Takidin caught Saolis's victory out of the corner of his eye.
A reversal in the blink of an eye, a killing blow delivered with almost cruel composure.
He silently approved. As expected of a brother from the Seventeenth Legion, that precision and decisiveness under desperate circumstances were truly extraordinary.
At the same time, the enormous Power Scimitar in his hands suddenly moved faster.
Its blade wove a dark golden web of death through the dim passage, slashing, parrying, thrusting. Every collision with an enemy weapon sent dazzling sparks flying amid piercing shrieks.
The two Rangdan Overlords before him were clearly stronger than the ordinary Rangdan Overlords they had faced earlier, but their real threat lay in their seamless, almost instinctive coordination.
One spear, one blade, alternating attack and defense in perfect harmony.
Whenever Takidin or a guardsman's fierce assault forced one to block or dodge, the other invariably launched a lethal ambush from the most treacherous, least defensible angle, forcing the attacker to defend and relieving the pressure on its companion.
Their movements were swift and vicious, and the Force Field and shock waves enveloping their weapons posed a genuine threat even to Terminator Armour.
Although the guardsmen were formidable individually, they could not immediately find an effective opening against such exquisite coordination. The battle briefly reached a stalemate, with only sparks from clashing blades and the scrape of armour echoing through the narrow space.
Of course, they were only "a little stronger."
The Primarch Guard had not earned its reputation for nothing.
After the initial probing attacks, Takidin saw how they worked.
Amid the fierce exchange, he adjusted their formation with a few barely perceptible gestures and clipped commands.
The guardsmen understood immediately and began deliberately maneuvering, pressing in, and drawing the enemy out.
A seemingly dangerous feint forced