After the Great Rift opened, the sun disappeared, and the two moon worlds orbiting Baal Prime also vanished.
The sky flowed with blood, burning with the flames of wrath.
The sons of the Angels charged, shouting various slogans, slaughtering the Tyranid in their path.
"We were born from the blood of the Angel, we originate from his essence, and our wrath is rooted in his rage against betrayal. Fight in the name of the Angel, fight in the name of the Emperor, fight in the name of Humanity."
"We may all fall, but ultimate victory will ultimately be ours."
Dante shouted the final vow.
The other sons of the Angels echoed him, their voices deafening.
Dante had lived for nearly 1,300 years.
He had always controlled the Blood Thirst and Black Rage well, preventing himself from getting lost.
However, today, he relinquished control,
allowing the raging inferno to ignite his heart.
Suppressed anger and a desire for slaughter were unleashed.
His chest pounded like an automatic weapon firing to its breaking point,
sharp fangs pierced his gums, his muscles swelled, and an indescribable power filled his body.
"Blood! Blood! Blood! Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The sons of the Angels, led by Dante, roared fanatically.
They charged out from Angel Keep, burning towards the enemy like a raging inferno.
The Tyranid' reactions were somewhat sluggish, their overall coordination not yet restored to its pre-Great Rift state.
The sons of the Angels slaughtered freely, venting their anger and thirst for blood.
Tyranids / Tyranid bladed creatures with sharp limbs swarmed forward, but Dante's Death Axe in his hand cut them all down.
The arc-covered axe chopped and tore through the Tyranids / Tyranid creatures' carapaces, shredding their bodies.
As the axe blade swept, severed limbs and broken arms flew, and crimson blood splattered onto the dry desert.
Dante moved like a furious wind, slaughtering every Tyranids / Tyranid he saw, constantly roaring and shouting.
Boom!
Boom!
The cannons of Angel Keep were also making their final desperate discharges.
Under the leadership of the Mechanical Priest, the mortal servants
poured devastating artillery fire onto the enemy's heads.
Vast numbers of the swarm were blasted into the air, then torn to shreds by the violent shockwaves.
Dante slaughtered with abandon.
As he unleashed his true nature, illusions appeared around him.
He was pulled back to the Siege of Terra, fighting alongside many sons of the Angels against the traitors' minions.
Heroes, once recorded in the Blood Angels' archives, continuously appeared before him.
He saw Amit, the first Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers Warband,
who was roaring in fury, dueling a World Eater.
An indescribable anger and sorrow appeared on that ancient hero,
but was gradually replaced by a sense of emptiness that arose from understanding the workings of all things.
Immediately after, Dante saw Zephon, the Lamenter.
When the enemy breached the last walls and advanced towards the final sanctuary of the Imperial Palace, he and a host of Blood Angels charged out, using their jump packs to land before the enemy tide, buying time for the living to retreat into the sanctuary.
Zephon landed beside an elderly Adeptus Mechanicus, killing the World Eater pursuing him.
"This is your last chance, Arcan, run quickly, you can still enter the sanctuary."
"Zephon, they… they killed my monkey and my friends."
Dante could not understand this scene, but he could feel the pain of the Lamenter and the Adeptus Mechanicus,
the bitterness brought by the destruction of past friendships and brotherhood in war.
Those images flashed by quickly, every recorded hero appearing in the illusion,
and the anger in Dante's heart grew stronger and stronger.
When his vision followed Sanguinius into the Vengeful Spirit, his rage reached its peak.
Upon seeing the illusion of Horus, Dante subconsciously repeated the words Sanguinius had shouted on the Vengeful Spirit.
"Horus, why? Why did you betray us?"
Immediately after, he witnessed the Angel's death.
Infinite fury consumed most of Dante's reason,
leaving only slaughter and destruction in his mind.
The other Blood Angels were the same; they shouted, howled, and destroyed everything they could see.
As the battle reached its fiercest, a golden light appeared in the sky, and an Angel flew in with beating wings.
Saint Geleno appeared,
followed by the opening of a Warp rift, and the Cursed Legion arrived on the battlefield right behind him.
They wore black armor covered in skulls and bones,
fire spewed from their eyes and mouths.
