Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 64 The final showdown
Skabrand. Formerly the chief archduke of the Skull Throne, and Khorne's most beloved general.

Its double axes shattered the combined forces of the gods; it stormed into the sixth ring of Slaanesh, destroyed countless worlds, and crowned the name of the Blood God with countless massacres and destructions.

But one day, Tzeentch noticed this powerful demon and decided to tease the arrogant, bloodthirsty monster.

The whispers of the Lord of Change echoed in my ears, praising its power and declaring that the Bloodthirsty Demon's achievements surpassed Khorne's, and that it should replace the Blood God on the Skull Throne.

A bloodthirsty madman, shaped purely by rage, actually believed Tzeentch's words.

When he was in the presence of the Blood God, he took advantage of His distraction and struck Khorne's armor with his blood axe.

The earth-shattering rage left only a tiny crack on the god's armor.

Its despicable act of betrayal thoroughly enraged Khorne.

The Blood God, eternally seated on the skull throne, rose to his feet, supporting himself with his greatsword. He grabbed Skabrand by the neck and hurled him out of the Blood God's Domain.

In the timeless warp, Skabrand tumbled through the air for eight days and eight nights before crashing into the boundless wasteland of the warp, his body carving a canyon into the ground.

Its wings were burned, its armor was tattered, and its body, forged by power and rage, was covered with wounds that would never heal, a result of the Blood God's disgust.

Even the form of the bloodthirsty monster has undergone a fundamental change.

The blood-red eyes, burning with fury, were no longer pure in their rage due to the intervention of the Lord of Change; one eyeball emitted a blue light.

Khorne stripped it of its rationality, branded it with unforgivable sins, and turned it into an "exile."

In the warp, he relentlessly unleashes his fury, spreading the name of the Blood God to atone for his sins.

Now, Skabrand has arrived uninvited, sensing the Blood God's ritual, and is taking the opportunity to travel to the real universe.

The ecstatic Blood God was observing the real universe, seeing it as a rare opportunity to avoid being banished back to the warp the moment he appeared.

Ignoring the bloodthirsty madman's rage and Angrath's warning.

Skabrand knelt on the ground, struggling to maintain the last vestiges of its consciousness. It knelt and pleaded with the Blood God for forgiveness and a return to the Skull Throne.

"Blood God!"

Skabrand knelt and raised his head, eighty-eight meters from the arena, not daring to offend the Blood God's ritual. He knew the Blood God was watching, and His gaze had never left this place.

The Blood God's gaze remained fixed, and although the bloodthirsty demons were furious, they dared not overstep their bounds.

If He did not wish to see Skabrand, the oracle would have already been issued, banishing the exile.

“My Lord,” perhaps it was the gaze of the gods, Skabrand seemed to regain some of his reason and was able to express his meaning clearly:
"This lowly servant dares not ask for forgiveness, but only begs to shed the blood of repentance for you with this broken body."

Skabrand made no demands, yet Angelus tightened his grip on his weapon, sensing that the Blood God was hesitating.

Praying will not bring divine favor, but pure dedication without expecting anything in return may earn the gods' favor.

Having been exiled for countless years, Skabrand's shattered sanity seems to have become wiser?
"I have no interest in your grudges, your redemption and forgiveness." Doom stood on the platform, interrupting the communication between the demon and the god; he only wanted to finish the duel and leave.

"Hurry up, let the duel continue."

"Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!"

A coughing, panting laugh came from the blood clouds and the blood pool. Doom recognized it immediately; he was certain it came from the "God of Warriors" within the crimson space.

Doom recalled the days of ignorance—when he asked his mother about the faith in the City of Truth, she knelt down, her gentle face suddenly turning serious.

"God is a false lie! So is faith!"

At this moment, Doom wholeheartedly agreed.

God is a complete fraud! What god of warriors? He's clearly a blood god worshipped by demons!
The sky, ablaze with blood-red clouds, was torn apart by the armored giant claw. Furious crimson lightning surged from the cracks, and the blood in the blood pool began to burn, turning into scorching magma. A vast divine might descended.

The Night Guards gripped their spears to support their bodies, preventing themselves from kneeling, while shutting out their minds and senses, like standing corpses, afraid to accept any external information.

