"Two men! Target the heavy weapon Ork kid behind that cover ahead, carrying a 'big banger'! Activate Chainsword! Charge!" Vasily's voice echoed again on A-Team's channel. The Power Sword in his hand shimmered with blue light as he charged forward first.
Mikhail forced himself to focus entirely on the target, formation, and communication, driving his Power Armor close to the officer's flank.
Another Ork roared, swinging a steel pipe with jagged teeth welded to it, rushing at him.
Mikhail calmly adjusted his aim, a short burst, three Bolter rounds precisely hitting the Ork's vital points, sending him toppling backward.
"Mikhail! Front right, that Rocket Boy hiding behind the wrecked car! He's reloading! Take him out!" Vasily's urgent and precise command came through his earpiece from beside him.
Almost simultaneously, a string of Bolter rounds whistled past Mikhail's shoulder plate, accurately sending another Ork boy, who was attempting a sneak attack from the side with a cleaver, flying backward. It was Vasily! He maintained his situational awareness during the high-speed assault, using his accurate Bolter to resolve the crisis for Mikhail.
Mikhail didn't hesitate for a moment, instantly redirecting his weapon.
His optics quickly locked onto the target—an unusually tall Ork, clumsily stuffing a terrifyingly thick, red-tipped rocket into a launcher cobbled together from oil drums and exhaust pipes.
"Stay calm!" he murmured, reciting the training doctrine, as the Power Armor's servo-system assisted him in steadying his weapon.
He pulled the trigger, three precise single shots.
The first round struck the rocket's tail, violently knocking it askew; the second and third Bolter rounds accurately drilled deep into the Ork boy's open, tusk-filled maw.
A muffled explosion erupted, and the Ork's figure was instantly engulfed by the explosive flash and thick smoke.
"Well done! Keep moving, don't stop!" Vasily's concise and powerful affirmation was like a shot in the arm, invigorating Mikhail and quickening his pace.
However, the battle quickly devolved into brutal, close-quarters melee.
The number of Orks far exceeded pre-battle intelligence estimates, and the ferocity of these remnants showed no signs of diminishing.
Mikhail experienced his first true Power Armor close-combat engagement.
An unusually tall Ork Boss, covered in scrap metal and crude armor plates like a mobile fortress, roared as he crashed through a volley of Bolter fire, ignoring the sparks and debris hitting his body. His small eyes, burning with destructive intent, locked onto Mikhail.
It swung a massive Power Claw, crackling with a crude energy field and carrying a malevolent wind strong enough to shatter rock, smashing it down precisely where he stood!
Adrenaline instantly seared his nerves, and instincts honed by thousands of training sessions took over his body.
Mikhail didn't hesitate. The Power Armor's servo-system roared lowly, driving his heavy body to slide sideways, dodging the attack.
The heavy Power Claw slammed down with a tearing shriek!
"Boom!"
The ground where he had just stood shattered and collapsed, the hard rock exploding as if struck by a heavy hammer. Shrapnel-like gravel and clods of earth splattered, drumming against his armor.
The thought of counterattacking flashed like lightning!
Just as the Ork Boss lost its balance from the full-force strike, Mikhail, using the momentum from his dodge, twisted his body and put all his strength into it. The Power Armor's backpack hummed louder as he swung his Chainsword with all his might!
The high-speed rotating teeth emitted a piercing shriek, cutting fiercely into the Ork Boss's left arm, which was covered in crude iron plating and as thick as a tree trunk!
"Zzzzz-crunch! Sss-sss-sss!"
The grating sound of tearing metal and the shattering of bone being violently gnawed by the saw teeth instantly erupted!
Viscous, foul-smelling fluorescent green blood jetted out like a fountain, mixed with flying iron fragments and white bone splinters, instantly coating Mikhail's visor and chest plate.
However, the Ork Boss's bones were tougher than imagined!
