In the Shattered Canyon, before the smoke from the second explosion had even cleared, the first wave of Ice Strider Cavalry charged.
The Snow Claw Clan's tactics were clearly meticulously planned.
The avalanches on both sides of the canyon can kill most soldiers outside of vehicles, and also disable most heavy vehicles in the deep snow and boulders.
The Leman Russ Russ and Chimera troop carriers were buried under deep snow, making them difficult to move.
Only a few dozen Sentinel Walker could barely maintain mobility due to their leg structure.
However, being unable to maneuver does not equate to a complete loss of combat capability.
"All vehicles, fire freely!" The order was transmitted instantly through the tactical network.
More than a thousand vehicles capable of attacking cavalry opened fire simultaneously.
The turret rotates, and the gun barrel lowers.
The next second, the massive steel behemoth spewed deadly flames from its mouth.
The rapid-fire laser cannons and Heavy Bolter swept down the entire row of Ice Strider, the laser array weaving into a deadly net of light.
The charging cavalry were like snowflakes rushing into boiling water; the front ranks evaporated instantly, while the rest continued to charge forward due to inertia, only to be turned into mincemeat in the next volley.
A charge of 100,000 men lost more than half of its men within three minutes.
But they were too fast; the Ice Strider raced across the snow at speeds exceeding eighty kilometers per hour.
Using the corpses of the first wave as cover, the second wave of cavalry forcefully broke through the area of fire.
"Contact the enemy!"
PDF infantrymen raise their riot shields and nock their bayonets.
Some of the elite cavalrymen were even carrying powered spears, and some soldiers guessed what was going on.
The cavalrymen, clad in white fur armor, crashed into the battle line like an avalanche.
Even though the Imperial Army had already lost 40 percent of its strength before the battle even began, it did not collapse.
They were Lynn's bodyguard, 40,000 of whom were elite soldiers personally trained by Carter.
Even in dire circumstances, they maintained their disciplined formation.
"Let these traitors feel the Emperor's wrath!!!"
Lynn strode forward, his voice echoing across the battlefield through the Power Armour's speakers.
He walked to the overturned Chimera, its deep blue Power Armour plating standing out against the snow.
The Power Sword was drawn, and the hum activated by the decomposition force field drowned out the sound of the wind.
"For the Brevis Vanguard, charge!"
He jumped off the vehicle and charged into the enemy ranks.
The movements are simple, efficient, and without any unnecessary frills.
He dodged the thrusting power spear to the side, then cleaved the beast in two with the force of Power Sword.
He turned and slashed horizontally, severing the forelegs of all three Ice Strider.
He then twisted his body and exerted force, cutting the three savages who had fallen from the Ice Strider in half at the waist.
Ever since receiving that gaze at the Ecclesiarchy Cathedral, Lynn could feel some changes in his body.
The speed of neural reaction, muscle strength, and dynamic vision have all surpassed human limits.
With the added benefits of close-fitting bionic armor and Power Armour, he felt that his current combat power was even stronger than that of an ordinary Astartes.
Dozens of cavalrymen surrounded and attacked Lynn from all sides.
Lynn did not back down; he continued forward.
His current level of control over his body is unimaginable; he can perfectly replicate almost any movement he imagines.
He brandished his Power Sword and spun around in place, the blue disintegration field transforming into a death storm.
" Bladestorm!"
Thirty seconds later, dozens of corpses lay on the ground.
Occasionally, a few cavalrymen would slip through the Ogryn Guard's lines and pounce on Lynn from a blind spot.
But just as they were about to succeed, they would inexplicably disintegrate, their bodies shattering into neat chunks of flesh.
Ogryn, who temporarily replaced Doudou, raised the military flag and followed behind Lynn.
On the deep blue flag, a golden Aquila gleamed.
He planted a ten-meter-high flagpole into the frozen ground, and the flag fluttered in the strong wind.
The soldiers in the distance saw it.
They saw the governor at the front line, and the military flag standing tall and unyielding.
"For the Governor!!!" Morale erupted in the face of desperation.
The previously crumbling defensive line was stabilized once again, and the soldiers used bayonets, entrenching tools, and shields to hold back the cavalry charge.
The first wave of 100,000 cavalry was annihilated within fifteen minutes.
The battlefield fell silent for a moment, save for the groans of the wounded and the whirring of vehicle engines.
Lynn stood leaning on his sword, the bloodstains on his Power Armour freezing into frost.
He surveyed the battlefield; fewer than 10,000 soldiers were still standing, and most of the vehicles were still stuck deep in the snow.
Gus's voice came through the headphones, filled with anxiety:
"Sir, the reconnaissance drones are transmitting images; at least a million cavalry are closing in on us. The nearest reinforcements are two hours away."
"Since the second cavalry charge hasn't arrived yet, why don't you retreat first?"
At that moment, a PDF officer also came to Lynn's side. "Governor, please take this side path."
Lynn did not respond to them, but simply raised his head and looked up at the northern sky.
The wind and snow were heavy, and the dark clouds hung low.
But he could sense that familiar aura rapidly approaching.
Getting closer and closer.
He spoke calmly into the communication channel:
"I am the Planetary Governor and the commander of the Vanguard. If we retreat after the first battle, how can we fight the subsequent battles?"
Gus was about to say something when Lynn abruptly ended the communication.
He looked at the regrouping troops and raised his voice:
"Prepare ammunition, treat the wounded, and prepare for the next wave of attack."
Meanwhile, the Snow Claw Clan's cavalry army was advancing at full speed.
The young chieftain Larry rode atop an exceptionally powerful Ice Strider. He was only twenty-four years old, but his face was covered with scars from battle.
Three months ago, he became one of the many war chiefs of the Snow Claw Clan.
Today, he will use the head of this new governor to mark the beginning of his legendary career.
"Accelerate!" He raised the power spear.
"Before sunset, I'll make a wine glass from that governor's skull!"
The cavalry surge accelerated once again.
Just then, Larry suddenly felt a pang of heart palpitation.
That's the feeling of a weak prey being targeted by the most powerful predator, like having thorns in its back.
He looked up abruptly, and the dark clouds seemed to have been torn apart.
The storm in the sky was violently torn open by something.
Dozens of dark figures swooped down from the crevice, moving so fast that he could only see blurry afterimages.
The speed was so high that you could even see the exhaust fumes from the burning air.
Like a meteor shower streaking across the sky.
What is that?
Imperium flying vehicles?
No, they are alive!
Larry's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Disperse..."
He wanted to shout "Scatter," but the second word remained stuck in his throat forever.
Because the first dark shadow had already passed him.
The young war chieftain was reduced to a blurry mass of flesh and blood, scattered across the snow.
Other dark-image meteorites crashed into the snowfield with a deafening roar, impacting all objects within a 50-meter radius of the point of impact.
The Ice Strider and savages were all blasted into dust.
Blood, flesh, and bone fragments splattered outwards in a radial pattern, reaching distances over a hundred meters.
More than forty dark figures crashed into the cavalry army one after another, each landing resulting in a bloody massacre.
Finally, someone saw through their true nature.
That is...
dragon?