Lumina Crusade

by ColinHayworth

In the 42nd Millennium, there is only war. In the Hive World of Twilight where the promise of technology and understanding still remains but the corrupted and rotten bureaucracy in its place is threatening to destroy all of it slowly but surely. And when the threshold has finally been broken, it will take only a spark to burn all of it down. And there will be retribution...

11. Thousandfold Struggle

Warning: This story doesn't exactly follow the suit of grimdark because of the way the story may develop. If you still enjoy what you are reading then go ahead.

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Chapter 10
Thousandfold Struggle

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Vespera, Underhive Sector 12.

Luminescence particles scattered the air, and a distinctly rancid air permeated through the atmosphere. Bloodstains of both natural and unnatural hues are colored into a distinct image that is unforgettable whether artistical or literal.

Emotion Level: 0.35

Kang managed to repel the first wave of the assault due to his anxious preparation beforehand. It was only thanks to the excessive amount of improvised explosive devices or IEDs that he made beforehand gave them a slight chance to overcome. He has no idea of what's going on in other cabins but hearing the sound of firefight still echoes tells him that it is not over yet.

How much he had wished he had more time to prepare but even a few hours seemed too much to ask for.

The Autohammer in his hand still emanating heat from usage. Although peak human strength helped immensely, he would rather not make any contact with his body parts with that disgusting physiology that they possessed.

Pulling himself together once more, Kang made his way toward the other cabins just to check whether or not they could go on without his assistance. In which proven as the Lightbearers indeed fight with effectiveness greater than before their transcension. With their minds surpassing the fear of death itself, their bodies in turn fight without any trace of hindrances or hesitations. Against the Genestealer Cult's ravenous hunger, the Lightbearers in turn raised their arms against those who stood against it.

The train is still moving which any of the Luminaries could command with their own thoughts, any of their attempts to hijack this train will be met futility as none of the Genestealer Cultists' attempts will deter it from its purpose. The control panel is there just for the sake of aesthetics which no matter how much they dismantle will matter.

"Kang! I finally got here! We managed to repel the first wave but from the look of the surviving Inquisitorial Retinue, it seems that this won't be the end!" Alphric said as his outfit is stained with numerous Genestealer blood while the Autogun in his hand is seemingly at the limit of its failing.

The reason why fighting the Genestealer Cult is difficult is because they only go to war if victory is at their assurance. When your resources dwindle, your ammo crates empty, and your fuel reserve runs dry, they will tear you apart rapidly with their serpentlike speed and vengeance terribly. With a number so massive, you'll most likely be crushed under the corpses of the Patriarch's faithful as your bulwark becomes your grave. Hardly armed with anything better than their opponents, the scales tipped as their zealous nature for the hive made them horrible enemies to face with one for one.

By all means and rules of war, the Genestealer will win by just the rule of attrition itself.

Unfortunately for them, the Luminaries' nature made any battle of attrition meaningless. Anything they slain belongs to them, their armaments can be crafted from the corpses of those they killed, their knowledge pilfered for the Luminaries' war efforts. Despite the staggering differences between the two of them, things are never sure when the Luminaries are involved.

"Are the Inquisitorial Retinue alright? The Lightbearers can take many punishments but you'll be surprised just how fragile a human body can be". Kang said as he tried to ascertain the situation.

"They're fine, I made it here through them, remember?" Alphric answered as the evidence of combat was visible on his body as plain sight.

Although they made it past the first hurdle, the Genestealer won't give them any rest as the next in countless oncoming waves approach without room to rest. And to make matters worse, Alphric felt something was fast approaching the locomotive of the train or actually the other way around. Either way, Alphric by command made the train slow down as he rushed toward it. Much like what he suspected, the train has made into another tunnel in which it was infested with countless Genestealers.

But... why here in particular? The fact that they even went to such great lengths to make their hive here instead of somewhere near the Collapse Zone indicates that this place held great importance to them that they even set up such a defense for something that is seemingly so excessive in comparison to their directive.

Kang and Alphric remembered what the Guild Master taught them about being aware of strangers with purple hue skin or snake-like tattoos. Doubly so if both. He never mentioned what they called exactly but the two started to connect the two and two together and realized that the 'Jean-stealers' that they are fighting is precisely this.

They heard about a syndicate that was all the rage in Middle Hive Sector 11 prior to its collapse. They have nothing to do with it since it is their duty as merchants to stay impartial and not take sides with organizations or factions that they have no official collaboration with. The Guild Master even went so far as to hard-ban this particular group with no real reason mentioned. But seeing them in action, perhaps he did them a favor to not collude with them knowing the real nature.

The train track in front of them is barricaded with rubbles but seeing the way that they are stacked is too organized to be the result of a collapse and thus they have a sneaking suspicion that the Genestealers did it deliberately to block their way. If the train just continues on without stopping, the impact will derail the entire train entirety. Even if they survive the initial crash, they will besieged with no proper defense and it will be one uphill battle that the Inquisitorial Retinue can't handle regardless of their capability.

Kang's instinct flared up once more as he quickly reloaded his armaments, Alphric did the same as he took out the Anti-material Stubber and aimed it toward the connecting passage by the side. As the ground trembles, the horde rushes toward the train with quantity too much to discern at a glance. The only thing they know for sure... is that they must fight.

"HOLD THE LINE!" Kang yelled as the Lightbearers within the train quickly prepared their hasty defense against this new foe.

Alphric wonders what the Inquisitor has to say about this but with how tight-lipped and egotistical he is, he would rather draw blood out of a stone than try to have a conversation with him. The next best bet would be the Guardsman Yang but he has yet to be seen despite Alphric going through all the train cabins.

The tide of purple rushes toward them from all sides, Kang knows that with headcounts barely reaching 50 from totaling the 14 Lightbearers and 36 of the retinue, this entire train will be overwhelmed unless someone is willing to step outside and draw their attention. But that is no different than suicide to a lot of these people even when death is a non-issue for the Lightbearers.

The entirety of the train's passengers quickly unleashed everything they had toward the horde outside. Muzzle flashes brighten the darkness around as the monstrous Xenos continue their unrelenting onslaught regardless of the life or death of its brethren. Even as small-arm ballistic of many different sizes tore into the hideous mass they are, the otherworldly resilience they displayed made it a dreadful opponent to fight to the death. As they shone their flooding light outside, the number that they were forced to fight suddenly became too much for realization.

They were lucky that they stumbled into a Genestealer Hive instead of the Genestealers coming to visit them directly. No military organization in the Imperium so far has won against them on the offensive without external support or overwhelming firepower.

Genestealer infectees or brood cycle are divided into 6 stages which span over generations: Contagii, Maelignancii, Hybrid, True Hybrid, Primacii, Purii.

Contagii stood for initial infectees of Genestealer genetic infection, they would return to society and suddenly have the urge to have as many offspring as they could. The mate will also get contaminated with Genestealer infection should they have intercourse with the Contagii. These Contagiis still have original semblance with other members of their species, with only a slightly blue hue color on their skin. They can be directly controlled by the Genestealer through psykic means, making them perfect infiltrators.

The open ground around the train is not a good place for any firefight nor is it easy to be stealthy. But as the amassed corpses and torn bodies litter the floor started to pile, the dead continued its purpose as the Contagii took cover behind as they fired from their relatively safe position. With how chaotic the surrounding of the train is with the encroaching horde of Genestealer Cultists, it is very easy to not notice them taking action.

The sound of a gunshot reverberated among the deafening cacophony of the train, but instead of going outward, it was heading toward the train. And in the next instant, it struck its target.

Mika felt something instinctively within as if someone that she took care of had died. It ended up becoming a part of her during her time as the Eventide Merchant Guild's apothecary as fatalities mounted over the course of her years.

"Man down! Man down!" The voice down the aisle echoed faintly through the raging gunfires. It would have been doomed to go unheard hadn't Mika managed to intercept it. It was amongst the worst she had undergone as an apothecary.

It wouldn't have had much impact if it was a Lightbearer as they could return to battle if any of the Luminaries made contact with the light beacon. The Inquisitorial Retinue personnel, however, doesn't receive that blessing. The man that was taken down was one of them and the injury... is located right at the neck.

His vocal chord ruptured as he continued to bleed excessively. He tried to hold back the bleeding as he wanted to scream for help but he no longer has any capacity to do so. His comrades could hardly call for help as the battle continues to rage and any sign of carelessness will meet the same fate as his. Or worse, their defense will be breached. As everyone turns away from his desperate plea as they fight back against the horde with greater caution, he lies there alone virtually helpless against his oncoming demise.

Mika examined the damage and she came to an unfortunate conclusion. Amidst an unstable defense that could fall apart at any moment along with nothing to prepare for a proper treatment. In the end, there was only one thing she could do which she had come to hate so much.

She took out her anesthetic sprayer, one whose concoction she made herself. It was made with the intent to anesthetize her patients so that they wouldn't feel pain and lull them to unconsciousness swiftly. She's doing this not to prepare a surgery, she's doing this to euthanize him from a much more agonizing fate.

Whenever people die in the line of duty, it is never peaceful. She made this anesthetic in mind to treat or numb the injury received during her job. And yet... she ended up using it to put more people to their final rest than treating them. It was the only thing she could do when there was no hope for timely treatment when even she must put herself on the line. All of it, just so that their final moment won't be one of pain and regret.

After confirming the cessation of vital signs of her patient, she gazed at the perpetrator outside the window with a melancholic determination of her. It has been a while since she last tasted bitter despair of her helplessness and they just have to reawaken that side of her.

"The prevention is always better than the cure" Mika muttered as she drew out her pair of Automagnums once more. With her perceptive eyes that came as a result of her profession, she came to notice the backline of the Genestealer Cult horde. With her sight aimed true, she shot them down with precision only matched with the sharpshooters of Imperial Guards.

With each of her shots, a Contagii's head explodes in a visceral fashion. They tried to take her down as fast as they could but they can never come close to someone whose entire profession is being on the clock of life itself. Mika who spent every precious second she spent fighting for her people's lives understood the weight of each of those grains of times far better than the majority of Vespera itself.

Every second she spent keeping them from retaliating, a life is delayed from its demise for that one second more. If her patients only had a few seconds, she would make miracles even with that meager time.

Emotion Level: 0.56

Maelignancii, the first of vile offsprings of the Genestealer Cults, bearing resemblance only to the Genestealer's bulbous heads have the facial features of their Xenos gene-father, with their skin taking on a purple hue. Having multiple limbs with each being ended with a sharp talon, they are driven solely by their instinct with every action they take. Nothing much more than beast themselves.

With hundreds of them clawing at the train with force more than enough to tear the hull apart long ago since initial combat. If it weren't for the Luminaries' self-repair function of all things touched by their Lights, this whole place would have been rend apart in seconds. Because of this, this train is the only stronghold they have deep inside enemies' territory.

Surprisingly, none of them have yet crawled inside the train despite the windows being opened to return fire. But no one dares utter such thought lest the situation will gladly turn for worse to make it true. Keep firing until one side is all dead, no additional questions asked.

Kang has made full use of all the improvised warfare that his past as a Ganger. With the limited resources of the Lower Hive, he is forced to fight with essentially nothing better than scraps and wet gunpowder. If all else fails, always go for explosive for at least they will do something. With the IEDs he made having been recognized as part of his replenishable arsenal, he immediately throws as many of them as he is throwing salts to dispel evil spirits.

Explosions rang about, but the horde of Maelignanci still piling up and threatening to overwhelm their defense. In just a few minutes since their initial conflict, it has become clear that fighting a two-front war is way too much for the still-fatigued personnel. Anything to deter them for a few more moments is good because he is about to use the entire improvised combat manual here.

Soap and gasoline, some of which the Inquisitorial Retinue brought allowed him to create slightly more effective incendiary. More than gasoline alone at least. As he immediately commands, the Lightbringers throw the incendiary IEDs at a distance as a wall of flame ignites as it briefly separates the Maelignancii horde from the combatants. It didn't take long before they tried to cross either way but the flame stuck onto them as it continued to sear their body apart.

"Hold the line! Don't let any of them nearer!" Kang said as he continued the command. He's not the most eloquent with words but keeping things simple is his rule of thumb.

Emotion Level: 0.65

Hybrid, of the second generation of the Cult, is hunched and stooped. Not in the way of being old or infirmed but more of a pressured spring, prepared for explosive movement. May have five or six limbs, but their eyes and mouth are more like their Human parents, and they can make themselves understood in Low Gothic.

Though their minds are still so alien that they defy analysis, they are still sapient enough to understand their host society. Some are even put to work in the industrial brotherhoods of their kin, their uncanny strength and resilience allowing them to use heavy mining tools and explosives with far more ease than any mere Human.

