Gerhard's danger sense went off, and he looked up just as the stained armaplast ceiling of the shrine exploded inward. His reaction had been immaculate.
[Psionic Mana Shield]
The shield blinked into existence, covering all those present and protecting them.
Shattered crystals filled the air, with shards the size of storm shields embedding themselves in the walls and floor. The large shards would have also embedded themselves in the armoured bodies of everyone present, had Gerhard not reacted as fast as he did.
A massive shape crashed into the shrine, a plummeting mass of blue metal travelling at the speed of a runaway train. Hurtling down was an Ultramarines Thunderhawk Gunship that slammed into the shrine's floor and skidded out of control.
BOOOM--
The aircraft was badly damaged, with flames spewing from holes in its hull and one wing completely torn off.
It screeched across the shrine's floor, away from the group and their Ultramarines guards that were protected by the shield, crashing through a marble support pillar and bringing it down in a thunderous racket of stone.
The Thunderhawk struck the shrine's far wall, smashing a statue of Guilliman battling his brother Alpharius, before tipping onto its side with a deafening clang.
"Chaos Space Marines!" Gerhard shouted over the sounds.
Even as the gunship finally came to a stop, its assault ramp burst open with a shriek of torn metal. But what came out of it weren't Ultramarines. No, Chaos Space Marines spilt from within, clad in their trademark twisted power armour of black and gold, with spiked jump packs integrated to their backs.
"FOR ABADDON!"
"FOR THE WARMASTER!!"
"DEATH TO ULTRAMAR!"
The Ultramarines responded immediately and with the efficiency their Chapter was known for. Their bolters and assault cannons roared to life. A hail of shots ripped into the Black Legion Raptors, causing puffs of blood to burst from their bodies as they shuddered amidst the barrage.
The Chaos Raptors were the dedicated jump infantry of the Chaos Space Marines. They considered themselves elite shock troops. Although viewed as egotistical by other Chaos forces, their tactics of deep striking at the most vulnerable points in an enemy line have made them effective predators, often targeting the weak and becoming ruthless hunters.
Similar to Terminator Armour, the Raptors' jump packs were regarded as prized relics and symbols of honour. Their armour was frequently modified with amplifiers and vox casters that emitted terrifying sounds to disorient their enemies, making them easier targets.
Still, despite the initial burst of fire, the Ultramarines weren't quick enough to prevent the catastrophe.
Screaming their defiance, a trio of Raptors jetted through the hail of fire, managing to slam spiked spear-like constructs into the temple's floor.
These tall spears, made of adamantium and iron, were decorated with morbid trophies and anointed with daemonic gore, and radiated Warp energy. The process from start to finish took less than a minute.
Suddenly, reality ripped apart as teleportation bursts roared.
VROOOMMM--
The surviving Raptors jumped out of the way in time as a massive wedge made of hulking Black Legion Terminators appeared and pushed through the crack in realspace. Dozens of elite killers clad in spiked and tusked Tactical Dreadnought power armour had appeared, and with them, a foul presence of Chaos.
With outstanding discipline, the Ultramarines quickly shifted their aim from the slippery Raptors to the Terminator Chaos Space Marines. Bolts and blasts tore into the Black Legion Terminators, clinging as they hit their armour with immense force. And usually, this would have been enough to take down Terminator armoured Space Marines.
However... these warped warriors were imbued with the daemonic powers of the Dark Gods. Though several of the massive Black Legionnaires stumbled or fell under the relentless assault, the rest shrugged off the onslaught and began a grinding advance, firing back as they approached. There was little strategy on their side.
Normally, a Space Marine couldn't run when he was in Terminator Armour. Normally, that was. They were more focused on relentless, heavy firepower, intent on crushing any obstacle under their weight.
Marneus Calgar looked around in horror.
The Shrine of Guilliman, the sacred heart of his Ultramarines Chapter, had been invaded and defiled by the forces of Chaos. Enormous amounts of rage erupted from him.
A thunderous gunfight erupted, with Ultramarines hurling themselves into cover and returning fire from behind columns and statues. It was clear to all that the enemy had but one goal: to reach the Primarch inside the stasis field.
Calgar was forcibly reminded of the vision-blade warned of in Grandmaster Voldus' astropathic communiqué.
