When the Stormbird was still over ten kilometers from the target, the colossal form of the Osseivores had already come into view.
Its green crest was even taller than the peak of an abandoned mine nearby.
Its arms spat searing energy beams. Where they swept, furnaces disintegrated in blinding light, Legio Cybernetica units were vaporized, erased in the rising mist.
As Nareth gazed at the Osseivores, the voice of the gyrinx, John, suddenly sounded in his mind.
'I can actively trigger a calamity, make it sink into the ground. It will have difficulty moving for a short time.''
'Master, you can use this time to destroy it!'
The black wolf, Freddy, looked at the gyrinx sprawled by Nareth's left leg, and saw its gleaming black eyes.
His pupils contracted. John was growing more powerful, already threatening his own position.
No need to guess, he knew the gyrinx wanted to prove itself. He glanced at the three men opposite, then tugged at Nareth's leg armor.
Nareth looked down, reading the meaning in his gaze: "I can make it dream."
With a thought, the Primarch sent a simultaneous thought-pulse to them.
'No! I will destroy it myself.'
Nareth glanced at Arkhas Fal, Balsar Kurthuri, and Nerat Kirine opposite him, then thought of Anacharis Scoria below.
He would personally slay the Osseivores, letting them witness his power firsthand. This would make "corroding" them easier.
As Nareth pondered, he suddenly felt a sensation. He looked up sharply, gazing out the viewport.
The Osseivores raised an arm, spitting a blinding beam directly at the Stormbird.
He did not move. He calmly looked down, searching for Anacharis among the throng. He had to ensure his "corrosion" target survived.
The energy beam became a series of straight lines in the mind of the pilot, Nelson.
The "Robot" calculated this beam and every subsequent one. He yanked the controls. The Stormbird evaded in the air according to his calculations.
The destructive energy beam grazed the hull, piercing the gloomy sky.
At the same moment, the Primarch's superhuman vision, through comparison, distinguished Anacharis from the others.
Though he did not yet have the multitude of mechanical limbs of his future self, he was still discernible.
He and his forces stood out among the interfering tech-priests' units.
The Legio Cybernetica under Anacharis' command moved like precision gears, slaughtering enemies in droves.
His calculative ability was clearly orders of magnitude higher than other commanders. He accounted for the movement trajectories of enemies and allies, firepower, and the surrounding environment.
The Primarch split a portion of his consciousness to monitor Anacharis while rising to his feet.
He ordered Nelson, "Open the hatch."
"Lord Nareth!" The three exclaimed in unison. They perceived the Primarch's intent, and it worried them.
Having witnessed the blazing Titan and the devastating destruction wrought by the Osseivores, they now had no doubt the colossal xenos could destroy a Titan.
"Fear not!" Nareth said, then leaped from the hatch, his golden wings spreading behind him.
The Osseivores was immediately drawn to the figure in the air. It raised its arms one after another.
With a sway of the growth atop its head, the beams instantly split into countless points of light.
Most of the light streaked towards the black-armored, golden-winged figure. A smaller portion flew towards the dozen or so aircraft in the sky.
On the panel in Nelson's mind, densely packed red dots appeared instantly. Tactical data displays the number: 1,493,285.
The "Robot's" mind raced, plotting evasive routes.
His hands moved the controls at a speed normal vision couldn't follow.
The Stormbird bobbed and weaved through the storm of light.
The three Astartes' magnetic boot soles locked them to the deck. They quickly adapted to the rapid turbulence.
Through the viewport, they looked out. Ahead, a Stormbird was struck by golden points of light, spiraling down in smoke.
"I think you should put us on the ground," Arkhas spoke.
"We do not wish to die in the air. Fighting alongside the Primarch is our true glory."
" Shadow Lord," Balsar suddenly interjected, "the Osseivores has already ignored us."
Nerat heard this and immediately looked down at the colossal creature on the ground. Indeed, no more light points were coming.
A brilliant flash of light pierced the sky, cutting through layers of gloomy clouds.
Every Shadows of Order on every Stormbird, and every Legio Cybernetica unit on the ground, witnessed the brightest light of their lives.
On Anacharis' auspex scanner, energy readings climbed rapidly. He looked up in surprise, trying to see what it was with his electro-optical eyes.
He saw the light, brighter than anything produced by the engines of the Electro-Priest.
It came from a spear, held by a majestic figure.
CRACK
One of Anacharis' cybernetic eyes shattered. He quickly looked down, sparing his other eye the same fate.
In the noosphere, Anacharis examined all data packets. Suddenly, information from Forge-Temple Prime leaped into his mind.
[Primarch Nareth, leading his Legion, has arrived at Xana.]
[Forge-Temple Prime has been relieved.']
[...]
Crystalline fragments from Anacharis' shattered left eye tinkled as they fell. 'That is Lord Nareth.'
With his right eye, he saw the light grow even brighter.
'The spear falls.'
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...
The ground shook violently. Dozens of furnaces were jolted into the air, colliding.
Anacharis quickly looked up again, towards the sky. He saw the gleaming spear strike the Osseivores' energy shield. The Primarch descended on beating wings.
Nareth channeled psychic energy into the Dionysian Spear, breached the Osseivores' personal energy shield, and then swooped down.
A flicker of light passed through the Primarch's eyes. Dozens of furnaces and the surrounding battle-automaton wreckage seemed lifted by a great net.
The metal crushed under his telekinesis, turning into countless metallic particles.
The "Baron of Corruption's" psychic energy extended. The metallic particles rapidly coalesced into chains.
Thread after thread shot towards the Osseivores' arms, wrapping around them layer by layer.
Light flickered on and off, dimmer than the sky itself.
After binding the Osseivores' arms with metallic chains, with a thought, Nareth flew to its crown.
He channeled all his remaining spirituality into his gauntlet, activating "Verdict: Execution," a power accessible only to a Sequence 4 "Imperative Mage" of the Justiciar Pathway.
His eyes blazed with golden light. The power gauntlet was also enveloped in golden radiance.
He swung his fist down violently. Golden light cleaved into the Osseivores's head.
A thunderous crack. Countless branches shattered. The colossal Osseivores swayed and toppled.
Anacharis looked up again, catching a glimpse of the Osseivores being slain by a single punch. His logic engines spun rapidly.
'Lord Nareth is too powerful!'
'If I installed ten, no, twenty arms, could I achieve such combat power?'
Anacharis had no time for deep analysis. He saw the looming shadow of the falling creature.
Just as he was about to order the cohort under his command to withdraw on the comm system, he saw the Primarch fly to the Osseivores' back, raise his hands, and catch it.
Only after the Legio Cybernetica units had calmly evacuated the area, the Osseivores would cover did Nareth lower it to the ground.
In the circling Stormbird above, Arkhas murmured to himself.
"Is this what a Primarch is?"
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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