Behind the gate was not the reactor core as expected, but a vast space transformed beyond recognition.
The original machinery and pipes were brutally twisted and dismantled, intertwined with some kind of writhing, seemingly living flesh and blood tissue, forming a blasphemous tableau.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, ozone, and a cloying, putrid sweetness.
In the center of the space, a figure clad in tattered robes stood with his back to them.
His left half still barely maintained a human form, while his right half had undergone a horrifying mutation—his arm had swollen into a giant claw covered in a chitinous shell, a large, bloodshot eye that constantly blinked protruded from his shoulder, and the skin of his right face had peeled away, revealing twisted, writhing flesh and pale bones beneath.
He seemed to be busy with something in the center of a complex pattern drawn with blood and parts. Sensing the gate had been breached, he sharply turned his head, and a look of both terror and malevolence appeared simultaneously on his half-human and half-distorted face.
"Stop him!" Inquisitor Kairas roared, his boltgun already firing.
The melta-guns and plasma weapons of the Stormtroopers also instantly spewed forth destructive light.
However, the Chaos Sorcerer—or rather, the fallen one transforming into this state—moved with astonishing speed.
He let out an inhuman shriek, and with a sweep of his mutated giant claw, a pink, distorted psychic barrier of light instantly appeared before him, deflecting most of the attacks.
He clearly knew he was no match for this group, especially the oppressive feeling brought by the silent astartes, which made him only want to escape.
He turned and tried to rush towards a large, torn ventilation duct at the back of the space, which seemed to be his pre-arranged escape route.
"You won't!" The Imperial Fists astartes warrior spoke for the first time, his voice low and powerful like grinding rock.
He didn't even use his boltgun, but his massive body erupted with speed unbefitting his size, like a cannonball, instantly blocking the Chaos Sorcerer's path, the hum of his chainsword filled with deadly menace.
With the astartes in front and the Inquisitor and Stormtroopers behind, his retreat was cut off.
The Chaos Sorcerer's half-human face showed utter despair and madness, while the other half of his twisted flesh writhed violently, emitting excited hisses.
"You forced me!" he roared in a voice mixing human language with daemonic whispers, "If I cannot offer it to the great master, then I will use it to tear you apart!"
He abruptly plunged his mutated giant claw into the ground beside him—where several fanatical cultists knelt, seemingly having waited there, willing to be sacrifices.
"With blood and souls as tribute, open the gate!"
The giant claw instantly tore through the bodies of the cultists. Blood and organs did not splatter everywhere; instead, they were drawn by an invisible force, flowing into the blasphemous ritual circle on the ground.
Accompanied by a bone-jarring tearing sound and shrieks from the Warp, the air in the center of the ritual circle tore open like cloth, revealing an ominous, verdigris-colored light burning behind it.
Immediately after, three terrifying creatures leaped out!
They were roughly human height, with skin like red-hot branding irons, corded muscles, sharp claws and hooves, goat-like heads burning with malevolent flames, and wielded burning brass weapons. As soon as they appeared, the air immediately filled with the reek of sulfur and blood, and a pure, undisguised hatred for all life.
"Bloodletters!" Inquisitor Kairas' voice carried unprecedented gravity. "Be careful! They are lesser daemons born for slaughter, knowing no fear, never tiring!"
The three Bloodletters let out bloodthirsty howls and, without hesitation, immediately brandished their burning weapons, launching a furious charge towards the Imperial Fists warrior and the Stormtroopers closest to them!
The Chaos Sorcerer seized this opportunity, dragging his mutated body, attempting to slip away from the side. A cruel and triumphant smile was on his face, as if he had already envisioned these obstructers being torn to shreds by his daemonic servants.
The real battle, far beyond what Maine and the others could imagine, erupted at this moment.
—
The battle erupted instantly, its intensity far exceeding any previous experience for Maine and the others.
The three Bloodletters let out deafening, bloodthirsty howls, transforming into three burning red blurs, rushing towards the group with a sulfurous, foul wind.
They only wanted to tear apart all life before them!
The first to be targeted were several Stormtroopers warriors positioned at the front.
Although they were well-equipped and highly trained, with reaction speeds far exceeding ordinary soldiers, facing these supernatural, purely murderous daemonic entities, the limits of mortals were exposed at this moment.
"Fire!" The squad leader's command had barely left his lips before scorching beams and bolter rounds shot towards the charging daemons.
However, the Bloodletters moved with eerie speed, twisting and leaping with inhuman agility, evading most of the direct fire.
One of them endured a plasma hit to the shoulder, the searing burn, and then its burning greatsword descended with irresistible force!
"Clang!" With a screech of tearing metal, a Stormtrooper warrior's riot shield, along with the arm holding it, was severed at the root!
He didn't even have time to scream before another Bloodletter's sharp claw ripped through his neck guard from the side, tearing out his throat along with his spine!
Another warrior tried to aim his melta-gun but was violently slammed into by the third Bloodletter. Burning hooves trampled his chest plate, the ceramic steel groaned and deformed, and the daemon lowered its head and bit through his helmet's faceplate. The scream abruptly ceased.
In a matter of seconds, three elite Stormtroopers warriors lay in pools of blood. Their sacrifice only slightly delayed the daemon's charge.
The Imperial Fists astartes warrior let out a low growl of rage.
His boltgun in his right hand fired steady bursts, bolter rounds whistling towards the fleeing Chaos Sorcerer, forcing him to constantly deploy psychic barriers to block, preventing his escape.
At the same time, his chainsword in his left hand roared as it met the Bloodletter charging him.
"For Rogal Dorn!" The chainsword and the Bloodletter's burning greatsword collided violently, sparks flying, the grating sound seemingly tearing eardrums.
The astartes' strength clearly held the upper hand, a powerful chop pushing the Bloodletter back several steps, but the latter, fearless of death, immediately charged back with a roar, its brandished weapon carrying enough energy to tear through power armor.
This Bloodletter's strength and speed were astonishing; it managed to tie down the powerful astartes for a short time, preventing him from quickly providing aid elsewhere.