Chapter 24
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"Your arrogance will be the noose that hangs you, Primarch." The Plague Demon roared in anger. With its movements, maggots fell from its mouth, crawling on the ground seeking flesh.
The Nurgle spirit within the demon also clumsily echoed with a roar.
The Plague Bearers and Plague Marines emerged from behind the roaring Plague Demon, bolstering the precarious enemy lines.
Those traitors had nearly sacrificed the entire planet's life, using the dead's Warp energies to tear reality, opening a Warp rift, summoning a demon army.
"Today is your end, demon. I will have your followers carry your head back to announce my return to the god behind you."
Guilliman began to run, his heavy body causing the moldy ground to tremble slightly. The flames from the Emperor's Sword in his hand grew ever brighter.
"Protect the Primarch." The veterans of the Honor Guard shouted. They charged alongside Guilliman, fearless even in the face of the demon.
"Kill him, offer his soul to the great father Nurgle." Gulrot, holding a rusted Plague Axe, directed the cultists and the last of the Plague Marines to attack the charging Primarch.
The demons also cooperated with the traitors to counterattack the loyalists of the Empire.
Plague demons, withering demons, and many other demons belonging to the plague god, Nurgle, surged out from the torn reality wound, akin to pus and blood.
If left unchecked, this planet would soon transform entirely into a demonic world, becoming Nurgle's garden.
Roboute Guilliman would never allow this to occur. He was set to banish these demons, restore the world's peace, and burn the head of the rebellion to ashes.
With a single stroke of his Emperor's sword, he killed a demon attempting to attack him and used the blade to utterly incinerate its soul.
The Honour Guard assembled around their master, using their terrifying firepower to clear the swarming enemies for Guilliman.
They couldn't completely exterminate the demons, only shattering their physical forms in reality and banishing them back into the Warp.
The Plague Demon stood high above, watching the lower-level demons launch attacks on Guilliman and his forces. A smile emerged on its face, though it refrained from engaging personally.
It was waiting for the link between the Warp and real space to be reinforced. In this way, it could maximize the power of the "Merciful Father", bringing more demons into the real universe.
"Pin down the other demons and traitors for me; I'm going to kill that damned Greater Demon," Guilliman ordered over the comms, instructing nearby space marines to intensify their attack and distract the enemy while he dealt with the Plague Demon and the traitor chief.
"Roger that, Sir. I will launch an attack from the flank. The Titans will crush them," Sicarius responded to his liege. They were making a breakthrough backed by the Titans and would soon reach the fleshy towers.
"Roger, Sir," Flickris responded over the comms.
"Roger," the Chief Librarian of the Dawnbringers Brigade also confirmed the order from the Primarch.
The Dawn Brigade was a unit of the Ultramarines and one of the first to respond to the call after Macragge was attacked.
Many Ultramarine sub-units would recruit from Ultramar, and their loyalty to Guilliman surpassed that of other brigades.
The loyalists quickly formed a battlefield with Guilliman at the center and launched a fierce attack against the demons and traitor lines.
To Guilliman's right, space marines advanced, relying on two heavy Leman Russ Tanks, some of the oldest heavy tanks in service to the Empire. The firepower of the Leman Russ Tank naturally ranked amongst the Empire's many tanks.
They moved forward with a thunderous rumble, clearing rubble, flattening the path while launching a series of bombs, shells, and laser beams. The plague warriors and demons defending the enemy's left flank struggled to retaliate.
But their sparse numbers couldn't withstand the horrifying firepower of the Empire's loyalists. Numerous enemies were torn apart, blown into pieces, and fell on the battlefield.
To Roboute Guilliman's right, two Redeemer Dreadnoughts advanced, their servomotors humming with mechanical fury, the piston apparatus growling in anger as they moved forward.
In their hands, the assault cannons screeched as they spewed fire towards the Plague Marines and daemons. Their enormous plasma incinerators became scorching hot with each successive shot, steaming and hissing.
