why not watch it with us and build up your resistance through desensitization therapy?

Is looking at Centaur gold ring a way to desensitize oneself?

The demon within the Laerda paused for a moment, as if in thought.

Okay, I promise you.

Upon hearing those words from the other party in his mind, Kasgar revealed a triumphant smile.

Well, this guy isn't exactly smart either!

No wonder he was able to turn the tables even when he was hanging on the wall by Fulgrim; it's really hilarious.

[Hmph, let's see. I refuse to believe that an orchestra made up of mortals like you can rival the great Slaanesh musicians.]

However, this is a method used to lure people in.

Why does it feel like his Kasgar is more like Laerda?

The Pride of the Emperor is still traveling in Warp.

After receiving the invitation from Philus, they continued to move towards their goal.

Soon, the Sons of the Emperor fleet will rendezvous with the Primarch Sisters on Carolis and assist the Fifty-Second Expedition in continuing the fight.

But it was precisely during this period of continuous travel in the Warp that Kasgar had ample opportunity to lure them in.

Bah! How can you call this Centaur thing an enticement?

To correct the demon's mind in that Laerda, and gradually make it accept the beliefs of the Centaur gold ring of Kasgar and his companions.

So, after watching so many performances featuring the Centaur gold ring, don't you have anything to say?

[No, no! I've always found you two scoundrels utterly ridiculous! And that whole "pure love, war god, Centaur" thing you mentioned is completely beneath my notice!]

—Still being stubborn.

Kasgar himself could feel that the demon within the Laerda was constantly weakening in its resistance against them.

Even Kasgar could sometimes hear the demon unconsciously humming in his mind.

Clearly, it won't be long before this Slaaneshi Daemon is only capable of chanting "Thirty-year-old Centaur gold ring aba aba aba".

Progress is encouraging!

The thought of wielding this Laerda as a divine weapon filled Kasgar with joy.

A sword that possesses a sword spirit, and the sword spirit will help it fight alongside it.

It's not a hindrance, but a rare magic sword that can fight alongside you.

Unlike combinations like Abaddon paired with Draconian, or the Grey Knights paired with the Demon Sword where both sides hinder each other, if the demon within this sword were completely corrupted...

The intensity in the future will be unimaginable.

Kasgar is very much looking forward to this.

—But doing it this way makes me seem more like the devil.

"Front!"

"Report to the commander immediately! We've spotted another legion's flagship ahead! Connecting is in progress!"

Just as the Pride of the Emperor was about to reach its designated location, a number of other legions appeared directly in front of them, and these were not even ships of the Iron Hands.

That was the flagship of the Death Guard. Its olive-colored hull and the unique and enormous insignia of the Death Guard all indicated the ownership of this Gloriana-class flagship.

The flagship of Mortarion, the (temporary) commander of the XIV Legion.

"Mortarion? Why is he here?"

But Kasgar remembered that Mortarion shouldn't be here, at least not in the upcoming battle, which would be a showdown between the two Primarch Fulgrim and Philus.

"I don't know, I haven't even received any requests from him."

Fulgrim frowned slightly.

As the Imperium Warmaster, she has many responsibilities, one of which is coordinating relationships between the Primarch.

But it seems that Mortarion did not inform them why they were here.

This is a very suspicious act.

After all, cooperation between legions is not a big deal, and Mortarion had no reason not to explain in advance why he wanted to fight alongside the Iron Hands.

"I need to access their communications and get to the bottom of this."

"Hello, Warmaster."

The Mortarion in the Holographic Projection looked somewhat awkward.

"Mortarion, explain your purpose and why you came here secretly without prior notice."

"The Great Crusade is drawing to a close, and we are about to clear away all obstacles in the galaxy. Therefore, I need you to explain your reasons."

The oppressive words were conveyed through the communication.

Upon hearing this, Mortarion shrank back like a child caught red-handed by a teacher, too afraid to speak.

Although Fulgrim behaved somewhat strangely when she was alone with Kasgar, she always performed flawlessly in formal settings as Imperium Warmaster.

No one would question Fulgrim's abilities as a perfect Primarch. Although Kasgar is very strong, his abilities are limited to the unknown realms of sorcery and prophecy.

In other aspects, he is still not comparable to a true Imperium Warmaster.

"Okay, I said, it's not a big deal."

"I can't help it, "Mortarion said helplessly.

—He's craving food.

To be precise, it was Aqua Duna, the eldest daughter of Fulgrim, who was currently fighting alongside the Iron Hands Legion and was the Second Captain company Sons of the Emperor.