An explosion on his side occurred, too powerful to be just an improvised explosive. Kang immediately knew what went wrong as casualties started to mount increasingly. Even if any of them defeated 100 of those Genestealer Cultists before succumbing to their wounds, it is still a net victory for the Genestealers.

The untouched Inquisitorial Retinue stood functionally no chance as more of those explosives landed on their side. The Lightbringers fare slightly better but the sudden turn of tide didn't bode too well for any of them. Then from the flame they stepped out, the armored Hybrids with their weaponized mining gears made their assault on the train now that the defense was disoriented.

Kang's heart continues to fasten its beating even more. It's been a long while since he felt palpating fear since his retirement from the Ganger business. Conflict was rife and reasons to kill were plenty. And oftentimes, you can be met with overwhelming force unexpectedly and be forced to fight against it or else you lose everything that you have built. It was an unfair hellscape that Kang endured in his early years, trying to find a place in this cruel world.

Soon, he came to realize that there was never peace for him, for someone who stained so much blood in their hands. There was nothing but emptiness at the end of the beaten path. And yet, despite the inherent wrong with his own being. He continues to fight on because unlike before, he can still indeed become something else.

"You asked for it..." Kang said as he vaulted over the train window and confronted the Hybrid on his own accord.

At a glance, anyone would think that Kang is at a major disadvantage. But he has something that can't ever be replicated or stolen from him. Experience and combat knowledge.

He takes out his Arbite power maul once more as its power output is then cranked to the maximum. Against armored opponents, the mace doesn't give a shit about them. But that is not the only thing he has for he still has his aces under his sleeves. With no hesitation, he rushes toward the group of armored Hybrids, seemingly unfazed at the suicidal decision he made himself.

Power Maul - Maximum Output

As energy crackles, he swings it in a wide arc to deter his opponents, even if it's just briefly. Then immediately follow up with another IED charge to break up their formation. They did move away slightly as part of their instinct but the explosion never came, it was just a bluff that was made to deliberately sow chaos. Much like what he anticipated, he then mustered all the power that his peak human physiology has into the following attack.

A downward blow from overhead was performed and the force behind it was tremendous as the target's head relocated into the chest cavity from the applied force. But as the nearest Hybrid tries to attack him while he is in recovery motion, Kang takes out something unseen with his other hand from his coat.

Improvised Munition Manual - Shaped Charge

He aimed the cylinder in his hand toward the charging Hybrid within the next few seconds he has. With dexterity, the device then blows toward its head as what replaced its face is now a gaping hole that was slightly more beautiful than its previous hideous expression.

Shaped charge, the cheapest improvised anti-tank weaponry that one could make. With simple explosives and some plentiful heavy metals like copper, a reliable method to pierce armor is created. The explosive load is used to collapse the metal liner, thereby creating a high-velocity jet of molten metal that is capable of penetrating deep into the metal, concrete, or other target materials.

It certainly won't make a dent into Middle or above technology or armaments but in this hellhole where resources or manufacturing facility is nonexistent, a step above is still valuable no matter what.

Discarding the spent charge, he quickly motioned himself to battle again. He couldn't exactly perform the same trick twice on the same audience as they now know what he will try next. With confidence, they all rush at him trying to overwhelm Kang before he can retaliate. Unfortunately, he doesn't fight alone.

The closest Hybrid got shot with a barrage of 12.7mm as Alphric sniped them with his Anti-material Stubber. Noticing intercepting fire, half of them turn toward him as they rush toward him instead. Despite 12.7mm being considered lethal for all human personnel at the receiving end, Genestealer Cultist durability is far more hardy than standard human. If it doesn't make them drop dead instantly, they will continue to fight until their critical existential failure. It's even worse the further the Genestealer brood cycle goes as at some point, anything lesser than a tank shell can't kill properly.

With their drills whirling toward, the Retinue's lack of high-explosive finally put them in desperation. Their Autoguns and Shotgun barely do anything against more dangerous than a Maelignanci, even the IEDs that Kang prepared beforehand are being used like no tomorrow. Even if the train's self-repair is in effect, they will no doubt breach if they make contact. When all hope is thought to be lost, the Inquisitor finally intervenes after leaving so much of his troops decimated by his ego and behavior.

"To make me participate in combat, how abhorring." The Inquisitor said in annoyance with his Bolt Pistol smoking and aimed outside. Its first shot has eliminated a Hybrid which the entire Retinue struggles to put down. Proven as the bloody mess that was the targeted Hybrid's head now fell to the ground.

"Don't complain too much, or it won't reflect very well in your record". Yang said as he finally appeared looking tired. It seems that trying to convince that good-for-nothing Inquisitor to do something useful is a far more challenging task than anything else that came before.

With his Twilight Lasgun, he quickly switches it toward 'charged semi-auto' as a burst of concentrated bolts of light impact the assaulting Hybrids. As concentrated power unleashes, it shatters and melts into the mining suit of the Hybrids. Each bolt is now equivalent to a 20mm round or autocannon round, powerful enough to burst through the armor they wore.

Using all of their combined efforts, they managed to take down the assaulting Hybrids with any heavy firepower they had. Meanwhile, Kang managed to deal with all of those Hybrids on his side as he stood grimly over the torn carcasses of them while the mining drill that he had stolen from one of them was still stained with their viscera. As he examines the situation once more, he notices that this place kinda resembles the train station if the outline and minimap in his peripheral vision don't lie to him.

The enemies are still rushing in and they can't afford to stay here anymore. But if his intuition is correct then... the rubble wasn't the end of the line. As the decomposing Genestealer corpses collapse into Lights, he notices that their Lights value gained from killing them is greater than even the Servitors before. But none of that matters unless they manage to keep the Retinue that they escort alive.

Connecting the dots together, Kang tried to scrounge anything in his mind for an answer to this predicament they were in. Seconds stretched into minutes, minutes into hours, Kang's thoughts turned toward his past when he was still in the Lower Hive. In order to survive and escape its deplorable living conditions, he has undergone many professions, some upright, some criminal, but he was in many professions with his title changing hands like he changed his clothing. If he kept a uniform of all the work he participated in, he would be filling a wardrobe of them like a noble.

Then, a flash of brilliance appeared in his mind. He did construction work among the many of them and he came to operate and oversee one of its major machineries for construction, specifically... the tunnel borer. There's nothing to mine specifically on Twilight when it would be mostly construction work but it is still used to set up subterranean transit lines. Because he did maintenance of it with a Tech-Priest, he had a chance to learn its more intricate mechanisms.

Now that his recollection is still fresh, he quickly hauls his loot over just right as the wall of flame dies down. The moment he got in, the third wave came to onslaught them once more as if all the previous deaths were nothing but a minor setback to the Genestealer Cult. But that doesn't matter, if the path ahead is collapsed then he'll simply remove all the obstacles in its way. Once he is at the locomotive, he quickly uses the power of Light to interface with the train, much like how Alphric did when he created a bridge out of the Light gained from slaying the Abominable Intellect.

"Come on, don't fail me now". Kang said as he tried to draw out his memory to the best of his capability to the train itself.

"Do you want to install a tunnel borer in front of the train? YES/NO" A holographic screen with a radiant hue appeared floating right in front of him.

"YES!" Kang yelled so loudly that if the room wasn't soundproofed, he would have alerted the entire Genestealer Hive here to this location.

And when hope appeared itself in the time of dire. It then suddenly vanished like reverie when the following-up prompt was revealed to him after his answer.

"Insufficient Light... Currently: 1,940,555 / 5,000,000"

Kang yelled in mental agony as if his eyes were bulging out from the outlandish response he received. He would never cry in front of anyone but this... this has utterly broken him in an entirely different way than anyone thought it would. His stoic image withers away like magnolias when spring comes.

Alphric steps into the control room wondering why his partner hasn't yet come out. Seeing him wailing and sobbing makes it feel like reality as he knows has been irrevocably damaged. But as the figurehead of the Luminaries, he simply must sort out their problem because if not, it would detriment them somewhere later down the line.

"Kang, what's wrong?!" Alphric asked as he intends to do his part as a leader.

"Nothing". Kang turned around with his stoic expression as if what occurred before never happened. Ignoring the holographic screen still floating there showing why he wailed like that.

"Kang... you tried to do your part, right? You figured out a method to this madhouse and was denied because of circumstances, I assume?" Alphric said as he pieced the information together based on Kang's previous actions and now along with what he is seeing.

"Yeah, you hit dead on the target,". Kang admits as he continues to pretend that his shameful display never happened, Alphric also does the same just so that he can preserve Kang's dignity in front of others. It's perfectly fine to cry, anyone would have to release their mental dam or it would just break.

Alphric examined the floating screen still hung above the control panel. Five million Light, a number that they have yet to reach but they know that they can do it. They did reach 1 million when they have slain the Abominable Intellect, they can do the same by exterminating the Genestealer.

"I think we can reach that number if we can increase our combat capability without relying on our Spirit Resonance too much because it's always the early battle that is most dangerous and grueling,". Alphric said with a serious scowl. He is spending his precious time to have a talk with Kang at the expense of his objective and everyone else, for the right reason but still.

Kang decided to divert his attention to this matter, much like what Alphric wanted. The tunnel borer can wait, his allies need his help first and foremost.

"Now... where do I start..." Kang said as he sat down before examining how he could improve Alphric's Anti-material Stubber.

The major issue when it comes to improving his gun is that there were very few ways to improve a gun's firepower without resorting to changing its chambering. And even then it won't be without major issues arising such as handling and recoils. So until they become stronger physically, they won't go any further than 12.7mm. At least not through using traditional ballistic.

So... the only way that Kang can see improving the gun is just... making the rifling better but the effect is so marginal in comparison to the effort he would spend. As he gazed away trying to have any form of inspiration, he noticed the mining drill that he had taken from before and suddenly realized what he could do.

"I think I have an idea". Kang said as he reached out to the item before he utilized his Light power to its fullest. Even without the Weapon Workshop, his fundamental understanding of weapon crafting will create a sufficient solution to this burning question.

Alphric continues to look at Kang's work intently as he continues to count each second passed. Each became increasingly more precious as they slipped from their grasp.

Emotion Level: 0.76

"Oh fuck off!" Mika yelled as she narrowly evaded an unexpected laser bolt which she did by instinct.

Mining laser, obviously used for mining but with its range limiter short-circuited, it became a rather lethal anti-personnel weapon that could melt and cut protection like butter. How there's still any lost product functional beneath this hellhole is beyond them. And those Hybrids are bringing out their bigger guns now that their initial assault failed to produce any meaningful result.

As they completely cleave open the train hull apart with their laser, its self-repair cannot keep up fast enough compared to the damage they did together with impossible precision and team effort. Casualties unavoidably mounted on her side as more misfortunate folks got caught under returning fire.

Current combat capable personnel: 54 (-1) (-1)

"Stop! Stop now!" Mika yelled as she returned rapid fire with Automagnums unleashed in full-auto. But her voice only seems to entice them to do their worst.

She could read the number in her peripheral vision slowly dwindling as the Genestealer Cult's assault worsened. Her comrades, her allies, dying to circumstances that she is too powerless to avert any of it.

Current combat capable allied personnel: 51 (-1) (-1) (-1)

She can distinctively discern every scream around her. An apothecary's instinct demanded that she respond appropriately if her patients got into any complications. She can hear the sound of flesh sizzling upon laser cauterization. The agonizing scream of seared blood and agony.

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer Cultist. +15,000 Lights

Her failure to uphold her promise. Her incorrect commands as a leader. They continue to take away every life she made promises to save.

You have slain a Maelignancii Genestealer. +7,500 Lights (4 times)

And it won't just be the Lightbearers that are at stake, the Retinues that they swore to protect are dying trying to attempt to hold the line. They stepped into a tiger's den with no preparation and they are now suffering for it.

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer Cultist. +15,000 Lights (3 times)

For every death that occurs, all the pain is simply transferred to the remaining survivors. The truth that is always discarded, is that all death is accompanied by heart-wrenching agony.

"STOP! YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" Mika yelled out loud as her Automagnum's barrel slowly turned hot from the sheer amount of firing she made in short succession.

They won't stop.

They won't stop just because of mere screams.

One armored Hybrid approaches closer while she is too focused on the further side of her vision. And as it approached trying to take her down, one of her allies took proper measures to take it down. In a sudden moment, a beam of crimson cleaved that Hybrid in half from the head down. It was Yang as he was utterly at the limit of what he could try to save his fellow retinue mates.

"Snap out of it, if you lose sight of what you are supposed to do then how can you protect what you mattered!?" Yang said to her as he was also at his limit. He had thought of hitting her to snap her out of her raging stupor but stopped because he may just make her meltdown instead.

