The temporary vacuum left by the retreating Word Bearers main force was quickly filled by an even more suffocating silence.
The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with the smell of ozone from energy weapons, the stench of burnt flesh, and… a deeper, cloyingly sweet yet decaying coldness, utterly different from the fanatical defilement of the Word Bearers.
"Maintain vigilance! The Word Bearers are only temporarily retreating; they are very likely to reorganize their assault!" Captain Sicarius' order came through the comms, but even his voice carried a hint of weariness after the arduous battle.
"All squads report casualties, clear the battlefield, and search for any valuable intelligence or survivors!"
The area where the Fifth Squad was located was relatively peripheral, near a half-destroyed starport hub building.
Sergeant Talos ordered, "Gorden, take the high ground and monitor the surroundings. Lex, check your ammunition, especially melta fuel. Kol, try to scan inside the building for any remaining communication equipment or life signs.
Gaius, Catonia, come with me; we'll check the warehouse district on the flank to prevent any remaining enemies from ambushing us."
"Understood!" everyone responded.
Dorian, while replacing the last ammo box for his heavy Bolter, grumbled, "Finally, a moment to breathe… This damn place stinks worse than an Ork latrine…"
Gaius silently followed Talos; his left arm's nanomachines were still in that state of deathly silence, suppressed by the silver light, which deprived him of an important sensory ability, making him somewhat unaccustomed.
But his long-trained warrior instincts remained sharp; he always felt that the silence in this area was off, too… complete.
Even the wind seemed to carry a mournful wail.
They cautiously approached the warehouse district.
Most of the massive warehouse doors were twisted and deformed, some blown open, revealing the dark spaces within.
Talos gestured, indicating for Gaius and Dorian to go left and right, providing covering fire for each other, and enter the first warehouse.
Inside the warehouse, the light was dim, with only a few faint rays of natural light filtering through the damaged ceiling.
The air was thick with the heavy scent of blood and… an indescribable, chilling aura of fear.
As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, the scene before them sent shivers down the spines of even battle-hardened Astartes.
There were no goods in the warehouse, no remaining enemies.
There were only… bodies.
Countless civilian bodies.
They had been murdered and displayed in various extremely cruel, ritualistic, and intimidating ways.
Some were flayed and hung upside down on hooks, their skin carefully tanned and painted with twisted eight-pointed stars in blood; others were disemboweled, their organs pulled out and arranged into blasphemous symbols; some were nailed alive to the walls, posed in agonizing struggles, their faces frozen in ultimate terror; many more were simply piled into small mountains, but upon closer inspection, the face of each corpse was carved with the same runes representing fear and pain.
The walls and floor were covered in insane words and drawings, scrawled with blood and filth, depicting endless suffering and darkness, praising the glory of the so-called "Night Lord."
This was not a battlefield, but a meticulously arranged, massive slaughterhouse and horror art gallery.
"Emperor…" Dorian's voice, for the first time, lost its usual gruffness, leaving only suppressed shock and anger, "This… who did this?!"
"Night Lords…" Gaius' voice was dry; he recalled the rumors he had heard before.
These fallen legions, who reveled in spreading fear and saw torture and massacre as art, their "masterpieces" were far more outrageous and challenged the bottom line of humanity more than the religiously fanatical destruction of the Word Bearers.
Talos' face was ashen, his fists clenched, making a cracking sound, but he forcibly suppressed his rage: "Check… for survivors.
Stay calm; this is an enemy ploy, they want to provoke us, to make us lose our judgment."
However, searching for survivors was a futile hope.
There was only death and despair here.
Every detail screamed of the cold and cruel malice of the perpetrators.
Just as they were stunned by this hellish sight, their minds violently shaken—
A sudden change occurred!
From the shadows above them, from behind the piles of corpses, two pitch-black figures leaped down silently, like specters!
Their power armor was a midnight deep blue, almost black, adorned with pale skulls and lightning patterns, and their shoulder pads bore the insignia of the Night Lords Legion.
Their movements were incredibly light, completely lacking the heavy feel of typical power armor, as if they were part of the shadows themselves.
Night Lords! They had been lurking here all along, waiting for the optimal moment when the Ultramarines' resolve wavered!
"Watch out!" Talos was the first to react, sharply raising his Bolter.
But it was too late!
One of the Night Lords did not carry a Bolter, but rather a pair of strange Lightning Claws, crackling with painful electrical energy! He lunged with astonishing speed directly at Dorian, who appeared to be the most massive and threatening!
Dorian had just raised his heavy Bolter when the Lightning Claws shot out like vipers, not attacking his body, but precisely severing the heavy Bolter's ammunition feed, while the other claw, with a screeching noise and spraying sparks, brutally tore through Dorian's power armor at the waist! Penetrating his internal organs!
"Ugh!" Dorian let out a muffled groan of pain, his massive body trembled violently, and the heavy Bolter slipped from his grasp to the ground.
Blood instantly gushed from the torn wound!
The other Night Lord threw a stun grenade; this type of grenade does not produce a lethal explosion but releases an intense flash and infrasound waves strong enough to temporarily incapacitate an Astartes' senses!
The blinding light and deafening noise instantly engulfed Gaius and Talos!
Their visual and auditory sensors shrieked with overload, their vision turned pure white, and only a sharp ringing remained in their ears!
"Dorian!" Gaius, relying on sheer willpower and a trace of instinct from his nanomachines, forcibly lunged towards Dorian, attempting to intercept the pursuing Night Lord.
But the Night Lord wielding the Lightning Claws was exceptionally cunning; he did not engage Gaius in a prolonged fight.
After a successful strike, he immediately retreated, disappearing behind the pile of corpses as if melting into the shadows, leaving only a string of low, mocking laughter.
The other Night Lord also retreated rapidly after throwing the grenade, moving with astonishing speed.
Their objective was not a frontal engagement, but rather a sneak attack, inflicting casualties, spreading fear, and then escaping!
As the stun effect gradually subsided, Gaius and Talos staggered, regaining their senses, and immediately rushed to Dorian's side.
Dorian lay on the ground, a large pool of blood already gathered beneath him.
His face was ashen, his breathing shallow and weak.
The wound at his waist was horrific; his power armor was torn open, and the internal muscles and tissues were severely burned and damaged by the Lightning Claws' energy, revealing even broken metal bones and damaged internal organs.
Ordinary medical kits were completely incapable of treating such severe injuries.
"Hold… hold on, brother!" Gaius knelt, attempting to stem the wound with emergency hemostatic foam, but blood quickly seeped through again.
"Cough… hey… brothers…" Dorian struggled to force a smile, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, "That bastard… his claws… were damn fast… I didn't even… react…"
"Don't talk! Conserve your strength!" Talos' voice was more severe than ever, but he swiftly injected Dorian with powerful stimulants and painkillers, and called for emergency medical support: "This is Talos of Fifth Squad! Emergency medical assistance! Catonia is gravely wounded! Repeat, Catonia is gravely wounded! Location is starport warehouse district A7!"
However, misfortunes never come singly.
Before medical support could respond, Elisa's urgent warning sounded over the channel: "Sergeant! Large-scale energy signatures approaching! From orbit! Drop Pods! Word Bearers' Drop Pods! Landing zone… right near you!
And… high-energy biological signatures! Possessed Marines! At least three squads are rapidly moving in your direction!"
As if to confirm her words, the sky echoed with the shrill shriek of Drop Pods breaking through the atmosphere!
Several Drop Pods, wreathed in green unholy fire, slammed into the open ground around the warehouse district like meteors!
To make matters worse, Gorden also issued a warning from his high vantage point: "I see those black-armored bastards! They haven't gone far! They're lurking in the ruins to the northwest! Like a bunch of damn vultures!"
Fifth Squad was instantly plunged into a desperate situation!
Ahead were the newly deployed reinforcements of the Word Bearers and powerful Possessed Marines.
On their flanks and in the shadows, the Night Lords, like lurking vipers, watched, ready to launch another deadly sneak attack at any moment.
