Boom!!
"The sorcerers are the problem."
Commanding the Armiger-class Knights, Tess was dealing with the Rubricae puppets attacking the Ultramarines, as well as the Aspiring Sorcerers controlling those puppets.
Before the battle, Theo in the rear had placed a special veil over everyone, which, in addition to their ion shields, was blocking the enemy sorcerers' psychic attacks.
However, he was currently occupied with countering the psychic power of Magnus, a Daemon Primarch and a psyker superior even to himself.
If the sorcerers' attacks continued under these circumstances, even he would eventually reach his limit.
"Erin, can you buy us some time against that sorcerer over there?"
Erin, who had been sweeping away the enemy infantry line with her Castigator Bolt Cannon, answered Tess.
"I can try."
She raised the barrel that had been aimed at the Rubric Marines and began pouring fire into the visible sorcerer.
The targeted sorcerer paused to concentrate his psychic power on his shield, and that brief moment was enough for Tess to take aim at the heretic.
Boom-boom-boom!!!
Tess's Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon roared and scored a direct hit on the sorcerer.
"Did we get him?"
...
"We got him."
Having confirmed the sorcerer's death, Tess and Erin turned their guns back toward the Rubric Marines.
But during that brief lapse in attention, the Rubricae—and even daemons of Tzeentch—had joined the battle line. With daemon hordes descending from both sky and ground, the Armiger-class Knights began to be pushed back.
But.
Enough time had passed. It was time for reinforcements to arrive.
Imperial fighters flew into the lunar battlefield and tore apart the enemy, while precision bombardment began from vessels that had reached low orbit overhead.
"It's the Custodes!" someone shouted.
Boom!!!
Yet not one of the Knights standing on the battlefield turned their head at that cry.
Reinforcements had arrived—indeed, the Emperor's own guardians. It was welcome news and certainly something that stirred curiosity, but this was a battlefield where a moment's carelessness led directly to death.
To die through carelessness would be a devastating disgrace to them, an insult that would shame their entire House.
"When it is time to act, do it properly."
Once everything was over, they could turn around and look behind them. For now, they had to look only ahead.
-----
"Those damned psykers..."
I could not suppress Magnus any further because I had to keep an eye on the sorcerers.
But Tess and Erin had dealt with one of the Chaos Sorcerers in the midst of it, allowing me to focus more fully on Magnus. And thanks to the Sisters of Silence reaching Guilliman alongside the reinforcements, I was able to withdraw the psychic power I had been using to restrain Magnus and devote myself wholly to my own strength.
I will stab him with this.
Thud! Thud! Thud!!!
I drove the Radiant Crusader straight at Magnus.
At the sound shaking the ground, Magnus hurriedly knocked Guilliman aside, turned, and swung his psychic-infused glaive.
But at the same time, I drew my dimensional-folding blade, infused it with psychic power, and thrust it at him.
Rumble!!!
It was not a mere clash of weapons, but of psychic powers. A deafening roar, as though a natural disaster had erupted, rang across the entire moon.
"So it was you... The pest that has been bothering me since earlier!!!"
While our blades remained locked, I aimed the flamer mounted on my other arm and tried to fire it at him.
"Not so fast!"
Crunch!!
Aaaaargh!!!
Gasp!!
Fight!! Kill him!!!!
But as though he had read my mind, Magnus instantly saw through my intention and completely crushed my left arm, flamer and all.
The Machine-Spirit's screams shook my concentration for a moment, leaving an opening...
"It seems you have forgotten about me!"
Slash!!
"Aaargh!!!"
Roboute Guilliman had approached from behind without my noticing. The Emperor's Sword he swung cut across Magnus's back, and as the pain loosened Magnus's power, I regained my focus and thrust out my right hand, piercing his torso.
Then I saw the Webway portal not far away.
There.
Following the voice that entered my mind, I shoved Magnus—his torso still pierced—straight into the Webway portal. At the same moment I sent him through it, I disengaged the dimensional fold and pulled my hand free.
Before long, the Harlequins waiting near the Webway gate worked their sorcery and sealed the gate shut. Thus, we drove Magnus from the moon.
But while I had been concentrating every shred of my mind on dealing with Magnus, I had not noticed it. Once Magnus vanished, a faint but sudden discomfort began to rise within me.
"Sisters of Silence. Beings of nullity."
I looked at them for a moment, then raised my head and signaled the ship. Alongside the House Knights who had finished clearing the surrounding battlefield, I boarded the Drop Keep.
Fortunately, everyone had survived. In fact, I was the most seriously wounded—my Knight had had one arm torn off by Magnus.
"Are you all right?"
Once we had boarded the Drop Keep, the vassal piloting an Armiger Helverin asked.
"Yes. Once this war is over, we should be able to undergo repairs on Terra for a while. I think the repairs will be complete during that time, and I will be able to return to the battlefield."
"Ha ha! That is just like young master Theo."
"Haa... Theo, I always say this, but can you not take better care of yourself?"
"Against a Daemon Primarch, I would say injuries to this extent mean I did take very good care of myself."
"There is much I could say to that... but let us return first. And when we reach Terra, we will get food and throw a party for the whole ship."
Even as Tess grumbled about my injuries, he was considering what we should do next. Erin smiled to herself as she thought about the party that would be held aboard the ship.
The vassals began competing over who had performed better on this battlefield, each boasting of their exploits. And Carmilla, who had watched the war from the ship, wore a hollow expression at the sight of the Radiant Crusader appearing with one arm completely crushed.
And I...
Now that the journey to Holy Terra is over, if I list the events that will happen from here on...
I was alone, recording the events to come and considering how I should prepare for them.
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