The remaining Iron Warriors prepared to reinforce their companion, but the Kriegers would not let them succeed. The soldiers didn't understand why one of their enemies had suddenly vanished, but that didn't conflict with their objective. Wielding entrenching tools and bayonets, the Kriegers used their lives and bodies to stubbornly stall the Iron Warriors' advance.
Yuno remained hidden in the rear; she had no interest in helping these Kriegers. Besides, their reinforcements had arrived. Enos charged forward, shielded by the Kriegers, and floored an Iron Warrior with a single blow. The hatred and rage derived from his Gene-seed left the Exorcist extremely hyperactive, nearly overwhelming the calm and rationality he constantly pursued.
The iron on the Iron Warrior's body had grown powerful, corrupted by Chaos energy. At this distance, the two Astartes could only engage in brutal melee. The Kriegers halted their charge, searching for an opening to deliver a decisive blow to the Iron Warrior, but new enemies swarming from the trenches interrupted that thought.
Seizing the chaos, Yuno quietly slipped out of the trench, activated her optical cloaking, and ran straight toward Yuki's location. When she arrived, Yuki had already extracted the Iron Warrior's Gene-seed. He tossed it to Yuno with a smile.
"It's dealt with. But the situation is worse than we thought. Huron brought a large host with him; he recruited several warbands within the Maelstrom, and it seems he has the aid of several Warp Daemons."
Yuno caught the Gene-seed casually and asked Yuki, "What do you plan to do? Are you still going to eat this planet?"
"Huron has plenty of targets right now; this planet isn't the most important one. There's still a chance, but we need to let Chaos and the Imperium clash first. There should be about twenty Iron Warriors attacking this planet. I wonder if the Exorcists can handle them."
"I believe they can," Yuno replied.
Yuki grinned. "Then let's get to work."
Enos cut an Iron Warrior in two with his chainsword, shouting, "For the Emperor!"
The Kriegers didn't respond. They all stared at the highly agitated Exorcist. Enos suddenly calmed down, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Enos, how's the situation?"
"Yuki, Yuno? Didn't you head to the rear?"
"In this situation, is the rear really any safer?"
Enos nodded. "True enough. Every sector is fighting; it's just a difference in intensity." He then noticed the Krieg uniforms on Yuki and Yuno. "You two are..."
"For ease of movement. Commissar Oliver found them for us."
Seeing that the surrounding Kriegers had no objections, Enos said nothing more. "I have nothing left to say then. I just hope you two can survive this battlefield."
"May the God-Emperor protect you."
Watching Enos rush off to other sectors of the battlefield, the remaining Krieg soldiers prepared for the next assault. It was time for Yuki and Yuno to begin their own arrangements.
They found Oliver, who was surprised to see them. "You two are actually still alive? Oh, right. You aren't Kriegers."
"That's a nice way to put it," Yuki didn't hide his intentions. "We want to be scouts."
"If you want to die, just tell me. I'll give you each a bolt shell to the head."
"I'm not joking. It's time I did something for the God-Emperor. Trust me, I can contribute to the war effort."
Oliver looked at Yuki, then at the map by his side, and finally agreed. "I'll write you a permit. Go to the front lines and recon the enemy movements. Take this; send a signal if anything happens."
...
Al had waited for months, and finally, the opportunity to leave Hylia arrived. The battle in space hadn't ended, and both the Imperial Navy and the Chaos Navy had suffered significant losses, leading to a major decrease in the blockade's intensity. After careful deliberation, the planetary authorities decided to send important personnel out first to seek refuge. Al had exerted a great deal of effort to secure a spot.
As the shuttle ascended into the atmosphere, Al felt a lingering attachment as he watched the land he grew up on recede. It was a pity; if not for those traitors, he could have lived out his life there in peace. Al sighed and headed for deep space.
The journey was unexpectedly smooth. They passed through the high-risk zones and boarded a rendezvous vessel—a supply transport ship carrying a vast amount of food. Once this ship completed its task of resupplying the Navy, it would return to a world further back in the sector, which was to be their destination.
The journey was destined to be tedious. Al closed his eyes slightly and fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, a sudden jolt woke him. Al was terrified, and before he could grasp what was happening, someone nearby screamed, "Run! The Xenos are here!"
First Chaos, then Xenos—life in the Maelstrom was just that exciting!
Al couldn't see where the Xenos were, but the entire ship felt as though it were being flipped over. The artificial gravity generators hadn't had time to adjust, sending passengers and cargo tumbling to the floor. Al rolled to the porthole. He saw several massive tentacles wrapping around the ship. These tentacles were covered in chitinous plates and thousands of tiny, wriggling tendrils.
"What is that?"
There was no time to escape. A massive force dragged the ship. Al couldn't see what was happening outside, but he knew he had to get out. The emergency craft were in the small hangar; he had to run!
It took several minutes, but he successfully reached the hangar. Very few starfighters remained.
"Quick!"
The last fighter was about to launch. Al charged forward, and a passenger on board grabbed him.
"I will repay this life-saving debt one day!"
"Don't talk so much, just sit tight!"
The pilot pushed the control stick, and the fighter made a desperate takeoff. The moment they cleared the transport, Al finally saw the true form of the monster.
It was a colossal biological ship, with countless parts of its surface writhing. Al saw a man floating in the void, gazing ahead. Suddenly, the man seemed to notice Al's gaze and turned his head to meet Al's eyes.
"Yuki?"
Al doubted his own eyes. At that moment, the fighter dodged a lunging tentacle, performing a sharp maneuver. When the danger passed and Al looked for the figure again, he had vanished.
"Yuki... impossible. Didn't he fail to escape?"
With this confusion, Al and this fighter became the last survivors of the transport ship. They were rescued seven days later, and only then did the arrival of the Tyranids become known to the Imperium. As for that man, Al dismissed it as a hallucination.
Even though it wasn't a hallucination.