As the others jumped to their feet and started back up again, Hayes scrambled to his feet and followed them.
For a moment, Hayes seemed to feel the blood pouring from his ears and the beating of his heart, and then, like a slow awakening like a nightmare, he heard again the death scream of falling shells.
Suddenly, an explosion burst out of the air next to him, knocking him to the ground and sending debris falling all over him.
He spat out blood as he stumbled to his feet again, stumbling dazed through the long dangerous moment as more explosions shook the ground beneath his feet.
Then he breathed a sigh of relief and heard a familiar voice calling out in his confusion.
"Hayes, this way! This way!"
Hashet dragged him back to the bunker. Hayes looked at other positions. Many fortifications were in disarray. Many mutilated corpses and stone fragments were piled up together. The wails of the injured could be heard one after another, but more were heard. The officers cursed.
Finally, the wait was over, and for the first time Hayes heard the enemy screaming their terrible war cries.
At the same time, he felt that the ground was still shaking, but the source of the earthquake was getting closer and closer, and some already unstable bunkers began to collapse.
Just when the noise and vibrations reached their climax, the true source was revealed.
Three huge figures clumsily "squeezed" out of the cave in the distance. They were like some kind of earth-drilling machine. When they appeared, they directly expanded the small hole several times, and the crushed rocks flew out hundreds of times. Meters away, an evil howl followed, sounding full of rage and pain.
These monsters have never been seen by Hayes before. They are covered in dark red armor. They are four to five meters tall. They look like some kind of four-legged beast. They are covered with thick metal. The only organic material is the growth on the side of its torso. The terrifying blue tentacles, as well as the unblinking eyes on its chest, its forelimbs seem to be composed of some kind of long-range weapon, and burning flames can be seen in the huge open head.
"Devil Engine!!!"
Ouranios shouted to alert those around him.
"Anti-vehicle team! Gather around me immediately!"
Along with these nightmarish mechanical creations, there were also a large number of fanatical servants holding high the Chaos War Flag, wearing breathing masks, and with pale and twisted flesh.
Although he had experienced so many terrible battles before, they were nothing compared to the horror that appeared in Hayes' vision now.
Just behind the rushing cultists, Hayes saw countless much larger figures emerging from the darkness. Each of them was a grotesque armored giant more than two meters tall, with mutated bodies, constantly making ferocious and savage roars.
Hayes had seen Chaos Space Marines before, but they were far away and there were only three of them.
And here, there seem to be hundreds or thousands of
The word 'hope' seems to have become a somewhat ironic word at this moment.
Hashet's calm voice was barely audible amid the din.
"Keep calm and sharp. Heavy bolters will give priority to those Chaos Space Marines, but their marksmanship is also very accurate. You need to protect yourselves and change positions immediately after hitting a base."
"Also, remember to aim higher. Heavy explosive shells must hit their vital points to ensure damage. Habri, don't worry about those cannon fodders. They are not a threat. Others will be cannon fodder."
Hayes also switched the fire control from safe to "burst" and silently recited the laser gun litany in his head -
Messenger of death, say your name,
Because you are my life and my enemy's death.
"Prepare to fire."
The cultists were running closer, and behind the scurrying procession of cannon fodder, Hayes could now see the fallen angels more clearly.
Their armor is full of distortion and intimidation, and many of their heads have been severely mutated, growing ferocious fangs, open jaws or insect-like mouths. Some of their arms and legs have also turned into arthropods, tentacles and even claws. , but their speed is very fast, getting closer and closer with every passing second.
As he watched them rush toward their position, Hayes felt himself overcome by an almost irresistible urge to turn and run.
He wanted to hide, run away as fast as he could and never look back, full of fear, his mouth was dry and his hands were shaking.
Still, he stood his ground.
"Fire!"
In an instant, every soldier on the line opened fire, bright laser fire lines burning in the air. As carefully selected defense forces, they proved to the enemy that they were not easy to pinch.
Various laser guns, automatic cannons, and plasma cannons fired continuously. Almost all the troops on the Destruction Moon were over-equipped with heavy direct firepower in order to kill the enemy with maximum efficiency in the narrow underground.
In the blink of an eye, those crazy waves were suddenly choked as if they hit a rock.
The fragile flesh of mortals was easily torn apart without even a scream. The three demon engines were greeted by various plasmas and rockets. Automatic cannons struck cracks on their bodies. The intensive firepower even hit them continuously. Staggering, there is no way to attack.
Even the Chaos Space Marines did not expect the firepower of these mortals to be so ferocious. Some unlucky ones were hit on the head by the intensive firepower and fell backwards, but more squatted down and started shooting.
At the same time, more cultists rushed out of the passage, some of them dragging light artillery and heavy machine guns.
Hayes fired without hesitation, as ruthlessly as the others, again and again, his fear waning with each shot.
"I'll kill one of you!"
Habri's excited voice sounded, and then he began to change the machine gun positions under the influence of Hashet kicking his ass.
Hayes also killed several traitors. For the first time in his life, he experienced the brutal joy of killing. For the first time, he saw the enemy fall injured and fell. He felt a little happy in his heart. He knew the value of hatred.
Seeing his enemies die, he felt no sorrow for them, no sadness, no remorse for their deaths.
They have taken refuge with the devil, they are no longer human, they are unclean, they are monsters, every one of them.
All are monsters.
Suddenly, Hayes finally understood the hype.
A good soldier feels nothing but hatred.
Then, in the heat and noise of the battle, Hayes, moving with the machine-gun squad, saw something that made all his fears come flooding back.
Incredibly, despite all the casualties caused by heavy weapons and artillery fire, the Heretic charge did not falter.
And more huge twisted machines appeared. They looked like some kind of humanoid machines, about five meters tall, with broad bodies and animalistic heads. They carried weapons on their arms and shot at the empire's defense lines as soon as they appeared. .
A huge flash of fire rose over the defense line as a plasma cannon was destroyed, then an autocannon.
When some Chaos Space Marines took advantage of cover and approached the defense line, bright streams of heat erupted, and the hidden melta cannons opened fire.
In an instant, a dozen Chaos Space Marines disappeared from the battlefield.
Similarly, when the firepower was concentrated on a twisted machine, the thing only lasted for more than ten seconds before falling down with a wailing sound of metal, its body spurting out flames.
But there are six such things!
As the new position was deployed, Hayes held the cherub to his lips and whispered a prayer.
Hope he can leave here alive.
(End of chapter)
