"Children—"
The still-unnamed Great Unclean One loomed high above Tyberos and the company's honor guard.
Despite its rotting, bloated body, which emitted a nauseating stench of decay and corruption, its tone was strangely "gentle," even laced with an unsettling "fatherly" affection.
"+Return to the loving arms of the Father+—"
It spoke in a deep yet unnervingly clear voice. The foul air accompanying its words spilled from its mouth, each syllable reverberating with an ominous psychic resonance.
"You will come to understand the ultimate truths of existence and possess eternal, undying life—heh heh~"
Its ruptured mouth widened grotesquely with its laughter, revealing uneven, rotting teeth and a viscous, abyss-like darkness within.
While its tone seemed "kind," each word sent chills deep into the listeners' souls, as if they were being watched by a venomous serpent.
The battlefield atmosphere was equally bizarre.
The Nurgle cultists and daemon servants, as if obeying an unseen will, had collectively slowed their frenzied assault.
They no longer screamed or roared but encircled Tyberos and his men in an eerie silence, their decaying presence emanating a psychic pressure akin to a mire, oppressively weighing down the air. Even the corrupted swamp beneath their feet seemed to thicken further.
The battlefield's center became unnaturally quiet, with only the deep, sluggish "breathing" of the Great Unclean One echoing in the surroundings.
Yet within this uncanny stillness lay a deadly threat, like the calm before a storm.
The corrupted heretics seemed to await Tyberos and his men's response, twisted anticipation evident in their demeanor. Despite knowing the unshakeable loyalty of the Astartes to the Emperor, they still tried to offer Tyberos and his men the so-called "grace" of the "Father," seeking to add more corrupted souls to the chaotic invasion.
But the low hum of chain-powered claws shattered the silence.
Ri~ clang clang clang—!!!
Without hesitation, Tyberos directed the roaring muzzle of his rotary bolter to spit blinding tongues of fire. Countless explosive rounds traced blazing arcs toward the Great Unclean One.
Thud—thud—!
In an instant, numerous explosive shells burrowed into the Great Unclean One's bloated, decaying body, causing pus and foul liquid to splatter everywhere, intensifying the nauseating stench.
Boom. Boom.
Strangely, however, the explosions seemed to have no significant effect.
After all, the daemon's body was a grotesque amalgamation of corrupted flesh and warp energy. Each time a boil ruptured, new tissue formed instantaneously to replace it.
Swoosh—swoosh—!
Seeing the explosive bolts fail to work, Tyberos quickly switched weapons, firing tactical-yield metallic hydrogen missiles from micro-launch bays. These missiles streaked through the air in brilliant arcs, precisely targeting the Great Unclean One and the surrounding horde of Chaos daemons.
Whoosh~—boom—BOOM—!!!
The next moment, a series of continuous explosions rocked the battlefield.
The metallic hydrogen missiles, upon striking their targets, unleashed intense heat and pressure, creating "miniature suns" that blossomed fiercely around the portal. Violent shockwaves, accompanied by scorching heat waves, spread outward in all directions, tearing the entire area apart. The corrupted swamp near the portal evaporated from the searing blasts, leaving the air thick with the stench of charred flesh and psychic distortion.
Even Tyberos and his honor guard could not entirely escape the devastation. Their energy shields flickered brightly, showing the immense energy they were enduring.
But the Great Unclean One's silhouette remained.
As the explosion's aftershocks gradually subsided, its massive, corrupted form emerged. Though its boils and rotting tissue had sustained some damage, they were quickly regenerating.
Heh—heh—!
The daemon's laughter echoed across the battlefield, carrying a chilling mix of pity and mockery.
The situation was clear.
With the current firepower of the Carcharodons, they couldn't inflict any meaningful harm on the Great Unclean One, let alone destroy the horrific portal it guarded.
As time passed, more daemons and heretics poured into the corrupted battlefield, intensifying the already dire situation.
"All units, bypass the central area and retreat northward! Honor guard, stay with me to cover the rear."
Tyberos decisively issued the retreat order.
His tone was calm and firm, without a hint of hesitation.
As a commander, Tyberos knew that holding their ground would only worsen the situation. Concentrating their forces to retreat toward the northern exit was the only logical choice.
Upon receiving the order, the Carcharodons quickly adjusted their formation. They abandoned any attempt to face the growing tide of Chaos head-on, instead focusing on creating breaches in the enemy's weaker points to pave the way for retreat.
The northern exit was guarded by the Auxiliary Army's Fourth Armored Division.
The division's Mammoth-class mobile fortresses, alongside various heavy vehicles and long-range artillery, could provide the Carcharodons with much-needed firepower support.
But retreating would not be easy.
Many of the Carcharodons' energy shields were severely depleted, and some of their titanium-alloy armor was scorched and corroded. Those on the front lines and flanks wielded chainswords and chainaxes, fending off the relentless waves of heretics and daemons.
Meanwhile, the forces of Nurgle, bolstered by reinforcements from the portal, began launching unrestrained "psychic assaults."
A wave of greenish "corrupted light," oozing with malevolent energy, surged toward the Carcharodons' main force.
The psychic attacks further strained their energy shields. Some brothers, unable to trigger the emergency overload of their fusion reactors in time, fell lifelessly to the ground.
Yet, even as a few brothers fell, the majority of the Carcharodons fought on fiercely, slaughtering the enemy to cover their comrades' retreat northward.
The furious roar of metal briefly drowned out the heretics' and daemons' howls.
Tyberos had chosen the northern exit as their retreat route because most aerial units had been critically damaged the moment the portal opened. Calling for reinforcements to risk breaching the gap would only waste time and jeopardize their escape.
The remaining clones, Terminators, and servitors would stay behind with Tyberos and the honor guard to hold the line.
