A skirmish broke out in the Sharon Forest.
The Skaven Plague Lord was possibly the most terrifying entity among the Skaven, usually summoned by Grey Seers through ancient and obscure rituals. These rituals were not well-known, and it was understood that no Grey Seer would summon a Plague Lord unless absolutely necessary.
Angron fixed his gaze on the Plague Lord in front of him. In an instant, the Primarch of the World Eaters closed the distance between them. His dual axes, burning with red flames, swung towards the Plague Lord.
The Plague Lord let out a loud screech, its sharp claws glowing with a ghostly green light, its reverse-jointed hooves churning up the forest floor. "The will of the Horned Rat!!!"
Angron raised his battle axe high and brought it down with a heavy blow.
"Bang!" The Plague Lord screamed and was sent flying. The most fearsome entity among the Skaven was struck by Angron, suffering a massive, bone-deep wound.
In the next second, a blood-red axe cleaved through the air, striking the Plague Lord's face and sending blood spraying.
"Take this!" Angron pulled out a dwarf-made four-barreled revolver from his coat and fired four shots at the Plague Lord. At such close range, the Plague Lord's face was shredded, one of its massive horns snapped in half, and its left eye exploded in a burst of blood.
"Hey, where did this little rat come from? How is it so weak?" Angron holstered the revolver, feeling his restored strength. He reached out, and the axe Ripper flew back into his hand. In a blink, he was in front of the Plague Lord, ready to deliver the fatal blow.
"Waaahhh!" The Plague Lord's body glowed green as it screamed, rolling away frantically. Angron's axe carved a deep trench in the forest floor. Seeing that he missed, Angron immediately turned, throwing his axe with immense force. The Plague Lord, not even fully upright, was struck again, the axe embedding deeply in its chest. The Skaven Daemon staggered back, trying to distance itself from Angron.
Angron gave it no chance to escape, continuously closing the gap.
"Break, break!" The Plague Lord, nearly insane with rage, blurred into a shadow and appeared before Angron.
"Is this all you have?" Angron blocked with his axe and counterattacked, easily deflecting the Plague Lord's strike. The Daemon staggered, and Angron seized the opportunity. Grabbing one of its arms, he swung the axe Butcher with unmatched force. "Die!"
Blood sprayed as Angron severed the Plague Lord's entire left arm. The Daemon could only howl in agony, red blood gushing from the wound.
Who was this human, and how was he so powerful?
"Hey, where's your rat god? Get it out here; you're too weak to be a challenge." Angron taunted the Plague Lord further.
"Graahh!" The Plague Lord tried to attack with its right arm, but Angron caught it in his fist. Laughing cruelly, he snapped the arm and stomped on the Plague Lord's tail, bones cracking underfoot. He then gripped Ripper with both hands, preparing for a final blow.
The axe trembled under Angron's immense strength.
Visible air currents swirled around Angron, enveloping him in a shroud of frost, leaves, and winter wind. His immense power spread throughout the forest, silencing all around and subjugating all beings.
"Witness the power of the World Eaters! For Nuceria!!" Angron's face was a mask of ferocious joy, every muscle in his body tensed like steel. His teeth clenched, spit dripped from his mouth, and his knuckles whitened under his own strength.
As his momentum peaked, the power of the devouring world surged, echoing the boundless glory and strength of the past. Angron was declaring his return!
"Slash!!!"
"Swish~"
The red arc of the axe enveloped the Plague Lord, slicing it from shoulder to hip. The Daemon was bisected before it could even scream, banished instantly.
"Return!" Angron called his thrown axe back to his hand. He exhaled deeply, delighting in the victory. "That was satisfying, though this rat daemon wasn't much of a challenge. It'd be better if a Great Unclean One showed up... Hmm?"
He sensed a presence descending.
Cunning, deceit, vengeance, plague spreading, treachery, betrayal, and extreme evil—this terrifying presence surrounded Angron. A giant rat head appeared in a greenish haze, its empty eyes glowing with green fire. "Mortal, the world shall be destroyed. The Rat God shall descend..."
"Ptui~" Angron spat on the apparition, his saliva seeming to corrode it. The image clutched its face, roaring in fury. "Face the judgment of the Horned Rat!!!"
The green illusion faded, revealing a larger Plague Lord before Angron.
This Plague Lord had four horns like the Horned Rat, its tall, robust figure emitting green smoke and flames. Trees it touched withered instantly, animals turning into blood clots.
Its filthy soul polluted everything, permeating the boundary between the material world and the Warp. The Rat God poured its power into reality, summoning this horrifying monster.
The Skaven Supreme Plague Lord, Essex!
The Supreme Plague Lord expected its power to intimidate the human, but Angron showed no reaction, only more interest. The Primarch clashed his axes together, creating a sharp sound. "Finally, something worthy. You must be that Horned Rat's avatar, right?"
"Bald human, you shall be crushed under the will of the Rat God! Yes, yes! By the Horned Rat's decree, we are the anointed!" The Supreme Plague Lord basked in the Rat God's power. To defeat this formidable enemy, the Horned Rat poured over half its strength into the Plague Lord, making it more powerful than a Chaos Greater Daemon!
Angron only laughed, watching the process as if enjoying a show. "Impressive~ Very impressive. Today I've seen something new. Your power is strange, a mix of Tzeentch's cunning and Nurgle's plague. Which Chaos God do you belong to?"
"Die, mortal." The Supreme Plague Lord continued receiving the Horned Rat's blessings, drawing a massive sword made of warpstone from its back. Infused with countless Skaven souls, it was a gift from the Horned Rat—the Doomblade.
