Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!

Laughing off my remark about returning to Asgard, Loki assured me that, unlike her feeble counterparts, she would have no trouble pulling it off. Realizing that she was too arrogant and stupid to believe what I was saying, I dared her to prove me wrong with her immense, overwhelming power. Irritated by my words, the goddess accepted my challenge to wipe the smirk off my face. Already aware that traditional methods would not work, she jumped straight to her usual bag of tricks.

Tearing a hole in our reality with a wave of her hand, she pretended to yawn just to prove how easy it was. Scoffing at her, I stated that it was just a fancy parlor trick until we saw it in action.

“You want a demonstration because your Neanderthal brain cannot comprehend what I have done. Very well then, behold the power of Odin’s eldest- “, Loki began to say before smashing her face into her opening.

Unable to restrain themselves, Balder and Fandral began to laugh uncontrollably at her failure. Falling to the ground, holding their sides in pain, she stepped back and glared at them in embarrassment. Refusing to give up, Loki closed that tear and opened several more to other dimensions she frequented. Discovering that she was locked out of everywhere, a horrified expression crept over her face as she came to terms with their situation. Uncomfortable with being in a situation where she had limited options, the Asgardian began to have a panic attack and started hyperventilating.

“Supreme Commander, my apologies if I am interrupting anything, but we have completed our survey of Commorragh.”, Commander Yoma announced over the radio. “We successfully tagged every hostage in the city and generated a map for the Craftworlds and Imperium to use. All that said, the situation beneath the city itself is far worse than our intelligence initially suggested. Khaine’s Gate was breached several decades ago, but Archons have collectively kept this information from leaving the city.”

“That should not pose too much of an issue for us. Please have Commanders Dance and Lawson prepare their men for combat. Our joint assault on Commorragh will commence in thirty minutes.”, I stated, receiving the data Yoma’s people collected. “What of my uncle, Jaghatai Khan? Were you able to locate him during your survey?”

“Yes, sir! We discovered the fifth Primarch imprisoned beneath the Kabal of the Black Heart’s base alongside several thousand children and elderly people. Due to their extremely poor health conditions, I made the decision to relocate them onto the Endless Horizons for emergency medical treatment. Right now, Vaugh believes everyone should pull through, but he is not making any guarantees right now.”, Yoma answered, “Supreme Commander… Vect and his subordinates are using the civilians as disposable soldiers beneath the city. Both Eldar and Humans are strapped to the stationary defenses that are keeping the daemons at bay.”

Reviewing the photos her team took of the situation beneath Commorragh, a fiery scowl formed on my face. Having come to the dark city mentally prepared to see what remained of ritualistic sacrifices, seeing the terrified faces of children who appeared barely old enough to walk boiled my blood. Vect and his ilk were already on my shitlist, but after seeing this, they had earned themselves a place on my “Make an Example of” list.

“Yoma, instruct Dance and Lawson to bring the big guns this time. I know I told Yvraine we would spare any Drukhari that surrendered to us, but I am declaring Integram Interitum on the Black Heart and their associates. They are to be killed on sight with extreme prejudice, no exceptions.”, I commanded. “Leave Vect and his upper echelon to me.”

(AN: Integram Interitum loosely translates to Complete Annihilation in Latin.)

“By your orders, Supreme Commander!”, Yoma said, excitement dripping from her tone, ‘Hehe, it is finally time to take the training wheels off and show the universe just how terrifying we can be. I cannot wait to see the look of unadulterated horror on their faces when we show them what a true massacre looks like.’

Disconnecting from the call, I sent all the information to our allies and ensured they understood there was no room for negotiation on my decision. Receiving a positive response from both sides within minutes, no one had any complaints about damning them to the grim fate that awaited them in the Warp. With everyone on the same page, all that was left was to return to Commorragh and prepare for battle.

Glancing back at Loki, the goddess was still in a panic state and was slowly spiraling into insanity. Unsure why she was so mentally unstable, as the Loki I was familiar with would have shrugged this minor problem off, I attempted to draw her back to reality with words a few times before smacking her across the face. Collapsing to the ground from the impact, she lay there dazed and confused for a moment before jumping back to her feet. Gingerly touching the place where I hit her, Loki glared at me with hatred.

“How dare you strike a Daughter of Asgard, you filthy mortal!? I have half a mind to strike you down here and now for your insolence.”, Loki snarled, placing her hand on her sword.