"For the Lord of Ultramar!" The Librarian of the Dawn Brigade, relying on the Dreadnought's devastating firepower, roared, his force stave crackling with energy. Potent psychic energy emanated from him.
His projection in the Warp shone brighter, his faith giving him strength, allowing him to command even more volatile psychic powers.
A surge of intense flame was released. The psychic shockwave tore across the ruins, all daemons and traitors in its path tossed into the air, their disgusting, decayed bodies igniting in an unstoppable psychic fire.
Burning Plague Marines rolled out from behind makeshift barriers, raising their blight launchers, attempting to kill this psychic warrior.
Using his psychic might, the Librarian seized the attacker, crushed his body, and flung his tattered remains at two other burning Plague Marines, knocking them down.
However, the Plague Marines and daemons did not give up; they attempted to push back the relentless Imperial assault.
Cannons filled with disease fired obliquely, killing several loyal Imperial warriors, turning them into foul, pus-filled corpses.
Many daemons chose to infest the Plague Marines, empowering them to become stronger.
As the fierce battle between both sides ensued, a thunderous sound echoed. An Emperor-class Titan lumbered towards the fray, its plasma cannon obliterating enemies in its path like divine retribution.
Even the daemon-infested Plague Marines were no match for the Emperor-class Titan. Those unable to dodge were crushed beneath its immense foot.
They exploded, instantly vanishing with a pop.
Even those who could dodge could not escape the horrifying firepower of the Titan.
"For the Lord of Ultramar!" Sicarius's voice rang out, he and his forces flanking the Titan's advance.
With the help of many warriors, a gap was opened.
Roboute Guilliman's Hand of Dominion burst open a daemon's skull, then, unimpeded, he strode towards the Flesh Tower.
"Our score is due, daemon."
"You're even more annoying than Mortarion, at least he listens to the Father's words, feeling the entropy of life in the universe, experiencing their decay and rebirth." The Nurgle Daemon lifted its weapon, also stepping towards the Primarch.
The Nurgle Daemon was very clear that only it was qualified to fight a Primarch. Lower daemons facing a Primarch would only be suicidal, a waste of time.
The Nurgle Daemon launched the first attack. Its weapon cleaved towards Guilliman, only to be effortlessly parried by Guilliman's Emperor's Sword.
"Mortarion is a thorough fool; he stooped so low as to submit to you. Look at you all. Even allying with the Changer of Ways is better than submitting to your foolishly tender Father by a thousandfold. Your Father is weak and useless, the worst among the gods," taunted Guilliman.
"I won't fall for your tricks. You're trying to anger me with your words," the Plague Daemon retorted.
"But you didn't deny it, did you? That means you also believe your Father is weak and incapable," Guilliman challenged, leaping and slashing at the daemon. However, the Plague Daemon managed to dodge the attack with agility that belied its bloated form.
"I didn't," the daemon spat in anger.
"Why didn't you refute me then? Instead, you're focusing on whether or not I'm trying to provoke you. Mortarion is the most useless among us. My Father despises him, and the Primarchs hate him. He's too stupid and completely useless. He lost his rights to his own subordinates and was sold to you. This stupidity is unimaginable among other Primarchs, yet your Father joyfully accepted him. This proves that your Father is a failure, preferring to accept other failures. And you are one too," Guilliman derided, his attacks growing fiercer. His Primarch power combined with the power of Control made him incredibly formidable.
Even a Greater Unclean One under the banner of Nurgle struggled to counter his assault.
"A complete failure of a daemon."
"I will kill you!" roared the Plague Daemon, driven to rage by Guilliman's words.
"But you can't," Guilliman said, smiling at the enraged daemon. "Seeing you in such a foolish state, I suddenly don't feel like killing you anymore. There's no end to daemons; killing or sparing you makes no difference. I've decided. I'll carve the word 'failure' onto your body and banish you. And give Mortarion a message—I'm coming for him."