Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor

Chapter 287 - 288 - Chaos Gods: Farewell, Vashtorr Brothers...

Within the Warp.

The vile energies of Tzeentch, Nurgle, Khorne, and Slaanesh surged violently, twisting and distorting the Warp around them.

A low, terrifying whisper filled the space.

Like an unstoppable tide of darkness.

The arrival of the Chaos Gods threw Vashtorr into a state of ecstatic madness.

He roared:

"Cursed one! I told you! You can't kill me! You can't kill me! Hahahahahahaha!"

Just moments ago, he had sent out a signal to the Chaos Gods, pleading for their aid.

Along with it, a soul pact.

So long as the Chaos Gods saved his life, the daemon technosmith would serve them unconditionally and eternally.

Endlessly providing Chaos weapons and daemon engines.

It was a steep price to pay—and likely shattered any hope of ascending to true godhood.

But after enduring the torment of the Cursed One, Vashtorr no longer dreamed of apotheosis.

He had realized: as long as the Cursed One lived, there would be no future for him.

Now, he wanted only one thing—to survive.

The daemon demigod believed he still had value that warranted intervention from the Chaos Gods.

After all, many of the Chaos weapons and daemon engines that filled their domains were forged by his own hands.

In the void—

The four massive silhouettes turned their gaze upon him.

They were moved.

To Chaos, Vashtorr held immeasurable worth—worth enough to justify their joint action...

BZZZZ—

In the distant Warp opposite the Chaos Gods, a colossal golden sun slowly rose.

Its divine radiance spilled down like a miracle, illuminating the darkened domain.

Light and Chaos clashed in silence.

The God-Emperor's golden figure stood, resolute.

He quietly watched the Chaos Gods, as if waiting for their decision.

Vashtorr, seeing they still hadn't acted, panicked:

"Save me! The Cursed One can't stand against all of you combined!"

At his plea, the Chaos Gods stirred—the four shadows began to approach, bringing with them a deluge of chaotic power that blotted out the skies.

In a safe corner of the Warp, behind the golden sun—

Eden and Webby were hiding, spectating the dreadful clash.

Not long ago, the hopes of the Imperial tech-priests had given Webby the ability to operate within the Warp.

Eden looked at the approaching Chaos Gods and instinctively covered Webby's eyes.

"No peeking, kiddo!"

The Chaos Gods' appearances were... disturbing, especially Slaanesh—what were those designs even?!

Hiss—

Totally indecent!

???

Webby pouted. She was speechless.

Her dad could be so dumb sometimes.

She was a data lifeform, not an actual child.

Did he forget? She was the one who filtered all the depraved Chaos content from the Noosphere.

Slaanesh-related stuff topped the list.

Besides, she sometimes noticed... he'd sneak a look at that stuff too, like any mortal would.

She never understood what was so fascinating about those messy images...

At that moment, Eden wasn't thinking about Webby anymore—his heart was pounding, scalp tingling.

An unprecedented spectacle.

Tzeentch, Nurgle, Khorne, Slaanesh, the Emperor, and Vashtorr—every major player of the Warp was here.

Almost a full gathering!

Was a god-war about to break out this soon?!

Eden could clearly feel it.

The presence of these gods had stirred the Warp into abnormal turbulence—it was even affecting realspace.

The Great Rift grew more twisted and active.

Many humans felt an inexplicable dread, as if a great catastrophe was looming.

Pious believers knelt before shrines, praying for the Emperor's protection.

Meanwhile—

Across the galaxy, many powerful beings turned their attention to this region.

Fear was spreading.

BOOM—

A tidal wave of dark energy surged forward—the clash was imminent.

Eden tensed up:

"Can the Emperor really withstand the combined assault of the Chaos Gods?"

This could change the future of the galaxy—it was about the survival of mankind!

And then, at the very moment tension peaked—

The tidal wave suddenly halted.

???

In Eden's psyker vision, the Chaos Gods had stopped at the very edge of the golden sun's attack radius.

They'd frozen in place.

Eden blinked at the towering figures parked right at the boundary:

"What the—are they seriously edge-camping?"

The golden sun was like a high-damage turret, and the Chaos Gods were parked just out of range.

Ready to either strike or retreat.

Clearly, they were probing—gathering power in secret, waiting to unleash a devastating blow.

But then, before everyone's eyes, the Emperor coldly smirked and turned his back on them.

