The Chaos Dwarfs' artillery was dominating the battlefield, with the demon cannons and hellcannons roaring, accurately targeting and destroying the greenskins' crude catapults. Each shot from the magma cannons created large gaps in the green tide, melting dozens of greenskins into pools of boiling liquid.
Tamuk was very satisfied with this outcome, which was precisely why he had allied with the Chaos Dwarfs.
This was the power of steel, gunpowder, and faith!
Blazing heat and dark sorcery streaked into the greenskin ranks, while the goblin shamans and orc prophets loudly chanted Waaagh spells, filling the sky with yellow and green magical energies.
"Mork's Gaze!" Two beams of light cut through the air, blasting the Chaos Dwarfs' artillery positions, turning a group of gunners into fragments.
"Gork's Big Foot!" The giant foot of the greenskin god descended from the sky, crushing an entire squad of chaos warriors.
Riding his wyvern, Gofang the Drunk laughed heartily. "Good hit! Good kill! Good stomp! I reckon these human shrimps are no match for us! Boys, you know who the boss is now? Waaagh!"
"Waaaaaaaagh!!!" With Gofang's roar, nearly all the greenskins puffed up their chests and let out a terrifying sound that made the sky and earth tremble. This fearsome roar echoed through the mountains, and more greenskin troops poured out from behind Death's Pass, joining Gofang's call and surging toward Tamuk.
Dozens of giants stepped forward, wielding massive clubs, quickly approaching the chaos army. A single swing sent several chaos warriors flying into the air.
Tamuk, riding his toad dragon, nodded toward Dra'zhos, who was mounted on his blazing golden bull.
Dra'zhos began chanting an ancient and evil spell.
"Release the chaos giants!"
In heavy footsteps, hundreds of chaos giants appeared under the control of the Chaos Dwarfs. These giants were clearly reluctant to follow orders, immediately turning into a chaotic mess upon release, running in all directions.
Dra'zhos desperately chanted every spell he knew, his face contorted. Using magic was not without cost for the dwarfs, who naturally resisted magic. Despite being taught by Hashut, the Father of Darkness, each use of magic caused the Chaos Dwarfs' bodies to gradually turn to stone.
The chaos giants had their hands replaced with massive blades or flails and were encased in black armor by the Chaos Dwarfs. However, they were unstable and their first instinct upon release was to head east, back to the dark realm.
"Come back, come back!" Dra'zhos frantically chanted every spell he knew to control the giants, expending all his magic.
At this moment, the greenskin giants reached the front line. The towering giants, over ten meters tall, swung their clubs down, smashing two Kurgan warriors into a bloody pulp. Another horizontal swing sent five or six chaos warriors flying, their screams filling the air.
"Charge! All of you, charge!" Gofang seized the opportunity, shouting from atop his wyvern. "Boys! Charge and kill these spiky boys for Gork!"
"For Gork!" The greenskin boys' morale soared, the green tide surged forward. Ignoring heavy casualties, they used their advantage to break through the chaos formation of Kurgan marauders, Kurgan barbarian warriors, and chaos warriors. The entire narrow passage of Death's Pass turned green.
The battle's momentum shifted. Tamuk signaled his subordinate—the Nurgle Champion, the bloated Dreisak, to lead the Nurgle Chosen warriors into the fray. These warriors were grotesquely bloated, their bodies and limbs swollen to the point of bursting. However, they were not to be underestimated. Clad in rusted armor and wielding pus-dripping weapons, the Nurgle Chosen entered the battle, severely hindering the greenskin giants. Ignoring all injuries, they pressed forward with crushing force.
"Sa'i!" Tamuk shouted.
"Pillar of Flame!" The Unfaithful Sa'i finally acted. He raised his staff, made from skulls and mysterious materials, releasing a blue column of fire. The fire pillar struck the belly of a giant, instantly stripping its flesh, leaving only a pale skeleton. The giant screamed and fell dead.
Before Sa'i could revel in his success, Gork's Big Foot descended, almost crushing him into the ground. Sa'i barely managed to release a chaos black cloud but still spat blood as he was kicked away. With Sa'i down, the magical battle turned against them.
Desperate, the plague ogres joined the battle at Tamuk's command. They charged the greenskin army, roaring and venting their fury. Seeing the plague ogres, the greenskins became momentarily confused.
"For Kurgan! For Father Nurgle! For Khan Tamuk!"
Roaring filled the battlefield as more Kurgan warriors joined the front lines. As the Kurgan raider riders clashed with goblin wolf riders, the greenskin pig riders and squig riders were terrified to find the raiders faster. After two engagements, every Kurgan raider's axe had tasted blood, and the greenskin riders fled in panic.
