The bulge stop. The denizens of the warp are attempting to breach the shroud I have placed around the galaxy. This is a problem because it means the Warp changes its target, and we have just arrived in the Cadian System.
We are accompanying the Null Beacon, the name I put for the megastructure to close the Great Rift, and the first one will be activated in the Cadian System. It is the largest military assembly the Imperium has seen since the days of the Great Crusade.
The Emperor has recalled numerous Space Marine chapters, half of the Astra Militarum and Navis Imperialis, and all ten thousand Adeptus Custodes for this campaign. Furthermore, he summons every Eye of the Emperor, Custodes who ended their active guard duty to serve as spies across the galaxy after their combat efficiency dropped by more than 2%.
Five thousand of them, previously scattered across the stars, are now returning home to reclaim their mantles as Adeptus Custodes by the Emperor's decree.
That alone accounts for billions of souls marching as one, and then there are the Eldar. They have decided to join the fray. Isha does not provide exact numbers, but she assures me they will not be easily bested, even by the gathered might of the Emperor's troops.
And I believe her.
The Imperium relies on sheer mass, while the Eldar favor quality. Even in their twilight years, the Aeldari remain among the most formidable factions in the galaxy. They are masters of the psychic arts, and their technology remains one of the best. The Imperium cannot match their technology, at least by the standards of the original 40k timeline.
In the 41st millennium, Guilliman and Cawl begin releasing innovations branded as "discoveries" to the masses. This marks the first technological advancement for the Imperium since the Great Crusade. There is a reason many within the Adeptus Mechanicus brand Cawl a Heretek.
I grunt as the ship shudders upon exiting the Warp. Despite the protective plating and specialized coating I created using my abilities, the thick, repulsive presence of the Warp still lingers in the air, especially when we arrive in the only place where the Warp holds true power over Realspace.
We arrive in a place where the Warp holds sway and reality is fluid. We are in the Cadian System.
"Are you okay, Old Friend?"
"Yes. The presence of the Warp is too foul for me."
Without a word, golden energy washes over me, and the discomfort fades. I can still detect the faint, lingering scent of a corpse coming from the golden light, but it is far more bearable than the stench of the warp. I suppose the smell of death will always cling to the Emperor; sitting on the Golden Throne for millennia as a living corpse tends to have that effect.
The constant sacrifices certainly do not help.
"Thank you."
The Emperor nods, watching as the ship's blast shutters slowly retract. The Bucephelus is a colossus, the finest vessel the Imperium ever constructed. It is a beast of a ship, and with the upgrades I have implemented, it has become even greater.
This behemoth is currently sailing toward a Daemon World. According to the star charts, the grotesque planet before us was once Kasr Partox, now misshapen after merging with Solar Mariatus.
This is our first target for the reclamation war against Chaos.
"I declare this planet unfit for civilization. I sentence this abomination of a planet to Exterminatus Extremis. Kael, Old Friend, enchant the World Cracker with your power."
Because it is now a Daemon World, a standard Exterminatus torpedo will not suffice. Fortunately, the Bucephelus is equipped with a devastating weapon from the Dark Age of Technology capable of cracking a planet asunder in a single shot.
However, even with that firepower, I estimate only a 50% chance of success. It seems the Emperor shares my concern. The chance of working will be 100% with my abilities. The weapon will be augmented with the [Stinger] enchantment alongside the [Authority of Death] and [Banishing Fire].
Due to the weapon's sheer scale and the heat it generates, I cannot touch it directly; instead, I enchant the entire ship, indirectly empowering the cannon. I groan as a massive surge of energy leaves my body, leaving me drained. My vision swims, and I begin to collapse.
Fortunately, my guardians and a high-ranking member of the Adepta Sororitas catch me before I hit the deck.
"Good work, Old Friend. Leave the rest to us."
As he speaks, the massive weapon begins to glow with deep red energy as the ship closes in on the planet. However, before it can get close enough, something happens. I can feel a sudden shift in reality. Tears appear in the void, and from those rifts emerge ships, or entities that resemble them.
Each one is alive. My [Authority of Death] whispers that every single one is a living being. That can only mean one thing: they are daemons in the shape of ships, and they are prey for my power. As they enter realspace, their souls anchor to reality. That is all the opportunity I need.
I clap my hands, ignoring the startled gazes of those around me. I flare my energy, releasing a violent blast. I unleash the full weight of my [Authority of Death], imposing the concept of mortality upon every daemon appearing in the system.
Millions of daemons pour through the rifts, not counting the daemons on the planets in the system, and every one of them is now mortal. When they die, their masters will lose a portion of their essence. Worse yet, should their creators attempt to reabsorb these daemons, they will ingest the Concept of Death themselves, potentially becoming mortal in turn when ingesting enough of the concept.
I release a weak laugh and look at the Emperor.
"I will leave the rest to you. They are now killable. Each one of them will experience true death. Kill them all, weaken the parasites."
I manage to say that before darkness takes me.
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|3rd POV|
The Emperor looks at the unconscious form of his old friend and orders the others to take him to his quarters. No matter how many times he witnesses it, he cannot help but regard Kael's power with a mixture of curiosity and awe.
Granting the concept of Death to creatures born without it is a power he has never encountered in his long life. He wishes to inquire further, but time is a luxury he does not possess.
He looks at the floating ball of psychic energy near him and says.
"You heard him, Xenos. We shall burn them to the ground."
The psychic energy condenses into a soul projection of Isha, who nods. She looks at him intently.
"How do you want to do this, Golden King?"
"Oh? You want to give me the command, Great Mother?"
"Yes. I am a Goddess of Life, Harvest, Healing, and Fertility, Golden King. I am not stupid enough to lead a Great War when there is someone who can perform it better than me."
The Emperor grunts and nods. He studies the Star Chart and the unfolding battlefield, his inhuman mind working at a speed that would make even Roboute envious. Within seconds, a plan forms.
"Then there is an important job for you and your people. What do you think about hunting the slaves of She-Who-Thirst?"
Isha regards him for a moment before smiling. It is not a gentle expression, but one filled with a cold, simmering bloodlust.
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