“You may be a Daughter of Asgard, but we both know you are no warrior. The Goddess of Mischief relies heavily on illusion magic and subterfuge to fight; in a head-to-head fight, you would get your ass handed to you on a silver platter. Draw your blade at your own peril, Loki.”, I warned her.

Ripping the blade from its sheath, Loki lunged at me in a blind rage. Watching her physical body switch out with an illusionary clone, the goddess teleported behind me and thrust her blade toward my heart. Spinning around faster than she thought possible, I grabbed her wrist and slammed my free hand into her face. Flying down the corridor, Loki slammed into a wall and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“How… how did you know I was there?!”, Loki hissed, visibly shaken by this turn of events.

“I am a master of the arcane and martial arts; did you honestly believe you stood a chance against me? While we may be similar in strength to one another, you lack the discipline and experience to be a genuine threat.”, I remarked. “Now then, back to my earlier question. Do you know a Gallifreyan called The Doctor? He is our best option for restoring things back to the way they should be. The alternative is waiting several hundred years for me to develop my own TARDIS.”

“The older generation of Asgardians have mentioned the Gallifreyans on several occasions in the past, but it was only ever about something called the Time Wars.”, Balder answered, searching his memories for further details, “From what I can recall, they, along with a race called the Daleks, wiped each other out during the final moments of the war. You are saying that one of the Gallifreyans survived and currently roams the stars?”

Nodding my head in confirmation, I rattled off several of his presumably well-known feats, hoping one of them would remember something. Apologizing to me, Balder and Fandral admitted they knew little to nothing about what went on in the lower realms aside from what Heimdall told them.

“Ugh… Do you at least know where the original Earth is? He frequently visits it to help the local inhabitants.”, I said, crossing my fingers.

“Earth?”, Balder and Fandral questioned with confused looks.

“You meatheads, the mortal is referring to the cradle of humanity. It is the same world Odin and other deities used to frequently visit to intermingle with mortals.”, Loki remarked, rising to her feet, “Unlike these two, I know of the planet you are referring to. It is located several million light-years to the galactic south of here. If memory serves, it is in the galaxy east of a fledgling nation called the Starvine Empire.”

‘If I remember the manga correctly, the Human Galactic Empire was formerly called the Starvine Empire before its reorganization. To find The Doctor, I must figure out a way to get down there in one piece.’, I thought, making a mental note to pursue the matter once we closed the Eye of Terror and repelled the ongoing Tyranid invasion.

Thanking Loki for the information, I suggested we head to Commorragh now, as we had fifteen minutes left now.

---Commorragh Outskirts---

As we stepped out of the Webway, Cegorach commanded his followers to spread out and wait for his signal to commence their attack. Complying with their patron deity’s orders, most of the Harlequins sprinted into the city without a sound. Watching millions of the deadly entertainers blitz past them, Hesperax and her cult were certain the Commorragh they knew was about to draw its last breath. Going to ask me if we found what we were looking for in the Webway, the Succubus froze when she noticed that three Aeldari deities were standing nearby me.

“Never in a million years did I think I would get to see three of the twelve Aeldari deities in the flesh. To what do we owe the pleasure today, you pieces of shit!!”, Hesperax spat with venomous hatred. “You have some fucking nerve showing your faces around here after you condemned the Aeldari people to a slow, agonizing demise. Our ancestors cried out to you for salvation during the Fall, but only Khaine rose to the occasion while the rest of you fled to save your own skins.”

“Remind me, who was it exactly that allowed themselves to be guided by their lesser urges and fall into depravity? Oh right, it was the bunch of fools who failed to heed Isha and Lileath’s repeated warnings. The death and destruction that befell the Aeldari people was of their own making, not ours.”, Cegorach corrected her, recalling the devastated expressions that Isha and Lileath wore as they heard the dying screams of billions of Aeldari. “Ever since the Fall, the Drukhari have held us in contempt for our presumed failure to protect your ancestors. Since you are unaware, several of my family members sacrificed themselves to protect your ungrateful ancestors. While I have bided my time here in the Webway, they have suffered unspeakable torture at HER hands. I have listened to your people slander them long enough; one more word and I will turn you into my new belt!”

Feeling the oppressive bloodlust and hatred in the Laughing God’s voice, Hesperax took a step back as she experienced true fear for the first time in her life. Reaching for her blade out of instinct, several blades were promptly pressed against vital points on her body. Believing it was the Harlequins at first, the Succubus’ face contorted in disbelief as Yoma and dozens of her subordinates revealed themselves. Having surrounded the Cult of Strife undetected, my team was more than happy to execute them if they made any sudden movements.