Victory

Bang!

The impact from behind shoved Shark aside as several Poison Crystals shot past, burying themselves deep in the steel wall.

The Ancient Warrior who had knocked Shark aside raised his weapon and returned fire.

Beams streaked through the air. As they reacted, they caught sight of Xenos figures flashing through the shadows and heard Poison Crystals punching through Plasteel. The killing intent erupting in their minds reached its limit.

Their steps thundered as the air split with howling blasts, three Sharks leaving pale trails behind them.

Kill!

One kicked straight out, forcing the enemy to block.

One seized the Xenos by the limb, restricting its movement.

Then the last leapt high and split its skull with an axe.

"!!!"

Having torn apart the treacherous shooter, the Sharks turned back, filled with grief and frustration.

Several hundred meters away, the Ancient Warrior quickly raised a hand to signal that he was unharmed. Only then did the Sharks finally relax. After receiving his tactical gesture, they swiftly raced toward their next prey.

The team formed a relatively tight formation. Apart from the two Sharks responsible for the main assault, one always remained guarding the Ancient Warrior.

They had to be more vigilant, more careful. They could not make that mistake again.

With cold killing intent, the Sharks swiftly swept away enemies hiding in every alleyway.

Unlike berserk slaughter, the Sharks' formation held only silence. Once they tore apart their prey, they swiftly melted back into the black ocean.

Carcharodons on the attack possessed an unfathomable speed. Shadows born from their bloodline wound around them, the finest camouflage. Only when they struck, cut down, and crushed any enemy daring to oppose them did they bare their fangs.

Like the apex predators from when Terra's oceans still existed, prey could only glimpse the bloodied maw opening beneath the deep blue when death was already upon them.

"Slow the pace. Move to the next node in three seconds."

Romulus's voice sounded in their ears, allowing the focused Sharks a moment to glance at the veteran still watching the shadows.

Their excellent vision allowed them to see the puncture wound through the Raven Mask. Only a little blood had splashed out, so he had clearly turned his head in time and avoided a fatal injury.

To immediately detect the traces of these creatures in territory belonging to the Drukhari, point out targets for them, and even predict the enemy's attack trajectories—such experience...

The Sharks often took pride in their own silence and lethality, yet they could not help but marvel at the Ancient Warriors' seasoned precision.

"A staggering impact."

The relay projected video feeds from every squad. With his clairvoyance, Romulus carefully controlled each squad's pace, seeking out every opportunity on the battlefield before seizing it.

From being somewhat inexperienced at the start, he gradually became more and more adept.

He was settling into his rhythm.

Watching the soul projections in his sight vanish like puppets at his fingertips amid layer upon layer of encirclement, watching the power they gathered be brutally torn apart by the peerless individual strength of Karna and the others, then devoured by the endless Shark pack.

These enemies were like playthings in his palm.

The most unbeatable tactic for controlling a battlefield was controlling the enemy.

At this moment, Romulus possessed that uniquely favorable advantage.

"I think I understand why Horus always liked sending the Pale Nomads in for the first wave of assault back then."

Romulus said.

If he could no longer command the War Hounds, he would do the same.

Although sending troops into the first charge on a large battlefield meant treating their lives as nothing.

But this was pure beauty in the numbers—

"The efficiency is simply too high."

Maintaining the psychic field and using his psychic power to give his companion an additional god's-eye view for fine control, Ramesses could not help saying.

Only commanders could understand the Carcharodons' lethality. Their charges, combined with their shadow talents, were terrifying. Even if they charged straight at you, you might not react in time.

And this method of slaughter...

It was only less obvious now because they were facing fearless Drukhari. Put them on the frontal battlefield of any conventional campaign, and if the enemy troops were even slightly worse, their morale would collapse on the spot.

"I think I can rank the Raven Guard's individual combat ability just behind the Thousand Sons."

"Where are you putting the Dark Angels?"

Romulus stared intently at every image transmitted from the battlefield while organizing the views coming from every Imperial Fist in his mind.

"If we're really comparing peak combat power, why not include the Imperial Fists too?"