While still deeply suspicious of Cawl, the Ynnari, and those who accompanied them, Calgar recognised within milliseconds that Chaos was far clearer and, more importantly, had arrived inside his home, right inside the heart of their realm.
"You shall refrain from acting until this situation is under control! UNDERSTOOD?!" Calgar demanded.
Without waiting for a response, the Chapter Master activated the energy fields around his power fists, known as the Gauntlets of Ultramar, and stomped into the fight.
.
Gerhard had protected the group from the initial burst of attacks, granting them that precious second to adapt to the surprise. But the Raptors had still managed to set down the teleportation beacon.
[Observe]
Chaos Terminator – Lv.66
|HP: 20,000/20,000
|MP: 750
|A veteran Chaos Astartes encased in stolen or ancient Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Slow but monstrously durable, heavily armed, and often a champion or bodyguard of a Chaos warband. Seriously juiced up on Warp power.
STR: 160
VIT: 160
DEX: 55
INT: 45
WIS: 55
LUK: 20
---
Gerhard remained where he was, and so did Hestia, her sisters, and Lencillus. They didn't bother moving at all, choosing instead to stand where they were and observe for a moment.
Why did he do that?
Well, he was told to do so by Marneus Calgar. Naturally, that wasn't the real reason.
'What are we doing?!' Aleya signed.
She was unhappy that they did not immediately throw themselves into the fight. Hestia looked at Gerhard, and when she saw him observe the battlefield, she gave the sign to her sisters to halt for a moment longer.
She and Lencillus knew Gerhard well and understood that he wouldn't ever throw himself into a battle single-mindedly; he would first prepare and create a battle plan. He was a true gamer in that regard.
So what did Gerhard see?
He saw Chapter Master Calgar fight and send bolter rounds into the enemy lines. Turning from the shrine, Saint Celestine drew her Ardent Blade and, with a hymn of battle upon her lips, leapt toward the chaos forces, her Geminae Superia at her side.
Marshal Amalrich had done the same, bellowing promises of death as he and his last few battle-brothers ran headlong at the Black Legionnaires.
Grand Master Voldus, too, moved to join the fight, using his immense psyker powers to do so. He spoke orders into his vox feed as he advanced, releasing shots from his storm bolter even as he called in reinforcement from his Grey Knights battle-brothers.
The Imperial counter-attack met the Black Legion assault in the middle of the shrine with a monstrously chaotic crash of metal on metal, and blood fell like rain as the two forces tore into one another.
Throughout the shrine, tales of heroism and sacrifice played out.
Inquisitor Greyfax took a stray shot to her ribs in the opening moments of the fight. The bolt shell dented her armour, driving the air from her lungs and sending her to the ground, but by the grace of the Emperor, as she thought, it didn't break through.
Greyfax saw black spots in her vision. She dropped hastily behind the cover of a marble column that had fallen over, only a few dozen feet from the base of Guilliman's throne.
She took in several deep breaths. Greyfax leaned around the edge of the cover and was about to fire when a hand landed on her shoulder.
She was shocked and about to fire at the unknown person when she realised it was Gerhard. His palm glowed with the bright light, and she felt her broken ribs heal right away. She hadn't realised it, but Gerhard had used [Psychokinesis] to deflect that shot and prevent her from dying right away.
"What is that armour?" she said without realising it.
For the briefest moments, she seemed absorbed by the sight of the armour and her power weakened and flickered, making her sick. And that for good reason. It was designed that way.
---
[Praetor Suit – "Doom Power Armour" – Rank: Legendary]
- Durability: 15,000/15,000 (Self-Regenerating)
- Armour Class: Apex Anti-Warp Relic Power Suit
Core Stats:
| +120 STR
| +110 VIT
| +85 DEX
Defensive Effects:
| +100% Mid-Class Physical Resistance
| +30% High-Class Physical Resistance
| +100% Mid-Class Energy Resistance
| +30% High-Class Energy Resistance
| Immunity to Warp and Psychic damage
| +80% Fire / Plasma / Melta Resistance
___
Material Composition:
Necrodermis Layer
| Regeneration of damage
| Restores structural integrity continuously
| Adapts to repeated damage types
Wraithbone Psycho-Structural Matrix
| Conducts and amplifies Blank energy/field
| Provides passive anti-Warp effects
Auramite-Adamantium Exo
| Extreme durability vs all conventional weapons
___
Special Effects:
[Blank] Pariah Field (Superior)
| Suppresses Warp activity in a wide radius
| -100% incoming psychic damage
| Continuously drains energy/life from daemons, psykers and other Warp-based creatures
Warp Annihilation Protocol
| +300% damage vs Warp entities
| +300% damage vs psykers
| Warp constructs destabilise on contact
Reality Anchor Matrix
| Prevents Warp anomalies
| Stabilises local reality
| Nullifies Warp-based teleportation and abilities
Soul Erasure System
| Attacks damage both the physical body and the soul
| Prevents regeneration, resurrection, or Warp recovery
Argent-Mana Conversion Core
| Contunous use of the skill [Energy Drain] passively
| Converts continuously absorbed Warp energy into HP and MP
| +100% sustain vs Warp enemies
---
Gerhard put on the helmet, and after a single flicker, it was online.
