The Colosseum was an immense, open-air arena carved into the black stone of a dormant volcano crater. It was a towering ring of pillars and columns, its size making it look more like a natural formation than an artificial construct. The sky was darkened by a plume of smoke billowing from an active volcano nearby, and the sound of raucous cheering in the distance filled the air. Musashi led Leman into the underbelly of the Colosseum, where monstrous beasts were kept in large cells and eager gladiators prepared for their next battle.
"Lord Khorne has offered you an array of weapons and equipment to wield in addition to the blade you already carry." He said, gesturing towards a large arsenal of melee and ranged weapons of all types, as well as shields and other combat implements. Russ browsed the inventory, picking out and testing various weapons and side arms.
He was used to wielding Mjalnar in his right hand and his frost-axe 'Helwinter' with his left, though he had unfortunately been parted with his axe during a particularly long and grueling duel with a pack of ebon geist in a warp-formed cavern beneath the foothills of the chaos god Khorne's domain. Similarly, he had lost his sidearm, the combi-bolter dubbed 'Scornsplitter' and handcrafted for him by his late brother Vulkan. It had been destroyed during a battle on the shores of a tumultuous chaos-sea against a host of fire daemons and undead traitor marines. Now he had only his armor and his frostblade left.
He was drawn to a black double-headed battle axe, made of a shimmering, oily metal that seemed almost electric to the touch. It appeared to have the same runes as the immense cleaver wielded by Grizhka, and hummed with the power of some arcane machinery beneath its surface. He felt a powerful will within the weapon, as if its machine spirit - or whatever equivalent force was possessing the weapon - were somehow reaching out of its mechanical sheathe and probing at the being which now wielded it. He pushed back against it, and the spirit redoubled its offensives in response. He engaged in a battle of wills with the black weapon, and it began to glow with crackling energy that sent violent shocks up Leman's arm. He saw visions of a distant battlefield, towering, invincible warriors clashing against gods and reality itself in an apocalyptic war for galactic dominion. As the tendrils of energy burrowed deeper into him, threatening to overtake him, a fire erupted deep within him and rushed to the surface.
SUBMIT
Leman heard himself shout, yet strangely his mouth did not move. Immediately, the weapon ceased its attacks on his mind, retreating back into its vessel. He moved the weapon around, finding that its weight seemed to have drastically decreased; or, by some arcane technology, the weapon was somehow assisting his movements. Despite the ease with which he wielded it, he could feel the destructive power the axe could deal - as well as absorb. It could be a potent defensive tool as well as a powerful melee weapon. This will do nicely. Leman thought.
Leman typically preferred melee combat to ranged weaponry, but felt he should find a replacement for Scornsplitter to round out his wargear at the very least. When going into battle it is best to be prepared for anything. He settled upon a strange weapon that appeared to be human in origin, a gold and dark silver firearm with fine engravings all along its surface. It seemed rather primitive, similar in design to a kind of stub gun with a circular ammunition feed and an exposed barrel. In addition to the gold and grey engravings upon its surface, it seemed to be inlaid with some kind of colored crystal that ran along its lengths in thin filaments. Leman inspected the weapon, feeling it in his hand, then took aim at a target on the wall. He pulled the trigger, and the target was obliterated in a burst of turquoise light, leaving a scorching hole in the wall. He opened the ammunition feed, and was surprised to find that the expended bullet had seemingly replenished itself. Useful. Leman thought, attaching its holster to his belt. He emerged from the armory to find Admu holding a cast-iron kettle.
"Oh! Mister Russ, I was just looking for you." she said, her tail wagging. "I made you some of my special tea in preparation for the trials! …Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any cups, but I guess you can just drink it straight from the kettle." she said.
"Actually… I have a better idea." Russ said. He opened a compartment in his armor, revealing a small intake portal. "My armor can take any edible material, convert it into liquified rations, and then drip-feed them into my bloodstream." he said.
"Great idea!" Admu said, happily pouring the tea into the slot in his armor.
It looks like there's enough for 3 full doses. I must use this sparingly… it could be a potent combat stimulant, but I don't know how long this trial will go on for. Leman thought.
"Good luck mister Russ, I'll be cheering you on from the stands!" Admu said. "Oh, and… please don't die, okay?" she said with a concerned tone.
