The violent Warp Rift expanded with terrifying force, cutting through the middle of the Ancient Ship and splitting the star-system-sized behemoth in two.
The power of the Empyrean dealt a devastating blow to both sides in the battle. Chaos Daemons manifested in vast numbers, throwing the human forces into disarray.
"Get up! Keep attacking!"
Horus shot the mortal officer beside him, who had already transformed into a Chaos Spawn, then hauled Naruf to his feet while his head was still ringing.
As the barrier of reality weakened, hordes of warp daemons appeared directly inside the Ancient Ship, dealing another crushing blow to the Tyranid Hive.
The Hive Tyrant tried to reorganize the defenses, but the opening of the Warp Rift had thrown the entire Tyranid Swarm into chaos.
Countless Tyranids went utterly berserk, and some even began attacking friend and foe alike.
Most absurdly, some of the Tyranids seemed to have suddenly seen the light. They shouted "For the God-Emperor!" while trying to move toward the human forces.
The human forces they were trying to approach, however, shouted "Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
Then the two sides went right back to fighting.
Horus was not about to squander this heaven-sent opportunity. He gathered the troops who were still sane and rushed toward the remaining demolition sites.
Outside in space, the Tyranid bioships and human warships both eased their attacks on one another and began dealing with the daemons boarding their vessels.
Just then, the Warp Rift flickered, and a battered Battle Barge suddenly burst out.
The Battle Barge was severely damaged. There were still unrepaired breaches in its outer armor, and even its main guns could no longer fire.
The heraldry displayed on the warship was unmistakable: a red heart against a black-and-white background, with