After adding soul suppression to several stronger enemies, Ramesses watched the movements in the Warp and replied irritably.

"Then Sigismund ends the discussion immediately."

The atmosphere between them was rather relaxed, because the battle was proceeding exactly as expected. The feeling of having everything under control was incredibly comfortable.

They even had spare attention to focus on finely controlling individual movements, taking on the risk of injury in place of the Sharks.

After all, if the flesh-men on their side died, they died. The Sharks were living people. Even with the Emperor watching over them now, they could not be allowed to die so casually.

Romulus's operational limit was there, and the number of people had a limit. But if they died, they could be replaced at any time.

For the Sharks to cultivate a veteran like this would take at least a hundred years. He knew which mattered more.

"It is time to end this."

His gaze settled upon the target in the passageway with the most magnificent soul power. Karna's route, along with those of the other two killers, appeared in his vision and overlapped with the imagery.

There, at the very center of this Web of Slaughter, stood the Archon of this raiding fleet.

The Archon's attendants had already been worn down in repeated assaults. Their attempts to gather together and struggle from desperate situations again and again were futile.

After dispatching Arthur to repeatedly confirm the traps hidden everywhere, Romulus discovered that the fellow had not even had time to activate the explosives intended for a last-ditch gamble.

He just did not know why the enemy had not set them to remote detonation. It had left Ramesses's prepared soul strike without a good opportunity to be unleashed.

"Stop the patrol. The main assault groups will enter the inner ring in batches. Outer-ring forces will converge at the marked nodes and provide fire support along the main passages..."

Absorbing information from every squad, he rapidly reviewed it through the interface he had programmed, then issued his orders.

Romulus tightened the noose representing death. More than a hundred members within the battlefield began altering their formation with unprecedented coordination under the detailed commands flowing through the comms.

This battle would naturally end in a predetermined manner.

That was victory—

It was here!

The ground trembled slightly, then grew increasingly violent like an earthquake, as though a train were rushing toward him through the passage.

It was him. This time, it was that black Angel.

The underlings clearing the way ahead barely had time to react. Before they could even raise their weapons, they were cut down like stalks of straw, foul blood spraying everywhere.

Ah, and the Crimson Butcher. And the Silent Knight.

The beautiful sight of life departing unfolded before him. The Archon swore that he would remember these magnificent, majestic figures.

If given the chance, he would surely send these warriors to the bloody arena of Lelith, Queen of the Arena, and witness their deaths before all of Commorragh.

At the same time, he stopped walking. As if he had given up struggling, he listened to the unbroken sound of iron boots trampling the road and smiled at the approaching Angel.

The instant the Archon revealed his triumphant smile, the metal floor before Karna suddenly bulged upward.

Boom—

A Talos Pain Engine nearly four meters tall burst out, waving its limbs. Who knew how such a colossal creature had moved through the narrow drainage channel.

Metal was sliced into fragments by its whirling complex limbs, blasting outward like thunder with its movements and striking the surroundings in showers of sparks.

Karna calmly raised his hand.

Thrust, lift, slash!

His astonishing martial skill unfolded. The Talos Pain Engine flew up like a ball knocked into the air, and before it even landed, the Sslyth Mercenaries that had emerged with it were reduced to a puddle of mush.

Staring straight ahead at the Archon raising his weapon toward him, the black Angel did not bother to evade. His spear thrust upward, piercing the Talos Pain Engine before it could hit the ground.

Splat, splat!

Dull impacts rang out in rapid succession. Splinter Weapons blasted the Talos Pain Engine's back, gouging away great slabs of flesh. Even Karna had to withdraw the spearblade that had been partially gnawed away before flinging the Talos Pain Engine aside.

Bang!

The enormous mass of flesh shot toward him, obscuring the Archon's view.

Then the towering Angel pounced forward, and the Power Spear crashed down.

Clang!

A long gash split the ground.

As if he had teleported, the Archon—the target—appeared behind Karna and immediately began sprinting at high speed.

Another trump card. An Archon capable of commanding a raiding fleet in Commorragh always had his own hidden cards.

This was not the first time he had escaped.