But Tamuk's face remained grim. He knew the greenskins were cunning and brutal, and Gofang's attack likely concealed other strategies.
The plague ogres, however, had lost control, recklessly charging deeper into the greenskin tide. Tamuk had to choose between abandoning the ogres or risking a trap.
Tamuk made his decision, raising his giant axe. "Advance, all forces!"
The army advanced to the rhythm of pounding drums, their heavy steps echoing like thunder. Chaos knights and warhounds led the charge under Tamuk's command. Nurgle Chosen warriors surrounded and protected their great Khan, revered and followed by all Kurgan warriors, eager to prove their glory to the dark gods.
The entire frontline became a whirlwind of blood, dust, and steel. The chaos army's power seemed unstoppable, slaughtering greenskin boys in droves. The greenskin blood flowed like a stream, and Tamuk continued forward on a path of blood!
Nurgle's Chosen Champion swung his giant axe, slicing open a giant's belly. Controlling the ogre's body, he pulled out its entrails, then decapitated the giant. Swarms of Nurgle flies, carrion flies, and hungry Kurgan warriors along with chaos eggs swarmed over the giant, devouring it amid its agonized howls.
However, midway through Tamuk's charge, a new sound of gears turning and heavy objects moving came from the northeast. Tamuk looked up, shocked.
Hundreds of gray shadows rose into the sky, heading straight for the center of the chaos army and Tamuk's position!
What were those? Catapult stones?
As the shadows approached, even the chaos warriors and Chosen were astonished.
Goblins! The shadows were all goblins! Wearing simple winged flight suits, they spread their arms and flapped, diving in an arc toward Tamuk and his army.
"Woooo!"
"Yaaaahoooo!"
"Yeeesss!!!"
The goblin fliers screamed their final words, diving down in arcs. Each wore spiked helmets and sharp suits, clutching dwarf-captured explosives. Wave after wave of goblins crashed into the Kurgan ranks, their blades cutting through bodies before exploding, turning swaths of Kurgan warriors and their mounts into bloody pulp.
The goblin fliers inflicted horrific losses on Tamuk's army. Satisfied, Gofang grinned. This was Waaagh! But it wasn't Waaagh enough! Despite the devastation, Tamuk still led his chaos army forward, and the boys were retreating.
No! By Gork and Mork! It was time to settle the score with these human shrimps and spiky boys!
After hours of fighting, Tamuk noticed the greenskins losing their will to fight. Even with Gofang's vast army, chaos power was unmatched. The Kurgan warriors demonstrated the savage strength from the northern world, with chaos knights and Kurgan raiders crushing greenskin heads under hoof and axe. Goblins fled, while Nurgle Chosen warriors, led by the bloated Dreisak, scythed down greenskins like wheat, even felling the big'uns.
Meanwhile, the Chaos Dwarfs regained control of the chaos giants, engaging the greenskins head-on. Goblin archers and greenskin bowboys stood no chance against the Chaos Dwarfs' firearms and cannons. The relentless barrage shredded goblins and inflicted heavy losses on the bowboys. Dra'zhos commanded the demon war machines to fire, the hellcannons and other artillery devastating the greenskin catapults. If Gofang hoped for another mass goblin flier attack, it was now impossible.
Yet, a new threat emerged. A thunderous roar came from the northeast. A fresh force bypassed Tamuk's attack, appearing in the mountains. An ancient dwarf statue activated, opening a wide passage. Thousands of greenskin pig big'uns, led by Gofang, charged straight at the Chaos Dwarf ranks!
"This land doesn't allow such Waaagh things! Boys, with me! Crush these bearded foes!" Gofang raised his massive sword. "Waaagh!"
"Waaaaaaaagh!!!" Amidst roars, Gofang led a massive charge of greenskin pig big'uns against the Chaos Dwarfs! The Chaos Dwarfs barely had time to react!
"Tighten ranks! Fireblade gunners, "fall back!" Dra'zhos screamed hoarsely. "Inferno Guards, advance!"
The Chaos Dwarfs followed Dra'zhos's orders. The heavily armored Inferno Guards formed a thick defensive line. Normally, these elite troops could withstand any cavalry charge.
But today, they faced Gofang the Drunk, the greenskin warlord of Black Rock Fort, infamous in the badlands and with numerous entries in the dwarfs' Book of Grudges!
The greenskin big'uns charged into the Inferno Guards' steel wall like a giant hammer, smashing and toppling the Chaos Dwarfs. Despite the rapid fall of the big'uns, Gofang's objective was achieved—they had breached the Chaos Dwarf artillery positions!
