Spotless Angels Scourge roared with a terrifying motor sound, cutting off a corner of Khorne's symbol on the shield with sparks flying, leaving a deep gash.
Though the big brute possessed immense strength and toughness, he lacked the agility of a Space Marine.
Horatio, with his nimble movements, parried, dodged, and deflected the whistling axe blade.
The surrounding battle continued, but due to the big brute's overwhelming might, neither friend nor foe dared to approach him, inadvertently clearing a dueling ground for the two 'immortals' to fight, while they continued to clash with opponents of their own weight class.
At least, that's what the big brute thought.
But little did he know, he was obediently walking step by step into the abyss Horatio had set for him.
The Ogryn swung his shield at Horatio, who merely stepped back lightly to dodge, then parried the incoming axe with his Chainsword.
"Now! Fire!" Horatio pulled back, shouting into his comms to the Grenadier.
A harpoon-like weapon flew from a hand cannon. The Ogryn used his shield to block the harpoon stuck in it, but the ensuing massive explosion directly knocked him off balance, sending him sprawling onto the ground, his massive, solid shield reduced to half.
Horatio seized the opportunity to circle to his side.
His Navy Breachers continued to advance, repelling enemies and dealing with small groups of forces attacking from the flanks.
As the dazed Ogryn fought Horatio, he gradually realized he was isolated; all the small red-armored figures that followed him had vanished, replaced by a surging crowd of small blue-armored figures surrounding him.
What should have been a one-on-one duel, through Horatio's delaying tactics, turned into the big brute fighting all the Imperial Navy surrounding him.
The Khorne Ogryn let out a deafening roar and began to hack wildly.
Sailors and Voidsmen-at-Arms, with bayonets and boarding pikes, formed a circle, closing in on him. Whenever he swung his axe, Soldiers within range would retreat to avoid his attack, while those behind him would seize the chance to stab.
The entire process was like humans hunting a mammoth.
Even if this Ogryn was a human tank, the armor at the rear of a tank is always weaker.
After several entangled fights, although he had also cut down some of his assailants, the weak points of his back armor were bloody from cuts, stabs, and various weapons firing ammunition and energy beams.
The Khorne Ogryn gasped, wildly swinging his power axe. His movements became increasingly sluggish, and the Sailors found it progressively easier to dodge his swings.
This big oaf was, after all, not an Astartes; dealing with such a brute, who possessed only strength, was not difficult for the well-trained Imperial Navy.
Horatio, hidden among the crowd, made his move when the big brute turned his back to him. He leaped out, burst from the encirclement, and swung his greatsword at the Ogryn's back.
"Awooo!" The big brute let out a pained shriek.
A large chunk of flesh was torn from his back by the Spotless Angels Scourge, and blood gushed out like a fountain.
The Ogryn turned around and swung his axe at Horatio.
His movements, compared to the beginning, had become weak and slow. Horatio no longer focused primarily on dodging as he had initially.
He parried the attack, deflecting the power axe, causing him to stumble.
Horatio lunged forward, and the Ogryn clumsily hurried to raise his shield to block.
"Awooo!!!" He shrieked again.
Imperial Navy Sailors and Voidsmen-at-Arms seized the opportunity, plunging bayonets, spear tips, power swords, and power axes into the Ogryn's back and arms.
The big brute coughed up blood, roaring, and threw his broken shield, knocking down two who couldn't dodge in time, then wildly swung his demolition axe, indiscriminately hacking and slashing.
Horatio frowned, unwilling to give this brute more chances to cause destruction.
He agilely dodged the axe, stepping forward to close the distance.
The Ogryn's bloodshot eyes met his, and the young officer's blue eyes gleamed with the fire of hatred for the invader.
Buzz!—
The Chainsword gnawed, cutting into his axe-wielding right arm, severing the entire thick upper arm bone, pulverizing flesh and marrow.
'Maximum Power'
His iron hand began to spew scorching, steaming heat, his fingers gripping the motor clutch tighter. The saw blade spun at high speed, severing the entire arm, which fell to the ground along with the power axe.
The sword teeth pressed against the big brute's thick ceramite armor, gnawing at it, turning it into fragments, eagerly drilling towards the flesh.
Buzz!—
Splat!
The Holy Blood Chainsword, in an instant, diagonally sliced this renegade Ogryn in two.
Horatio could see the sheer shock and terror in the big brute's final expression.
He had fallen into the bloodletter's embrace by blindly pursuing personal strength, but ultimately died in a coordinated and disciplined encirclement.
And what made him even more despairing was that, even in terms of individual strength, he hadn't beaten this young man, who was several times smaller than him.
The last light in the fat brute's eyes vanished, leaving only emptiness and despair.
Horatio exhaled, and the terrible cackling once again echoed in his ears. A surge of fury made the veins on his forehead bulge.
[Khorne must be watching me…] Horatio gritted his teeth.
The blackstone hanging from his neck vibrated, the Saintess's Rose Rosary on his person silently emitted a pure white glow, and his iron hand began to vent the remaining steam.
He cleaved the loser's skull with a single sword stroke. The cackling in his ears gradually faded, replaced by faintly wafting, beautiful sacred hymns.
It was as if a grand choir of Sisters was chanting prayers in the distance.
"These parasites have infested our warship for too long! Now it's time to expel all these hateful traitorous scum!"
Horatio pointed his sword at the Corpse Emperor's enemies and roared:
"Charge the Blood God's lackeys! Kill them all, leave none alive!!!"
"Check bayonets! All-out assault!!!" The Armed Officer grabbed the blood-stained brass whistle hanging from his collar and blew a sharp, prolonged charge whistle.
"Long live the Corpse Emperor!!! Hah-ha!!!"
The Imperial Navy's earth-shattering roar and synchronized charging footsteps made the heavy deck tremble slightly.
The Blood Pact Army Soldiers attacking the bomb bay were stunned; they found themselves encircled by four groups of Navy personnel. Las-shots rained down from all directions, and from the front came pressing bayonets, axes, and spears.
They began to retreat, their formation chaotic under the pursuit and slaughter of the Navy officers and Voidsmen-at-Arms.
The Navy needed no prisoners; to avenge the enemy's evil master, the officers and Voidsmen-at-Arms directly shattered skulls.
"Fall back! Retreat to the gun deck! Wait for our reinforcements to link up! Quick!" The renegade Planetary Defense Forces officer, seeing the dire situation, roared, leading the charge towards the gun deck himself.
When he reached the gun deck and saw the massive Macro cannons, he froze.
Only a few hundred of this wave of boarders had made it. The newly landed individuals were immediately met with fire from the Sailors. To survive, they could only pile up corpses to form a barricade of body sandbags, returning fire against the defenders.
"Fire into the lower holds! As long as we break the chains of those indentured laborers, they will join us in slaying the Corpse Emperor's lackeys!!!"
He led the remaining men, killing their way down the metal stairs, while relieving the pressure on the pinned reinforcements.
Horatio followed closely with more Sailors and Voidsmen-at-Arms.
"Seize the high ground! Shoot them dead!" Horatio immediately marked ghostly outlines on suitable firing positions around them.
The Sailors and Voidsmen-at-Arms quickly assembled, and at the command of the Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer, unleashed firepower upon the enemy.
Las-shots and solid rounds flew everywhere. Stray bullets occasionally struck near Horatio, making a sharp tearing sound in the air.
The Breakers Navy Breachers protected him; he was leading a large Imperial force in pursuit of these desperate remnants.