Behind them was a dying comrade in need of immediate rescue.
And they themselves had just endured a bitter battle, with heavy ammunition consumption, and everyone was wounded.
At the same time, a more insidious attack quietly descended.
Warp whispers began to echo in the minds of all squad members.
These were not the fanatical blasphemous hymns of the Word Bearers, but the cold, seductive whispers characteristic of the Night Lords, directly exploiting their anger at the horrors they had just witnessed and their current desperate predicament.
"Look at your brother… he is dying… because of your incompetence…" "Are you angry? Do you hate? Then unleash it… repay the traitors a hundredfold in suffering… or… turn to a greater power…" "The Ultramarines' dogma cannot save him… the Emperor has long abandoned you…" "Join the darkness… embrace eternal freedom… or… die miserably like those insects…"
The whispers, like cold venomous snakes, coiled around their wills, attempting to amplify their negative emotions and lead them towards madness or betrayal.
"Shut up!" Lex roared furiously, blindly firing a few shots into the surrounding ruins.
Even Talos' expression showed a momentary struggle; he violently shook his head.
Gaius felt a wave of dizziness; his amulet grew scalding hot, helping him resist the corruption, but Dorian's dying state and the surrounding despair made those whispers seem to find an opening.
The hatches of the Word Bearers' Drop Pods burst open, and new enemies poured out, howling.
The terrifying psychic emanations of the Possessed Marines grew closer.
The Night Lords chuckled silently in the shadows.
Fifth Squad was surrounded, trapped in a dual predicament, both physical and mental.
Talos glanced at Dorian, whose vital signs were rapidly deteriorating, then looked at the steadily advancing enemies around them, a flicker of grim determination in his eyes.
"Fifth Squad! Hear my command!" His voice cut through the whispers and enemy howls like cold steel, "Kol, Gorden, Lex! Establish a circular defensive perimeter! Maximum firepower to intercept the Word Bearers!
Gaius! You and I, stay by Catonia; those Night Lords bastards are not to touch him again!"
"We might all die here," Talos' voice was eerily calm. "But Ultramarines never surrender to fear, and never abandon a brother! Even if we die, we will make these traitors pay the heaviest price!"
"For Dorian! For Macragge!"
In desperation, the blue warriors let out their final roar, ready to embrace death.
Sergeant Talos' roar was like a rock thrown into a storm, instantly firming the resolve of the Fifth Squad's remaining members. In their dire straits, Astartes discipline and honor overcame fear and whispers.
"For Macragge!"
Lex was the first to respond, roaring as he aimed his overheated multi-melta once more at the charging Word Bearers jump troops. Though the scorching beam was no longer as concentrated as before, it still melted through several traitors and their cover. "Scum! Come on! Taste your Grandpa Lex's final warmth!"
Gorden's jump pack roared. He no longer sought high ground, but instead conducted high-speed strafing runs at extremely low altitude, his Bolter spewing a precise curtain of fire across the Word Bearers' skirmish line, slowing their advance. "Suppress the left flank! They're trying to encircle us!"
Elisa, however, was exceptionally calm. She quickly placed the last few proximity mines around Dorian and Gaius, then took up a relatively stable firing position. Her Bolter was like Death's roll call, every short burst ensuring a Word Bearer fell, prioritizing those with special weapons. "Rocket launcher on the right! Gorden!"
Talos and Gaius stood back-to-back, shielding the dying Dorian between them. Talos' plasma gun fired calmly, each flash of blue light taking down an enemy. Gaius, meanwhile, used his Bolter and chainsword to fend off scattered enemies attempting to close in. His left arm remained inert, but his combat instincts and his determination to protect his comrades sustained him.
However, the enemy pressure was too great. Newly deployed Word Bearers surged forward like a tide. Though most were low-ranking cultists and ordinary traitor soldiers, they were numerous and driven mad by the Warp's faith. Even more terrifying, the three squads of Possessed Marines were rapidly approaching, their twisted and powerful psychic emanations like lighthouses in the darkness, bringing suffocating pressure.
"Fourth Squad! Squad Seven! Where are you?!" Talos roared into the comms channel. The only response was intense gunfire and static – clearly, the Eighth Company's reinforcements were also bogged down by Word Bearers forces and unable to break through in time.
"Sergeant! We're completely cut off!" Elisa reported, her sensor screen a sea of red enemy signals. "Reinforcements won't arrive anytime soon!"
When it rains, it pours. The Night Lords, who had been circling like vultures, struck again! They didn't charge directly, but instead used their ghostly stealth to constantly harass with sniper fire. A precise Bolter round struck Lex's melta-gun, the sparks nearly scorching him; another grazed Gorden's jump pack, almost causing a malfunction.
This sniper fire greatly disrupted the Fifth Squad's defense, forcing them to divert attention to guard against deadly attacks from the shadows.
Just then, the three Possessed Marines finally arrived!
They burst forth like devils from hell, bringing a sickening smell of sulfur and powerful psychic pressure, crashing directly into the Fifth Squad's crumbling defenses!
One charged straight for Lex! Lex roared, trying to fend it off with his melta-gun, but the Possessed Marine was incredibly fast, easily dodging the sluggish beam. With a swipe of its claw, it knocked the heavy melta-gun flying, then another claw lunged viciously at Lex's face!
"Lex!" Gorden tried to dive in for a rescue, but was intercepted by one of the other two Possessed Marines. Bolter rounds had little effect on the monster, and he was instead knocked flying by its psychic shockwave, crashing heavily into a pile of ruins.
Another Possessed Marine charged towards Elisa and the core of the defensive perimeter!
Talos' eyes narrowed, knowing the critical moment had arrived. "Gaius! Hold Catonia!" he roared, unhesitatingly activating his power sword's disruption field, and met the Possessed Marine charging at Elisa!
"For the Emperor!" Sergeant Talos' battle cry cut through the din of the battlefield. His power sword clashed fiercely with the Possessed Marine's demonic claws, psychic energy and disruption field intertwining to explode in blinding light! Talos' swordsmanship was exquisite, his footwork steady, and he actually fought the terrifying monster to a standstill for a short time, even subtly pushing it back, gaining Elisa space to reposition and fire.
But what everyone had overlooked, or rather, was powerless to deal with—was the viper that had been lurking in the shadows!
Just as Talos was fully focused on battling the Possessed Marine, forcing it back near a pile of wreckage—
A pitch-black, silent figure, as if merging with the shadows, flashed out from behind a pile of corpses to Talos' rear-left! It was the Night Lord wielding the Lightning Claw! He had been waiting for this moment for far too long!
"Sergeant! Watch your back!" Gaius' eyes were bloodshot, wanting to rush over, but he was fiercely entangled by two screaming Word Bearers fanatics charging at him!
Talos heard the warning, but it was too late. He had just parried a heavy blow from the Possessed Marine, his old strength spent and new strength not yet born, when the Lightning Claw, crackling with agonizing electricity, struck like a venomous snake, with unparalleled precision and extreme viciousness—cutting into the shoulder guard joint of his right arm, which held the power sword!
CRACK! RIP!
A teeth-grinding sound of tearing metal and energy short-circuiting erupted! The terrifying rending property of the Lightning Claw instantly destroyed the most vulnerable joint of his power armor, almost severing his entire right arm at the shoulder! Only a few twisted pieces of metal and conduits barely connected it!
"Ugh!" Talos let out an uncontrollable groan of pain, and his power sword slipped from his grasp, embedding itself in the scorched earth. His right arm instantly lost all strength, hanging limply, blood gushing from ruptured conduits and vital fluids!
And in that fatal moment, as his movements stiffened from the intense pain and severe injury, the Possessed Marine he was fighting let out a triumphant roar, its huge demonic claw, imbued with destructive energy, slammed heavily into his chest plate!
BANG!!
Talos was sent flying as if struck by a battering ram, his chest plate visibly caved in, cracks spreading, and he crashed onto the ground a dozen meters away. He struggled a few times, but was unable to get up for a moment! The power armor's vital sign monitor screamed a sharp alarm!
