"Boom, boom, boom!"
A series of muffled explosions rang out, and huge bursts of flame erupted across the mechanical body's surface.
"Trajann Valoris, stay calm. This will be a difficult battle."
A deep, muffled voice came from nearby.
An enormous figure appeared around the corner of a building.
"Dreadnought Vanguard Ruen!"
The Imperial Palace was vast, and the Adeptus Custodes had no desire to damage its buildings. As massive Dreadnought warriors, they had to detour around areas other warriors could pass through, taking longer routes to reach the fighting.
It was the Assault Cannon on Venerable Dreadnought Ruen's arm that had saved Trajann Valoris in the nick of time, just before Iax could cleave him diagonally in two.
With a caliber far larger than a Boltgun's, the Assault Cannon delivered tremendous kinetic force. The sudden explosions prevented the mechanical body from adjusting its dynamic Anti-gravity Module in time, successfully blasting it away.
The powerful rounds punched through the fragile shield protecting Iax's mechanical body.
Yet that hardly mattered to this body.
The shield was originally designed for Sentinels. Although the technology had been transplanted, this body was too small. Most of its power went toward moving the immensely heavy body made of neutron armour material and running the Anti-gravity Module.
But this mechanical body was also terrifyingly durable.
The Assault Cannon's rounds had inflicted virtually no actual damage, leaving only a few blast marks on its surface.
The mechanical body broke into a swift run, twirling the pale golden blade in its hand in an elegant flourish.
Before being interred in a Dreadnought, Ruen had been a Squad Leader in the Adeptus Custodes.
His combat skills were equally outstanding.
Not only that, he had ventured deep into the out-of-control Webway beneath the palace to fight for the Emperor.
It was