59 The Siege Of Faradras VI

The ancient cobblestones of Redentia, once a bustling tapestry of life, lay silent and desolate beneath the vast expanse of the night sky. The normally teeming population, a constant ebb and flow, had vanished, leaving only the haunting echoes of footsteps in their wake. The stones, worn and weathered, bore the weight of an eerie stillness that clung to the air.

In the darkness, the elusive figures moved with a calculated grace, their bare feet making hushed imprints upon the cold stone. Shadows draped over the old buildings, concealing the refugees who sought refuge, their collective anxiety tangible in the quietude.

The distant murmur of vox speakers conveyed ominous orders, a stark contrast to the ragged breaths of those concealed in the shadows.

Stepping into a corner that opened up to an expanse with a commanding view, the footsteps hushed to a near silence as eyes surveyed the surroundings, seeking something elusive.

"Huff.... huff.... huff, there it is!" A young voice shattered the stillness, its cadence carrying surprise, fear, and reverence. Brown hair danced in the night wind, and eyes gleamed with a mixture of emotions.

Behind the speaker, a motley group of five younglings, adorned in ragged garments, hastily shifted their gaze to the direction indicated by the boy. Diverse in height, stature, and development, they all shared a common thread of scrawniness. Unlike the curiosity in the first set of eyes, the majority of this group's expressions twisted with dread upon glimpsing the colossal figure in the distance.

"... he is a monster!" Gasps of sheer shock escaped one kid, his face drained of color.

Another felt his knees tremble, eyes wide-open in a blend of shock and awe.

Yet, compelled by an irresistible force, they all raised their necks, drawn to the awe-inspiring presence that loomed in the distance.

Draped in the formidable garb of a black Saiyan armor, Bann towered over the cityscape with his monstrous figure, stretching an imposing 200 feet into the night sky. His colossal frame eclipsed even the loftiest structures of the city below. Robust arms, mighty as the ancient trees of myth, bore densely packed muscles that seemed capable of shattering continents with a mere flex of their colossal strength. The obsidian plates of his armor, absorbing light like a void, melded seamlessly with the black fur that adorned Bann's awe-inspiring form.

Civilians, upon catching sight of his towering silhouette, sought solace in fervent prayers, while others stood frozen, transfixed by the colossal being. His presence, primal and overwhelming, compelled humans to cower and zealous onlookers to swallow hard in anticipation of their judgment.

These witnesses had already glimpsed the unimaginable power he wielded. The sky itself had momentarily transformed into day as he ascended to the station, offering the world a fleeting preview of the cataclysmic force that awaited them in the encroaching night.

His ferocious maw, adorned with colossal, razor-sharp fangs resembling ancient monoliths, jutted forth from the Ōzaru's mighty jaws, accentuating the primal and awe-inspiring essence of the colossal beast. With a monstrous reverberation that made the very air quiver, he spoke, "By the dawn of this day, no Tyranid shall remain on this land. Protect the city at all costs!" His blood-red eyes fixated on the minuscule figures atop the walls of Redentia, where Cielo and Urocain, along with various captains and sergeants from the defenders, absorbed his commanding orders.

Rising from the ground, his gargantuan form ascended into the air, and a surge of ki exploded outward, encircling the entire planet. The time for the hunt had come.

On the distant horizon, beyond the reaches of the city lights, the hive fleet orchestrated its relentless assault. The next wave surged forth, a menacing tide of bioforms with bodies meticulously enhanced for the impending battle. These were no ordinary gaunts; their very existence had been molded by the hive mind's ceaseless adaptations. Their exoskeletons, once frail, now boasted formidable fortifications, and their carapaces shimmered with a sheen of kinetic-absorbing properties, rendering them resilient against conventional attacks. The air resonated with the palpable intensity of the hive fleet's calculated response.

Yet, this was merely the prelude to an orchestrated symphony of evolutionary prowess. Deeper within the bowels of the planet, in realms untouched by human defenders, a clandestine process unfurled. Bioforms of unparalleled lethality emerged, each a specialized entity designed to pierce through the defenses of Faradras. In this subterranean crucible, the hive mind fashioned weapons against which the defenders had little hope.

The chronometer, ticking inexorably toward 22:57 in Terra hours, painted a scene of ominous clarity. The firmament, bore witness to the cosmic chaos about to be unleashed upon Faradras once again. The hive fleet, driven by insatiable hunger and the unyielding will of the hive mind, stood poised to reap destruction upon the remaining cities.

As the night sky clung to its deceptive serenity, a myriad of servitors, dispatched with the singular purpose of gathering intelligence, charted the path of Bann. These technologically adept eyes were the silent observers of the unfolding drama, capturing the primal ferocity of the Saiyan race against the backdrop of the cosmic theater. Faradras, awaited the inevitable maelstrom that would descend upon its sullied land.

