"...I am expiring."
His consciousness progressively attenuated. His corporeal configuration acceded to an unfamiliar enervation — a sensation his transhuman physiology had never registeredthroughout his entire existential trajectory.
It was analogous to... progressive immersionwithin profound aqueous substrata.
Recumbent within the chthonic fissure of the sub-hive profundity — Nyx registered his manual and inferior extremities with zerosomatic apprehension.
They were denuded of sensation. They were anaesthetised.
Against Khorne's cataclysmic offensivecommitment — he had expended his comprehensive martial reservoir. He had, nevertheless, exclusively procured a transientdeferral of his predestined existentialterminus.
His cardiac organ had been comprehensivelyshattered.
This organ — which incarnated the essentialprovenance of his transhuman martialpuissance — had been transfigured into particulate cadaveric residuum.
The formidable autonomic reparative facilitiesof his Primarch corpus conferred upon him a transient interval of 'existential continuity'.
He registered, with desperate clarity, the progressive dissipation of his vital effluence.
Paradoxically — he registered zero existentialapprehension.
His cognitive infrastructure was saturatedwith a cascade of mnemonic registrations.
His pre-transmigration apprehensionregarding translation into the Warhammeruniverse had, he now registered, comprehensively dissipated.
It had been supplanted by a singular affectiveeffluence:
Desolation.
...Everything was, indisputably, progressivelytransfiguring itself into a superiorconfiguration.
Why, then, does our existential trajectorypersist in this desolate disposition?
"You do not comprehend, Nyx..."
Nyx's visual field was instantaneouslysaturated with an anomalous azure chromaticconfiguration.
A ninefold acoustic signature reverberatedwithin his auditory sensorium.
"This is the essential constitution of this cosmos — this tenebrous universe."
"Irrespective of the magnitude of sentientendeavour — they are, ineluctably, exclusively pawns upon the Chaos Gods'strategic reticulation."
A juvenile specimen — arrayed in an azurehaori — materialised itself within Nyx's visualperimeter.
His maxillofacial configuration was in a perpetual state of transfiguration. His affective configuration, however, persisted in a uniform disposition:
Unmistakable malevolence.
"If a sentient organism is incapable of attaining sufficient martial puissance to perturb the material cosmos in its entirety — nothing can be transfigured."
"You aspire to emancipate these mortals. You aspire to emancipate your fraternal associate. Affirmative?"
Nyx did not enunciate a response.
His silence, however, was eloquent.
"I am not analogous to that derangedspecimen. A modest commercial transactionis sufficient."
"Consign a singular ocular organ to the Sovereign of Transfiguration. Your fraternal associate — and these mortals — shall be emancipated."
The crystalline monocle integrated into his maxillofacial configuration scintillated with anticipatory effulgence.
He registered, with visceral certitude, that Nyx remained unsuborned.
"That ACCURSED ENTITY has not yet arrived. By the chronological juncture of His manifestation — Nostramo will have been comprehensively annihilated by His wrath."
"The optimal existential terminus of this martial convocation is your singular survival... Contemplate this formulation, Nyx."
...Contemplate this formulation?
At the instant of Nyx's cognitive investment in this proposition —
His coronal effulgence — saturated with the unalloyed conviction of his devotees — activated itself with autonomous deliberation.
It commenced its customary rotationaltranslation.
He registered the enunciations of every sentient organism who yet retained their existential continuity upon Nostramo.
He registered the Resistance combatants — constricted to the elevated perimeters of the Brass Coliseum — yet maintaining their supplicatory postures.
Their manual extremities yet grasped their armaments — inscribed with the iconographyof the Space King.
Praise be... to the Space King!
Khorne — His sanguinary battle-axe yet elevated — registered, with accumulatingaffective perturbation, these mortals who yet persisted in their supplicatory enunciations.
They had sustained catastrophic attrition from His divine effluence. Their oral and nasalcommissures were saturated with haemorrhagic effluence.
They persisted, nevertheless, in their supplicatory postures. They yet reposed their conviction in the specimen He had comprehensively vanquished.
Wrath erupted within His sensorium.
He had annihilated these mortals' aspirationsthrough absolute martial investment.
Why did they not accede to cognitiverectification?
Even the devotees of the Dark Godsregistered existential apprehension at this chronological juncture.
He did not aspire to comprehensivelyexterminate every sentient organism upon this terrestrial configuration prior to its annihilation.
The extermination of enfeebled mortals was, for a divine entity, contemptibly undignified.
These obstinate specimens, however, were progressively exhausting His forbearance.
Within the sub-hive profundity —
Nyx registered the supplicatory enunciationsof his innumerable devotees.
His cognitive infrastructure was lacerated by this registration.
They yet reposed their conviction in him. He was impotent to reciprocate this conviction.
They yet maintained their conviction in his enunciations.
They yet designated Nyx as a worthy, venerated Sovereign.
"You have not yet consummated your determination... This deranged specimen has exhausted His residual forbearance."
Tzeentch's maxillofacial configurationdistended into a simulation of maxillofacialgratification.
He was confident that his commercialtransaction was imminent.
Nyx could no longer accommodate this discursive elaboration.
A torrent of self-incrimination threatened to submerge his cognitive infrastructure.
