Sanda glanced in surprise at the emerging Saharduin. It was the first time he had encountered these xenos surviving without their water tanks.
Sanda had no time for careful thought. He raised his bolter and fired at the Saharduin.
The xenos raised similar weapons to return fire. Among the enemies the Shadows of Order had faced so far, the Saharduin had the most similar weapons to their own.
Compared to the past when they only wore armor on their abdomens, the Saharduin now wore full-body armor, improving their protection.
The roar of boltguns was deafening, flames flickering across the deck.
While pulling the trigger and killing several xenos, Sanda keenly noticed that the Saharduin remained stationary, simply standing there and shooting.
Sanda glanced at their heavy armor, its thickness even comparable to his own power armor.
Yet, unlike them the Saharduin didn't have the Black Carapace implanted, nor muscle bundles to drive the armor.
The xenos' bent bodies moved much more sluggishly than the Shadows of Order.
"Tactical maneuver!"
After he spoke, the 7th Company's standard-bearer raised the banner high.
As a company predominantly of Catachan descent, the banner was painted with the image of a Catachan Devil.
Sanda and his guard dispersed around the company banner. They fired at the Saharduin while moving.
The Saharduin moved their arms stiffly, attacking the Shadows of Order.
As Sanda predicted, their speed was much slower than before, unable to keep up with the Shadows of Order's movement.
Two Shadows of Order fell, while over a hundred Saharduin died.
The Shadows of Order moved in a zigzag pattern. They advanced diagonally forward, then turned in another direction.
Each person's movement distance and direction differed, but they coordinated perfectly.
The 7th Company advanced in waves, breaking the Saharduin's lines and pushing into the ship's interior.
Sanda, the standard-bearer, and the frontline Shadows of Order drew their Catachan Fangs, charging forward, swinging their blades at the Saharduin.
The Saharduin drew power swords to meet them, but the Shadows of Order's attacks were swifter.
Sanda's blade cleaved through the Saharduin's blue armor. His pupils constricted; he saw slender tubes coiled around the xenos' bodies.
He instantly understood how the Saharduin sustained themselves without carrying water tanks on their backs.
'Because we've been targeting the Saharduin's water tanks as a weakness, they thought to coil the water tubes around their bodies, allowing their gills to maintain respiration.'
'But this also gave them a new weakness, and the Shadows of Order excel at exploiting weaknesses.'
The "Hunter" said over the comm-channel: "Confirm Saharduin's new weakness: speed."
"Hunt!"
The "Hunter" charged forward swiftly, his energized blade spinning rapidly, cutting a path through the Saharduin.
Sanda fought his way through, passing four damp decks.
Suddenly, a tall Saharduin in blue armor appeared before him.
Sanda charged at the opponent. His pupils dilated sharply; the xenos' speed was unexpectedly swift.
He had no time to change his motion, gripping his Catachan Fang tightly as he slashed.
The xenos swung its energized blade, striking fiercely.
The blades collided. Sanda was forced back a step.
The Shadow of Order immediately realized the tall Saharduin was stronger than the others. Its strength was ferocious, and its movements were swifter.
Sanda stared intently at the xenos. As a Catachan, from childhood, he had never lacked experience in defeating stronger opponents through skill.
Relying on technique, he still had a chance to defeat the xenos.
Sanda swung his blade fiercely, aiming for the xenos' long neck.
A screeching collision sound erupted, dazzling light flashing in his eyes.
Sanda suddenly saw the Saharduin open its mouth, revealing sharp teeth.
The "Hunter" felt puzzled. Although the Saharduin's teeth were sharp, if it tried to bite him, its neck would be vulnerable.
Just then, he saw a blue tube exposed in the Saharduin's throat.
A jet of water shot out, directly hitting Sanda.
The water slammed against the Shadow of Order's helmet. Mucous rapidly corroded his lenses. Sanda's eyes burned with sharp pain.
The Saharduin grinned viciously and swung its longsword, severing Sanda's head.
Seconds later, Porti raised his archeotech pistol and fired a toxin-laced bullet into the Saharduin's head.
As he aimed at another xenos, a voice sounded in the company's comm-channel.
"Captain, fallen."
Porti, newly promoted to "Pyromaniac," held a higher position in the Court than the other two lieutenant who were merely "Hunters."
He knew he had to assume command. He issued instructions.
"This is Porti. Mark the location."
"Acknowledged, lieutenant." With his response, runes lit up on the auspex display in Porti's helmet.
"We must pass through two decks. Reform the command squad. Follow me."
Porti led his three squads, which included fourteen Shadows of Order who were replacements received after the Gorgon Serpent cleansing on Calth.
The "Pyromaniac" channeled spirituality into his Catachan Fang. The blade ignited into flame.
After promoting to "Pyromaniac," Porti had replaced his Catachan Fang.
He switched from one with an attached disruption field to one without, to utilize the "Pyromaniac's" ability to enchant weapons with fire damage.
The "Pyromaniac" swung his burning blade, leading the team towards the rune-marked location on the auspex.
After breaching onto the target deck, Porti saw the tall Saharduin swinging its blade, cutting down the standard-bearer's head.
The standard-bearer's corpse hit the deck, but his left arm remained rigid, the company banner held high.
As the xenos was about to shatter the banner with its sword, a Shadow of Order roared in fury and charged at the Saharduin.
He swung his sword at the xenos while reaching for the banner. He would never allow the company's honor to be insulted.
The Saharduin was forced to abandon destroying the banner. It slid sideways, cutting the Shadow of Order in half at the waist.
As the Saharduin was about to shatter the banner, Porti's blade struck. He slung his archeotech pistol at his waist, grabbed the banner, and raised it high.
The Catachan Devil waved above Porti's head. The Shadows of Order's morale surged instantly, their dense barrage suppressing the xenos.
Porti raised his sword to meet the enemy. After one blade collision, he realized there was a gap between himself and the tall xenos.
The "Pyromaniac's" eyes flashed. He did not launch an attack, instead wielding his sword in a stable defense.
The burning blade clashed with the blue longsword. Bursts of flame shot towards the xenos.
The dominant Saharduin launched over a hundred attacks in an instant but failed to break the black-armored warrior's defense.
It suddenly felt intense heat inside its body, as if something had ignited.
The "Pyromaniac," through the blade collisions, used "Fire Infusion," gradually injecting flames into the enemy's body.
The Saharduin opened its mouth, about to spew mucous, when an explosion sounded within its body.
The "Pyromaniac" detonated the fire "injected" into the xenos. With a explosive sound, the Saharduin was torn apart.
The surrounding Saharduin, seeing their leader killed and their newly crafted armor burning in the flames, had their courage shattered. They hissed and scattered in flight.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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