Karkarim

Evan and his companions charged forward, Morgkin leading the way as he kicked through four walls still burning with strange flames.

Karkarim was happy, very happy. Ever since the Bloodthirster Ka'Bandha had defeated him in ancient times and severed the daemonic horns on his head, he had never enjoyed such a grand sacrifice.

A powerful daemon roaming beyond the Emperor's Astronomican, Karkarim had perpetrated vast massacres in the Eastern Fringe and several planet-wide catastrophes on the fringes of the Segmentum Obscurus. Now, for the first time, he tasted the deliciousness of more than two thousand Astartes.

He tore through the Warp and descended upon the altar that had summoned him. Plenty of Astartes remained nearby, and just beyond lay Taste II, home to hundreds of millions of living beings. He was ravenously hungry. He would drink deep of blood, suck marrow dry, and shroud this place in flames and death once more.

Deika and Skaro felt their scalps prickle as they stared at the Bloodthirster before them. He stood seven or eight meters tall, with a dragon's head, a humanoid body, and wings spread behind him, his red skin studded with sharp black spikes.

There were no Grey Knights here.

We need specialists!!!

The Grey Knights were the Astartes' specialists in fighting daemons. Almost all of them were psykers, clad in enormous suits of grey Power Armour. Legend held that before the Emperor confronted Horus, he had foreseen that even if he defeated Horus, the Imperium would continue to suffer the depredations of Chaos Daemons. Thus, Chancellor Malcador received the Emperor's command to establish an Astartes force dedicated to fighting Chaos Daemons. Malcador selected outstanding psychic talents from far and wide to form this Chapter.

The existence of the Grey Knights was a top-level secret. Any mortals who saw them without the proper clearance would all be silenced.

Under the leadership of the Grey Knights' Psyker Power Grand Masters, the Grey Knights patrolled the Imperium's territories.

Unfortunately, their patrols had not brought them here.

The terrifying Warp surge unleashed by the Bloodthirster Karkarim's manifestation in reality instantly destroyed most of the nearby Astartes. Even a previously wounded Shadow Venom Blade Clan Chief fell for good.

Karkarim's roars shook heaven and earth. Every swing of the flaming longsword in his hand brought another Astartes crashing to the ground, dead. Deika swiftly raised his Chapter Relic Chainsword and rushed to meet him, but even that relic, glowing with green psychic radiance, could not withstand the daemonic sword that embodied annihilation.

Deika was hurled bodily through the air and slammed into a bulkhead.

Kargas Bel's Dreadnought fired without pause. Few had brought daemon-killing Psybolts; most carried Kraken Penetrators or Vengeance Bolts. Such nonpsychic ammunition had negligible effect on a Greater Daemon of the Warp.

The lives lost in this battle would probably sustain this Greater Daemon in reality for quite some time. Hoping to stall until the material world expelled him back into the Warp was unrealistic.

They could only fight him head-on.

Now the Chapters' Librarian Grand Masters became everyone's hope. All the Astartes and Dreadnoughts took up positions before them, hoping the psykers of the three Chapters could combine their powers to defeat the daemon.

Karkarim roared, spewing intense Psyker Power flames from his mouth. Black fire blazed, and the Psyker Power Grand Masters swiftly raised a Psychic Shield to hold it back.

Without mercy, Karkarim slashed his sword down upon the shield. The enormous flaming blade shattered the entire Psychic Shield and even killed an Astartes standing too close.

Skaro moved swiftly, attempting to circle behind the daemon, but the daemon rose into the air. His withered-looking brown wings possessed tremendous power.

He intended to slice down the entire ceiling with his wings and crush the Astartes beneath it. Several ancient Dreadnoughts instantly saw through his plan, however, and blue exhaust flames erupting from triple missile launchers lit up the sky.

Though the damage was slight, the powerful shock waves still blasted the Greater Daemon out of the air. Several thick bolts of Waaagh! Lightning followed, striking different parts of Karkarim's body.

At last, the Bloodthirster had suffered some damage. He realized that someone among these tin cans possessed enough power to kill him.

Roaring, he charged into the crowd. Several Astartes bravely advanced with Fear Spears, only to be slain with a single sweep of his sword. Fierce black flames rose from their corpses as Karkarim savored the joy of slaughter.

