Chapter 154: Siege

Amidst the seemingly endless expanse of the yellow-red wasteland, not a speck of its natural hue was visible under the swarming legions of Necrons.

Warriors, scarab swarms, destroyer squads—all hastened at the command of their lord, converging towards the rear.

Behind a small hill, within a hastily dug trench, Hades felt a chill run down his spine as the images transmitted from the Iron Warriors' Stormbird showed that in less than ten minutes, the first wave of Necrons retreating would enter the southern side of the construct complex.

Meanwhile, the Death Guard and Iron Warriors were attempting to penetrate from the north.

Since the Necrons' awakening from beneath the planet's surface, these enigmatic and eerie black stone structures had risen, their geometric shapes towering unevenly, outlined by viridian lines that symbolized the dynasty of Ghaslakh.

At the heart of this city of black geometric structures, a pyramid-shaped fortress spewed forth Necron soldiers—

The site of the Necron reanimation protocols.

Centered within the fortress, a towering black pyramid stood majestically, its green stripes cascading down like a waterfall from its apex.

What caught Hades' attention was the apparent lack of substantial firepower defense within the complex itself, as detected by the Death Guard. The formidable artillery seemed stationed primarily on the city's outer walls.

Endless ranks of Necron soldiers emerged from the constructs, forming lines towards the city's north.

Inexhaustible and undying, even in death, they would rise again from the constructs behind, making these soldiers the lord's most expendable force.

Yet, it wasn't these vast numbers that posed the true threat to the Death Guard and Iron Warriors.

The real challenge in their siege lay in the city's walls and the mounted heavy guns—

Gauss weaponry of a larger scale than the Necrons wielded, capable of disintegrating Astartes armor at the atomic level.

Fortunately, they had their countermeasures, with Iron Warriors' artillery landing alongside the drop pods.

However, their significantly outnumbered artillery was hardly a match for the heavy guns presumed to be on the Necron walls.

Hades looked across the approximately two-kilometer distance, swarming with Necron forces.

They couldn't afford to be bogged down. If delayed, the enemy's guns would find their mark.

The vanguard would storm the walls, eliminate the gunners, and pave the way for the main force.

Speed was crucial in covering the distance, breaching the structures, destroying key constructs, and utilizing the terrain against the incoming main Necron force.

"It seems we need a rapid assault team," Hades remarked.

Against Necron weaponry, the Astartes' mobility would be their survival key.

However, he was slightly uneasy; neither the Death Guard nor the Iron Warriors specialized in such tactics. One excelled in steady frontline advancement, the other in constructing fortifications.

"If only we were partnered with the White Scars or another legion suited for this..."

Dantioch nodded at Hades, breaking his contemplation, ready to proceed.

No time for tactical hesitations. Hades inhaled deeply and opened the all-channel,

"Attention, everyone!"

"Those who ranked in the top thirty percent in sprinting during regular training, step forward! Pair up, two per team!"

"Remember, your mission is to reach the enemy fortress and neutralize their artillery operators! Do not let the enemy slow you down!"

"Spread out, don't clump together, maintain dispersion," Hades instructed, eyes fixed on the battlefield ahead while the Iron Warriors behind him began to dig trenches to shield their artillery and started pinpointing the coordinates of the enemy's heavy guns.

Well, no need to remind the gunners; they're quite self-sufficient.

Hades turned back to the war zone, lifting his weapon into position. "I'll pair with you," Dantioch's voice came through the channel, surprising Hades, who had planned to break through alone.

"No, you take command of the main force," Hades responded. "We need someone in charge here."

Dantioch fell silent on the other end.

As the moment to strike neared, a familiar phrase echoed through the channel, one every Death Guard knew by heart— "Attack."

Hades led the charge. Unlike the usual slow Death Guard advancements, Hades often found himself in high-mobility conflicts. Like a drop of cold water in boiling oil, the dense Necron ranks exploded upon his entry, the sky painted with Gauss and Tesla beams.

Upon sighting the attackers, the fortress guns turned their aim, receiving orders to target the advancing troops.

Running through the Necron sea, Hades felt as if he stepped on nothing but shattered metal, swearing he hadn't touched the ground once. "Don't stop. Don't you dare stop!"

Necron warriors reached out, attempting to drag Hades into their metallic abyss, while Gauss beams from the fortress detonated beside him, kicking up clouds of black dust—the remnants of Necrons disintegrated by their weaponry.

Alarm bells rang in Hades' mind; the density of Necrons he faced defied his calculations. It was as if the entire battlefield's Necrons were converging on him!

But hesitation was lethal, and any pause would invite devastating artillery fire. Hades maintained his pace, forcefully carving a path to the construct with sheer brutality.

His scythe swung wide, the metal's scream tearing through the heavens, devoid of finesse. Against the swarming, low-tier Necron forces, brute force was the key.

Meanwhile, Dantioch, observing from the trenches, was stunned by the unfolding scene. Contrary to expectations, the majority of Necrons seemed to gravitate towards Hades, with only a few engaging the Death Guard vanguard, quickly falling to their scythes.

