Chapter 146: Teleportation Beacons
Chapter 146: Teleportation Beacons
"May this weapon strike true; may it be wielded with wisdom, may it be put down when its job is done." By Brok from God of War Ragnarök.
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The sky is covered in darkness and ground trimble uncontrollably as if gods themselves decided to end the world. All of these was happening because one man decided to kill a goddess so he and his people can return to their own world.
A man who started alone in his journey to find out why he is here in the New World is now a leader of many men and women who follows him to fine a way back home. A home where war is never ending and ever changing world but still, their home.
The road is near the end. The final obstacle is standing in front the man and it is one last road block that need to be removed. William Nullinanis, a Chapter Master of the Blacksouls and leader of the all men and women under his command stood against the goddess of evil dragons, attempting to buy more time.
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Rana's group managed to make it to her last destination as she and her Sisters of Battle move through tough terrain. The second orbital bombardment was surprise and unexpected as last second before the Nova Cannon was dropped, they all took cover behind the massive mountain edge. Lucky for them, the blast was focused on the main enemy base in which Rana and her forces was distance away.
Now, with rough terrian mostly cleared out after the orbital bombardment, Rana order her forces to move once again to reach the final destination of her part of the mission. A former main base of the enemy to place a location beacon.
"Sisters, the path is clear and there is no signs of enemy forces but remember to be vigilant no matter what. You may search and deliver Emperor's punishment upon them as you wish." Rana said and watch her small army of Sisters move foward to now destroyed enemy's main base.
"Do you think there is any survivors there?" Zerth Graymore, the leader of the Divine Heralds asked with curiosity. After witnessing the two separate Nova Cannons made him certain nothing would have survived at all.
"From my own experience, there is no such thing as absolute victory. Until I can see the bodies and confirm it, there is always a survivors." Said Rana as she remembers when she first met William and how conflict against the vampire turned into deamon infestation.
"Lady Rana Beckett is correct, Zerth. No matter how much you think you won the battle, never turn you back against the enemy. One slight mistake can end everything you achieved." Said Golden Dragonborn as he approached the two leaders. His name is Durand the Golden One, a Dragonborn wizard of the Divine Heralds and advisor to the Zerth.
"I understand. We will approach the caution and as a one unit. This is military operation, not an adventure of small matter." Zerth said and move with new certainly to make no mistake even though he is surrounded by most heavily armed female military force in the New World.
"He have a lot of things to learn and I hope you can understand. He is still young but have potential." Said old Dragonborn while grooming his white beard.
"He remind me of someone I know of. A cousin of mine who learned hard way through blood and pain. Not just Zerth but you all might have help my cousin when this is over." Rana than move and her elite bodyguards follow her to catch up with the rest of the forces as they advence to their final objection.
Rana's forces finally arrived after half an hour later. As path to the enemy base was cleared thanks to the Nova Cannon, the vehicles made smooth journey without any issues. The scene of the enemy base was smoking ruined site as any building with structures were completely gone and deeper Sisters approached, less bodies were found.
First thing Sisters did when they arrived to the location was to disembark from the vehicles and search the area as a small groups. The communication was kept in quiet and only used if something interesting was discovered such as potential evil artifacts or trace of any survivors.
Overall, no living could have survived the direct attack until something unexpected appeared from the center of the crater. A alone survivor barerly holding onto his life but managed to still hold dangers to others. A traitor to the Divine Heralds and former leader of the dragon cult, Ver Ravenwing.
"How in the world did he survived?" Saro Earthwing, member of the Divine Heralds asked as she draw her dagger from her belt, about to cross the line she never though before. For the betrayal and death of fellow adventurer, Stand Cloudfist.
"No idea but let us change that." A dwarf named Harland Duuhpin said with full of hate as he grab his ax and approach the traitor. Just as two members of the Divine Heralds approach the traitor, Elda stop them with concern on her face as she didn't want to end it with blood.
We can't do this. We have to deliever him to the guild so he will face the justice." Said Elda. The traitor need to face the guild's justice to show what will happen to the one who breaks the guild code.
"He owe us for betrayal of trust and death of one of us." Zerth said as he also draw his sword, rage and vengeance engraved into his face.
"But, we have a duty to bring him in. He need to face the justice for his crimes." Elda said but before anyone could say anything a sound of bolter range though the crater. Silencing everyone with shock.
