[3rd POV]
Thousands of bloated flies erupt from Barkhstan's massive body, blotting out what little sunlight manages to pierce the thick green fog enveloping the planet. They race forward to latch onto him, but Theodore lets loose another wave of furious heat, turning their bodies to ash. Spells of rot crash against the golden shield around his body, turning to dust upon touching its light.
Golden light roars from his form, creating a massive pillar in a churning sea of browns and greens. With a swing of his sword, Theo sends arcs of radiance toward the massive daemon, who greets the attack with the arrogance of an immortal. Even knowing Theo wields the power of the Nihil, Barkhstan believes his body can endure it, for he holds the favor of the God of Death and Decay.
However, his arrogance immediately shatters when he is hit by the full force of concentrated Null-Psychic energy. It breaks every blessing he has received from his God, and the power of the Null begins to devour his body like a school of hungry piranhas. The blessing attempts to fight it, but it is working too slowly to be useful.
Golden fire burns through his flesh; Barkhstan is forced to sacrifice parts of his own body so the flames do not devour him whole. He looks for Theo, but instead of finding him on the ground, the Primarch appears directly in front of him with his sword raised high.
Barkhstan uses his butcher sword to counter the incoming strike, creating a massive shockwave from the impact of two swords, but Theo is not finished. He twists his body, maintaining the momentum of his assault. He releases a flurry of attacks, each one unleashing massive waves of golden flame that scour Barkhstan's hide.
Countless maggots fall to the ground each time the two blades clash. They rain into the rivers of green sludge beneath the battlefield where the two titans clash. The maggots drink the sludge and grow bigger before charging at the army in the distance.
Barkhstan lets out a roar so loud it creates a shockwave strong enough to hurl Theodore away. With a wave of his hand, the daemon releases a surge of warp energy, sending a massive wave of plague-infested liquid toward Theo.
Theo prepares to release a massive blast of power, but before he can, a rain of laser-fire screams down from the heavens. The clouds burn and scatter as hot plasma evaporates seas of rot and pus.
The earth itself explodes outward as a massive, heavy object lands. As the dust settles, a colossal mech emerges from an orbital drop pod. Its weapons lock onto the Greater Daemon and release a massive plasma beam. Barkhstan raises his left hand, releasing a blob of green energy that devours the plasma mid-air. He then releases another burst of energy; this time, he creates a barrier around his massive body to block a hail of bullets from the Flak Cannons and Mega Bolters on the mech.
Theo knows exactly who is piloting this machine; only one person can handle this type of mech on their own. Ana has joined the fight, and she is furiously attacking the Greater Daemon. Every weapon aims at the Greater Daemon, and each one of them fires its load at Barkhstan. Theo takes a deep breath, allowing Ana to distract the monster for a few seconds as he taps into his true power. This will be the first time he goes all out. He can feel his sons and the mortals retreating. He knows his sons will return after securing the flanks and rear from the charging lesser daemons, and he intends to end the fight before they do.
His presence changes. His [Divine Innocence] and [Pavan of Eternal Song] go into overdrive. The golden pillar disappears, condensing around him to form a golden cocoon. After a few seconds, it shatters, and Theo steps out. As he steps out of the cocoon, the stench of rot and decay disappears from the battlefield and is replaced with a subtle but pleasant smell.
Those watching from a distance cannot help but gasp. The mortals are entranced by Theo, looking at him as if God himself had descended into the mortal world, while his sons look at their gene-sire in awe and reverence.
Theo's presence is amplified so much by his powers that even his Primarch aura is cranked to eleven. The power of [The Sacred One] bolsters the [Pavan of Eternal Song] as a soothing sound radiates from him. Mortals infected by Nurgle's rot start to revert to their healthy states; Space Marines who were killed and resurrected by the plague god crumble into nothingness, denying the God of Decay the chance to use the Void Stalkers as playthings.
Behind Theodore, the silhouette of a massive green peacock appears. Its vibrant jade-colored feathers are distinct amidst the sea of sickly green and brown. He becomes the personification of beauty in a realm of rot.
In the blink of an eye, Theo appears in front of Barkhstan. With a swing of his sword, he releases a massive golden light that strikes the Greater Daemon with the full weight of Null-Psychic force.
The giant, bloated daemon is blasted away but manages to regain his footing. The mouth on his stomach opens, spewing green energy at Theo, who simply waves his hand. The peacock's wings sweep forward, blocking the attack with ease. From the flank, Ana fires another plasma blast, hitting Barkhstan from the side.
While Barkhstan is distracted by Ana's fire, Theo flies toward him and swings his sword. However, Barkhstan anticipates the move this time. The two clash in brutal close combat while Ana provides fire support and occasionally intercedes with her Macro Power Sword.
Even though it is two against one, Barkhstan manages to hold his ground and even causes significant damage to Ana's mech. Cracks and holes riddle the chassis; even with the power of nanites and Necrodermis, the machine cannot repair the damage fast enough and is slowly losing strength.
Theo, on the other hand, shows no visible damage. The power of [The Sacred One] and [Divine Innocence] prevents any taint from latching onto him, and Nurgle's corruption cannot take hold. In this form, it makes Theo even more resistant to Chaos than his father.
This combination of power enrages Nurgle and leaves Barkhstan desperate as the tide of battle turns against him. He uses his power to warp the battlefield into a sea of absolute decay, summoning creatures from Nurgle's Garden to swarm the Primarch, but all his efforts end in failure. Theo's powers make sure nothing is able to touch him, and each time they get near him, the golden fire consumes them.
