Only Victory

Powerful firepower surged toward the Chaos Space Marine.

An eruption of furious green Gauss Rays engulfed the Chaos Space Marine who had descended from the drop pod, erasing his body entirely from the physical universe.

"When the Imperium has need of us, we are all but currency for the Emperor."

"For the Emperor!"

"For humanity!"

Boom!

Boom! Boom!

Many chose to perish alongside their enemies.

They only hoped that by sacrificing their lives, they could buy their comrades the chance to fire one more shot.

That shot was not for themselves.

It was for human civilization, for the future of humanity—a bullet fired toward tomorrow.

"Humanity above all!"

"For the Emperor!"

Boom!

The sound of explosions.

The roar of battle continued to echo.

The strength of the enemy only served to highlight their own unbreakable, iron will.

"Die!!!!"

"All of you, die, you bastards!!!"

This was a battlefield, not a game.

Some could be resurrected, but others would lose everything in an instant.

Yet even after losing everything, men still stepped forward, one after another, using their lives to wipe away the humiliation written by human traitors.

War makes one grow.

At the defensive line, a soldier clutched a machine gun, eyes bloodshot, teeth gritted, roaring as he fired bullets infused with loyalty at the unkillable Chaos Space Marines.

Inside the perimeter, others fought desperately to purge the Chaos forces that had breached the line, creating openings for their comrades to strike back.

In the church, the tremors outside could not disturb their prayers.

Inside the factory, workers hiding in the shadows watched with wide eyes. Seeing soldier after soldier fall, some finally summoned the courage to pick up dropped rifles.

Some stood up; others remained in hiding.

This world did not need a single savior; it needed everyone to become a savior.

"Fight!"

Countless people charged forward, wave after wave, toward an invincible enemy, as if they would fight until the very last.

This war was bloodier and more brutal than any conflict the Gamma World had ever endured.

Cold bullets made no distinction between friend and foe.

They would strike down every man left standing.

At this moment, there was no surrender, only victory.

"Hold the line! We must hold until reinforcements arrive!"

No one knew when reinforcements would arrive.

Just as the Astra Militarum waited for the Imperium's aid, they had to hold back the enemy until that help arrived.

"Hold the line!"

Drop pods continued to descend from the sky.

In space.

The warships of the Chaos Warband were offloading countless fanatical traitors, like dumping endless refuse onto the planet, constantly polluting its original colors.

The soldiers of the Gamma World and the planet's resistance had temporarily stalled the traitors' invasion.

But the number of rebels continued to rise.

"Chapter Master Siles, there is a troublesome fellow down there. He has killed quite a few of the Dragon Warriors in our warband."

"..."

Ozrax was their backyard.

And now, the insects in the backyard were killing them, the masters.

Moreover, among them was an 'Astartes' wreathed in radiance.

This caused a ripple in his heart.

He, too, had once protected everything behind him like that, but what was the result?

He had once fought desperately on a Chaos-polluted planet to save a little girl, but because the tithe had not been paid, the Imperium enforced a decimation. She was the one chosen to die.

And he...

He was the one who had carried out the order with his own hands.

Was this what the Imperium wanted?

The Imperium's massive, soul-crushing system—which drove both enemies and its own people to despair—could not be changed. Everything he did was meaningless.

Thus, in the depths of self-reproach and endless regret, he heard a voice. He heard the Chaos Gods answering him. The Emperor had not answered, but the Gods had.

It was not that he had embraced Chaos; it was that the Emperor had abandoned him.

Now, seeing his former self in Cisrain, he hated the Imperium and Cisrain all the more.

"Hypocritical Imperium. Its existence disgusts me, and the light it carries makes me hate it even more."

"Launch a near-orbit bombardment. Destroy everything they have. I will go kill him myself."

Just like that time, he would 'kill' himself once again.

Siles had once been recruited by a Salamander Librarian who had turned to Chaos, but his philosophy differed. The other was purely evil; their malice was like the benevolence of the Lord of Fire Dragons. They sought to ravage the entire hypocritical Imperium, while he sought to destroy it. These were vastly different choices.

If he met that fellow again, he would kill him just the same.

On the Oceanic Planet.

The Salamanders charged at the enemy, braving their scorching fire.

They did not have the luxury of time to play games of offense and defense. They needed to destroy the control room and cripple the battleship's engines quickly.

"Captain, the message has been received."

"Inform the Blood Raven Chapter that the Captain has already taken his men back. We will not have other reinforcements for the time being."

"It is indeed the optimal solution. This way, we have more time to use more effective methods to crush the xenos' offensive." The Salamander Techmarine nodded. If possible, they would have liked to steal the battleship, but they could not let the enemy leave.

The Tau Empire's battleship still held the enemy commander; who knew if letting them go would invite a counterattack from the Tau Empire?

On the other side, Cyrus's squad also received the news.

"The Salamander Captain, Vulkan, has taken his men back to support Ozrax."

Yalta nodded. "This is the best way. We cannot take the battleship at maximum speed right now. Rather than letting them sit idle on the research ship, it is better to have them return; perhaps they can help. Captain, did Talon go back as well?"

"Talon went back with them. It is more appropriate for him to provide support." Cyrus nodded, his expression remaining grave. After all, they were facing a full chapter of Chaos Space Marines. However, to keep the team calm, he looked at them. "Everyone, continue the mission. We have no reinforcements, but the enemy might still receive theirs. Therefore, we will stick to the original plan and take this ship as quickly as possible. Even if we cannot take it, we must destroy it. We cannot let a single enemy escape."

"Yes, Captain!"

"Yes, Captain!"

They were no longer as desperate to seize the ship as they had been before.

In other words, they could now use their most efficient tactics to take down the enemy.

On the Tau Empire's side.

The enemy's attack frequency had been high, and they had been breaking through quickly.

But the sudden halt of the enemy made them nervous.

"They are brewing some conspiracy."

"Whatever the conspiracy, their target is the control room."

Outside the control room, Tarian had established a total blockade, firmly holding the initiative in range. In such narrow corridors, only one Astartes warrior could pass at a time. To take the control room, they would have to charge in while braving a hail of bullets.

Close-quarters combat was out of the question.

If they were engaged in melee, they would be slaughtered one-sidedly, even if they wore Crisis Battlesuits. Stronger battlesuits could not exert their power inside the ship.

In the starry sky.

A white research ship sailed at maximum speed.

"Faster."

"Faster."