"Aye, I'll do my best, lass." Leman said with a reassuring look. Admu gave him one final hug and bid farewell to the challenger.
As Leman walked through the corridors of the Colosseum's cellars, he overheard a conversation through the rock walls with his enhanced hearing. He followed the noise to a closed room, stopping to listen.
"...this an insult to the Colosseum and all that it represents." Leman heard Grizhka say. "How can Lord Khorne see this as a worthy battle? It will be nothing more than a slaughter."
"I'm sure he has a reason, Grizhka." he heard Ulthanesh say. "You never know… he may surprise you."
The two emerged from the room, and Grizhka gave Leman a skeptical look. Then she saw the battle axe on his hip, and a flash of surprise crossed her face.
"The Starvore Axe… you can wield it?" she said.
"You mean this?" Leman said, holding the axe in his grip. "Its machine spirit was stubborn, but I forced it into submission." he said. Grizhka laughed.
"Perhaps this battle will be more interesting than I thought." she said, crossing her arms.
"I wish you luck in the arena, challenger. I truly do." Ulthanesh said with a strangely somber tone, shaking Leman's hand. "I believe you will need it." she said, placing her other hand on his before leaving with her companion.
A herald of Khorne led Leman to the entrance of the Colosseum's arena, where he was met by the roar of cheering crowds. Thousands upon thousands of Khorne's warriors were in attendance, in addition to some of the denizens of Nurgle and Slaanesh's realms who had come to see the spectacle. The arena itself was ringed by high walls and spike-covered embankments, likely to keep whatever would be released into the fighting pit out of the stands. Directly across from him he could see the monolithic throne of Khorne, with the black-armored god of war sitting upon it. To his side Leman saw Admu in a smaller throne of her own, waving profusely at him. Leman waved back. Khorne stood up from his throne, raising his hand and indicating for the audience to fall silent.
"Leman Russ, you have come to this place seeking the fruit of the tree of life in the Halls of Hesperides. To this end, you have been subjected to two trials to determine your worthiness, and both you have passed. Two trials yet remain, one of which will take place on this day, in this very arena. You will be tested as a warrior, like no other warrior before you. Such is the severity of your quest." he said, his booming voice echoing throughout the Colosseum. "Know this, if you fall here on this day, I promise to treat your soul with all the honors befitting a warrior such as yourself, and you may stay in my care forevermore, preparing for the final day of reckoning with the rest of my army." he said.
How reassuring. Leman thought.
"To ensure that you fight on equal footing, I have waived my subjects' ability to resurrect until after the battle is over. Any wounds they receive by your hand will not heal until either you or they are felled. Bring in the first opponent!" Khorne said, punctuated by the sound of a horn blowing. The gates opened, and Musashi emerged dressed in a strange armor consisting of sliding, layered plates and a wide-brimmed helmet. His face was obscured by a fearsome mask with protruding teeth and glaring eyes. The warrior bowed, and Leman bowed in turn. Musashi drew his two swords, one shorter than the other. Leman unsheathed Mjalnar, and drew the battle axe Starvore. The two paced around the arena, studying each other's movements, waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly Musashi disappeared in a cloud of dust and sand, reappearing next to Leman in the next second. Leman had just enough time to raise Mjalnar to halt the twin swords bearing down on him, sending Musashi flying back before deftly landing on his feet. Musashi leapt forward with his long sword pointed forward, and when Russ deflected it he thrust the short sword at Leman's chest. Leman raised Starvore just in time to catch it. He tried to counterstrike, but Musashi was out of reach before his hit could connect. Musashi returned with a slash to Leman's slide, which he was just quick enough to avoid: however, the sword connected with the edge of his pauldron, making a shallow cut. After the first bout of clashes, the two warriors retreated once again.
His movements are fast… my reflexes could only just barely stop those strikes. Pursuing and going on the offensive could put me at a disadvantage, yet if I simply wait to react to his attacks he will likely find a hole in my defenses eventually… each of those strikes were aimed at vital areas, and those blades are sharp enough to slash through my armor. Only Mjalnar and the battle axe could stop them. Judging by his fighting style, I would wager he is relying on speed over defense, meaning that if I can get in one or two substantial hits it will likely mean victory. The question is… how can I catch him? Leman thought. This time I'll make the first move… I need more information.