"Sergeant!" Gaius finally dealt with the two fanatics, rushing desperately towards where Talos had fallen.
Elisa's gasp and Lex's roar were also drowned out by the enemy's howling.
The Fifth Squad's commander, their strongest pillar, had fallen.
The situation instantly collapsed.
Without Talos' command and powerful combat ability, the Fifth Squad's defensive formation completely disintegrated. The Possessed Marines let out roars of victory, beginning to charge wantonly. The Word Bearers surged forward even more wildly, like hyenas smelling blood. The Night Lords in the shadows let out cold, sinister laughs, and once again melted into the shadows, waiting for their next opportunity to reap.
Gorden struggled out of the ruins, his Bolter damaged. He drew his chainsword, trying to get closer to Talos. Lex, having lost his heavy weapon, could only parry with his bolt pistol and combat knife against the Possessed Marine, narrowly avoiding death. Elisa was forced to constantly move, dodging attacks, while also having to look after Dorian and the fallen Talos.
Gaius was the first to reach Talos, kneeling beside him, using his body to shield against potential stray fire. "Sergeant! Sergeant! Hold on!"
Talos' face under his mask was ashen, his breathing labored, but he had not yet lost consciousness. His left arm moved with difficulty, as if trying to push Gaius away: "Don't mind me… hold… hold the line… protect… Catonia…"
His right arm was almost completely severed, only a few thick cables and twisted metal still connecting it, blood gushing out. The damage to his chest plate was also severe, likely having injured his internal organs.
Despair, like a cold tide, completely overwhelmed the Fifth Squad.
They were heavily surrounded, their commander gravely wounded, their heavy weapons specialist disarmed, their assault trooper damaged, their Techmarine suppressed, and Gaius, their only special combatant, was fighting alone against overwhelming odds. Reinforcements were blocked, yet the enemy kept coming.
Was this truly to be the Fifth Squad's burial ground?
Gaius looked at Talos' limp right arm, at the power sword, a symbol of the Sergeant's will, plunged into the ground, and then at Dorian, whose breath was growing weaker nearby. A surge of unprecedented fury and determination exploded within his heart.
No! Never!
He suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over the relentlessly advancing Possessed Marines, the surging Word Bearers, and the seemingly omnipresent shadows of the Night Lords.
He extended his left hand—that inert, nanite-infused left arm—and firmly grasped the hilt of Talos' power sword!
The moment he gripped the hilt, perhaps due to the intense stimulation of his will, or perhaps a response from the Emperor's amulet, or perhaps… the nanites, suppressed by the silver light, sensed their host's desperate resolve and underwent some unknown mutation—
A faint but incredibly scorching stream of energy, imbued with a Gorden glow, suddenly surged from the nanite cluster in his left arm, rapidly flowing through his arm and into the power sword!
VWOOM—!
The disruption field, which had dimmed due to Talos' severe injuries, suddenly flared back to life! And its light was no longer an ethereal blue, but had transformed into a dazzling, Gorden-blue hue with a hint of sanctity!
At the same time, Gaius felt a tearing pain in his left arm, as if the nanites were burning themselves to generate this power! But he held the hilt tightly, staggering to his feet, standing in front of Talos and Dorian.
He raised the power sword, now burning with Gorden-blue light, pointed it at the surging enemy, and let out a roar like a wounded beast, his voice distorted by pain and rage, yet profoundly stirring:
"In the Emperor's name! This path—is closed!"
His figure, amidst the smoke and fire, appeared so solitary, yet so resolute.
Everyone's gaze, including those of the Possessed Marines, instantly focused on him and that anomalous power sword!
Calgar's desperate roar, like ice water poured into a boiling oil pot, instantly brought a moment of stillness to the chaotic battlefield.
All eyes—mad, cruel, indifferent—focused on the Power Sword in his hand, burning with an unusual Gorden-blue light, and on his seemingly tottering yet remarkably steadfast figure.
The light was not a stable energy field, but like a flickering flame, sometimes intense, sometimes weak, as if it could extinguish at any moment, yet it stubbornly burned on.
It emitted not a pure disintegrating field hum, but also a kind of... indescribable aura that made Chaos creatures instinctively feel disgust and wariness, like a faint Emperor's Holy Flame.
"What is that thing?!" a Word Bearers squad leader roared in surprise and uncertainty, stopping his charge.
The leading Possessed Marine, its eyes burning with hellfire, also showed a hint of confusion, but more than that, it was a furious rage at being provoked.
A dying man, a strange weapon, dared to block the advance of the Dark Gods? It let out a deafening roar, its massive demonic claws once again gathering foul energy, and it was the first to attack Calgar!
"Die, Imperial dog!"
Facing a blow powerful enough to tear apart a tank, Calgar did not flinch.
His left arm was enduring the tearing pain from the nanomachines' excessive burning; every movement was like countless red-hot needles piercing his nerves, yet his will was more focused than ever before.
Fragments of the Primarch's combat memories, the swordsmanship taught by Talos, and an instinct bursting forth in desperation, drove his body.
He did not meet the blow head-on, but sidestepped with a near-prescient, millisecond-precise movement, the Gorden-blue Power Sword arcing in a strange trajectory, not blocking, but cleverly attaching to the Possessed Marine's swinging arm, pulling it along!
Splat!
The Gorden-blue sword light and the foul Chaos energy violently rubbed against each other, erupting in an ear-splitting noise and a shower of sparks and energy fragments!
The Possessed Marine's sure-fire blow was actually deflected, smashing hard into the ground nearby, leaving a charred crater!
And Calgar's Gorden-blue Power Sword, in the instant they crossed, left a deep wound on its arm, burning with Gorden-blue embers!
The Chaos energy at the wound sizzled as if being scorched, and the Possessed Marine let out a howl mixed with pain and fury!
It was effective! This abnormal energy could actually wound it!
This scene greatly boosted the morale of the remaining Fifth Squad!
"Brother Hohn!" Gorden struggled to his feet, picked up a fallen comrade's Chainsword, and roared as he charged another Word Bearers Champion attempting to approach.
"Kid! Well done!" Lex yelled, laughing wildly, while fending off another Possessed Marine with his Bolter Pistol, "Keep it up! Burn those bastards!"
Elisa seized this brief respite, quickly rushed to Talos' side, injected him with a powerful hemostatic and stimulant, and tried to stabilize his almost severed arm with makeshift tools.
"Hold on, Sergeant! Gaius... he's performing miracles!"
Talos painstakingly raised his head, his blurry vision fixed on Calgar's back as he wrestled with the Possessed Marine, watching the Gorden-blue Power Sword flicker.
His eyes were filled with shock, worry, and a hint of... unbelievable hope.
He murmured, "Is that... the Emperor's... light?"
Calgar had no time for anything else at the moment.
Every swing of his sword brought excruciating pain, his left arm felt as if it were about to completely burn up.
The energy provided by the nanomachines was extremely unstable, fluctuating in strength; he had to concentrate all his mental power to control this force and predict the Possessed Marine's wild and bizarre attacks.
He was entirely on the defensive, in constant peril, every block and dodge incredibly dangerous.
The Gorden-blue sword light left scorch marks on the massive demonic body, but it was difficult to inflict fatal damage.
Seeing this, the other two Possessed Marines also began to abandon their original targets, attempting to jointly attack Calgar, the sudden variable.
The Fifth Squad was once again in extreme danger!
Just at this critical moment—
The sky was torn open again!
But this time, it was not the green-flamed drop pods of the Word Bearers, nor the purifying silver light.
Several immensely thick metal stakes, carrying unparalleled kinetic and destructive power, descended from the sky with astonishing precision, like spears of punishment thrown by a god!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
They were not random bombardments, but precisely slammed into the most densely populated areas of the Word Bearers, and around the three Possessed Marines!