Golden-green and sickly brown fuse together as the fight reaches a fever pitch. The two of them move at a speed that even an average Space Marine has a hard time following. Barkhstan might be massive, but he can move at blinding speed. His movement speed is not the best, but his upper movement is something that impresses Theo. Finally, Ana releases a devastating attack that pushes Barkhstan back, allowing Theo to deliver a powerful blow that shears away a massive chunk of the daemon's body.
Barkhstan roars in fury. He cannot feel pain due to Nurgle's blessing, but he can feel his essence weakening as a significant portion of his soul is annihilated by the strike. It will grow back as long as he returns to his creator's side, but it will take a long time.
And it will get worse for him as Theo is ready to unleash his hidden trump card.
"Ana, leave the Mech."
"Captain? What do you mean? We are winning. We can banish this guy."
"No. I will grant this bastard a True Death, and to do that, I need to release a devastating attack that can mess with you if you are here. Trust me."
He can feel Ana hesitate for a second, but she decides to trust him. The massive mech suddenly falls to the ground like a puppet that gets its strings cut. Theo looks at the raging daemon in front of him and takes a deep breath.
"I, [Nothingness], command you, Ix'glorklirthy Fzliterbrukyche, to stop."
Using the power of [Soul Weaver], he is able to take a glimpse of Barkhstan's true name, and by saying the meaning of his own true name using the [Enuncia] power, he is able to take control over a Greater Daemon of one of the Four Gods, as it boosts the effect to the limit.
Barkhstan stops, completely still, as if time itself stops around him to make him stand very still like that. This is the power of True Name, and by invoking his own true name using the language of Enuncia, he is able to give it an absolute power that not even the Chaos Gods can cancel.
He is not done. With Barkhstan frozen, Theo releases the full weight of his power.
Reality flickers under the influence of the only Omega Minus Plus Null individual in the universe. This is the power of the Nihil. It is compounded by the fact that the Emperor made him the perfect vessel for the Pariah gene, granting him a True Name meaning [Nothingness] alongside a dozen other meanings that complement his nature, making his power even greater.
He does not need to condense and throw his attack, as his mere presence makes Barkhstan feel pain. It is not the power of death, for Nurgle's domain is death, and the threat of death will not make him afraid. This is the power of Nothingness. The primordial presence is older than the Chaos Gods themselves, and it makes him fearful.
Barkhstan attempts to flee, to return to his creator's garden, but the effect of using his True Name holds his very being in place. He cannot move.
Theo walks toward the Greater Daemon like death itself, ready to reap its soul. As he draws closer, Barkhstan's essence and soul wither as the power of nothingness erases him. After a few seconds, the Greater Daemon turns to ash, and his soul vanishes, achieving a True Death.
Theo exhales deeply and draws his power back in, caging it once more. The golden light recedes, and the sense of dread radiating from him slowly dissipates. After a few moments, he uses the comms.
"Ana, tell the others to begin cleansing. This planet needs heavy purification and terraforming."
"Of course, Captain."
While the Void Stalkers and the others are busy purging the planet and ensuring no Chaos influence remains, something stirs in the Warp.
Nurgle rages over the loss of his Greater Daemon. Khorne is indifferent. Tzeentch watches the battle's conclusion with a mixture of eagerness and concern; he is fascinated by something that did not appear in his visions, yet worried it will shatter his infinite schemes. Slaanesh, on the other hand… she watches with a massive grin on her beautiful, hideous face.
The image of Theodore in his [The Sacred One] form manifests across Slaanesh's domain. Every daemon in the realm stares at the image in awe, lust, and envy. It is perfection made manifest, and Slaanesh decides on a move that gives Tzeentch a massive headache.
"I WaNt HIM."
She abandons her plan to bring Fulgrim to her side, choosing instead to attempt the corruption of Theo into her ultimate worshipper and champion.
== Author Note ==
[Pavan of Eternal Song]
You have gained the power of a Divine Peacock. This grants you the ability to transform at will between a radiant humanoid form and a resplendent peacock of divine beauty. In either shape, your feathers shimmer with otherworldly color and light, reflecting emotions, dreams, and deeper truths beyond mortal understanding.
These feathers are far more than mere decoration—they grant you clarity beyond the veil of illusions and deceit, allowing you to see through lies and perceive the hidden threads of the mystical world and dreams.
With a graceful movement, you can cloud minds, stir desire, or entrance entire crowds, bending wills as easily as petals follow the sun. But your feathers are also formidable weapons and impenetrable armor; they can withstand blows that would shatter steel and pierce through stone and steel alike.
You can summon and launch shimmering feather-shards with deadly precision, while your plumage shields you from the fiercest assaults, placing you far beyond the reach of ordinary weapons—even in your human form.
The wings you have can carry you through the Mortal World, unseen at speeds surpassing sound without distrubing it. But more than that you can let them carry you into the world of spirits or even dreams of mortals.
Your voice and movements are suffused with divine power. Whether singing, dancing, speaking, or playing an instrument, you command the attention of all who hear you.
Your music flows like a sacred river—sometimes haunting, sometimes joyful, sometimes terrible—and mortals are left breathless and spellbound. Even gods pause, compelled by the depth and beauty of your performance.
As a being touched by divinity, your body is free from the bounds of mortality. You do not age, cannot fall ill, and cannot be destroyed permanently. If you are slain, your feathers scatter across the world—luminous, eternal fragments of your essence.
In time, they draw together once more, and from their convergence, you are reborn.
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