Erebus Picked the Wrong Fight

"Search the entire city for a bastard named Erebus. When you find him, grind his bones to dust," Lorgar ordered the guard captain.

Lorgar was in a bind. The whole business with Erebus was a mess. According to the short story Child of Chaos he had read in his previous life, Erebus had originally been a good man—until a complete bastard stole his identity.

But Lorgar didn't know whether that had happened yet. If it had, the answer was easy: he could kill the impostor with a single slap.

But what if Erebus hadn't been replaced? What was Lorgar supposed to do with him then?

After a little thought, Lorgar decided he didn't give a damn whether Erebus had been replaced. He would kill the bastard first. If it was the original Erebus, Lorgar would observe a second of silence. If it was the impostor, he would set off fireworks to celebrate his death.

Before long, his men reported back. They hadn't found anyone named Erebus in the entire capital. The soldiers had even turned the slums upside down, but no one there had heard of him.

"Seriously? Is he in another city? He can't be. It'll take me forever to find him."

"Wait..."

Lorgar slapped his thigh. Erebus might have joined the Covenant Church! He hadn't sent anyone to search inside it yet.

"Senatis, I need to ask you a favor," Lorgar said to the guard captain beside him.

"Just give the order, Bishop," Senatis said, his face lighting up.

"I need you to search the Covenant Church. You're still looking for that man named Erebus," Lorgar said slowly.

"Understood, my lord."

Senatis eagerly accepted the order, then led a squad of guards toward the Covenant Church's cathedral.

"Damn that Covenant Church. I have to find a way to disband it within the next year," Lorgar said with a sigh.

Lorgar had always felt that the so-called Covenant Church was just Chaos in another guise. Those four Chaos bastards might even have been behind it.

Damn it, everyone. Chaos set me up.

As the minutes passed, Lorgar grew increasingly uneasy. He decided to visit the cathedral himself.

His maids and personal guards fitted him with silver armor. Lorgar picked up a warhammer adorned with a ferocious lion's head and strode out of the vast palace.

Incidentally, Colchis was a slaveholding society. Compared with Colchis, even the Qin and Han dynasties had advanced systems.

Meanwhile, Senatis had forced his way into the Covenant Church's cathedral with sword in hand. The church was in the middle of its daily baptism.

"Nobody move! The great Bishop is looking for a man named Erebus! If you know who he is, bring him out!" Senatis shouted.

"The Bishop? Lorgar is looking for me?"

A man in a red robe slowly stepped out of the crowd.

His gaze was cold and vicious, his expression venomous, and his eyes full of calculation.

"You're Erebus?"

Senatis and his men raised their weapons, their eyes hardening.

"The Bishop wants to see you. I suggest you cooperate," Senatis said, glaring at Erebus.

Erebus regarded Senatis warily.

Has Lorgar found out? How could that fool possibly know what I've done?

As Erebus pondered this, another voice sounded within his soul.

"Why fear them? You wield the power of Heaven now. This is merely Heaven's test for you."

"Accept it all. Accept the power that belongs to you."

At the voice's temptation, anticipation flashed across Erebus's face.

Seeing no resistance, Senatis waved his hand. Several large soldiers rushed forward and seized Erebus, preparing to take him back to Lorgar.

Crack! Crack!

The moment Senatis turned his head, Erebus struck. A triumphant, scheming smile spread across his ugly face.

In that instant, he had snapped the necks of the soldiers holding him. Their cold bodies collapsed onto the cathedral floor.

"Damn it!"

Senatis thrust his sword at Erebus. Erebus made no attempt to dodge; he merely swatted at it.

In a heartbeat, the sword snapped under Erebus's blow.

"Submit to me, Senatis. Heaven will give you everything you desire," Erebus said with a vicious grin.

"Monster," Senatis muttered.

Even so, Senatis refused to give up. A guard had already run for help. All he had to do now was keep Erebus here.

He drew the dagger at his waist and readied himself to fight again.

"Do you intend to fight back, mortal?"

Erebus charged again. Senatis was caught off guard by a tremendous blow that sent him flying several meters, his spine slamming into the ornamentation on a load-bearing wall.

"Pfft!"

Blood burst from Senatis's mouth. His dagger had flown somewhere out of sight.

"Looking for your weapon? How amusing."

Erebus strolled toward him, then used blue Psychic Energy to restore the broken sword.

"Come on. Keep fighting me. Only if you keep fighting will Heaven continue to watch me!" Erebus laughed.

"You don't understand, Senatis. I've gained power far beyond any of you. I could even take down that bastard Lorgar himself," Erebus said, advancing on Senatis as he lay on the floor.

None of the nearby believers came to help. Senatis noticed something strange about them, but he had no strength to look closer. His attention was fixed entirely on the approaching Erebus.

"You look exhausted, Senatis."

"Next, I'll send you and your family to Heaven's dwelling so they can join you."

Erebus reached Senatis, grabbed him, and slammed him hard against the wall.

"Remember the name of the one who sent you to Heaven's dwelling. I am Erebus, Child of Chaos—"

Bang!

Before Erebus could finish boasting, a tremendous force kicked open the doors several meters behind him. The massive doors flew through a dozen believers who failed to dodge, crushing them into a mist of blood.

"Erebus! Fuck you and your ancestors!"

As the doors went flying, a towering figure appeared against the sunlight outside.

"Erebus, did those pieces of shit you worship tell you that, in my eyes, you're nothing but a little girl?"