Mika looked at him for a brief moment as she analyzed all the battle scars on his body. It made her realize just how long he fought and walked along the line between life and death itself. She wished she could try to treat his wounds due to her duty as an apothecary but... with so much at stake, she felt like she couldn't handle the weight it brought to her. It was then she realized one thing... that she may have already known or spoken but... She finally understood all along.

Kindness to the enemy is treachery to the innocents.

Emotion Level: 0.91

Mika's eye gazed toward the torn no man's land littered with endless Genestealer corpses. There's still them, making mockeries of her efforts.

She had enough. All she needs is 'kill'.

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer Cultist. +15,000 Lights

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer Cultist. +15,000 Lights (2 times)

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer Cultist. +15,000 Lights (3 times)

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer Cultist. +15,000 Lights (7 times)

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer Cultist. +15,000 Lights (12 times)

Burst out of the room is Alphric with his newly made if seemingly-improvised weapon that Kang has made using his gun-manufacturing knowledge and some Lights manipulation to create necessary parts and tooling. The new weapon in his hand will turn the tide, or even at least alleviate the uneven battle they are forced to face.

Multi-barreled, electric motor-driven, rotary anti-material machine gun. Made by slapping 4 Anti-material Heavy Stubber barrels and using the mining drill's motor as a power source. Its feeding and extraction system was designed by Kang himself roughly from what he knew and remembered in a weapon manufacturing facility. Thanks to the power of Lights allows precision adjustment of material without usage of Weapon Workshops. Because of this, the weapon is spared from all potential mechanical errors that may arise.

Named fittingly, the Assault Cannon. Much like what is installed on the vehicles of the Imperial Guards. Just its whirling alone instilled terror and ended the fight before it even occurred. If the Anti-material Stubber can fire 12.7mm rounds at a rapid rate of 600 rounds/minute. Then the Assault Cannon can do at an adjustable rate of 600 to 3000 rounds/minute, a power that can't be wielded by any mortal. But with Alphric's peak physical strength and physiology, soon to be combined with his Spiritual Resolution, what seems impossible is now within his grasp.

With the Assault Cannon aimed outside, Alphric unleashed all of his disdain as the gun unleashed a rain of bullets against all that is ugly to even perceive or fathom. Barricades made of corpses eviscerate in seconds, all of their occupants torn to shreds with no chance of retaliation. What seemed like a hopeless battle turned its tide the moment a true heavy weapon arrived at the battlefield.

As Alphric walked down the train aisle, brass cartridges fell like rain. The weapon's weight hardly handles the recoils as it fires 12.7mm rounds continuously at 1,000 rounds/minute. It felt like his arms could fly off his shoulders at any time but the consequence of letting the Genestealers have any opening is too fatal to allow, much like what had happened just now.

You have slain a Contagii Genestealer +5,000 Lights (78 times)

You have slain a Maelignanci Genestealer +7,500 Lights (134 times)

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer +15,000 Lights (45 times)

And every 12.7mm rounds that he is firing only cost 100 Lights. To say that they earned big is understating. But they knew clearly that they must not let their guard down no matter what because that would be their undoing.

Emotion Level:0.95

The third generation of Genestealer Broodcycle is True Hybrid. Taking a fully upright stance, the Third Generation Hybrid is reminiscent of many mutants in Imperial society. Their foul features go unnoticed in the Underhives of many Imperial worlds. However, on closer inspection, their alien form is revealed. They have heavily ridged heads, mauve to violet skin, and may even hide an extra-clawed limb under their tattered clothes.

Amidst the raging fire of bullets flying, one figure stands calmly as the tides ferociously charge against the current of leads that is eviscerating anything that it touches. Kang noticed that individual and instantly realized the facade beneath such stoic and patient behavior. His times in the Lower Hive taught him that if he saw anyone act too calmly, he must run away as fast as he could.

But with their declaration of war, they have no choice. Anyone that isn't targeted by those Genestealers must be one of them.

Kang makes his command as Alphric steers the beast of steel in his hand toward that calm-looking figure. Then just as his gun barely has its sight in, the figure suddenly erupts into movement in the blink of an eye from its sombre stillness just now. Losing track of the target into the darkness, Kang dealt his hand immediately as he reached out for another thing in his inventory to contravene that Genestealer just now.

Improvised Munition Manual - Solar Flare

With a stick painted yellow, he tosses it into the darkness that the flood light didn't reach then flashes brightly as if bringing the sun directly to the dark night. Then within its illumination, Kang perceived its true hideous form just before it lunged at him with its overwhelming killing intents. With speed unimaginable, Kang narrowly evaded its eviscerating slashes as it breached into the train itself.

With its form truly revealed, the Retinue would soon realize just how dangerous their assigned mission has become. And how much, they are wholly underprepared for this matter to be undertaken. By the time True Hybrid appears, it is a clear sign that the Genestealer's blight has clearly penetrated deep

This particular Genestealer is a Locus. A Genestealer hybrid who serves as a potent bodyguard for the Magus and other senior leaders of a Genestealer Cult. They often are their principal's eyes and ears as well as their blades.

Stoic and inhumanly patient, the Locus can go from somber stillness to a blur of motion in an eye-blink. The sudden eruption of violence is as startling as it is deadly. Within an instant of a thought, it rushed once more toward Kang with its lightning-fast decapitation strike, its twin saber flashed briefly before another timely intervention stopped its action.

Emotion Level: 0.96

Its trajectory was forcefully changed to block a Bolt round which the Inquisitor breached into the room and fired at the Locus with all prejudice. Its firing rate isn't spectacular but the force behind is enough to make it reeling with each deflection.

With its attention on the Inquisitor, Kang made his proper retreat into the room nearby seeing that he had no proper method to fight back on equal footing. Right in the next few seconds, however, the Inquisitor's Bolt Pistol ran out of ammunition and the Locus immediately rushed at him the moment he showed any signs of defenselessness.

Then comes Alphric with his Assault Cannon as its spin-up is enough to make the Locus attack him instead of the Inquisitor. Knowing that he wouldn't want to be at the receiving end of that massive firearm, the Inquisitor immediately gets away from Alphric's line of sight. As soon as the Assault Cannon fires, the Locus starts to jump from wall to wall to exploit his improper handling of such a massive gun. Alphric is aware of it too and thus instead of trying to control the gun, he lets himself backpedal away from the Locus by the sheer recoil itself.

The Locus tried to chase Alphric while evading his aiming direction. When it was nearly about to close that distance, it was once more intercepted by a certain someone once more. The danger it detected can't be ignored, even in comparison to the Assault Cannon that Alphric wields. It changes its target again in infuriation as it sees that someone is face to face, eye to eye.

Alphric is thankful because he can't afford to abandon the defense any longer. He can only trust them to stall the Locus until they are prepared.

Emotion Level: 0.97

The one that is now confronting it is Yang with his Lasgun. None of the retinue or Lightbringers right now can afford to leave the defense open against the Genestealer Cultists that are still rushing toward them. He is now one of the only few capable of fighting effectively against it due to secret intel and knowledge that the Inquisitor keeps refusing to address to everyone else.

The distance between the two is only a few meters but he knew the Locus could cut that in below a second thus he got some... insurance.

The Locus made its first initiative as it cut down that distance in an instant. With confidence that it can't be beaten in close quarters, its blade swung with no hesitation behind.

Wuxia Martial Arts - Falling Autumn Leaves

Its instinct flared once more. Something dangerous is about to approach but its external stimuliis can't tell what it was. Unknown fear washed over it until its body just forcefully operated on its own. All of its hidden, talon-edged limbs quickly swatted all of the oncoming attacks and yet pushed back by a significant distance, which Yang did none of. For he has already moved backward and set the stage for his apprentice. With foregone knowledge that no one can ever beat a Locus in close-quarter combat without overwhelming strength.

What the Locus deflected was scalpels and it was Mika who threw them. Within her eyes are whirlpools of all emotions that she has endured up until this point. Their agonies echo within for her heart refuses to harden against all that insurmountable pain. With strength that is at the utter peak of her mortal coil, she could easily lift up even a car and that same hysterical strength she used is all put into those thrown scalpels.

He has seen her, and the way she carried herself in combat. The physical strength that she displayed far surpassed him and... it gave him belief that maybe... Just maybe... there may finally be uses for all this worthless knowledge that he accumulated now finally find its true wielders.

His homeworld, Wuxia. Was a land where only the strong had privileges and they ruled over anyone weaker. Then, the Imperium arrived and subjugated them with overwhelming power and technology that was just simply far ahead of them. In hindsight, it was a cruel irony that a society whose philosophy of the strong dominating each other gets dominated by something even far stronger than even the best his world mustered as if it was all karmic retribution for what everyone in the world has done to each other. Now everyone is made equal in the hands of those who dominated them.

They who have yearned to fight the heaven, are now forever enslaved by those who came from it.

So... what exactly does all of this have to do with what Mika just did? It's about means that the 'strong' dominated those weaker than them. Through 'Martial Arts', the means to magnify the effectiveness of one's physical strength to the utter limit. To cleave stone with sword swings, to move and maneuver through swamps like stepping on silk clouds. It's simply the art of pushing the control of the body to its limit.

And much like when they are dominated, the martial arts that they revered end up as much as parlor tricks as the Imperium introduced their own technology for rebuilding. They introduced the Imperium's standardized training and equipment, with its effectiveness being so much greater that they replaced martial arts as a means of combat. Although some are still kept due to usefulness or applicability in niche situations.

Thus came its export of regiments of people like him. He has crossed many worlds, fought many wars, and suffered many harrowing campaigns with the uncertainty of his survival in the future. And never, has his learned martial arts ever managed to keep up with Imperium's technology. Whatever he tried to do with his homeworld's martial arts, the Imperium's technology prowess did better. And those uncaring attitudes that he received continued even into his enlistment of the Inquisitorial.

But when he met the Luminaries and saw their feats in action with his own eyes. A spark that he thought forever lost was found and he believed that... if he taught his martial arts to the Luminaries, they might be able to make better use of it than he ever could. He doesn't care if he is teaching it to strangers that he just met, these people have cared about him more than nearly anyone he met during his tour of duty.

If what is limiting the potential of martial arts is physical prowess then he has no doubt that they can unleash its full potential far greater than he or his brethren did.

'Falling Autumn Leaves' is a martial art that specializes in knife-throwing. Its practitioners learn about how to put their strength effectively into the thrown knives along with the ability to extract knives and draw upon their own possessions to sustain a decently fast attack rate. Preferably with slim and small blades for ease of throwing. Although it is behind other martial arts in terms of power, Mika's ability to assert her hysterical strength with each of the thrown knives makes every one of them lethal if anyone dares to underestimate any of them.

The Locus tried to deflect but Mika threw them rapidly and seemingly extracted them out of nowhere itself, sustaining the barrage that is even pushing its reaction speed equal to that of Purestrain Genestealer to the limit. Every single one of those thrown scalpels sent it reeling like the Bolt round that it tried to deflect. But unlike previously when there were only a few at the time, it was an entire barrage with dozens of them flying at speeds that are stretching the theoretical limit of the human body.

Emotion Level: 0.98

This creature knows naught of subtlety, only the binary divide between trespassers or dead. But Mika has made it forcefully understand the third category, the unstoppable. Seeing that it would soon be overwhelmed if it stayed here, it made one wide cleaving blow that defected all the oncoming scalpels briefly before escaping outside of the train, taking solace that the darkness would protect it from pursuit.

Normally, it would be correct because it is in the darkness that it would be strongest. But there's always the cheapest solution to every situation.

Improvised Munition Manual - Heat Seeker

Its body suddenly felt hot, as if something was staring at them so intently that it could feel it. Normally it would try to remain calm but after being overwhelmed so much, it starts to question its opponent's combat capability. The doubt and irrational fear that has built up inside its mind made its concrete battle instinct start to crumble. Then it ran, ran anywhere that it could escape such piercing gaze it was receiving.

Improvised Munition Manual - Household Prometheum

Then, the sky above it brightened as flame started to douse upon it. It tried to snuff out but the flame continued to sear deeper regardless of any attempt at resistance. Finally, something within it has snapped, abandoning all rational thought it attempts to uphold, it simply desires to kill anyone that has turned it to such a laughing stock. Its stature, its position, its existence, everything rendered into nothing but mere words or afterthoughts to the Luminaries.

Abandoned everything to basic instincts, it continues to rush at the train with everything it has regardless if it is burning apart in the flame that it is covered in.

So... why didn't Kang just use flare to reveal its spot? To him, just revealing its position would only just lead to a meaningless cycle of breaching and retreating with it thus he decided that he shall destroy its belief that there's safety in the dark. When he has the power of Lights to recreate any parts for cheap, he could just theoretically craft anything as long as he put it together.