Rana was standing next to now dead Ver who is no missing his head and mask of the dragon queen next to him in the ground. Holding golden bolter pistol which is still smoking, Rana put two more rounds onto dead body, ripping it to pieces.
"There, it is done. By my authority as Living Saint and noble related to the royal family. The traitor is dead and his name will be forever remind the future adventurers what will happen to the one who backstab their fellow adventurers. This matter is done. Sisters, collect the masks and keep them separately. William will decides its fate after this is over." Rana put away her bolter pistol and walked towards the shocked adventurers who couldn't decide whether to be angry or sad.
"What have you done?" Said Elda as her emotion was turning from shock to anger.
"I have done you all favor. If any of you killed him with your own hands, this party would have broken apart in the end. By utlizing my authority, I executed the traitor and judgement will be notice to everyone including all guilds." Rana said as if this was nothing and moved on. In some sense, Rana's logic is right as she is noble and close relative to the royal family give her absolute power to deliver punishment and judgement to any criminal.
"This may feel wrong but she is right. The Living Saint did us a great favor by executing Ver for us. We may have the grudge but she doesn't and only did her duty as noble woman." Durand said to everyone and approach Ver's dead body to search for something. After a quick search, Golden One found a guild tag, covered in blood but still intact to be legible.
"This will be enough for us to report back to the Guild Master. Our task is done." Durand gave the tag to Zerth and moved on as others did. Zerth open the pouch from his belt and place the guild tag. Before he turn around to follow his party, Zerth look at the dead traitor once more before two Sisters of Battle ignite the heavy flamers to burn the body.
There wasn't much survivors after, the Nove Cannon did killed most and few survivors who managed to not die for unkown reason was elimited without hesitation. With everything secured and no more enemy are alive, Rana's ground place the essential item for their mission. A big location beacon is place in the center of the crater and activated, this made their mission complete and one more beacon is need before Wiliam's plan come to fruition.
'Hope William holds the ground before others makes in time.' Rana thought to herself and gave next order to move her army to a secondary location.
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"Brothers! The victory is near." Captain of the second company said through his helmet speaker after he smash the Xeno's head with active thunderhammer. The battle continue without any signs of stopping as many of the monster humanoid and four dragons with damaged wings quickly push foward.
Their actions to push didn't last as line after line of Null Marines took aim and open fire their bolters. The bolter rounds hit the enemy and explodes, turning the bodies into exploding bone shrapnels.
For the dragons, the heavy bolters did the work as armor piercing rounds and accurate aims of the helmets stop the large beasts where they stood.
The greatest monster in the New World was defeated by the unkown weapons the dragons have never seen and before they realized what just happened, the Null Marines put them down like rabid dogs.
The battle finally came to an end and no Battle Brothers are lost as their superior armors, weapons and physical bodies helped bring the victory. Not wanting to leave any potential enemy alive, the order was given by the third company captain to burn everything. As for the dead dragon corpses, their bodies were taken using Null Marine's inventory ability since their bodies can't be destroyed in standard method.
After cleansing the land with holy fire, rest of the companies move foward, finally reaching the destination. To the Null Marines' dissapointment, there was no enemy to eliminate as many either ran or was with previous fight which led to their death.
"Bring the location beacon and place it here. Secure the area and make for the secondary location. We don't want to be here when this thing activates." Third company captain said and met with the other captains to make the next move. In a matter of few minutes, the mission is accomplished and everyone is ready to move.
"We are done here. Kill anything if you see but priority is clearing from this area. Once that device activates, no one will survive the wrap teleportation of the Titan."
"Do you think it will work? Teleporting such a big thing from one battlefield into another?" One of the lieutenant said as he reload his bolter magazine with new type of bolter rounds.
"According to the Chapter Master, this will work. This monster can only be killed with blessed weaponry and Emperor Class Titan is fully blessed by the Omnissiah."
"In that case, I pray that Chapter Master survive long enough for the Titan to intervene while he is buying us all a time. I can't believe he insisted to fight head on against the so called 'goddess' while we all are here." Said lieutenant.
"This is the fight he must face. That is the burden as the Chapter Master and its his own trial. May the Emperor guide his bolter and blade." The Null Priest join the conversation to strength the belief of the Chapter Master. With that, entire companies of the Null Marines left as beacon activates as it comes to life.
The final battle is about to start but as more than 40 minutes passed since William fired the second Nova Cannon after Dragon Queen magically teleported. The question is, did William survive the battle against Tiamt before his men managed to place the location beacons in time.