"FOR THE HIERARCHS!" Nihai' roared outloud with all his might and voice, thrusting his thick golden cackling energy sword straight into the flesh of the nearest flood form. As the decaying consumption of a once majestic elite fell to the floor; its innards torn apart by one feral swipe; the sword wielding and living Sangheili threw a volley of blue plasma grenades that immediately stack themselves against several more infected combat forms.
As the dual explosions of blue energy and plasma ripped apart a large torrent of infected flood forms, the four elites rushed forward; slashing at numerous combat forms that had attempted to halt them. Howls of hunger and pain quickly filled the hall of the Arbiter as hundreds of infected forms fell to the power of the sword, smited for their transgressions and left behind with jagged rips through their corrupted skin.
Aethos growled as he snapped his arm forward again and again, felling a new opponent with every violent lunge whilst attempting to dodge any flood that assaulted him from the side. The white armoured elite knew that their survival was based on continuous movement, so thus he sprinted forward continuously; felling any beast that stood in his way.
Ra'zark roared out in fury as he slaughtered the meagre might of the flood forces, despite their overwhelming numbers and stench; they possessed little courage and strength when it came against a small selection of Sanghelios warriors that wouldn't give in. One particularly massive flood infected brute host rushed the Zealot from the side, howling maniacally as its mass collided straight into the elite. Ra'zark roared and stabbed his energy sword straight through the creature; carving a jagged line into its flesh. As the flood roared in fury, it kept sprinting forward until it fell straight of the bridge itself; leaving the Zealot without a sword and still surrounded by numerous flood infested creatures.
Another flood infested brute assaulted him swiftly, jumping straight downwards in hopes to rip its own tentacles straight into the Sangheili's exposed ebony flesh. Ra'zark roared and fell backwards, allowing the creature to smash down upon his golden chest piece and attempt to slice through it. A roar suddenly echoed as the Zealot kicked forward with its taloned boot, sending the creature flying backwards and straight of the bridge into the chasm below.
Ra'zark swiftly got back up onto his own two feet, completely unarmed but sprinting forward with the rest of the Sangheili warriors as they traversed the bridge quickly; leaving behind the horde of flood that simply couldn't keep up with them.
Suddenly a loud and heavy thud smashed into the bridge infront of them, halting their own progressional movement into the holy temple of the Arbiter. As the Sangheili warriors clicked their boots into the purple singular floor spread, they looked up into the various red tentacles that had bloomed out of such a powerful and unstoppable flood host. The pure flood form stared straight back at them, barely wounded after the massive fall it had made to land in front of them; its two horn like mandibles twisting to the side as they sensed the smell of fear.
Aethos growled, turning his own white helmet encased skull to the side in order to register the various flood forms that were intently running straight for them from behind; readily preparing to rip the living organisms apart.
For his part, Nihai' slowly nodded as he stood forward; perfectly balancing his own dual taloned boot against the floor as he sheathed his golden cackling energy sword. Then with a grim finality, the weapons operative turned back and handed his own weapon to the bladeless Zealot behind him whilst stating, "Take fire-smite, you will need its power before this is done"
"You have named it?" Ra'zark spoke up in disbelief, caring not much for the various flood forms that were sprinting straight for them in order to end it all.
"All great companions deserve respect and a chance to be delivered unto their own righteous destiny!" Nihai' roared out to the flood combat form that stood in their way, beckoning a challenge to the pure infectious form as he ripped his own helmet of his head and sprinted forwards; unarmed but still more dangerous than an armada.
The massive hulking Sangheili sprinted forward gracefully, a growl on his lips as he dodged the massive bone encrusted forearm that smashed down upon the bridge. The thick limb scraped upwards in hopes to crush the sprinting elite, but only served as a quick way upwards as Nihai' climbed over the limb in order to launch his entire weight unto the flood form's face.
A hideous growl emanated out of the whole empty chasm as the pure flood form attempted to repel the attack, cracking its own limbs down unto the ground and attempting to stick its crimson flowery tentacles straight into the Sangheili. Nihai' growled as the small mandibles assaulted him, and then with the ferocity and endurance of a true elite of Sangheilios; he bit his own jaw unto the tentacles and ripped them clean out of the flood form.
Ra'zark watched with admiration as the flood form roared out in inhuman pain, toppling under its own weight and lurching backwards until it fell straight of the chasm. Fear and regret overwhelmed the Zealot as he watched his own brother, still entangled with the mighty foe, fall to the depths with the pure flood form.
"Come brother, let his sacrifice naught be for nothing" Aethos grumbled, tugging at the Zealot's own forearm in order to allow him movement forward. The two Sangheili warriors sprinted together, the flood horde well on their backs and the small purple lit door in front of them. They could almost feel the infectious creatures ripping their own limbs through the elite's soft ebony flesh, they could definitely hear the horde and the smell was almost overwhelming.
Finally the duo managed to break in, launching themselves inside the mausoleum and smashing the door down to the ground to halt any Flood forms foolish enough to even attempt at breaking through the thick purple walls.
They had made it in, but where they any safer?