Samus Has Arrived

Kexier's fractured spine was growing wildly, twisting and spreading. Its plate-like ribs cracked open, spreading proudly like an eagle's wings, and its internal organs transformed into indescribable objects that attached themselves to the bones.

Its mass was increasing rapidly, and this mass came from the Empyrean. Physical laws were distorted here, and the power of the Warp arrived in the real world through souls and death.

Ventanous and the others quickly retreated, realizing their mistake. The Word Bearer's surrender was a trap.

He had come to die, and his death would awaken something more terrifying. Their impulsiveness had allowed the enemy's plan to succeed.

Kexier's death formed the final link in the ritual. Its own flesh and blood became the sacrifice, bringing a being from the Empyrean into the real world.

That thing took root within its remains and continuously shaped itself.

A monster emerged from the Word Bearer's corpse. The residual flesh and blood proliferated and mutated, fine scales and dense fur covering the monster's body. A new, massive head stretched out, with meters-long horns piercing its forehead, like the bull-headed demons of ancient myths.

Accompanied by laughter like the roar of artillery, a large swarm of buzzing flies and insects surged from the distant sky. They swirled like a green sandstorm, chanting a name in unison—Samus.

"Samus! Samus is here!"

Those who witnessed the Word Bearer's transformation had no time to stop it. The unholy power from the Empyrean distorted the concept of time; it could have been minutes or mere moments.

Loci's heart pounded. He could hear the blood rushing through his veins, his ears seeming to be covered by something, allowing him to hear only an evil shriek.

Only one name remained: Samus.

It was a Demon, more terrifying than any they had encountered before.

The moment Loci saw it, he understood its essence. It was a projection of a loathsome creature from the Warp into the real world. Perhaps such a thing could be called a Greater Daemon.

Faced with this monster that only appeared in nightmares, even a veteran like Ventanus felt his limbs stiffen. A form of mental suppression disturbed their will, instilling a sense of dread.

The demon's slippery, fleshy claws swiped casually, sending the four Ultramarines guarding Kexier flying. One warrior, bearing the brunt of the impact, was torn apart, armor and all, flesh and blood splattering. This also awakened the others.

All weapons—bolters, lasguns, plasma, and even micro-missiles—poured down like rain onto the demon named Samus. But the moment they made contact, a strange psychic energy greatly weakened the attacks. It was as if it had taken no damage at all as Samus roared and charged forward.

Its target was clear.

"It wants to take this mortal, take him away!"

Ventanous instantly grasped the demon's intent. This demon was heading straight for Loci. It moved like a grounded bat, appearing comical yet incredibly fast.

Even the visual acuity of a Space Marine could barely track its movement.

"Samus means end and death. Samus surrounds you. Samus will crush your bones. Beware! Samus is coming!"

An incredibly terrifying malice assaulted Loci's consciousness. His vision went dark, and he was scooped up by an Ultramarine, who then charged backward with him.

Ventanous and Surus charged at the demon, breaking into a run. Their power swords flashed with the cold light of their disintegration fields, and the next moment, the sword light reached the demon, plunging deep into its body.

The demon finally noticed these cobalt-blue cans attacking it. They were so small, like frail infants compared to Samus.

It pushed over the wall of the Omnissiah's Archive. Pure physical strength was enough to destroy these sturdy structures. Its massive wings sent Surus flying backward, crashing deep into the turf, his armor cracking and disintegrating.

Auxiliary forces brought larger equipment. A Shadowsword tank crushed the collapsed wall. Its massive, hundred-ton body then rammed through the gate, and its large-caliber Vulkan Cannon began to charge.

The hum of accumulating energy grew more intense. The next moment, the dense fog was pierced, and the scorching Vulkan Cannon beam struck Samus's head, but it did not penetrate.

Samus finally let out its first roar since the engagement began. Black smoke drifted from its head, its flesh scorched and steaming. Deeper organs seemed to have been damaged.

This was an attack capable of destroying a super-heavy tank, a Dreadblade!

The demon roared and shifted its target. It was like a small mountain, destroying everything in its path, heading directly for the Shadowsword tank.

The super-heavy tank was attempting to recharge, but its notoriously slow rate of fire became a fatal weakness at this moment. Samus arrived. Its massive claws gripped the tank's side armor, and the sharp tips tore through large sections of metal as if piercing butter.

Samus roared. Theoretically, no creature should be able to flip a 300-ton Shadowsword tank with its bare hands, but this incredible feat was happening now.

The demon lifted the tank off the ground. The turf below was completely destroyed by its massive footprints and the tank's treads. The Shadowsword's engines fought back, its roaring reactor outputting all its energy, the cannon barrel turning to fire at point-blank range.

However, its intelligence was greater than expected. Samus slammed a claw onto the Shadowsword's cannon barrel. The immense brute force instantly snapped the internal drive shafts and mechanical systems. The Shadowsword tank slumped powerlessly, as if its spine had been broken.

Ventanous ran, leaping onto the toppled buildings, constantly raising his elevation. When he reached a height close to the demon's head, he leaped.

The demon's fur- and scale-covered neck was before him. Ventanus was left with only Kexier's ritual dagger, which he had captured earlier. Without hesitation, he plunged the dagger down, gripping the handle with both hands and driving it into Samus with all his might.

It was so small, but Samus's roar turned into a wail. The ritual dagger inflicted immense, unbearable damage.

Its flesh dissolved. The obsidian-sheened dagger should not have been this sharp, but it was.

Ventanous held the dagger, allowing gravity to pull his body down. With the dagger, he slid from Samus's head to its abdomen. It finally collapsed onto the ground.

Samus stared deeply at Loci and Ventanus. Then, its mountain-like body rapidly dissolved, like an iceberg under a scorching sun, leaving only some indescribable tiny fragments.

Rain poured down like a deluge. Ventanus, like a hero from myth who had defeated a monster, let the rain wash away the filthy liquid on his armor.

"I think we need these witch-crafted weapons. They are very effective against demons," Loci said, standing beside Ventanus.

"This is just a temporary solution. They contain dangerous power," Ventanus said calmly, examining the dagger radiating unholy energy in his hand.

"Now we need to rendezvous with the Glory of Macragge. The orbital platform's weapon arrays must be retaken."

Ventanous led the remaining Ultramarines back inside the Omnissiah's Archive. The Word Bearers in this area could no longer form any large-scale attacks. It was time to rejoin the Legion.

"I'll handle the rest," Loci said.

Hundreds of Ultramarines stood in neat formation on the open ground in front of the Omnissiah's Archive. The auxiliary forces were left on the surface; they were not suited for combat in space.

Loci summoned the Red Alert from low Earth orbit. The starship released a teleportation beam. When the light vanished, the Ultramarines and Loci had disappeared from their location.