Warhammer: The Worst Start There Is (40k)

“Your arrogance will be the noose that hangs you! Primarch!” The Great Unclean One roared, and as he moved, the maggots in his mouth fell to the ground, crawling in search of flesh.

Inside the daemon, the Nurgling also howled in a crude imitation.

The Plaguebearers and the Plague Marines emerged from behind the roaring Great Unclean One, reinforcing the endangered enemy lines.

The traitors had nearly sacrificed the entire planet’s life, using the power of the dead to tear open the fabric of the real world, opening a rift in the Immaterium, summoning a daemon army.

“Today is your death, daemon. I will have your subordinates bring your head back as a declaration of my return to the dark god behind you.”

Guilliman ran, his heavy body causing the mold-covered earth to tremble slightly.

The flames that rose from the Emperor’s Sword in his hand became even more dazzling.

“Protect the Primarch!” The veteran Space Marines of the Honour Guard Chapter shouted, launching a charge alongside Guilliman.

They had no fear, even in the face of daemons.

“Kill him and offer his soul to Grandfather!” Gurl, holding a rusty plague battle axe, pointed towards the Primarch launching the attack, ordering the cultists and the last Plague Marines to attack.

The daemons also cooperated with the traitors to counterattack the loyalists of the Imperium.

Rust daemons, Blight daemons, and many other daemon of Nurgle poured out from the torn rifts in reality, like flowing pus-like blood.

If left unchecked, this planet would be completely transformed into a daemon world in no time, becoming one of the Garden of Nurgle.

Guilliman would not allow this to happen. He would drive out the daemon, restore peace to this world, and burn the leader of the rebellion to ashes.

With a single sword strike, he killed the daemon that attempted to attack him, using his Emperor’s Sword to completely burn its soul.

The Honour Guard gathered around their master, using their formidable firepower to clear the swarming enemies.

They couldn’t completely kill the daemons but could shatter their physical forms and exile them back into Immaterium.

The Great Unclean One looked down from on high, watching the low-level daemons attacking Guilliman and the others, revealing a faint smile but not intervening personally.

It was waiting, waiting for the link between Immaterium and reality to be reinforced, so it could maximize the power of the dark god and bring more daemons into the real universe.

“Hold back the other daemons and traitors for me. I’ll go kill that damned daemon leader.” Guilliman issued orders over the communication, instructing nearby Space Marines to strengthen the attack, to distract the enemies, allowing him to deal with the Great Unclean One and the leader of the traitors.

“Understood, my lord. I will launch an attack from the flank, and the Titans will crush them,” replied Sicarius, as they relied on the Titans to advance, soon reaching the side of the Flesh Tower.

“Understood, my lord,” Felix said over the communication.

“Received,” the chief of the Dawn Guardians Chapter responded to the Genefather’s command.

The Dawn Guardians was an elite sub-chapter of the Ultramarines and was among the first to respond to their Chapter’s call after the attack on Macragge.

Many Ultramarine sub-chapters would recruit their troops from Ultramar, and their loyalty to Guilliman was above that of other Chapters.

The Imperial Loyalists quickly formed a front centered around Guilliman, launching a fierce attack against daemons and traitors.

On Guilliman’s right, Space Marines advanced with the support of two heavy Leman Russ Battle Tanks, the oldest heavy tank model in Imperial service. The power of the Leman Russ Battle Tank naturally earned it a reputation among the Imperium’s many tanks.

They rumbled forward, clearing rubble, flattening roads, and releasing waves of explosives, shells, and laser beams, defending against the Plague Marine daemons fiercely on the enemy’s left flank.

But their limited numbers struggled to withstand the terrifying firepower of the Imperial Loyalists, and many enemies were torn apart, their limbs scattered across the battlefield.

To Guilliman’s right, two Redemptor Dreadnoughts advanced, their servos emitting a hissing sound, and their piston devices roared angrily as they moved forward.

The assault cannons in their hands fired streams of fire at the Plague Marines and daemons, their massive plasma incinerators glowing white-hot with each shot, emitting a sizzling steam.

