Chapter 487: Aeribas: I Will Instantly Kill Sarojin

Birak had no intention of betraying Erebus.

After all, he now bore the gods' curse, unable to gain independent standing in the Warp, reduced to servitude, serving Abaddon, Erebus, and others favored by the gods.

Though Khorne and Tzeentch had slightly loosened the curse's chains, they had not fully lifted it, and Nurgle and Slaanesh clearly intended to keep Birak bound until death.

A new god must arise to shatter this balance and free Birak from his bonds; to achieve this, Birak still needed Erebus.

Birak had invited Fatty Tiger the Daemon to cross the light gate solely because he did not wish to bear the risk himself.

In Birak's view, facing an enemy capable of wielding the Emperor's Flame—a force that could utterly kill him—was far too dangerous, especially with no one to share the burden.

After crossing the light gate and joining Erebus, two against one would be far safer; should danger arise, Birak could simply push Erebus forward as the blade—after all, Erebus had received Tzeentch's blessing and still had eight lives; what harm was it to expend a few for a partner like Birak?

The only thing that worried Birak was whether this daemon would be stubborn enough to fight him to the death right here.

Fatty Tiger the Daemon smiled, nodding to Birak: "Together."

Birak immediately exhaled in relief, slightly sidestepping and gesturing for Fatty Tiger the Daemon to join him through the light gate.

Fatty Tiger the Daemon nodded politely, walking shoulder to shoulder with Birak as they passed through the light gate together.

The scene shifted; in an instant, Birak found himself in another cabin.

Then

Huh?

Birak stared at the daemon before him—its body grotesquely mutated, its chainaxe, Bloodspike, bound to its arm with chains, spewing Emperor's psychic flame.

Opposite him, the infamous Khorne Daemon Prince, Seed of Destruction, was locked in brutal combat with Kain, neither gaining the upper hand.

Birak's expression froze.

This… this isn't right.

How is Kain here?

Such a coincidence?

Fuck! Erebus's luck is clearly broken!

Birak's original plan had been for Erebus to summon Seed of Destruction, and with Birak's help, they could take down this daemon without risk.

But now, he had to risk being cleaved by Kain's axe, wreathed in Emperor's Flame.

Fatty Tiger the Daemon, standing beside Birak, showed no hesitation—he swung his cricket bat and charged at Erebus.

Erebus, seeing this, hastily chanted a spell to stop Fatty Tiger the Daemon—but…

"Hakimi na mierudo ashi ya ku!!!"

A piercing, shrill song burst from Fatty Tiger the Daemon's mouth, surging like an endless tidal wave straight toward Erebus's face.

The sound instantly froze Erebus in place; his incantation shattered, his psychic energy reversed and surged chaotically within him.

"Save me! Birak!" Erebus screamed in terror.

Birak smiled, nodding to Erebus: "Hold on. Just like before—you stall him, I'll open the door." 'I fucking—' Erebus never got to finish the thought, for Fatty Tiger the Daemon was already upon him, his cricket bat swinging down toward Erebus's skull.

Erebus's head exploded without warning, blood splattering the floor.

But in the next instant, the corpse beneath Fatty Tiger the Daemon's feet had become a dazed, wrestling eagle-man; Erebus's bird tattoos had shrunk from seven to six.

Erebus showed no hesitation—he swung his ritual dagger, weaving a vile rune; the Khorne beast he had summoned, a hundred-armed giant, emerged from the void, wielding hundreds of weapons and clashing with Fatty Tiger the Daemon.

Fatty Tiger the Daemon swung his cricket bat, battling the Khorne behemoth.

Erebus sighed in relief, his gaze turning to Birak with bitter resentment.

But then, a locked door suddenly opened on its own—a light gate appeared in the cabin.

Erebus's eyes lit up; he instinctively lunged forward, eager to step through the gate into the next cabin.

But then, a Space Marine clad in black power armor stepped out of the light gate.

The Space Marine wore Mark VI Raven power armor; faded paint on the left chest read "xix," and his helmet, shaped like a raven's head, bore a tiny, toy-like propeller.

The Raven of Doom, Sarojin!

Erebus's face twisted in terror; his body stiffened, shadowy dread spreading through his soul.

But quickly, Erebus suppressed his instinctive fear.

He judged Sarojin no longer a threat.

Sarojin's true danger lay only in his uncanny marksmanship and shadow step; this cabin was too small to offer him cover for sniping, and Sarojin had already been exposed—his form was no longer hidden.

When a raven is exposed to sunlight, it is merely a common bird.

Erebus gripped his ritual dagger, amplifying his psychic energy, whispering a rapid incantation toward Sarojin.

But to Erebus's surprise, Sarojin suddenly threw away his sniper rifle and swiftly drew two black blades from his back.

Foolish.

Erebus sneered. The world knew him only as the Hand of Fate, unaware he was also a master swordsman.

In pure swordsmanship, Erebus could barely match Lu Xiusi—let alone now, with his ritual dagger, a divine weapon, in hand.

His incantation shifted instantly, weaving psychic energy around the ritual dagger.

In an instant, the dagger transformed into a long, jet-black obsidian sword.

Erebus used his art to briefly make the ritual dagger resemble the form of his former enemy's blade.

Long ago, Governor Tanba, merely a mortal blessed by Nurgle, had wounded Horus with this blade.

Though the ritual dagger was only one of eight fragments of the Enemy Blade, with Erebus's magic, it was more than enough to deal with Sarojin—

Huh?

Erebus froze, his viewpoint suddenly rising—he felt no body, no limbs.

Then he saw Sarojin's propeller spinning; the man had somehow appeared before him, his two black blades crossed, cleanly severing Erebus's head.

(End of Chapter)