The Imperium of Man's forces moved even faster than expected!
As if afraid the Ork beasts would come and cause trouble again, they launched an unprecedentedly fierce surprise assault on the Chaos fortress that very night. They committed nearly all of their Astartes warriors from the outset, attacking with utter disregard for the cost.
Then, unsurprisingly, by eight o'clock the next morning, not long after their fleet had begun maneuvering and splitting off, the battle was already over. The Chaos traitors barely clinging to life inside the fortress, along with the Demons, had been almost entirely slaughtered.
See?
By a little after nine in the morning, the fighting throughout the fortress had basically come to an end.
Other than flames and thick smoke still billowing from parts of the collapsed fortress and its shattered tower domes, while the lingering haze of war dyed the entire sky a strange orange-red, there was scarcely any gunfire left at the scene.
Within the fortress corridors, the corpses of Chaos traitors and certain twisted creatures lay scattered amid the rubble and debris. Some had been riddled with Bolter fire, some cleaved into several pieces by chainswords, and others blown apart directly by explosions.
In short, no Chaos forces remained standing here. All that remained was the distinctive foul stench of the blood of those corrupted by Chaos!
However, though the battle was over, the Ultramarines were still searching the ruins for any enemies that might remain, while the mortal auxiliary corps cleared the battlefield, carried the wounded, gathered ammunition, and so on.
"..."
At this moment, Captain Timon, the highest commander on the battlefield, stood atop the ruins of the tallest tower at the center of the fortress, looking down over the devastated, smoke-choked battlefield.
His power armor was also covered in dust, bloodstains,