It wasn't just the Lion who breached the Chaos warships; the entire Sons of the Forest Chapter was with him.
After reorganization and restructuring, the Chapter, bestowed with the name 'Sons of the Forest' by the Lion, comprised around three hundred individuals, including those who originally served under Emrys' command, 'Dawn Watch,' and the former Blade Angels. They were led by Krast, Zabriel, and Olsen.
This assault also served as a test for this brand-new Chapter.
Facts proved that the Sons of the Forest Chapter did not disappoint the Lion or Emrys.
Even though they once bore the names of traitors and fallen Angels, they were still the most elite warriors, the First Legion, and the proud descendants of the Lion.
The Lion utilized his Warp characteristics to jump back and forth between the various Chaos warships.
Whenever the mysterious forest from Caliban slowly unfurled before the damned traitors' eyes, what awaited them was the long-awaited wrath and judgment from the Imperium and the Lion!
Mysterious, swift, lethal!
These were their watchwords; every action was like a beast in the forest, seeking out the enemy's fatal weakness, then—a single, fatal strike!
"Watch the warships!" Olsen said coldly, wiping the blood from his helmet's visor after cutting off an enemy's head with his still-dripping power sword and then smashing the opponent's chest with his left-hand bolter fist. "Lord Emrys specifically instructed us not to damage these warships."
Around him lay fallen Chaos Space Marines, whimpering, eyes wide, their faces full of confusion and bewilderment.
They couldn't understand how these Imperial Space Marines had bypassed detection, appearing like phantoms, suddenly on their warships.
In the command center of the Skull Crown Rage axe warband, crimson and dazzling alarms blared. The majority of the Chaos Space Marines, daemons, and Dark Mechanicum Priests, who had been slaughtered by the Sons of the Forest who suddenly boarded the ship, huddled in this last sanctuary.
Their faces were filled with unease, panic, and deep bewilderment.
Why did it turn out like this?!
Their Lord had just led the elites of the entire warband, including Terminators and Chaos Dreadnoughts, to assault an Imperial hive city. Yet, in a flash, their own stronghold was boarded by this group!
If it had been a head-on confrontation, they believed they would never be crushed, but the problem was—they were completely unprepared.
They hadn't even equipped their weapons; they were just suddenly ambushed while resting.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The violent sounds of bolters and doors being struck, like the God of Death's death knell, caused those hiding in the bridge command center to show signs of fear.
They knew very well that this single door could not stop those madmen!
"Quick, quickly contact the other warships!" the Commander roared, urging the Dark Mechanicum Priests to send distress signals to other warships.
As long as they could hold on!
If they could just hold out a little longer, until the people on the other warships noticed the anomaly here, they could turn the tide.
The communication lights, which they anxiously awaited, remained dark.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!"
The Commander grew increasingly agitated. He yanked over a Dark Mechanicum Priest who was still trying to make contact, clutching his throat, his eyes red.
"Why haven't you made contact yet?! Is it being jammed?!"
"Cough, cough, cough—"
The Dark Mechanicum Priest's eyes widened, his twisted android limbs struggling, and a mechanical voice came from his mouth.
"Our communication—has been sent out, and there's no jamming, but—they just aren't replying. This situation—there's only one possibility, they... are unable to reply!"
These words stunned the Commander.
A terrifying thought randomly began to grow wildly in his mind.
Could it be—he looked out through the viewport at the shadows of the warships in the dark starry sky, incredibly far away, and swallowed. Unable to reply?
Did that also mean that it wasn't just their single warship that was attacked by this group of madmen?
He stared blankly outside. In this dark starry sky, even fear couldn't be emitted, let alone sound.
A chill invaded his mind.
"This is a—trap!" He suddenly realized, his pupils contracting sharply. He threw down the gasping Mechanicum Priest and quickly shouted to those nearby.
"Quick, quickly contact the Lord, tell him what's happening here. We've been tricked; the Imperium already guessed our plan. Tell them to come back immediately!"
Come back?
If these warband Lords could hear his voice, they would probably only tell them—to fend for themselves. He had no time to deal with them.
A deafening roar echoed throughout the sky.
Cedric on the Imperial warship had completely gone mad, his eyes filled with savage bloodshot veins, repeating monotonous commands again and again.
fire! fire! fire!
It felt so good!
He couldn't remember the last time he felt this good.
There was no need to hold back; he just needed to unleash all the ammunition in the warehouse, letting these damned Chaos scum taste the Emperor's wrath.
And in the desert, with no cover and in an open area, the elite Chaos warband, numbering nearly three thousand, suffered heavy losses after just a few rounds of bombardment.
"Ah ah ah ah!!!"
"Traitor! Traitor! You damned traitor—Zane!!!"
Amid roars filled with anger and resentment, they viciously cursed the Chaos Lord who had put them in danger... Zane.
They didn't understand, even to their deaths.
Why would Zane, who was already a high-ranking Chaos Lord, and blessed by Khorne, betray Chaos?!
The Imperium would never accept a Space Marine who had once been corrupted by Chaos, let alone a high-ranking Chaos Lord, would it?
They didn't understand, and couldn't figure it out.
But the incessant macro-cannons above them left them no time to think about anything else. They could only sprint across the open and exposed desert, trying to rush into the hive city.
This was their only way out!
It must be said that Chaos Space Marines are truly difficult to kill. Even though Emrys had already revealed the coordinates in advance, a considerable number of them still escaped the artillery's coverage under the Imperial Navy fleet's indiscriminate bombardment.
The gates of the hive city were right before their eyes.
This made the desperate Chaos warbands, seeing a glimmer of hope in their predicament, wish they had more legs, rushing frantically towards what they believed was their lifeline.
But unfortunately.
When they reached the hive city, they discovered it wasn't a hive city at all, but a gigantic 'fortress'!
Immediately after, that massive fortress, to their shock, actually stood up!
"Ti—Titan?"
The hearts of the Chaos warbands, who had just narrowly escaped death, sank little by little, their hope completely shattered.
Wait, Titan?!
They were completely bewildered. Who could tell them why there was a Titan in this godforsaken place!!!?