The Dreadnoughts' fierce cannon fire drew his attention. He swiftly advanced, raised his sword, and slashed at a Storm Will Dreadnought. The valiant Dreadnought attempted to oppose him with its left arm, equipped with a Promethium flamethrower and a seismic claw, but the blade sliced through it like tofu. Seizing the opportunity, the six-barreled bolt weapon mounted on the Dreadnought's right shoulder swiftly discharged all its Psybolts. The Storm Will Librarian Grand Master sheltered behind it also seized his chance, blasting the spot struck by the bolts with a sphere of Waaagh! Lightning.

The Psyker Power ripples from Karkarim's agonized howl made the head of the Storm Will Librarian standing too close to him explode—literally. His sharp black daemonic tail swept the Storm Will Chapter Master, Skaro, away as he attempted to approach from behind, leaving him "lying" against the same wall as Deika.

A great hole had been blasted through Karkarim's left shoulder, and the lightning had cooked the edges of the wound crispy outside and tender inside-no, wait.

Flames whirled around Karkarim. A gale arose from nowhere, mingling with the dark fire to form an enormous firestorm.

Even Space Marines in Terminator armour could not withstand this savage, wide-ranging Psyker Power attack for long. Several elite Astartes bearing ancient relics, mostly warriors in Cataphractii Terminator armour, charged at the Bloodthirster.

"By the Emperor..."

"For the Lord of Skulls!" Karkarim interrupted the little tin cans' battle cry with an even louder one of his own.

Several ancient relics successfully struck Karkarim's thigh, unleashing abundant Psyker Power. The intense pain made the Greater Daemon instinctively halt the firestorm.

These relics gathered the faith of the Astartes. The strongest among them had even taken tangible form within the Warp.

At last, the flames carrying that bone-deep chill stopped drifting through the air, but the battle still looked grim. With a single swipe of his claw, the Bloodthirster shattered an ancient warrior. The flaming greatsword in his hand swung ceaselessly, occasionally cutting down Chapter warriors who failed to dodge in time.

The psykers had gathered their strength and were ready to launch a combined Psyker Power attack.

They were waiting for an opening.

"Well, aren't you a big daemon? What happened to your horns? Someone cut them off? Hah, so you're a loser."

Karkarim's eyes instantly turned crimson as he searched for the source of the voice.

Someone kicked through the burning wall behind him. Morgkin and Evan were the first to enter the battlefield. Psybolts specifically designed to slaughter Chaos Daemons and the anti-psychic weapons mounted on the ancient Dreadnought opened fire immediately, striking Karkarim's back. Black blood sprayed everywhere.

The psykers saw their chance. Enormous bolts of Waaagh! Lightning shot straight toward Karkarim's head.

The Bloodthirster instantly received a Psyker Power warning from the Warp. His enormous wings folded inward in an instant, shielding his body.

A miserable howl, powerful enough to rival the Warp surge unleashed when he first appeared, resounded across the battlefield. Ordinary Astartes instantly lost consciousness, their souls returning to the Throne.

His enormous wings broke off entirely and crashed heavily to the floor. In the material world, Karkarim had lost his ability to fly.

Evan fired without pause, emptying three entire magazines. The recoil of his Bolter made his right arm grow hot.

Now Karkarim was charging furiously toward the two Librarian Grand Masters who had unleashed the great Psyker Power explosion.

No more than thirty Space Marines on the entire battlefield could still stand. They could muster only scattered gunfire, nowhere near enough to stop the enemy's charge.

Two ancient Green Templars Dreadnoughts moved to meet him. Their power claws and Meltaguns could not stop the Greater Daemon's annihilating greatsword, but they could obstruct his movements.

The two Dreadnoughts advanced against their invincible enemy with utter resolve. When the enemy instantly cut down one Dreadnought, the other threw its body onto him.

The heaven-burning greatsword was briefly restrained. The Green Templars' Librarian Grand Master swung the Chapter's relic Soulstaff and struck the flaming greatsword with all his might. The Soulstaff shattered completely, unleashing a Psyker Power tide that blasted even the Bloodthirster away.

The annihilating greatsword, filled with eternally burning hellfire, shattered... Its fragments scattered across the floor, carrying black flames.

Evan rushed before his Chapter's chief Librarian—known within the Chapter as the Storm Seer—to protect him, only to discover that he was already dead.

Almost every Astartes on the battlefield had exhausted his ammunition, except for the newly arrived old Chapter Master, Morgkin, in his Dreadnought.

Huh? The wheelchair army? The Greater Daemon's agonized scream had sent them all off to meet the Emperor.

The remaining Space Marines guarded the last Librarian Grand Master of the Shadow Blades Chapter. The last mobile Shadow Blades Dreadnought established a crossfire with Morgkin, hoping to buy time for the last Librarian.