Heat Seeker is basically an improvised night vision detector. It basically casts the microwave signals and receives whatever is reflected back to reveal the image. It is an archaic technology long replaced because of how it basically revealed to its target that it is being detected but because of how outdated it is for even Twilight's Underhive, it is nothing but just a creation made for the muse itself.

Household Prometheum is what the Retinue used to erect the wall of flame before. One would genuinely be surprised just how much a correct ratio between gasoline and soap can create a rather lethal form of incendiary even if it is inferior to the actual product. Lower Hive Gangs would use it so much that it ended up being unspoken knowledge of the people in Lower Hive itself. It was also delivered with his improvised rocket launcher because at this point, if there is a cheapest way to do it even if single-use, Kang will just create it again with staggering effectiveness for its cost.

Back to the Locus, with its robe completely charred away, its facade appearance revealed its hideous shrieking, limb-lashing monstrosity for all with nothing left to hide. Its body is still burning away but it would still be long before it actually succumbs to the flame itself. If that was enough to kill a Genestealer then the Imperium wouldn't be struggling so much to uproot them from their civilization.

It breached into the train as the remaining Retinue and the Lightbringers ignored it as they held their defense for the still-oncoming Genestealers. With hope that the Luminaries can deal with it. The moment it enters, its first selected target is also conveniently Kang. He is also aware of it, and he is in fact prepared for this inevitable confrontation, unlike the previous time it lashed out at him.

Emotion Level: 0.99

The Locus rushes at him with all its limbs threatening to dice him into indiscernible minced meat. He couldn't exactly outpace it nor did he have a fast enough reflex to match up to its butchering swordsmanship. But he still stood there regardless as if he too had his own gambit to pull off. He's not a gambling sort despite his past as a Lower Hiver but if they need to feel the worth of their lives to build their emotion then risking it he must.

How ironic that Kang is putting himself in danger much like what Alphric did before. But he knew that in this shining path, taking risks is an unavoidable occurrence.

Wuxia Martial Arts - Thousand March Footwork

Smashing through the train cabin wall itself is Alphric as he with his peak human agility and strength. Now improved with the knowledge that Yang imparts to him because of the way he carries himself in combat. Wielding massive firearms and supplies will no doubt slow him down thus this footwork technique is designed specifically for long-march foot soldiers. With sustained speed along with the ability to rapidly slow down at will, carrying the Assault Cannon is suddenly no longer a perilous task that puts him at risk.

Kang evaded to make his way for Alphric to open fire on the still-confused Locus who didn't expect Alphric who wielded such a heavy gun to reach here this fast. Its previous assessment of him rendered null as the speed he moves is impossible for someone who has so much weight on them. So the only way he could effectively speed himself up is to shorten the initial acceleration and slow down.

Regardless of what that Locus thought, it thought it could evade his aim as it tried to rely on his improper handling of the Assault Cannon. And then get surprised when it gets blown away as even that flaw is rectified thanks to Thousand March Footwork enabling standing position stability.

'Thousand March Footwork' is a martial footwork skill that is taught to the common soldiers so that they are able to move far and fast effectively despite the weight they carry. The journey to war will inevitably be long, and their moments for resting will be none. These people have to endure their grueling campaigns to deliver themselves and the supplies to the frontline. Remember that Wuxia was a civilized world that lagged behind technologically and people had to resort only to pushing their body's control to the limit.

Eventually, this footwork skill was rendered outdated and worthless with the introduction of armored vehicles allowing safe passage and faster transport than any footwork skill possible. Its use forever stuck to traversing terrains impossible for land vehicles or similar but even the chance for it to shine is far and few to be seen.

But to Alphric, this skill is an Emperor-send because his early skillset has nothing to alleviate his mobility issues. This will only worsen as this crusade progresses and he is thankful that Yang even teaches this to him. Now that he can mobilize himself effectively, the horizon is the limit to where he could go himself.

Riddled with many 12.7mm rounds, its biological function slowly collapses. In its near-dead throe, it tried to weave around Alphric's aim as its very existence was driven to the utter brink. If it is going to die, it is going to take out at least one of them. But by then, it was too late for the Locus to do anything meaningful anymore.

Emotion Level: 1.00
Spirit Resonance Unleashed

It makes its jump at Kang and all of the razor-edge talons will intersect at one point, his head. Kang however stood calmly as the Emotion stage revitalized all of his strength and stamina that he failed to properly replenish before. With combat instinct activated, Kang instantly knew what came next as his fist clenched and in a singular moment...

Wuxia Martial Arts - One-Inch Punch

Steel-shattering Strike (Metallic Crusher + Violence + Chained Wrath)

With little mobility, the motions from his lower body transfer toward the upper before transferring entirely into his fist. The logic of One-Inch Punch relies on the total cut down of impact time and distance. If Kang can punch a hole in a concrete wall with his strength, the One-Inch punch will allow him to tear it down in one blow. The impact behind it despite being deceptively simple is earth-shatteringly powerful.

'One-Inch Punch' is obviously a fist martial art, and it is utterly useless in the majority of wars that Imperium participates in. When people can snipe you across kilometers unseen, such limited range is the final nail in the coffin of its usability despite being verified as practical and useful in theory. The amount of practical use cases for this barely goes beyond the number of fingers in a genetically pure human hand.

Combined with the fact that you need to be at least 10 times more experienced than others if you are fighting against an armed opponent unarmed. This general estimation is the rule of thumb when it comes to practical warfare. But Kang simply made use of it because he had the strength to make full usage.

The One-Inch Punch impacted with the talons, those which are said to be so sharp that it could cut Space Marine's Power Armor with sufficient force. And what shattered first, was the talons as they fragmented and blasted toward the Locus. Its own shattered talons tore itself apart akin to someone eating a prime grenade and the aftermath that follows. What remains is the indiscernible purplish flesh that painted the hall which is now slowly disintegrating into luminescence particles.

You have slain a Locus. +300,000 Lights.

This goddamn thing was more dangerous than the Scrap Knight that they fought in the first encounter. Or as much as an Imperial Knight itself. And this was just the mere beginning of the war they forsook themselves in. At least it will be easier to fight them from now on now that their Psykic Resonance is back online again.

"At least that is done, I guess. We still need to leave this place, now!". Kang said as he headed toward the control room of the train.

Alphric stays behind because he is the one who wields the major force of the train's defense right now. Mika also stays behind with him because she has to make sure all her allies stay alive which is her duty as an apothecary. The Inquisitor and Yang are also there to rally the remaining of the retinue but it seems that the Inquisitor didn't know that Yang taught them something which is rather irresponsible for someone holding such a position.

But once again, back to Kang. He made his return to the control room and saw the floating holo-display on top of the panels.

5,234,798 / 5,000,000 Lights required.

"Initiate". Kang muttered that one word which the system takes it as his approval. As if a miracle is unfolding in front of him, Light itself starts to converge to his design as its form manifested, its internal mechanism realized, then before Kang truly marveled at the power of Light before him. The tunnel borer is now in the place he demanded. Although he could no longer see what's ahead, at least he is assured that there will be a way forward for everyone here.

"Warning, the tunnel borer is being seen as a major threat by the Genestealer, defend the machine, or else you will be forced to expend the same amount of Light to recreate the tunnel borer in the case of its destruction." The system notified him through the holowatch on his wrist.

Kang gritted his teeth. He knew that it was his idea and that it wasn't going to be the end of it at all. Now that the way forward has been revealed, he must play his duty in protecting it with all he has. He runs down the train aisle to find a certain someone and eventually, he makes contact with Yang just before he is about to proceed on a difficult journey.

"Yang, teach me everything you know about this 'martial arts' of yours. I have no idea how I'll repay you but this is important if we want to get out of the Genestealer Hive alive". Kang said as he pleaded with Yang for his assistance, seeing how his guidance managed to turn a hopeless situation in their favor.

Even Yang is getting a greater grasp on the current situation. Just a few hours in and one-third of their forces have effectively perished under a combination of injury attrition or instant death. Seeing how his martial arts are being used by the Luminaries instead of just collecting dust in his memory, he is aware of the danger but they will just get wiped out if this is the way they decided to keep going.

"Take this, seeing how you could apply martial arts instantly despite only communicating via words alone. I trust you that you can do what all my people failed to do". Yang hands him a radio communicator so that they can stay in contact.

It's not just him either. All of the Luminaries could envision the movements and steps necessitated just from the instruction he spoke. Because of it, they become far more capable of replicating the martial arts without even seeing the act firsthand.

The train is now moving, the tunnel borer does its magic as it tears apart the rubble in its path effortlessly and reveals the buried track beneath. Seeing how the train moved perfectly fine despite the decaying of the rails previously, it will somehow manage to fix it as it moves upon. Then, just as it continued to tear a path open, Kang jumped out of the slowly moving train as he intended to explore and perhaps take down their entire Genestealer Hive altogether.

What his minimap showed was that it won't be just all collapsed paths on the train's way at all. There will be places where the Genestealer might ambush the train next and when it happens, the Luminaries won't be able to intervene timely if they remain on that train. Although he won't know for sure if it is a good idea to follow this through, he knows one thing for sure is that those Genestealers are trying to covet something and it might be something great in their grand scheme.

The fourth horde has arrived but the train at this point has already left and boring a path through the collapsed section. Kang stood there with his Autohammer on already with its safety off. His friends have also accompanied him although initially against his will, he came to accept their assistance since there wasn't a chance that he alone could perform what he seeks out to be. Even with his Psykic Resonance active, trying to fight alone is the most fool-hardy thing that he considered undertaking because of his past.

Mika took out many of those scalpels and held them between her fingers. As her Spirit Resonance is triggered, the scalpels immediately turn white hot as if they can combust into flame at any moment. Alphric's footing stabilized as the footwork he learned allowed him to reduce the effect of encumbrance and allow him to instantly disengage at a moment's notice, even if the enemy was within his doorstep, he could easily make a run for it before they realized.

And also... Now that his Spirit Resonance is activated, Alphric switches the Assault Cannon into second gear now that the prerequisite is fulfilled.

"Let us begin..." Alphric said as the three of them now fight against the insurmountable number once more. But now, it doesn't seem that impossible to overcome anymore.

"._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._."

Back at the train.

Yang is writing down notes of every martial art he still remembers. They pale in comparison to what technology the Imperium has at its disposal but if it is the Luminaries who can perform supernatural ability at will then there's no doubt that they're more useful for them than it will for him. Even he didn't have much use or chance to put them into practice ever since he started to wield the Lasgun.

If only he has the means to see their combat for himself but he simply won't survive the expedition they will go through. He would thought of himself as a veteran Guardsman but even that will never be enough for what he wished to do.

"Damn it... Curse my powerlessness". Yang muttered as he furiously wrote down notes while also doing basic sketches of performing those moves. He is simply putting too much effort into something that will likely never see the light of day.

While he is in his writing trances, the communicator still sits there on the table awaiting any incoming call. If it isn't martial arts they are asking for, it would be intel on the enemy they are fighting. And it won't just be like one Locus they have slain, it will be many more in both quantity and variety. Cold-blooded monstrosities that thirst upon their blood like the starving on anything within their reach.

He can only really place his trust in them. And that his guidance will do.

Reviewing his notes once more, he ponders upon what martial arts will be necessary to assist them in their expedition. Nothing is perfect and one size fits all, his people have simply failed to realize that when the Imperium came to their doorstep. And they refused to adapt to new tactics until it was forced upon them. If there are people who fly, there will be those who reach the stars.

The first martial art of importance that he noted is 'Krav Magus'. Selected for Alphric, whose combat style seemingly revolves around being at the forefront despite wielding larger firearms himself. With such unwieldiness that he carries, there will be utterly no chance for him to equip any melee weapons but his fist.

The philosophy of said martial art is the avoidance of physical confrontation. If conflict is unavoidable, he will instead finish the fight as quickly and aggressively as possible. Attacks are aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body, and training is not limited to techniques that avoid severe injury; some even permanently injure or cause death to the opponent.

Alphric has a surprising disposition toward brutality. Anyone who tried to harm him and his friends deliberately would earn all of his wrath through his fist and oftentimes, he wouldn't stop until the offender's face turned into pulps. All of it happens while he still displays a calm face in comparison to what he is doing.

Krav Magus was never designed as a martial art to kill. But circumstances of war have led it to be modified for lethality to the best of its capability. If it has humanoid biology, Krav Magus would likely have hundreds of ways to kill it. Of course, no martial arts can stand up to the technology that the Imperium has. But nothing is foolproof or infallible at all, technology will fail them at some point and they should have a fallback to rely on rather than just plummeting to their demise.

