Ka'Bandha's Barbed Whip was covered in sharp hooks. With one vicious swing in the cramped passage, he shattered the entire corridor.
The rooms and machinery on either side were exposed, along with the Adeptus Custodes' trap.
The Tech Mogul activated the device immediately. Ka'Bandha's premature strike had left it out of position, preventing it from restraining him, but it successfully locked down his whip.
Ka'Bandha flew into a rage. He hauled hard, every powerful muscle bulging beneath his crimson skin. These strange muscles belonged to no living organism; they were merely the physical manifestation of his never-ending fury.
The device began to shake, and the Whip slowly slid free. The Custodian seized the opportunity to charge. He leaped high, reaching the Greater Daemon's chest, gripped his Guardian Spear, and twisted into a vicious downward slash.
Ka'Bandha folded his wings. His tug-of-war stance had drawn both arms in front of him, and his wings shielded his body, taking the blow.
The Greater Daemon's counterattack came with unpredictable speed. Before his wings had withdrawn, his enormous axe swept through the gap toward the Custodian. From a distance, it looked almost as though the axe had split open the wings wrapped around his front.
It was a two-handed axe-for other Greater Daemons, at least. As enormous as a fortress gate, it had severed countless heads, yet Ka'Bandha wielded it effortlessly with one hand.
That single blow nearly killed the Custodian. He held his Guardian Spear crosswise to block the axe. This renowned warrior of the Legion of a Thousand had made the best possible defensive move, yet brute force still sent him flying.
The Guardian Spear's shaft bent into an absurd curve before snapping violently back. Inside his auramite Power Armor, the Custodian's hands were covered in bloody cuts.
The Custodian retreated several