Chapter 27: Wrath and Fire

Chapter 27: Wrath and Fire

POV: Leon

"Raaagggh, ugh!"

"STAR!!"

The daemon and I were locked in brutal combat, our strikes landing with deadly precision. Blood—both red and sickly green—splattered in every direction, painting the ruined battlefield with carnage.

My chainsword roared, its whirring teeth clogged with chunks of corrupted flesh. Sparks flew from its overworked motor, the weapon straining under the relentless assault. But it held—barely.

Varn remained hidden in the rubble, his shots ringing out with practiced efficiency. Each las-bolt punched through the daemon's putrid flesh, searing through one side and exiting the other, leaving steaming holes in its unnatural form. Yet, despite the grievous damage we inflicted, it only became more monstrous.

From every wound I carved into its vile body, a new maw gaped open, filled with jagged, blackened fangs that snapped hungrily at the air. The first few caught me off guard, gnashing into my flesh and tearing through my armor. But I learned fast. I had to. Each strike now came with the knowledge that another twisted mutation would follow.

Varn's shots weren't faring much better. Each las-bolt that tore through the daemon's body only birthed grotesque protrusions that spewed acidic blood, sometimes as a thick mist, other times as burning liquid. It was becoming harder and harder to get close.

Gritting my teeth, I let out a roar and pulled back my chainsword, swinging it in a brutal arc. The blade tore through the daemon's bloated stomach, bile and gore spilling forth. Using the momentum, I spun around, bringing my las-gun up and firing a series of precise shots into the wound.

The beast shrieked in fury, its body twisting and writhing. I didn't wait. As soon as my shots landed, I broke away, vanishing into the debris, using my enhanced speed to reposition.

"Raaaggghhh, STAR!"

It howled again, its body mutating further, its bloated flesh warping into even more grotesque configurations. It aimed its bio-cannon at me, the corrupted weapon pulsing with malevolence. I was fast, but not fast enough to dodge its barrage.

But I wasn't alone.

*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!*

A series of thunderous explosions rocked the battlefield as Varn's rounds detonated, striking just before the daemon could fire.

Seizing the moment, I sprinted forward, snatching a sturdy metal sheet from the rubble. Using it as a makeshift shield, I crashed into the daemon with bone-rattling force, blocking the snapping jaws that lunged for me. My chainsword howled as I carved a brutal flurry of slashes across its body, hacking deep into its warped flesh.

The daemon roared in anger and lashed out with a massive clawed hand, aiming to crush me in its grasp. I had no time to dodge.

"VARN, DON'T LET IT TOUCH ME!"

---

**POV: Varn**

Perched atop a crumbling ruin, I steadied my breathing, forcing myself to ignore the tremors shaking the structure beneath me. The daemon's earlier attack had weakened the entire area—I had to make my shots count before this place collapsed entirely.

My las-rifle, *Ghost*, hummed in my grip, its barrel glowing with an eerie purple light. The weapon was alive, sentient, bound to me through the warp.

I exhaled.

"Contract—Piercing."

'Tsk. Done,' Ghost muttered in my mind.

The rifle shifted in my hands, its barrel narrowing as warp energy funneled through it, condensing the shot into a single, hyper-focused beam. The heat surrounding me became unbearable, distorting the air.

My slitted purple eyes locked onto the daemon's outstretched arm, my enhanced vision analyzing its weakest points.

Then Leon's ragged voice crackled in my ear.

~"Don't let it touch me!"~

I adjusted my aim without hesitation.

"Piercing—Combust... Vaporize."

'Hmph.'

Warp energy surged through me as *Ghost* shaped the las-bolt into something far deadlier. The weapon burned in my grip, the heat searing my gloves, but I held firm.

With a single pull of the trigger—

*BOOM!*

A blinding streak of violet energy erupted from my rifle, slicing through the daemon's outstretched arm. The limb severed instantly, falling away in a spray of foul ichor.

For the first time, the daemon screamed in agony.

I exhaled, a small smirk tugging at my lips.

"Hah… got it in time."

'Tsk. Idiot. You shouldn't have done that.'

A sharp pain lanced through my chest, and I choked as a mouthful of blood spilled from my lips. My body burned from the inside out, my nerves searing with agony. The warp energy had taken its toll.

'You're still too weak to wield this kind of power,' *Ghost* growled. 'Even with my help directing it, the sheer force of it nearly tore you apart.'

I groaned, struggling to remain upright as my vision blurred.

"Shit… this hurts..."

~"VARN, LOOK OUT!!"~

Leon's voice, panicked and desperate, exploded in my earpiece.

I barely had time to react before a massive explosion of green energy detonated beneath me.

*BOOM!*

The already crumbling building gave out, and I was sent tumbling, debris collapsing all around me.

I barely had time to grab onto something—anything—before the entire structure came crashing down.

*CRASH! BOOM!*