"Help you deal with the Dark King? Emperor, you're overestimating me a bit, don't you think?"
"If it were just you alone, it would indeed be difficult. But am I not here as well? I will assist you... Do not tell me you lack the desire..." The entity, reduced nearly to a parched skeleton, let out an echo from his throat in a voice of extreme frailty.
"If the Dark King is slain, a throne will sit vacant once more. Seize it. At the very least, you shall have your chance, and I shall have mine, to lead humanity once again."
Facing this tantalizing proposal, the black-robed Lucius pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I've always known to take things one bite at a time. I've only just secured one seat, and you're already trying to drag me into these murky depths?"
"Not one... but two," said the skeleton seated upon the Golden Throne. Simultaneously, a vast expanse of disordered gears and tangled cables manifested around him.
This power, something Lucius craved with an insatiable hunger yet could never grasp, stood in stark contrast to the other half of the power within him. This was the counterpart to the Malevolent Artifice he had claimed after devouring Vashtorr.
"Malevolent Artifice... So that is why Vashtorr could never achieve godhood, no matter his efforts. Half of that corner was already occupied by you," Lucius remarked, sensing the power that was nearly identical to his own.
"Correct. Help me slay the Dark King, and I shall grant you this half! I will help you solidify your claim over the domain of Malevolent Artifice!"
"My, my~ what a splendid proposal. If my plan succeeds and Slaanesh is defeated as intended, and I simultaneously hold Formless Distortion, Malevolent Artifice, and the Encroaching Ruin you help me seize... I would be practically invincible~ Ah-ha~~" Lucius clapped his hands. "And then those other three will turn all their attention toward me, giving your Empire a massive sigh of relief, wouldn't they?"
The Emperor, his plans laid bare, remained unmoved. Within his decaying mind, he remained calm and calculating.
"Indeed. The choice is yours. Agree, and you may claim another divine throne immediately. Or, you may continue to wither away in this endless stalemate. I assure you, without my aid, a second throne will forever remain beyond your reach." The Emperor's voice was weak, yet infused with absolute resolve.
"..." Lucius narrowed his eyes, lost in deep thought. When this "Golden Man" lacked wit, he truly lacked it; but when he chose to be treacherous, he could sit as an equal alongside Tzeentch.
"What is your price? Don't tell me you want nothing in return."
Faced with the interrogation, the Emperor replied with chilling frankness: "Simple. I want your word that you will maintain the balance between the Warp and realspace. Since the War in Heaven, the Warp has grown far too powerful. But you are different... I know your soul has not yet been corrupted by your divinity. It is a miracle, and how you achieved it, I do not know, but I see it as an opportunity. One I am willing to gamble on."
"Heh~ if that is the case." Lucius nodded. "You know, I'm rather fond of a diverse landscape, much like the World-That-Was. You won't get another chance to create miracles like the Primarchs."
"It is enough," the Emperor stated firmly. "Watching humanity as it is now cuts my heart. It is a pain a billion times more agonizing than my current state."
"Fine. I accept. Whatever schemes you have in store, I'll take them on."
Clang, clang, clang—
A flurry of heavy, disordered footsteps echoed as dozens of Adeptus Custodes entered the Throne Room. Seeing a bloated rat chittering before the throne of their Great Emperor, their brows furrowed in instant fury.
"What is the meaning of this? How has a mere rodent managed to crawl before our Lord's throne? The penalties for this year's Blood Games shall be doubled!"
Trajann Valoris roared in anger. Consequently, a massive "spring cleaning" was immediately enacted within the Imperial Palace, leaving the Custodes busier than ever.
…
Back to the present.
Five Chaos Gods, including the Great Horned Rat and the Dark King, stood facing one another within the Palace of Pleasure. None dared to strike first, and none wished to retreat.
Finally, Tzeentch was the first to speak. "My dear brothers and sister, how could you treat our sweet sibling in such a manner?"
"Get back to your hole! Stop your damned babbling!" Without hesitation, Khorne let out a roar that silenced the Architect of Fate.
Nurgle, his bloated, rotting yellow-green form sagging, wore a benevolent smile. "Hehehe... let us keep the peace, shall we? I propose we let the Great Horned Rat decide. After all, he engineered this opportunity. Surely young Tzeentch would agree?"
Tzeentch nodded. Although he loathed Nurgle as much as Khorne loathed Slaanesh, he had to admit that since the unexpected rise of the Great Horned Rat, his own power had grown day by day.
In this monumental upheaval of Slaanesh's defeat, Tzeentch stood to be the primary benefactor of the resulting change!
The Dark King, appearing as a golden youth, remained silent. At this moment, the incomplete Dark King was still tempered by the Emperor's will.
Thus, even Khorne was forced into silence, begrudgingly turning his gaze toward Lucius.
"Hehe~ Even with Slaanesh cast down, the power of Rapturous Sensation is not so easily stripped away. I shall banish Slaanesh to an isolated realm to peel away the divine mantle piece by piece. As for the rest of the Dark Prince's Realm, we shall divide it equally." Lucius immediately presented his pre-prepared plan.
Except for Tzeentch, who shot Lucius a peculiar look, the other Chaos Gods raised no objections.
"Then the Circle of Paramountcy is mine!" Khorne roared, crudely claiming the first spoils.
"I'll take the Circle of Indolency, then. My children will surely love their new home," Nurgle said kindly, patting his distended, punctured belly.
"Mmm… the Circle of Vainglory shall be mine," Tzeentch added.
Finally, Lucius glanced at the golden youth. "Then I shall take... the Circle of Gluttony. Hehehe~"
The other gods showed no reaction to this proposal, leading Lucius to think they were being remarkably cooperative.
The Dark King had no interest in the remaining Circle of Carnality or Circle of Avidity. As an avatar of Encroaching Ruin, he desired only to unmake all things.
"Excellent. Then it is settled. I shall go now to seize Slaanesh. This is the first time a Chaos God has been dragged from their own palace. I imagine no one wants to miss such a momentous occasion?" Lucius laughed heartily, his form blurring as he bolted toward the central palace.
Inside the palace, Be'lakor and Shalaxi Helbane were locked in a stalemate, with the Dark Master actually appearing to be at a disadvantage.
The reason was simple: when Be'lakor saw N'Kari attempting to escape with Slaanesh, he panicked. Screaming, "That is mine!", he fumbled his guard and allowed Shalaxi's spear to run through his arm.
"My Master, follow me!"
As the loyal N'Kari prepared to flee into the infinite Warp with the entity of Slaanesh, now reduced to a mass of shadows, a giant hand reached out and snatched them.
N'Kari let out a terrified shriek and instantly abandoned his master!
It wasn't a lack of loyalty; it was the fact that the hand clearly belonged to a Chaos God. If he had been even a second slower, he would have been reduced to aimless energy in the Warp, his consciousness extinguished forever.
"You are even more beautiful like this, Slaanesh~" Lucius, in the form of the Great Horned Rat, chuckled as he held the Prince of Pleasure in his grasp. Using the power of Formless Distortion, he forcibly tore away the unguarded palace and the unclaimed Circles of Carnality and Avidity.
Then, kneading the remnants of Slaanesh's domain like clay, he fashioned an isolated space to serve as Slaanesh's prison.
"This place shall be called... the Realm of Twilight. I hope you enjoy your new little home," Lucius said with a wicked grin.
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