They did not communicate with the Blood Angels, but silently joined the fight, shooting down the enemies.
Meanwhile, on the other side,
as the ground battle raged,
Alex and his party finally arrived in the Baal System.
"Enter real space."
The Celestial Commander stood on the high platform and shouted.
With a resonant bell, the ready Warband ships entered real space with a tremor.
The blast shields rose,
allowing the many Imperial commanders on the Bridge to take in everything in the void.
The fleet composed of the Blood Angels' many successor Warbands was now severely depleted, every Warband ship scarred and battered.
The number of the swarm, however, seemed endless, constantly surging towards them, attempting to completely crush and annihilate them.
"Join the battle." Alex gave the order, "Go save the sons of the Angels."
......
The Bridge of the Sword of Baal.
"Lock onto bio-ship TG03, fire missiles."
"Lances charged, Captain."
"Aim at that octopus-like YT117 next to it, pierce it."
......
As the Captain of the Sword of Baal, Nivaya sat on the Captain's throne, continuously issuing orders to her crew.
With the fall of large Warband ships like the Angel's Glory and the Blade of Vengeance,
the Angel Fleet's command chain had collapsed.
But she and the other captains still persisted in fighting, dying in the Angel's name.
Under her command and orders, one bio-ship after another was pierced.
Shells tore through their bio-carapaces and flesh,
and an astonishing number of carapace fragments and huge chunks of flesh floated in space.
Frozen bodily fluids drifted in the clouds between the bio-ships.
The Sword of Baal's kill record was impressive.
It was, like its name, a sharp sword capable of quickly piercing the enemy's chest.
However, for every bio-ship destroyed, twenty more came to replace it.
This was a desperate war.
Nivaya saw no hope of victory.
The number of the swarm was countless, and every one of their Warband ships was so precious.
A bright light came from the flank.
On the tactical display in front of her, a green symbol marking an ally turned red, then extinguished.
The female Captain turned to look, seeing the exploding Warband ship.
A frigate was entangled by the tentacles of a bio-ship and shredded.
She sighed softly, then, steeling herself, continued to deal with the complex battlefield.
Boom!
The void shield was struck by bio-plasma, making it go from dark to bright, then extinguish.
The Bridge was filled with noisy alarms, and various systems beeped and cried out.
Although Tyranids / Tyranid weapons were not as powerful as the Imperium's, their numbers far exceeded them.
Void shields were warped or penetrated under the impact of torpedo spikes and living missiles.
Bio-plasma streaked across the void, impacting human Warband ships.
Those massive bio-ships also spewed multi-segmented weapons resembling teeth, laden with tiny metal-eating organisms.
Besides these ranged weapons, Tyranids / Tyranid bio-ships also possessed means of attacking at close range.
They spat out shimmering gas clouds, approaching the Imperial Warband ships at a deceptively slow speed,
then, they would use powerful muscles to suddenly extend tentacles,
grabbing the steel-built Warband ships,
and squeezing them bit by bit until they exploded.
The Angel Fleet was slowly and irreversibly heading towards annihilation.
Suddenly, a glimmer of hope appeared in Nivaya's eyes.
She saw the largest bio-Warband ship.
That living Warband ship's single tentacle was comparable to a Battle Barge; its size was despair-inducing.
The surface of the hull was covered in thick ice and rocks.
Its head had two large jaw bases that opened like scissors, a pair of reddish-brown eyes, and a small, tentacled mouth.
"Lock onto that Hive Mother ship, load Cyclone torpedoes, and charge the lances."
Nivaya looked at the tactical display screen.
Her enhanced mind absorbed the feedback information and converted it into a battle plan.
The Hive Mother ship was the central command node of the swarm.
If it were defeated, the entire tendril would collapse, buying them a moment of respite.
"Lances charged, Cyclone torpedo warheads armed." The artillery chief shouted.
"Fire." Nivaya shouted.
The tremor from the lance firing propagated from bow to stern.
The bright lance struck the head of the Hive Mother ship.
However, the lance, which could easily penetrate other bio-ships,
only shattered the surface layer of rock and carapace when it hit the Hive Mother ship.
And the Sword of Baal was now targeted by the Hive Mother ship.
