Seraphs of the Emperor’s Judgment

Chapter 150: The Power of Melta

The deck was swallowed by darkness as the greenskins furiously charged forth.

Then, due to the rapid transition between the bright and pitch-black environments, their vision instantly blurred. Consequently, they slowed down, beginning a nervous and bewildered search for the Space Marines who had just been here.

"Tight formation. Assault towards the starboard flank."

Soshyan issued the command over the public vox channel, his feet already moving.

The Astral Knights reorganized their formation as they charged. Those at the front raised their shields, overlapping them to form a cohesive whole—an armored wedge—while those in the rear provided covering fire.

The greenskins were immediately caught off guard. Driven by instinctive reaction, they roared and fired blindly in directions where enemies might be. As a result, they hit many of their own. The dying wails of Gretchin, shredded by bullets fired by their own kin, echoed across the deck.

Meanwhile, the Astral Knights retaliated with their bolters. They kept low, seeking cover within the smoke, and aimed their weapons at the exposed bodies of their enemies.

As they advanced with unwavering steps, they left behind numerous enemies clutching their wounds, writhing in agony on the floor.

However, the greenskins possessed high adaptability to the darkness. Once their vision recovered, they finally pinpointed the true location of their foes.

Subsequently, their firepower began to intensify, forcing Soshyan and his men to advance against a barrage of explosions, propelling the shield wall forward through sheer muscle and discipline.Their pace began to slow, transitioning from an initial run to steady, measured steps.

The first rank of warriors held their shields high, enduring bitterly as they weathered the impact of various large-caliber rounds and explosives.

Flames slipped through the gaps in the shield wall, washing over their power armor.

The intense heat scorched Soshyan's body as well, but he pushed aside all sensation, merely striving to drive his legs forward.

Finally, they neared their target location.

He immediately noticed unexpected movement from the blast doors that had just fallen to partition the deck from the rear corridor. It appeared there were numerous enemies behind the doors, currently attempting to force them open to allow more reinforcements through.

"Melta bombs."

At Soshyan's command, Logris, gripping his pulse rifle in one hand, unhooked heavy melta bombs from his backpack with the other and tossed them to Armin and two other warriors.

The three warriors caught the melta bombs, pulled the pins, hurled them in the direction of the approaching enemy reinforcements, and then rapidly retreated.

Boom—

In an instant, the darkness vanished. The intense light of the explosion illuminated the entire flight deck like a bolt of lightning.

In the span of a single breath, the melta bombs detonated, accompanied by the hissing of subatomic dispersal.

The furiously charging greenskins discovered in horror that the floor beneath their feet had instantly burned cherry-red, before turning into the white-hot hue of molten metal.

Those unfortunates caught in the explosion's intense heatwave were instantly vaporized, while those unlucky enough to run over the molten metal sank into the scalding metallic torrent.

They died screaming. The deck, already brought to a near-molten state by the extreme temperature, collapsed like a bursting bubble, sending the molten metal cascading to the lower level.

The Gretchin unfortunate enough to be situated directly beneath the collapse zone raised their hands in terror, attempting to shield themselves, but their flesh caught fire from the immense heat. These little green creatures were reduced to mangled, smoldering corpses in the darkness.

Hundreds of greenskins perished the moment the blast doors were blown apart, but their numbers were far beyond that.

With a single glance, Soshyan realized that the corridor was already packed tight with enemies.

"Melta."

He glanced at the massive hole in the ground, an idea forming in his mind.

Following his command, the shrieking whine of melta beams tearing through the air instantly resonated. A scalding torrent washed through the corridor, scouring the filthy xenos lifeforms. Many were reduced to ash before they could even utter a scream.

A nauseating stench permeated the air.

Yet, this still failed to halt the advance of the subsequent greenskins. Displaying an almost suicidal bravery as they stepped over their fallen, they erupted from the corridor, massive roars tearing from their thick necks.

"Deal with these guys first."

Soshyan ordered the squad to reform the spearhead and charge towards the blasted breach.

He himself was at the very tip of the spear. Holding Heaven's Fall aloft, he carved a sweeping arc.

The fastest greenskin collided head-on with Soshyan. It was incredibly swift, wielding a murderous weapon fashioned from a massive wrench, swinging it directly at Soshyan's face.

With a single strike of his sword, Soshyan deflected the opponent's weapon, then threw his full weight forward in a tackle.

The greenskin stumbled, and Soshyan capitalized on the opening, viciously landing several punches into the opponent's exposed guard.

The steel plate affixed to its chest shattered instantly, forcing it to retreat, but Soshyan had already struck it twice within a second, smashing its massive face and internal organs to pulp.

"Prepare for close-quarters engagement."

Aside from Logris, who continued to fire his rifle at the larger individuals among the greenskins, the other warriors secured their firearms behind their shields using magnetic locks. In a swift, fluid motion, they drew power weapons wreathed in lethal energy fields or roaring chainswords.

Simultaneously, amidst the cracking of bullets tearing through the air, the greenskins surged forward with unstoppable momentum.

WAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!

"Purge the xenos!!"

The Space Marines pushed their way forward through the swarming enemies. Soshyan and Sol acted as the vanguard of the assault, carving left and right amidst the horde. They parried incoming heavy objects, thrusts, and an assortment of tools frantically grabbed by the mechanics.

Their coordination was utterly flawless, as precise as the gears of a clock.

Chaplain Yazdan followed behind them, brandishing his scepter wreathed in a disruption field. He advanced with precise and agile footwork, periodically smashing his scepter into enemies, turning them into in fragmented pieces amidst a mist of blood.

The first wave of enemies in the corridor was quickly purged, while others were still struggling to advance around the corner.

"Time is of the essence. We go below."

Having spoken, Soshyan took a fleeting glance at his chronometer.

It had been five minutes since they breached the enemy vessel.

The warriors broke into a sprint, disappearing one after another into the pitch-black crater left behind by the melta bombs.

During the fall, they switched back to their previous firearms.

The squad landed in the maintenance sector beneath the flight deck. The glow from their power armor helmets illuminated a corridor dense with pipes.

This place harbored centuries of filth; it was evident that this was an ancient ship.

Not only were the walls grimy, but the pipes were also caked in a thick layer of dust and rust. Beneath the grating lay a bustling transit artery.

Compared to the clamor above, it was quite peaceful here. Soshyan could even hear the sounds of various liquids flowing through the pipes—fuel, coolant, and leaking chemicals.

For centuries, the filthy liquids had been pulled incessantly downward by artificial gravity, slowly seeping into the heart of the ship, passing through small compartments and various corridors lining both sides of the keel.

On the floor lay a few greenskins who had fallen due to the explosion earlier.

Their protruding, deformed knees indicated they had broken their legs during the horrific drop, yet they still struggled to stand, emitting roars to warn nearby enemies.

Soshyan stepped forward and dispatched them cleanly with his sword.