Hades, seemingly in a frenzied lead, made others subtly aware of the anomaly.

As the Death Guard charging towards the constructs began deliberately clearing Necrons, Dantioch saw an opportunity. He ordered some gunners to bombard the area near Hades, exploiting the unusually high Necron density.

With the vanguard, primarily Hades, nearing the construct walls, Dantioch prepared to lead the main force into battle.

Controlling his pace, Hades accelerated further. The swarming Necron warriors couldn't match his speed, resembling a stone skimming over water, leaving ripples in its wake.

The dark walls loomed closer—almost there.

Hades, with a mighty leap, flung his scythe, the Requiem, its blade hooking onto the crags of the wall above. Grasping the chain that trailed from the scythe's handle, he propelled himself up onto the ramparts.

Following his lead, other Death Shrouds launched their scythes, scaling the walls with grim determination. Once atop, Hades set his sights on the heavy artillery, the standard Necron warriors proving no match for him. The sparse Necron presence on the wall compared to the ground below allowed Hades to move through them as if in an uninhabited land, with each explosion of his making, a Necron fell.

The Death Shrouds joining him atop the wall swiftly began their suppression, significantly reducing the Necron artillery fire, aiding the second wave of Space Marines in their advance.

Realizing their artillery numbers dwindling, Hades, with a stern gaze, seemed to be searching for something specific. Finally, at a section distinctly different from other battlements, he found his target.

"This is the place," Hades thought, commanding the placement of thermite bombs while directing the Death Shrouds to vacate the area. Following two sharp explosions, a breach opened in the Necron wall, providing entry.

With the breach secured, Hades watched as a mixed force of Iron Warriors and Death Shrouds carved a path through the Necron horde.

Dantioch, observing the now disfigured Necron construct, pondered deeply. Since entering the northern building cluster, Hades had led a small group of Death Shrouds in planting explosives at strategic points. Minimal charges brought down the grand structures, carving out a defensive zone in the city's north.

Dantioch was curious about Hades' immediate identification of these structural weak points but refrained from asking, sensing it wasn't the right question.

Thus, he watched as Hades deftly navigated the blackstone jungle, planting bombs with ease. The destruction of the Necron resurrection facility relieved their pressure significantly. Without their regenerative advantage, the low-tier Necrons stood little chance against the combined might of the Death Shrouds and Iron Warriors.

Witnessing Hades demolish a quarter of the structures, Dantioch attempted to contact Perturabo, seeking ground support for the space battle, only to find the Primarchs preoccupied with the Necron fleet, unresponsive to his calls.

"Time to establish defensive positions," Hades' voice came over the channel, entrusting "defense" to the more experienced Iron Warriors.

Meanwhile, Hades felt unease amidst the vibrating, humming blackstone of the city. "What's happening here?" he wondered, but there was no time to dwell on these sensations. He continued to oversee the placement of explosives and monitor the battle.

As expected, there was no contact from the space fleet, prompting Hades to hope the Death Shrouds could evade the Necron ships. As long as the Iron Warriors could hold off the Necron fleet, they had a chance to escape.

Focused on setting another charge, Hades suddenly leapt back, narrowly avoiding a beam brighter than Necron artillery fire. Whirling around, he saw the Necron figure vanish into the blackstone structures.

It was a Deathmark!

Deathmarks, the snipers among the Necrons, are seldom deployed by their lords, for their use is deemed a "dishonor" to them.

But at this moment, Hades realized something crucial!

The presence of a Deathmark on the battlefield meant one terrifying truth - the lord of this tomb world had awakened!

"What the hell?!" Hades thought in disbelief. Wasn't it said that the Necrons slept deeply, often undisturbed in their crypts?

As if in response to Hades' thoughts, atop the central pyramid, a figure much taller than the rest of the Necrons emerged from the pinnacle, surveying Hades and his group from on high.

"Not bad, you managed to dodge," spoke the lord, Khasethelos.

As the lord's words fell, a laser beam flashed by, piercing through an Iron Warrior - the Deathmark had shifted its target!

"Watch out for the sniper," Hades warned through the comms.

"I was looking forward to what kind of being you might be," Khasethelos continued, holding his scythe, its heavy energy field humming with power. He descended from his elevated position with deliberate steps.

Some Space Marines tried to shoot at the lord, but their efforts were effortlessly blocked by the Necron's shield.

With every word from Khasethelos, a laser beam from the hidden Deathmark zipped through the buildings, faithfully executing the lord's will. Despite the Marines' attempts to dodge, the Deathmark's sniping disrupted their rhythm, with surprise shots breaking their formation.

"But it seems it was just a lowly creature's trick," Khasethelos remarked. "Your very existence is interesting, soulless one? No, that's not quite right."

But it didn't matter to him; capturing Hades would reveal all. Bored with the one-sided fight, Khasethelos mused about conversing with his brother instead.

"I shall grant you a battle, lowly being," he declared. "Use whatever little tricks you have. If you intrigue me, perhaps I'll let you live until your appointed death."

As Lord Khasethelos stepped off the final stair, the main forces of the Necrons, approaching from the south side of the city, began to emerge.