The Imperium Frontier: Alive! Alive!

Vito sprinted along the edge of the shrine at high speed. The golden colossus towered above him, shimmering—well, it didn't look like much anymore, considering it was now riddled with the scorch marks of lasguns and the jagged craters of bolter rounds.

A cacophony of gunfire roared around Vito Constantine. Countless light-bolts and solid projectiles fired from the opposite side shattered the walls, the floor, and everything in between. Debris and wreckage flew everywhere, turning the area into a chaotic storm of shrapnel.

Vito raised his muzzle and put down a Genestealer Patriarch charging head-on. The Inquisitor tore through the hail of fire at high speed, weaving and dodging between countless rounds. Light-bolts and bolter shells whistled past his ears; many of the surrounding Genestealer Cultists were shredded in the crossfire, yet Vito alone passed through unscathed.

The Inquisitor dashed into an archway on the side of the shrine. No sooner had he entered than he witnessed the fierce battle: the Genestealer Patriarch was fighting back desperately under the siege of two Astartes. Its claws carved shimmering arcs through the air, but the two giants blocked and countered with equal agility.

Ragnar blocked the slashing claws with his Chainaxe, and the Wolf of Fenris landed a solid, powerful punch on the Patriarch's abdomen, forcing the beast back against the wall.

But just as Ragnar prepared to strike again, the claws on the monster's abdomen lashed out, slamming its reinforced biological carapace into Ragnar's waist. In that brief moment when Ragnar lost his balance, the Patriarch backhanded him hard across the helmet, sending the black-clad giant flying.

Ragnar crashed into the distance. The Wolf of Fenris climbed to his feet, pulling off his helmet and clicking his teeth as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. When he looked up, the towering Tyranid beast was already upon him, its giant scythes swinging down toward Ragnar's head.

Suddenly, a dense volley of bolter fire hammered into the Patriarch's chitinous carapace, sending clouds of fragments and ash billowing into the air. The Patriarch looked to the side to see Vito charging forward while firing. The Bolter in his hands had been firing continuously for so long that the barrel was glowing red, nearly spitting flames.

Vito tossed aside the Bolter he had scavenged from a Devout Society guard. "Bell! My sword!" he shouted. For some reason, Vito's timing was perfect, his shout ringing out the exact moment Bell and Olaf charged into the inner courtyard.

Bell did not hesitate, immediately tossing Vito a weapon smaller than a Space Marine Chainsword from his belt. The Inquisitor caught the Chainsword just as he reached the Patriarch. The beast swung its massive claw in a downward strike, but the Chainsword rose instantly to block the lethal blow.

Vito took the Patriarch's head-on strike with his mortal body, gripping the Chainsword tightly while pulling a Plasma Pistol from under his armpit with his other hand.

It was a dangerous weapon; all plasma weaponry was extremely hazardous, but the pistol variant was the most dangerous of all. Almost no one was willing to use it; its small size meant its heat dissipation and safety features were virtually non-existent.

Only the pistol variants used by Space Marines could rely on their larger size to house a series of safety mechanisms, whereas the models used by mortals were literal self-destruct triggers. In the Astra Militarum, only Penal Legions were equipped with such weapons, so that they might "better" damage the enemies of The Emperor.

But Vito raised the weapon anyway and pulled the trigger without a second thought. Plasma energy sprayed from the tiny muzzle, and countless arcs of ion lightning scattered in every direction, looking as if it were about to explode.

But it didn't. The plasma energy punched through the rain of sparks and struck the Patriarch directly in the face. The plasma melted its facial carapace, and the burning and corrosion of the flesh beneath caused excruciating pain. The Patriarch staggered backward, roaring as it swayed.

Bell stepped out almost immediately. The white-armored giant charged while firing his Bolter, the rounds hammering into the side of the Patriarch's head. The monster instinctively looked to the side, and in that brief moment, Bell tossed his Bolter aside, stepped forward with lightning speed, and seized the Patriarch's right claw.

The Patriarch was startled and prepared to swing its left claw in retaliation, but just as it moved, it found its left claw immobilized as well. It turned its head in shock to see Lancelot pinning the limb tightly under his armpit.

The Caliban knight dropped his own sword and gripped the monster's claws firmly with both fists. The Patriarch displayed a rare look of shock for a Tyranid; it clearly did not understand what these creatures were doing.

"Ragnar! Go!" Vito roared, like a hunter calling his hounds, and his hound had already launched its attack.

Ragnar dropped his Chainaxe and charged in, howling. He slammed into the Patriarch like a wild bull.

The Patriarch was pinned against the wall behind it, and the two Astartes on either side immediately followed up, pressing its claws against the wall. The Patriarch roared, swinging the claws on its abdomen to stab at Ragnar.

But the Wolf of Fenris caught the claws with both hands, forcefully holding them at a distance from his head. The Wolf of Fenris bared his teeth and laughed as he slowly pushed the claws away.

Vito wore a satisfied smile. He turned to Olaf. "Old Wolf! Get ready! Bell! Lancelot! Staple Gun!"

