Dante fixed his gaze on the terrifying iron beast at the base of the tower.
It was a Hell Drake.
It was hard to imagine how the Savior had cultivated and tamed such a powerful creature—clearly, it no longer belonged to the realm of Chaos beasts.
And yet, Dante, the Chapter Master, had no qualms about the existence of such a creature, let alone deeming it heretical.
In his youth, Dante had been more peaceful and kind by nature, even showing pity for xenos scavengers trying to survive—lowering his weapon in mercy.
But now…
He had become much more resolute.
To Dante, victory sometimes demanded compromise. Mankind had to grasp any power it could—so long as loyalty to the Emperor was upheld and everything remained within reasonable control.
He himself had, in multiple campaigns, been forced to collaborate with enemies of humanity to fight even greater threats.
Worst case—deal with the greater evil first, then turn and flip the table later.
In fact, the entire galaxy was like this. Every race was embroiled in a chaotic mess of conflict, with temporary cooperation being nothing unusual.
Dante eventually tore his gaze away from the Hell Drake.
He looked toward the Savior and said, somewhat uncomfortably, "My lord, please allow me to return to the front lines…"
The battle had been raging for over half the day, and all he'd done was watch.
It weighed on him.
"Hey, old Dante, we're holding down the command center—that's our job," Eden replied casually as he turned to look back.
"If a war could only be won by the commander personally charging into the frontlines, how hard and humiliating would that be?"
Dante hesitated, then swallowed the words he was about to speak.
He felt slightly hurt.
Eden shrugged and continued, "Besides, I've already handed over full authority to the command center. For now, we only follow orders. When they need us, they'll let us know."
Dante nodded.
Indeed, under such conditions, interfering too much would be dangerous—there could only be one voice of absolute command on the battlefield. Otherwise, it would lead to chaos.
Eden sat down and patted the recliner beside him. "Come, take a break. Later, there'll be a big guy waiting for you."
This observation tower and the underground command center were the most secure areas in the battle zone.
It was a rare moment where rest was possible.
If the enemy ever breached this far, it would mean the war had entered an extremely dire phase.
However—
Just as Dante sat beside the Savior, he heard a crack.
He immediately snapped to attention.
It was the sound of the recliner breaking.
Turning his head, he saw the recliner had indeed shattered into pieces.
The Savior had unknowingly risen to his feet, his expression solemn as he gazed into the sky.
"They're here. And bigger than expected."
Dante followed his gaze, but the sky still looked as cloudy and bleak as before. Countless ribbed tendrils dangled from the cloud cover—nothing seemed to have changed.
But the next moment—
He sensed a horrifying threat approaching, as if an invisible enemy loomed ever closer.
Compared to Dante's perception, Eden's was far sharper.
His psyker senses had already picked up a psychic pressure far stronger than that of the previous Zoanthrope—at least two or three times greater!
At that moment, his communicator buzzed.
A transmission from the command center.
They had also detected a high-threat Tyranid entity in the upper atmosphere and drafted an operational plan.
They requested direct support from the Savior.
Eden nodded. "Understood. Tell them to hurry up."
As soon as the words left his mouth—
BOOM!
A rocket burst into the sky and detonated at high altitude.
The shockwave rippled through the area, dispersing the clouds and briefly revealing the yellowed sky in a shade of blue.
The explosion exposed the enemy lurking in the shadows.
High above…
A massive, twisted psyker beast emerged, its body sheathed in chitinous armor.
A winged Hive Tyrant, nearly twenty meters long, with an unusually large and smooth head, and front limbs that resembled the leathery wings of a great drake.
Its hind limbs had morphed into writhing tentacles.
A long, slender tail snaked through the air, ending in a glowing blue pincer.
Even worse—
Surrounding it was a dense swarm of Zoanthropes.
It was clear.
This special Tyranid unit was the core of a psychic strike force—leading a hidden Zoanthrope array that had infiltrated the core region unnoticed.
"We can't let that thing get any closer. If it does, we're finished…"
Eden stared up at the winged Hive Tyrant, a heavy sense of dread growing within him.
Even from this distance, its psychic pressure was overwhelming.
If it breached the core region, the casualties would be catastrophic—and the command center might fall entirely.
Which would cripple the entire battlefront's coordination.
At that moment, the command center launched its counterattack. Over twenty rockets roared skyward.
Simultaneously—
Dozens of strike fighters took off, racing toward the Hive Tyrant.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Explosions rippled through the skies, blasting apart tendrils and leaving a downpour of ichor and torn flesh.
But when the smoke cleared…
The Hive Tyrant remained unscathed.