"Cursed One, you—"

Vashtorr's manic glee froze.

The Cursed One—what was he doing?

Was he really going to ignore the threat of the Chaos Gods and kill Vashtorr anyway?

The daemon demigod could feel the burning wrath and resolve from the golden figure—his fear grew like wildfire.

He launched a desperate attack.

A swarm of razor-sharp cables filled the space, stabbing forward.

But before they even touched the golden giant, they were incinerated.

A mere stalling tactic.

The next moment—

ROAR—

Several kilometer-tall daemon engines appeared.

Mechanical dragons forged of steel and flesh.

The void trembled under their weight—dark red hellfire nearly scorched half the Warp.

"Damn, that's brutal!"

Eden watched in envy, wondering when his own Scarlet Blaze would grow that powerful.

But with the mini-sun's energy feeding it, it probably wouldn't be long.

These daemon dragons were perfect fusions of Chaos power and forbidden tech.

Vashtorr had spent thousands of years and countless lives, metal, and souls creating them.

They were avatars of war, capable of razing planets.

But in front of the Cursed One, they were nothing more than stalling pawns.

As the daemon dragons charged the golden giant—

Vashtorr suddenly took flight.

Shooting toward the Chaos Gods, hoping to escape this death trap.

BOOM!

A thunderous blast echoed—the dragons' screams pierced the void, the cries of hybrid monstrosities.

Vashtorr looked back—and froze in terror.

The golden giant raised his blazing sword and, with overwhelming might, sliced a dragon clean in two.

Time seemed to freeze.

Next, with the strength to rend stars, he grabbed another and punctured it.

Molten blood sprayed from the wound, chunks of metal and gears flying in every direction.

Fast—too fast.

It all happened in a flash.

Vashtorr even saw the golden giant glance at him mid-battle.

RUN!!!

That was the only thought in the daemon's mind.

But before he could react, a terrible force loomed behind him.

The golden giant's hand seized Vashtorr's mechanical wings, yanking him forward.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—

The Emperor rained down a brutal beatdown, space rippling from every blow.

"This is a slaughter..."

Eden winced at Vashtorr's screams.

It was the first time he felt the Emperor's murderous intent—the unleashed energy was terrifying.

When He destroyed Tzeentch's avatar and beat down Magnus, it was rage.

This time, He was fighting like a man willing to die—executing a Chaos demigod right before the Chaos Gods.

"SAVE ME!!!"

Vashtorr shrieked so loudly it pierced both the Warp and realspace.

Across the galaxy, comms channels were distorted by electronic corruption.

Many heard the daemon technosmith's dying plea.

This chaotic event shocked many Inquisitors—but none found anything.

In the Warp—

The Emperor, in front of the Chaos Gods, tore Vashtorr's wings clean off!

Dark red divine blood rained down like molten drops onto the Emperor's armor, releasing thick smoke—

Making Him appear even more majestic.

The golden giant tossed the half-dead Vashtorr to the ground, then looked toward the Chaos Gods.

It was a warning. A threat.

Any heretic who harms mankind shall meet the same fate.

Under such provocation—

The four figures flared with fury and edged closer.

Clearly, they wanted to save Vashtorr—

And avenge the humiliation inflicted by the Cursed One.

"Oh crap, is the big fight starting?"

Eden scooped up Webby, ready to bolt with the mini-sun.

A full clash between the Emperor and the Chaos Gods would obliterate reality. As a Warp deity, he better stay out of it.

If the Chaos Gods blasted the mini-sun?

That'd be a disaster.

Or worse—if Slaanesh grabbed him—not ideal.

But then, Eden noticed—

The four figures, though charging up, none dared to strike first.

What?

He paused—then understood.

This was a game of chicken.

The Emperor was gambling that the Chaos Gods wouldn't act first—due to mistrust.

The Chaos Gods were gambling that someone else would make the first move.

They all knew: whoever strikes first, dies first.

If one moved too soon, the Cursed One might jump them—and the others could very well join in to steal their power.

After all, the Chaos Gods had warred amongst themselves for millennia.

Their conflicts and accumulated hatred were irreconcilable.

Anyone who got wounded would be torn apart by the rest.

And let's not forget—among them was Tzeentch, the ultimate schemer.

He might already be cooking up a colossal plot.

Others who hated Tzeentch might want to use this chance to off him.

In short—no one trusted anyone.