Leman lunged forward with blinding speed, slamming Starvore into the earth where Musashi was a split-second before. The battle axe sparked the ground, sending fingers of lightning outwards and kicking up chunks of dirt in an earth-shattering blast.
Interesting… I can use this.
Sensing Musashi to his right in the cloud of dust and upturned earth, Leman pounced and caught the swordsman off-guard. Mjalnar collided with Musashi's two swords brought together in an X-shaped defensive stance, pushing him backwards.
He has millennia of battle experience… yet he does not have my enhanced senses.
Leman pushed the advantage, following with an upward strike with Mjalnar. Musashi dodged around it, responding with a spinning slash using both of his swords. Leman blocked the strike with Mjalnar, dragging Starvore across the ground with another upward strike and creating a wave of electrified debris that Musashi had to dodge mid-strike to avoid.
The two warriors continued their dance of blades, Leman's brutal yet very deliberate strikes clashing with Musashi's dextrous slashes. The two warriors dealt one another superficial wounds, shallow cuts from glancing blows and hairline dodges.
His fighting style almost reminds me of an Aeldari's… yet it has a kind of savagery that is unmistakably human. An eldar warrior would only strike with precisely the amount of power necessary to wear the opponent down or catch them off-guard, yet every one of his blows has the strength to kill. I have to end this quickly, or one of these exchanges may end with one of those glancing slashes hitting their mark.
Leman's next swing with Mjalnar was wide and low, forcing Musashi to dodge by jumping. With his left hand Leman swung Starvore downward in a vertical arc, which Musashi was already poised to block. Pushed back by the blow, Musashi quickly recovered and charged forth once again. Just when he was about to strike, Musashi planted his foot and disappeared, reappearing to Leman's left. Raising Starvore to block, Musashi disappeared once again only to reappear on Leman's right. Leman would not fall for the same trick twice: before Musashi could prepare to strike, Mjalnar was already rushing towards his neck. Musashi improvised a defense by raising his longer blade, but without the support of his second sword Leman's strike overpowered him. The long sword went hurtling through the air, planting itself in the dirt several meters away. Musashi dodged backwards, his right arm dislocated and bleeding heavily. Leman judged that he had broken several bones in the swordsman's arm.
But a wounded wolf is not a defenseless one.
Musashi leapt forward with his short sword raised and Leman responded with a swing from Starvore, but Musashi dodged over it, landing on its face with his foot and leaping over the primarch's head. He aimed his sword at the back of the primarch's neck and just as the tip of his blade met flesh, Mjalnar impaled him through the chest. The swordsman's limp body slip off of Leman's frostblade, collapsing in a cloud of dust. Leman turned to face him, and confirming his opponent's death he raised his bloodied weapons in victory. The crowd cheered wildly, the sounds of joyous celebration echoing throughout the arena. Leman sheathed Mjalnar, and touched the back of his neck where the warrior's blade had penetrated just far enough to draw blood.
Had I been a half of a second later in my reaction that blade would have severed my spinal cord…
"It appears I have fallen short of victory once again." Musashi said with a smile, his wounds beginning to heal. "You are a very impressive duelist, Leman Russ." he said.
"Do not belittle yourself, my friend. Very few opponents have brought me that close to defeat before, none of whom were unaugmented humans such as yourself." Leman said. "You were a worthy opponent." he held out his hand, and helped the wounded warrior struggle to his feet. He looked towards the war god's throne and saw Admu waving and cheering him on.
After the fallen swordsman had been escorted out of the arena, Khorne raised his hand and the crowd fell silent once again.
"Impressive performance, challenger. You have displayed proficiency with your chosen armaments and honour in victory." Khorne said. "but martial prowess is not only measured by how one duels another warrior. Release the beast into the arena!" Horns sounded once again, and the cranking sound of an elevator could be heard as the gate across from Leman slowly swung open. His eyes widened with terrible recognition as he beheld the horror that emerged. Out of the darkness emerged a hulking behemoth, a mass of thick, trunk-like legs, scything talons, and whipping tendrils. Oily black secretions oozed from its dark, scaly skin, and a sickly green bile dripped from each of its mouths. Rows upon rows of beady red eyes were inlaid along the surface of its undulating flesh, each burning with a malicious, bestial intellect. The ground seemed to sizzle and curdle where the hulking monstrosity stepped, as if the earth itself were rejecting this abomination. One its tongues licked the air hungrily, dripping with corpse-slime and squirming parasites. It let out a piercing psychic screech so unsettling it made even the raucous crowd fall silent.
