Chapter 38: Steel-Boned Hippopotamus, Infinite Ammo Mode Malum

Anda grinned, stumbling down from the stands, his sheer veil not nearly as practical as a standard robe. Every time he descended a large step, he had to take care not to reveal too much. He could not afford to become the second source of psychic corruption in this place.

"You... are you the future Master of Mankind?"

Erste opened his mouth, and the demonic voice of Bileyni emerged. The scales had been moments away from knitting Erste’s eyes back together, yet that final step remained just out of reach.

"Is it that nail? The aura of faith upon it... unheard of. It is—let me think."

"The One True God? The Supreme Faith, the Emperor of Mankind!"

The pheromones on the nail were identified, leading to these conclusions. Bileyni confirmed the target marked by the Great Tzeentch. Unable to comprehend the future, it had played its final trump card, connecting directly with the Changer of Ways. From the depths of the labyrinth, the latter’s gaze projected forth, confirming once more that upon the distant Golden Throne, the figure of the Emperor of Mankind shifted—first a long-haired man, then a blonde man with a buzzcut, and finally, it took on the appearance of Aaron.

"It is him! That aura is identical to the Accursed One!"

What? Had his eyes deceived him? That was impossible. How could Tzeentch misread information?

Having received the approval of the Changer of Ways, Bileyni grew excited. Found him! As long as he killed the Aaron before him, he would complete Tzeentch’s trial and ascend further. Otherwise, having hacked up too many people in imitation of Khorne’s rituals, he lived in constant fear that the Hound sitting upon the Brass Throne would drag him away, pluck his feathers, and shave off his scales.

"Ah, yes, it is you, it is you!"

Erste’s voice gradually returned, for the rift between the Warp and reality was quite stable at this moment, unlike the future where they could intermingle at will. He still had to rely on the humans he had blessed to do the fighting; he would simply provide the buffs. The contingency measure was not on Erste’s person.

Erste’s consciousness returned, and he reflexively twisted, intending to snap Aaron’s neck, only to find he lacked the strength. Aaron had realized that the damage caused by the nail would not fully heal and had been desperately clawing at his opponent’s arm tendons.

"Lorgar, I’ll treat you to grilled fish next time we meet."

Aaron bought time. The next moment, the roar of a chainsword echoed. Before he could even hear Malum’s footsteps or see the arc of the weapon, Erste’s arm was severed. Aaron fell backward, landing in the arms of the Ultramarine. The white helmet of the Bladeguard Veteran shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

"Leave the rest to me."

Malum kicked out, blasting Erste in half at the waist, then turned and knelt on one knee, shielding Aaron to prevent the spraying blood from touching him as he set him down.

Aaron’s neck was still entangled by Erste’s severed hand. He shook it off, leaped down from the platform, and added a reminder: "Make it quick. I need to get Father some new clothes; this look is far too indecent."

Malum glanced at his Majesty, who was forced to hold down the hem of his sheer veil against the breeze, and nearly choked. *Focus, son of Guilliman.* He told himself this as he stood up and drew his bolter from his waist.

The enemy was indeed blessed by a demon; he had been kicked in two, but the upper torso was still alive, groping at the surroundings, trying to crawl upright.

"Not a Greater Daemon, a lower rank. Still, Tzeentchian daemons are always troublesome to deal with."

Malum stepped forward, adjusting the chain speed of his sword. He searched for the primary site of the demonic blessing, all while remaining vigilant for the sudden emergence of a blue-furred, dragon-like monstrosity.

*Vrrr-zzzt—*

The chainsword pressed down, grinding the head of Erste—who was still bubbling with blood—into a pulp.

The surrounding crowd, terrified by the series of events, had scattered and fled. Gert, the local captain of the guard, pushed through the crowd, cursing: "Quiet! Quiet! This is a battle offered to Sekhmet!"

"If you anger the High Priest, you will all—"

Gert finally managed to shove his way against the tide, but his mouth hung open, unable to close. He saw two High Priests of Sekhmet, and neither had a head. One was still sitting at the highest point of the stands, nothing but a neck spurting blood. The other had been dismantled into pieces of flesh and bone; the head that had been steaming a moment ago was now being ground into dust by the white-helmeted giant’s horrific bladed weapon.

*Thump!*

A hand was flung onto Gert’s face. The bald youth who had been chosen by Priest Dalet to be sacrificed came running over.

"You are the captain of the guard here, I remember you. Go organize the people and evacuate them—as far away as possible!" Aaron panted, not forgetting to look back. "The demon hasn't fully manifested yet. There is still time."

Gert subconsciously clutched Erste’s severed hand, and suddenly, the hand began to twitch, sprouting a multitude of feathers from the severed stump.

Aaron frowned and snatched the hand back; the feathers stopped growing. He did not know if it was because of himself or the nail Lorgar had given him.

*Rumble! Thud! Thud—*

On the other side of the arena, the hastily constructed stone stands were smashed open by a terrifying, massive force. A giant beast, constructed from layers of flesh and bone, swayed its head. It was the complete skull of a hippopotamus. At this moment, the metal weapons of Erste’s guards were melting, flowing toward this war beast.

Atop the hippo’s head, Erste’s body reconverged into an upper torso, though it lacked skin and was covered in steel scales. There was no human consciousness left in its mouth; the demon was descending. The target was right before it, and it had to eliminate the Emperor of these Terran monkeys.

"This is a design I learned from those dog-men’s steel-boned bulls. I don't care for it much, but it works well enough."

"I intended to use it to smash through the walls of Thebes and goad the monkeys of three continents into an arms race! But oh well, I suppose I have to show my face early."

Bileyni’s voice was noisy and cumbersome. Every syllable was articulated with absolute clarity, yet it made one feel as if a flock of chattering parrots had moved into their ears.

The steel-boned hippo let out a low roar, like a leaking bell. As for the bone, it had no tongue and no throat; it was a miracle it could make sound at all.

Gert was already trembling, unable to move. Aaron urged him, patting him on the shoulder: "Run! Go organize the people to leave. That is your duty!"

"Right, right—" Gert suddenly snapped out of it and scrambled away.

Aaron then carried the severed hand toward his father: "Father, this thing starts growing feathers the moment it leaves my hand. I’m worried there might be some danger. Think of something—like striking it with a bolt of lightning!"

"Also, put these clothes on. This veil is too sheer; I’m embarrassed to even look at you." He handed over his own robes with his other hand, intending to wear the priest-guard’s armor himself.

Feeling the cool, unrestricted air, Anda darkened his face and changed into the clothes. "Give me that hand." Anda took it and looked toward Malum: "Suppress them with fire! Shred that beast! Don't worry about the ammunition."

In Anda’s hand, the Chaos energy on the severed limb was annihilated, and his eyes glowed with golden light.

Malum shouted in a deep voice: "As you command!"

He raised his bolter and pulled the trigger. Firepower poured out, suppressing the steel-boned hippo. Bileyni, however, covered his face as he watched: "Command? I judged wrong. Or is this human Emperor a hereditary position? That would be terrible; I only prepared a single dagger."