54: Late-stage treatment for phobia of insufficient firepower

[Mars Orbit - 'Iron Ring' Dockyard - Loading Zone D-99]

Rumble—!!!

The heavy impact of metal caused the entire deck of the sword of truth to sink slightly.

C-19 stood on the massive cargo hold deck, watching the steel monster that had just been lowered by a heavy crane.

His gaze swept across the cold, thick armor plates; within those deep pupils, a rare trace of warmth, like that of looking at a trusted comrade-in-arms, emerged.

It was an armored vehicle painted pitch black.

It had no streamlined shape, nor any fancy decorations.

It was simply a heavy metal square box with tracks.

But in the eyes of an Astartes, it was the most beautiful box in the world.

[Rhino Armored Personnel Carrier - Mk Ic Mars Mass-Production Pattern]

[Armor: Composite Ceramite (60mm)]

[Power: Quad-Path Thermal Combustion Conversion Engines]

[Capacity: 10 Astartes]

"Truth lies in range, justice lies in caliber, and survival... lies in armor thickness."

A Tech-Priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus spoke in a flat electronic voice while calibrating the twin-linked Bolter atop the Rhino with mechanical mechadendrites.

"This is the cargo you requested. Ten vehicles in total."

C-19 nodded and reached out to pat the cold hull. The solid sensation transmitted back through his power glove, giving him an unprecedented sense of security.

"With these, we won't have to chase enemy tanks on foot anymore."

But that wasn't all.

Behind the Rhinos, five even more ferocious war machines were being brought in.

They shared the same chassis as the Rhinos, but the original troop compartment had been replaced by a massive turret.

On the turret, a frighteningly long 'Ansers' pattern autocannon pointed toward the void, while heavy Bolters were mounted on the side sponsons.

[Predator Chronos Pattern - Main Battle Tank]

"These are gifts." Red light flickered in the Tech-Priest's mechanical eyes. "The Fabricator-General hopes your 'cleaning work' on Terra will be... a bit more thorough."

High above, the massive hangar dome had already opened.

Three heavy aircraft shaped like birds of prey, with wingspans exceeding thirty meters—Stormbird heavy gunships—were being secured to launch racks by magnetic locks.

Hellfire Missiles hung under their wings, and the nose-mounted turbo-lasers radiated dangerous heat.

This was the sincerity of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Or rather, this was the crushing weight of a superior system... [Holographic Cockpit]

Li Cang looked at the rows of lit-up green icons on the screen, feeling as though his once-empty stomach had finally been filled.

Current Military Statistics: Infantry: First Legion Astartes (115 men)

Vehicles: Rhino APC x 10, Predator Tank x 5

Air Force: Stormbird Heavy Gunship x 3

Ammunition: bolt shell Reserves 50,000 rounds (Mars Special Issue)

"Now this is an army."

Li Cang let out a long sigh of relief.

Before, their tactics—whether it was the Thunder Warriors' mad charges or the Dark Ravens' stealthy demolitions—were, to put it bluntly, 'tactical maneuvering born of poverty.'

Now, he finally held the heavy hammer.

"System, calculate return time."

Route: Mars -> Terra.

Warp Storm Level: Moderate Estimated

Transit Time: 12 hours

Li Cang looked at the star map.

That blue dot—Terra—was suspended quietly in the darkness.

During his absence, because the 'Iron Cloud' ark had escorted them to Mars, a brief defensive vacuum had appeared in Terra's orbit.

The Pan-Pacific Empire's fleet must have seized this opportunity to blockade the entire Hive City region, and might even be attempting to attack his wasteland base.

"I hope you're still there." A cruel light flashed in Li Cang's eyes.

"If you've run away, this ship full of shells will be meaningless without prey."

"C-19." Li Cang connected to the fleet broadcast.

"Loading complete."

"Raise anchor."

"Target: Terra."

"Full speed ahead."

...[12 Hours Later - Holy Terra - Near-Earth Orbit]

The sword of truth was like a black dagger, piercing the veil of the Warp and returning to the material universe. The massive hull vibrated slightly under the pull of the gravity well.

"Scan the surface." C-19 issued the command from the bridge.

A holographic projection instantly unfolded on the command console. The situation on Terra's surface was clear at a glance.

The area around Archimedes Hive had been turned into scorched earth.

The Pan-Pacific Empire's forces had not retreated.

On the contrary, they had used the time the ark was away to frantically increase their troop strength.

Hundreds of land cruisers and amphibious tanks had constructed a dense defensive line around the hive's perimeter.

Countless slave laborers were digging trenches and setting up anti-aircraft guns. They seemed determined to crack this tough nut, the only one they hadn't yet swallowed.

At the hive's lower entrance, the small Mortal garrison Li Cang had left behind was struggling to hold on amidst the ruins.

The communication tower once used to signal Mars had been blown in half, billowing thick black smoke.

"They're still here." There was no hint of anger in C-19's voice, only the coldness of a hunter seeing prey fall into a trap. "And they think we aren't coming back."

"Commander." C-19 looked into the void. "Requesting combat orders."

Li Cang looked at the dense map of enemy distribution. Previously, he would have chosen a weak point to land and then slowly infiltrate. But now?

"No tactics needed." Li Cang's voice echoed across the bridge, carrying an air of absolute arrogance.

"I want you..." "To smash right into their faces."

"Everyone, board the Stormbirds."

"Execute—Steel Rain."

...[Terra Surface - Pan-Pacific Empire Positions]

An anti-aircraft officer was boredly chewing on synthetic tobacco.

Suddenly, a snowflake-like interference appeared on his radar screen.

Immediately after, a piercing alarm rang throughout the camp.

"What is that? A meteor shower?" He looked up at the sky in confusion.

The thick radiation clouds suddenly turned fiery red, as if they had been ignited.

Then, the cloud layer broke.

Three massive shadows trailing long plumes of fire, accompanied by dozens of smaller fireballs, roared downward.

The sound was no longer the rumble of thunder. It was... the horn of judgment.

"Enemy attack!!!" Before the officer's scream could finish, it was drowned out by a massive sonic boom.

Boom—!!!

The first Stormbird leveled its nose at five hundred meters above the ground, and the Hellfire Missile pods under its wings emptied instantly.

Dozens of missiles rained down like a storm, covering the Pan-Pacific Empire's tank positions.

Explosive fire instantly consumed everything, and anti-aircraft fire was completely suppressed by this brute force in the first moment.

But this was only the beginning.

The Stormbird's belly hatch slammed open at low altitude.

Heavy magnetic locks released, and with the roar of anti-gravity deceleration units, those black steel monsters fell from the sky.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The earth groaned.

Rhino APCs and Predator tanks smashed heavily into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

Without even waiting for the dust to settle, their engines began to roar.

The black Rhinos charged out of the smoke, their twin-linked Bolters firing frantically.

Behind them were over a hundred black giants, like avatars of death.

They needed no cover, for the tanks were their mobile cover.

"What... what kind of monsters are these..." The Pan-Pacific Commander watched the instantly collapsing defensive line, slumping to the ground in despair.

He saw a flag. That black flag, emblazoned with a double-headed eagle and a sword, flew high amidst the fire and smoke.

The First Legion had arrived.