The Chaos Dwarfs frantically operated their steam trains, attempting to use the carriages to block the thousand-strong charge of greenskin pig big'uns. The magma cannons fired under Chaos Dwarf control, melting hundreds of pig big'uns into sludge and charred meat.
However, the greenskins' assault was relentless! Gofang, riding his wyvern, charged directly at the Chaos Dwarf steam train. The wyvern's head smashed into a magma cannon being reloaded, toppling it. Gofang raised his greatsword, slaying two Chaos Dwarf engineers with two swings, then let out a triumphant roar: "Waaaaaaaagh!"
"Waaaaaaaagh!" The remaining seven or eight hundred pig big'uns took advantage, storming the Chaos Dwarf artillery positions. The Chaos Dwarfs, facing the unstoppable greenskin warlord and his forces, were easily overwhelmed and slaughtered. Precious demon war machines were destroyed one by one.
Gofang reveled in the indescribable joy of leading his troops, charging back and forth, delighting in his enemies' chaos and flight. Just as he was about to shout a victory cry for Gork, a group of Nurgle Chosen warriors and Rot Knights blocked his path.
It was Tamuk!
"Waaa..." A greenskin pig big'un charged at Tamuk, but before it could finish its roar, Tamuk's giant axe swung, beheading it instantly.
"Waa..." Another big'un approached, but Tamuk reversed his axe, slicing the pig in half before its rider could strike. The greenskin tumbled, rolling a few times before Tamuk's axe fell, smashing through its chest armor. A twist of the axe: "Crack!"
The greenskin big'un struggled briefly, then lay still.
Tamuk raised his giant axe, pointing at Gofang.
Gofang pulled his sword from a Chaos Dwarf's skull, understanding the challenge.
No problem.
He, Gofang the Drunk, would defeat this human shrimp and become the greatest, most Waaagh warlord!
The battlefield cleared as warriors from both sides moved back, forming a rough circle around the two leaders. The sounds of battle faded into a tense silence.
Tamuk, atop his toad dragon, stared down Gofang, who dismounted his wyvern. The two warlords faced each other, ready to duel.
Gofang charged first, his massive sword swinging down. Tamuk blocked with his axe, the clash of steel echoing. They exchanged blows, sparks flying, neither gaining an immediate advantage.
Tamuk's brute strength and Nurgle's blessings made him a formidable opponent, while Gofang's speed and ferocity matched him strike for strike. The duel raged on, each warrior pushing the other to their limits.
Tamuk's axe cleaved through Gofang's armor, drawing blood, but the greenskin warlord laughed it off, retaliating with a powerful strike that dented Tamuk's chest plate. The two warriors stepped back, panting, assessing each other's injuries.
Gofang snarled, charging again, but Tamuk was ready. With a swift motion, he sidestepped, bringing his axe down on Gofang's exposed back. The blow sent the greenskin to his knees.
Tamuk raised his axe for the final strike. "For Nurgle, for Kurgan, for Tamuk!"
Before he could deliver the blow, Gofang's wyvern lunged, forcing Tamuk to defend himself. Gofang seized the moment, rolling away and standing up, defiant.
The battle resumed, fiercer than ever. Both warlords knew that this duel would determine the fate of their armies. Tamuk and Gofang fought with renewed vigor, each strike more desperate, each block more strained.
The surrounding warriors watched in awe as their leaders battled. The outcome would decide not just the victor of this duel, but the winner of the entire war.
Finally, with a mighty roar, Tamuk swung his axe in a wide arc, catching Gofang off guard. The blade struck true, cleaving through Gofang's armor and into his chest. The greenskin warlord staggered, blood pouring from the wound.
Gofang fell to his knees, dropping his sword. "Waaagh..." he gasped, the fire in his eyes fading.
Tamuk stood over him, victorious. "For Nurgle," he declared, driving his axe into Gofang's heart, ending the warlord's life.
The greenskin army, seeing their leader fall, wavered. The chaos forces, inspired by Tamuk's victory, roared in triumph and pressed their attack. The greenskins, leaderless and demoralized, began to retreat.
The Battle of Death's Pass was over. Tamuk had secured a decisive victory, ensuring his dominance over the greenskins and solidifying his alliance with the Chaos Dwarfs. The path to Nuln and his ultimate goal was now clearer than ever.
As the sun set over the battlefield, Tamuk looked out at the carnage. He knew that this victory was just one step in his grand plan. There were more battles to be fought, more enemies to conquer, but for now, he relished his hard-won triumph.
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