It opened its massive mouth and rushed towards the Sword of Baal.
A vast number of bio-ships also reacted, forming an encirclement around the Sword of Baal.
Loud alarms blared continuously, and the intense attacks rapidly depleted the Void Shield of the Sword of Baal, which was on the verge of collapse.
Boom!
An explosion rang out, and the ship shook and rolled as if an earthquake had struck.
"B-02 Engine damaged, power reduced by 50%."
"H-03 Area Shield Generator overloaded, requires emergency assistance."
"......"
Crimson alerts popped up like an avalanche, bathing the entire Bridge in a scarlet hue.
"It's all over."
Nivea sat on the captain's throne, watching the increasingly massive Hive Fleet Carrier open its massive maw, filled with sharp teeth.
Her expression was perfectly calm, ready to embrace her own death.
The other crew members also stopped what they were doing.
Through the observation window, they saw the Hive Fleet Carrier's gaping mouth engulfing the Sword of Baal.
Everyone was silent, with no crying or shouting, only peace.
They had given their all.
Both courage and fear had been exhausted in this war.
Now, they only wished to calmly embrace death and return to the embrace of the Angels and the Emperor.
At this moment, several lances fired in unison, striking the head of the Hive Fleet Carrier.
In pain, it was forced to shift its head, sparing the Sword of Baal.
"This is?"
Nivea and the other crew members, having narrowly escaped death, looked on in surprise.
Following their gaze through the observation window, they discovered a magnificent giant ship had joined the battle at some unknown point.
The golden Aquila at the bow was especially striking, lifelike, as if it could spread its wings and fly at any moment.
The gilded hull and the vast number of armor plates clearly appeared in the eyes of the Sword of Baal's crew.
Above the golden hull, towering statues hundreds of meters tall and exaggeratedly large macro cannons stood.
The Sword of Baal was being pulled by the other ship's gravity field due to its proximity.
"This isn't our ship, this is a Gloriana..."
Nivea's eyes widened.
"How can there be a Gloriana-class? Is this an illusion before we die?"
Before she could get an answer, the Augur array supervisor beside her shouted.
"Captain, a large number of friendly forces have entered the battlefield."
Nivea turned her head and saw that on the giant tactical projection sphere, densely packed friendly force markers had appeared, vast and incredibly exaggerated in number.
"How can there be so many warships?" Nivea was dumbfounded with shock.
Not only her, but other surviving Angelic scions also watched the newly joined fleet with immense shock.
Relying on its powerful firepower, this fleet easily carved a bloody path, rescuing the besieged warships.
And under Nivea's gaze, that Gloriana-class battleship continuously fired.
Lances, Nova Cannons, Cyclone Torpedoes, Pulse Lasers, and more—the terrifying onslaught illuminated the void.
Dense explosions appeared on the shell of the Hive Fleet Carrier.
Several bright lances pierced the Hive Fleet Carrier's head, tearing through its tentacles and bio-armor, and blood gushed out.
This was followed by Cyclone Torpedoes and Nova Cannons, with explosions erupting inside it, destroying three-fifths of its head.
Under the furious bombardment of that unknown Gloriana-class battleship, the Hive Fleet Carrier was destroyed.
The massive Hive Fleet fell into chaos, but quickly returned to its original state.
The strategy of destroying the mother ship worked very well in the past.
But the Leviathan Fleet had encountered such things too many times.
After suffering multiple losses, the Hive Mind had specifically adjusted its original command network and tactical strategies, dispersing backup synaptic nodes into smaller bio-ships.
Once the mother ship was destroyed, a new command chain could be quickly established.
Although a decisive victory was not achieved, Nivea was still grateful to this unknown Gloriana-class ship.
"Thank you for your assistance, I represent the scions of the Angels in welcoming you to Baal."
She initiated communication with the other party, expressing her gratitude.
The communication connected, and the projection activated.
An Angel clad in golden armor, wearing a weeping mask, holding a long sword and a staff, and possessing pure white wings, appeared in the projection.
Nivea, filled with gratitude, widened her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"This is only what we should do," the Angel in the projection spoke. "No one would sit idly by and watch the Emperor's loyal servants make meaningless sacrifices."
