Quasi-Apocalypse War

The iconic beginning of the Battle of Manros was when, after the Warp storm subsided and only the Mercy Emissaries remained in the galaxy, the Chapter deployed drop pods and activated Virus Bombs within Fortress-Monastery 13.

Before the war, the locals could never have imagined how it would unfold.

The Fierce Angels, perhaps believing themselves to be the architects of this war, had confined their strategic vision to themselves, the Mercy Emissaries, and the world of Manros.

They were proven wrong.

Just as all participants in the purging of grievances on Manros had their own reasons and objectives, the ultimate course of events always exceeded expectations.

The Battle of Manros was no different. Perhaps when Lu Jin saw the Titan Legions arrayed on the plains, he would recall that afternoon when he first arrived on Manros, intending to set up a small business.

Fate is truly wondrous.

The fleets approached each other in the galaxy.

A total of three hundred warships exchanged fire in the void. What reached each other before the hulls were Lances, Macro Cannons, and torpedoes.

Inside the command center, thirty-eight Fierce Angels, including Lu Jin and the new recruits, gazed at the largest screen.

After the armored battle on the plains, the armored forces that retreated to the underground barracks of Fortress 12, the closest to the plains, had set up high-definition cameras on the surface, allowing the battle unfolding in the void to be displayed intuitively before everyone.

The veterans of the Fierce Angels had participated in wars during the Chapter's prime, but this void battle erupting in the galaxy still made them feel, from the bottom of their hearts, that they were ignorant when comparing the Fierce Angels to the outsiders.

Lances formed a tangled, shining spiderweb.

Above, below, and around the web, the mottled black dots were solid projectiles.

If the Vicious Fang Strike Cruiser were placed at the forefront of either fleet, it would likely turn into wreckage before even an hour passed.

Yet, the void battle was expanding.

As more fleets flickered to life on the edges of the galaxy, they joined the void battle.

The Red Corsairs, a warband nearly the size of a Legion, though disorganized, were numerous.

After Huron joined the fray, he did not embrace Chaos, which allowed his mind to remain clear, enabling him to meticulously plan within the void battle with the authority of the Master of the Maelstrom.

And on the Imperium's side, one could imagine what kind of elite and intelligent individuals were commanding the void battle for each Chapter.

If it were merely a matter of watching this war unfold and marveling at one's own insignificance, that would be wonderful.

For Lu Jin and the people of Manros, the truly terrifying aspect was that they were not only weak but also caught between both sides in this entire war.

The Red Corsairs intended to use the people of Manros as ritual materials to summon a Warp storm.

The Imperium also had strategic ambitions for Manros; as they advanced into the Maelstrom in the future, Manros would be an indispensable strategic focal point.

"The landings have begun."

Kao looked down at the screen below.

The vast plain where the armored battle had previously taken place had an entrance terrain to the south that was a basin, and to the north, an entrance terrain that was a pass between two long mountain ranges.

Both sides designated landing zones behind the basin and the pass, and while the void battle raged, the ground forces were deployed.

The first wave of armored forces deployed by Chaos was more than double the total number of armored units from the previous plains battle.

The Imperium's side had even more.

Several Astra Militarum regiments specializing in armored warfare and one Chapter adept at armored combat were dispatched.

Because in the environment after the Virus Bomb had ravaged the land, only armored units could engage in combat, so with armored forces as the main strength, a total of over ten thousand tanks were deployed by both sides.

And this was only the first wave of landing troops.

As the tanks from both sides began to enter the plains, the second wave of landing troops descended.

Knight Mechs.

Whether they were Imperial or Chaos Knight Mechs, they were deployed in batches according to their noble houses.

Knights themselves were a highly feudal military branch, and in most cases, Knight Mechs belonged to the core members of a noble house. Knight Mechs also had different types and ranks, from Squires to Barons.

This meant that once a noble house was deployed to the battlefield, they could form a highly coordinated combat unit with clearly defined roles, similar to a tank squadron.

But it wasn't over yet.

The third wave of landing troops was deployed by transport ships that had entered the planet.

Lu Jin saw on the screen that after the large transport ship landed, its hundred-meter-high cargo bay slowly opened, revealing a vast and pitch-black interior space.

Brummm--

A deep horn blast echoed across the plains.

Within the dark interior space, dozens of crimson lights flickered to life.

The top-tier ground war machines, commonly ten to twenty meters tall, known as "Titans," emerged from the transport ship with steps that were either quick or slow.

The Imperium deployed a Titan Legion, a total of forty Titans of various types.

The insignia embedded on their armor was a black fist.

The Chaos Titans also emerged from the transport ships. They were much more flamboyant, in crimson, dark purple... all sorts of colors and decorations, some even had human skin attached to their armor surfaces.

