Charge Through the Lines

Of course, the Astra Militarum still had more surprises in store for Rowan.

Amid the deafening chaos of the battlefield, Rowan's eyes suddenly shifted. Almost at the same time as Sibyl, he turned to look toward the outskirts.

One shell after another slammed down. Most of the Ork Boyz gathered nearby seemed caught in a pincer attack, falling at astonishing speed as their dense formation began to thin out.

That gave the two of them a clear view through the Ork ranks, revealing the scene in the distance.

—A steel tide from the Astra Militarum.

Leman Russ Tanks and Chimera armored vehicles rumbled forward, kicking up clouds of dust. Soldiers in heavy protective suits and gas masks advanced between the tanks, lasguns in hand, pouring fire down on the Orks with astonishing efficiency.

"...Did they come to reinforce us? They reacted pretty quickly."

Rowan was a little surprised. "And this armored formation is excellent—very orderly. It doesn't look like something they threw together at the last minute."

"They must have prepared in advance. I see. Their original plan was probably to use trenches and light infantry to blunt the Orks' advance."

As an Inquisitor with some experience in military command, Sibyl began analyzing the situation as well. "Once the Orks were in trouble, they would send the armored units around behind them in an arrowhead formation and attack their flank, giving them the advantage."

"The tactics are simple, but effective."

"You're probably right."

Rowan nodded. "And considering they reacted the moment they saw us drop in, immediately changed tactics to support us, and launched such an effective bombardment... The commander of this Astra Militarum force knows what he's doing."

Still, that was perfect.

With these timely reinforcements, Rowan no longer needed to call in an orbital bombardment from the Strike Cruiser.

Earlier, all the Fear Claw Drop Pods had delivered the Astartes company straight into the Orks' steel tide.

The Astartes had carved out a landing zone right in the middle of the armored formation, so despite their excellent equipment, their casualties had still been considerable.

However, thanks to the safety net provided by the Reality Warping Ability, every fallen Astartes had been brought back, allowing them to return to the battlefield.

Now the situation was quite different. The Astra Militarum's attack drew away more than half the Orks' attention, immediately loosening the greenskins' formation.

Meanwhile, the humans had formed a powerful, unified offensive.

It was like a spear: the Astartes were its sharp tip, striking with tremendous force. They had already punched through the Orks' lines, but the green tide had wrapped around them, leaving the spearhead buried in flesh.

Now, with the Astra Militarum as the "shaft," the balance of offense and defense had shifted. The squad advanced several times faster than before, piercing straight through the Orks' defensive line.

At Rowan's signal, Sibyl's eyes lit up as she used her Psychic Power to scout again.

She soon reached a conclusion. "...That's right. Just as you expected, those Xenos didn't anticipate us breaking through so quickly. They ran out of time and couldn't gather all their vehicles."

"At this moment, their formation is still scattered. They're nowhere near organized enough to threaten us."

Rowan nodded when he heard that. "That's more than enough. We have what we need for a shock decapitation strike. Get ready to move."

With a thought, Rowan sent a message to Lucia and Leonardo, who were slaughtering their way through the enemy ranks. The two understood and began withdrawing to meet up with him.

Once they had regrouped, Rowan casually extended a hand and gave a slight tug toward the ground.

A huge clump of dirt rose into the air, twisting and changing shape.

Matter transformed, warped, reshaped... At last, at Rowan's command, it became a great golden shield and a power sword.

They were two of the Adeptus Custodes' signature weapons: a Sentinel Blade and a Guardian Shield.

An invisible Psychic Power hurled the weapons toward Leonardo. Understanding Rowan's intent, Leonardo tossed aside his expended Guardian Spear and reached out to catch the new weapons.

Then, sword and shield in hand, he took his place beside Lucia, one on either side of Rowan.

The sacred Storm Shield and the Guardian Shield joined together to form an impregnable defense.

"Move!"

At Rowan's command, the four instantly broke away from the Astartes company and became a charging storm, piercing through the Orks' defensive line in front of them in an instant.

The Ork Boyz did fight back, but every shot they fired was blocked by the Living Saint and the Custodian with their shields. Any greenskin that came within striking range was cut down in a flash, hacked into pieces.

Rowan was no less busy, swinging Solomon's Ceremonial Sword again and again. Its blade seemed to ignore the distance between spaces.

With each strike, Golden Flame erupted on the target. Whether it was a mass of Ork Boyz or their filthy vehicles, they burned without exception, reduced to charred husks and leaving a clear path behind.

Behind them and to one side, Sibyl floated through the air with her Psychic Power and immediately charted the shortest route to the enemy leader.

Before long, Rowan could see the Ork Battle Fortress ahead of him, as massive as a small landship.

Some armored vehicles and Ork tanks had gathered around the Battle Fortress, but they hadn't expected the humans to break through so quickly. In an instant, everything descended into chaos.

"Don't panic! Wait, what's that thing?"

Inside the Battle Fortress, the Ork warboss Galia stared wide-eyed at the four strange Shrimp charging toward him.

The four moved with ease. The ferocious Orks around them couldn't slow them down at all; they smashed through every obstacle like a force of nature.

As for their target...

It was obvious enough that even an Ork could understand.

A rare flicker of panic crossed Galia's mind. He immediately bellowed:

"Open fire! Open fire! Shoot everything! Stop them!"

At the sound of his command, the Orks finally snapped into action. Tanks and Looted Wagons raised their cannons, while the tanks and mechs lifted their weapons and unleashed a torrent of fire.

The barrage was chaotic, the result of their hasty response, but still lethally powerful.

Unfortunately, in Rowan and his companions' eyes, it was nowhere near enough.

Sibyl let out a shriek. Her wild Psychic Power spread with the sound waves, then coalesced in the air into a massive shield.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!

The artillery shells crashed against the barrier like raindrops, but they did nothing to slow the four.

At last, they had reached the Battle Fortress.

All around them, seemingly endless Ork armor and vehicles surged toward Rowan and his companions like a maddened horde.