"This knowledge is too dense to simplify. It's too much to even deliver through the communicator. I don't think he even has the time to listen to me before getting into another fight". Yang said as he felt the despair as he tried to overcome the hurdle he set himself into.

The communicator calls suddenly as Yang reached out to it to answer. Whatever they are calling for, it must be bad enough for them to consult his knowledge. When he activated it however, he was bombarded with chaos on the other side as the sound of gunfires and explosions drowning out anything that can be vocally transmitted through the communicator. It felt like an entire regiment worth of arms being fired ceaselessly despite there only 3 people fighting.

"Hey, Guardsman Yang. What do you call a three-armed Genestealer dressing up like they're a... pioneer? Either way, this little shit isn't dangerous by itself but literally everything else is fighting harder because of that moron is rallying them!" Alphric's voice barely made it through the raging battlefront he is in.

Based on what Alphric told him, Yang instantly identifies the particular Genestealer that he is talking about despite having only words to go off on. Just from the description alone, Yang is already having enough chills for the rest of his life.

"Kelermorph..." Yang muttered beneath his breath before actually giving explanation.

Kelermorph, a variant of True Hybrid Genestealer. This thing serves as hero figure for Genestealer cult and uses its legendary prowess as a gunslinger and warrior to spread sedition and revolution to cult-infested Imperial worlds. To the oppressed masses, it would be hailed as a figure of folk legend, a revolutionary hero battling the uncaring cruelty of authoritarian rule.

But in reality, the Kelermorph is something else entirely: a bioform created for the specific purpose of exploiting mortal psychology, a cold-blooded killer in the guise of a legendary gunfighter whose actions inspire generations of sedition and revolution.

If there's any saving grace, the Underhive has little to no resources to make their signature armaments, the Liberator Autostub. So if pushes come to shove, the Luminaries can easily overcome the dreadful specimen by their own power.

"Holy shit! That pistol round just blow up that concrete wall a huge hole. Why on Twilight does that pistol have anti-tank power!?" Kang yelled in the background as they narrowly stood up against the Kelermorph's physiology.

Yang rescind his previous statement. At this point, anything that can go wrong will do so just for the sake of making their lives more miserable.

"They are in a bad spot. How on earth do I transfer all of the knowledge in such an absurdly tense situation?!" Yang said as even though he underwent many Inquisitorial Excursions, fighting Genestealer was always the most stressful to undergo. Most of the time, survival seems impossible because of what they can do to their advantages.

"Yang, place your communicator right to your ear. Let me handle this". Alphric said as if he knew what he was doing.

Having little to go off or assist, Yang did what Alphric told him to do. And when he did so, it felt like his existence was sucked into a vortex straight into the communicator itself. His vision distorts as if he is going through the Warp itself although he can't perceive anything at all in any effective manner. Then right when he finally regained his bearings, he realized that he was no longer on the train.

He has straight up become the voice speaking inside Alphric's mind. Now that he is actually there, the situation is a lot more dire than his imagination as although the 3 is trampling over the corpses of hundreds Genestealers, there are still way too many more alive and causing all sorts of hell upon their interlopers. The fact that they actually managed to mount an assault against Genestealer Cult of all things is beyond miracle already.

"Yang, how do you deal with the Kelermorph!?" Alphric spoke as he is still in control of his body, Yang is just the spectator hitchhiked a front-seat to this terrible battle himself through Alphric.

It's hard to discern anything in this raging battlefield where explosions occur across in seconds. But his experience made discernment feasible as he managed to locate through Alphric's field of vision.

"11 o'clock. Hanging from the pillar while surrounded by 6 Hybrids or more". Yang told Alphric as he did his observation.

Using Yang's guidance, he rose up from his cover as the Kelermorph quickly fan fire its Liberator Autostub at him seeing that he is a top-priority target with his lethal capability. Even a single round of it can damage armored vehicle or anything lesser than a tank due to its highly-radioactive and powerful propellent and depleted phlebotinum that costs the life of many of its own brethren to craft. However...

Scar of Sorrow + Stagnant Blood

Alphric holds his guarding stance at first as his forearm blocked all of those anti-tank pistol rounds, as oxymoronic as they may sound. Then taking advantage of their disbelief, Alphric returned fire with his Assault Cannon as the barrage of 12.7mm tear apart anything within its sight in an overwhelming torrent of steel. Even if each individual round is insufficient, being bashed with a wall of them will still hurt immensely. It's like comparing having a drizzle drop on you instead of the entire chunk of a swimming pool at once.

Even the Kelermorph is confused at why in the hive is there an individual that can withstood its deadly ammunition with bare skin let alone fighting effectively after that. Seeing that he's still moving forward without any regard of what he just suffer, the Kelermorph continues to attack by rapid firing those overkilling cartridges that is made at the literal expense of the cult's martyrs.

Wuxia Martial Arts - Thousand March Footwork

The footwork he learned won't increase his speed by any substantial amount but with what the weight he carried, the encumbering effect lessened significantly enough to make him appear to be fast. Even Imperial Guardsmen would be crushed the weight that he carries at extended duration despite their physiology and training.

The Kelermorph uses its hypersensory awareness to perceive time in slower pace and in an unusually acute detail. And yet, despite its focus, Alphric still managed to out maneuvers its firing that would have decimated squads of soldiers in a moment. Genestealer never knows the what's the utter limit of baseline human because no one ever live long enough to reach that without extensively altering themselves for power. And by that point, they're no longer baseline anymore. No one knows or at least not widespread to greater Imperium.

A baseline's peak conscious reaction is at 0.15 seconds. Their peak instinctual reaction is half of that. If they want to go faster, Precognition is the only way forward. The Inquisitor that Yang serves holds all the finer details involving the threat they have to deal with but there's no doubt that Alphric might be able to push his combat against the Kelermorph.

"Yang, teach me some protection move. I have a feeling that just raising my guard won't be enough". Alphric spoke to the voice inside his head or Yang who was holding that position.

After seeing how he blocked those rounds already with his basic guarding, Yang decided that faster motion to guarding is better for someone like him

Just as he thought about it and how to put it into action. Alphric suddenly also follows his instruction as he is still holding onto his massive Assault Cannon while in fast motion.

Krav Magus - Defense Technique Second Form.

The three forms of Krav Magus's defense technique. First, is total defense, second is evasion and glancing, third is full-counter. This should only be applied when one is unarmed but with how Alphric can casually wield over a ton's worth of weight with his arm without fatigue, a lot of standard logic of martial arts would be omitted much like the majority of Wuxia due to conservation of details.

Scar of Sorrow + Stagnant Blood

And when it actually managed to get into a clear shot. Alphric repositioned his body position in order to trigger his Psykic Passive as the explosive round didn't even scar his skin as it glanced through them. Its activation is too broad to speak for what exactly is 'blocking'? It would have been one thing if it had a pre-defined position for activation but since it didn't specify, any stance and position remotely protective counts. Even glancing blows.

Alphric is now run and gunning at the Genestealer Cultists ahead of him with the Assault Cannon in his hand. While using the Thousand March Footwork and Krav Magus Defense Technique at the same time. Yang actually realized that this is supposed to be near-impossible because no one can use two martial arts of different foundation without having them clashing one another.

Either Alphric is that genius in martial understanding that he could merge martial arts together in seamless manner or... The fact that they can split their mental process into two. There is actually a martial art that is dedicated to this called Dual-minded Intentions allowing the practitioners to use two martial arts different kinds at the same time. But... that requires a user whose heart sufficiently clear or they will create an opposite split personality that may or may not self-destruct them.

He has already seen enough people with ill-intentions for multiple lifetimes, his hope of coming across a stranger sufficient to fulfill its requirement is long gone. And yet, the Luminaries have never fail to surprise him.

In ironic realization, he is actually functioning like a second mind for Alphric. Although his physical prowess is nothing show off in comparison to what he is forced to fight against, his experience and mental acuity exceeds the standard of Imperium. When a strong mind accompanied with an indomitable body, an invincible being is created.

What his perception detected, Alphric responses in measure. The duo using one same body, and collaborated with one another. As Alphric approaches the Kelermorph at increasingly unstoppable speed, it yelled in anger at the impossible performance that he did. Enhanced pheromonal senses and thermoceptive vision allow for pinpoint marksmanship even in pitch darkness, while a refined vestibular system provides a superhuman level of balance and coordination. None of it matters in front of him.

These creatures are bio-crafted to be the heroic face of their cult - their influence upon a fractured society is a terrifying sign of the Genestealer Patriarch's growing mastery of the Human psyche and ability to manipulate mass psychology. And in the impossible event where it was killed, the result... can be rather disastrous.

In desperation, the Kelermorph swung the dagger on its possession at Alphric. But by engaging in melee combat with Alphric, its demise was sealed.

Krav Magus Defense Technique Third Form - Full Counter

Grappling only works if you can immobilize disable of your opponent's limbs, Alphric has 2 and the Kelermorph has 3. The result seems obvious at first until.

Pale Hand

He only needs one to assert his victory.

The moment he even made slight contact, a revolting sensation instantly overwhelmed every single thought that the Kelermorph had. Its hypersensory trait ended up turning into its fatal weakness as it couldn't even control any of its body faculty through the piercing stabs of disgust now felt so much more acutely. Its eyes bulged out as it cried out blood, it screamed as it tried to get anyone to stop Alphric from still holding onto it. But Kang and Mika have already had Alphric's back.

Too many conflicting sensations and its mind tried to shut its own sensory input out. But like closing a floodgate against a tsunami, even its own biological functions also goes into total failure. Its head emanating heats as if a cogitator is also smoking apart from overheat. Then finally, even the eyes pop out of its head, the brain fell into a brain dead state as it was practically fried with nothing to stop it.

This skill has very little usage previously due to his previous opponents' traits. First was the Gangers, whom they could easily kill with firearms. Then came the Servitors, whom are mostly mechanical thus this skill doesn't work, there's barely anything left inside those lobotomized minds. But the Genestealers is entirely different, they are a bunch of durable and tenacious monstrosities that won't drop easily even when gutted with a 12.7mm antimaterial rounds. Their reliance on their evolved biology may have carry them far against standard human opponents but Alphric was far from standard.

Death by sensory overload. Quite a way to go out.

You have slain a Kelermorph. +300,000 Lights

With the cult's revolutionaire lays dead at his feet, the Genestealer Cultists nearby stopped right in their tracks upon seeing their hero's death lay bare in front of them. Suddenly, washed over them was a primal fear that transcended everything. All of their teachings, all of the brainwashing they received. All of it suddenly seems pale by the man who stood over their perished idol in front of them.

The illusion of their supremacy shatters like reverie when days come.

The remaining Genestealers immediately ran away from the premises. Their morale has utterly crumbled and Kang will gladly sweep up the remaining bastards that dare to put them through this hell. Only the Luminaries can make the Genestealer Cult feel morale failures like what Alphric did. Even Yang is impressed at what they have done because literally no one as far as he knows can make them submit as mortal.

"Thanks for your help, Yang. You can take a break now". Alphric said as he made a tap on his temple.

And much like how he got sucked into copilot Alphric's mind, he returned in the same way. Waking up suddenly back at his dimly lit table while written notes pressed onto his face. He thought he had understood the Luminaries already but turns out, what he took for the iceberg was only surface levels.

"By the Heavenly Emperor, how the hell am I putting this down into report?" Yang said as he doubted anyone would believe this trip if they even came back alive at all.

Meanwhile, at the Luminaries' location.

Alphric took a sigh. Seeing how there's not really any way to raise their physical stats until much later and yet, their enemies are still becoming stronger. He wished that he could keep Yang around for his teaching but their meeting was a temporary truce until this extermination quest was done. The temptation to just turn him into a Lightbearer was strong but Alphric decided that he shouldn't be so low to fell into it.

Mika approaches the dissipating corpse of the Kelermorph that they slew just now as she picks up the Liberator Autostub that was left behind. Then with some fiddling and understanding of the weapon's mechanism, she managed to extract those oh-so-destructive pistol rounds that allegedly penetrated even tank armor. Then applying the power of Lights, she closes her eyes as she grasps its everything.

Liberator Magnum rounds added to Arsenal.

Then when she opened her eyes once more, a glint of determination reflected off those sorrowful irises.

Emotion Level: 1.15

Back at the train.

This time, he has no words to describe the experience just now. He tried to fathom the depths of their power and in the end, it has as much meaning as looking at the sky to gauge the distance of the stars. From what they asked of him, there's a chance that they are trying to make effective application of their power. He understood that struggle because just having raw strength alone was never enough.

Then he thought of the Inquisitor that he is serving. How the hell did this man even attain the rank of Inquisitor at all baffles him but he guessed that it really is a dire situation that someone like him could be one. Although there wasn't much that bind them together other than duty and orders, they didn't attempt to bite at each other throat's is a good thing already.