Its psychic shield had deflected all the damage.
HUMMM—
Its counterattack came swiftly.
It and the Zoanthrope swarm released a silent screech that sent psychic shockwaves rippling through the air, crashing down toward the long-range artillery emplacements.
The troops on the ground scrambled to retreat.
But the psychic shock was too fast.
Those who failed to escape in time collapsed, clutching their heads and screaming in agony.
Screeeeech!
At the epicenter, a missile platform warped and twisted under the pressure. The warriors still in the zone were reduced to pulp in an instant.
The Hive Tyrant pressed on—preparing another psychic blast.
Fortunately—
The strike fighters arrived just in time, distracting it.
Heavy aircraft scattered in all directions, opening fire from multiple angles, saturating the creature with ordnance.
But it was no use.
Waves of psychic energy rippled outward, causing explosion after explosion among the warplanes.
The Tyranid Gargoyles swarmed in, forming a black cloud that engulfed the aircraft—ripping at their hulls with claws and teeth.
Yet—
Even under such pressure, many warplanes fought their way through and launched suicide attacks.
Explosions blasted away several of the Hive Tyrant's tendrils, leaving it covered in wounds.
But for the beast, these were mere scratches.
Its wounds healed before the human eye.
Nevertheless…
The heavy warplanes continued, one by one, to slam into the monster and detonate.
Their sacrifices bought precious time.
As the Hive Tyrant neared the core, its pressure grew stronger. Troops around the command center began to show signs of psychic distress.
The situation was becoming critical.
That was the brutality of war with the Tyranids—one wrong move, and everything would collapse.
Eden's brows tightened as he watched.
Such intense psychic pressure was beyond anything he could handle alone.
But war had never been about a single man.
The command center's response was swift.
The warplanes had not died in vain—their sacrifice had bought time to prepare a countermeasure.
HUMM—
Brilliant psychic lights surged.
The Blood Angels, Librarians of the Sons of Man, and psykers had successfully completed the ritual array.
Under Chief Librarian Mephiston's guidance, hundreds of psykers began channeling their energy together.
The intensity of the psychic output caused space itself to ripple.
As if, at any moment, it would tear open—inviting the horrors of the Warp.
Mephiston acted quickly. "Hold! Energy has reached its limit—stop increasing output!"
The rift was stabilized—disaster averted.
Then—
The collected psychic energy surged into Eden's body.
And he changed.
BOOM!
At the top of the watchtower, a column of golden light shot skyward.
Now—
Eden's body was wreathed in lightning arcs. His eyes radiated golden beams. A golden crown and twin wings once more appeared upon him.
But this time—he was stronger than ever before.
"It's our turn now."
He glared at the winged Hive Tyrant above, fury burning in his heart.
"Crimson Flame!"
Eden roared, leaping from the tower.
ROAAAAR—!
Like a dragon, an enraged howl echoed.
A crimson figure engulfed in flame soared upward, blasting from below—the tail flames licking the tower's tip.
Dante shielded himself from the shockwave and looked up.
And there, soaring into the sky—
The Savior rode atop the twenty-meter-long Hell Drake.
The arcs of psychic lightning around him danced across the beast's metal body.
Golden bolts and crimson flame intertwined, radiant and awe-inspiring!
Dante felt a pang of regret.
He should have gone with the Savior to face this alien monster.
Down below—
After a moment of panic, the soldiers felt a warm, holy light.
A power that dispelled the Tyranid's psychic suppression.
They looked up and saw the blazing sun-like figure of their great Savior.
That silhouette filled them with peace…
"For the Savior!"
A shout erupted from someone in the ranks.
And then—
The entire warfront exploded in cheers. Soldiers voiced their reverence and launched fiercer counterattacks.
WHOOSH—
The wind howled above.
Eden, mounted on the Hell Drake, charged at the winged Hive Tyrant at high speed.
"Faster!"
He had to intercept it before it reached a critical altitude.
Crimson Flame roared in response, its flames intensifying.
Accelerating.
HUMM!
Wave after wave of psychic attacks came—but were all blocked by Eden's shield.
High above—
The Hive Tyrant sensed danger and shrieked, issuing new commands to its aerial forces.
In an instant—
A horde of Tyranid Gargoyles descended like a black storm, wings and claws forming a tornado of flesh and death.
But in this moment of his apex—
Eden felt no fear.
"Crimson Flame—charge!"
He drew the legendary power sword named Glory, igniting its disintegration field, then pointed it forward with a sweeping motion.
The very air seemed to boil.
