The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Standard Terra Calendar 979.M41, Tempest Sector, Saint Caspalen Diocese, Sandheim System, Sandheim V, Fecund Port

As an agricultural world, the sky, which should have been clear and sunny, was now covered in dark clouds. But upon closer inspection, one would find that these 'clouds' were made up of countless tiny creatures forming a massive, sun-obscuring swarm. They soared wildly amidst the thick spore clouds rising from the ground, bringing annihilation. Through the gaps in these 'dark clouds,' one could see enormous, marine-like entities, brandishing terrifying, tornado-like tentacles that connected the sky and the earth, flailing their claws outside the atmosphere. Occasionally, bursts of fire would erupt on their bodies, but they failed to cause any real damage, appearing as mere insignificant sparks.

Bang!

With a thunderous roar, the destruction of the northern hemisphere's Fecund Port on Sandheim V seemed inevitable after the hastily constructed metal gate was breached.

From the moment the first Tyranid spore landed, they had held out for 12 days, evacuating over five million people, but that was all they could do.

A massive, bipedal nightmare of a Tyranid bio-titan used its terrifying strength to tear apart tons of metal, signaling the gate's fall. As soon as the breach appeared, several man-sized monsters, hissing and snorting, charged through. Their claws sparked against the cobblestone streets, their oval heads covered in bony plates, with small but vicious eyes, slender tails, and strong hind legs.

Accompanying the smaller creatures through the shattered gate was a being the size of a super-heavy tank. It had a grotesque, alien head and was covered in towering, spiky armor to protect its swollen abdomen, which resembled a hideous alien placenta. Small monsters covered in pus constantly dropped from it, joining the swarm. It had extremely strong hind legs and four sharp forelimbs. Though it moved slowly, it was unstoppable, pushing aside obstacles on the ground like toys, the entire spaceport trembling under its heavy steps.

Far behind the monstrous army, a pair of gloomy, inhuman eyes silently watched everything.

The endless swarms of hissing small creatures made a deep impression on both Space Marines and Imperial Guardsmen during humanity's first contact with the Tyranids, earning them the moniker 'Hormagaunts.' These terrifying Tyranid organisms were the vanguard of the Tyranid fleet's ground offensives, typically appearing in the billions. As melee creatures, they possessed a pair of sharp scythe-like claws and powerful hind legs that allowed them to move with unusually fast, leaping motions, appearing from a distance like insectile skipping.

Compared to most Tyranid organisms, these cannon fodder Hormagaunts possessed a deadly hunting instinct, allowing them to operate almost independently of the Hive Mind's guidance, fully dedicating themselves to their hunting activities in a semi-autonomous state. Their zeal for hunting even allowed them to ignore physical damage and fatigue until they reached their prey, at which point it was time to feast, tearing apart the victim's flesh with their sharp teeth.

However, their extremely fast metabolism drove the Hormagaunts to continue searching for their next prey after feeding, a choice that was random unless the Hive Mind actively intervened, guiding them toward more distant and important targets. Otherwise, they were no different from ordinary beasts.

Furthermore, in addition to their independent behavior, Hormagaunts could even reproduce independently of the Hive Fleet. They could reproduce while fighting, with a single Hormagaunt easily laying hundreds of eggs. Although their lifespan was frighteningly short, the new generation would take over after the previous generation died, continuing to ravage the world left behind by their predecessors.

The roaring Hormagaunts flooded into the streets behind the gate like a filthy, living tide. They brandished their claws, covered in blood and slime, like a savage, wild, and unstoppable force of nature composed of chitin and fangs.

However, as they entered a three-way intersection, dense gunfire swept in from three directions.

Instantly, howls and wails echoed through the sky. Bullets pierced carapaces, penetrated flesh, and sprayed out dark purple and black pus. The crackling of shattered carapaces sounded like stepping on insects with boots.

The surging wave of monsters seemed to crash against a reef, stopping instantly, with tumbling fragments and corpses flying several meters high.

This did not stop the Hormagaunts, but instead ignited their ferocity and appetite, causing them to charge even more frantically and attempt to leap to higher ground on either side to avoid the direct line of fire.

"Hold! Hold the line! Shoot down those climbing the walls!"

Third Company Captain Sullivan of the Lamenters Chapter roared, firing his bolt pistol while raising his power sword. He then precisely sent a bolt into a Hormagaunt's head, the explosion tearing the monster's skull from its neck. His armor was already covered in scars, with two deep, flesh-revealing gashes on his chest. His helmet had been discarded due to severe damage, his face covered in blood, his left eye hastily bandaged with blood-stained cloth. This was a gift from a Warrior, and he had sent that monster to hell.

Around him were the remaining twenty-seven warriors of the Third Company, each wounded, some even missing arms, but all were fighting. The rest were militia - although the planet's defenses had long been broken, they had not completely collapsed since the Lamenters intervened. Now, these young and middle-aged men, who could hardly be called soldiers, were using crude, solid-projectile weapons to fire at the enemy. Their only heavy firepower was seven heavy machine guns and three ancient, 38th millennium-era mortars used for fire suppression.

The Third Company's heavy weapons had also been lost in previous battles, leaving only one heavy bolter.

In fact, as an Imperial frontier world, the planet's defense forces were not so poorly equipped, at least with lasguns, armored vehicles, and machine guns in sufficient numbers. Unfortunately, nearly half of the planet's defense forces mutinied before the Tyranids arrived, Genestealer Cult contamination having long infiltrated the military. The ensuing war directly destroyed the planet's defenses, and by the time the Tyranid fleet arrived, less than one-twentieth of the original force remained, and almost all of their equipment was lost.

If the Lamenters had not arrived in time, this planet would have fallen at the first moment.

Of course, the Lamenters could not change the situation. They didn't even expect that an operation to suppress the Genestealer Cult would lead them to stumble upon a Tyranid fleet!

"Too many! Too many! We can't hold!"

A scream drew Sullivan's attention. He turned to see a militiaman throwing down his gun and turning to run, his actions causing others around him to waver.