He really thought back to all the time he has to work under subordination of said Inquisitor and realizes just how hollow and empty they are. The retinue has come and gone and yet only he is the original member of said retinue and it is about to repeat once more seeing the way things are going. Whenever he is looking at the Luminaries and their fellow membership, it suddenly become stark at just how much he envied them. Not their ability and power but because of how free-spirited they are despite their situation.

Seeing them was like looking at the mirror to his past. When the world was still simple and that his only foes was mere mischievous thieves. And then, his world was aflame and everything he ever know burns with them. Leaving his world behind as part of his regiments per Imperium's tithe, he saw many worlds that he never once knew and realized that his home may never turn for the better with just how terrible the Imperium treat its own.

And before he realized it, his regiment is also gone in due time. And he ended up in an Inquisitorial lineup due to his stellar battle record that many would kill for his recruitment. Rest is history. Now that in retrospect, the relationship between the two of them never foster beyond their professionalism, and what binds them as flimsy as empty words.

Only silent glares and order. Fresh meats stepping up only to be used as cannon fodders. Despite his position, he ended up alone regardless of any decision he made because of the way things always go for people like him. Either die a horrible death, or keep living miserably. Yang cursed himself internally as the relationship between the two is nothing but toxicity toward each other.

Suddenly, the loud noise of the tunnel borer installed in front of the train ceased, indicate that they have left the collapsed area. Seeing that they will be exposed to the Genestealers once more, Yang took up his Twilight Lasgun as he marches toward the defense. The remaining of the retinue did too although they are greatly shaken by their previous feeble attempt at it in which it was the Lightbringers that did the most.

At the window steps, he awaits the danger to come. His communicator didn't go off like he thought he would so he guessed that things are fine on their ends. Once his cabin left the newly-made tunnel, he is greeted with the sight of fierce combat that the Luminaries are still partaking with them as the centerpoint of all the Cult's attention.

Although the Kelermorph's death at the Luminaries' hands were a painful setback. It is not enough to completely shatter the Genestealer's cult fervor. Because otherwise, they wouldn't be such persistence threat at all. However, much like the Genestealer Cult's ability to subvert anything to their advantages, the Lightbringer also has the same ability to do so.

Another Locus hidden from darkness lunged at Mika while her sight is focused somewhere else. However, her advanced sense of awareness detected it as she draws out many scalpels before throwing ten of them at blazing speed at her target in near instant. Dodged them, it may have but Mika has no intention of prolong this meaningless combat when there are still thousands of them rushing toward them. Thus, she whipped out her Automagnum while it was in evading movement and...

Ember of Hope

Its entire body blew into pieces by an high-speed incendiary projectile. One of its twin blades shattered in deflection because it was so confident that it could deflect any bullets with its power. Its Genestealer carapaces eviscerated, having provided no protection against what she used on it.

You have slain a Locus, +300,000 Lights

Liberator Magnum Rounds, originally belong to the Kelermorph. On its own already damage tank armor. Now combined with her Psykic Passive turning it into something even more lethal than original. The previous fight against a Locus took 5 of the strongest combatants onboard and countless combined efforts to even defeat one. Now, Mika slew these impossibly insurmountable foes at a pull of a trigger. The differences of then and now is staggering beyond description.

How ironic that something the Genestealer Cult created with great care, it ended up in the hand of their enemy and against them with such effectiveness.

Now that anything below a Hybrid Genestealers don't even register in their holowatch anymore. They have come to kill so much that they can only become stronger as the battlefront advances.

This moment left Yang in utter disbelief, he saw so many professionals and stealth-adepts, would-be headtakers covering these artfully crafted weapons with their own blood, and the Locus licking them clean with their long black tongue before crossing them in their back-mounted scabbards once more. They are a nightmare to fight against even on equal ground and yet... the Luminaries' combat prowess are only growing even faster with each second passed.

Professional doesn't cut it to describe them anymore. They are unmatched prodigies, the stars above 'the sky that is above the sky'.

Mika picked up the other remaining sword, and noticed its quality craftsmanship. She remembers how Michele told her that one could discern the quality by just swinging it once and she did so with all her has. Its hardness, strength, flexibility, and the glint that reflects, to think that they even have any facility to create such a fine blade at all.

Her Psykic Passive makes any melee weapon she used engulfed in flame for enhanced offensive power, and come in eventual destruction. It is why she hardly have anything stronger than her disposable scalpel as her melee weapons. But, this may come into handy for this battle.

"The amount of times I can use this blade with my power may not be much greater but... it will do". Mika said as she swung the blade around for feel.

And apparently, her act of making light of the Genestealer's prowess by wielding that blade have incurred the wrath of every Genestealer nearby, drawing their attention to solely to her. Not that she finds it problematic at all because she has a lot to test out her sword skills.

Yang upon seeing her flame psykic arts in action made observation of how she uses her power. By exerting her power into a medium, said medium become her focal and means to unleash her psykic power. He then try to remember if there's any martial art that fits her personality and behavior so that she can unleash her power with no restraint. And secondarily, a weapon that can effectively channels her psykic arts. A force sword is necessary and suitable but there's no luck in finding such a thing in Underhive so he has to resort to second best solution...

He picks up the communicator again and intents on sharing what will be the most effective for her. All of this solely out of making the best out of his 'disciples'. Unsure of how it dragged him into copiloting someone else's mind but he knew that it allowed him to pass on information much more effectively and better thus he made his decision to use it wisely.

"Alphric, pass the communicator to her. I have a lot to teach her right now". Yang said as he's about to put the communicator near his ears.

His heartbeat fasten anxiously before he steeled himself forward. Then before he even realized, his consciousness once more dragged by imperceptible chains toward the indiscernible. His vision darkened before it readjusts itself again much like before. This time, his copilot seat lies in Mika who was seemingly confused by a second voice that echoes inside her head.

"That's Yang. He'll be teaching you on what is needed for you to become stronger". Alphric said as he explains to her on the sudden predicament.

Before any of them could exchange more words with one another. The battle demands their attention once more as they're under attack once more. Alphric gave her an understanding nod before heading on his own. Mika looks in a misunderstanding daze for a little while but she understands what Alphric is trying to do for her.

"Hoo boy... You two really are made for one another, isn't it?" Yang said inside her mind as he has witnessed the interaction between two. Short as it may have, the intention is indeed very real.

Mika became flustered immediately when she heard Yang talks like that before denying vehemently. Yang understood why she response like that too but decided that now is not the best time discuss about love. Beside, he is here to teach her how to fight, isn't it?

"Sorry for making you feel embarrassed like that. Now, I want to see the way you fight so that I can see what I can teach you". Yang said as he mentally crosses his arms despite his physical existence right now is left behind.

Heeding what he said, Mika then continues to jump into the fray along with her two partners. As her Psykic Passive is channeled, Yang continues to made analysis of her behavior and fighting skill.

Emotion Level: 1.33

You have slain a Hybrid Genestealer, +10,000 Lights.

It seems that it really was just their misfortune that they met the more dangerous and special variant of Hybrid because unlike them, their danger doesn't exceed much in comparison to the menaces before. The Locus, the Kelermorph is the more refined and later of its generation, born from finest genetic stock available in this wretched Underhive.

As the battle continues to progress, after she has fought many and numerous Genestealers of many forms and brood stage. Yang has managed to make confirmation that he wouldn't have done otherwise if see only from the distance. Because after all, there's something that can only spoken by the heart and its benign actions.

He changed his mind, whatever previous sword technique that he thought up before doesn't matter anymore. Because there is one that is no doubt fit her not only because her affinity for the blade but also... her empathic mindset. Something that he keep remembering because of his previous duty back when his homeworld wasn't found by the Imperium.

Heavenly Demonic Divine Arts.

Yang saw the way she carried herself with the way she swings her sword. The way her mind works, she draws upon the misery and resentment she has toward the world around her, which is the basic foundation of Heavenly Demonic Divine Arts. Her empathy towards the suffering of people around her, her disdain for the way that the world only allows people to toil in agony.

Perhaps, her partners realized it too... the perpetual sorrow on her expression. The remorse, pain, suffering, hope, everything both positive and negative in her eyes. She's may not really be aware of it but she's already doing it by her own subconscious already.

"Mika, do you... hate this world?" Yang asked with some concerns.

She didn't answer but the way her expression changed tells that she did even if unspoken. The sorrow on her face remains unchanged but her eyes seemingly respond as if a deeply-etched scar was touched.

How can she not hate this world around her? Her siblings were lost amidst the mass-protect that she took no part in. Her parents sacrificed themselves for a chance to change her livelihood. She saw many people under her cares die a dog-death because they simply can't afford not to earn money despite against their own bodies' protest. She saw the Collapse happens while simultaneously being there while it happened and become a part of its victims no less. And now... she simply hated the way this entire reality has gone to make suffering part of its core tenet.

"Yes..." Mika muttered sadly inside her head while the serenely sorrowful expression on her face remain unchanged amidst battle.

Emotion Level: 1.51

When he received her confirmation. He made no hesitation to teach her of what he knows of it. From its name alone, it must have been something so powerful that it probably shouldn't have been proliferated. But... the truth sometimes is even stranger than fiction. Despite its name, this martial art was like the basic that all of Demonic faction members use, regardless of seniority.

The true difficult lies on how much one could mold themselves to the philosophy of this martial art. You don't pick up martial arts to become unbeatable. You pick them up to choose the way you want to live as and how you wish to pass on.

Heavenly Demonic Divine Art is a martial art born out of those who loathed the principles of the heavens. With their curses, they created a doctrine out of said loathing itself and thus this martial art came to its inception. It is said that they who practice this martial art can tear down the heaven and trample mountains at will on their own. To even make use of this martial art, one must completely understand the doctrine behind Heavenly Demonic Divine Art.

Those who can completely master this art, become the Heavenly Demon. Much like what it said in the principles, practicing this art put one's self-integrity at risk.

Martial Arts is the way one deal with the world around them. Much like how Orthodox techniques has to harmonize and follow a principle in order for it to become effective. Most of them would try to obviously standardize with the rules of nature, they would try to become the vessel of the world around them. Turning something belong to the world into belonging to them.

Heavenly Demonic Divine Arts however, goes against it completely. They become the claws that ravage the world.

"Remember the most traumatic memory that you have. And exerts those feeling and intents into your sword. Hold nothing back, until anything responsible perished under your anguish". Yang said the most edgy thing that can be thought of with a straight face.

Remember that faithful day when her siblings are lost amongst the horde of protesters. Remember how helpless she is to escape the tides of people in anger. Carve into her mind how the only thing left of them is their tragic keepsake as the sounds of protest turn into violent insurrection. Remember once more of the scene as it drowns in blood as war proceeds in earnest. What time in the year was it? It doesn't matter as the sky is off-limit to all Lower Hivers.

Remember of their remaining keepsake and how hard she has hold it in her hands lest it disappear from her sight if she was careless. And use that as the strength to grip a sword. Lament your weakness and resent against the heavens for its cruelty.

Mika has already instinctively perform those movement already due to circumstances of her past. Because the true nature of this art isn't the claw itself. It's the 'scream' of the anguished. However, the moment she tapped into it with her own volition due to Yang's command, her restraint was released briefly. No matter how brilliant the principle of balance that might be, the world is still a place full of errors and resentment along with lament born from it.

No matter the profoundness of wisdom brought by summation of all human knowledge. They will never win against a single scream that a lowly human can gives.

Another Locus, standing in unseen place seeing her using one of its kins' blade. With its usual calm already compromised, it lunged at her like a shrieking monstrosity with all of its limbs lashing at her with no attempt made to preserve the facade.

Burning Heart + Ember of Hope

You have slain a Locus, +300,000 Lights

The sword dance of anguish is sharper than any made with harmony. And the one swung after a scream of anguish is stronger than any made with wisdom.

Yang didn't expect such that Mika would resonate so deeply with her trauma that her own body instinctively unleashed power far greater than what thought possible for human limit. There's always a mountain higher, the peak above the current peak one stood at and their will to surpass is known as the hallmark of transcension. As if the hysteric strength she displayed before was nothing but the sea reeling back that warns of an incoming tidal.

The Locus is dangerous for all the right reasons. And yet, they have become nothing but punching bag for the Luminaries' self-development. Even Yang felt shuddering to see they dispatching such danger effortlessly.

"Reel those emotions back, don't let them lead you astray! If you fall into them, you'll become enthralled to that darkness!" Yang said as he warned her before hand.