The enormous shockwaves and flying metal fragments instantly cleared a large area of enemies, even blasting one of the Possessed Marines backward, its limbs damaged!
"Are those... Whirlwind missiles?!" Elisa exclaimed, her eyes blazing with hope!
Immediately following, an even heavier, more reassuring engine roar came from the flank of the battlefield! The ground was shaking!
Several behemoths—Ultramarines' Rhino transports and Predator tanks—crashed through the ruins, storming into the battlefield like a torrent of steel!
The blue paint and Ultramarines' insignia on their hulls glowed in the smoke of battle!
More blue figures leaped from the transports, their synchronized Bolter fire a storm of death, instantly sending the outer Word Bearers sprawling!
Their firepower was fierce, their formations disciplined, and they immediately stabilized the crumbling front line.
It was the main force of the Eighth Company! The Fourth and Squad Sevens had finally broken through the blockade and arrived!
"Fifth Squad! Hold on! The Eighth Company is here!" a resonant voice boomed over the public channel, full of power and determination.
The arrival of fresh forces instantly turned the tide of battle.
The Word Bearers' offensive was severely checked, plunging them into chaos.
And the few Possessed Marines, facing the organized firepower of the Ultramarines and the sudden appearance of armored units, also seemed to realize the futility of their efforts, letting out unwilling roars and slowly retreating under the cover of some Word Bearers Terminators.
The Night Lords, who had been lurking like shadows, silently vanished completely after seeing that the situation was decided, as if they had never appeared.
The pressure suddenly decreased!
Calgar could no longer hold on; the light in his left arm instantly extinguished, and the Power Sword clanged to the ground.
He collapsed to one knee from exhaustion, gasping violently, his left arm dangling uselessly, and the pain and weakness surged over him like a tide, almost causing him to faint.
Medics immediately rushed forward, urgently treating Talos and Dorian's severe injuries.
Tech-Priests also began to check the injuries of Gorden and Lex.
The Captain of the Eighth Company walked to Talos' side and knelt down: "Sergeant Talos, report the situation."
Talos endured the intense pain, laboriously reporting the ambush by the Night Lords, Dorian's severe injuries, and the subsequent fierce battle with the Possessed Marines.
Finally, he looked at the almost collapsed Calgar and added: "...At the critical moment, it was Brother Hohn... he somehow activated an abnormal energy, held off the Possessed Marine, and bought us time..."
The Captain's gaze turned to Calgar, with scrutiny and surprise: "Abnormal energy?"
Just then, a peculiar, non-Power Armor, lighter yet rhythmic metallic footsteps approached.
Everyone looked, only to see a squad of figures walking through the smoke towards them.
Their numbers were not many, only five.
But their appearance seemed to silence the entire battlefield.
They wore bright silver Power Armor, ancient and elegant in style, carved with complex and sacred runes.
On their shoulder pads was the unique insignia representing the Grey Knights Brotherhood—an open book with a sword and a key crossed over it.
Their helmet visors were expressionless skull shapes, their eyes glowing with cold blue psychic light.
Leading them was a warrior wielding a massive Nemesis Force Halberd, his armor more ornate, the halberd wreathed in powerful psychic arcs.
His aura was like a deep pool, unfathomable.
Grey Knights! The Emperor's Daemonhunters! They had actually descended directly to the ground!
All Ultramarines, including the Captain, instinctively straightened their backs, their eyes filled with awe.
The leading Grey Knights Terminator's gaze swept across the battlefield, lingering especially on the purified Chaos areas and the bodies of the Possessed Marines.
Finally, his gaze fell on the almost collapsed Calgar, and the Power Sword that had fallen to the ground, now back to its normal state.
He walked with steady steps to Calgar, his tall figure casting a shadow.
Calgar struggled to stand and salute, but was stopped by a simple gesture from the other party.
The Grey Knights Terminator did not speak, but simply extended his silver-gloved hand, pointing to Calgar's left arm, which was still slightly trembling and seemed to be covered with a very faint Gorden scorch mark.
Then, a cold, direct, emotionless voice echoed deep within Calgar's mind, just like last time:
"Abnormal psychic energy source confirmed. Originating from 'Amber' individual. Energy signature... mixed.
Detected highly active Xenos technology basis, and... a faint, unauthorized Emperor's divine energy resonance. Extremely dangerous and uncontrollable."
His gaze was like a physical entity, piercing through Calgar's helmet, as if scrutinizing his soul.
"According to the 'Inquisition's Highest Decree', this individual should be immediately contained for deep purification or permanent isolation."
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding air instantly dropped to freezing point.
The Eighth Company warriors, fresh from a bloody battle, gripped their weapons, their eyes becoming wary and complex.
Talos struggled to speak.
But the Grey Knights Terminator's words were not finished.
He slightly turned his head, seemingly engaging in a silent communication with some entity in orbit.
Moments later, he once again directed his "gaze" at Calgar, and the cold voice spoke again:
"However, 'Silver Shield' has decreed: This individual has shown effective resistance to Chaos and potential value in the recent conflict.
Its existence is temporarily deferred, and it is placed under 'Silver Shield's' direct supervision."
"Deadline: Until the current threat to Ultramar is neutralized."
"During this period, 'Amber' individuals must accept the psychic marking and regular scrutiny of the Grey Knights. Any signs of loss of control will immediately result in purification protocols."
Having said that, he didn't wait for any response and raised his hand. A cold and pure psychic energy instantly enveloped Gaius. Gaius felt a bone-chilling coldness in his left arm, as if an invisible mark had been branded on him, and at the same time, a feeling of being constantly monitored became incredibly clear.
After completing all this, the Grey Knight Terminator turned and nodded slightly to the Eighth Company Captain: "The Chaos contamination here has been initially purified. The remaining cleanup will be handled by the Ultramarines. We will continue to hunt the primary threat target."
As his voice faded, a soft psychic glow illuminated him and his Grey Knight squad members. Their figures gradually became transparent, finally vanishing into the air like phantoms, as if they had never appeared.
Only the Ultramarines, left in a deathly silence, and Gaius, whose heart was surging with tumultuous waves, remained.
Lord Silver Shield? Direct supervision? Deadline? Psychic mark?
He had just survived a deadly battle, only to seemingly leap into another, even more unfathomable vortex of fate.
He looked down at his still numb and tingling left arm, which bore both the blasphemous legacy of House Horn and had just erupted with power suspected to be the Emperor's, and now was branded with the Grey Knights' mark of surveillance.
The path ahead seemed to be enshrouded in layers of thick fog and thorns.
But he glanced at Talos and Dorian, who were being urgently rescued, and at the tired but still resolute blue armors around him.
He took a deep breath, and with great difficulty, little by little, stood up with his own strength.
No matter what the future held, at least for now, he was alive, and his comrades still had hope.
That was enough.
He bent down and picked up Talos' Power Sword, gripping it tightly in his hand.
The battle was far from over.
The desperate situation of the Fifth Squad seemed to be the final beacon igniting the entire battlefield of Vespatore III.
Just as the Grey Knights disappeared, the main force of the Eighth Company had just stabilized its position, beginning to clear out the remaining Word Bearers, and medics were desperately trying to save Talos and Dorian —
The sky was once again enveloped by an unprecedented light!
This time, it was no longer the mournful shriek of drop pods, nor the destructive trajectory of missiles, nor the purifying silver light.
Instead, it was an incredibly majestic and immense presence, descending like a blue sun!
A massive, ancient Thunderhawk Gunship, its armor covered in honorable scars, escorted by an entire squadron of Stormraven Gunships, burst through the clouds like an emperor descending upon his domain! It did not choose any safe landing point, but instead, with an incredibly domineering and powerful stance, directly hovered above the most central and intense area of the battlefield!
The huge personal insignia of Chapter Master Calgar of the Ultramarines Chapter on the gunship's side — a clenched fist encircled by laurel leaves — shone brightly amidst the smoke and fire, as if carrying supreme authority and power!
