[3rd POV]
The situation on Barbarus is chaotic. The Void Stalkers move as one, shielding each other from the onslaught of bullets and warp-based attacks unleashed by the mutants and xenos they face. In the sky, hundreds of aircraft carrying heavy weaponry can be seen landing, and tanks emerge from them. Not only that, but hundreds of artillery units also arrive on the planetside to support the Void Stalkers.
Undead-like creatures march toward them in the hundreds of thousands. Each one leaks a massive amount of warp energy, forming a shroud that protects them from the hail of bullets, lasers, and plasma fire.
The Void Stalkers and a detachment of the Imperial Army assault seven fortified points on Barbarus simultaneously. The first objective lies at the northernmost mountain peak, where a massive wall of decayed flesh blocks their path.
The wall is a horror made manifest. The faces of the victims sacrificed to construct it are visible, frozen in eternal agony. They are forced to scream, releasing massive beams of sickly green light from their mouths at the marching Space Marines.
The light consumes matter, liquifying it into molten pus. Even the specialized armor of the Void Stalkers cannot withstand the intensity; under sustained contact, the ceramite begins to degrade and melt. This is severe enough that the Chapter Master leading this detachment uses Void Stalkers' secret weapon.
"Librarian! To the front!"
The Chief Librarian of the 3rd Company strides forward with his squad and raises his Force Staff to channel his psychic power. A massive shimmering bubble expands in front of the advancing forces, shielding the Space Marines and Imperial Army from the warp-fire spewed by the flesh wall.
The psychic barrier holds firm, and the Null energy saturated within it devours the incoming warp attacks like vermin feasting on a corpse. The energy is useless against the power granted to the Void Stalkers by Theodore.
With the barrier in place, the mechs no longer need to prioritize evasion and instead focus on sieging the wall from a distance. Behind them, the artillery and tanks of the Imperial Army follow suit, raining shells upon the fortification.
Explosion after explosion can be heard throughout the battlefield as the firepower that can destroy a city in a single volley gets fired against the abomination created by the Xeno who stay on the planet.
As for the undead creatures, they shriek in pain as they are fully exposed to the Null energy radiating from the Librarian Squad. It is not enough to kill them, but it is enough to weaken and hurt them.
The Void Stalkers seize the opportunity to accelerate their pace. Bolstered by reinforcements from orbit, they move to breach and destroy the wall. The 12th Company arrives and deploys their heavy weaponry, unleashing devastating Necron-based technology against the massive abomination.
Beams of azure energy blast through the massive obstruction, disintegrating matter on a molecular level. The abomination seems to recognize the threat posed by the 12th Company's arsenal and struggles to hold the wall together by charging toward the 12th Company at full speed.
This struggle repeats across the planet. Every point contains unique horrors, from massive fly-like creatures that can chew through metal to five-meter-tall slugs capable of absorbing immense damage before exploding in a spray of acidic pus that melts power armor.
However, the greatest hurdle the Void Stalkers face is on the highest mountain peak of the planet, where Theodore and his troops fight.
Theo stares at the massive creature in front of him with a frown. He spreads his aura across the battlefield, but even with the blanket of Null energy, the warp-entities on the battlefield do not vanish. They are so thoroughly saturated by the warp that his aura alone is not enough to unmake them. At least not without hurting his people. Even with them having part of his power, Null energy is strong enough to kill them if he is not careful.
But he notices a weakness. Because of his aura, the creature's regeneration is significantly hindered, causing it to struggle against the hail of incoming fire. Theo flares his power and, with a wave of his hand, sends a beam of light toward the massive abomination. The concentrated null-psychic energy punches through the beast, and as it attempts to heal, the wound erupts in golden fire that burns it alive.
Theo's Null energy devours the target's warp reserves, fueling itself as it grows. The more warp energy the target possesses, the more fiercely the flame rages. Because the abomination has a massive reserve of energy, the golden fire turns into an inferno that will continue to burn as long as there is warp essence to consume.
"Attack!"
He barks orders as another wave of Space Marines and Imperial Army soldiers march across the battlefield. He does not stand idle; he leads the charge, sword in his right hand and a plasma rifle in his left.
Surrounding him are his personal guards, the Void Guardians. Handpicked by Theo and trained by Ana to protect him, they ensure his flanks and rear are always covered. They are ready to gladly sacrifice their lives for their father or to give him an opening to kill an opponent.