"Sanguinius?" Nivea stammered.
"I am a Saint of the God-Emperor, not Sanguinius."
Alex's tone was humble, but Nivea paid no heed to his explanation.
The female captain's eyes streamed with hot tears, so excited she couldn't control herself.
"Have you returned to save us? Lord of Baal, our Angelic King."
The people on the Bridge looked at Alex in the projection, each with a look of shock.
"Sanguinius has returned!" one crew member shouted.
Immediately, all the crew members cheered.
"Sanguinius has returned!"
"He's back, he's back to save Baal!"
"The Lord of Angels, it's the Lord of Angels!"
"......"
Standing on the Bridge of the Imperial Glory, Alex wore a helpless expression.
There was nothing he could do; the equipment the Emperor gave him was too... he had become Sanguinius 2.0.
Let alone these people, even the little Players were convinced, saying he was the new Sanguinius created by the Emperor.
When Alex's image was spread to other ships, it immediately caused the Angelic scions, who had been in despair, to shed tears and become incredibly invigorated, shouting that Sanguinius had returned.
The supporting fleet gave the faltering Angelic fleet a chance to breathe.
The Angelic scions watched in shock as those human ships joined the battle, relying on powerful firepower to clear out the massive Tyranids / Tyranid swarms.
Especially the leading Gloriana-class, no bio-ship could withstand it.
It charged straight through, tearing a path through the Tyranids / Tyranid tide.
Under Xia's command, the Imperial Glory specifically targeted node ships.
Each kill plunged the Hive Fleet into temporary chaos, allowing the Imperial warships to harvest more easily.
As the Imperial Glory gradually gained the upper hand, Alex immediately ordered the execution of an orbital drop tactic to rescue the Angelic scions on Baal Prime.
......
Baal Prime,
On the surface.
The battle had entered its most tragic phase.
With the help of the Cursed Legion, they charged towards the Hive Tyrant that had descended upon Baal Prime.
The Hive Tyrant possessed an exaggerated physique and sharp limbs.
Standing on backward-bent legs, it was taller than a Dreadnought.
Red spores spewed from chimney-like biological structures on its back.
Its arms were connected to four matching psychically-attuned bone swords, heavy at the ends, as cruel as a reapers.
Dante and the Hive Tyrant engaged in battle, both pouring all their strength into utterly destroying the other.
After his axe lopped off the opponent's arm, Dante was flung away, crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
An alarm blared in Dante's helmet; his power armor was damaged in multiple places.
The jump pack on his back even showed red warning runes.
"I'm going to die."
This thought surfaced in Dante's mind.
After he got up, he looked around.
All the Angelic scions had fallen into madness, consumed by endless rage and a thirst for blood.
They howled, fighting their final desperate battle.
Dante showed a bitter smile as he recited his oath.
"I am the Lord of Blood, and all I do is for the creation of my existence."
"I crave neither glory nor redemption; battle is my mission, sacrifice is my duty."
"For the Angels, for the Emperor."
Dante stared intently at the Hive Tyrant, planning to launch a final, life-for-life attack.
And at this moment, a voice appeared on Baal Prime, very ethereal.
At first, it was like dry leaves rustling in the breeze, the soft scuffing sound of footsteps.
Then like beetles flapping dry wing cases, like humming moths.
They circled around him, repeating again and again.
As time passed, that voice slowly grew louder.
Like surging endless waves, like a magnificent volcano erupting, and like the pulse of the stars, like the roar of the gods.
Everything was so shocking, leaving people dumbfounded.
He's here!
A voice was chanted repeatedly,
Sung by millions of people together, called by countless wills together.
He's here.
Salvation and hope have arrived.
The Blood Angels, consumed by endless rage, instinctively looked up at the sky.
The madness in their eyes vanished, and their lost sanity returned at this moment.
It was as if a wondrous magic had been cast upon them, making the maddening Black Rage disappear.
They saw the drop pods and transport craft streaking across the sky, and an Angel enveloped in light.
That Angel soared with spread wings, like a true golden sun.
The exhausted Dante showed a complex expression of shock and confusion.
He reached out his hand towards the sky, as if to grasp that illusory salvation.
"Is that you, my father?"