The second inner line of defense at the Frost Forbidden Wall was being subjected to a relentless, grinding assault. Beneath the low concrete barrier, the Waaagh! field surged like boiling green flames, growing exponentially stronger with the frenzied charge of Guga.
This psionic energy surge, born from the Orks' collective lust for slaughter, caused every Boy's muscles to bulge, their individual combat power skyrocketing. The smaller Grots and Snaga-boys grew daring enough to pounce on PDF soldiers with rusted spears, while the larger Nobz braved point-blank artillery fire to hammer at the city walls.
The pressure on the defenders suddenly became critical.
"Sector D, left flank—the line is buckling! Requesting immediate reinforcements!" "Sector R is compromised! The Greenskins are over the wall! We're being overrun!"
Desperate roars echoed across the command channels as the defenders' firepower began to falter under the sheer mass of green flesh. On the command platform, Raynor's eyes pierced through the haze of promethium smoke, fixed on the most conspicuous figure in the horde.
The three-and-a-half-meter-tall Warboss was a whirlwind of destruction, his massive Power Klaw tearing through squads of soldiers with every sweep. His heavy, patchwork mega-armor was riddled with bullet holes, yet he moved through the storm of lead like an unstoppable juggernaut.
"We must neutralize Guga," Raynor's voice rang out, cold and steady. "If he isn't taken down, this line won't hold for another ten minutes."
Leo, standing beside him, could no longer restrain his martial instinct. His power armor's servo-motors emitted a deep, hungry hum. He activated his chainsword with a roar, the adamantine teeth spinning at such high speeds they emitted a piercing shriek.
Taking a deep breath, Leo engaged his jump pack. The thrusters unleashed a violent burst of force, propelling him from the command platform like a bolt of blue lightning. He left a trail of after-images in the air, his chainsword pointed directly at the Warboss's throat.
"Face me, you green abomination!"
Leo's shout cut through the din of battle. Guga snapped his head up, his murky green eyes locking onto the descending human.
"I AIN'T NO ABOMINATION! I'M DA BOSS!" Guga roared back, his Power Klaw sweeping out with a force that distorted the air. Under the influence of the Waaagh! field, the metal talons glowed with a sickening green light.
Leo twisted mid-air with superb aerial control, narrowly dodging the blow. His chainsword bit into the gap in Guga's left shoulder plating. The sound of teeth-grinding metal-on-metal filled the air as sparks showered the combatants. Guga roared in pain, swinging the heavy twin-shoota mounted on his other arm like a club. Leo brought his shoulder guard up to take the impact.
The blow sent Leo hurtling backward. He crashed into a metal support pillar of the wall, a trickle of blood escaping his lips, but he didn't hesitate. He adjusted his stance and ignited his thrusters, charging back into the fray.
A fierce duel erupted. Aided by his armor's tactical overlays and his own superhuman reflexes, Leo maneuvered around the hulking Ork. Every swing of his chainsword targeted the joints and gaps in Guga's armor, carving deep gashes that wept thick green ichor.
But Guga's strength was beyond anything Leo had anticipated. The Waaagh! field acted like a secondary layer of invisible armor, absorbing impacts and granting the Warboss a terrifying agility that defied his massive bulk. A lucky strike from Guga's Klaw dented Leo's pauldrons, causing his armor's internal servos to short-circuit. His left arm began to move with a sluggish, mechanical whine.
Seeing Leo starting to flag, Raynor decisively joined the combat. He drew his power sword, the blade thrumming with a lethal blue energy field.
"Sarah, assist me."
Understood.
The Ripper beneath Raynor's sleeve pulsed. Biomorphic tendrils stimulated his nervous system, granting him unnatural strength and reaction speeds. Raynor cut into the battle from Guga's blind side, his power sword whistling as it sought the Warboss's lower back.
"Two against one? You humies are cowards!" Guga mocked, though his movements grew more cautious. He was forced to multitask, fending off Leo's grinding chainsword while parrying Raynor's surgical thrusts.
Raynor's style was the antithesis of Leo's. There were no flashy flourishes, only simple, lethal efficiency. With Sarah's psionic assistance, he could perceive every flaw in Guga's guard. As Guga swung for Leo, Raynor seized the opening, plunging his power sword through a gap in the side of the Boss's mega-armor.
He twisted the blade. Green blood erupted, splattering Raynor's chestplate.
"ZOG IT!" Guga bellowed in fury, spinning to fire his shootas. Raynor rolled clear, signaling Leo to maintain the pressure. The two men formed a deadly pincer, temporarily stabilizing the front.
However, the tide of the broader battle was still turning against them. As the Orks' bloodlust intensified, the Waaagh! field around Guga flared like a localized sun. His body seemed to swell further, his height pushing past four meters as his muscles rippled with psionic energy.
"WAAAAAAAGH!!!"
Guga's Klaw moved so fast it left green blurs in the air. His shootas fired without pause, the barrels glowing cherry-red. Leo and Raynor were forced into a desperate retreat. Raynor's sword was nearly jarred from his hand by a heavy blow, while Leo's chainsword finally snapped under the strain of a Power Klaw parry.
The two humans were exhausted, their breathing heavy, their armor power-levels dipping into the red. Guga, conversely, seemed to be gaining strength. Simultaneously, the defense of the second wall reached its breaking point. A squad of Ork Tankbustas managed to blast a hole in the concrete, allowing a flood of Greenskins to pour through. The situation was spiraling toward total collapse.
Leaning against a jagged piece of the wall, Leo panted, his helmet cracked and his face slick with blood. "Your Excellency... what now?"
Raynor glanced at the tactical chronometer in his HUD. The timer hit zero. A predatory, purple glint flashed in his eyes.
"Now," Raynor whispered, "the gift is delivered."
As if on cue, the Ork army underwent a horrific transformation. The charging Boyz at the forefront suddenly faltered. First came the sound of wet, guttural retching. Then, the groans began.
Orks dropped their choppas and clutched their bellies, which were visibly swelling and wriggling as if something were trying to claw its way out from the inside. They collapsed into the snow, vomiting yellowish-green foam that carried a putrid, unnatural stench.
Even the largest Nobz found their muscles twitching uncontrollably. Their ferocious strength vanished, replaced by a staggering, sickly weakness. The terrifying green aura of the Waaagh! field flickered and dimmed, replaced by the scent of decay.
The charge had stopped. The Peyton Virus had struck with surgical precision.