They are not the only ones charging alongside Theo. Anthonio, now Lord Commander of the Void Stalkers, fights side by side with his gene-sire. The pride he feels fighting alongside his father is difficult to put into words.
He feels happy, excited, and eager to prove his prowess. Witnessing how Theo fights fills him with awe. The speed, power, and precision are the pinnacle of what any Astartes aims to achieve.
Even with his Primaris upgrades, Anthonio cannot match that level of martial skill. However, he knows he can continue to hone his technique, and he strives to reach a level where he can worthily stand by his Primarch's side until he draws his last breath.
Theo and his sons tear through everything in their path, but they stop abruptly when the entire battlefield begins to shake violently. He frowns, halting in his tracks. While the ground beneath him quakes, he looks around for the source of his unease. His sons form a protective circle around him as he senses the shifting flow of the warp across the planet.
Theo looks deeper, and his eyes widen as he sees the seven fortified points on the planet simultaneously release a massive surge of warp energy.
Watching from the void, Ana sees Barbarus shine with a sickly green light. She watches in worry and immediately deploys thousands of Builder Drones to the planet. She plans to construct a Manufactorum in the safe zone secured by the Void Stalkers and the Imperial Army.
She cannot join Theo on the front lines directly. At least not directly. She needs her primary body here, aboard the Star Explorer, to oversee the battlefield and manage logistics. She cannot join the fight now, but that does not mean she will stay away forever.
She is already planning her intervention. With a properly established fortress, she can finally create a remote-controlled body to assist Theo. It will not be her most powerful form, as it requires time and labor to construct, but it will be sufficient to protect the one she loves.
Theo is her everything. He is the one who rescued her from loneliness and despair. She will not lose the light that gives her comfort and purpose. She will ensure he survives, even if she has to leave everyone else behind; she will make sure her captain and soulmate survive this battle.
The army of builder drones arrives just as the entire planet is enveloped by a thick, sickly green fog.
On the ground, Theo watches as the massive mountain shakes as if it were about to erupt. However, instead of lava, a symbol appears on the mountain face. Though stylized, it is clearly recognizable as the mark of Nurgle.
"Defensive formation! Hold your ground!"
He immediately orders his troops to hold their ground and move back from the mountain face. It is a timely decision, as the entire mountainside explodes. Theo and the other psykers under his command use their power to create a massive barrier to protect the army from the falling debris.
Theo snarls as his worst fears are realized. The mountain formation is a ritual circle, and the constant sacrifices have fueled something terrible. He had hoped for a different outcome, but the truth is now undeniable.
A massive being emerges from the shattered mountain.
The soldiers around him hear it first: a jovial, wheezing laugh that turns into a wet, sickly sound as the creature steps out of the smoke.
A cavernous mouth is the first thing visible through the thick green gas. This mouth is set into the creature's stomach, which jiggles with every step. The gullet opens and releases green vapors carrying the stench of open graves, stagnant swamps, spoiled meat, and a thousand plagues given form. Even with their armor's air filters, the Void Stalkers can still smell the putrid odor.
Theo grits his teeth and strengthens the barrier when he sees the gas spreading. Despite his efforts, the fog moves too quickly, and he watches as some of his sons begin to melt under its corrosive touch.
He looks up and sees the full image of the creature summoned into realspace. It is a Greater Daemon of Nurgle, a Great Unclean One. The creature is bloated beyond belief. A pair of jagged horns adorn its head, serving as nests for smaller daemons. The entity hunches slightly, its stomach-mouth dragging on the ground and leaking deep-green liquid that forms pools of disease, from which smaller daemons are born. It looks like a spider, but each of its eight legs is made of decayed flesh, and it has a massive maw full of teeth.
It carries a massive greatsword that pulses like living flesh, its pus-filled bubbles popping to release more gas. The creature's face is a mask of rot, uneven and filled with maggots and insects that crawl across its features.
The daemon lets out a wet, sickly laugh before fixing its gaze on Theo, who glares back while clutching his sword tightly.
"Ah~ The Unseen One. You who can hide from the Lord of Change. I, Barkhstan, shall bring your soul to the Grandfather. Your soul shall adorn his garden, and your screams shall produce new plagues under the blessed hand of our Lord."
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