The door flew up into the air at high speed, crashing toward the Chaos Space Marine, while Yixis leaped forward with sword and shield, the plates of his armor clinking against each other with each movement.
With the momentum gained from his legs pushing off the vehicle, the whole car shook noticeably. His body, clad in shining carapace armor, moved so fast that it caused a howling rush of wind, the armor's plumes streaming backward as he raced to catch up with the door that had just been kicked off.
But even so, there was someone faster than him.
Just before Yixis could reach his opponent, the moment before the door would've made contact, the Chaos Space Marine suddenly kicked out. His power armor's foot connected with the door, producing a colossal noise like a cannonball impact. The reinforced carapace door suffered a massive dent, causing what had been a high-speed projectile to tear back through the air more swiftly in reverse.
What incredible speed and strength!
Beneath his visor, Yixis's pupils contracted.
As that thought crossed his mind, his body instinctively responded, his long sword swinging. He barely managed to keep pace with the terrifying speed of the door before it would crash into him. The seemingly ordinary blade was razor sharp, easily cutting into the already weakened door that had been hit twice before.
But just as it began to slice through, the sword met unexpected resistance, forcing it to halt suddenly.
Through the gap he had just made, Yixis saw where the resistance that had stopped his strike originated.
It was the chainsword.
More precisely, it was the gap between the protective casing and the teeth of the chainsword.
The chaos warrior, propelled by the massive initial velocity and weight, did not stop under the recoil but maintained momentum, albeit slightly reduced.
As Yixis began to swing his blade, the Space Marine had already evaded one of the heavy bolter shots and simultaneously pressed the stop button on his chainsword, halting its rotation.
After finishing this maneuver, the Chaos Space Marine swung his chainsword to meet Yixis's blade, expertly positioning it to catch the tip of Yixis's sword in the gap, locking it firmly in place.
Whether the whirring chainsword blades would shatter Yixis's long sword or the monomolecular edge would sever it would significantly impact the Chaos Space Marine's next plan.
To the warrior, who had just caught a glimpse of Yixis's athletic physique beneath his power armor visor, Yixis's sword should have been aimed elsewhere.
Of course, the Chaos Space Marine was unaware of his intentions and had no time to consider such extraneous thoughts.
Yixis felt an intense torque transfer from the sword's hilt as it became lodged in the gap.
In that moment, the overly resilient long sword became counterproductive. Though the tip might withstand the massive force trying to wrench it sideways, Yixis's wrist could not.
Although being disarmed during a fight would be a tremendous humiliation for a knight, continuing to grip the sword would mean risking a broken wrist. Realizing this, Yixis released the hilt before the pain in his bones became unbearable.
However, this was not a signal of surrender but a strategic decision to create an opportunity for retaliation.
For Yixis, even if he let go of his long sword, his armored fist was still a formidable blunt weapon.
As the sword slipped from his grasp, the distance between both combatants rapidly closed. Yixis swung a powerful punch at the Chaos Space Marine's head.
But just before his fist could connect, a power armored hand landed on his shoulder, effortlessly throwing him to the ground.
Had he lost?
No, it was not a defeat; it was simply an one-sided humiliation.
This sense of oppression... even the feeling of powerlessness hadn't been present since he single-handedly defeated dozens of challengers in his youth, earning the title of champion knight of his homeworld.
He never expected to face such a formidable opponent the moment he arrived; even death at this point would seem worth it.
However, the situation was far from being all about Yixis. His mortal form had managed to hold off the Chaos Space Marine for a few rounds, and in that time, a lot could happen.
For instance, the barrel of the heavy bolter had adjusted slightly, and a shot was fired a fraction later than normal, just as the enemy reached to grasp Yixis's shoulder.
The Space Marine had noticed the peculiar timing of this shot, but even if he were hit, what did it matter? It was just one shot. Even a direct hit to his helmet posed no grave threat; it was a fair trade for the chance to secure a pleasure slave.
Moreover, after coming all this way, he wouldn't want to leave without tasting the sting of pain—otherwise, it would all feel pointless.
This mindset persisted until he saw sparks erupt from the shield Yixis had raised in front of him, intended for defense. The warrior's combat intuition drove him to pull his arm back with all his strength in an attempt to deflect the incoming round.
His instincts proved correct. The angle formed between the shield and the heavy bolter round allowed the bolt to strike the oblique surface of the shield, redirecting it and sending it careening toward the front of the Space Marine's helmet—the most vulnerable point, right where the optics were.
But it was too late; despite his extraordinary speed, he could not outpace the incoming bolt.
Undoubtedly, the bolt penetrated the optics, shattering the glass and driving the drill-core projectile into the head encased in the armored helmet. The explosive round shattered his sturdy skull, burrowing into his brain tissue before detonating violently.
Shrapnel, shockwaves, and high heat obliterated much of his head.
Even at this point, he hadn't completely died, his limbs twitching as if trying to finish an unfinished task, but his body was far too compromised to withstand the subsequent assault.
The sounds of the vehicle's heavy bolter continued to resound through the street, gradually fading only after the upper half of the Chaos Space Marine was completely torn apart.
Inside the vehicle, Zhang Ge witnessed the entire event. Although his physical reactions struggled to keep pace with his sight and mental processing, he could still clearly see the actions of both fighters.
Yet, in that fleeting moment, his feelings shifted from elation to deep regret and then to anger at his own helplessness.
With the b armor he had on, he could exchange blows with a Space Marine for several rounds. Why didn't he just leap out and randomly challenge a daemon to relieve his frustration instead of dragging it out here?
He shot a glance at Dominika beside him. It was clear she wasn't in control of the heavy bolter, leaving only one answer: the machine spirit. While Yolana had been servicing it, something had gone awry; how could it suddenly be dependable in a critical moment?
Though he felt like he might grind his teeth to dust out of frustration, Zhang Ge forced a smile and gently patted the steering wheel, expressing gratitude:
"Praise the Machine Spirit."
But at that moment, the previously reliable machine spirit seemed to malfunction again, stalling with a sharp wail just before Zhang Ge could command it to stop.
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