Caenus nodded without hesitation and rushed off. He knew Atrius's strength—there was no need to question it.
Atrius turned toward the daemon duo. Blood smeared across his helm and armor, casting a menacing shadow over his form. Behind him, the body of the Khorne champion dissolved into a crimson haze.
Neither daemon spoke.
Then, the cunning one—clearly a spawn of Tzeentch—suddenly erupted with psychic might. Time twisted, seemingly freezing for a breathless second.
In that suspended moment, he closed the distance.
His clawed hand gripped Atrius by the helm, and all his eyes glowed with eldritch light. A dark fog surged around Atrius like a tide of malice.
He could not move.
"I'm done playing," the daemon hissed. "I wanted to witness your true power. But your defiance—your cursed resistance to the warp—has become a problem. Now, let the pain, hatred, and despair of the cosmos flood your mind."
The daemon grunted with effort, psychically driving its will into Atrius's consciousness. Empowered by its master, it began to unravel his defenses.
Ever since Atrius emerged from the Webway, Chaos had tried to breach his will. But his formidable psychic nature—and the fact that he was a null—made that a near-impossible task.
So instead, they had been seeding information.
Subtle suggestions. Echoes of thought. Images and whispers disguised to bypass his null aura. Tzeentch had been feeding him visions—illusions that lacked open malice but served insidious ends. Like a virus—harmless until activated.
Memories of ancient horrors, mortal despair, long-forgotten wars—uploaded into his mind like corrupted data.
"AAAAARGHHH!" Atrius cried out, finally breaking free.
A shockwave of telekinetic force exploded from his body, launching the daemon into the air. it fell far away deep into the ground.
"You're strong... you'll make a fine addition to Chaos," the daemoness cooed. Her long tongue flicked out between sharpened teeth as she licked her lips. her nature depicted depravity, clearly a servant of Slaanesh.
Atrius staggered, panting hard, his eyes momentarily lost in the afterimages of the warp. His gaze dropped to his massive gauntlets—he was still seeing fragments of those memories.
The daemons waited, circling cautiously. Every moment near him was agonizing. Only their foul purpose gave them resolve—any other daemon would flee from a null like Atrius.
Their time in the material realm was short. They needed to finish this.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield of the Sisters of Silence…
Caenus's arrival turned the tide.
His golden form tore through the lesser daemons, creating a bloody path toward the rift. Every strike of his spear was brutal and precise, felling multiple foes in a single sweep. Around him, the psychic null-aura of the Sisters dulled the daemons' strength.
The enemy was faltering. Fewer daemons emerged now.
"Victory is within reach, Sisters. Rejoice!" Caenus roared.
Though the Sisters never spoke, their renewed ferocity was answer enough.
Then—
A demonic roar ripped through the large tunnel.
"GRRAAAWWWHHHHHHH!!"
A monstrous figure stepped from the rift. Towering. Red-skinned. A serpentine face filled with fangs. A massive warhammer gripped in both hands.
Caenus froze.
It was the Khorne daemon Atrius had just slain.
BOOM!
The daemon struck.
Its hammer crashed into Caenus's chest, launching him backward across the tunnel like a ragdoll.
CLANG—THUD—THUD—THUD.
He skidded, armor screeching against the stone.
The daemon ignored the Sisters entirely and charged toward Atrius.
*thud thud thud thud*
Caenus rose quickly, shaken but functional.
A crackle of static burst through his vox-link.
"Caenus… Caenus… Cae—bzzzz—Caenus, come in, brother! Emperor damn Chaos and its treachery!"
Valdor's voice—angry but controlled.
"My lord, I hear you. Vox was jammed by electronic daemons. Atrius is alive, but the situation is dire—he's facing three greater daemons alone. The Sisters are engaged with the remnants of a Khorne horde."
"…It's good to hear your voice," Valdor replied. "We've just defeated a vile Nurgle spawn on our front. Their forces are retreating. Leave the Sisters. Aid Atrius. Reinforcements are inbound... Brother, remember your oath."
Caenus gripped his spear tighter.
"Until my last breath," he replied.
He turned toward Atrius's position—just as the daemon reached its target.
Back to Atrius…
The resurrected Khorne daemon slammed its warhammer into Atrius without warning.
BOOM!
The impact cratered the ground. Atrius groaned, trapped in a deep pit of shattered rock.
"You fool! We had him stunned!" the cunning daemon screamed. "Do you know the price I paid to break him?! You've ruined everything!"
The daemoness chuckled sadistically, watching Atrius claw his way out of the crater. His armor was cracked. His helm flickered. His posture.... crooked.
But his gaze burned.
The daemons froze.
Something was wrong.
His presence shifted—became heavier, more oppressive.
Then—his eyes flashed with golden light.
A rift tore open behind him.
From its depths, a monstrous shadowy claw lashed out—grabbing him.
"No!" Caenus arrived just in time to see it.
He sprinted toward the rift, but the claw dragged Atrius inside before he could reach him.
Without hesitation, Caenus dove in after him.
THUD—THUD—THUD—THUD.
The rift snapped shut behind them.
Silence fell.
Even the echoes of battle seemed to vanish.
The three daemons stood frozen. Their bodies trembled. Twitched.
Then—
THUD.
One by one, they collapsed.
Daemon ichor leaked from their eyes and mouths. Their forms spasmed in unnatural jerks.
In the Warp, their presences blinked out.
Erased.
A true, eternal death.