Bann, a colossal force of nature, defied the conventional limitations of his massive size, surging forward with a speed incongruous to his immense stature. The landscape bore the scars of his tumultuous passage—flora, reduced to shattered remnants, danced in chaotic disarray under the relentless onslaught of his kinetic and deadly wake. Wood splinters, pebbles, and even the lifeless bodies of Tyranids were hurled with ferocious velocity, tearing through the air like deadly projectiles that threatened to rend anything in their path.

A sea of crimson sprawled before him, a nightmarish tableau of the Tyranid Invasion—a relentless intergalactic scourge. The horde comprised an assortment of gruesome bioforms, each meticulously designed by the hive mind for the singular purpose of annihilation. Termagaunts, agile and numerous; warriors, formidable and adaptable; tervigons, birthing the swarm anew; biovores, raining death from a distance; tyrannofex, colossal engines of destruction. Bann, his primal instincts attuned to the threat, recognized these grotesque entities as he closed the distance, his towering presence an indomitable force confronting the relentless tide of the Tyranid horde.

Rays of pure, raw psychic energy intertwined with a relentless barrage of ranged attacks, creating a synchronized symphony of destruction aimed at Bann. The onslaught was a perfectly orchestrated counteroffensive, a desperate attempt by the hive mind to repel the impending threat.

His colossal frame enveloped in the lethal barrage, Bann's eyes, however, gleamed with a ruthless smile—an ominous smirk that betrayed his readiness for what lay ahead. Doubling his ki, he harnessed the potent energy surge of the Ōzaru form, skillfully mimicking Rucule's distinctive ki pulse.

A radiant yellowish aura, adorned with phantom echoes of his bestial transformation, expanded outward at the speed of light, obliterating everything in its path. The deadly attacks from the Tyranids, once formidable and coordinated, crumbled before the overwhelming force of Bann's augmented ki pulse.

In their futile attempt at resistance, some bioforms summoned psychic shields, a last-ditch effort prompted by an instinctual recognition of impending danger. However, even these barriers proved inconsequential against the unstoppable force that Bann unleashed, leaving the hive mind in a state of helpless desperation.

The psychic shriek reverberated through Bann's mind, heralding the demise of key Tyranid synapse creatures. Neurothropes, with their powerful psychic abilities, zeanthropes, capable of manipulating energy fields, tervigons, birthing bioforms on the battlefield, warriors, formidable frontline soldiers, and tyrants, commanding monstrous creatures—all lay in ruins, their destruction severely crippling the hive mind's synapse network.

In the ensuing chaos, a turbulent cloud of Tyranid entities filled the sky. Sky lashers, with their devastating energy whips, hive crones, agile aerial predators, Harpies, versatile airborne creatures, gargoyles, swift and agile airborne infantry, harridans, larger flying bioforms, and a host of mieotic and mucolid spores—all part of the impending Tyranid wave—were abruptly thrown into disarray.

The oppressive shadow in the Warp, a malevolent force that twisted reality itself, momentarily dissipated. The respite created a shift in the region's atmosphere, offering a temporary break from the relentless onslaught of the Tyranid invasion.

Witnessing the chaos that unfolded in the Tyranid swarm, Bann's devilish laughter echoed through the desolation. "HA! HA! HA! Come here, little swarm. My fist has some words to say to you all!"

As he laughed, his presence, akin to a malevolent black hole, continued to wreak havoc. The fabric of reality itself seemed to shatter under the weight of his gargantuan and oppressive figure. Buildings crumbled, flora disintegrated, and the very essence of life was annihilated in his wake.

The devastating ki pulse, a harbinger of certain doom, emanated from Bann's colossal form. Its impact was so profound that clouds of ash materialized, enveloping the remnants of the once-mighty Tyranid bioforms. These lifeless husks, now reduced to ashes, rained down upon the scarred land of Faradras.

Amid cataclysmic earthquakes that reverberated through the very foundations of Faradras, a blaze of flashing explosions heralded Bann's transformation into the avatar of destruction.

The chilling cacophony of death cries from millions and billions of Tyranid forms resounded, an eerie symphony to the accompaniment of Bann's mocking laughter. His mind, clouded by pure and destructive rage, sought retribution for the misfortune that had befallen the planet.

With the force of divine justice, his fists struck the fabric of reality itself. Walls of winds rose, sweeping away the Tyranids with astonishing ease. The battlefield became a tempest of destruction, where Bann, the harbinger of retribution, unleashed his wrath upon the relentless Tyranid swarm.