Before the hatch was fully open, a voice, amplified by a Vox-caster, as steady as a mountain yet containing monstrous fury, thundered across the entire battlefield, overpowering all other noise:
"In the name of the Emperor and Roboute Guilliman! This place — is taken over by the Ultramarines!"
"Traitors of the Word Bearers! Cowards of the Night Lords! Your blasphemous acts end here!"
Chapter Master Calgar, personally descended!
Immediately after, the gunship's hatch burst open! Deep blue figures, much taller than ordinary warriors, with heavier and more ancient armor, exuding the fierce aura of a hundred battles, descended like gods from the heavens, either by jump packs or rappelling!
They were the veterans of the First Company! The Chapter's most elite Terminator guards!
The moment they landed, their heavy footsteps even made the ground tremble! The heavy weapons in their hands — Assault Cannons, Storm Bolters, Power Fists — immediately let out a terrifying roar of death! Their formation was impeccable, their firepower precise and ferocious, like an insurmountable wall of steel, instantly shattering the Word Bearers' lines that had been stubbornly resisting!
Following closely behind were even more reassuring presences — three Ultramarines Dreadnoughts! These ancient relics of war advanced with earth-shaking steps, like mobile fortresses. The heavy weapons mounted on their arms — twin-linked Assault Cannons and Lascannons — unleashed destructive roars, mercilessly harvesting any enemy daring to stand in their way, whether Possessed Marines or Daemon Engines, who appeared fragile before their firepower!
The arrival of the Chapter Master and the deployment of the First Company injected the strongest stimulant into all Ultramarines!
"For the Chapter Master! For Macragge!" The thunderous battle cry once again echoed through the sky, and the previously exhausted warriors seemed to be infused with new strength, launching an even fiercer counterattack!
The Word Bearers' defeat instantly turned into an avalanche! They could no longer organize any effective resistance, falling in droves, fleeing, or being crushed into fragments by the Dreadnoughts under the overwhelming force of the Ultramarines' most elite power.
And amidst this crushing offensive, one figure shone particularly brightly.
He was not a Terminator, but his aura was no less impressive. He wore exquisitely adorned artificer power armor, wielded a massive Power Axe glowing with a ghostly blue molecular disruption field, his helmet bore a laurel wreath, and his shoulder pads had a unique insignia — the Eighth Company's Company Champion!
He charged at the forefront of the entire company, like the embodiment of a god of war! Every swing of his Power Axe carried unparalleled strength and precision. Neither ordinary Word Bearers nor Chaos Champions could withstand a single round against him! Wherever he went, only the shattered corpses of traitors remained!
A Possessed Marine, who had just torn apart an Eighth Company soldier, noticed this unstoppable threat, let out a defiant roar, and charged at him with intense Chaos psychic energy!
"Champion! Watch out!" A warrior exclaimed.
The Company Champion, however, showed no fear. He even increased his speed, charging back at the massive demonic construct!
"For Calth! For Ultramar!" The Champion's roar was like thunder!
The Possessed Marine's demonic claws swiped with an aura of tearing everything apart. The Champion executed a swift, lightning-fast sidestep, narrowly avoiding the attack, and with the momentum, brought his Power Axe up from below, striking fiercely at the Possessed Marine's arm!
Rip!
The molecular disruption field and Chaos energy clashed violently. A massive wound was torn in the Possessed Marine's arm, and foul green blood sprayed out! It let out a painful howl, sweeping with its other claw!
The Champion suddenly ducked, his Power Axe tracing a perfect arc, parrying the sweeping attack, while simultaneously bringing the axe-blade down, striking heavily at the Possessed Marine's knee joint!
Crack!
With a crisp sound of bone breaking, one of the Possessed Marine's legs was almost severed. Its massive body lost balance, and it screamed as it fell to its knees!
The Champion gave it no chance! He leaped like a leopard, his Power Axe raised high above his head, gathering all his strength, and the ghostly blue molecular disruption field hummed with unprecedented intensity!
"In the Emperor's name! Purify!!"
Accompanied by this declarative roar, the Power Axe, with unmatched power and resolute will, struck down fiercely!
The axe-blade sliced precisely into the Possessed Marine's shoulder and neck, tearing downwards with unstoppable force! The molecular disruption field furiously destroyed the Chaos energy and demonic essence within its body!
Splat —!
A dull and terrifying tearing sound echoed!
The arrogant Possessed Marine was, by this single axe strike, imbued with hatred, glory, and power, literally split in half from head to toe!
Burning wreckage and foul internal organs exploded outwards, splattering the Champion. The demonic head rolled to the ground, the hellfire in its eyes rapidly extinguishing.
The Company Champion stood amidst the remains of the Possessed Marine, his Power Axe pointed diagonally at the ground, dripping green blood. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling, but his posture was as straight as a pine tree.
The entire battlefield seemed to fall silent for a moment.
Then, an even more fervent Ultramarines battle cry erupted!
"Champion!!!"
"Victory belongs to the Ultramarines!!!"
This shocking scene greatly boosted everyone's morale and completely shattered the last will of resistance of the remaining Word Bearers forces.
Chapter Master Calgar's figure also appeared on the front line. He stood under the escort of Dreadnoughts, his Power Maul pointing in the direction of the fleeing Word Bearers, his voice amplified by the Vox-caster, echoing across the battlefield:
"Ultramarines! Advance! Crush them! Leave none alive!"
The blue tide, with unstoppable momentum, began a full and thorough cleansing!
In the rear, medics were finally able to fully rescue Talos and Dorian in a completely safe environment. A Tech-Priest also arrived to assist with Talos' almost severed arm and severe chest injuries.
Gaius watched all of this, seeing the Chapter Master's towering figure, the overwhelming advance of the veterans and Dreadnoughts, and the Company Champion's earth-shattering axe strike, his heart filled with shock and an indescribable excitement.
This was the true power of the Ultramarines! This was their determination to protect their home!
He clenched his fists tightly, and the cold mark branded on his left arm by the Grey Knights no longer seemed so bone-chilling.
He yearned to become stronger, to be like the Company Champion, possessing the power to cleave through all evil and protect everything he cherished.
The Grey Knights' silver figures dissipated like ghosts, leaving behind an atmosphere even more complex and heavy than before. The Eighth Company's Astartes began efficiently clearing the battlefield, reinforcing defenses, and rescuing the wounded, but many eyes involuntarily glanced at the lone figure, Gaius, whose left arm trembled slightly.
Chapter Master Calgar's Thunderhawk Gunship had not departed, but remained like a hovering fortress, majestically guarding the skies above the battlefield. Its very presence was a powerful deterrent and a source of reassurance. The First Company's veterans and Dreadnoughts, like unyielding rocks, firmly held the recently recaptured positions, preventing any remaining Word Bearers or Night Lords from daring to cross the line again.
A medical area was urgently set up. Tech-Priests and medical officers surrounded Talos and Dorian, performing the most intense rescue efforts. Talos' condition was relatively stable; although his right arm was almost severed and his chest severely damaged, the Astartes' formidable physique and timely treatment saved his life. He was, however, in a deep coma and needed to be immediately transported back to the starship for advanced mechanical repair and gene-seed organ maintenance. Dorian's situation was far more perilous; the lacerations and energy burns caused by the Lightning Claw had destroyed large areas of his internal organs and tissues, his vital signs were extremely weak, and he could die at any moment. Medical officers were using every means to sustain his last flicker of life.
Gaius stood not far away, silently watching it all. The intense pain and weakness in his left arm persisted, and the Grey Knights' cold psychic imprint clung to him like a maggot, constantly reminding him of his unresolved fate. But at this moment, he was more concerned about the safety of his two comrades.
The Eighth Company Captain approached. His gaze swept over Gaius, carrying a hint of scrutiny, but more so, the recognition between Astartes: "Brother Hohn, Sergeant Talos mentioned your performance before he lost consciousness. In that desperate situation, you did the impossible, buying crucial time for reinforcements. That Fifth Squad has survivors is largely due to you."
