The Word Bearers Arrive

"Traitors are not alone; the Warmaster has also turned his back on your Emperor. He has already annihilated three Loyalist Legions in the Istvan System," Loci stated the grim truth, appearing in the projection as well.

"Horus... I understand."

Guilliman didn't question who this mortal appearing out of nowhere was; now was not the time to dwell on such things.

At this moment, gunfire could already be heard near the Omnissiah's Archive. The roar of artillery and the crash of debris were distinct, and the Primarch immediately recognized the approaching danger.

"When this disgraceful betrayal is over, I will welcome you aboard my flagship."

Not just on the surface, but the Word Bearers' fleet had also finally emerged from the system's Mandeville Point. The first warship suddenly opened fire.

That battleship, named the False Emperor, unleashed all its lance weapons upon the gradually reacting fleet, followed by the Crown of Colchis, the Pure Flame, and the Hand of Fate.

The sudden outbreak of space combat forced the communication to terminate. Ventanus continued to relay the news of the Word Bearers' betrayal to all other reachable warships.

"Leave the space battle to them; we'll handle the enemies on the ground." Ventanus picked up his bolter and led the Ultramarines out of the underground bunker.

"We are also Sons of Vengeance, for Ferrus!"

Vilander and the other Iron Hands, who could no longer contain their burning desire for vengeance, roared and charged out of the bunker.

Unlike their battered state after the hard fighting on Istvan, these Iron Hands, having received equipment resupply, each carried terrifyingly potent firepower.

Plasma weapons comparable to vehicle-grade armaments, hundreds of micro-nuclear missiles carried by their power armor, and even more powerful, longer-ranged, and explosive bolter firearms.

Amidst the ruins surrounding the Omnissiah's Archive, a large group of peculiar and frenzied mortal soldiers were indulging their bestial urges.

They paid no heed to the terrifying debris still falling from the sky, cheering and laughing as they slaughtered survivors with rifles, pistols, knives, and even spears.

Rather than mortal soldiers, they could be called frenzied cultists. These lunatics of the Seventeenth Legion howled as they plunged spears into the abdomen of a dismembered Numinus soldier. After he fell in agony, they swarmed him, screaming as they twisted their spears and blades, inflicting more pain.

They continuously fired, knocking down civilians with their firearms before brutally killing them with their respective blades, as if providing horrific sacrifices to satisfy some ritual.

"Bang!"

The sound of a bolter firing echoed. Several of the cultists engaged in slaughter instantly exploded, their mangled remains scattering amidst a rain of blood.

The Ultramarines had arrived. Ventanus led his warriors in precisely picking off the enemy. Against bolters, these mortal auxiliaries were no different from paper; a hit to the body would shatter them completely.

A cultist resembling a leader, clutching a ritual dagger, was slitting the throat of a wounded soldier. This was an officer, and only his personal kill would hold meaning.

Without even seeing the attacker, he watched his subordinates explode one by one. The next second, his own upper body disintegrated, leaving only a severed hand still clutching the cherished ritual dagger as it fell unceremoniously to the ground.

"All enemies eliminated. Search for survivors."

Ventanus's helmet displayed that all red-marked targets had been killed, while the green targets still required rescue.

"Transport all survivors back to the Omnissiah's Archive; treatment equipment and supplies have been remotely teleported there. The rest of you, continue with me towards the port."

Ventanus's mind was focused solely on three things: eliminating the enemy, rescuing the wounded, and mustering the troops.

The Spaceport Director had mentioned some ancient equipment at the port that could be used, but with the replacements provided by Loci, their necessity had greatly diminished.

However, the port held more than just that; it contained a large number of mortal engineers and workers, as well as vast quantities of weapons and equipment awaiting loading.

The port's tower sat around Landing Platform 60, a natural defensive position. Thus, most of the port's survivors had gathered there to take shelter.

Fear and unease still lingered on everyone's faces. They didn't know what had happened; it was as if the sky had suddenly fallen, with starships in orbit crashing one after another onto the surface of Planet Kaos.

This shelter wasn't exactly safe, as debris continued to fall from the sky. If even a single piece landed here, everyone would be killed by the shockwave.

But it was better than nothing. The thick platform provided them with a false sense of security. They huddled together, seeking some form of unseen protection.

"Those are Space Marines! They've arrived!"

Suddenly, some of the refugees spotted Ventanus and his group. Dozens of Ultramarines made no attempt to hide themselves as they appeared beside the survivors.

The survivors had many questions, crying and pleading, wanting an answer as to what had happened on Kaos.

Ventanus removed his helmet and placed it at his waist, shouting, "War has come. There is no more time for explanations or delays. Everyone retreat in this direction; the Omnissiah's Archive has your shelter."

The crowd quickly moved away upon hearing this. Some helped each other, while others rushed away from the area as fast as they could.

"Sir, if you wish to explore this area further, we can offer assistance."

Several volunteers stepped forward. They chose not to leave, and Ventanus did not refuse, selecting two of them.

The Space Marines, accompanied by their mortal attendants and a few volunteers, entered the ruins. They reached the port's control tower, and the Space Marines dispersed, entering various rooms to search for any fortunate survivors.

Standing in a still-intact corridor and looking out, Ventanus saw vast swathes of facilities and transport containers engulfed in flames, with black smoke rising into the sky. The falling debris resembled meteors streaking across the sky, crashing to the ground with deafening roars.

The once-bustling port was now like hell.

Shouts came from below, from the volunteers. Ventanus saw three squads of Space Marines clad in red armor advancing towards the tower.

Those mortals didn't know what was happening.

Ventanus hesitated no longer. He quickly raised his bolter and, from his elevated position, fired several rapid shots, hitting and destroying the heads of two Word Bearers.

Space Marines in power armor were much sturdier than mortals. A bolter hit would only create a large hole rather than shatter them entirely. However, such injuries were still fatal.

The Word Bearers reacted with extreme speed. They didn't understand why the Ultramarines, who should have been unaware, had opened fire first, but it was clear they now knew the truth.

Both sides' bolters unleashed a furious barrage. Walls and equipment were torn apart, and the exploding metal and concrete were equally lethal. Everywhere, there were flying flames and storms of metal.

The Ultramarines and the Word Bearers engaged in close-quarters combat within the port.