Support Arrives, The Counterattack

Talif, standing nearby, sensed something was wrong. As he looked toward his falling teammates, another Fire Warrior plummeted from the sky to his right.

Then—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three!

Four!

Five!

He could not see the attacking enemy, but his comrades were falling like dumplings dropped into a pot.

On the ground, Captain Vulkan, roaring with rage, had already charged toward the falling corpses.

His hammer swung high!

The loyal son, inheriting the most powerful physique of the Lord of Fire Dragons, raised the hammer forged by his master and brought down the ultimate fury and fire upon the vile enemy.

"Eat this!"

Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Under the thunder hammer in his hands, the xenos in the air were smashed into blood-soaked bombs, their bodies and armor exploding instantly.

Yet, Vulkan was not satisfied.

He swung his hammer again, aiming at the Fire Warriors in the sky.

"Captain! Captain!"

"Bad news, the Captain has lost his cool! Shield-bearers, protect the Captain!"

"You pieces of filth, get down here! I'm going to tear you apart, get down here, come on, you scum!"

Vulkan grabbed the corpses on the ground and hurled them into the sky.

The Tau Empire's Fire Warriors retreated continuously while scanning the battlefield, trying to identify who was attacking them.

"Commander! An anomaly on the battlefield! Unknown enemies are attacking us; several of our teammates have been killed."

The Tau command center had also detected the situation, as parts of their Fire Warriors' shells were being vaporized.

"Drones are tracking the enemy's trail. Found them—it's a hidden sniper. Be careful, they have someone hiding in the city. I am sending the coordinates to you now."

"No, wait, it's not one—it's five! Watch your backs!!!"

After disembarking from the Battle Barge and observing the battlefield, Cyrus immediately split his squad into separate operations.

As an experienced veteran, Cyrus understood that engaging the Tau Fire Warriors head-on would only squander his limited advantages. Long-range fire and flight were their specialties, and in the absence of Imperial Guard support or long-range artillery, range was his squad's weakness.

Only a pincer attack could catch these Fire Warriors off guard.

Without even waiting to notify the Salamanders, the seasoned Cyrus quickly set up the battlefield. He had Talon infiltrate the city alone to snipe the Tau forces from the highest vantage point.

The rest of the team was responsible for launching an assault from the Tau's own drop zone.

He had already observed that the Tau jetpacks could not support prolonged combat.

Ascending meant becoming a living target for Talon.

Staying grounded meant facing a melee engagement against them and the Salamanders Chapter.

And boarding actions were the combat style the Astartes excelled at most.

Furthermore, their new power armor was designed to rival Terminator armor, sufficient to withstand the enemy's laser weapons. As for the enemy's plasma weapons, they still had force shields to endure the first few volleys.

In short, once the enemy's jetpacks overloaded, they would be forced to land.

Once they landed, the advantage would be theirs!

The Tau Fire Warriors had just received orders from their commander to guard their rear when they saw the red figures hiding behind the drop pods, arms extended and Bolters raised. They had been hiding there for who knew how long.

The muzzles of the Bolters were aimed at these living targets in the sky.

Seeing the Tau shift their fire, the Salamanders naturally noticed that someone was helping them.

Amidst the heat-scorched earth, they saw the figures in the distance holding Bolters.

The Salamanders knew that the Astartes had arrived to support them.

"Reinforcements?"

"Reinforcements actually arrived!"

"Brothers, follow the Captain!"

There was only one chance, and it was fleeting.

Without verbal communication, they understood the other side's battle plan.

The reinforcements intended to force these xenos down, and when these xenos landed, it would be time for the Salamanders to leverage their own advantages.

"Strike missiles have been launched to bombard the sniper's position. Now, use your jetpacks and range to maintain a safe distance from the enemy."

"Acknowledged."

Whoosh!

A missile targeting Talon, mixed in with other short-range missiles, traced several meteor-like arcs across the sky.

"Talon, incoming attack."

"Understood, Captain."

Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The bombardment melted the forged steel fortress, and the soldiers engaged in battle were instantly vaporized in the explosions.

The explosions in the city did not stop the advance of Cyrus's squad.

Auto Bolt Rifles and Kinetic Pistols fired dense volleys of bullets at the Fire Warriors in the sky.

The Tau bombardment had failed to eliminate the enemy sniper.

Their warriors were still falling.

"A mere bombardment!"

Talon maneuvered through the blast zone, constantly seeking better firing solutions.

"Commander, the enemy sniper is still active."

"Despicable xenos!"

"Shas'vre, our jetpacks are overloaded and require time to buffer."

"Cunning humans! Have the Stinger Bees and Drones block the front and hold them off!"

"But the Drones cannot intercept their bullets."

"For the Greater Good!"

"Drones, activate shield mode and block in front of the warriors! Stinger Bees, entangle them!"

"Deploy the Hammerhead vehicles, Razorshark attack drones, and the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits."

Drones had a mode that could form a force shield to protect nearby Fire Warriors.

The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit was a type of "Gundam-style" battlesuit used by the Tau Empire.

It was much like a Dreadnought chassis.

Generally 2.8 meters tall, modified versions could reach over 3.4 meters.

The battlesuit was advanced equipment that combined sturdy defense with powerful firepower, capable of increasing fire support by dozens or even hundreds of times. It also included force shields, drone controllers, and advanced auxiliary targeting equipment. The Tau Empire deployed them in droves on large battlefields to counter the Empire's Primaris Space Marines.

These multi-piloted battlesuits often played a decisive role on the battlefield.

[Warning, Overload]

[Warning, Overload]

The Fire Warriors' jetpacks were about to overload. They knew that once they hit the ground, it would become the enemy's battlefield. Therefore, the laser weapons and neutron weapons in their hands unleashed a hail of fire toward Cyrus's squad, suppressing them.

Most of the fire was intended to provide cover for the Fire Warriors so they could retreat to safer ground.

Cyrus's squad, relying on their new equipment, pushed through the hail of gunfire and artillery to counterattack the Tau.

"Captain Cyrus, they've dropped new weapons!"

Amidst the rain of bullets, Cyrus even had to draw his melee weapon to strike down the Stinger Bees trying to ambush them.

Strike.

Kill.

Raise the gun.

Fire.

They continued to press forward through the barrage.

A massive battlesuit dropped from the sky.

It landed right in front of Cyrus's squad and the Salamanders.

The xenos were determined to take this planet.

"Talon, neutralize those big guys."