Gaius shook his head, his voice a little hoarse: "I only did what I had to. Without the Sergeant and the other brothers, I would have died long ago." His gaze still did not leave the rescue scene.
The Captain patted his shoulder: "Astartes never fight alone. Your merits will be recorded. But now, you need to undergo examination." He gestured to the waiting Tech-Priest team, who were subordinate to Apothecary Vorlak. "'Amber Protocol' is still in effect, especially… after what just happened."
Gaius did not resist, silently following the Tech-Priests to a makeshift inspection tent. He knew this was unavoidable.
Detailed scans and examinations lasted a long time. The Tech-Priests were extremely interested in the brief burst of Gorden-blue energy from Gaius' left arm; various precision instruments continuously probed the area, recording every minute detail. However, that energy seemed to have completely vanished, and the nanite swarm had returned to its dormant state after being suppressed by the silver light, leaving only some anomalous energy residue and signs of overload damage. The Grey Knights' psychic imprint could not be detected by physical instruments, but it hung over the test results like a shadow.
"Energy signature cannot be fully parsed… not fully compatible with any known Imperial or xenos technology… mixed with faint, relic-like psychic fluctuations, but extremely unstable…" The Tech-Priests exchanged opinions, finally reporting to the Captain: "No immediate risk of loss of control has been found, but continuous close monitoring is required. It is recommended that after returning to the Macragge's Honour, Apothecary Vorlak personally conducts a thorough examination."
The Captain nodded, then told Gaius to rest.
Gaius walked out of the tent and found Elisa, Gorden, and Lex also waiting outside. Lex had lost an arm, but after emergency treatment, he was out of danger. He was grumbling about when his bionic arm would be fitted. Gorden's jump pack was severely damaged, and his armor had several deep claw marks. Elisa looked unharmed, but her data slate and sensor array were almost completely destroyed, and her face was a little pale.
Seeing Gaius emerge, all three looked over.
"How is it, brother? Those Tech-Priests didn't take you apart, did they?" Lex asked boisterously, but with concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine." Gaius forced a smile. "How are the Sergeant and Dorian?"
Elisa's voice was a little low: "The Sergeant has been urgently transported back to the starship; Apothecary Vorlak will personally handle his injuries. His life should be safe, but that arm… it will probably be very difficult for it to fully recover. Dorian, he…" She paused, her voice even lower, "…his situation is very dangerous. The medical officer said… it depends on his willpower and whether the Emperor favors him."
The atmosphere instantly grew heavy. Although the battle was temporarily won, the heavy price prevented anyone from feeling happy.
Just then, an Astartes from the Chapter Master's Honor Guard approached and saluted Gaius: "Brother Hohn, the Chapter Master wishes to see you."
Everyone was stunned. The Chapter Master personally summoning him?
Gaius took a deep breath, nodded, and followed the Honor Guard towards the hovering Thunderhawk Gunship.
Inside the gunship, Chapter Master Calgar was not wearing Terminator armor, but a relatively lighter suit of artificer power armor, seated in the command chair. He looked somewhat tired, but his eyes were still sharp as an eagle's, as if they could see through people's hearts. The powerful presence made Gaius involuntarily straighten his back even further.
"Chapter Master." Gaius saluted respectfully.
Calgar scrutinized him for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice steady and direct: "Sergeant Talos' report, along with the Grey Knights' intervention, I am fully aware of. Brother Hohn, your performance exceeded everyone's expectations, and it also brought… unexpected variables."
He paused, then continued: "That 'legacy' within you, from House Horn, is a dangerous double-edged sword. It may have helped you today, but it has also attracted the highest level of attention from the Inquisition and the Grey Knights. 'Silver Shield' personally intervened and temporarily suspended action against you. This is an extremely valuable opportunity that the Chapter has secured for you, and it is the last leniency."
Calgar's gaze became extremely serious: "Remember, your time is running out. Before the threat to Ultramar is eliminated, you must prove to the Chapter and to the Emperor that you and the power within you are controllable and beneficial to the Imperium. Otherwise, what will come then will no longer be scrutiny, but purification. No one will be able to protect you then, including me."
"I understand, Chapter Master." Gaius replied in a deep voice, filled with heavy pressure, but also a stubborn resolve, "I will control it, I will master it. For the Emperor, for the Chapter, and also… to prove myself."
"Very good." Calgar nodded. "Remember your oath. Now, return to your company. The battle is not over, Ultramar needs every strength."
"Yes!" Gaius saluted, then turned and left.
Stepping out of the Thunderhawk Gunship, the sky outside was still dim, but the gloom brought by the Word Bearers seemed to have largely dissipated. The Eighth Company had largely secured the area and was consolidating its forces, preparing to advance to the next objective.
Gaius saw Elisa and the others still waiting for him.
"How was it? What did the Chapter Master say?" Lex asked impatiently.
Gaius did not elaborate, simply stating: "The Chapter Master wants us to continue fighting and prove our worth."
Gorden nodded silently. Elisa, however, cast a thoughtful glance at Gaius.
Just then, new orders came through the company channel: the Eighth Company was to immediately prepare and rendezvous with a part of the First Company to launch a full-scale assault on the starport's main hub, thoroughly eliminate remaining enemies, and establish a forward base for subsequent troop landings.
The gears of war began to turn once more.
Gaius took a deep breath of the smoke-filled air, checked his dwindling ammunition, and tightened his grip on his Bolter.
Though the road ahead was long and fraught with danger, at this moment, he was an Ultramarine, and his mission was to fight.
He looked at his new teammates—the silent Gorden, the volatile but reliable Lex, the calm and intelligent Elisa.
It was not over yet.
The medical deck of the Macragge's Honour was filled with the mixed scent of disinfectant, ozone, and burnt flesh, a unique "fragrance" of war. For the survivors of the Eighth Company, it was both a place of salvation and a harbor for brief respite.
Sergeant Talos had been sent to the innermost precision operating room, where Apothecary Vorlak himself was operating, attempting to reattach his almost completely severed arm—a long process with an uncertain outcome. Dorian lay in a life support pod, his vital signs still as faint as a candle in the wind, each heartbeat tugging at the heartstrings of those who cared for him.
In another chamber, Lex was letting out a furious roar at a Tech-Priest.
"Damn it! This thing is as heavy as an Ogre! And it's not flexible at all! Can't you give me something better?" He waved his newly attached bionic limb—a thick, cold metal-gleaming prosthetic arm that hissed faintly with hydraulics. It was powerful enough to crush stone, but its fine motor control was far inferior to his original arm, its movements slightly sluggish and clumsy.
The Tech-Priest responsible for the installation responded with an uninflected binary chant, roughly meaning: temporary field modification, function prioritized, aesthetics and adaptability to be optimized later.
"Later? I want to crush the heads of those Word Bearer scum right now!" Lex grumbled, trying to pick up a Bolter round with his mechanical fingers, but almost crushed it.
Gaius and Elisa watched from the side. Elisa had already replaced her data slate and sensors and was quickly familiarizing herself with their performance. Gaius silently checked his own equipment; the invisible mark left by the Grey Knights on his left arm still gave off a faint cold sensation, and the nanites were as still as dead water, as if the previous outburst had drained all their energy.
"Get used to it, Lex," Gaius said. "It's better than nothing. We need everyone who can fight."
Lex grunted, finally accepting reality, and began to painstakingly adapt to the cumbersome new arm.
The brief respite did not last long. New operational orders were issued: the Eighth Company (after replenishment and reorganization) was tasked with assaulting the Vespatio Main Starport, heavily occupied by the Word Bearers. This was a crucial strategic hub; retaking it was vital for the subsequent landing of the main army and the complete eradication of traitors on the planet's surface.
Due to the complex structure of the starport and its narrow internal passages, which were unfavorable for large-scale troop deployment, the tactical plan was as follows: the First Company's veterans and Dreadnoughts would launch a strong assault on the perimeter, drawing the attention of the main Word Bearer forces; simultaneously, an elite squad would infiltrate through abandoned maintenance tunnels, working from the inside out to destroy key defensive nodes and open the main gates.
