As the ritual concluded, an intense scent of blood surged through the entire Lower Hive like a tide.
Crimson mist spewed from every ventilation shaft, staining the streets blood red.
The rioters, corrupted by Chaos energy, fell completely into a frenzy; their bloodshot eyes bulged, and their throats emitted battle cries that were not human.
"Blood for the Emperor!" A cultist with distorted muscles raised a rusty combat knife and unhesitatingly hacked at the neck of a companion beside him.
The sharp blade tore through flesh, the spine snapped with a grating sound, and as the head rolled, the headless body still maintained a charging posture.
The entire Lower Hive transformed into a bloody gladiatorial arena.
The rioters hacked at each other with any weapon they could find—broken steel pipes, jagged metal shards, or even tearing with bare hands.
A cult priest in a red robe held a ritual dagger, frantically stabbing a Battle Sisters in the neck, continuing to stab until he 'sawed' the entire head off her neck.
"Skulls for the Golden Throne!" Three mutated rioters simultaneously lunged at an Astra Militarum soldier, only to suddenly turn on each other midway.
One of them impaled his companion's chest with the steel claws on his hand, but was then decapitated by the third with an axe.
Before the victor could let out a cry of triumph, his facial bones were smashed by a flying chain flail.
Most horrifying were the berserker-like cult champions.
They were drenched in blood, their necks adorned with human heads strung together with wire, swaying like trophies.
One of them wielded a massive double-bladed axe, and each swing could cut two or three people in half at the waist.
Dismembered limbs and internal organs flew through the air, landing in pools of blood with a viscous sound.
Ahriman's pupils suddenly contracted; he saw the blood splashing in the slaughter eerily suspended in the air, each drop glowing with a sickly red light.
The blood droplets attracted each other, intertwining in mid-air into countless intricate networks of blood threads, like the capillaries of some evil creature.
The pools of blood on the ground began to boil, and the viscous plasma writhed, flowing on its own towards the direction of the dark church.
"This isn't right…" Ahriman murmured, his psychic vision seeing every drop of blood continuously merging as it moved, eventually forming a surging river of blood on the steps leading to the altar.
The river flowed upstream, converging at the center of the altar into a massive blood pool over ten meters in diameter.
The surface of the blood pool began to churn violently, forming an increasingly fast vortex.
The center of the vortex gradually sank, revealing a bottomless crimson abyss.
Suddenly, a blinding crimson lightning bolt struck the dome from the center of the vortex, and the entire space trembled violently.
The Warp's corrupting energy erupted like a volcanic eruption, staining the surrounding air a crimson blood color.
Accompanied by a deafening roar, a giant claw covered in bronze armor was the first to tear through the spatial rift.
The claw was the size of an adult's torso, each knuckle encased in armor adorned with skull reliefs, and molten, viscous blood still dripped from its sharp nails.
Immediately after, a pair of massive bat-like wings suddenly unfurled, their membranes shrouded in terrifying dark red energy; merely looking upon them was enough to plunge even the most resolute warrior into endless madness and a desire for slaughter.
When this Greater Daemon of Khorne fully manifested, the air in the entire hall solidified with fear.
It stood over four meters tall, its body covered in dark red scales and bronze armor, every muscle bulging like forged steel.
Its head resembled a giant wolf, but was even more hideous—four curved horns extended backward from its forehead, its mouth lined with three rows of serrated teeth, and a forked tongue occasionally licked its dripping fangs.
Most chilling was the weapon in its hand—a long-handled battle axe over ten meters in length.
The axe blade was a dark red, soaked in blood, and its back was embedded with dozens of still-screaming human heads.
Black-purple flames burned fiercely on the axe blade; it was not ordinary fire, but Warp fire condensed from pure hatred and the desire for slaughter.
The Greater Daemon's eyes were like two burning flames, sweeping over every living creature present.
When it opened its gaping maw and let out a battle cry, its breath carried a strong smell of sulfur and bloody slaughter, and its voice contained Chaos magic powerful enough to shatter mortal minds: "Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
Simultaneously with the Bloodthirster's manifestation, the Inquisition's purification forces were engaged in a bloody struggle with the swarming cultists.
The Sisters of Battle chanted hymns, and the roar of Bolters intertwined with the hiss of Chainsword, forming a symphony of death.
"For the Emperor! Destroy that blasphemous altar!" The leading Battle Sisters raised her power sword and led a squad of Sister Sisters to charge the central altar.
Their power armor gleamed silver in the blood mist, and flamethrowers spewed purifying fire, incinerating cultists in their path.
The Stormtroopers, meanwhile, rapidly deployed heavy weapons, meltaguns and plasma cannons aimed at the altar's base, attempting to melt it directly.
However, the Greater Daemon's figure swept across the battlefield like a crimson storm; its black-flamed battle axe swept across, and three Battle Sisterss, unable to react in time, were reduced to scattered remains beneath the axe blade.
Blood splattered like rain, and this Battle Sisters roared, raising her sword to meet the attack; a blinding shower of sparks erupted the moment her power sword collided with the battle axe.
"Heretic Daemon! In the Emperor's name—" Her oath abruptly ceased.
The Bloodthirster's giant claw pierced through her breastplate, lifting her entire body.
The Battle Sisters struggled to deliver one last sword thrust, but the Daemon severed her head with an axe, then casually flung her headless corpse, which crashed into a squad of Stormtroopers, instantly killing several who couldn't dodge in time.
The Stormtroopers fired frantically, meltaguns and plasma bolts exploding on the Daemon, leaving scorched wounds, but the Bloodthirster only let out a deafening, insane laugh.
It suddenly flapped its wings, stirring up a bloody storm, and its battle axe traced a crimson arc—
An entire Stormtroopers squad was cut in half at the waist; their upper bodies were still spinning in the air as their internal organs rained down.
The remaining Sisters of Battle formed a circular defense, reciting scriptures from the "Book of Holy Words."
A Battle Sisters carrying a heavy flamethrower continuously sprayed the Daemon, the holy fire briefly forcing it back.
"Now! Destroy the altar!" she shouted.
Two Stormtroopers seized the opportunity to rush towards the altar and set Thermo-meltdown bombs.
But just as the timer started, the Bloodthirster suddenly burst from the flames, its battle axe cleaving down, cutting both the men and the bombs in half.
The violent explosion blew five nearby warriors away, but the altar remained intact—the Daemon had shielded most of the impact with its own wings.
The last living Battle Sisters knelt in a pool of blood; her legs had been severed, but she still raised her Bolter with trembling hands.
"Emperor. Protect."
The Bloodthirster slowly walked towards her, savoring her despair, then raised its battle axe—
However, a ghostly blue psychic lightning bolt suddenly struck the Daemon's back.
"I am your opponent, beast." Ahriman's voice came from above.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"