Harlan, who was always unrestrained, now closed his eyes tightly, muttering the warrior's law under his breath, constantly fighting against the uncontrollable rage within him and the surging, burning blood.

A magnificent voice came from the void, and the bloodthirsty demon knelt down, folding his bat wings and trembling.

The real universe is different from the warp. In the warp, bloodthirsty demons are at their peak, capable of facing divine power directly without fear of being dispersed by it.

Kamui is also suppressed in the real universe, but the Bloodthirsty Demon is suppressed even more. The two are worlds apart in terms of status and concept.

The divine power emanating from the Blood God's words caused the Blood Demon's body to disintegrate like sand, gradually making it difficult for him to maintain his form in the real universe.

Only Doom remained calm on the field, standing straight and gazing into the void, his sharp eyes probing the existence of a god.

"as you wish!"

The magnificent sound was as vast as the sky, rumbling and causing the void to tremble, it was unclear whether it was an answer to Doom or Skabrand.

Or did they both agree?
As His voice faded, the current chief demon Angelus transformed into a streak of blood-red light and returned to the void, leaving the real universe.

The remaining bloodthirsty demons exploded into blood mist under the pressure of the Blood God, merging into Skabrand's body.

Blood God agreed to Doom's suggestion to finish the battle quickly and also agreed to give Skabrand a chance.

An opportunity to defeat Doom and prove that he is still useful.

Amidst the churning blood mist, Skabrand greedily devoured the energy of its kind. Its ravaged body was gradually rebuilt, and its reason and power returned.

Doom's eyes narrowed as he sensed a threat surging forth from the blood mist.

The broken demon seemed to have been given a chance by its master; the gods even infused its body with the power of a bloodthirsty madman.

When it appeared, Doom was certain he could defeat it, but now the merged, bloodthirsty berserker made him feel a danger he had never experienced before.

"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph..."

The demon's laughter was no longer painful; the sound was unrestrained and arrogant.

The Blood God has given Skabrand the opportunity to defeat the young god before him and return to the throne of the skull.

Khorne Aidum wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Only the strong deserve the favor of the gods; Khorne is the embodiment of struggle, and eliminating the weak is in His nature.

After absorbing the blood mist, the demon, wielding two large axes, spread its wings, its demonic power overwhelming, casting a shadow that obscured the burning sky.

Doom drew his sword from his waist, the blade springing out. He remained silent, his expression serious, staring coldly at the reshaped, raging beast.

He sensed the aura of bloodthirsty demons from the bone handles of those two primitive giant axes. The two weapons were infused with the bloodthirsty demons, their smooth blades filled with hatred and greed.

Skabrand stepped into the ring, his eight-meter-tall, muscular, and crimson body more imposing than any of the other bloodthirsty monsters.

It felt the blessing of the Blood God, and the power of dozens of bloodthirsty demons surged within its body, constantly clamoring for the release of slaughter.

"Scarbrand!"

When Skabrand received no response after introducing himself, he looked at the young god and saw only unwavering determination and murderous intent in his eyes.

No need for further words, the killing intent has already arrived!
"Roar!"

With a bloodthirsty roar, every cell in Skabrand screamed, the determination in his voice equally unwavering.

"clang!!!!"

The clash of sword and axe produced a piercing sound and created a visible shockwave!
Neither side can afford to lose, and neither side has any reason to lose!

Behind the curtain, Angrath returned to the Skull Throne, standing guard beside the Blood God, witnessing the earth-shattering battle and marveling at the power of both sides.

Blood rush!

During the clash of weapons, both were injured by the opponent's immense force, their tiger's mouths were torn, and the skin on the backs of their hands and forearms that were gripping the weapons cracked and the capillaries burst.

The flow of blood made Skabrand roar with excitement. The blessing of the Blood God made it ignore the pain and continue to wield its demonic weapon, throwing itself wholeheartedly into the battle.

Doom remained expressionless as he deflected the demon's giant axe with his sword, and the fine wounds on his hands immediately healed.

He felt no excitement, only a chilling rage against the devil burning within him.

(End of this chapter)