Chapter 54: Kahaban — "I Am Rogal Dorn!"
Kahaban had never been deceived by the Warp before.
He would never forget this moment for as long as his existence endured.
A Bloodthirster—favored of Khorne, the Blood God—stood against not one but four Primarchs and a blasphemer who dared twist the sacred war cries of the Lord of Skulls.
"Blood for the—"
Kahaban began his roar.
"—Emperor! Skulls for the Golden Throne! Death to the heretic!"
Erebus cut him off, stealing the cry with mocking zeal.
The daemon froze for a fraction of a second—long enough.
"I also heard," Erebus continued casually, "that your precious Blood God spends time skulking through pleasure dens in the Sixth Ring. Tell me… is his pride still intact?"
That did it.
Kahaban's eyes burned with crimson fury. With a roar that split the air, he charged.
But a staff of dark scripture intercepted him.
Lorgar Aurelian stepped forward.
Kahaban struck without hesitation. The impact rang like a cathedral bell—but Lorgar did not falter. Instead, he tilted his head slightly.
Weak.
Weaker than Erebus.
The realization flickered—and in that instant, Lorgar's Crozius Arcanum came alive, smashing into Kahaban with sudden, precise force. The daemon staggered back.
"Your name, wretch!" Kahaban snarled. "Speak it before you die!"
Erebus opened his mouth—
"He is the chosen voice of the God-Emperor, Erebus."
Lorgar said it smoothly.
Erebus shot him a venomous glare.
Traitorous brother…
"Erebus!" Kahaban roared. "I will tear your soul apart!"
He surged forward again, shrugging off another crushing blow from Lorgar. Bone cracked, but Kahaban did not slow.
He drove straight into another attacker.
Into the descending axe of Angron.
The blade bit deep into his chest.
Kahaban staggered, staring at the massive wound… then up at the Red Angel.
Angron blinked, almost apologetic.
"I was aiming for your head."
A pause.
"You moved."
Erebus took two steps back.
"That thing is entirely your problem now."
"You will not escape me!" Kahaban bellowed.
The Butcher's Nails screamed within Angron's skull.
And Angron answered.
With a roar, he drove Kahaban backward, chain axes hacking with savage rhythm. Behind them, Lorgar pressed forward, crozius slamming into the daemon's spine.
Erebus folded his arms, watching.
"Kahaban," he called lazily, "do you know why your Blood God despises defeat?"
Kahaban snarled, his power swelling as Khorne's rage flooded into him—again and again.
"Because defeat is submission," Erebus continued. "And submission is humiliation."
The Warp trembled.
The blessings came faster.
Stronger.
By the time Kahaban received the favor of Khorne hundreds of times over, the air itself burned with wrath.
Even Erebus narrowed his eyes.
Ah… now he's angry.
Kahaban roared and broke free, hurling Angron aside as he charged again.
This time—
A hammer met him.
Perturabo stood ready, his massive warhammer crashing down like a falling star. Behind him, ring-shaped automata unfolded, unleashing torrents of firepower.
"This," Perturabo growled, "is the strength of reason. Of iron. Of truth."
The battlefield erupted in gunfire.
And then—
Kahaban smashed through it.
He struck Perturabo aside with raw force, barely slowed, using the momentum of the hammer's blow to accelerate toward Erebus.
Erebus sighed.
"A pity."
He drew his chainsword.
The two collided—flaming blade against roaring teeth. Sparks and blood filled the air as they clashed in brutal close combat.
"KILL YOU!" Kahaban roared, jaws opening wide—
—and then his legs lifted off the ground.
Magnus the Red raised a hand, psychic power binding the daemon in place.
At the same time, Lorgar and Perturabo seized hold, pinning him from either side.
Kahaban struggled, thrashing—
—And then Angron leapt.
The Butcher's Nails fell silent.
For a single, terrible moment, Angron was calm.
He descended.
The strike was… decisive.
Kahaban's scream tore through reality itself.
When it was over, Angron stepped back, expression unchanged, and let his weapon fall aside.
"Disgusting."
Even now, even broken, Kahaban snapped his jaws toward Erebus.
Erebus didn't hesitate.
He slapped the daemon hard across the face, then drove his chainsword straight into its maw. The weapon roared to life, shredding through teeth and tongue alike.
Magnus tightened his psychic grip, binding Kahaban completely.
The remaining daemons fled.
Silence fell.
For a moment, only the crackle of Warp energy remained.
Perturabo stared at the restrained creature.
"So this," he said slowly, "is what lies beyond."
Lorgar stepped beside him, solemn.
"Creatures of the Warp. They feed on thought. Emotion. Faith. We are… a feast to them."
He placed a hand on Perturabo's shoulder.
"This is why I say the Emperor is divine. Because only a god could stand against this."
Perturabo said nothing.
Then—
"What now?"
Erebus stepped forward, removing a small golden icon from around his neck.
"What else?"
He smiled.
"Interrogation."
He crouched before Kahaban.
"Come now. Repeat after me—Blood for the Emperor. Skulls for the Golden Throne."
Kahaban spat blood.
"I will kill you, Erebus!"
Erebus sighed.
"No, no. That's not the line."
"Repeat it properly."
"I—Kahaban—will—"
"You look like Rogal Dorn when you say that."
Silence.
Even the Warp seemed to pause.
Erebus tilted his head, frowning.
"…Why do daemons keep doing that?"
End of Chapter
Check out my Patreon for advance chapters
patreon.com/BIGBRAINJOSHUA