The same apocalyptic tableau unfolded across the remaining cities of Faradras, echoing the destruction that Bann wrought upon Redentia. In the cold expanse of space, in front of the station, the Ōzaru form—the most primitive yet devastating manifestation of Saiyan power—initiated an unprecedented massacre, leaving a trail of desolation in its wake.

The once-powerful and feared hive mind found itself outpaced by the relentless onslaught, compelled to make a decision in the face of an event that would reverberate through the annals of cosmic history.

Confronted with the raw might of the Saiyan race, a lineage of conquerors that spanned galaxies, the intricate complexity of the hive mind proved futile. Against the sheer, unbridled power unleashed, no armor could withstand the searing heat of the plasma generated by the Saiyan's ki blasts.

When confronted with physical force capable of invoking cyclones and hurricanes with hypersonic winds, even the most resilient exoskeletons crumbled in the face of impending annihilation.

In the wake of the conquerors of the universe, sheer numerical strength proved inconsequential. The hive mind, relentless and inexhaustible in its swarm, faced an insurmountable force as the Saiyans embodied avatars of death itself. The galaxy bore witness to the complete eradication of the tendrils that dared to target Faradras, a testament to the overwhelming might of the Saiyan warriors. With their speed doubled and strength multiplied exponentially, what once posed a challenge to the Saiyans became a task easily overcome, as they orchestrated the symphony of destruction across the land.

Their ki soared throughout the entire Faradras System as they let go of the chains that restrained them. Their figures on the canvas that was Faradras were but simple afterimages as they moved at speeds that surpassed everything known in the galaxy.

The sheer overwhelming power they possessed proved effective in preventing the Tyranids from approaching the cities once again. They expanded the cleansing zone around these cities that became bastions in a matter of hours.

Their spirits radiated with such brilliance that outshone supernovas. Each of them akin to a nebula of raw power. Their souls blazed in the warp, blasting away the ominous Shadow in the Warp from the system and sending resounding echoes in the immaterium.

A beast was awakened, one that made something clear evident— the only thing the galaxy should fear was them.

.

.

.

As the reports from the cities came in, and communication was reestablished, the strategic command went into action, while the Ecclesiarchy faced a tough challenge ahead.

"They are gods!"

"The Imperium was wrong! It's not the Emperor who shall protect, but the Saiyans!"

"What!? Monsters? Clean your mouth before speaking of the Redentors! Hey, let's kill this guy!"

"WE MUST RETURN TO MONKEY!"

The various inhabitants of the cities were thrown into murmurs as many witnessed the actions of the five Saiyans, leaving a mark that would forever be imprinted upon their minds.

The soldiers, forced to stay into the walls vigilant, also couldn't help but chat with each other in low voices after surviving to tell the tale, and seeing what the beings called Saiyans were capable of.

Walking along the high walls of Redentia, inspiring discipline and reverence alike between the troops, and being escorted by her squad was Cielo, her eyes serene while a subtle smile escaped her lips, 'I knew it. And this is just but the beginning.' She thought to herself as she stared into the horizon where flashes could be seen, and blasts from explosions reached the city each moment.

Although the distance was in the hundreds of kilometers by now, such was the yielding power of the Ōzarus that even at such lengths, their extent could be felt.

*BOOM*

"Sister Superior, you said that the Emperor showed that thing to you?" Anastasia couldn't help but ask in hushed tones after feeling for a thousand times her bones trembling under the shockwave.

Her eyes were filled with intrigue and consternation for the nature of Bann.

Cielo halted her steps, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and turned around as she looked over her sisters. A smile of pride and a glint in her eyes welcomed her sisters who looked at her with eagerness.

Seeing the six faces in front of her, Cielo nodded while she told them, "Just like on this planet, the Emperor showed me his figure liberating hundreds of worlds. Shielding humanity from the darkness." Her voice carried a fervent and firm belief behind it, shaking those that heard her.

Ameline, who couldn't come to terms with the reality, asked with a quivering voice, "But isn't he an enemy of the Imperium? How could the Emperor accept his actions and showcase them to you?" Her words carried the intrigue and concerns of many of her sisters as they eyed Cielo with trepidation.

Smiling faintly at her question, Cielo turned her body and gestured with her hand to the city below. Where the previous shrieking and cowering citizens were desperately trying to seek survival. Yet now many were walking through the streets as they tried to rebuild what was destroyed before.

"The Emperor loves humanity, and he wishes for us to survive. It doesn't matter if his actions work through a Xenos; what matters is that mankind remains. The Emperor wills it." Her words were said with such piety and compassion that made the squad gulp down.

Eyeing the scenery at the approaching dawn, their minds embroidered in the turmoil of coming to terms with a stark realization. Faradras was able to stand.

And the Oozaru prevailed over the hive mind.

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