To Tyberos, any soulless or mindless being—biological or mechanical—was an expendable asset.
Chris, leading his special operations squad, initially intended to stay behind with Tyberos. But he realized the Great Unclean One was a supernatural entity far beyond their capabilities. Fighting it with their limited arsenal and tactics would be suicidal.
The constant "RETREAT" alerts flashing across his helmet's HUD and the rapidly expanding warp field near the portal reinforced this conclusion. Chris knew that if his squad didn't withdraw immediately, their deaths would be meaningless.
Without hesitation, Chris led his ten-man team in a northern breakthrough. They expended their remaining ammunition liberally, keeping a safe distance from the daemons and heretics as they darted through the ruins, eventually joining the retreating Carcharodons.
At the battlefield's core, the Great Unclean One's massive, rotting form continued its slow advance toward Tyberos.
"Heh heh—truly, you are children of great virtue, worthy of the Father's love."
The daemon's deep laughter carried a grotesque mix of pity and mockery.
It didn't launch a decisive attack but instead approached Tyberos and his honor guard leisurely, savoring its malevolent satisfaction. Its horrifying form—a grotesque blend of rotting flesh and warp energy—loomed like a mobile monument of death, grotesque and fearsome amidst the smoke and blood.
Tyberos ignored it.
He fought relentlessly, tearing apart anything foolish enough to approach with his chain claws while coordinating his steps to hold back the daemonic tide, shielding his brothers as they retreated.
Despite the losses caused by his misjudgment in engaging the forces of Nurgle, Tyberos knew that now was not the time for stubborn resistance. Their priority was to execute the retreat.
The Great Unclean One's seemingly sluggish movements exuded an oppressive aura. It raised its corroded, moss-covered greatsword and brought it down with shocking speed toward Tyberos.
The rotting and humid stench accompanying its attack filled the air. The blade's surface flickered with a poisonous, warp-infused glow.
The swing was so fast that even the honor guard could not track its trajectory clearly.
Clang—!!!
A piercing metallic screech echoed through the chaotic underground city.
At the last moment, Tyberos turned and raised his chain claws, which crackled with crimson lightning, to parry the Great Unclean One's massive blade.
Sparks flew as warp-tainted corruption clashed against the refined force fields of Imperial technology.
But the daemon's strength was overwhelming.
The impact was like a mountain crashing down. Even with Tyberos's enhanced physique and his Terminator armor, he struggled to withstand it.
Tyberos was sent flying backward, his boots gouging deep grooves into the ground before he completely lost balance and collided heavily with one of his brothers.
Boom—crash!
The two of them landed in a heap amid the rubble, the sound of their power armor colliding reverberating like a dull metallic gong.
The daemon's overwhelming presence tightened the tension on the battlefield, but its ferocity failed to crush the honor guard's fighting spirit.
The moment Tyberos was knocked back, his honor guard responded immediately.
Boom boom boom—!
Ri~—whoosh!!
Heavy bolters and plasma cannons roared, unleashing a blazing storm of metal that engulfed the Great Unclean One in a relentless cascade of explosions and blinding sparks.
"For the honor of the company!!"
"Kill!!"
A dozen members of the honor guard, fueled by their fiery resolve, raised their chain axes and power spears, prepared to rend and stab the bloated daemon.
Rou~—thwack—thwack!!
But with a piercing whistle, the Great Unclean One swung its rusted greatsword in a wide arc, leaving a toxic green trail of warp energy.
In an instant, the honor guard's energy shields failed one after another, and their power armor was shredded like paper.
Slash—!
When the blade finished its sweep, the battlefield was littered with blood and mangled bodies.
Over a dozen members of the honor guard had been cut in half, decapitated, or reduced to scattered remains.
"D-damn it, you piece of filth… die!"
One honor guard, left with only his upper body, still crawled forward with unyielding determination.
Cursing the daemon, he activated the overload sequence on his reactor.
Boom—BOOOOM—!!!
A blinding light erupted from his position. The overloading reactor triggered an explosion akin to a mini-nuclear blast, turning the battlefield's core into a searing inferno.
The Great Unclean One's massive body was engulfed in the intense heat and shockwaves, momentarily halting the battle.
But when the blinding light faded, the daemon stood unharmed, its putrid skin showing no signs of scorching.
A faint warp energy barrier surrounded it like an invisible fortress, shielding it from all physical attacks.
It was clear that conventional weaponry was incapable of harming or even scratching it.
"Heh heh… Futile resistance. Children, return to the loving arms of the Father."
The Great Unclean One's deep laughter, laden with the scent of decay and disease, made the air even more oppressive.
Its bloated body trembled slightly as it resumed its slow but inexorable advance, its oppressive steps radiating unshakable dominance.
Meanwhile, at the northern exit of the underground city:
Boom—boom—!
The Fourth Armored Division of the Auxiliary Army had already established a defensive line, using the canyon-like terrain as a choke point to unleash a relentless barrage against the heretical tide.
The thunderous roar of artillery echoed endlessly, with shells of all calibers tearing through the hordes within the canyon, providing cover for the retreating Carcharodons.
Within the armored ranks, the Auxiliary Army's soldiers, clones, and mechanical constructs took advantage of their elevated position to snipe at the stragglers attempting to breach the blockade.
From an aerial perspective, fire and smoke intertwined, painting a vivid tableau of fierce combat.
Yet amidst this chaos, the presence of the Space Marines seemed almost diminished.
"…"
Standing atop the Mammoth-class fortress, Charlie used his helmet's enhanced vision and real-time data from the miniaturized radar to monitor the unfolding battle.
He could hardly believe that even a force as formidable as the Carcharodons had been overpowered by the forces of Chaos, leaving them with no choice but to retreat.
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