Gripping the Doomblade, hundreds of green Skaven souls forming a green light band around it, Essex knew the power wouldn't last long. Summoning the Supreme Plague Lord drained the Rat God's divine power. There was no time for schemes or plans.
One decisive strike!
"Pathetic Rat God, how much power do you have to waste?" Angron mocked, though he stood ready, his feet cracking the ground beneath him, his massive frame shining in dwarf-forged mithril armor, his bearskin cloak fluttering. Angron blinked, indicating he was ready.
The Doomblade unsheathed, green Skaven souls swirling around it, the Supreme Plague Lord charged Angron.
Angron didn't move, turning slightly, his axes emanating intense battle spirit.
Battle!
"Ratskin, come!"
"For the blood of Sanguinius!"
In an instant, red and green light clashed, toppling dozens of trees, raising a massive cloud of dust and snow.
A huge form was cleaved by Angron's axe, crashing to the ground. Red light traced a circle around the Skaven Daemon's body.
The battle was over.
The Doomblade shattered, its green Skaven souls annihilated by Angron's power.
The mighty Supreme Plague Lord Essex was cut from shoulder to armpit, blood and entrails spilling out. The Rat God's power faded, and the Supreme Plague Lord let out a wretched scream. "No... impossible! This can't be!"
"Impossible? Let me make it real for you." Angron's face was a mix of sneer and victorious growl. He stomped on Essex's chest. "Hold on, I'll make it quick."
"Slaughter!" The axe whistled through the air, landing on the Supreme Plague Lord's head.
The Skaven Daemon's head split in two.
Simultaneously, two screams echoed. Angron's final blow not only banished Essex but also severely injured the Horned Rat. Its will and power were stripped from the mortal realm, unable to leave a parting threat. The Supreme Plague Lord crumbled to dust before Angron.
"Feel free to come again." Angron, unsatisfied with the result, couldn't prevent the Daemon from regenerating in the Warp. He sheathed his axes and strapped them to his back. "Well, at least I had a good fight today."
The Plague Lord's presence faded quickly, and the forest began to recover from the corruption. Angron searched the snowy ground, finding the dwarf-made four-barreled gun he had dropped.
Picking up the gun, Angron spoke to the forest. "Come out."
An Imperial Guard emerged. "A significant threat, Lord Angron. Luckily, you handled it quickly."
"This Daemon seemed like a lesser Chaos God's summoning, called the Horned Rat." Angron nodded. "Feels similar to a Nurgle Daemon, not very strong, just tough. Especially the second one, that rat possessed it."
"Without your intervention, it might have taken a lot of effort to deal with," the guard observed, noting the signs of battle and the lingering sense of power.
"Do you believe if the Emperor's Fist had to fight this thing, they'd lose a whole company?" Angron remarked suddenly.
"Maybe even the company commander," the guard replied, sharing in the humor.
"Hahahahaha!" The cold forest echoed with their laughter.
"Do you believe if a single honor guard from the Ultramarines tackled it, they could handle it?" Angron continued.
"Perhaps that blue smurf second company captain could take it down with one strike."
"Hahahahaha!"
"Well, it's getting late. I should head back to cook," Angron laughed, still catching his breath. He coughed a couple of times and warned the guard, "Keep an eye out for these rats; they love sneaky tactics and assassinations."
"Yes, Lord Angron!" The guard nodded, understanding.
Only the Primarchs dared to command the Imperial Guard besides the Emperor himself.
"I should inform Ryan about this first," Angron said, taking a few steps before remembering. He let out a sharp whistle, and soon a massive gryphon swooped down, bowing before him.
Angron mounted the gryphon. "Nuceria, to Ryan's castle, quick!"
The gryphon let out a long cry and flew towards the count's castle.
Two hours later, in the castle hall.
Angron recounted the events to Ryan
"Really? Brother, you took down a Plague Lord and a Supreme Plague Lord, and even heavily injured the Horned Rat?" Ryan frowned, carefully considering the sequence of events.
"Those two Skaven Daemons won't return to the material world for at least a century after I banished them," Angron explained to Ryan. "That rat god, the Horned Rat, was also severely injured by me. It won't have the energy to cause trouble anytime soon."
"Well done, Brother, but we should still inform Brother Fulgrim about this," Ryan nodded thoughtfully. "It's said that the Skaven's next target might be Lustria."
"That's your task. I'm not getting involved," Angron said, patting Ryan on the shoulder with a mischievous grin. "Brother, now that I've fully recovered, when will you spar with me again?"
"Heh, heh~"
Updated! Last day of the month, requesting votes!
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Angron nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "We need to be vigilant. The Skaven are vengeful and resourceful. There could be more threats lurking."
"Indeed," Ryan agreed. "We need to prepare and ensure our defenses are solid."
With the briefing concluded, Angron took his leave. He had other matters to attend to, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction from the battle. It had been a long time since he had faced such a challenge, and the thrill of combat was invigorating.
As Angron flew back on his gryphon, he reflected on the day's events. The Skaven were a persistent threat, but they were not invincible. With vigilance and strength, they could be defeated.
Back in his quarters, Angron couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The forces of Chaos were always scheming, always plotting. But for now, he had proven once again that he was a force to be reckoned with.
Ryan, too, felt the weight of responsibility. He knew that the safety of his people depended on his ability to lead and protect them. With his brother Angron by his side, he felt more confident than ever.
The night was calm, but both brothers knew that the peace was temporary. The world was full of dangers, and they had to be ready for whatever came next. For now, they would rest and gather their strength, knowing that the battles to come would require all their courage and skill.
And so, in the stillness of the night, the two brothers prepared for the challenges ahead, united in their resolve to protect their world from the ever-looming threats of Chaos.
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