“For the Master of Ultramar!” The chief of the Dawn Guardians, protected by the formidable firepower of the Unstoppable Mechs, roared, and his power staff crackled with thunder as he released his raging psionic energy.

His projection in the Immaterium became even more brilliant, empowered by his belief, allowing him to control more powerful psionic energy.

A searing flame was released, and a psionic shockwave leaped through the ruins, flinging away daemons and traitors along its path. Their putrid bodies burned with unquenchable psionic flames.

Burning Plague Marines rolled out from behind makeshift barriers, raising their grenade launchers, attempting to kill this psionic wielder.

The chief used the power of his will to grab them and crushed their bodies, throwing their battered forms at two other burning Plague Marines, knocking them to the ground.

But the Plague Marines and daemons did not give up; they tried to collaborate to push back the ferocious attack of the Imperial Loyalists.

Bombs filled with disease sloped out, killing several loyal Imperial warriors, turning them into foul pus.

Many daemons chose to parasitize the Plague Marines, allowing them to become more powerful by using their own strength.

Just as both sides were engaged in a fierce battle, a thunderous sound rang out. An Imperator-class Titan strode forward with heavy steps, its plasma cannon in hand, annihilating all enemies in its path as if it were divine retribution.

Even the Plague Marines parasitized by daemons were no match for the Imperator-class Titan. Those who couldn’t evade in time were simply crushed under its feet, like bursting blisters, gone with a pop.

Even if they managed to evade, there was no escape from the terrifying firepower of the Titan.

“For the Master of Ultramar!” Sicarius’s voice rang out as they followed the Imperator-class Titan, coming from the side.

With the help of many warriors, a breach was opened.

Guilliman swiftly crushed the head of a daemon, then proceeded unhindered towards the Flesh Tower.

“Now it’s time for us to settle our score, daemon.”

“You are far more annoying than Mortarion. At least he obeys the word of the Grandfather and helps others understand the joy of the entropy of cosmic life, experiencing their decay and rebirth,” the Great Unclean One said, picking up its weapon and also walking towards the Primarch.

The Great Unclean One was well aware that only it was qualified to battle an Primarch, while the low-level daemons facing the Primarch were merely sacrificing themselves to delay time.

The Great Unclean One launched the first attack, its weapon striking towards Guilliman, but Guilliman effortlessly blocked it with the Emperor’s Sword.

“Mortarion is a complete fool. He stooped so low as to submit to you. Look at all of you, even choosing to ally with the Weaver of Fate is better than siding with your feeble Grandfather. Your Grandfather is weak and feeble, the worst amongst the four gods.”

“I won’t be provoked by your words,” the Great Unclean One said.

“But you didn’t deny it, which means you also believe that your Grandfather is the worst amongst those four,” Guilliman leaped into the air, slashing towards the daemon, but the Great Unclean One, in an agile move uncharacteristic of its obese body, evaded.

“I didn’t,” the Great Unclean One said angrily.

“Then why don’t you deny it? Instead, you’re fixated on whether I’m trying to provoke you. Mortarion is the most useless among us. My Father dislikes him, and the Primarchs despise him because he’s too stupid and utterly worthless. He let his subordinates strip him of his authority, and he was even sold to you. Such foolishness happened to him despite being a Primarch, it’s simply unimaginable, and your Grandfather joyfully accepted him, which means your Grandfather is a worthless being too, and so are you.”

Guilliman taunted casually, his attack becoming more fierce. The combination of Primarch power and commanding power made him incredibly strong.

Even if the one who faces him is one of the champions of Nurgle, like a Great Unclean One, they would still find it difficult to handle his strike.

“A complete and utter worthless daemon.”

“I’m going to kill you!” the Great Unclean One roared, driven into a rage by Guilliman’s words.

“But you can’t.” Seeing the Great Unclean One losing control due to his provocations, Guilliman smiled. “Seeing you in this foolish state, I suddenly don’t feel like killing you. Daemons are never-ending; whether I kill you or not makes little difference. I’ve decided. I’ll inscribe the word ‘worthless’ on your body and then banish you, and I’ll also pass a message to Mortarion. I’m going to find him.”