Crimson Flame opened its jaw full of jagged fangs and unleashed a thunderous roar from deep within its throat.
A moment later—
A stream of molten, iron-laced crimson flame spewed from its mouth.
The sustained blast—
Burned countless Tyranid Gargoyles to charred husks, raining them down like falling ash.
In retaliation—
The Gargoyles launched their own counterattack. Acidic projectiles and bio-plasma bombs flew through the air.
Crimson Flame raised its dual-layered void shields to block the bombardment, while its upgraded Necron-pattern autocannons on its belly and dual melta arrays on each wing swept the skies.
Tyranid Gargoyles fell in droves.
Simultaneously—
Over a dozen torpedoes launched from its belly, causing even more devastation.
It was no ordinary dragon, but more akin to a draconic ultra-heavy warplane—faster, more agile.
A fusion of flesh and machine.
A Daemon Engine.
But now—
It was a Daemon Engine of the Devourer, loyal to the Savior.
If not for the urgency of war, Crimson Flame could have undergone even further modification—equipping deadlier weapons.
Amidst countless screams, Eden drove Crimson Flame straight into the black cloud of Tyranid flyers, vanishing from sight.
Then—
Flashes of golden psychic lightning began erupting within the black cloud, and with every burst, more Gargoyles fell.
Ten seconds later—
Crimson Flame burst forth from the swarm, charging directly at the winged Hive Tyrant.
The mutated psyker-beast tried to unleash a psychic attack—but was suppressed by Eden's overwhelming psychic might.
Its psychic shield shattered.
Hiss—!
Seeing that psychic powers were ineffective, the Hive Tyrant was forced to resort to melee.
Countless sharp tendrils lashed out, trying to eliminate the human who stifled its power.
But—
They were swiftly severed by the power sword.
"Crimson Flame—bite it!"
Eden's command was clear and cold.
Crimson Flame lunged, engaging the Hive Tyrant in a brutal melee. The two massive beasts tore into one another with claw and fang mid-air.
But without psychic protection—
Chitin and flesh were no match for molten steel.
Crimson Flame's disintegration-fueled fangs and piston-driven claws tore effortlessly through the Hive Tyrant's shell, ripping out huge chunks of flesh.
Pus and blood sprayed.
Several clashes later—
The Hive Tyrant was grievously wounded.
It let out a shriek of agony, struggling to break free and escape.
Too late.
"Xeno… face death!"
Eden seized the moment—leaping from Crimson Flame's back. His sword's disintegration field blazed brilliantly.
From above, he plunged downward—
Landing squarely atop the Hive Tyrant's head, driving Glory deep into its skull. The disintegration field shredded and burned its brain matter.
HISSS—!
The Hive Tyrant spasmed violently, its body collapsing from the mortal wound.
It plummeted from the sky.
Eden was flung off by the dying beast's convulsions, but Crimson Flame dove and caught him in midair.
…
The massive carcass fell fast.
Realizing the danger, the Hive Tyrant frantically beat its wings to slow the fall.
BOOM!
It slammed into a defensive zone near the command center.
But—
Even that massive blow didn't finish the beast.
It struggled to rise—psychic arcs flashing from its head again.
It was preparing one final assault.
"Hold the line!"
Cadian Shock Troops of Defense Zone 1029 unleashed every weapon they had—furiously bombarding the monstrous Tyranid to halt its advance.
Mephiston arrived just in time, engaging it psychically—but even he began to falter under the pressure.
Wounded again, the Hive Tyrant lashed out with talons and venomous tail.
In mere seconds—
More than ten warriors had fallen.
Yet not one Cadian flinched.
They stood their ground.
"Cadia stands!"
A scar-faced Cadian roared and fired again—luckily striking the creature's eye.
But then—
He saw a massive claw sweeping toward him.
In that instant—
The veteran knew it was over. His soul would soon return to the Throne. He felt no fear.
To a Cadian, dying in battle was the truest ending.
His only regret?
He'd never gotten to try the fabled, richly prepared field-ration dinner.
"I wonder what it tastes like…"
The scar-faced veteran thought with a hint of sorrow—
WHOOMPH!
With an ear-splitting crash, the claw struck—
But missed.
He was still alive.
The claw had only torn a trench beside him.
And then—heat.
He looked up—and saw the terrifying molten beast and the Savior himself.
Just moments ago—
The Savior had ridden the iron monster from the heavens, pinning the Tyranid monstrosity to the ground.
"All personnel, fall back!"
The Savior's commanding voice echoed, irresistible and absolute. The scar-faced Cadian instinctively followed his comrades in retreat.