Waiting was the smartest move.

The standoff continued.

The Emperor seemed to see their hesitation—and realized the battle wouldn't happen.

So He chose to end it.

His holy light flared again. He grabbed Vashtorr—and crushed his heart with a punch.

More divine light wrapped around the daemon—his screams echoed through the Warp.

It was clear to all: the daemon's life was ending.

BOOM—

Chaos energies erupted.

Suddenly, the Chaos Gods attacked in unison.

They struck with full force—

A blood-soaked axe of wrath.

A diseased hand blotting the sky.

A whip of pink bodies.

A cascade of ever-shifting flames.

The ambush was brutal.

Their combined powers pierced the golden sun's radiant shield—

All targeting the golden figure!

"Am I... saved?"

Vashtorr stirred from the pain, overwhelmed by hope.

The Chaos Gods had finally acted.

He hated the golden giant before him, his hatred pouring from his form like toxic smoke.

The daemon demigod howled:

"Cursed One! You'll pay for this! Humanity will suffer a hundredfold for what you've done to me!"

Yet, the golden giant showed no anger.

Only serenity.

As if Vashtorr's fate had already been sealed.

"No... it can't be..."

Vashtorr saw something in the Emperor's gaze—and despaired.

He realized.

The attacks were aimed at him. His death was inevitable.

At the last moment—

The Chaos Gods didn't choose to save Vashtorr.

It was too dangerous.

But in the chaos, they seized part of his power.

That was more rewarding.

"Greedy gods! I curse you! May you perish with this filthy universe!"

Those were Vashtorr's final words.

Under the combined blows of the Emperor and the Chaos Gods, the daemon demigod's body was torn apart.

No chance of survival.

At the same time—

A mournful wail echoed faintly through the Warp.

The powerful Warp entity known as Vashtorr—was dead.

The Chaos Gods split half of his power among themselves, then vanished.

Without a trace.

They'd all gotten what they wanted.

It was a win for everyone.

The Warp was like a dark forest—any prize or power would draw out predators.

A single mistake—

Could be fatal.

That's why the Emperor and the Chaos Gods had opposed each other for ten thousand years without full war.

Without a guaranteed win, none of these gods would ever go all in.

They could afford to wait.

They had endless lifespans and patience—enough to wait for the perfect chance.

——

"See that, Webby? Never pop the champagne early."

Eden gave her a serious look. "It'll only make you look like a clown..."

"Got it!"

Webby nodded dutifully.

Then suddenly, something caught her attention. She squirmed out of Eden's arms:

"Wait right here!"

She flew toward the data cluster Vashtorr left behind—wrapped in cables.

Eden frowned. "That's... Vashtorr's divine residue?"

In simpler terms—

A physical manifestation of power, purified by holy light.

It was incomplete—only half remained—but still incredibly rich.

Webby flapped her wings excitedly toward it.

To her, it was an irresistible delicacy.

But just as she neared it, a hand stopped her.

The Emperor, now back to normal size, blocked her path—His gaze stern.

Webby shrank back, clearly frightened.

It was obvious—He didn't want her touching that power.

Eden understood.

If Webby absorbed it, she would become a deity in that domain—

A Warp entity, sustained by faith.

A benevolent Warp god.

But the Emperor was deeply wary—even hostile—toward divinity and faith.

He knew their dangers better than anyone.

He didn't want Webby involved in such risks.

More than forbidding—it was protection.

Eden knew how much Webby longed for that transformative power. But he couldn't argue.

The Emperor wasn't someone easily persuaded.

If he spoke up, he might get mind-slapped.

"Grandpa Emperor..."

Webby tugged His hand, her big eyes teary.

"I'm not afraid of the bad guys. I want to help Daddy—and protect humanity!"

The Emperor looked at her—then glared at Eden, nearly backhanding him with psychic force.

Then, He turned to Webby—His expression softened.

He gently stroked her little head, and after a long pause, He nodded.

"Grandpa Emperor is the best!"

Webby beamed, surrounded by data bubbles—utterly delighted.

Her affection made the Emperor's divine light pulse gently—His back straightened.

He had never felt such emotions.

Not even with His long-lost children...

He cut the memory short. He couldn't think about that—it was too much.

He stepped aside—allowing the little one to approach the power.

He gave her a slight nod.

Webby flapped into the glowing cluster.

She was about to begin her transformation...

(End of Chapter)

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