Planet Lycios.
It was a beautiful world, perpetually cloaked in a gentle drizzle. The constant moisture had allowed a carpet of glowing blue algae to grow across its surface.
Billions of nomads lived here.
They traveled across the planet atop enormous reptilian beasts, leading a drifting existence.
Their primary livelihood came from harvesting algae and turning it into protein bars, which they traded with the Imperium of Man.
This, however, earned them the displeasure of the Ecclesiarchy—for their faith in the Emperor was considered too weak.
To change this…
Canoness Magda of the Order of the Sacred Rose led ten thousand Battle Sisters to Lycios, establishing a mobile convent to follow the nomads.
She swore that the people here would fully understand the Emperor's greatness.
The Sisters tirelessly preached to the tribes while protecting them from the Emperor's foes.
But then—
Hive Fleet Leviathan descended upon them, shifting their mission entirely.
The Sisters had to pause their "harassment" of the nomads and stand with the Imperium's reinforcements and the tribes themselves to face the Tyranid tide.
Canoness Magda had experience with Tyranid warfare. She knew well the horror the swarm could bring.
She immediately ordered the strengthening of defensive fortifications.
But a threat remained.
Some nomads still wandered outside the cities, unaware of the looming danger.
If they weren't brought to shelter in time, they would become biomass for the Tyranids.
To save them—
Magda personally led a squad of Sisters to find the tribal elders and convince them to evacuate their people.
The elders agreed.
The nomads rode their great crawling beasts, surrounded by the Sisters' armored transports, making their way toward the city.
Halfway through their journey, the skies suddenly darkened—
A harbinger of the calamity to come.
Hive Fleet Leviathan had arrived, launching spore pods at Lycios.
Tens of thousands of Tyranid spores flooded the atmosphere.
Some were microscopic, invisible to the naked eye, drifting with the clouds and poisoning the ecology.
Others were bloated, chitin-covered monsters carrying dormant Tyranids, acidic fluids, or volatile gases.
And this—
Was only the beginning.
Once inside the ecosystem, the spores would transform the soil, water, and even the air itself—making them digestible to the Hive Fleet.
Burrowed "node spores" would emit psychic resonance, linking the swarm's minds.
After Tyranids on the ground acclimated to the environment and collected sufficient genetic traits—
They would gather in a massive wave to crush all resistance.
Meanwhile, in orbit, the Hive Fleet would manufacture more advanced bio-weapons specifically tailored to this planet—
Unleashing them in endless waves until every defender was dead and every inch of land consumed.
Before that happened—
The orbital defense grid deployed by the Imperium lit up.
Macro cannons and lance beams lanced into the skies, blasting countless spores apart.
But many still broke through.
On the ground—
Citizens watched in terror as spore pods fell from the heavens, dyeing the sky a sickly yellow-green.
Canoness Magda ordered her Sisters to form defensive lines with their vehicles.
Realizing the Tyranids had come for them, the nomads joined in, turning their beasts' automated cannons skyward.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Bolt shells and high-explosive rounds poured upward in a withering hail of fire.
Many spores were shredded before they touched the ground.
Some Sisters soared skyward with jump packs, trying to intercept and destroy incoming spores using boltguns and sticky charges.
But—
Some of the spores were traps.
They exploded the moment Sisters got close.
Explosive acid and razor-sharp shrapnel shredded their bodies.
Their remains fell with the intact spores.
Splurt—
The spore pods burst open on impact, disgorging chitin-armored monstrosities.
The Tyranids charged the Sisters' defensive lines…
...
On Erynes' Bloom,
A similar scene played out.
As a hive world with a dense population, it was a prime target for the Hive Fleet's hunger.
It received several times more spores than Lycios.
To make matters worse—
The planetary governor was a paranoid, selfish man.
He had already locked himself in a luxurious underground bunker and refused to emerge.
Fortunately, no one expected him to help.
General Meron had personally led the Cadian Shock Troops and the Vostroyan Firstborn Armored Regiment to the surface for defense.
He leveraged the hive city's maze-like structure, abandoning the main roads and fortifying narrow alleys and urban choke points.
He stationed the Vostroyan Firstborn in critical defensive positions.
Vostroyans hailed from an industrial world whose ancestors had once committed unforgivable treason.