With his Ion Pistol, Evan first delivered a sacred, overcharged shot to Karkarim's head, then charged at him with his Power Sword in hand.

The Greater Daemon thought little of this slightly taller white tin can. He casually swept his tail at Evan, intending to slap him against the wall like the two Chapter Masters.

Who was Evan? The man who carried on William's will. They called him the little arsenal, all right?

His power pack flared instantly, carrying him clear of the sweeping tail.

"Hey, I can fly. You can't anymore."

If Morgkin still had an intact flesh-and-blood body, he would surely have been rubbing his temples in despair. Of all the things you could learn, why did you learn to draw aggro so quickly?

Morgkin coordinated with Evan to draw their opponent's attention. The grievously wounded Bloodthirster charged at them, claws flailing. One in the air and one on the ground, they attacked him together.

The Greater Daemon opened his bloody maw and lunged to bite Evan while stomping one enormous foot straight toward the old Chapter Master. Just as it was about to reach Evan, agonizing pain shot through its tail.

Deika and Skaro, the fine comrades who had "shared a bed," finally "woke up" from their "hard mattress." Under cover of Evan's taunts, they charged in with their Chapters' relics raised high.

Without jump packs, ordinary Astartes could hardly jump high while wearing rigid Power Armour. The two Chapter Masters decided to cut off the enemy's lethally powerful tail first.

Karkarim lashed out with a wild bite in pain, crushing Evan's sword completely. Evan gave him no quarter either, planting a kick in his face and using the rebound with his jump pack to gain distance. In the end, Evan slammed hard into a bulkhead, bracing against it with his right arm. The powerful impact made his entire right arm feel as though it were about to burn.

Below him, Morgkin sidestepped the Greater Daemon's stomp and thrust his melee weapon into the enemy's thigh. Unfortunately, without Psyker Power reinforcement, it inflicted little damage.

The tough black tail had not been completely severed, but its black blood stained the floor.

The moment Evan landed, he tripped over a severed limb and fell hard on his backside.

"What the hell tripped me? Hey, isn't this an old friend?"

Now, please welcome one of the core components of Evan's Divine Descent Diagram-the Golden Greatsword!

Evan picked up the Golden Power Sword and looked around. As for the other core component... there it was, in the hand of a Shadow Venom Blade Chapter Clan Chief whose severe wounds had sent his soul back to the Emperor just as the fighting began.

Evan trotted eagerly over to the corpse and picked up the Dark Gold Chainsword.

Suddenly, something flew toward Evan from behind. He ducked, and it smashed into the wall in front of him. Then Evan raised his head.

"Chapter Master!!!" Half of Deika's body had slammed against the wall, his hand still tightly gripping his Chapter relic. Who knew where the other half had flown?

With a boom, another charged bolt of Waaagh! Lightning from the Shadow Venom Blade Chapter's chief Librarian struck the Bloodthirster.

The back of Karkarim's head was scorched black. In return, the Greater Daemon hurled a black fireball that engulfed the last Librarian in a sea of flames.

Evan hung the Green Templars' Chapter relic, the green-glowing Chainsword, at his waist. His green Ion Pistol was tucked into the other side, while he held his two old friends.

Heh heh, the Machine Spirits are still there. This fight's winnable.

Evan removed his helmet. Against this creature, wearing one or not made no difference. A single blow to the head would kill him anyway.

Evan smiled, a heartfelt smile, like a devil from hell.

Only six figures on the entire battlefield could still stand: Karkarim, Evan, Skaro, Morgkin in his Dreadnought, a Storm Will Chapter Chief Apothecary, and a Shadow Venom Blade Chapter Techmarine.

Human emotions could form projections within the Warp. When many people believed a weapon was a relic, its Machine Spirit would likewise be influenced, developing a unique state within the Warp. In theory, a relic-grade weapon with a Warp projection could inflict effective damage on a Greater Daemon.

If one relic would not do, then two. If two would not do, then three. If three would not do, then four. Evan stood before the enemy, staring defiantly at Karkarim.

Both sides moved at once. Karkarim spread his sharp claws, while Evan spread his two swords. Taiji Swordsmanship was useless here. The enemy was too powerful; using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds would not work against ten thousand.

A powerful claw slammed straight down. Evan followed the nearest-target principle: Whatever part of the enemy is closest, that's what I'll cut. He quickly sidestepped the blow and brought his Chainsword down on the arm that had just struck. The dark-gold great blade roared as it sawed into flesh.