"They will definitely fight for Manros, and to control Manros, one must control the Hive Cities and underground barracks that we hold."

Kao immediately deduced the direction of the war and looked towards Lu Jin as if seeking help.

His eyes seemed to be asking what to do.

"Right now, the underground barracks, which cannot accommodate large war machines, and close-quarters combat with Space Marines." Lu Jin took a deep breath as he said this, "We have to consider these as advantages."

Meanwhile.

Red Corsairs flagship.

Huron gazed at the holographic projection, observing the Titan legions on the ground.

Warmonger Titan Legion—that was the name of the legion deployed by the Imperium.

Huron had a deep-seated grudge against this legion. Back when he was still loyal to the Imperium and was being punished by the Imperium for his treacherous schemes, it was the Warmonger Titan Legion that joined the battlefield as the main force for ground landings, their siren's wail pronouncing the defeat of all their defending forces.

The war that ended with Huron's defeat was part of a series of wars that formed a campaign, named—the Battle of Badab.

Was the Warmonger Titan Legion the only one with whom Huron had a grudge forged in the Battle of Badab?

Huron shifted his gaze to the side, landing on the holographic projection revealing the void battlefield.

Seven Imperial Legions were marked with names.

Huron's gaze swept over an infamous legion named the Minotaur Legion, landing on "Great White Shark."

"They've come too," Huron lightly patted Amanius's shoulder, signaling him to look at that name.

But Amanius only glanced at it before looking away.

Because it wasn't just the Manros system where war was happening at this moment, nor had both sides thrown all their forces at Manros. Hundreds of systems, including the Manros system, were engaged in war. It wasn't just seven legions participating, though Manros was the undisputed focus.

Huron cared more about hatred than technology.

"Karlos."

The blue Daemon on the command deck heard the Lord of the Maelstrom call him, and both of his bird-like heads turned towards the sound.

Huron continued, "If we sacrifice all the people of Manros, can we summon a Warp storm again and destroy the Great White Shark Legion?"

One of Karlos's heads nodded, and the other shook.

Huron felt relieved. "That's good."

Then he ordered an old soldier, "Pick a thousand cannon fodder, bring tens of thousands of slaves, and start the attack from the twelfth fortress east of the plains."

The old soldier saluted without hesitation, placing his hand over his chest, before asking, "The Chapter Master of the Fierce Angels, Lu Jin..."

"It's best not to let him die on Manros," Huron said.

The Imperium's flagship.

Inquisitors, Imperial Navy admirals, Chapter Masters, and high-ranking officials from various legions... these figures rarely seen by mortals were crowded on the command deck.

Even the Inquisitor who could command the Mercy Emissaries Legion to hunt down the Fierce Angels was just a minor figure who should be keeping quiet at this moment.

The bigwigs discussed a plan and then called someone over to execute it.

Two legions, the Minotaur Legion and the Great White Shark Legion, which were not assigned the mission of "crushing heretics on the surface," were named at this time and assigned their tasks.

These two legions, known for their ferocity and excellent equipment, would be wasted in a war of attrition on the plains.

"Asterion Moro, Tiberius, you two will lead your legions to seize control of Manros."

"Beat the heretics to it..."

The one giving the order glanced down at the tactical map.

The new wave of landing troops sent by the Red Corsairs was heading straight for the eastern part of the plains. Therefore, in the strategic plan, the two legions specifically responsible for seizing control of Manros were assigned to Fortress Number One in the western part of the plains.

Based on the analysis of some armored warfare experts, the local forces on Manros were able to mobilize large-scale armored units before because their underground facilities were interconnected.

Once one was breached, the rest would be easy.

The local defense forces, those remnants of only a few dozen people whose names were unknown... whether to eliminate these remnants and the local defense forces was irrelevant.

The real priority was to get in before the Red Corsairs, to prevent them from turning the locals into ritualistic sacrifices.

"Beat the heretics to it." The one giving the order lightly lifted his naval uniform and rubbed his chest. "What do you think we should do to stop the enemy's ritual?"

"If the enemy wants the locals, we'll kill all the locals," Moro replied coldly.

Tiberius, standing beside him, had the same opinion.

The two Chapter Masters did not get along, and their legions had a poor relationship, but at this moment, they reached an agreement.

"They are, after all, the children of the God-Emperor," the one giving the order said with apparent hesitation, but his expression was casual.

"There's no other way, my lord." Moro chuckled silently halfway through his sentence, as if mocking something. "On behalf of my legion, I implore you to make such a difficult decision."

Hearing this, the one giving the order picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said nonchalantly.

"It's just unavoidable... handle it as you see fit."