Olaf stomped on the ground, and countless bolts of lightning crackled and danced around him. The flashing lightning illuminated the Patriarch's face. The monster struggled, looking toward Olaf, but the two Astartes on either side pulled the staple guns bearing the Adeptus Mechanicus insignia from their waists.

They pulled the triggers, and the staple guns fired heavy, concave iron staples, pinning the Patriarch's claws to the wall. The monster looked at this in astonishment. Bell and Lancelot hammered restraints into its entire arm. The Patriarch roared and struggled, but it was held fast by rows of iron staples.

"Brothers! Move!" Olaf roared, arcs of lightning dancing from his mouth with his words. The three Astartes immediately pulled back, leaping away with long strides.

Olaf swung his arms, and countless bolts of lightning struck the Patriarch. The monster screamed as arcs of electricity surged over its body. It was instantly covered in lightning, and it thrashed its head, slamming its sturdy back-armor into the wall until the masonry cracked and splintered.

As the beast roared, its carapace bulged, and it pulled its limbs forward with all its might. The staples began to loosen, pulled from the wall bit by bit.

Vito frowned as he watched the Patriarch. He looked at Olaf, whose eyes were shooting out lightning and light. All his energy was poured into the spell, and Vito wasn't sure if he could hear him.

Saliva sprayed from the beast's mouth, and its whip-like tongue lashed about. The first staple popped out of the wall and slammed hard onto the floor.

"Old Wolf," Vito said, stepping back. He watched as one staple after another was ripped from the wall. The claws began to tilt forward. The lightning struck the beast, but that only made it angrier.

All the staples were pulled out. The Patriarch roared and charged forward, heading straight for Vito and Olaf. The three Astartes raised their guns in unison to aim at the Patriarch, but Vito shouted at them to stop.

The beast charged at them at high speed, enduring the pain of Olaf's lightning strikes. That pain fueled its rage, and that rage would make its strike even more lethal when it reached them.

Vito looked at the three men to the side. Their attention was entirely on the beast, and Olaf was clearly fully committed as well. After confirming no one was watching him, Vito closed his eyes and then snapped them open.

The beast stopped. Its body seemed to be tethered by some unseen force. It was slammed into the ground, its massive frame creating a shallow crater. The surface cracked and shattered under the inexplicable pressure. To an observer, it looked as if the beast had been struck down by lightning.

But the Patriarch raised its eyes. It could notice that amidst the flashes of lightning, the space and arcs around Vito were slightly distorted. They twisted together like a convex mirror; even his face was blurred in the warped space, with only a pair of eyes emitting a faint golden light flickering within the chaotic field.

The Patriarch braced its claws on the ground, its powerful bones and muscles supporting it as it struggled to rise, but every movement was as difficult as lifting a mountain.

"Olaf! Take it down!" Vito shouted, turning his head. The Old Wolf raised his arms, and giant arcs of electricity surged from his hands. The light illuminated the entire inner courtyard like a rising sun, and current rippled across every metal surface. "In the name of the Allfather! I shall bring down divine judgment!"

The Old Wolf's roar was nearly a true wolf's howl. The lightning struck the ground, igniting a blinding light akin to a supernova explosion.

The beast roared at Vito. Olaf thrust his arms forward, and the lightning struck the Patriarch. The monster let out a heart-wrenching scream, spraying corrosive liquid from its gaping maw, but the saliva was vaporized by the lightning before it could hit the ground. The monster shrieked and struggled.

But the monster did not succeed. The moment the lightning vanished, the beast collapsed with a crash, falling like a mountain.

The lightning stopped, and the tall giant fell to his knees. Bell immediately rushed over to support Olaf's arm, but the latter waved him off. "Just tired, Bell. That is all."

"I know, old man." Bell smiled, then looked at the Patriarch, which was emitting wisps of steam. Ragnar also walked over and kicked the motionless beast.

"Is it still alive?" "Yes, still alive. Vital signs are still registering." Bell said, looking at the data pad on his wrist. "But it's going to be out for a while."

Ragnar laughed heartily and kicked the Patriarch again. "Holy hell, is this the first time we've captured a Tyranid node creature alive? Did anyone bring a camera?"

Lancelot laughed, picked up his knightly sword, and walked over. "Memory is the best photograph, Ragnar. That is a photograph of glory."

"I prefer glory I can touch." Ragnar said, his mouth full of fangs. He was like a lively wolf cub, always possessing endless enthusiasm and vitality.

Vito rubbed his neck playfully. He shouldered his Chainsword and walked to the side of the Patriarch's body. He tilted his head, examining the massive creature. "It will survive, right? We still need it for something."

"Yes, it will survive, though it won't be very comfortable when it wakes up. Probably going to be screaming and acting crazy just like Ragnar usually does." Bell said, helping Olaf up while keeping his eyes on the medical monitor.

Ragnar bared his fangs, smiling at the monster. "Inquisitor, we went to all this trouble to take this thing down, and now we have to carry it out together. I hope it's worth it."

Vito smiled too, looking at Ragnar. "Is it worth a planet?"

Ragnar chuckled, bending down to grab one of the Patriarch's claws.

"Sounds good to me. Come on, little kittens, let's haul it away."