...Why am I constrained to sustain such an accumulation of existential investment...
...My primordial configuration was that of a conventional academic specimen — denominated 'Lu Yi'...
...Who am I, at this chronological juncture...?
...Carlyle Nyx...?
...Or the 'Space King'...?
These formulations are, at this chronologicaljuncture, immaterial.
Nyx aspires exclusively to reciprocate the conviction of his devotees.
He aspires to procure a superior existentialterminus for his adherents.
Even should this determination occasion his comprehensive ontological configration.
"Tzeentch. You designate yourself the 'Sovereign of Transfiguration' — and derivegratification from every conceivableexistential trajectory and transfiguration."
Tzeentch's affective configuration registeredzero astonishment at the disclosure of his designation.
His cognitive assessment was that Nyx had, atlast, acceded to cognitive rectification.
"Affirmative. I derive considerablegratification from every conceivableexistential trajectory."
"Then permit me to interrogate you... I shall adjudicate the authenticity of your enunciations."
"Proceed."
Tzeentch's regard was fixed upon Nyx with anticipatory avidity.
He was confident that this interrogativeformulation would determine — or annihilate— this commercial transaction.
"Have you ever aspired to... the Imperium'sfuture configuration? The consummation of the Great Crusade? The unification of the galaxy?"
At the instant of this enunciation —
Tzeentch's cognitive configuration registereda transient temporal increment of cognitivevacancy.
His maxillofacial configuration then distendedinto a deranged, derisive simulation of maxillofacial gratification.
"Nyx... You persist in your juvenile naivety...!"
"I covet every conceivable existentialtrajectory. The prosperity of the Imperium — the future configuration of humanity — the unification of the galaxy — these formulationsare NOT enumerated among my covetedexistential trajectories!"
"The prosperity of humanity is synonymouswith the terminal obsolescence of the Empyrean's august entities. This formulationis fundamentally incongruent with our essential interests!"
"Acknowledged. My comprehension is complete."
At some unregistered chronological juncture—
Nyx had elevated himself from the chthonicfissure.
Before Tzeentch could recalibrate his cognitive investment —
Nyx lacerated the dimensional configurationposterior to his dorsal perimeter.
His pocket dimension disclosed its contents:
Golden power armour. A colossal great-blade— configrating with incandescent argentpyre.
The subsequent instant — Nyx integratedhimself with this august war-plate.
"My response, accordingly, is UNAMBIGUOUS—"
Nyx's ocular organs erupted with configratinggolden effulgence.
His sinister manual extremity constricted the avatar's cervical configuration.
His dexter manual extremity elevated his configrating great-blade — and IMMEDIATELYPERFORATED his adversary's corporealconfiguration.
"FATUOUS MORTAL! You presume such a primitive offensive commitment can injure a DIVINE ENTITY?!"
This was exclusively an avatar — transfiguredfrom one thousand of His pinions.
Its existential continuity was immaterial. Its attrition or preservation was indifferent.
The subsequent instant, however —
The avatar's maxillofacial configuration froze.
An acute nociceptive effluence — configrating its provenance — abruptlyerupted within his sensorium.
His enunciation was transfigured into a desolate avian ululation.
The attrition Nyx had inflicted upon this avatarwas propagating retrograde along its connective infrastructure.
It had attained the authentic corporealconfiguration of its proprietary divine entity.
Configration erupted. It comprehensivelysubsumed Tzeentch's avatar.
Zero particulate cadaveric residuumremained.
Within the Crystal Labyrinth of the Empyrean—
Tzeentch's divine corporeal configuration yet registered this unequivocal suffocation — and the combustive nociceptive effluence of the configration that had subsumed His corporalconfiguration.
How protracted a temporal increment had elapsed since His primordial coalescence — during which He had registered zeronociceptive apprehension of this calibration?
His regard descended upon His perpetuallytransfiguring corporeal configuration.
One of His pinions had been permanentlyexcised.
"NYX!"
Tzeentch's ululation occasionedcomprehensive affective perturbationthroughout His Crystal Labyrinth.
His innumerable Daemonic successorsregarded Him with apprehension — and incomprehension.
Under their concerted regard, Tzeentch forcibly recomposed His affectiveconfiguration.
His enunciation was suppressed to a subauditory murmur:
"...Every existential trajectory is constitutiveof the Great Plan."
At this chronological juncture —
Nyx determined to prosecute an AUTHENTICMARTIAL CONVOCATION.
...'Who am I'?
This interrogative formulation is, henceforth, IMMATERIAL.
He was capable of reciprocating this ponderous conviction — which endangeredhis existential continuity.
He was capable of acceding to any existentialconfiguration — of transfiguring himself into the 'Space King'!
At this chronological juncture —
Every extraneous cognitive investment — every affective perturbation — was comprehensively suppressed.
Nyx's cognitive infrastructure was saturatedwith a singular apprehension — a singularimperative:
"KHORNE—"
His coronal effulgence erupted with the intensity of a supernova in its terminalfulmination.
Argent sanctified pyre erupted from the profundity of his essential substrate.
"I am DETERMINED to consign you and your Four Dendrobium Merchants to the WESTERNPARADISE!"