Battle of Kamas 9

Leona's assault force became embroiled in an even more brutal tug-of-war amid the ruins outside Hera City.

Although the Blood Angels and Crimson Crescent warriors fought valiantly, carving an opening through the tide of daemons and destroying several Khorne Blood Crushers along with a champion-level Bloodletter leader, their advance visibly slowed.

The closer they drew to the city, the more severe the Chaos Corruption became.

The ground was no longer merely scorched and cracked. It was covered in a sticky, pulsating membrane of dark red organic matter that squelched sickeningly beneath their feet and oozed a bloodlike fluid.

The stench of sulfur and blood hanging in the air was so thick it seemed almost tangible, forming a pale red mist that not only obstructed vision but continually eroded the minds of non-Astartes soldiers.

Whispering calls to slaughter seeped through every gap, even beginning to interfere with Power Armor helmet communications and sensor readings.

The daemons' resistance also became more organized.

After the initial frenzy was contained, the remaining Bloodletters and Flesh Hounds no longer charged blindly. Instead, they began mounting stubborn resistance from collapsed megastructures, twisted metal frameworks, and desecrated fortifications.

They used the terrain to lay ambushes, launching sudden attacks from behind broken walls, within underground conduits, and even from suspended wreckage overhead, forcing the Imperial troops to divide their attention clearing every corner and greatly slowing their advance.

"Clear the ruins of that three-story structure on the left. At least one squad of Bloodletters is using favorable terrain to hold us back with some kind of Psychic Flames projector," Captain Tycho reported over the comms, his voice mingling with the roar of boltguns and the shriek of Chainswords tearing through Tau Steel. "Progress on the right flank is slow. Crimson Crescent's Third Company reports encountering a new daemon