Chapter 173: Angels Descend!

Squeak—

A towering ratman warrior, over two meters tall and clad in heavy armor, strode onto the battlefield with an oppressive presence.

The surrounding ratmen squealed with excitement, lowering their heads and stepping aside to clear its path.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The ratman warrior advanced with heavy, deliberate steps toward the supply station's defensive line.

Bullets struck its thick armor, sparking harmlessly as they ricocheted off, unable to penetrate its defenses.

As it approached the line, the ratman warrior's speed increased.

"Focus fire on the high-threat target!"

The Tribunal's enhanced warriors immediately adjusted their aim, unleashing a barrage of firepower on the armored ratman warrior.

Bullets rained down like a storm, but the reinforced armor shrugged them off with ease.

Without heavy weaponry, breaking through such dense protection was nearly impossible.

Even the few rounds that managed to pierce its armor caused only superficial wounds, enraging the beast further.

Roar—

The ratman warrior bellowed, lowering its head and charging like a tank into the defensive line.

"Evade!"

The warriors scrambled for cover.

Boom!

The ratman warrior smashed through the barricades, sending debris flying and raising a cloud of dust.

"Ahhh!"

Screams echoed as the beast tore through the defenses.

When the dust settled, the ratman warrior stood, gripping an enhanced warrior in its massive claws. The unfortunate soldier had been impaled, blood streaming from his mouth.

Despite his fatal injuries, the warrior defiantly raised his weapon and fired a burst into the ratman warrior's helmet.

But the shots were useless; the thick, sealed helmet offered complete protection.

The ratman warrior sneered, tightening its grip.

"Humans... weak!"

The warrior let out an agonized scream as his comrades redoubled their fire, only to be cut down by a smaller ratman sneaking through the chaos.

With disdain, the ratman warrior discarded its victim, tossing the body aside like trash, and raised a massive spiked warhammer.

Thud!

The weapon came crashing down, reducing the fallen soldier to pulp.

Raising its blood-soaked hammer, the ratman warrior roared:

"Attack, my kin! Kill all humans!"

The remaining defenders felt a chill grip their hearts.

With no reinforcements in sight, trapped deep within the Underhive, they had no choice but to fight to the death.

Yet, deep down, a glimmer of hope remained.

According to the sacred Codex of Redemption, if they held the line and refused to yield, salvation would come.

The great Savior would send angels to deliver them from evil.

Someone shouted:

"Hold the line! Salvation will come—"

"For the Savior!"

The defenders rallied, forcing themselves to stand firm and continue the fight.

But the ratmen's assault grew fiercer. Led by the armored warrior, they breached the fireline and descended upon the trenches.

More and more defenders fell to the claws and weapons of the ratmen.

The ratman warrior, having broken through the defensive line, now charged toward the heart of the supply station.

Its keen senses picked up the scent of fresh, untainted meat—children.

To the ratmen, these young, unpolluted bodies were a rare delicacy.

Zap!

A searing laser struck the ratman warrior's armor, glowing faintly green upon impact.

But the shot failed to penetrate, leaving only a charred mark.

"Useless!"

The ratman warrior scoffed. The protective runes inscribed by its priests shielded its body from harm.

Swinging its hammer, it smashed aside any defenders in its path, leaving only mangled limbs and pools of blood.

Its target was clear—the cadets of the Loyalist Academy.

"Children, stay back!"

Deville, the Grand Inquisitor, stood protectively before the cadets.

The cadets represented the future of Urth, and the Codex of Redemption mandated their safety above all else.

Deville fired his plasma gun relentlessly, striking the ratman warrior multiple times. The intense heat melted parts of its armor, scorching the flesh beneath.

The beast howled in pain but pressed forward.

"For the Savior!"

When his plasma gun overheated and failed, Deville discarded it and drew his power sword, its energy field crackling to life.

Despite lacking genetic enhancements, Deville's blessed body made him stronger than most enhanced warriors.

With a determined roar, he charged at the ratman warrior.

The two clashed, Deville deftly avoiding a hammer swing and slicing the beast's abdomen. The power sword's energy field cut through the heavy armor with ease.

But the wound wasn't fatal, and the ratman warrior became even more enraged.

Its steel-like claws raked across Deville, only to be deflected by the energy field of his armor.

However, repeated strikes soon overwhelmed the defenses.

Thud!

With a hammer blow crackling with green energy, the ratman warrior shattered Deville's energy field and sent him flying into a metal wall.

Deville slid to the ground, blood streaming from his mouth and nose.

"Damn mutant…"

He struggled to rise, bloodied hands slipping against the wall. The internal damage was too severe—he could no longer fight.

Clutching the Savior's pendant around his neck, Deville lamented:

"So close... I can no longer offer my loyalty to the Savior…"

The ratman warrior loomed over him, growling:

"Human... you're dead. Soon, you'll be rat food!"

Deville's calm gaze met the beast's, a faint smile on his face.

"Sorry to disappoint you. Prepare to die."

The ratman warrior snarled in fury:

"What did you say?"

Deville's reply came swiftly.

"Because... the Savior has sent his angels."

Whoosh—

The sound of assault ships cutting through the air filled the battlefield.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Three figures clad in crimson power armor landed before Deville, blocking the ratman warrior's advance.

Their golden angelic wing motifs shimmered in the firelight.

The War Angels had arrived.

Towering in their ornate armor adorned with holy symbols, the Space Marines exuded an aura of invincibility. Their presence alone reignited hope in the defenders.

"The Savior has sent his angels!"

"Kill these rat bastards!"

"Charge!"

Bolstered by the War Angels, the defenders rallied, launching a ferocious counterattack.

Chapter Master Plu led the War Angels into battle, their mission to rescue the station's defenders, especially Deville and the Loyalist Academy cadets.

Plu nodded at Deville before turning to face the ratman warrior.

Two War Angels broke off—one administered emergency medical aid to Deville, while the other shielded the cadets.

Plu stepped forward to confront the towering ratman warrior.

The beast hesitated, its confidence faltering before the crimson giant.

It took a step back instinctively, then roared in frustration.

"Die, human!"

The ratman warrior swung its hammer with all its might.

Clang!

Plu caught the blow effortlessly, his arm unmoving.

"Impossible!"

Fear overtook the ratman warrior as it tried to retreat, but it was too late.

With a thunderous punch, Plu caved in the beast's helmet, green blood spurting from the wound.

Grabbing the ratman warrior by the neck, Plu hoisted it into the air.

"Die, abomination!"

Zzzzt!

Psychic lightning surged from Pru's hand, engulfing the ratman warrior. The high voltage cooked its flesh and ended its life in moments.

The battle ended in less than ten seconds.

As the ratmen horde scrambled in fear, more War Angels descended from the skies.

Using boltguns and chainswords, the angels systematically annihilated the ratmen with cold precision.

The ratman vanguard had nowhere to run. Death was their only fate.

Underhive – Abandoned Passage

At the entrance to an abandoned tunnel, 20 Void Angels and 40 War Angels stood in formation.

Their mission was to block the ratmen army from reaching the Lower or Upper Hive.

The sound of squeaks grew louder, and the black tide of ratmen appeared on the horizon, surging forward like a tsunami.

The Void Angels at the front slammed their spears into the ground, activating their disintegration fields.

They roared in unison:

"For the Heavenly World!"

(End of Chapter)

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