Fifth Squad , temporarily commanded by Gorden, the highest-ranking Astartes was given the critical infiltration mission. Two new recruits filled the gaps left by Talos and Dorian, but their experience and coordination were far from comparable.
"Remember, our mission is infiltration and sabotage, not direct engagement," Gorden's voice came through his helmet's vox-caster, still concise. "If exposed, immediately converge on the main assault direction. Understood?"
"Understood!" the others responded.
Lex flexed his bionic limb, making a creaking sound: "Perfect for testing my new toy on those traitors!"
Elisa checked the tunnel structure map: "The maintenance tunnel entrance is below the B7 sector ruins. Let's hope it hasn't been completely blocked."
Gaius nodded silently; his left arm still had no special sensations, which made him uneasy, yet helpless.
Under the cover of the fierce siege artillery and explosions from the perimeter, Fifth Squad quietly infiltrated Sector B7. This area, once a loading platform, was now a chaotic wreck. Elisa quickly located the partially buried maintenance tunnel entrance, and Lex roughly cleared the obstacles with his bionic arm, revealing a dark, gaping hole.
The interior of the tunnel was dark and damp, filled with the pungent smell of rust and some chemical leak. Only emergency lights occasionally flickered with faint illumination. The squad advanced quickly and quietly in an alert formation, their footsteps minimized by their power armor's stealth mode.
Initially, it went unusually smoothly; they encountered no enemies. The map showed them successfully approaching their first objective—an energy regulation station located beneath the starport's core. Destroying it could cut power to defense turrets in a large area.
However, just as they passed an intersection, the unease in Gaius' heart suddenly surged!
"Something's wrong… it's too quiet…" he whispered on the squad channel.
Almost the instant his words fell!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The heavy fireproof bulkheads in the tunnels before and behind them slammed down, completely sealing off their retreat and advance routes! At the same time, several hidden firing ports suddenly opened in the side walls, and a torrent of hot Bolter rounds and plasma weapon beams poured in like a storm!
"Ambush!" Gorden roared. "Take cover!"
Fifth Squad was instantly suppressed by crossfire in the narrow tunnel! The two new recruits reacted a little slower and were instantly riddled with intense gunfire, their power armor unable to withstand such close-range concentrated fire!
"Damn it!" Lex roared, using his massive body and bionic arm to shield Elisa, his Bolter firing wildly from his hip at a firing port on one side. His bionic arm even forcibly blocked a plasma globule, its surface glowing red from the burn!
Gorden's compact assault cannon swept furiously at the other side, suppressing the fire there, but the firing ports were too small to cause effective damage.
Elisa quickly analyzed: "It's a pre-set trap! They knew about this tunnel all along! The firing points were all pre-positioned!"
Gaius hid behind a section of metal pipe, his Bolter precisely targeting figures behind the firing ports, each shot accompanied by a scream. But his heart sank. The Word Bearers had clearly anticipated their infiltration route; this was a deadly trap, inviting them to their doom!
"We have to break out! Otherwise, we'll be bled dry here!" Gorden judged.
"How do we break out? The bulkheads are too thick!" Lex yelled, his bionic arm smoking from overheating.
Gaius' gaze swept over the large, humming energy conduits at the top of the passage.
"Up there! Blow up those main conduits!"
Gorden immediately raised his Assault Cannon: "Cover me!"
Lex and Gaius immediately concentrated their fire, suppressing the firing ports on one side. Gorden's Assault Cannon aimed at the energy conduits above and fired furiously!
Boom!!!!
A violent explosion erupted! The main conduit was shattered, and a chaotic stream of energy, like a giant blue python, shot out, instantly engulfing several nearby firing ports. The Word Bearers inside shrieked in agony. At the same time, the explosion also collapsed part of the ceiling, revealing another maintenance passage above!
"Go!" Gorden was the first to leap up using his jump pack, then lowered a rope.
Lex grabbed Elisa with his mechanical arm, lifted her up, and then clumsily climbed up himself. Gaius covered their retreat, and before leaping up, he threw his last Meltabomb downwards.
The massive explosion completely destroyed the lower passage and temporarily blocked their pursuers.
But they were far from safe. The upper passage was equally complex, and the Word Bearers' patrol teams had clearly been alerted.
"Quick! Move towards the designated objective! While they're in disarray!" Gorden ordered.
The squad moved swiftly along the new passage, occasionally engaging small groups of Word Bearers they encountered. Lex's mechanical arm displayed terrifying power in close combat, able to smash a Word Bearer, man and armor, flat with a single punch, but its lack of flexibility also nearly got him hit in vital areas multiple times.
Finally, they broke through layers of resistance and reached the periphery of the energy regulation station. A massive energy core hummed in the center of the room, surrounded by complex control panels and conduits.
"Elisa! Disable it! Everyone else, be on guard!" Gorden commanded.
Elisa immediately rushed to the main control panel, inserted her data-slate into the interface, and her fingers flew across the controls.
Just then, a cold, malicious premonition seized Gaius again!
"Careful! They're here!" He spun around, raising his Bolter towards the shadows at the entrance.
Giggle, giggle...
A low, mocking laugh emanated from the shadows.
Two dark figures, like vipers merged with the darkness, slowly emerged. It was the two Night Lords! The one wielding the Lightning Claw still had fresh blood, Talos' blood, dripping from its tips; the other fiddled with a strangely shaped sniper rifle whose muzzle seemed to absorb light.
"Such tenacious little bugs..." The Lightning Claw Night Lord's voice was like grinding metal, "Too bad, the game ends here."
"Every step you took was within our expectations," the sniper sneered, raising his bizarre rifle, "From the moment you entered the passage."
Without any further words, the battle instantly erupted!
Gorden's Assault Cannon roared first, a hail of bullets engulfing the two Night Lords! But they scattered like phantoms, moving at an astonishing speed, most of the bullets hitting empty air or walls.
Lex roared and charged the Lightning Claw Lord, his mechanical fist bringing down a crushing blow! But the Night Lord merely slid lightly to the side, and the Lightning Claw shot out like a viper, not to block, but to precisely slice at the hydraulic joint of the mechanical arm!
Screech! Sparks flew!
Lex's mechanical arm's movement suddenly stalled, several hydraulic lines severed, and oil sprayed out!
"Fool," the Night Lord mocked, his other claw thrusting directly at Lex's heart!
Gaius arrived in time, his Chainsword blocking the fatal blow! But he was also left with a numb arm from the immense force.
On the other side, the sniper Night Lord did not attack Gorden or Gaius, but aimed his strange sniper rifle at Elisa, who was fully engaged in hacking the system!
"Elisa! Get down!" Gorden realized the enemy's intention and tried to intercept, but it was too late!
The sniper rifle did not emit a deafening roar, but a very faint, yet soul-stirring, infrasonic shriek!
An invisible energy beam, distorting the air, shot out at incredible speed! It ignored the thick control panel in front of Elisa and Gaius' attempt to block, passing directly through!
Elisa's body stiffened abruptly! There was no sign of damage to her Power Armor, but she was struck as if by an invisible hammer. The data-slate slipped from her hand, and a mouthful of blood spewed from beneath her faceplate, staining the screen! The light in her eyes rapidly dimmed, and her body slumped backward!
"Elisa!!!" Gaius and Gorden roared in unison, filled with shock and fury!
That was no solid projectile weapon! It was some kind of vile sonic or psychic weapon that directly attacked internal organs, ignoring external armor!
"Hahahaha!" The sniper let out a cruel and triumphant laugh, "Precise brains, fragile flesh... truly laughable."
"You scum!" Lex was completely enraged, ignoring the damage to his mechanical arm, he wildly attacked the Lightning Claw Lord, but the enemy easily dodged him as if toying with him, adding several deep wounds to his body.
