Battle of Loyalty, Victory, and a Greater Crisis!

The VX8 Crisis Battlesuits charged into the battlefield.

However, the Fire Warriors had no time to celebrate.

The battlesuits that had just landed were instantly gunned down.

Not even their energy shields could withstand the enemy's attacks.

This was the terrifying nature of Necrons weaponry.

And that was just for the Tau Empire's battlesuits.

Even a Primaris Space Marine of captain rank might not be able to hold out, unless protected by the Emperor.

To hold back the Necrons' forces, humanity had once deployed hundreds of millions of Astra Militarum and Imperial Guard. Wave after wave, mortals died like ants in that war, and Space Marines died like mortals. Corpses carpeted the entire planet. Warhound-class, Warlord-class, and even Warmaster-class Titans all fell. Living soldiers survived less than five minutes on the battlefield. In the heart of the fray, Primaris Space Marines who had served for centuries, or even a millennium, were vaporized. Only then did they manage a pyrrhic victory, repelling the Necrons.

Therefore, it was time to reveal the true world of the galaxy to these arrogant aliens of the Tau Empire.

"Commander! Requesting support."

"We have analyzed that the enemy's weapons are only effective against living organisms. Hold your ground! I am dispatching drones immediately."

"Static."

Hum!

Cyrus unsheathed his chainsword.

He tore through the alien's combat armor and flesh alike.

The armor, mixed with alien skull fragments, was crushed into pulp by the Astartes behind him.

The battlefield was fair; it gave no one a second chance.

To underestimate the enemy was to pay the price with one's life.

Despite having a company of soldiers and a company of Stinger Bees and Drones as auxiliary units, the Tau Empire felt an illusion of being surrounded by the mere handful of humans before them.

What blasphemy!

Had they betrayed the glory of the Greater Good?

Vulkan had already lost himself to the frenzy.

Seeing these guys finally land, he no longer had to be kited by them.

"Finally, you've come down."

"Repent! Scum!"

"Burn away your lives in the Emperor's wrath!"

The melta gun fire from behind him pierced the Drones, melting their shield-form counterparts and clearing a path for him.

Flames erupted from his flanks, incinerating the Stinger Bees in front of him and blocking their assassination attempts.

"Burn! Xenos!"

Vulkan's thunder hammer crushed a Stinger Bee, causing it to explode in a spray of grotesque gore in mid-air.

"Atone for your sins in the fury of a Primarch!"

"For the glory of the Emperor!"

"For the future of the Empire!"

"Xenos! Look at me!"

Vulkan held his thunder hammer high.

Even the Tau Empire's VX8 Crisis Battlesuits could not withstand a single strike from his hammer.

Lasers deflected off his armor, the radiation from neutron weapons could not paralyze his will, and even plasma beams that breached his shell could not stop him from charging into the enemy ranks.

He was like a steel blade, alone, piercing the enemy's gut.

No matter how elite the Fire Warriors were.

In front of a true son of the Lord of Fire Dragons, they could not shine even as brightly as a firefly.

His teammates behind him were left far behind, drowned in the sea of the Tau Empire. The Emperor's gaze seemed to be fixed upon him, calling, "Vulkan," "Vulkan."

"Is this guy crazy?"

"His power armor is shattered, yet he keeps charging at us. Is he not afraid of death?"

"What kind of will is driving him to attack us?"

"We can't stop him, he's too terrifying!"

"Do not fear the enemy's ferocity, Fire Warriors! For the glory of the Greater Good, for the honor of the Fire Caste! Though the enemy is strong, I shall advance."

His power armor was pierced by their searing plasma beams.

But the eyes of the Salamander wielding the thunder hammer burned with the color of fire.

Wounds on the body could never break a warrior with an iron will.

The loyal Salamander 'burned' with the will inherited from his gene-father, the Lord of Fire Dragons.

Though these Fire Warriors were afraid, they fought for their empire just the same.

They fought for their truth, for the Greater Good.

Death would not stop them.

It would only drive them to push their wisdom and combat skills to the absolute limit.

Fight!

Fight!

Only fight!

Only the living were permitted to control the resources of this planet.

Only the living were worthy of leading their race toward the future of the universe.

This was not a personal dispute.

It was a war of races.

There was no right or wrong.

Only victory or defeat.

On the warship.

The commander watched the brutal slaughter. It was no longer a conquest; it was a pool of flesh, a meat grinder. He gripped his hands tightly.

Behind him, the cold machine spoke emotionlessly:

"We have lost."

"Commander Tarian, we cannot take this planet."

"If I call in another regiment, I can take it."

"Commander Tarian!!! The homeworld will not allow you to do so. Furthermore, we have spent nearly two months on this planet. Our supplies are insufficient; we must return."

"."

Give up?

Was he willing?

The Tau Empire had sacrificed so many people, and yet this planet remained unconquered. How could he face returning?

But...

Continuing to send those battlesuits down would only result in them being killed by that sniper.

And sending drones would not pacify this world.

Tarian had originally thought this was a simple expedition to take a small world, never expecting to bite into such a hard bone.

First, there was Ozrax, where they encountered a mysterious force that cost them a vast number of Wasp-men.

Then, there were the two planets adjacent to Ozrax.

These two fortress worlds were the key gateways into their Tau Empire. He had thought he could easily manipulate them, overthrow their regimes, and incorporate them into the Tau Empire's territory.

As a result, the sudden appearance of the "iron cans" had ruined his well-laid plans.

Just as they had formulated a targeted offensive, another batch of mysterious iron cans appeared.

So many had died, yet he could not take these two worlds.

This marked his expedition as a complete failure.

"Commander, make your decision!"

"You are right." Tarian took a deep breath, struggling to regain his composure. As a commander of the Tau Empire, he allowed himself to make mistakes, but he could not make them repeatedly. He no longer had the strength to take this world.

"I will withdraw the troops."

If he didn't take it this time, he could come back next time. But continuing to drag this out was meaningless. The Fire Caste would never provide him with reinforcements if they knew he couldn't take a small planet.

I don't want this planet anymore; I'll go take the one next to it, fine?

"However, when I return next time, I will bring more legions. Rita, mark this planet as my shame. We will remember those comrades, brothers-in-arms, and brothers who sacrificed for the Empire. When I complete my trials and inherit the honor of the Fire Caste, I will return. I will bring my men and wash away this disgrace."

The high-level Drone's red camera lit up. "Your decision is absolutely correct."

On the ground.

The Tau Empire's forces 'sounded the horn of retreat' and began a large-scale withdrawal.

Those on the battlefield also received the order to retreat.

But for those engaged with the Astartes, they had no chance to escape.

Unless they split off a portion of their forces to act as cannon fodder, covering the retreat of the others.

"Sacrifice has meaning. I and my Drones will stay behind to block the enemy and cover your retreat."

"You must leave immediately. This is an order."

"For the Greater Good, remember everything about us."

"The Greater Good will remember everything about you."

Some Fire Warriors had already summoned the courage to die, making the resolve to perish.

After deciding who would leave and who would stay, the Tau soldiers displayed their final ferocity.

"They are retreating."

"They have abandoned this planet."

First: No secrets are allowed within the Legion.

Second: The Imperial Truth is higher than the Ecclesiarchy.

Third: The will of the Corpse-Emperor will eventually be implemented.

Fourth: Although Astartes and Custodes are mutants, they are mutants who can be trusted.

Fifth: For the Empire! Waaaaaagh!