Nicholas led his trained force of one thousand and fifty-two Stormers onto the surface of Bergenheim Prime.
They all came from the 2nd through 10th Companies. First Captain Jorginho and Storm Lord, Szczesny, had adopted the same training method, a purer, more warrior-focused path.
The core of the Stormers were eleven Librarians from the Ninth Chapter. They were responsible for transmitting Nicholas's orders to the other Stormers.
Nicholas checked the target position runes on his helmet display and issued orders on the Stormers' channel.
"Today is the moment to test the results of our training. It is also your opportunity to earn prestige within the Chapter."
"For the Gene-Father, purge the xenos!"
"Stormers, advance!"
The Stormers marched forward in uniform pace. Their breathing gradually slowed and stabilized.
Their eagerness for glory subsided. One by one, they entered a meditative state, then ascended to the first level of the Thelema mindstate.
In the "True Will" state, they clarified their desire for glory and solidified the creed of the Stormers:
Perceive the trend of the storm.
When attacking, unleash firepower and sweep away the enemy.
When defending, be unshakeable, standing firm amidst the storm.
Through the eleven Librarians, Nicholas received confirmation that all were ready. He focused on the tactical data on his helmet.
Confirming that the approaching slave army lacked any human-recognized signals, being other species enslaved by the Rangdan, he directly ordered.
"Storm Mask!"
"Open fire!"
The instant he gave the order, the Librarians transmitted the command to the Stormers' minds faster than any comm channel.
The wind rose.
The Stormers, wearing their "Storm Masks," raised their Bedrock-pattern bolters.
Their arms moved with superhuman speed, acquiring targets and pulling triggers.
In one second, the Bedrock-pattern bolters, equipped with hunter-killer modules, emptied their first magazines.
Shredded flesh and blood churned together, as if swept up by a tornado.
The Stormers didn't miss a single shot, nor did any two bolts strike the same target.
The rapid firing made the Shadows of Order's arms tremble slightly. Their hearts pumped powerfully. Adrenaline made their movements even swifter.
They rapidly reloaded and waited for the enemy to enter optimal firing range.
Hundreds of thousands of xenos slaves surged wave after wave towards the Stormers' line, but couldn't match their rate of slaughter.
The Stormers advanced calmly, resupplying from ammunition vehicles produced on the Firestorm world.
They repeated the cycle: fire, advance, engage again. Time and again.
The power unleashed by the "Storm Mask" found no release, no satisfaction. Some Stormers grew agitated.
A Librarian was the first to notice a Stormer under his command break formation. He was two steps ahead of his squad mates.
"Ascend to the second level of the mindstate."
To be a Stormer, besides mastering the "Storm Mask," one needed at least the second level of the Thelema mindstate. Squad leaders required the third.
One by one, the Stormers ascended to the second level of the Thelema mindstate.
Nicholas's eyes deepened. His pitch-black pupils dilated suddenly.
Through his Warp Insight, he saw the storm brewing around the Stormers.
Nicholas nodded with satisfaction. This was exactly the result he wanted.
The whites of his eyes re-emerged. He looked at the enemy appearing ahead.
The time to unleash the storm had arrived.
"Attack!"
In an instant, the Stormers were released.
Ten magazines were emptied in seconds. Even the rugged, durable Bedrock-pattern bolters had their barrels overheat from the rapid firing and movement.
Machine-spirits, in their frenzy, issued dangerous warnings.
A firestorm engulfed the xenos army's front lines. Rangdan xenos were torn apart in terror, one after another.
Overlords felt their personal energy shields shudder and oscillate under the relentless barrage. They were stunned.
"Librarians, the Overlords are yours."
With a thought, Nicholas activated the conductive filaments connected to his neural cortex, energizing thousands of metal plates made of a special alloy.
The hinged framework, linked by micro-fiber bundles, drove the wings to spread.
Winds surged from within the "Wind-Blessed." He spread his wings and took flight.
The armor's wings extended. He howled through the air towards the Cerabvores.
The eleven Librarians withdrew from the Thelema mindstate and entered the fifth level of the Enumeration.
Psychic lightning and flames leaped. Amidst a series of crackling reports, the energy shields of dozens of Overlords shattered one after another.
"Storm!"
The Stormers unleashed another volley of fire, tearing apart the Overlords' bodies.
Nicholas flew before the Cerabvores in an instant. He saw the dangerous light flickering in the red line running through its skull and felt the numbness from the neurotoxins' intrusion into his mind.
Though it hadn't yet affected him substantially, he knew he had to eliminate the Cerabvores quickly.
Nicholas raised his staff. Electricity flickered in his eyes. The "Storm Mask" propelled the accumulated psychic power into release.
Since becoming a "Wind-Blessed," his storm-based psychic abilities had been further stimulated.
The Librarian alone conjured a hurricane.
Thousands of xenos around the Cerabvores were swept up by the violent winds. The Overlords' personal energy shields howled in the gale.
The "Wind-Blessed" elegantly swooped and glided. His wings, painted gold in emulation of the Black Emperor, extended, their sharp edges grazing xenos after xenos.
Blue light flashed. Force fields crackled.
Flesh and blood scattered, brutally torn apart.
The Cerabvores raised its bent arms, resisting the powerful force pulling at it. It watched the hurricane above rapidly turn blood-red.
The "Wind-Blessed" shook his staff. The wind suddenly reversed direction.
The Cerabvores, caught off guard, was swept up by the cyclone.
The Librarian shook his staff. The compressed hurricane roared towards the Cerabvores.
A series of sharp cracks pierced the howling wind, echoing across the sky.
The Cerabvores shrieked in terror. It knew it was utterly outmatched in the air.
Before its tentacles could react, the wind direction abruptly reversed again.
Its body lurched, tumbling.
Nicholas masterfully utilized the storm, constantly changing its direction and intensity, weakening the energy shield with a relentless series of storm attacks.
He watched as xenos were torn apart one by one. Even Rangdan Overlords couldn't last long in the psychic storm. He looked at the struggling Cerabvores, thinking to himself.
'The storm is my home ground.
Once you're caught in it, you have no chance.'
After tumbling and flailing in the air for a time, the Cerabvores discovered in horror that its energy shield was shattered.
It realized it had to kill Nicholas. A crimson light flared. Psychic energy enveloped its body, temporarily freeing it from the wind's grasp.
The Cerabvores swung its crystal greatsword at the Shadows of Order.
CLANG!
Nicholas folded his golden wings, blocking the crystal sword.
Seizing the moment, the force field deflected the attack. Nicholas roared, utilizing the abilities of the "Folk of Rage."
His arm shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into the Cerabvores's head in an instant.
The Cerabvores, terrified, felt that the black-armored warrior's fist was a storm.
With a thunderous crack, the Cerabvores's bulbous head exploded.
.....
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