Despite their speed and ferocity, these ghostly demons were no match for the indomitable Astartes.
The fear and agony within mortals served as their sustenance, but when facing the Astartes, they were afforded no such opportunity.
There was no mercy, only death unto death.
Having dealt with his opponent, Soshian watched as Thor tore through the heap of demons. This veteran from ten thousand years ago seemed possessed by an emotion beyond imagination, venting his inner fury amidst the silent slaughter.
His sword pierced monster after monster; already, more than a dozen creatures had been reduced to the jelly-like liquid on the ground.
Witnessing this, Soshian, though he considered himself a qualified warrior, knew that from any perspective, he was merely a novice compared to Thor.
The battle, which had lasted only a few minutes, was declared over as the last demon was dispatched.
The roar of bolters and the snarl of chainswords fell silent, and the Space Marines regrouped around their commander.
"There!"
Upon entering from the entrance to the landing platform, Soshian immediately spotted the Thunderhawk moored within.
By now, the tremors of the starship had escalated into massive, mountain-collapsing rumbles. Debris drifted down from above the flight deck, and massive conduits lashed about like disemboweled intestines.
Yet, this was no obstacle to the Space Marines' advance. They moved step by step toward the Thunderhawk, navigating around the colossal obstructions.
As they drew closer to the Thunderhawk, Soshian could sense a powerful psychic presence nearby. He caught a scent that others seemed unable to detect—a stench akin to rotting, putrid flesh.
He glanced at Thor beside him and found him frowning deeply, seemingly enduring the same torment from this Warp-born stench.
At that moment, a realization struck Soshian.
Was Thor's encounter with them too much of a coincidence?
What was the true purpose of this demon-controlled starship charging straight at them?
As the distance to the Thunderhawk closed, the warriors remained silent, each burying their thoughts deep within.
Suddenly, Thor sniffed the air and raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
"Something is wrong."
A hazy light rose behind the Thunderhawk, accompanied by iridescent mists.
The mists were actually etheric energy. Soshian could see them, though the other Space Marines seemed oblivious. The drifting vapors twisted and coiled incessantly, seemingly imbued with pain and terror.
Perhaps Thor could see it too, for his gaze followed the agonizing trajectories within the mist.
Then came a horrific scream—a chorus of ten thousand lost souls.
Instantly, every Space Marine except Soshian felt as though they had been struck violently in the head by a massive hammer.
"Ugh! This is—"
Armin fell to his knees, a piercing pain forcing its way into his skull, as if someone were driving a red-hot poker into his ear.
Faced with such a psychic assault, even Thor staggered, though he managed to keep his feet firmly planted without falling.
It was then that Soshian saw "something" crawling out from behind the Thunderhawk.
Soon, the entire area above the Thunderhawk was occupied by a creature composed of translucent slime.
Its surface was gelatinous, revealing patterns that looked like millions of wide-open eyes staring outward. It glowed like a creature from the deepest ocean trenches, the multicolored light emanating from within its body.
Soshian could almost "see" a primal hunger surging within the creature.
It clung to the top of the Thunderhawk like a massive parasite, reaching hundreds of meters in diameter. It seemed to be in constant motion, its size expanding and contracting, its shape ever-shifting.
Tentacles dripping with an unknown liquid hung from the massive mollusk like vines.
As the screaming subsided, all that remained was a low hum, frantic shrieks, and a hissing sound akin to a viper's tongue, all blending into a chaotic cacophony.
Stars shimmered around it in a dreamlike fashion; starlight rotated in the depths, appearing both near and far, as if the "food" swallowed in ancient ages had not yet been fully digested.
Soshian gasped for air, his breathing heavy. Facing this entity that should not exist, he struggled to maintain his sanity.
And just as the Knights, including Soshian, were captivated by the horror before them—
The roar of a bolter suddenly erupted, shredding the creature's outstretched tentacles into fragments.
"Sons of the Emperor, slay the enemies of the Father!!"
With sword in hand, Thor began his charge.
Seeing the ferocity of this ten-thousand-year-old veteran, the Knights regained their senses, shouting battle cries as they joined the assault.
Soshian did the same.
Gritting his teeth, he once again allowed the active metal to flow through his entire body.
The appearance of the Soul Black Hole caused the creature to recoil, but as bolter rounds struck its flesh, it writhed in agony.
Thor's blade was the first to reach it.
Carrying boundless hatred and fury, the blade of the Son of the Emperor carved a massive wound into the monster, causing intense etheric energy and the wails of lost souls to erupt from the gash.
The creature attempted to retaliate, lashing tentacles directly at Thor, but they were shredded by a searing longsword.
"Quick! Get on the Thunderhawk!"
Soshian commanded Rogalis while frantically swinging his sword.
After the Tech-Marine cleared a path, he immediately scrambled into the Thunderhawk's cockpit. Further off, a tide of demonic chaff was already surging forward.
The creature seemed unwilling to let its prey go, struggling to entangle the Thunderhawk, but Soshian's approach forced it to retreat. Instead, it chose to sweep up debris and hurl it at the group.
*Boom—!*
A beam two men wide slammed down less than half a meter from Soshian. Knowing the enemy would not relent, he charged headlong into the fray to cover the Thunderhawk's takeoff, using his sword to continue biting into the creature's flesh.
"Get on first! Hurry!"
The warriors boarded the Thunderhawk one by one, with Thor being the last.
"Captain! Move!"
The Thunderhawk's engines had ignited. A warrior manned the heavy bolter atop the craft, creating a storm of metal to hold back the swarm of demons.
But they were still closing in.
Soshian heard the frantic shouts over the comms. He swung his right arm, shredding a large swath of tentacles ahead of him, then turned and began a full-speed sprint.
The Thunderhawk was already hovering half a meter off the ground, and the tide of demons was less than a hundred meters away.
Soshian ran with everything he had, the pursuing tentacles close behind, but he had no time to worry about them.
He gasped violently; forcing the Grey Marrow to work had caused one of his hearts to freeze completely. He could only squeeze out the last remnants of his strength.
Twenty meters.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
On his final step, the chill in his marrow pierced his brainstem like a venomous needle. Soshian's vision went black, and he pitched forward.
In his ears, he heard the terrified roars of his brothers.
Then, a powerful hand gripped his shoulder and hauled him upward with force.
"Ha... ha..."
Soshian lay in the cabin, gasping for breath, his vision filled with flashing red lights.
After a few seconds, once he felt capable of speech, he turned his head and whispered to Thor, who was sitting by the hatch
"Thank you."
The other man did not reply, merely staring silently out the window at the gradually fracturing starship.
(End of Chapter)