"Rangdan." Leman uttered.
It was a Rangdan warbeast, a horrific product of unfathomably intelligent and evil minds unsurpassed by anyone - or anything - in the galaxy in their utter hatred of life. Even after spending thousands of years in the twisted realms of Chaos, the Rangdan still ranked highly among the worst terrors the primarch had encountered. The beast struggled against the chains which bound it, screeching and clawing at the earth.
"My warriors found this beast stalking the wastes along the southern border, slaughtering the local fauna left and right without rhyme or reason. It took 500 of my warriors to subdue it and bring it back here to the Colosseum." Khorne said. "The look on your face tells me you are familiar with this… thing."
"It is an abomination." Leman said. "An enemy of life itself, a scourge upon the universe. You should have slaughtered it the moment you set eyes upon it." Leman said, his voice spitting with disgust. "Say no more. I will exterminate this disease myself." he said, drawing his weapons.
The chains were cut, and the gibbering mass of flesh and death began galloping wildly towards the wolf king. He rolled to the side, and the beast smashed into the wall of the arena. Unphased, it swung around and whipped its tendrils at him like a torturer's flail. Leman weaved through the lashing tentacles and sliced one of the creature's legs open, a deluge of oily, worm-ridden blood spilling out before sealing up and leaving a cloud of foul-smelling steam. As if the mere existence of this abomination were not offensive enough, Leman's enhanced olfactory sensors could smell every disgusting odor the creature expelled all at once.
This was not the first time Leman had killed one of the behemoths and he knew how best to dispatch them; granted, the last time he had done so he had an entire company of Space Wolves supporting him.
Sever the nerve bundle between its 1st and 2nd spinal protrusion Leman thought to himself. That will bring it down permanently.
…climbing this monstrosity is going to be much harder than the bear.
He pulled out the pistol he had acquired earlier and shot out its left row of eyes with a series of aquamarine arcs of energized shrapnel. The creature clawed at its empty eye sockets, the metal embedded in its flesh still burning with teal flame. Leman charged its now-blind left side, weaving between flailing tendrils lined with serrated protrusions. The creature didn't need sight to surround itself in a virtually impenetrable halo of deadly, whip-like appendages. Leman slashed at the tendrils with Mjalnar and Starvore, leaving him distracted long enough for one of the creature's spindly, multi-jointed arms to grab him by the chest and slam him into the wall. He severed the beast's clawed hand with one swing from Starvore, and fell to the ground. By the time he was back on his feet, the monster had already regrown the appendages Leman had severed, surrounded by a haze of the foul steam.
Leman put another few shots into its regenerated eyes, circling the creature and continuously pouring superheated metal into its body. Then he pulled the trigger and nothing happened. He opened the ammunition feed and noticed it was empty, as well as a small blue bar that was slowly filling up. As the Rangda warbeast paused to regenerate, Leman charged. He leapt over a bladed tendril that swung towards him, raising Starvore and Mjalnar and plunging them into the creature's rubbery, sliding flesh. Black bile sprayed out like a pressurized fuel tank being ruptured, coating Leman's armor in the sickening ebon blood. The beast flailed around wildly but the tendrils did not hit him, as Leman's hypothesis that the creature would instinctively avoid lacerating itself was proven correct. Instead, the beast threw its weight around, bucking and charging wildly to get the primarch to abscond. Leman used his weapons to try and scale the beast, digging into its flesh over and over and slowly making his way up to its back. Then it flung itself into the wall of the arena.