The Bloodthirster swung his wounded tail. Even nearly severed, it still possessed astonishing power.

Evan's jump pack fired instantly, sending him straight toward Karkarim's face.

"Don't think you can do that again... argh!" Karkarim screamed once more.

Skaro struck his foot directly with his own Chapter relic, knocking him off balance.

As Evan's twin swords were about to cleave into his head, the Greater Daemon ducked in desperation. Evan's Golden Power Sword and Dark Gold Chainsword became firmly wedged in the "remains" of his horns.

"Insect, you dare humiliate me like this!"

Unable to pull his swords free, Evan simply let go and retreated, leaving both blades stuck in the daemon's horns.

His right leg hurt terribly where the greatsword had cut it, and the Greater Daemon began to drop into a sitting position. Suddenly, his right claw swept toward Chapter Master Skaro with terrifying speed. The Storm Will Chapter Master, poised to deliver a leaping strike once the Greater Daemon fell, failed to react in time and was slapped into the floor.

"Cough, cough... you..." Skaro was gravely wounded, but not yet dead.

"You what? Wail beneath the Brass Throne." The Bloodthirster seized Skaro and hurled him toward Morgkin.

The Dreadnought's slow movement limited Morgkin's ability to dodge. Skaro struck him squarely, and then a black Psyker Power fireball enveloped them both, burning them into a puddle of molten metal.

Evan had not stood there watching. By then, he had reactivated his jump pack and drawn his own green-glowing Chainsword. Powerful, mysterious energy erupted from it, opening a wound that ran from Karkarim's shoulder all the way to his waist.

Karkarim ignored it, continuously spewing black hellfire from his mouth. It cut the Techmarine and Chief Apothecary, who had been firing shots on a wing and a prayer, off from this side of the battlefield.

"Boy, now it's just you and me. As a reward for your courage, I permit you to give your name."

"I am the savior of Atris, the slayer of Mistanbol, the son of the living Primarch Jaghatai Khan—Evan." This time, Evan swore to heaven that he truly was not boasting.

"I am one who serves Lord Khorne... by the Brass Throne, you have no honor!" Evan raised his hand and fired an overcharged Plasma Pistol shot. Honor? What's that? Can you eat it?

The shot robbed Karkarim of his vision, and he flailed his arms wildly. When he stopped, however, he discovered that Evan had not moved.

"What's wrong? Scared witless?"

"I've discovered your weakness."

"Huh?" I'm a mighty Bloodthirster. I've slaughtered almost all of you, and now you tell me I have a weakness? What were you doing earlier?

Without wasting any more words, he swept his tail at Evan.

Evan's right pauldron shattered, and he was sent flying.

"A weakness? Where's this weakness?"

"Haven't you noticed? My right arm isn't injured."

Before Karkarim could examine Evan's right arm closely, Evan had already fired up his jump pack and lunged at him. This gamble had confirmed one thing for Evan: the Baina Robe really worked!

Though he had suffered a considerable kinetic impact, the "Psyker Power enchantment" covering the daemon's body and the strength amplification had been completely nullified.

Ever since he had come face-to-face with the Greater Daemon, his right arm had kept growing hot. He did not know why, but the only difference from normal was the presence of the Baina Robe.

Holding the Chainsword in his right hand, Evan pulled the Baina Robe from his right shoulder with his left and wrapped it around the enemy's incoming claw.

His sword struck the head dead-on. The powerful Chainsword sliced from the Greater Daemon's left eye all the way down to his mouth.

This time, Karkarim was truly afraid. He could not understand why Evan could ignore his attacks. His claw had clearly struck something, so why did Evan seem unaffected?

"You say the power of you Bloodthirsters comes from war, blood, and death? Then why didn't your power increase at all when so many people died outside just now? Why didn't your wounds heal even a little?"

"Your power comes from the fear, resentment, and regret felt at death. Unfortunately for you, our warriors have wills of iron. Our brothers disregard death."

"If there is a power that can resist yours, it must be a power that transcends the fear of death. Personally, I prefer to call it the fearless spirit."

"This robe gathers the will of all the people. Its mission is to slay our enemies and liberate the galaxy, undaunted by hardship and unafraid of death. This is the fearless spirit. With all the people protecting me, what can you possibly fight me with?"

Meanwhile, in the Warp, the little robe that was going "heave-ho, heave-ho" as it blocked Karkarim's power desperately wanted to roll its eyes at Evan. How did you manage to get every single guess wrong?