At the Research Station.
"We've detected several more different psychic energies. They seem similar to the ones from before."
"But analyzing these energies is still difficult. I'm afraid we'll need to run the Synapse Condenser at full power for an entire year before we can fully understand them."
"We're so useless."
"When will we finally achieve our great ambition?"
"We need more planets. We'll build more Synapse Condensers on more planets. We'll build a whole world of Synapse Condensers."
"Exactly!"
"It's all the heretics' fault. If there weren't so many heretics, we could focus on our research in peace. When will we finally wipe them all out?"
"The weapons we've developed aren't efficient enough at killing heretics."
"We need to develop more efficient weapons for killing heretics."
On the ground.
A holy radiance shone from Cisrain's silver-cloaked Power Armor.
The Astra Militarum's remaining troops watched the scene, and nearly all of them grew excited.
"A Living Saint!"
"Praise the Emperor!"
Nothing could stir and reassure them more than seeing holy light shine from him with their own eyes.
The great Emperor had descended among them once again.
They would fight alongside the Emperor once more.
This was the Emperor himself revealing his presence.
"For the Emperor!"
"For the Emperor!"
The people of Gamma World weren't as devout as the soldiers, but the miracle surrounding the governor reminded them of the stories they'd heard about him saving Gamma World, and of the stories their children had learned in school.
But there was no time to reminisce. The terrifying enemy was already bearing down on them, and the time had come once more to prove their loyalty.
"Humanity first! Open fire! Destroy the enemy!"
"Destroy the heretics!"
"Provide covering fire with everything you've got!"
Brown's short little legs leaped down from the top of the wall.
Brown's Power Armor made him look like a little potato, but its technology was every bit as advanced as Cisrain's, and its functions were even more comprehensive.
Six Gauss Weapons sprang to life on Brown's armor.
They formed a Gauss Cannon turret.
There was no point in simply holding the line. Only by clearing away the Chaos creatures closing in on Lord Cisrain would the governor be safe.
"Sir Brown!"
"Don't worry about me. Protect the governor. I've already backed up my data. Begin scanning."
"..."
Across the battlefield, the Space Marines in the Chaos Warband made no attempt to dodge the storm of bullets.
Those mortals' bullets might hurt the thralls and cultists, but against these Chaos Space Marines, clad in Power Armor and resembling living gods of war, they were no more threatening than the blood that would soon drip onto their armor.
A Chaos Space Marine kept charging despite the Astra Militarum's armor-piercing rounds.
The Astra Militarum's bullets couldn't leave so much as a dent in their hard Ceramite Power Armor. They didn't even need to dodge. They charged through the gunfire, intent on filling their enemies with despair and fear.
"I am your despair! Hahahaha!"
Then—
An axe came crashing down.
The Chaos Space Marine, who had been eager to revel in a bloody slaughter, saw only the final moment of the axe's descent—and the radiance of a sun that threatened to sear his soul.
"False Emperor, no—"
The Chaos Space Marine was cleaved in two from head to toe.
The all-around enhancements granted by his genetic ascension made Cisrain stronger than even a Primaris Space Marine. No one knew the limits of his strength.
He kicked the corpse away.
Cisrain tightened his grip on the axe and swung again, clearing a wide empty space around him.
He had to hold the front line on this battlefield. No one else could stop the Chaos Space Marines. And even he couldn't hold back so many of them alone. There was only one of him, and he could only hold one position against the forces of Chaos.
Whoosh!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Across the battlefield—
More Chaos Drop Pods kept falling from the sky.
Ozrax's inadequate anti-air defenses couldn't stop the warband from bringing in more Chaos warriors.
The hatches opened. The Chaos warriors stepped onto the scorched earth, their blood surging as they eagerly rushed to break through the defensive line and revel in the Blood God's slaughter.
Humans in light armor appeared along the defensive line.
They clutched Gauss Rifles and took up positions at the front.
There were many of them, and they gradually replaced the mortals on the line.
They only had to pull the triggers to fire beams of green light.
The Chaos Space Marines across from them merely sneered.
The faint green glow didn't look threatening.
They didn't even bother to dodge.
Humm!
Humm! Humm! Humm!
Cold green rays shot from the barrels of the Gauss Laser Rifles, reaching a hundred meters.
The green light struck a Chaos thrall. It didn't explode or blast the thrall apart.
But the spot where it hit began to disintegrate at a visible rate.
A Chaos Space Marine stood firm against the Gauss Ray. His once-prized, durable Power Armor was useless against the enemy's beam, and his arm began to disappear before his eyes.
"What kind of weapon is this?"
Before he could react, another Gauss Ray struck his thigh.
The point of impact was instantly erased from the physical world by a powerful disintegration field.
Meanwhile, the mortals across from them advanced.
A Chaos Space Marine had been hit in the leg, and it vanished in green light along with his Power Armor. He hadn't been chosen by the Four Gods or ascended into a daemon. Once it disappeared, it was truly gone from the physical world.
"No!"
"Damn mortals! I'll break your spines!"
Humm!
Humm, humm, humm!
Another wave of green light swept over them.
The Chaos Space Marines were pierced through the chest by the mortals' beams.
The green light spread. Everywhere it passed, the bonds linking molecules snapped, reducing them to the smallest units of matter found in nature.
More than seventy beams of green light formed barriers of death across the battlefield, sweeping everything before them. Even the Chaos Space Marines were no exception.
And those seventy-odd beams of green light weren't the limit of their power. They were the limit of the production line. If they could produce enough, they could even hold off the Tyranids.
"Destroy them!"
There hadn't been enough time. All they could do was modify the Necron weapons they'd dug out of a Necron tomb for immediate use. They couldn't set up an entire production line to manufacture Gauss Rifles.
The Chaos Space Marines had caught on, too. They weren't stupid. They'd charged through the bullets earlier because they thought the enemy's rounds couldn't hurt them. They'd wanted to make their foes despair by shrugging off the bullets, but instead, they'd become corpses beneath the guns.
"Mortal fools, you've angered us!"
"I'll torture every last one of you to death."
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
The Chaos Space Marines raised their carbines and fired at the mortals.
They roared in fury as they cut down the ones firing green beams into their ranks.
One corpse after another fell.
One Clone after another came back to life.
[Resurrection Protocol initiated] [Holy Baptism.] [Complete] [Humanity First]
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