Gorden's eyes also turned red, his Assault Cannon firing wildly without regard for ammunition consumption, forcing the sniper to temporarily take cover.
Gaius rushed to Elisa's side and held her. Her vital signs were rapidly declining, internal bleeding was severe, and her pupils had already begun to dilate.
"H-hold on... Elisa..." Gaius' voice trembled with fury and fear.
Elisa struggled to lift her hand, seemingly wanting to point at the control panel, her lips moved, but no sound came out, and finally, her arm fell limply.
"No!!!"
Gaius let out a painful roar to the heavens. Endless rage and killing intent instantly engulfed him! He gently laid Elisa down, slowly stood up, and looked at the two Night Lords who were toying with Lex and Gorden.
His left arm, the dormant nanomachines, seemed to sense the host's towering rage and despair, and a subtle, yet destructive, pulsation came again...
This time, it was no longer a Gorden-blue glow, but something... deeper, more dangerous... dark gold...
Elisa's slumped body, like a cold needle, fiercely pierced Gaius' last line of sanity. His normally calm and wise eyes were now dull and lifeless, blood stained her data-slate and chest plate, and the breath of life was visibly fading. Endless grief and furious rage instantly consumed Gaius, completely igniting the power deep within him that had always been suppressed and guarded!
"You... will all die!!!"
Gaius' roar was no longer a human voice, but more like the growl of a wounded beast, filled with pure, destructive killing intent. The dormant nanomachines in his left arm vibrated wildly with unprecedented intensity, no longer transmitting a burning sensation, but a cold, excruciating pain that seemed to tear everything apart! Wisps of dark Gorden energy, like molten metal, uncontrollably seeped from the armor seams, coiling around his left arm and the Chainsword, emitting an unsettling low hum!
The Lightning Claw Night Lord had just playfully dodged Lex's clumsy attack and was about to ambush Gorden. Feeling the sudden surge of abnormal energy and terrifying killing intent from Gaius, he for the first time dropped his mocking expression, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Hmm? Such a change?"
But Gaius gave him no time to think! His speed surged, almost turning into a dark Gorden afterimage, instantly covering the distance between them. The Chainsword, wreathed in dark Gorden energy, descended with a tearing shriek, aiming straight for the head!
The Night Lord raised his claw to block!
Clang!!!!
The deafening explosion far surpassed any previous collision! Dark Gorden energy and the Lightning Claw's painful electrical arcs furiously clashed and annihilated each other, erupting in blinding sparks and an energy storm!
What was astonishing was that this time, the previously invincible Lightning Claw was actually forced down! The Chainsword's teeth, empowered by the dark Gorden energy, furiously gnawed at the claw blade, emitting a teeth-grinding noise! The Night Lord was knocked staggering backward by the immense force, his arm slightly numb!
"What?!" His eyes finally showed shock.
The other sniper Night Lord also sensed something was wrong and immediately emerged from cover, trying to aim that evil sniper rifle at Gaius again.
But Gorden and Lex would not give him another chance.
"Your opponent is me! Bastard!" Gorden roared, unleashing all remaining ammunition from his Assault Cannon, desperately suppressing the sniper, forcing him to constantly dodge and preventing him from aiming calmly.
Lex also went completely mad. He ignored the damage to his mechanical arm and the continuously spraying oil, picking up Elisa's dropped Melta Pistol with his intact left hand and firing wildly in the sniper's direction: "Die for me! Avenge Elisa!"
Gaius completely disregarded his own defense, his eyes only on the Lightning Claw Lord who had injured Talos and now caused Elisa to be on the verge of death! He launched a furious, storm-like assault like a madman! Each swing of his Chainsword was heavy and powerful, the dark Gorden energy boosting his strength, speed, and reactions to an abnormal level, a fighting style of risking his life for a kill!
The Lightning Claw Lord was beaten back, step by step. His boasted speed and skill were somewhat unable to be fully utilized under the pure, wild strength of Gaius and the suppression of that strange energy! Several deep wounds were carved into his armor by the Chainsword, green blood seeping out.
"Damn monster!" He was filled with shock and fury, trying to find Gaius' weakness.
But Gaius currently had no weaknesses, or rather, he simply didn't care about weaknesses! There was only one thought in his mind: tear him apart!
Finally, Gaius seized an opportunity, taking a claw swipe to his ribs head-on, yet his Chainsword suddenly swept upward at an incredible angle, savagely striking the arm joint of the Lightning Claw Lord's claw-wielding arm!
Crack!
Accompanied by the sound of metal breaking and bones shattering, that deadly Lightning Claw, along with half of the forearm, was actually severed by Gaius! It flew off, trailing electrical sparks!
"Ah!!!" The Night Lord let out a painful shriek, fear showing in his eyes for the first time! He sharply retreated backward, simultaneously pulling a smoke grenade from his waist and smashing it to the ground!
Dense black smoke instantly enveloped the passage.
"Don't think you can run!" Gaius roared, wanting to pursue, but a sharp pain from his rib wound slowed his movement for a moment.
At the same time, the sniper also took the opportunity to break free from Gorden and Lex's entanglement, pulled up his disarmed companion, and quickly retreated into the depths of the passage.
"Chase!" Gorden roared, his eyes red.
However, just as they were about to pursue—
From their rear flank, a Bolter suddenly appeared without warning from a ventilation shaft they had previously passed and thought was safe!
On the weapon's body, the Ultramarines' insignia was clearly spray-painted—it was an Ultramarines weapon picked up by the Night Lords!
A third Night Lord! He had been lurking there like the most patient viper, waiting for this final opportunity to deliver the killing blow!
Da da da da da!
The Bolter spat out deadly fire, bullets accurately and maliciously shooting at the three, who had just endured a bitter battle, were covered in wounds, and whose attention was completely drawn to the fleeing enemies ahead!
"Careful!" Gorden only managed to let out a warning before being hit by several Bolter rounds to his chest plate. Although not penetrated, the immense impact slammed him hard against the wall, his Assault Cannon completely destroyed, and he himself temporarily fell unconscious.
Lex reacted a split second faster, blocking with his damaged mechanical arm. The Bolter rounds struck the mechanical arm, sending sparks flying and parts breaking off, rendering it completely useless. He was also knocked back repeatedly.
And Gaius, due to his pursuit movement and the wound in his ribs, became the primary target!
At least three Bolter rounds struck his back! His Power Armor groaned under the strain, and although it was not completely penetrated, the immense kinetic energy and shattered armor fragments still severely injured his internal organs! He violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, falling forward to the ground, his vision darkening. The dark Gorden energy rapidly receded like a tide, and his left arm once again fell into silence and excruciating pain.
The treacherous Night Lord leaped out of the ventilation shaft, not even looking at the three fallen figures, and simply said coldly into his comm-unit: "Mission accomplished, extract."
With that, he, like a phantom, caught up with his previous companions, and the three quickly disappeared into the end of the dark passage.
Inside the passage, only the smoke from the explosion, the pervasive smell of blood, and the Ultramarines lying on the ground, their fate unknown, remained.
Gaius struggled to lift his head, his vision blurred as he looked in the direction where Elisa had fallen.
Her hand, limply hanging on the cold ground, was already silent.
Those eyes, once filled with wisdom and calmness, were closed forever.
"El-Elisa..." Gaius let out a broken, hoarse sound, endless grief and powerlessness, like cold seawater, completely submerging him. Consciousness gradually receded from him.
Before completely falling into darkness, he vaguely heard hurried footsteps and the shouts of Ultramarines from the distance of the passage... Reinforcements, finally arrived...
But all of it, seemed to be too late.
Fifth Squad paid a heavy price. Talos was severely wounded, Dorian was critical, Elisa... killed in action. Gorden and Lex were severely wounded and unconscious, and all the new recruits were dead.
And all of this was merely a deadly trap meticulously planned by two Night Lords.
These hunters from the night, in the most cruel way, showed the Ultramarines what true fear and despair were.
When Gaius woke up again, he was already in the medical bay of the Macragge's Honour.