The guards at his side, his understanding of the environment, the advanced technology in his possession—these were all the capital that had let him escape encirclement time and again.

But the Archon would not simply run away and await death.

Before dying, he would leave these apes a painful lesson in his own way.

"Nothing but mindless pursuit."

Breaking off the overloaded teleportation device and feeling the pain of his flesh being burned, the Archon rapidly widened the distance with speed far beyond that of a Space Marine, thinking mockingly.

The roars behind him weakened. The remaining guards faithfully carried out their duty, luring the Crimson Angel away.

During the pursuit and encirclement, with his extensive experience of being targeted for murder, he had already spotted the sole flaw in the deadly net around him.

It was the Angel's recklessness.

The Archon did not know how he had been locked onto. The intimidation from She Who Thirsts forced him to ignore certain thoughts he should not entertain.

Because if his opponent were a chosen of She Who Thirsts, he was not even sure he could muster the courage to resist.

Of course, the force hunting him was undoubtedly exceptional—efficient and powerful. Even in Commorragh, where powerful figures gathered, they would qualify as the most elite hunting party.

But the Angel who only mindlessly pursued and killed had exposed this hunting party's greatest weakness.

The initiative in choosing the battlefield lay in his hands.

Listening to the cold, steady wind in the passageway, the Archon was already certain that the Angel had once again been led away.

Others might care about traps, but this berserk and powerful Angel had stepped into them time and again during his tests.

Clearly, this warrior lacked the ability to identify traps.

And even if the environment had changed, he clearly remembered the areas where the Dark Matter Bombs had been placed.

He only needed to disguise his intentions beneath a panicked flight. The force hunting him would eventually enter the web woven through that escape, becoming grave goods for the loss of this one life.

A perfect plan.

A cruel smile curled across the Archon's lips.

A bunch of fools wasting their talents. Only I am the master of schemes.

The only pity was that he had to race against time and could not bid farewell to these captivating warriors with proper composure.

Sigh, perhaps I should have placed a little more trust in my subordinates. Then I would not have to race against time to activate the bombs myself.

"As long as, as long as I reach that place."

Ignoring the Logis Engine's alarms, the Archon swung his Agonizer and cut open a gap, then relied on his powerful body to smash directly through the sealed bulkhead.

Then the Archon stopped.

"..."

The Silent Knight stood quietly in the middle of the passageway. He planted his shield against the ground with one hand, the Black Sword resting on his shoulder guard, facing him in such a relaxed stance.

As if provoking him.

The Archon did not act rashly. He himself had often used such methods to deceive hotheaded fools into attacking carelessly. The single mangled corpse left at the Knight's feet was the best proof.

"Think carefully, Ashton. Think carefully. The door on the left leads to another passage. I can go that way, though it will be a slight detour."

Holding a Plasma grenade in his hand, a string of plans raced through the Archon's mind. But before he could act, the large door to his left was ripped open by heavy claws.

Whoosh—

Crimson blood mist spread outward. Tyberos, far taller than an ordinary Space Marine, revealed himself. Through the gaps around that massive figure, the Archon could see only minced flesh churned into paste across the ground and the blood stench filling the entire passageway, still spilling outward.

"Looks like I can only turn back. That Angel is still tangled up with the Snake-men and has certainly been drawn away. I must trust my own judgment."

The Archon turned around.

Behind him, the Angel stained crimson with blood strode forward. The late-arriving War Hound swung his axeblade, chewing through the remnants still struggling and twitching as he carried out the battlefield's final cleanup.

Bzz!

A suppressive shockwave delivered from afar viciously tore through the protection of the Archon's mask.

Clang!

In the instant he lost focus, the Black Sword left an afterimage through the air and severed the left arm holding the grenade.

The massive Carcharodon endured the slash head-on, closed in, and crushed the Archon's limbs in the most brutal fashion.

The Angel arrived before him. The fury in his eyes had faded, and he looked upon the arrogant Xenos with a mocking smile on his handsome face.

Three pairs of eyes quietly watched the Archon, watched this Drukhari who had lost everything.

How dare you take pride in your own wishful thinking?

You had been in the web all along.