The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Withdrawing his gaze, Hayes didn't dwell on it, trusting that the commanders would handle everything. Their tasks were simple: fight and survive.

"Focus on those Gun-Beetles first! Open fire!"

As Hayes roared, he heard the launch of rockets, the chatter of autocannons, and the thump of grenade launchers, followed by the coordinated fire of lasguns. The multi-limbed monsters, driven by a desire to destroy everything, formed a relentless wave. Explosions ripped through their ranks, the infernal flames illuminating their hideous alien faces, which remained as impassive as ever.

"Alright, lads, no fear, no slacking! We stand on the wall, side-by-side with our comrades, and the mighty Astartes! Aim for their flesh when you fire, otherwise your shots will bounce off their armor like pebbles. Keep an eye on your power packs; this could be a long day, and you don't want to face those things empty-handed! And one more thing: protect yourselves, don't die, or you'll miss the lovely Sister of Battle choirs!"

Realizing that today might be a grueling battle, Hayes delivered his morale-boosting speech with a touch of awkwardness, eliciting a few chuckles.

But he could see that the tense faces of some of the younger soldiers had relaxed slightly, proving that someone needed it.

After all, many were visibly on edge. Even the dimmest could not ignore the Tyranid horror, and anyone with eyes could see that this Tyranid assault was 'for real.' They wouldn't just kill; they would consume, turning you into biomass to be reshaped into something else. The thought was terrifying.

The firepower from the top of the wall was relatively stable, and even Space Marines had appeared on the ramparts. Hayes took a moment to observe the towering warriors, systematically firing their bolters, volleys ripping into the darkness, each round briefly illuminating the surroundings.

Some had set up heavy plasma guns, their firepower capable of obliterating Warrior-Beetles.

In the process, Hayes noticed some heavily damaged companies withdrawing from the wall, boarding Centaur transports, and seemingly moving towards the landing zone.

So, his guess was right: the troops were withdrawing.

This was both good and bad news.

The good news was that command had no intention of holding the line to the death. Anyone could see that defense was becoming impractical with the spread of the toxic mist. Hayes had feared a desperate order to hold at all costs, but that hadn't happened.

The bad news, of course, was that they couldn't hold here, meaning the situation was dire.

Retreat was never easy. As troops withdrew, the frontline defenses would weaken, and now, during a Tyranid onslaught, it was hard not to suspect that the bugs had detected the human retreat and launched a final assault.

In such situations, a rearguard was necessary, and in this situation, being the rearguard was practically a death sentence.

Although it felt cowardly to think so, Hayes still prayed they wouldn't be among the unlucky ones.

Suddenly, a commotion drew his attention to the right, where a gate was under attack. A swarm of Winged Warriors had appeared on the wall, and the surrounding soldiers scattered, screaming and tearing at their faces and chests.

The Winged Warriors unleashed a volley of exploding mites, showering the area with acid so potent it could burn through almost anything, and was certainly lethal on exposed skin.

And their attacks didn't stop there. When they opened their mouths, they spewed bio-flames with a sulfurous stench, instantly igniting any armor they touched, with only power armor immune to the flames.

Hayes wanted to look away, to block out the terrible screams, but the situation was even worse.

A Carnifex, towering as high as the wall itself, had reached the defenses. Its two arms had evolved into living guns, while the other two ended in whip-like tentacles and serrated bone swords. A thick tail, covered in spines as long as a human arm, lashed behind it. A massive maw could bite a person in half with ease, and its body was covered in chitinous plates and exoskeletal armor.

This was a previously unrecorded Carnifex variant. Countless plasma and bolter rounds struck it, but only scratched its carapace, creating cracks. It then fired toxic projectiles at the crowd near the gate, the corrosive acid instantly turning those it touched into puddles of pus. It opened its maw again, spewing a ball of bio-flame with a sulfurous stench, creating a wall of fire over three hundred meters long on the wall. After doing all this, it raised its head to the sky and let out a horrifying howl, sending a wave of fear through the defenders, causing them to tremble.

"Hold the line! The Emperor watches over us!"

With a roar, Bakhram, wielding the Broken Star, charged towards the crumbling right gate, easily cutting down any Ripper-Beetles in his path. He then jumped from the high wall, activated his jump pack, and landed directly on the wall alongside the Carnifex, his weight crushing the stone beneath him.

The Carnifex paused, its small eyes fixed on the suddenly appearing creature. Its arms stretched back, extending beyond the length of a tank, and the sound from its bloody maw could be heard beyond the world.

In response, Bakhram drew his melta pistol and pulled the trigger, aiming for its head.

The searing flame pierced the carapace, but the Carnifex managed to tilt its head in time. The agonizing pain drove it mad, its arm smashing into the wall, creating a large crater in the sturdy alloy while spraying acid onto the ramparts.

Bakhram activated his plasma jets, flying into the air and firing again, this time hitting the Carnifex's neck, leaving a large scorch mark.

Seizing the opportunity, the Star Knight Captain changed direction and landed on the Carnifex's back. As he plunged the Broken Star into the alien's neck, the beast frantically twisted its neck, the wound spraying a painful burst of acid.

Bakhram pulled out his sword and jumped back. Although part of his gauntlet was blackened, he dodged most of the acid. Then, finding a weak spot between two spinal ridges, he fired the melta pistol again.

The wounded Carnifex violently thrashed its neck, and two Warrior-Beetles lunged forward. Bakhram reacted, releasing his grip and leaping off the monster's back, activating his jump pack towards one of the Warrior-Beetles. In mid-air, his longsword swept through, decapitating the Warrior, and as he landed, he roared:

"Jacob!"