The Chainsword's furious teeth bit deep into the arm bone but failed to sever it completely. Instead, they became stubbornly lodged deep within the unusually dense bone!
The saw teeth shrieked as if overloaded and hissed with friction, the sword hilt vibrating violently in Mikhail's hand, almost slipping from his grasp!
"WAAAAAAGH!!!" The Ork Boss let out a heart-wrenching roar of pain!
The intense pain completely ignited its ferocity. Its remaining right claw, with a tearing shriek through the air, swept horizontally with an overwhelming force!
The huge, unstable energy-wrapped claw tip aimed directly at the most vulnerable part of Mikhail's helmet: the visor! The shadow of death instantly descended!
"Duck!" In the comms channel, Vasily's roar was like thunder, filled with undeniable urgency!
Absolute trust overrode everything! Mikhail didn't even think; his body's absolute obedience to the command took effect instantly.
He suddenly poured strength into his waist servo joints. The Power Armor frame groaned under the strain as he executed an extreme ducking motion, his head sinking sharply downwards!
"Bang—BOOM!!!"
A.75 heavy Bolter round from the rear high-ground fire team, with a muffled boom and a scorching trajectory, passed precisely over the very edge of his helmet's top!
The scorching air blast that passed by instantly raised the temperature of the helmet's surface!
The lethal projectile did not deviate in the slightest, smashing fiercely into the Ork Boss's most thinly armored chest, which was fully exposed due to its full-force claw swing!
The high-explosive warhead instantly unleashed destructive impact!
A muffled tearing sound was followed by a deafening explosion!
The Ork Boss's thick muscle and flimsy iron plating were torn and pulverized like rags!
A massive, charred, and curled-edged hole, smoking and reeking of burnt meat, appeared in the center of its chest. Green organ fragments and broken bones were violently ejected!
The colossal, mountain-like green body stiffened abruptly, then collapsed backward with a crash, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Mikhail gasped as he straightened up, his helmet visor splattered with viscous green grime and gray-brown dust.
He suddenly raised a hand and ripped off his helmet.
Hot air instantly rushed into his lungs, mixed with the smell of gunpowder, rust, and heavy blood, stimulating his burning respiratory tract like countless tiny ice needles.
He gulped for air, his sweat-soaked hair clinging to his skin, each inhale bringing a tearing, burning sensation in his chest.
He could feel the soreness in his arms from continuous shooting and blocking, and his lungs burned in the hot, smoke and rust-filled air.
Smoke and dust permeated the air, his vision filled with the flashes of Bolter fire, the glint of Chainsword, the surging green forms of Orks, and the stark black-and-white silhouettes of the Ash Knights.
The black and white Maltese cross emblem on his chest plate, under the baptism of blood and fire and covered in dust and grime, did not dull but instead appeared even more weighty, cold, and real, like a brand seared into his soul.
He violently shook his Chainsword, flinging off the grime between the teeth, and gripped the hilt again. The cold touch made him even more alert.
His gaze, like a hawk's, swept across the chaotic and noisy battlefield, searching for the next target to purify.
"Rostov Seventeenth Regiment calling Ash Knights A-Team! Firepower from the cover ahead of you has weakened! Do you wish to continue advancing?" The voice with a local accent came again, with a hint of anticipation: "We will maintain fire support!"
"A-Team reports, strong resistance encountered, Ork Boss eliminated. Reforming formation, continuing to push towards the core!" Vasily replied steadily, simultaneously signaling his team members to check their equipment and prepare for the next assault: "Ivanov, how's the visibility from Eagles Nest Rock? We need flank cover!"
"Visibility is good! Heavy Bolters have locked onto the green-skinned machine gun nest behind the cover ahead of you! Prepare for volley fire!" Ivanov's voice came from another channel, filled with the exhilaration of battle.
"Understood! A-Team! After fire support, assault again! For the Emperor!" Vasily raised his Power Sword, its tip pointing directly into the swirling smoke deep within the canyon.
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