The meal.

This exquisite "deliciousness" left Mortarion with an unforgettable, mysterious taste after just one try.

That's right, it's mysterious!

Other delicacies are described as either delicious or unpalatable, and even higher-level cuisines are only described in terms of color, aroma, and taste.

But what Aqua made was different.

Those foods are mysterious.

No one knows how it came about, and no one can describe the extraordinary eating experience in simple terms.

If we were to find a point of comparison, only the more intense and precious Eldar Cheese could be considered somewhat similar.

But only in some cases; this extraordinary flavor is far beyond what humans can perceive.

That's amazing.

After taking a bite, Mortarion felt that he had wasted the first half of his life.

The taste was indescribable, a taste that shocked him.

Every Death Guard must be able to taste this delicacy!

Mortarion didn't keep it to himself; he decided to share it with his Death Guard.

Unfortunately, just like the Barbarus wine at the banquet, not everyone can taste the ultimate in Aqua cuisine.

—The entire defense was completely overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, the time they could spend together was always short.

After leaving Ullanor, Aqua continued to follow Iron Hands in his campaigns, but Mortarion remained captivated by that mysterious allure.

He tried to replicate recipes from Aqua.

But surprisingly, they all succeeded.

But it wasn't the kind of success that Mortarion wanted.

After being prepared according to the standard, he only received an ordinary meal—as ordinary as any chef's, lacking the soul of what Aqua made.

It doesn't have the right feel!

It lacks that magical sensation that explodes on the taste buds.

Mortarion was very disappointed by this.

Even during the Great Crusade, he was very unhappy about it.

What poisonous wine? What poisonous substance?

Even the fresh poison gas from Barbarus held no appeal whatsoever against Aqua's delicacies.

Everything became dull and uninteresting.

Even the air in Barbarus doesn't smell good anymore!

Right now, all he craves is this delicious food from Aqua.

The moment he swallowed it, countless indescribable sensations exploded wildly on his tongue and taste buds!

Wow, that was awesome!

"."

"Just for this?"

Fulgrim felt helpless.

"Yes, great Imperium Warmaster— " Mortarion said solemnly, even kneeling on one knee before the Holographic Projection before him, "I implore you, if possible, I request that this great Space Marine be allowed to remain in our Legion."

"His cooking is the best tool we Death Guard use to test ourselves, and it's also the kind of delicious food I crave."

"Stand up first, Mortarion brothers."

Fulgrim was at a loss for words.

Is Aqua's cooking delicious?

How did these two almost completely unrelated words come together?

"If you insist, I can coordinate with Philus at that time."

"Okay, okay. Thank you, Warmaster, and thank you, Sister."

Mortarion was overjoyed.

"Notify the Navigator to follow the Sons of the Emperor's fleet and complete the warp!"

This is also a good thing for Kasgar.

What if Aqua really does end up joining the defending legion as a cook?

If they hold out to the death, wouldn't each of them have invincible resistance, and they would no longer be afraid of that real legion commander Typhon or someone else sailing their ships into the gutter?

That way, we can ensure that Mortarion won't betray us!

Although the outcome might not be as good as surrendering, at least they've lost an enemy!

Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction!

Thinking of this, Kasgar looked excitedly at the warp rift in front of him.

Diasporex, a human interstellar Imperium faction known as the Azure Crystal Alliance.

Philus's Iron Hands had finished their initial battle with the enemy and were now on a planet near the Mandeville Point in the star system, preparing to meet them, based on communications from the Astropath.

After the Emperor's Children and the Legion flagship completed their warp jump, Philus of the Primarch of the Iron Hands immediately ordered them to meet them. Soon, a sizable shuttle and its escorts arrived on the deck of the Pride of the Emperor, carrying Primarch Philus.

"Sisters!"

During the welcoming procession, both legions watched and protected the two Primarch as they warmly embraced and exchanged greetings.

However, it seems that there is something extra about Philus.

There are some things that shouldn't be there.

That sword.

Kasgar stared intently at the other man's other strangely shaped sword hanging at his waist.

Then, he looked at his hands in horror.

The two swords are identical.

—Philus held another Laerda in her hand.

"Sister, what is this?"

It seems that at this moment, Fulgrim also noticed this small difference.

"A blade captured in a previous civilization."

Philus said with satisfaction, drawing the sword as if to show it off.

"And its name suits me very well."

"[Medusa's Blade] "