To atone, every Vostroyan family was required to send their firstborn son into the Astra Militarum.
Even noble families.
This tradition had endured for centuries.
It was an honor.
The Firstborn carried their families' pride.
Vostroya spared no expense outfitting them—many units entered battle with personal gear.
Thus, they were an elite anomaly among Guard regiments.
Heavily armed, deeply loyal, and possessed of iron discipline.
When they arrived, they filled the entire defense zone with Leman Russ tanks and other armored vehicles.
Under General Meron's leadership, Erynes' Bloom became a fortress of steel and faith.
But then—
Tens of thousands of spores broke through the sky's firepower net.
The defenders had underestimated the swarm.
Tyranids emerged in waves, launching immediate assaults before anyone could reposition.
With no choice—
General Meron gave the order: Weapons Free.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Minefields detonated across the battlefront.
But the swarm pushed through.
When they reached the defensive lines—
Thousands of Hormagaunts were torn apart by las-fire.
Larger Tyranids fell to anti-tank missiles and heavy weapon emplacements.
But numbers prevailed.
Some broke through into buildings, dragging the fight into brutal close-quarters combat.
Meron and his troops held on as best they could.
Meanwhile—
Other planets like Alros also came under attack.
The 11th Storm Regiment, the Eagles of Capek, who had narrowly escaped Vitria's fall, had arrived.
They had come for vengeance.
And so—
The first battle of the Cryptus System's defense against the Tyranid tide began in fire and blood…
Several days later.
Buzz—
Several crimson warships dropped out of the Warp.
The fleet of the Blood Angels had arrived.
Aboard the Blade of Vengeance, the Chapter's flagship—
An aged warrior stood at the observation dome.
He wore golden artificer power armor with a single crimson drop of blood on the chest—unmistakable.
This was Dante, Chapter Master of the Blood Angels.
He had fought for the Imperium for over a millennium.
His legend stood just beneath that of the Primarch himself.
His victories included:
Banishing the Bloodthirster Skabrand,
Defeating the pirate lord Kalibrax,
Crushing the warlord Grakka the Bonebreaker…
Records of his glories filled every corner of the Chapter's libraries.
Across the Imperium, none failed to recognize his name.
But now—
This elderly warrior was weary, body and soul.
Still, he bore his burden and led the sons of Sanguinius into battle.
The Blade of Vengeance shuddered as it exited the Warp.
Dante gazed across his fleet.
To break through the Tyranid shadow in the Warp and reach the Cryptus System, many Navigators and Astropaths had sacrificed their lives.
But it had been worth it.
Dante knew—if Cryptus fell, Baal would be next.
They must hold the line here and weaken Leviathan.
They must save as many lives as they could from the Devourer's jaws.
"Fortunately, the Savior warned us in advance."
He silently thanked Eden.
That warning had bought them precious time to prepare.
Suddenly—
"My lord, I may need to step away…"
One of his Sanguinary Guard paled, struggling with his inner demons. His pupils contracted to pinpoints.
The Red Thirst was upon him.
He needed Karash—the bottled bloodwine—to hold it off.
Dante raised a hand.
The Guard bowed and left for a sealed chamber.
Even through the walls, Dante could smell the blood.
The psychic craving surged within him.
But he calmly suppressed it.
Such resistance was easy—now.
In battle, surrounded by fresh blood—that was the real test.
So far, he had never given in.
Dante reviewed the situation.
He decided to split the Chapter into three groups:
The Flesh Tearers would support the Sisters and nomads on Lycios.
2nd Company would search Alros for survivors.
Dante himself would lead the fight on Erynes' Bloom alongside General Meron.
But—
"My lord!"
Chief Sanguinary Priest Corbulo rushed in.
"I've uncovered something vital. A secret buried in Cryptus could cure the Red Thirst—and the Black Rage!"
According to Corbulo—
The ancient Vlax family once ruled the system.
Their blood contained secrets that might end the Chapter's curse.
The last heir… was the current governor of Erynes' Bloom.
Now missing amidst the invasion.
Before the planet fell, they had to find him.
Alive or dead, they needed his blood.
Dante was stunned.
He wanted to search personally—but duty prevented him.
He must hold the line.
