The Armory.
This was the third-largest armory controlled by G'row Jamon, housing enough munitions to sustain the entire world through fifteen days of high-intensity combat. Within the remaining thirty percent of the planet, most areas consisted of similar military installations, surrounded by the highest walls and protected by the most formidable warriors.
Warriors of the Fire and Earth Castes had sworn that they would make the enemy fight for every inch of the remaining world. In practice, they lived up to that oath. The civilians had already been killed by the Tyranids or the fires of war; now, only the soldiers of the Tau Empire remained on this fortress world.
Massive pulse cannons, salvaged from destroyed warships, served as the primary firepower for this armory. As long as these cannons remained functional, the armory would stand!
The bugs surged forward like a tide. The commander of this sector, clad in a XV104 Crisis Battlesuit, fired continuously.
Beep, beep, beep.
The battlesuit's alarm wailed. The commander turned around, only to see a humanoid, carapace-clad monster punch through his battlesuit. In a split second, he was torn in two.
The Tau in XV8 suits hadn't even sensed his arrival. He moved like a bolt of lightning between the Tau ranks, his methods brutal—piercing chests, shattering skulls. The battlesuits that were meant to protect their bodies now seemed as fragile as paper.
A pulse cannon attempted to lock onto this presence, but a powerful psychic shockwave disabled the entire unit's functions.
Synapse Creatures. Once these organisms appeared on the battlefield, the strength of the Synapse network between the Tyranids would increase exponentially.
Ultimately, after holding out for months, the Third Armory was completely overrun by the Tyranids. A massive explosion signaled its fall. Within the light of the blast, a figure stood proudly in the air, looking down upon the Tau positions from a superior height. He had retracted his carapace, revealing his original face: it was Yuki.
On another battlefield, a fire-support point covering hundreds of square kilometers was also under attack. The Tau forces stationed there suffered an assault from a humanoid creature. Using psychic powers to paralyze their battlesuits, he detonated the stored explosives. The entire position, along with a vast number of stored drones, was blown sky-high.
Amidst the dust, the Yuki who had completed this task stood up.
The third, the fourth, the fifth—
Over thirty Yukis were rampaging across various battlefields, slaughtering Tau, uprooting fire-support points, and altering the tactical situation of smaller skirmishes. For the Tyranids, a lack of independent thought and strategic judgment was a fatal flaw, and the number of high-level units capable of compensating for these weaknesses was limited. The mass appearance of Yuki filled this gap perfectly.
In just a few short days, under Yuki's leadership, the Hive's rate of advancement increased significantly. To the Tau, he was a monster that was everywhere at once.
The XV95.
The battlesuit among battlesuits—the Tau Empire's own equivalent to a Dreadnought. Equipped with railguns, pulse weaponry, and various other powerful armaments, the deployment of an XV95 usually signaled the destruction of the enemy and victory for the Tau. It was the hope of many Tau soldiers.
Now, that hope was being jumped.
Five Yukis coordinated with one another like a single person. One hand would retract an attack, and another would immediately follow up. The cooperation between the five bodies was seamless, and their immense physical strength even suppressed the power of the XV95.
"For the Greater Good!"
"Stop barking!"
Yuki tore open the helmet of the XV95 battlesuit and killed the pilot inside with a single punch.
"Damn, this XV95 actually has some skill. It took five bodies to bring it down."
Yuki's remaining bodies hoisted the XV95 high and threw it into the midst of the Tau ranks as a deterrent. The Tau were emotional creatures; they could collapse when faced with an overwhelming crisis.
Then, they encountered an even greater collapse.
The ground was upturned. Tens of thousands of cubic meters of earth and stone were swept up, then slammed down heavily upon the Tau troops who hadn't had time to flee.
"Eleven, did you link into the network?"
"There was no need. This level of activity doesn't require a network connection."
Eleven could cause this much commotion without a connection? Her baseline strength likely exceeded that of an Alpha-level psyker now, didn't it?
Yuki nodded in praise of Eleven's work. There wasn't enough time for further talk; they split up to continue attacking the remaining strongholds on the planet.
Finally, only the last fortress remained on the entire world, containing all the surviving Fire Caste warriors. XV88s, XV95s, XV104s, and even Supreme Suits were present. They knew the fall of the world was inevitable, but they were unwilling to surrender or give up.
"Everyone, the path to the Greater Good is right before us!"
Their enemy was Yuno.
Yuno had discarded her human form, transforming into a giant Bishop-class organism over twenty meters tall and hundreds of meters long. Resembling a massive worm, her speed was incredible; merely passing by was enough to destroy all surrounding buildings and enemies.
"Prepare for battle!"
Bio-plasma cannons fired, unleashing pure corrosiveness and destructive power. Yuno's speed didn't drop in the slightest. The hundreds of appendages on her body gripped the high walls of the fortress, tearing them down with a casual pull. Countless Tyranids poured through these gaps.
Several Yukis who had rushed over witnessed this scene. Yuno's terrifying form and her horrifying attacks made him realize that he probably didn't need to intervene.
"What, are you scared?"
"Can you do it with me in this form next time?"
"What on earth are you talking about all day long?"
"You still have the mental energy to talk to me?"
"A small matter like this doesn't occupy much of my thought process."
"Hmm, it seems their speed is faster than we imagined—"
The Aether Fleet had launched such a violent attack on this planet with the goal of seizing it quickly to deal with incoming reinforcements and more enemies with full strength. However, at the edge of this star sector, a portion of a new fleet had appeared. Judging by the markings on the ships, these were likely the Ultramarines.
"This is bad."
"They actually arrived so quickly."
"Don't ask. If you must know, the Warp was working in their favor."
"Eat them."
Yuki didn't hold a very optimistic view of the situation. "How should I put this... to be honest, I'm not sure we can win this fight."
"Why?"
"The Ultramarines have basically brought out everything they own. Finish eating this planet quickly and get ready to clash with them."
"Don't worry. There are still several planets in this sector. If they want to eliminate us, it won't be that easy," Yuno said. She controlled her massive body to crush the last standing part of the fortress. Hive Tyrants and Hive Guards swarmed forward to feast on the remaining Tau.
"Come then, Ultramarines."