The deeper anguish and the more vulgar her scream. The stronger the sword art became. That's why the Demonic Cult is strong, their doctrine. That is why each stroke of the blade in the path of becoming the Heavenly Demon, must be a scream that directed at the world.

Emotion Level: 1.64

Mika continues to decimate any Genestealer that came in her sight. Quantity becomes nothing but mere numbers, distinction becomes nothing but words. As painful as reminiscing about as it can be. She has come to terms with it during her Spiritual Resolution with Cherished Memories. Or at least, resolving her longing of a past long gone.

But confronting her past doesn't resolve any of the pain it has. As she continues to face onward, her sword skill start to form its distinct style on its own. If she wants catharsis, she must take down the true perpetrator who has let it happened. So that the tragedy she suffered that day will no longer be meaningless.

How comes such a powerful martial art like this having so many practitioners only produce few prodigies at all? Because of one important facet that is nearly-impossible to maintain the moment one take this path. Empathy.

Taking example from the Luminaries right now. Kang is also someone who has troublesome past like her, but the way he conducts himself show that he has long come into permanent acceptance phase and become jaded to tragedy in general. His heart for compassion has long been petrified and the best he could even do is a half-hearted condolence.

Alphric is nothing but an average everyday man who was dragged into this mess as a result of something beyond his control. But from the way he conducts himself now, Alphric is easily the most well-off in terms of mental stability in the entire Eventide Merchant Guild. However, because of that, it is what made him unique amongst the guild members because nearly everyone has a screw loose somewhere which makes him easily one of the most effective merchants in the entire guild despite being no one special.

Just like Kang, the best he could do is so too a condolence. Not because his compassion is as screwed like Kang but because he knew that he shouldn't try to do something he has no expertise of.

Thus, Mika become the perfect practitioner of Heavenly Demonic Divine Art just for her disposition and empathy alone. Like spoken before, she is too kind for a world that takes active measure to trample over it. This martial art and Spiritual Resolution seem to conflict with one another, but they can't possibly align better than what is perceived at first. As Mika continues to confront her past, she will no longer be dragged down by the anguish associate with them but instead becoming stronger thanks to Heavenly Demonic Divine Art.

Someone who shut their heart off will only become numb to the outside world. And by some point, they will gladly tear their own heart to become a beast that is led by its own bloodthirst and instinct. Despite how Heavenly Demonic Divine Art seemingly encourage the worst aspects of human behavior, it instead reinforces one's self-control of their own hysterical instinct and traumatic response to perform feats beyond limit at their own.

One can easily imagine the said beast above with the general populace of the Imperium, isn't it?

The stolen sword in her hand shattered after the horrific abuse she subjected it through. It lasted a bit longer than the scalpels but for the price that gone into it, it wasn't worth it in the slightest. She needs something that can effectively channel her power and just using scalpels alone as singular powerful attack can only bring her so far.

Mika sighed once again, as she stood emptily amidst the raging battlefield. As if appearing as an easy prey for the picking, quite a lot of the Genestealers immediately went to overwhelm her or else. Even when Alphric and Kang used their full power and newly-learned techniques, there still many of them that makes it past the ill-manned defense.

As they approaches her, Mika's thought continues to think for itself with no regard for the world outside. Until she stumbles into one question.

What's a universal suffering that nearly everyone can understand? Many answers but she will pick one for now.

"Mika. Recall the time that you starved the most. Make them understand". Yang said as he nudges a tip just so that she is aware.

Does Genestealer even have any concept of 'starvation' anyway?

Mika opened her eyes once more as if the trauma of her past is playing right within them. Enemies surrounding her, unaware of their fast oncoming demise that she will dispense.

Back in the day when her parents enlisted to the Imperial Guards and she would receive their welfare for enlistment. It wasn't much but it allowed her to stay fed while not having to work too much for her age. She would receive their letters time to time although likely delayed by years, describing their tour of duty and what they see of the worlds outside of Twilight.

One of those letters was about their defense of an Agri World. And how it has a botched harvesting season while having no resupply. Their description of the starvation of everyone around and them was visceral and felt too real.

Starvation isn't about trying to diet or fasting. It's about having nothing to eat while the body constantly demanding so. Everyday, your thought is crippled to only thinking of food and it became increasingly unignorable and intrusive as the days pass. And whenever the pangs came back, they become crippling. It becomes harder to think and you start to enter trance-like state even more common in an attempt to ignore your dying body's demand.

When people starves, people can really start to try to eat anything. Even things previously thought inedible. Scraping the roof of their housing for salt, scraping the tree barks just to hold out a day longer. People who can do nothing but stealing food from the ground can't do anything else at all when their fortune betray them. Their reservoir run dry without any help coming, they can't even water the land because Emperor knows when was the last rain since then.

Starvation... is to make the world run white in barren.

They may have been all texts in a letter that held no visual description. But her young imagination and encompassing empathy created a vivid and bleak image that she felt like she was part of. A tragic narrative painted by her understanding. Even if they were all naive understanding that came from a child, it was still amongst the most haunting stories that she ever received from her parents.

And in her lucid insanity of her young age, she tried to starve herself just so that she could feel close to them even if it was just a delusional self-fulfillment. Especially when she has no reason to do so, to begin with.

Since time immemorial when civilization existed, countless famines have occurred throughout history. And along with them, many farmers have become victims of starvation.

"Keep fighting in your remembrance of hunger, all of your swings must be in accordance with starvation itself". Yang said to her as she continued her raving sword swing that dismantled even the Genestealer horde on her own as she sprung into immediate action.

Even the things they harvest isn't for them, they have their family, relative, children. And yet the only thing they think of is them. And when they ultimately met with refusal, they would in anger hit their own children with that leathered hand. Then in the aftermath, they would breakdown realizing what the famine has made them. How they have irrevocably changed by the situation. All while only muttering one phrase. "When did I become like this?"

Do people's hands move in certain ways during starvation? That's right, they do when they starve.

"Remember the voice, the groaning, the motions of their arms and feet, everything as someone who has starved. Using all of those emotions, to swing your only with the feeling of starvation". Yang said to her as he tried to guide his teaching to her as she took them all in like a sponge.

In those many worlds that she came to learn from her parents' letters. She came to learn of the farmers who survived the famine if barely, the farmers who made amend with their children, and those who died together with all their children. No matter what they did in all of them, starvation was ever-present.

The remaining of the butchered horde tried to perform a pincer strike against her. But to her, only a world of barren white lies ahead. Her heart beats once before she resonated completely with her remembrance of the past.

Heavenly Demonic Divine Art - First Form

Sword of Starvation

Genestealers in general have no concept of 'starvation' or anything human-related at all. They are a xeno-bioform that makes a mockery of its parasitized host form and secondly is their culture, to exploit the mass psychology of human society. They only imitate, never actually embrace in any sense. Precisely become only a mirror imitation of those they try to infiltrate.

Genestealers eliminate any trait that is detrimental to them, and because of that starvation has no psychological bearing on them. And because of them never knew or understood 'starvation' of human biology, they will instead be slew effortlessly by the blade wielded in starvation.

That's how Heavenly Demonic Divine Art, even the first form alone came to kill so many opponents because those who can allow to practice Orthodox martial arts are likely opulent and rich to begin with. With starvation being a foreign concept to them, their demise was met with assurance.

It's a martial art designed to counter those who know naught of suffering or insufficient understanding of it.

You have slain a True Hybrid Genestealer +10,000 Lights ( 6 times )

"Nicely done, even if it was half-baked compared to what I actually faced". Yang said as congratulated her on her fast progress. Although Mika is somewhat confused and suspicious as to why Yang even knows such a thing in detail at all.

"So what can be considered as true 'starvation' for you then". Mika spoke to the voice inside of her head. A brief silence prolonged for a little while before Yang answered.

"Have you ever eaten the dirt beneath you out of hunger?" Yang asked with a seriously grim expression even if no one could see it.

Mika was dumbfounded, even the Lower Hiver doesn't go to such lengths at all. But Yang seemingly raised such an absurd idea that she has no doubt that she must hear about it.

"Alphric, can you do anything about shared memory or something?". Mika asked the certain someone who suggested the idea of consciousness sharing, to begin with.

"Okay then, this is gonna take a while so I'll protect you during the meantime". Alphric said with no hesitation as if he already knew beforehand that she would ask him that.

With a touch of his finger on her forehead. It felt like she was sent drifting straight into memory made manifest.

It was due to explanations of what Alphric did either way. The power to capture one's chosen consciousness to perceive through others is one of the special abilities that the Secret Sanctuary or the base that they reach through the light beacon. Specifically, the Archive of Ruins, in which information about those who were slain by the Luminaries and their allies' hands will end up in there.

The power of Visualization. When written words alone can't describe the emotions evoked within. When only actions that have to be perceived directly can convey the full weight behind them.

Reenacting the memories of Yang.

1.2- 210 VCM.M42

1 year into the Imperium's invasion of the world of Wuxia

Mika noticed herself once more as she stood in unfamiliar surroundings. She stands near the riverbank, everything surrounded by snow, and the sky is cloudy much like how the Lower Hive always was. From the nearby distance, she saw two people sitting near their campfire. One man and one woman, she could only guess that the man was Yang but she couldn't figure out who is the woman at all. Both of them are dressed in outfits that she doesn't know how to describe in any way but says that it is local custom.

Yang opens his waist pouch before looking down in disappointment.

"Damn it... we really ran out of ration. How are we supposed to continue like this". Yang said as if he knew this was an inevitable outcome but hurt visibly when it did.

The woman looks at him emptily as if she is disappointed that he could complain at such a time like this. As if she has already been in worse situations than having the assurance of death approaching. And from the way things look, it looks like they have been running on a bare minimum until now. Even if they aren't showing it, malnutrition is running across their body if her role as an apothecary tells anything.

"Whelp, I guess it really is time that we use this secret recipe after all. I was hoping that I could delay it for a few more months but... this is it..." Yang said as if he was already swallowing the bitter lump in his throat.

Yang then steps toward the frigid riverside seemingly clawing the riverbank for mud in his hand. Then spread them into circular disc shapes on a piece of flat stone. Then place the stone near the campfire before using another small pouch that contains salt he sprinkles on them. Mika can already feel the disgust partially due to her role and also because of the new low she has never seen anyone do.

"Here, have a biscuit". Yang said as the mud dough became dry enough to not immediately spread or shatter in his hand. Then hand her one of those mud biscuits that is made.

The woman didn't even consider the outrageous proposition Yang is suggesting. She just wholeheartedly accepts this absurdly terrible meal without a question or doubt.

"Be careful, don't eat it all in one bite or it won't even be tasty". Yang said as if there was anything remotely tasteful from dirt at all. And yet he consumes the mud biscuit with cheer either way.

"Surprisingly edible too... It's nice because it's salty" The woman said as she also nibbled on the mud biscuit that Yang had given her.

"Don't try to lick it too much or the taste will be gone, you need to chew it properly or else". Yang said as he reached for the second biscuit as if his sense of disgust had long been broken.

At this point, Mika gave in to her curiosity. It can't be that bad, she thought as she scraped the mud from the frigid riverbank. Then using the flame from her psykic power, she managed to create one mud biscuit. While holding it in her hand, she hesitates somewhat briefly before jumping the shark either way. However, the truth revealed itself in just one bite of that mud cookie.

"It's bad... It's really appalling. The pungent aftertaste... it's horrible". Mika muttered as she looked down into the ground that she scraped the mud from then placed one hand to cover her face as she realized the bitter taste.

People's livelihood comes from the earth. So why can't she eat the earth itself? Why isn't it edible? Why is the texture and smell of the soil so disgusting?

She thought that she would come to learn how to boil tree bark like how her parents mentioned. But imagination can't compare to reality itself. When your world is about to come toward the end as they know it, even consuming tree bark doesn't register as trauma.

They tried to survive. And to survive, they endured the hunger. And to quell the hunger, they dug the wetland by the river with their own fingers, regardless of the weather itself. And they spread the sediment itself to dry, just so they can consume the most frustratingly disgusting food known to humans. Even tasteless corpse starch can't be compared to how bad it truly is.

And with the fingers that held those biscuits. Every single one of them is filled with 'starvation'.

Mika looked toward the other muddy hand of her still propping her up with the thousand-yard stare, it is shaped in a particular position. Emotions that can't be expressed with words, can be shown through the hands themselves.

Martial Arts, simply is the act of swinging around the emotions that are dwelling in one's hands.

Putting herself into Yang's shoes, Mika came to an epiphany through her previous understanding and her newfound experience. As her empathic mindset connects the two together, they combine into a unified definition that only she could understand and portray through action alone.

