Gutierrez quickly contacted the light cruiser's captain, his voice cold and decisive: "All ship cannons aim at the Magnificent Stone's defense systems, full power fire! Open a path for Titus and his men!"
The light cruiser's Macro cannons and lances slowly adjusted their angles, their muzzles aimed at the Magnificent Stone and the Necrons army, then began a barrage.
With a deafening roar of cannon fire, dense shells and beams rained down on the Magnificent Stone and the Necrons army.
The explosion's flames instantly engulfed the Magnificent Stone's exterior, its defense systems temporarily paralyzed under the fierce bombardment, like a wounded giant beast, temporarily losing its fangs.
Titus seized this opportunity, leading his warriors in a rapid advance, using the light cruiser's covering fire to finally approach the Magnificent Stone's critical components.
Titus shouted: "Thermo-meltdown bombs ready! Find its power system, and take it out in one go!"
His voice was exceptionally clear on the chaotic battlefield, like a sharp blade piercing the turbulent air.
The warriors quickly acted, placing Thermo-meltdown bombs on the Magnificent Stone's critical components.
With a series of explosions, the Magnificent Stone's exterior began to crack, and its forward speed noticeably slowed.
However, just as they thought victory was within reach, a large number of Necron Scarabs suddenly surged out from within the Magnificent Stone, like a swarm of hungry locusts, frantically repairing the damaged parts of the Magnificent Stone.
At the same time, some Necrons units also turned their Gauss Weapons and charged towards them, cold green beams cutting deadly trajectories through the air.
Titus's heart tightened, and he immediately shouted: "Disperse! Disperse quickly!"
But it was too late; dense Gauss beams once again covered the surrounding area.
Several warriors fell in the beams, their Power Armor instantly disintegrated, torn apart like fragile paper.
Titus's eyes were bloodshot, but he gritted his teeth and continued to carry out the mission.
He shouted into the communicator to Gutierrez: "We can't hold on much longer! How much longer for the Nova Cannon?"
Gutierrez's voice came through the communicator, with a hint of urgency: "Hold on for thirty more seconds! Donia's Nova Cannon is in the final charging phase!"
Titus took a deep breath and said to the warriors beside him: "Thirty seconds! Everyone, give it your all!"
The warriors nodded one after another, their eyes gleaming with determination.
Titus hoisted the last Thermo-meltdown bomb and charged towards the Magnificent Stone's core.
His Power Armor was already shattered under the Gauss Weapons' barrage, but he showed no sign of retreat, like a wounded beast, still roaring and charging forward.
After Titus and the others installed the Thermo-meltdown bombs, they quickly activated their jump packs, preparing to withdraw.
However, the Magnificent Stone's defense system seemed to have detected their actions, and some of the already repaired defensive weapon arrays locked onto them again.
Green beams, like the scythe of death, instantly covered their retreat path, like an invisible net attempting to trap them.
"Quick! Disperse and evacuate! Don't go in a straight line!" Titus shouted into the communicator, his voice filled with urgency.
The warriors quickly scattered, using the maneuverability of their jump packs to weave through the gaps in the Gauss beams.
Despite this, two warriors were still hit by beams during their retreat, their Power Armor instantly disintegrated, and their bodies turned to ash.
Titus watched the fallen warriors, his grief uncontrollable; although they were not Ultramarines, the sacrifice of every Astartes still pained him.
But this was not the time for sorrow; he quickly adjusted his direction, using a destroyed Necron vehicle as cover, temporarily avoiding the Gauss Weapons' barrage.
"Everyone, report status!" Titus asked urgently into the communicator.
"Team A safe, advancing to extraction point!"
"Team B lost one, others safe, evacuating!"
"Team C all safe, approaching safe zone!"
Hearing the warriors' reports, Titus breathed a slight sigh of relief.
However, just then, a deep roar suddenly came from the communicator; it was the Death Company's sergeant.
His voice carried an unusual frenzy, like a wild beast trapped in a cage: "Titus, you take the others and withdraw first! I'll take two squads to cover the rear!"
Titus's heart tightened, and he immediately realized what had happened—the Death Company warriors had fallen into the Black Rage.
This was a curse within the Blood Angels Chapter's Gene-Seed; once triggered, the warriors would fall into a state of irrational frenzy, with only slaughter and destruction in their eyes.
Although the Death Company were all Blood Angels who had previously fallen into the Black Rage and were reawakened with the help of sanctus wine, this did not mean they could not fall into the Black Rage again.
"No! You can't stay here! The Nova Cannon is about to fire!" Titus tried to dissuade them, but his voice was cut off by the Death Company sergeant's roar.
"For Sanguinius! For the Emperor! We will never let these xenos defile our honor!" The Death Company warriors had completely lost their reason, their eyes bloodshot, and the Blood Angels emblem on their Power Armor seemed to burn: "Horus! You are dead!"
They no longer listened to any commands, but instead turned and charged towards the Magnificent Stone, their Bolters wildly unleashing fire.
Titus watched helplessly as the Death Company warriors charged into the enemy lines, his heart filled with a sense of powerlessness.
He knew that once they fell into the Black Rage, these warriors could never turn back; their fate was sealed, destined to burn out in battle.
"Titus, we have to go!" Kyle Stross, beside him, grabbed his arm, his voice tinged with urgency.
Titus took a deep breath and nodded. He knew this was not the time to hesitate.
He took one last look at the Death Company warriors charging into the enemy lines and whispered: "May the Emperor guide your souls."
He quickly led the remaining warriors to full-speed evacuation towards the safe zone. Just as they had exited the dangerous area, a piercing roar came from the sky.
Donia's forge ship had finally completed the Nova Cannon's charging, and a dazzling light streaked across the battlefield, striking the Magnificent Stone's core.
A massive explosion instantly engulfed the Magnificent Stone, and the shockwave swept across the entire battlefield.
Titus and the warriors were thrown to the ground by the blast, but they knew that the battle was finally over.
Titus struggled to his feet, looking towards the land destroyed by the Nova Cannon.
In the smoke and dust, he seemed to still see the figures of the Death Company warriors; they were still fighting in their final moments, until they were swallowed by the light of the explosion.
"They completed their mission," Titus said softly, his voice heavy.
The sacrifice of these warriors laid the foundation for Rostov's victory, but the cost of this victory was too heavy.
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