"I might just live to eat that dinner…"
He thought in relief.
Now—
Crimson Flame pinned the Hive Tyrant's winged limbs, pressing it into the earth.
A few seconds later—
Its throat ignited.
It unleashed a torrent of molten flame onto the beast's head—consuming it entirely in a searing blaze ten meters wide.
The psychic synapse creature was incinerated completely.
Then—
Before the reverent eyes of the soldiers, Crimson Flame lifted off once more—carrying the Savior skyward.
Leaving a trail of fire behind, it soared back toward the watchtower.
…
At the tower—
Eden leapt down from Crimson Flame, letting it descend for rest, resupply, and maintenance.
On the ground—
Crimson Flame's engineering crew was already waiting.
The Daemon Engine obediently tucked its limbs in and lay down, its flames subdued, enjoying the careful hands of its maintainers.
Eden had just taken his seat—
When the roar of a Thunderhawk gunship filled the air.
Then—
Dante, soaked in ichor, leapt down into the tower.
He looked weary.
But truthfully—
This had been one of his easiest major battles.
He hadn't even come close to death.
Eden gulped down a bottle of premium energy serum and casually tossed another to Dante.
"Looks like you took out a big one too. Rest up. If I'm right, we'll be launching a full-scale assault soon."
"Assault?" Dante blinked, still recovering from the heat of battle. "Aren't we on the defensive?"
"Not anymore. Best defense is offense."
Eden looked down across the battlefield, voice calm.
Sure enough—
Moments later, they received new orders from Command.
They had located the core synapse creature's command position—and the time to counterattack had arrived.
Eden and Dante would personally lead the assault to crush this Tyranid swarm once and for all.
Meanwhile—
Blood Angels and Sons of Man quietly assembled across the zones, boarding their Thunderhawks...
...
Outer Battle Zone — Tyranid Command Core
The Hive Tyrant was no longer simply enraged.
It was afraid.
And its fear seeped into the Hive Mind, weakening the swarm's fighting spirit.
It realized now that every strike team it had dispatched… had been wiped out. Several elite Tyranid organisms were dead.
Worse—
It was running out of biomass to deploy.
The battlefield ahead had become a fortress it couldn't breach.
A devourer of its swarm.
No more delay.
The swarm had to retreat.
It made a calculated decision.
If given time, it could evolve a new swarm—adapted to this battlefield.
Then return—and destroy everything.
Of course—
It couldn't wait too long, or the Vanguard Hive would send a replacement synapse beast.
Maybe even consume its consciousness.
As it deliberated—
A sudden, overwhelming sense of danger struck.
Its position was exposed.
Human retaliation came swiftly—and brutally.
Within moments, it sensed concentrated firepower—and the cries of dying Tyranids.
It was surrounded.
Over three hundred Centurion Devastators teleported into the region—each squad carving straight through the swarm.
In the sky—
Dozens of Thunderhawks roared in, carrying full squads of Space Marines.
Their singular target—the Hive Tyrant.
Human Command had responded to the Tyranid strike by deploying even greater numbers for the counterattack.
All across the warfront—
Coordinated attacks surged, hammering the Tyranid lines.
"Damn apes!"
The Hive Tyrant sensed collapse. Its protective swarms were falling in droves.
It immediately ordered reinforcements.
But—
The Tyranids were now mired in battlefield traps. Every move was slow and grueling.
They had been held back!
Faced with defeat—
The Hive Tyrant's survival instinct prevailed.
It would flee.
It was the mother of the swarm—as long as it lived, the Hive would never die.
Orders were given.
Massive Guard Serpents began digging, carving out a burrow large enough for a synapse beast.
Within seconds—
A deep, vast tunnel had formed.
The Hive Tyrant commanded its remaining swarm to buy time—and slipped into the hole under guard.
Vanishing from the field.
BOOM—
A pile of rubble burst apart, exposing the tunnel.
"Damn it—that alien escaped!"
Dante stood atop Crimson Flame, looking on in frustration.
"It's fine…"
Eden remained calm. "It should still be within our tracking range."
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Dozens of Earthquake Missiles plunged into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth churned and exploded—sand and rock erupted skyward.
Countless buried Tyranid organisms were thrown into the open, stunned and broken.
Among them—
The Hive Tyrant.
Its vision returned—
Only to see dozens of armored human warriors surrounding it.
HISSS—
At that moment—
The synapse creature finally understood the fear humans must feel facing the swarm.
These human warriors, clad in power armor—terrified it.
Especially that one in sickly green armor—whose gaze was utterly terrifying…
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]