This was it—Gerhard's magnum opus of anti-Warp armoury.
The Doomslayer had arrived.
The temperature inside the entire Shrine of Guilliman dropped, and everyone could feel the massive void in the Warp.
...
"Play Rip and Tear."
Gerhard moved. And he was fast, like seriously fast. To the side, Saint Celestine sliced her way through the Black Legion Terminators, spinning and leaping through the air as she clove the traitors apart with her blade. One of the Geminae Superia was badly wounded while the other was at her side, unloading her Bolter into the enemy, as they just about arrived at her position and grabbed her weapon.
The power gauntlet zoomed through the air, and it looked like the two Sisters of Battle were certainly dead.
CLANG--!
BRRRRRRRRR---!!!
A different weapon blocked the Power Gauntlet. The Chaos Space Marine suddenly realised that he looked at the most revolting 'thing' he had ever seen... a massive functional void in the Warp, that sucked everything in that came into contact with it.
And a Chainsaw in that 'things' hands...
Everyone around felt weak; their connection to the Warp was almost entirely sniffed out, but not quite. Gerhard didn't want to kill his allies as well; that would be counterproductive. But the Chaos Space Marines felt it, and so did all of the powerful psykers who started to wretch and claw at their heads in an existential crisis.
Gerhard swung the Chainsaw around, kicked the Terminator armour and brought the Chainsaw back around, sawing through the powerful armour and digging deep into the Chaos Marines' flesh, sending blood flying and splashing everywhere.
"RRAAAHHH...AAAHHH...!!"
The Chaos Marine roared in pain and unimaginable hatred. He felt more hatred than a daemon of Khorne right now, so much that he almost lost his mind. But that was an illusion, cause his life was literally being sniffed out as moments passed.
He looked up, only to stare into the muzzle of a shotgun aimed at his face.
BOOOOOOMMMMM---!!!
[Chaos Terminator defeated]
[+500,000 EXP]
...
---
[Anti-Warp Shotgun – "Abyss Breaker Pattern" – Rank: Legendary]
- Durability: 28,000/28,000
- Damage: 1,850 (per shell, full spread), scales with the amount of Mana used
- Critical Chance: 54%
- Fire Rate: Medium-High
- Capacity: 20
___
Special Effects:
Sanctified Shell System
| All ammunition is Anti-Warp shells
| +300% damage vs Daemons, Warp entities, Psykers
| Ignores 70% Warp-based resistances
Abyssal Disruption Spread
| Each pellet disrupts molecular + Warp cohesion
| Targets suffer internal destabilisation
| +180% internal damage
True Death Payload
| Daemons struck have a chance of permanent destruction
| Prevents Warp reconstitution (True Death effect)
Null-Field Infusion
| On impact:
| → Creates a miniature anti-Warp zone
| → Suppresses psychic abilities
| → Weakens Warp constructs (-50% effectiveness)
Mass-Reactive Mana Shells
| Pellets detonate inside the target
| +120% explosion damage
| AoE fragmentation on impact
Purity Cascade
| Killing Warp entity grants:
| → +5% damage (stacking, max +100%)
| → +3% fire rate (stacking, max +60%)
Judgement Burst Mode
| Alternate fire:
| → Fires condensed slug instead of spread
| → +400% penetration
| → +250% damage vs single target
Relic Stabilisation Frame
| No recoil
| Perfect spread control
| +40% hit consistency
Mana-Feed Chamber
| Can convert MP into shells
---