The beast pinned him against the wall, the hard impact knocking the wind out of two of his lungs as the third struggled to maintain a steady oxygen flow. It began dragging him across the wall, leaving streaks of black blood along the carved stone. The sound of grinding metal rang out as Leman struggled to hold on to the rampaging creature. It was the beast's flesh which gave way first, Leman's weapons losing their hold and leaving a long gash along the creature's side as Leman fell to the ground. He tumbled in the dirt, recovering just in time to avoid being crushed by an elephantine foot. He thrust Mjalnar upwards into the beast's underbelly, spilling blood, entrails, and parasites all over him. Surprisingly, this only managed to enrage the beast further. With a monstrous cloud of noxious steam its tendrils retracted into its body, replaced by sinewy arms dense with corded muscle and topped with monstrous claws. It began stomping wildly, kicking up clouds of dust and dirt which mingled with the foul steam in the air to create a thick blanket of choking haze. Leman rolled out from under the beast, only to be grabbed by one of its muscular, club-like arms. It slammed his body against the ground and walls like a ragdoll as he hacked and slashed at it with his one free arm. Finally the beast released him, flinging him through the air and sending him crashing into a wall at the other end of the Colosseum. He fell from the crater his body had created in the wall upon impact, landing on his hands and knees and struggling to get to his feet. His vision was spotty and blurred as blood pooled in his mouth and dripped from his nose.
Concussion-induced nausea and disorientation. He thought.
I was not aware primarchs could have concussions.
He activated the ration-injector in his armor, and his eyes shot open as Admu's energizing elixir entered his bloodstream. He spit blood from his mouth and rose to his feet.
Time for a change in tactics. If I can't get to the beast's critical point, I'll make it come to me.
He pulled out his pistol, now fully charged, and unloaded the entire clip into the beast's legs as it charged towards him. This slowed it down. A bit. Then, he grabbed Starvore with both hands and, with all of his might, he slammed the axe into the earth sending out an energized shockwave that shook and crumbled the ground around him. The beast lost its footing in the tumult, sending the titanic creature careening towards him as it toppled over. Leman charged at the overturned behemoth, dodging and slashing its flailing limbs. He leapt onto its back just as it rose to its feet once again, its wounds recovered. He struggled to hold on as it bucked and kicked in a frenzy, before letting out a mighty battle-cry and finally plunging Mjalnar deep into a gap on the creature's dorsal spines. A deluge of fetid black bile burst forth, coating Leman thoroughly in a shower of putrid entrails and curdled ichor. The heaving mass of flesh and muscle collapsed to the ground, its sinewy, clawed arms falling limp at its side. Leman struggled to his feet and raised his gore-coated sword in the air, and the crowd cheered wildly once again.
Panting heavily, Leman descended from the rapidly decaying corpse. The Rangda warbeasts were designed to practically dissolve upon death, their only purpose to act as living weapons. Soon the creature was nothing more than a pile of jagged bones and chalk-like powder. Leman looked up to Khorne's throne. The war god raised his hand once again.
"Impressive… very impressive, Leman Russ. You have demonstrated that you are a great warrior and a skilled slayer of beasts. However, if you are to prove yourself truly worthy, you must best the champions of this arena: the greatest warriors of my retinue." Khorne said. Horns bellowed, and the gates began to creak open once more. Leman noticed Admu at his side, looking anxious or worried about something.
"Which champion am I to fight first?" Leman asked, shouting above the sounds of the arena. Khorne crossed his arms.
"Which?" he replied.
The gates opened, revealing the warrior Ulthanesh clad in her golden bone-sung armor wielding her scythe-like polearm. The organic curves of her shimmering warp-crafted armor flowed along her body as if they were cloth or a second skin, sliding plates which seemed to move with the whims of their master. Bright gemstones were inlaid along its smooth, lacquered surface, glimmering in the sunlight, and the gleaming golden plates were embossed with bold cerulean trimmings. Aside her stood the titanic green-skinned Grizhka, dressed in armor made of thick sheets of oily black metal, similar to the kind Leman's new axe was crafted from. In addition, she was adorned with thick animal pelts and carved tusks, like a sleeveless suit of terminator armor looted by some feral tribesman. Resting on her shoulder was the colossal slab of black metal hewn in the shape of cleaver, which glowed with the same runic aura as Starvore.
Leman's eyes were wide and his face bore a grave expression. He gripped his weapons tightly.
"Uncle, isn't this unfair? How can you force him to fight two opponents at once?" Admu said, panicking.
"I am sworn by my duty to test his worthiness. I warned him that I would not hold back." Khorne said.
"It has been a long time since we fought alongside one another instead of against each other, Grizhka." Ulthanesh said, spinning her weapon into a combat stance.
"Indeed, Ulthi." Grizhka said, bearing a toothy grin. "Come, Leman Russ. Let us see how you compare to the star-gods that met oblivion upon our blades."
Leman injected another dose of the elixir.
