Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

"Very well."

Nareth immediately accepted Campbell's challenge. To truly conquer this Knight World, demonstrating personal might was essential.

"Shall we begin now?"

The Knight King asked eagerly. He was desperate to wipe away the humiliation of the bizarre duel just moments ago with a solid victory.

On the training ground, Nareth stood one kilometer away from the knight mech. One side held the knights, their squires, and the Relic-Keepers; the other side, Bukayo, Gabriel, and the rest of the legionnaires, stood in silence, watching.

Inside the Daxos Gloria, Campbell hesitated.

"I yearn for a battle at full strength… but I'm unsure if I should."

As he spoke, his right arm lifted, the multi-barrel autocannon roaring to life.

He didn't want to jeopardize Daxos with a moment's recklessness. If he accidentally killed Nareth, he had no doubt those black-armored warriors, who saw the Primarch as their father, would turn this world into ash.

"Hold nothing back."

"Use your full strength."

'This might actually be interesting.'

Campbell heard the murmurs of the ancestral spirits, just as frustrated and confused by the last fight.

"Campbell, he gave you permission! Stop holding back, go for the kill!"

"Yes! Vextrix's knights may fall in battle, but they will never lose their honor to fear!"

Discarding his doubts, the Knight-King roared:

"Then let our duel commence!"

The knights watched anxiously, silently praying to the Omnissiah.

'O great Machine God, turn your gaze to Daxos. Grant our Knight King victory...'

Nareth gave a subtle nod.

Campbell instantly triggered his autocannon, its four barrels spinning into a whirring blur.

The cannon's deafening roar filled the field as a torrent of bullets flooded toward the lone Primarch.

Nareth moved.

He dashed straight into the barrage.

A giant of his size should've been slow and clunky, but he was engineered to perfection. Every step was a hurricane, every movement a blur.

Like a black lightning bolt, he tore through the storm of bullets, faster than the hail of fire itself.

Campbell realized the Daxos Gloria's auto-targeting systems couldn't even lock on to Nareth.

Beep beep beep

Alarms screamed in the cockpit.

He quickly switched to manual aim, tracking where the black flash might appear, swinging his cannon in anticipation.

RATATATATAT!

The gunfire struck the black flash, only for the image to vanish.

'Just an afterimage…'

The rounds hit the ground, exploding in thick clouds of smoke.

Campbell gritted his teeth. Nareth's inhuman speed and agility were beyond comprehension.

'So this is a Primarch…I can't even follow his movement.'

His eyes scanned the panels, maxed-out scanners, and bird-eye drones, all returned the same result: nothing.

"Focus! He's coming! Activate your power fist!"

"You'll need your combat instincts. Your fists. Fight with your warrior's heart!"

He listened.

Heeding his ancestors, Campbell powered his left arm's Thunder Gauntlet. Blue energy crackled to life.

His mind fell into stillness.

He felt the air, searching for a monstrous pressure, then sensed it: a beast charging right at his chest.

Letting go, he surrendered to instinct.

The gauntlet's power roared as it punched forward, blue light cutting through the air.

Nareth, mid-leap, sensed the gauntlet and was genuinely surprised.

This Knight King has skill… He actually predicted my path during a full-speed charge.'

'But that was all.'

With impossible grace, he twisted his body in midair, violating all natural physics, and dove toward the cockpit of the knight mech.

In an instant, he was there.

A golden flash ignited.

BOOM!

His fist shattered the cockpit wall.

The sheer force knocked the Daxos Gloria off balance; it staggered, then crashed to the ground.

The thunderous impact echoed in the hearts of every knight watching.

Their most powerful warrior, Campbell Vextrix, their King, had been defeated.

The Relic-Keeper was the first to react, rushing forward to drag Campbell out from the wreckage.

The Knight King's green robes were torn and scorched black. His face, pale as ash.

But Campbell pushed Sol's helping hand away, stubbornly stood, adjusted his tattered clothes, and stepped forward.

He knelt on one knee before the Primarch, placed a hand to his chest, and bowed his head.

"Lord Nareth, I, Campbell Vextrix, pledge my allegiance to you."

Bound by the Knight's Code and noble honor, he could not break his word. More than that, he was in awe of Nareth's terrifying strength.

His speed was beyond tracking, and one blow had toppled the knight mech.

'Perhaps… only God Machines can rival a Primarch.'

One by one, the other knights snapped out of their daze.

They opened their cockpits, descended to the ground, and knelt behind their king.

"We swear our loyalty to Lord Nareth. Command us, and we shall obey."

The Imperial Scribes accompanying the army officially recorded the event:

"9334814.M30, Primarch Nareth of the Eleventh Legion discovered the first knight world in the Daxos star system, part of the Daxos Twin World System."

"Warriors of the Eleventh Legion quelled a beast tide, saving the populace."

"The Primarch and his sons won three duels proposed by the world's ruler, Knight King Campbell Vextrix, securing the knight world's allegiance to the Imperium."

Having conquered the Daxos Twins, Nareth ordered Gabriel to assist the Relic Tech-Priests in repairing the knight mechs.

He then instructed the Astropath to transmit the news of victory to the Emperor's flagship, the Bucephelus.

Meanwhile, he ordered his men to record the events for propaganda: the oath ceremony, Nareth receiving each house leader, knight formations, golden wheat fields, and the natural beauty of Daxos.

All these would serve as materials to glorify the Great Crusade, filling Terrans with pride and further support for the Imperium's expansion.

This was exactly the kind of state media the Emperor and Malcador needed and would use in every Primarch's homecoming ceremony.

Before any reply from the Emperor arrived, Nareth received a report from Howard.

Seated in his command throne, Nareth listened to the briefing from his attendant.

"The First Chapter Master reports that he has successfully conquered both the Telano and Brenna systems, as you ordered."

"He also reports sightings of Aeldar activity in both systems."

"He has captured a squad of Aeldar and is interrogating them, though no results yet."

Nareth paused, then made a decision:

He would personally investigate.

He'd reinforce the First Chapter and elevate Howard to Sequence 7, "Interrogator".

"Set course for the Brenna system," Nareth commanded.

.....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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