If Erynes' Bloom fell, countless lives would be lost—and Leviathan would only grow stronger.
So he turned to his most trusted Captain:
Karlaen.
"This mission is yours."
Dante's eyes burned with purpose.
"This concerns the future of the Blood Angels. Bring back the Vlax heir!"
Corbulo added:
"Even if he's dead—we need his blood."
"My lord, I swear it."
Karlaen saluted.
"No matter where he hides, no matter what opposes me—I will complete this mission."
He gathered thirty veteran Blood Angels—all experienced in fighting Tyranids.
Together, they teleported to the surface of Erynes' Bloom.
Meanwhile, Dante and the rest of the Chapter split up to fulfill their assigned missions.
Hours later
Near the Blade of Vengeance
Buzz—
The Dreamweaver tore out of the Warp and decelerated hard.
It immediately sent a friendly signal to avoid being fired upon.
Inside the navigation chamber—
Huff...
Eden was covered in flickering psychic arcs.
He removed the psionic-linked helm and sighed:
"That was rough…"
The Tyranid shadow had nearly sealed the Warp.
To avoid casualties, he had to pilot personally—using his own psychic powers and solar resonance to navigate.
He had basically drift-raced through the Warp.
If he'd used any lesser ship, it would've torn apart.
THUD—
The Dreamweaver shook.
"…What the?"
He checked the scanners.
Oops.
They'd clipped the Blade of Vengeance, leaving deep scratch marks on its hull.
"…Oof."
Eden winced.
"Hope Dante doesn't bill me for that…"
No time to worry.
He had to find Dante.
The war plan was set:
The Savior's forces would fight with the Imperials and Blood Angels on Lycios and Erynes' Bloom to hold the line—
Buy time for evacuation.
Then—
He and Dante would dig up the Necrons and activate the Grand Prism.
Once the civilians were safe—
They would ignite a gas giant, obliterate Hive Fleet Leviathan.
If that failed—
They would retreat to Baal and fight the final war.
He even had a Plan B:
If all else failed, he'd summon that Warp-obsessed bloodthirsty half-brother of his to help.
Eden liked the odds.
The only thing left—
Find Dante and get his cooperation.
But then—bad news.
Dante had already gone to the surface of Erynes' Bloom.
Fortunately, the planet was close.
Eden peered out at the ruined world.
Massive capillary towers stretched from the surface into orbit, linking to bloated bio-ships.
Scans showed chitinous spread zones across the planet.
The infestation had begun.
But it wasn't too late—yet.
Eden donned his golden armor.
With Carter and dozens of Thunder Guards beside him, he entered the teleport chamber.
Time to land.
He reviewed the incoming reports.
Reinforcements from his realm were arriving at the warzones within the next two days.
He marked his destination.
"…Dante's on the surface. Better not miss him this time."
"And Big Barrel is there too. Good. I'll get him to help dig up the Necrons."
After all, this was a Necron tombworld.
More help, the better.
Buzz—
The teleport beam activated.
Eden, Carter, and the Thunder Guards vanished...
...
Surface of Erynes' Bloom, Capital City Fyadi
The city was ravaged by war.
Buildings lay in ruin. Smoke, laser fire, and Tyranid screeches filled the air.
SLASH—
A Blood Angel drove his power sword into a Genestealer's chest.
The dying beast still managed to tear through his armor.
But he didn't care.
He wrenched the blade free and slew several more Tyranids.
Breathing heavily, Brother Faisel propped up a fallen comrade.
They had lost contact with Karlaen.
Now, only the two of them remained.
Faisel's blood pack had been destroyed, and the Red Thirst gnawed at him.
Worse still—
A Tyranid node-beast lurked nearby.
He had no strength to resist.
Step by step, he dragged his comrade forward—
Trying to reach a safe zone.
His vision blurred.
Am I going to die here...?
But then—
Loud, sacred war-hymns exploded from afar.
Faisel blinked, startled.
He looked up and saw something… bizarre.
A massive Tyranid node-beast lay dead.
A group of warriors was carving it open.
Nearby sat a device resembling a forge...
"Hurry up! Once we recharge, we're moving!"
A boisterous voice called out.
Then—
It shouted toward him:
"Hey, brother! You hungry? Want a bite?"
(End of Chapter)
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