The following day, the Astra Militarum's transport capacity finally eased slightly, freeing up a small vehicle to take Yuki and Yuno to the evacuation point.
While the Exorcists were busy arranging defenses, it was a Krieg Commissar who came to see off these last two civilians.
"Quite impressive, being held in such high regard by the Astartes. You two must be extraordinary individuals." The Commissar's face was etched with exhaustion. Knowing he was a Krieg Commissar, Yuki could only offer a sympathetic compliment: "You've worked hard, Commissar."
"It seems you learned a bit about my men yesterday. Truth be told, they aren't as terrifying as they look. They just don't like to talk. After spending enough time with them, you actually start to find them quite endearing." Speaking of his troops, his expression softened slightly. Yuki could tell he was proud to command this unit.
"Well then, I wish you a safe departure. Honestly, the situation is getting worse by the hour. Word is that the enemy forces are... apologies, one moment."
A messenger called the man away. When he returned, the weariness on his face was joined by a sense of guilt.
"My apologies. It seems you two will have to stay a bit longer. According to reports from the front, the traitors have already blockaded the planet."
"How could it happen so fast?"
"Someone within the planetary government turned traitor. The gates are wide open now. We expect ground combat to begin shortly." The Commissar's tone was as calm as if he were sharing what he'd had for breakfast. "At this point, saying anything pretty would be irresponsible. Mr. Yuki, Miss Yuno, there is a real possibility you will die here. If you wish, you may take a rifle. It might allow you to die with a bit more dignity."
He looked around and sighed. "It's a shame for this world. To me, it felt almost like a Garden World. But it's not all bad news. Only one side of the planet is blockaded; the Navy on the other side should still be loyal. We just need to hold out. Fortunately, a long war of attrition is exactly what we excel at."
Suddenly realizing he had spoken too much, he lit a cigarette and apologized, "Sorry. I haven't spoken so freely with anyone in a long time. You know Kriegers aren't big on conversation. I've rambled on. You'll have to manage as best you can from here." With that, the Commissar departed with his guards.
Yuki and Yuno exchanged a look. "What's the play?"
"I get the feeling you're about to pull some new tricks out of your sleeve," Yuno replied.
Yuki smiled. "I'm thinking... why don't we just call the Aether Fleet over? When both sides are battered and bruised, we'll just devour whatever matter is left on this planet."
Yuno did a quick calculation. "It would take about half a year. Do you think they can fight for half a year here?"
"With Krieg here, they could fight for half a century without an issue."
That evening, having decided to stay, Yuki and Yuno were given Krieg military uniforms by the Commissar. They remained by his side, serving primarily as listeners for whenever this man named Oliver needed someone to talk to.
"Sometimes I really can't stand these people. They always think tanks and equipment are more important than their own lives. Once, to save tank shells, they actually performed a mass bayonet charge. Heh, guess what? They actually won." Oliver vented his frustrations. Wearing their Krieg coats, Yuki and Yuno looked like they could have been born on Krieg themselves.
"That does sound exhausting. But the Kriegers are loyal soldiers of the Emperor, after all."
"Loyalty is beyond question, certainly. Sigh. I don't know why, but they always feel like they're carrying some sin. Every battle is just an act of atonement to them. Some even feel ashamed if they don't die in combat." Oliver continued to complain. "And those Krieg officers... I have no idea what goes on in their heads. I've led them for years, and my main job has been just one thing: trying to stop them from throwing their lives away for nothing."
Half a month passed like this. The original wheat fields had been transformed into a massive system of defensive lines, held by the Kriegers and another standard Astra Militarum regiment.
Then, the enemy arrived.
Just as Oliver had predicted, a portion of the planetary navy betrayed the Imperium, joining the Chaos fleet to seize control of the orbit. And now, the orbital bombardment had begun.
Melta bombs, Cyclonic Torpedoes... various naval armaments poured fire onto the surface. After the first wave of bombardment, strike craft bearing blasphemous symbols descended from the high heavens. Accompanying them into the atmosphere were dozens of drop pods and tens of thousands of Chaos paratroopers.
When the bombardment hit, Yuki was looking for a moment of intimacy with Yuno. The thunderous explosions and the heat in close proximity forced them to stop. Concrete shattered into shrapnel-like shards, flying in all directions. Molten sand landed on Yuki's face, instantly solidifying into glass.
"Enemy attack!"
Yuki shattered a falling boulder with a single punch. Fortunately, in the chaos, no one noticed their movements.
Moments later, the Krieg soldiers reacted. They entered the underground tunnels they had prepared in advance. Dust shaken from the tunnel ceiling covered their ankles, yet not a single soldier made a redundant movement. Only a few Kriegers remained on the surface, but they weren't merely seeking death.
Yuki saw the nearest Krieg soldier sprint toward a nearby anti-aircraft gun. Tongues of fire erupted, sweeping across the enemy fleet flying in the sky. Across hundreds of kilometers of the front line, thousands of similar anti-aircraft positions formed a dense web of fire, downing dozens of aircraft.
However, a second wave of orbital bombardment followed immediately, systematically destroying the anti-aircraft positions that had retaliated.
Yuki and Yuno remained relatively composed. They didn't scurry for cover; instead, they focused on observing the distribution of the enemy warships. Naturally, they couldn't judge the positions with the naked eye; they used the direction of the orbital fire and analyzed data from the tiny biological scout flyers hidden in orbit.
"Any thoughts?"
Yuno showed a somewhat sinister smile. "The corruption on these warships isn't deep yet. They are perfectly edible. Let's take a small risk."
Light-years away, a dim star slowly began to regain its luster. The small organisms clinging to it finally detached. Then, the dozen or so behemoths that had been hiding in the void reawakened, slowly moving toward the location of their Supreme Will.
Their shapes shifted. Once they were clear of the star's gravitational interference, they became a group of uniquely shaped space-fauna. With the opening of a wormhole corridor, they vanished entirely into the universe.
And they would be arriving very soon.