Grizhka charged at him, bearing down on him with her massive blade. Leman instinctually raised Starvore to block her, the two kindred weapons creating an electrified shockwave with their collision. As he was pushed back Leman could feel the muscles in his left arm burning, his strength barely able to hold back the force of her strike. Grizhka leapt backwards, and before Leman could even register what he was doing he had raised Mjalnar to block a lightning-fast attack by Ulthanesh. She had moved so quickly that Leman did not even see her - it was only instinct which saved him. He deflected the lithe fighter's strike, and she flipped backwards with a supernatural dexterity. Grizhka attacked once again, dragging her immense blade across the ground to send a wave of debris hurtling towards him. Leman rolled out of the way just in time, and then just barely deflected a flurry of strikes by Ulthanesh. Blood rolled down his cheek where one of the eldar's strikes had grazed his face.
Need to form a strategy. Have to focus on one opponent at a time.
"Is defending all you can do, human!?" Grizhka said with a wicked smile. She attacked him again with a powerful overhead strike and Leman was forced to raise both his weapons to block it. The strike knocked him backwards several feet, struggling to remain on his feet. This time Grizhka followed up with another series of blows, which Leman struggled to defend against. He blocked one of them with Starvore, catching her cleaver in the notch of its axehead. He attempted to seize the opportunity by stabbing at her with Mjalnar but was interrupted by the spearhead embedding itself into the side of his torso. He swung at Ulthanesh, who pulled the weapon out of his midsection and dodged his strike. He turned to Grizhka just in time to see her fist hurtling towards his face. As he stumbled backwards, his eyesight became blurry and he began to see small pinpricks of light dancing in his vision. Blood leaked from both of his nostrils, and he spit out a broken piece of a tooth.
Damage to head superficial. Internal bleeding in abdomen. Need to take out the quick one. She'll go down in fewer hits - higher priority. Wear the big one down after that.
"You'll have to be quicker than that if you wish to keep up with us, Leman Russ." Ulthanesh said, spinning her weapon. In a flash she was right in front of him, disappearing and reappearing in a flurry of strikes so fast Leman could only see her when she was stopped by his reflexive parries. He felt as though his body was a miniature imperial knight, and he was merely piloting a slow and lumbering machine from behind his eyes.
I feel like I'm moving underwater… I can't keep up with their strikes, and my strength can barely hold back their blows. Leman thought. I have to activate that trance Admu induced earlier… without falling unconscious.
He calmed his mind as much as possible, quieting every thought that wasn't immediately dedicated to survival. It felt like he had tunnel vision, darkness creeping up in his peripheral vision and colors giving way to traces of movement as his mind filtered out all non-essential visual information. His world became a shadowy fog punctuated splashes of light where his blades met theirs, as the fog grew darker and darker still.
He awoke back in the dark forest, the warm fire before him. He sensed the wolf stalking in the darkness around him, but could not catch a glimpse of it.
"I need your aid." Leman spoke into the darkness.
It would seem that way.
"You are the one who was behind the trance I experienced." Leman said. "My reflexes cannot keep up with their strikes forever, I need your power."
Are you sure? Do you truly wish for me to inhabit your flesh? For our souls to become one, even if for but a moment?
"Whatever it takes… I will fulfill my duty and prove my worthiness." Leman said resolutely.
Very well.
Leman turned to see the wolf pouncing at him from the darkness, its claws burying into his flesh and its fangs tearing into his throat.
Leman's eyes shot open, and in a split-second he caught the tip of Ulthanesh's polearm with his axe as it lunged towards him. After deflecting the blow he bashed her face in with the axe's pommel, simultaneously parrying a swing of Grizhka's cleaver with his other hand.
The two warriors stumbled backwards. The man before them was not the same as before, his movements too quick, his eyes too sharp. His form almost seemed to flicker, as if two objects were inhabiting the same space. A cold wind blew across the arena, their hot breaths visible in the frigid air. Leman's face was twisted into a grave expression which, at a glance, appeared almost bestial. Admu looked on with rapt attention and Khorne leaned forward, intrigued.
