Isod, clad in master-crafted power armor, mingled with the flank of the Battle Sisters. Clutching a chainsword, she was locked in a fierce struggle with a Slaaneshi Seeker. Her movements were fluid and sharp, yet they carried an almost imperceptible stiffness—that was not Isod's natural style of combat. It was Sarah's "Puppet No. 1."
Sarah had come after all. She had embedded herself within the Ecclesiarchy's forces to rescue him personally. Isod's gaze pierced through the clamor of the battlefield, locking onto Raynor's eyes with pinpoint precision. In that instant, Raynor saw emotions in her eyes that did not belong to a mere "puppet." It was that cool, rational consciousness that always supported him silently from behind. Her eyes held relief and a trace of deep affection that she couldn't quite hide.
When she saw that Raynor was unharmed, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. That tiny, almost undetectable change in expression was captured perfectly by Raynor. Only he could read it: the sense of release Sarah felt upon confirming his safety. A warm current surged through Raynor's heart. Even though his body remained paralyzed and he was surrounded by Chaos, he no longer felt despair. He knew that Sarah would never abandon him.
The resourceful Sarah had realized something was wrong the very moment she lost contact with Raynor. The connection between the Hive Mind's neural network and the Ripper swarms near Raynor had been forcibly severed by an unknown power. While she couldn't determine the exact culprit, she guessed the gist of it: Raynor had likely fallen into a Chaos trap.
However, she did not impulsively lead the swarm to storm Brevis's Hive Spire. She knew clearly that doing so would not only expose the existence of the Tyranids—ruining all the strategic layouts Raynor had made to integrate Brevis's forces—but also encounter full resistance from the Hive's defense forces, wasting precious time needed to save him.
She chose the smartest and most stable approach. Using Isod's identity as the Governor's wife, Sarah immediately contacted Carter and the Ecclesiarchy Arch-Bishop, Goodwin. She did not reveal her Tyranid identity; acting solely as the Governor's wife, she informed them that "the Governor is suspected to be in danger at the Saint Gallus Fortress."
Carter's loyalty to Raynor was bone-deep. Upon receiving the news, he immediately mobilized all his elite PDF units. They cordoned off every road surrounding the Saint Gallus Fortress, strictly forbidding entry or exit while establishing multiple defensive lines on the perimeter to prevent any enemy breakthroughs or opportunistic looting by other factions.
Meanwhile, Arch-Bishop Goodwin, the supreme leader of the Ecclesiarchy in Brevis, acted immediately upon Sarah's news. He mobilized the armed forces specialized in dealing with Chaos outbreaks and headed for the fortress at maximum speed. While the two men handled the conventional and anti-Chaos military responses, Sarah herself controlled Isod to infiltrate the Ecclesiarchy's ranks. She personally came to the heart of this chaotic site just to confirm Raynor's safety and provide assistance at the critical moment—an act tacitly permitted by Goodwin.
While Sarah was leading the rescue mission, outside the Forbidden Wall on the Brevis ice plains...
Leo, leading a light vanguard unit, had just finished purging a remnant band of Orks. Driven by an instinctive thirst for combat, Leo couldn't help but "go for a stroll" even if the remaining Orks no longer required the vanguard's intervention. Green corpses littered the snow. Standing atop a Leman Russ tank, he wiped the snow and blood from his face. He looked at the towering silhouette of the Forbidden Wall in the distance, a gratified smile tugging at his lips.
The purge had gone smoothly. Organized Ork groups were becoming rarer, and the situation on the ice plains had stabilized completely. He planned to report these results to Raynor immediately upon his return; Raynor would surely show a rare smile when he saw the report.
At that moment, the attack came without warning. It wasn't from the Ork remnants, but from humans. A thick, crimson laser beam descended from the sky with world-ending power, accurately striking the Leman Russ tank Leo was standing on.
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion erupted. The tank's thick armor melted and shattered instantly under the high temperature of the laser. Metal fragments mingled with flames flew in all directions, and the shockwave of the blast sent Leo flying. He tumbled several times in the air before crashing heavily onto the cold snow. A sharp pain bloomed in his chest, and he couldn't stop himself from coughing up a mouthful of blood that stained the white snow beneath him.
Leo forced himself up from the ground, ignoring his injuries, and jerked his head toward the sky. In the air, a massive grey Knight suit descended heavily, kicking up a thousand layers of snow. The surface of the Knight was engraved with the sigil of House Saint Gallus—a figure he knew all too well.
Aiden.
Aiden was a veteran Paladin of House Saint Gallus and a confidant personally sent by Caladogong to the Forbidden Wall to protect Leo. He had followed Caladogong for over a decade and was known for being steady and reliable. Leo trusted him implicitly, viewing him as his right hand. Yet now, this familiar Knight radiated a cold, alien murderous intent.
After Aiden's Knight landed, the Gatling cannons mounted on its arms began to spin slowly, the barrels glowing with a dangerous red heat. The cold muzzles were aimed directly at Leo.
Leo looked up at the familiar Knight, his eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. A metallic, sweet taste rose in his throat. He wanted to shout, "Aiden, what are you doing?" He wanted to ask what had happened, to know why the person he trusted most had suddenly attacked him.
But he had no chance. A devastating barrage was already upon him. The Gatling cannon shells poured out like a rainstorm, carrying enough power to tear everything apart.
"Lord, run!"
Leo's personal guards reacted instantly, lunging in front of him and raising their shields to form a temporary defensive line. The few nearby armored vehicles also moved to block the path. A single burst from the Gatling cannons easily scrapped the vehicles. Dozens of rounds still pierced through the wreckage and slammed into the shields. The shields shattered, and the guards were torn apart by the immense impact, turning into a mist of blood and flesh.
However, they had used their lives to buy Leo a few precious seconds to escape. Knowing there was no time for hesitation, Leo turned and sprinted toward the depths of the ice plains. The gunfire followed him like a shadow, exploding continuously in the snow around him and kicking up clouds of ice and debris.
Aiden's Knight marched forward, following closely behind him in a relentless pursuit. Leo's heart was filled with doubt and rage. He didn't know what had happened—whether something had gone wrong with the family or why Aiden had suddenly betrayed him. He didn't even know the current state of the Forbidden Wall. All he knew was one thing: he had to survive.
He had to survive to find the answers. He couldn't stop running, even as his wounds bled and his strength drained. The family was waiting for him, Brevis needed him, and the vanguard warriors who trusted and followed him were all waiting for his return. So, amidst the wind and snow of the ice plains, he ran with all his might, not stopping for a single moment.