Chapter 446: Assassination
The aircar Ryo was riding in traveled smoothly along the aerial traffic lanes of the Martian forge-city complex.
This vehicle had just departed from the spaceport of the Temple of Knowledge and was heading toward the temporary residence arranged by the Adeptus Mechanicus headquarters.
Below the aircar, the intricate network of metallic buildings and pipes extended into the distance like a massive circuit board.
Three servo-skulls hovered within the cabin, their scanners continuously monitoring the surrounding environmental parameters.
Ryo's mechanical body was secured in the passenger seat, his processing core organizing the data he had just downloaded from the temple.
Suddenly, all the servo-skulls emitted piercing alarm sounds simultaneously.
At almost the exact same moment, the protective armor on the right side of the aircar was struck by a green energy beam, emitting a screeching tearing sound.
Ryo immediately activated his personal Void Shield generator.
A pale blue energy field instantly enveloped his body, just in time to block the second wave of attacks that closely followed.
Three poison darts trailing purple wakes were deflected mere centimeters from his armor, leaving corrosive marks on the inner wall of the cabin.
The aircar's control system blared warnings, indicating damage to the thrusters.
Ryo decisively severed the safety restraints, his mechanical feet making a heavy impact sound on the cabin floor.
The joints of his Dragon-Scale Power Armor emitted faint hydraulic hisses, supporting his slightly forward-leaning posture.
Six dark silhouettes emerged from the shadows of the buildings in different directions.
These attackers were slender and agile, wearing dark purple, form-fitting armor and sporting ferocious masks.
The weapons in their hands glowed with an eerie green light—clearly the creations of the Dark Eldar.
The mechanical tentacles on Ryo's back deployed instantly, and the energy core of the "Arc Scourge" began to charge.
He didn't waste time asking about their identities or intentions—the purpose of Dark Eldar assassins appearing in the core region of Mars was self-evident.
The second wave of attacks arrived closely behind. Two Dark Eldar assassins used jump packs to board the roof of the aircar, attempting to cut through the armor with specialized cutting tools.
The other four moved rapidly among the buildings on the ground, firing continuously with splinter rifles to pin down Ryo's movements.
Ryo's Void Shield flickered again, blocking several splinter shots.
The heavy volkite caliver on his shoulder immediately returned fire, forcing one of the snipers on the ground to seek cover.
At the same time, the "Tachyon Arrow" launcher mounted on his left arm quietly activated. A blazing white energy arrow pierced through the roof armor, accurately striking one of the assassins attempting to cut through.
The damaged aircar began to plummet.
Ryo calculated the remaining time before impact while dealing with attacks from multiple directions.
His processing core rapidly analyzed the battlefield situation and reached a conclusion: he had to evacuate this soon-to-crash vehicle immediately.
Just as he was preparing to forcibly break out, the tide of battle suddenly changed.
A precise laser beam shot down from above, striking the wrist of a Dark Eldar who was about to throw a poisoned blade.
Following closely behind, a slender figure clad in blue and white armor leapt down from a rooftop. The long spear in her hand pierced the chest of another assassin the instant she landed.
Almost simultaneously, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the other end of the street.
A tall Black Templar Space Marine charged around the corner, his power sword slashing toward the nearest Dark Eldar with the momentum of a thunderbolt.
That assassin tried to dodge, but the blade still accurately cleaved through his armor.
A third reinforcement appeared on Ryo's other side.
A Sister of Battle wearing silver-gray power armor landed in the center of the street using a jump pack. The melta gun in her hand immediately took aim at the assassin squad attempting to surround Ryo.
Ryo did not let this combat opportunity slip by. The "Arc Scourge" emitted a low hum, and several twisted arcs of electricity darted out like living creatures, simultaneously wrapping around three Dark Eldar.
The overloaded pulse reduced their armor to scrap metal in an instant.
The newly arrived Eldar Ranger's movements were fluid and lethal; every thrust of her spear accurately found the seams in the Dark Eldar's armor.
Her movement style was like a dance, always able to dodge the enemy's attacks by a hair's breadth while delivering a fatal counterattack.
The Black Templar Space Marine, on the other hand, employed a completely different combat style.
Every swing of his sword carried destructive power, sending blinding sparks flying when his power sword clashed with the Dark Eldar's agoniser whips.
Even facing a siege from multiple enemies, he did not yield an inch. He directly bashed an assassin away with his heavy pauldron, then cleaved the opponent in two with a backhand swing of his sword.
The Sister of Battle provided fire support from the rear. Every time her melta gun fired, it left a patch of molten metal on the street.
Whenever a Dark Eldar attempted to break through the defensive line, she would quickly switch to her chainsword, forming perfect offensive and defensive coordination with her teammates.
Ryo calmly observed the battlefield, the Omnissian Axe already grasped in his hand.
The mechanical prayers on the surface of the axe blade glowed faintly, and the built-in power field generator emitted a dangerous hum.
When a Dark Eldar broke through the web of fire and charged forward, Ryo took a heavy step forward, and the power axe traced a perfect arc.
The instant the axe blade made contact, the Dark Eldar's armor was torn apart like paper, and his body was cleanly cleaved into two.
The survivors attempted to retreat, but were entirely wiped out by the precise shooting of the Eldar Ranger and the interception of the Black Templar.
In less than a minute, all twelve Dark Eldar assassins lay dead on the ground.
The street returned to silence, save for the faint humming of power armor servo systems and the hissing sound of cooling weapons.
The plasma reactor on Ryo's back continuously emitted a low energy hum, causing his slightly hunched figure to cast long shadows under the red light of Mars.
After Ryo's sensors confirmed there were no more threats around, he turned his attention to the three reinforcements.
His optical lenses swept in turn over the elegant face of the Eldar Ranger, the scripture-covered armor of the Black Templar, and the striking Imperial Aquila on the helmet of the Sister of Battle.
"State your identities and intentions," Ryo's synthesized voice rang out on the quiet street, carrying the slight echo of a running power core.
The three reinforcements exchanged a glance, and finally, the Eldar Ranger took a step forward.
She retracted her spear behind her back and made a complex gesture, seemingly some sort of greeting etiquette.
"I am Illyndiel, from the Craftworld Ulthwé." Her voice flowed like a clear spring, carrying a strange rhythmic sense. "These two are..."
Just as she was preparing to continue the introduction, Ryo suddenly raised a hand to signal her to stop.
One of his servo-skulls had detected the signal of an approaching Adeptus Mechanicus patrol squad in the distance.
"This is not a place to talk for long," Ryo said, securing the Omnissian Axe back onto the rack on his back. "Follow me."
He turned and walked toward a side alley, his slightly heavy steps leaving deep imprints on the metal ground.
The three reinforcements followed without hesitation, disappearing into the intricate streets and alleys of Mars.
(End of Chapter)