Leman was beyond thought, each action and reaction an unbroken chain of pure instinct and predatory drive. Ulthanesh thrust her polearm towards Leman, only to be met half-way by a parrying strike from his axe. He slashed at her with his sword, but she spun the broad side of her weapon around fast enough to deflect it. Grizhka swung at him again with her cleaver, but this time Leman ducked and swept out her legs with a kick. He fought as if he were in two places at once, holding off Grizhka while simultaneously pushing Ulthanesh back with his onslaught. Leman swung Starvore, but Ulthanesh managed to deflect in such a way as to twist his wrist and force him to drop the weapon. Spotting an opening in Leman's defenses too quickly for him to close it, Ulthanesh thrust her polearm into his chest just below his shoulder pauldron. She almost felt a second of pride at her successful strike, until she realized the wolf-king had grabbed onto her arm. He pulled her in, paying no mind to the weapon piercing his lung, and cut a long, deep gash from her hip to her collarbone with his sword.
Grizhka, screaming with rage, crashed into him with her shoulder. Leman dropped Ulthanesh and was sent flying back. He scrambled to his feet as Grizhka thrust her cleaver a foot into the earth. The ground erupted with debris and forks of lightning, sending Leman flying into the wall of the arena. Grizhka swung her cleaver at him, and he dodged just in time. Her cleaver shattered the wall where he was an instant before, and left a cloud of debris when she forcefully wrenched it out. Grizhka bore down on him with blow after blow, pushing the wolf king further and further back, her eyes glowing with a burning frenzy. Her fury distracted her just long enough for Leman to deflect her cleaver, then immediately redirect his sword and sever her hand from her arm. The cleaver flew into the air with Grizhka's hand and a portion of her lower arm still gripping its hilt.
Leman did not, however, anticipate Grizhka shattering his nose a moment later with the elbow of the arm that used to hold her cleaver. Grizhka tackled him to the ground, Mjalnar impaling the earth as it was knocked out of Leman's hand. She wrestled him in the dirt, blood and dust caking both of their bodies. Blow after blow rained down on Leman's face, before he grabbed her and tossed her aside. The two grappled one another for several minutes, covering one another heavily in both of their blood. Leman maneuvered behind Ghrizka and put her in a stranglehold, her desperate blows sending painful shocks even through his armor. Finally, after an agonizing few seconds, Leman felt a snap and Grizhka's struggling ceased.
Leman struggled to his feet, his arms and legs wobbly as he spit out the blood which was pooling in his mouth. He limped over to Mjalnar, grabbing its hilt. In an instant, he pulled it from the ground and grabbed Ulthanesh's polearm with his other hand, decapitating the warrior that had tried to sneak up on him in one clean motion. Her body fell limp to the ground, and her severed head rolled across the dirt. The crowd, which Leman had largely shut out completely, was cheering wildly. It was an upset never before seen in the history of the Colosseum - its two greatest champions bested by a single man.
Leman held his hand to his side, seeing the blood pouring through the holes in his armor on his gauntlet. He was heavily injured, several of his bones were broken, but he had won. He had beaten every trial the war god had thrown at him. As a cadre of servants carried the bodies of his two fallen opponents away, he fell on one knee out of exhaustion, supporting himself with his sword.
He was finally done.
Amid the deafening, cheering crowd, Khorne stood up from his throne. The spectators soon fell silent. He clapped, the sound of his metal gauntlets ringing out like an ominous church bell.
"Well done, Leman Russ. You have exceeded my expectations. It is clear to me now that no mortal warrior in my service can best you in combat." He said. The crowd cheered wildly in response. After a short while Khorne raised his hand and they fell silent again.
"It is now time for the final trial." Khorne said.
Leman's blood ran cold.
The skies overhead grew black with plumes of volcanic smoke. The titanic god of war unfastened the blood-red cape from his black armor, allowing it to fall to the floor.
Admu's face was white.
Khorne hoisted himself over the wall of the arena, plummeting to the ground and landing in a cloud of dust with a mighty thud. Thunder cracked overhead and two flaming swords fell like meteors from the darkened sky, embedding themselves into the earth at both of Khorne's sides. One sword was blood red and the other pitch black, both wreathed in wildfire. They were "Oathsworn" and "Traitorsbane": the twin greatswords of the mighty god of war. He grabbed both of the swords whose size would have dwarfed even the average space marine with one hand each, raising them above his head.
"Your final trial… is to defeat me, Leman Russ." Khorne said, his black armor reflecting the glow of his flaming armaments.
Leman activated his ration injector and imbibed the last of Admu's elixir before facing certain doom.