Emotion Level: 1.88

Back in reality, Mika is still standing there as the shine in her eyes is completely gone. She just stands there like a statue while Kang and Alphric have to man the defense by themselves. At least they are in a safe defensive position because otherwise, it wouldn't have been bode well for them. From the way, she is still unresponsive, it seems that she still has a long way left to go.

"Uhm, Alphric. Something dangerous is approaching us!" Kang yelled as his decades of combat experience made a very clear and loud warning that he couldn't disregard.

Primacii. By the fourth generation, the scions of the Genestealer Cult can pass for fully Human, inveigling themselves into positions of power to further the aims of their sinister cult. Most of these Primacii serve as Neophyte Hybrids. A few members of this generation possess psychic powers and become a Magus or Genestealer Primus. Other types of fourth-generation hybrids include Clamavi, Nexoses, Sancti, and Biophagi.

They are often noticed by their Human overseers as dutiful, hard-working citizens, and as such, often find themselves above suspicion. Many of these hybrids join the Astra Militarum to spread their vile seed across the galaxy, starting new cults and claiming worlds for their four-armed Patriarch.

Between the fourth and fifth generations of hybrids, the Genestealer Cult will prepare for all-out war. They will spawn Hybrid Metamorphs, creatures that echo the warrior bioforms of the Tyranid hive fleets and are built only to serve as vicious cannon fodder for the coming battles.

With the appearance of a new threat while Mika hasn't yet snapped out of Visualization yet. The two felt that if they ever dare show themselves any weakness, their opponents will not hesitate to exploit it to their maximum degree. It has always been unfair since beginning and this mad arm-race continues until either one of the two sides are annihilated irreparably which is a very high bar for the Genestealer Cult.

"Yang, when the fuck do you resurface to guide us!?" Alphric muttered as the idea of charging head-first into unknown enemies unnerved him. Even with all the power they have right now, they are not invincible. Always far from it.

Approaching them menacingly is a humanoid-form Genestealer surrounded by many other lesser Genestealers under its thrall. Tall, clean of additional limbs and with an imposing presence, it can pass for a normal human and commands respect wherever they walk. But through his eyes, however, he knew that they are as much a creature of the void as a member of Mankind.

Kang made no hesitation, he signaled through sign language to Alphric that he'll perform an offensive assault. Their emotion level has been consistently raising since Mika's entering Visualization. And that by the time he make contact, they will reach the next threshold. It will be Alphric's job to safeguard Mika from any flanking danger that has ignored him. The reason he is doing because standing still here will only lead to demise.

"Don't look too concerned, no expression but confidence suits you more". Kang said as he made his step forward. As much as a tired man he was, someone has to step up and he won't allow anyone but him to do so.

Kang rushes forward with his Autohammer rapid fire upon the horde. The cannon fodders step up to shield the leader from the lethal barrage of projectiles that doesn't fit the firearm it came from

You have slain a Hybrid Metamorph. +25,000 Lights (4 times)

Emotion Level: 1.94

"Damn it, if I knew that I'm still outclassed by firepower either way regardless of my Psykic Passive then I would have made another bigger gun." Kang muttered with regrets as the distance between the two of them only shorten faster.

"Don't give in! I'll here to help you too!" Alphric said as he brandish his Assualt Cannon while putting it into the still unstable third gear. It is unclear just how much use of it will ruin his newly made Assault Cannon but until Mika wakes up out of her illusion, everything is fair price.

3000 rounds per minute or rpm. The theoretical limit of rotary machine gun of his caliber. Even if he stood in place and hold his ground, the recoil will still likely send him flying. But with how much is on the line, he has to protect her even if it is pushing him to the physiological brink.

A literal wall of lead was unleashed upon as an obscene amount of fire was promptly fired. Alphric could hear his Assault Cannon creaking in mechanical stress that is simply made in a hasty manner. The fact that it could even try to withstand 3000 rpm is a testament to Kang's weapon manufacture ability even if it's only for a moment.

Even the horde of Genestealer is taken aback briefly due to Alphric displaying feat of physical prowess exceeding their own. Kang has also made first contact during the disrupting moment as he quickly cause as much mayhem as his refined body could do. Any second that they purchased with their efforts, the closer they are to surpass that threshold.

You have slain a Neophyte Hybrid. +15,000 Lights (12 times)

Emotion Level: 1.96

As Kang madly swung his Power Maul with no restraints behind. Each blow as fast as a bullet train leaving behind bare afterimages, his body is covered in various visceral blood and bodily fluid as his onslaught leaves no room for counterattack let alone even trying to get around. Alphric also unleashes his suppressing fire briefly to prevent enemy from taking action thus making them vulnerable to Kang's destructive attacks.

They knew already that if things go too well, there are bound to be horribly bad things follow. Much like what anticipated however, they didn't expect the severity of how bad things can go.

A sudden pain pierced through Kang's mind. Not of external weapons but something intangible did so. Then it worsen from ache into head-splitting agony, his vision distorts, all of his sense of hearing is disrupted by an unholy combination of ear-splitting echoes and loud refraction. As if someone is filling his mind is with unnecessary stimuli.

He knew that someone is directly trying to mess with his mind but he couldn't even discern the area around him anymore. But even against all that is surmounting, Kang stood his ground against the unknowable despite everything that is happening to him.

Violence + Chained Wrath + Metallic Crush

Like a whirlwind itself, Kang tore them apart in a blind rage as he lets his own power do what he can't perceive. Even if everything of his perception is distorted, he won't allow himself to back down. He continues to rage against all as any of his caught victim was eviscerated into shreds. But they didn't need to kill him at all, they only need to bypass him.

The last line of defense is Alphric with his Assault Cannon on third gear. With his gun tearing apart dozens of Genestealer by the seconds, the cannon fodders still deserving of the nickname as their corpse despite being mangled and torn by the impact of the fired ballistics, still shielding those behinds with noticable efficiency even after their death. No matter how much Alphric tried, they are still gaining ground despite only have each other as cover.

Now he understands why Genestealer is considered so frightening, they don't have any concept of individuality, only everything for the sake of the Hive that they will perform with utmost order regardless of the outcome of what happen to them.

"Mika! Wake up!" Alphric yelled as the distance between two of them is now only a basic jog.

And in the following instant, the life within Mika's eyes returned as she saw the monstrous and unrelenting horde of Genestealers are already more or less right in front of them. A glint of hatred flashed within her eyes toward them, not just because of their hideous appearance upclose because everyone already did so. It is her hatred toward them trying to mimic human behavior for the sake of exploiting them.

After that epiphany, Mika's perception of the world and herself changed drastically once more.

Emotion Level: 2.00
Spirit Link activated

Ember of Hope + Burning Heart + Nostalgic Embrace + Cherished Memories + Display of Affection + [Minor Psykic Links]

Heavenly Demonic Divine Art - First Form
Sword of Starvation

The atmosphere froze briefly, even the leading Genestealer was shuddered by sudden change of event despite who it is. Alphric's mind is still thinking despite the frozen moment and all he could do is trying to get down immediately. Kang whose sense was completely muddled by external cause became clear briefly thanks to disruption of reality caused Mika's sheer psykic attack power.

And during that instant, he found the cause behind his mental attack which is a Locus using a strange rod like a cane. Without hesitation, his mind quickly adjusts itself for the retribution strike.

The disorientation of his 5 senses ended up and his continuous battle despite condition making him realized something else beyond standard which is likely contributed due to him becoming a Psyker-similar now. The 6th sense, proprioception, the ability to localize the true space around even if mentally isolated. It's faint due to only just budding but if he nurtures it right then it would put him above the rest of similar level fighters.

Time marches forward.

You have slain a Neophyte Hybrid. +15,000 Lights ( 89 times )
You have slain a Metamorph Hybrid. +25,000 Lights ( 67 times )
You have slain a Locus. +300,000 Lights (12 times)

Whenever the Heavenly Demon unsheathes their sword, thousands will perish in the next following moment. Blood will flow like river while corpses stack like mountains. What Mika did is no different for she has performed the most destructive move so far with a scalpel.

Overdrive + Momentum + Violence + [Minor Psykic Links]

Kang in his fleeting momentary clarity moved and swung the Power Maul in his hand at a speed that broke the sound barrier. Anything nearby takes the full brunt of the sonic boom as his maul smashes into the Locus head at Mach speed. He didn't just destroy his target, he obliterated them and anyone adjacent at the time.

Alphric meanwhile already sprawls on the ground to avoid being caught in her attack. The Neophyte Hybrid horde in front of him was obliterated into non-existent as if all traces of them was erased on the spot. He turned toward Mika only to see her sorrowful gaze with a smile on her face.

"Did I do well?" Mika said as she barely held back the tear upon seeing the suffering of others that she never know of and taking them in for herself.

Mika collapsed to her knee but still conscious. She expends a lot of her stamina due to the act of using two exhausting techniques in tandem with one another. Alphric then quickly carries her in piggyback style as he knew that none of them are in combat capable state anymore. In comparson to the weight of armaments he carries, Mika was like a feather in comparison.

Using Thousand March footwork, he instantly book it out while the Genestealer horde is still disoriented from that attack before. Kang also noticed that they are retreating as well thus he also make his decision to flee while he could

The Death that I Deserve (Momentum + Violence + Overdrive + [Minor Psykic Links])

Once more breaking into speed that left anything behind. His legs move as fast as cyclic motions blurs into afterimage. The mania and rage running through his veins show visibly in his eyes as he left everything else behind eating dust. Anything, that is still somehow alive after Mika's attack in his path will get torn to shred on impact.

The three quickly run away together as it is clear that none of them can fight that Genestealer horde effectively without extensive intel. Although the time that they're given is brief, it is more than enough to put the distance between behind.

The seemingly cult leader yelled in hatred and agony as it commands its enthralled subordinate to chase after them. Some of the crippled remnants heed with no reservation as they dragged their broken bodies despite no better resolution.

Meanwhile, Yang has gotten back into order and noticed that Mika is in fatigue. Seeing how frightened the two of them are, Yang realized that something may have occurred in between.

"Oh, you fucking realized it now? Where were you when we was desperate for your wisdom!?" Alphric yelled as he didn't like the recent outcome of their clash.

"Alphric, we need another path. If we just keep going down the original route, we would end up missing the train altogether". Kang said as they haven't yet make proper precaution for the scenario that they are pushed back. It's just seem so unthinkable despite reaching the second threshold already.

Alphric looks around the surrounding while the sound of the Genestealers' pursuit draws closer. Then in a brief flash of realization, he noticed a familiar sensation that tell them where they had to go. It was the light beacon that will take them to the Secret Sanctuary but they were unable to detect originally due to the collapsed path supposed to lead to it.

The path is collapsed with rubbles filled the entrance. But with their second-thershold Psykic Passive, they are no longer lacking in terms of physical strength any longer.

Wuxia Martial Arts - One-Inch Punch

Violence + Overdrive + Metallic Crusher + Chained Wrath + [Minor Psykic Links]

Moving one step back to make a jump forward. Kang did the same as he could as his fist now carries unimaginable power behind. As he crushes the rubbles on impact into dust. They still haven't completely clear them out at all yet. Alphric then also joined the fray as the two continues to shatter concrete with their bare fist and Psykic passive while precious time continues to slip past their grasp.

Shattering concrete fragments into dust, the two continues to rage their way through an aisle of two hundred meters in length. But before they make it properly halfway through, the Genestealers have found them again.

"EMPEROR DAMN IT!" Alphric cursed out loud before turning the other way to fend off the incoming Genestealers.

The narrow pathway at least limit the number of possible Genestealers that can enter. But that doesn't stop them from trying as they also uses firearms to unleash hailing fire upon the Luminaries. Alphric once more step up as a shield to protect his friends

Stagnant Blood + Scar of Sorrow + Heart of Aspiration

None of his trusted partners have any defensive Psykic Passives but him. Thus the defense is now solely placed upon his trembling stance. Bullets pelt him with its damage severely reduced. But each still sting immensely as he felt the impact with no mitigation. Ignoring the agony for the sake of them, he then taking out his Assault Cannon as he also raining down leads against his enemies as even the Genestealers will be hard-pressed to make through.

They did just that, literally using their own fallen corpses as cover against his Assault Cannons. Their biology renders their body tougher than a mortal baseline, enough so that standard 12.7mm anti-material rounds can't penetrate through a pile of them. While it may seems like the most wasteful way to fight, that's also how the Imperial Guards do things although with much more precaution since they are without the blessing of Genestealer's physiology.

Then, all hell break loose. When the third gear Assault Cannon finally shows its weakness. Its mechanical stress has exceed the limit as the gun's half-baked mechanism broke apart during his most desperate time. Further cursing the way things are going, Alphric quickly devolved back into fist-fighting once more because he can't be allowed to rely on anything mechanical at all to do things they have to do.

"Damn it, damn it all!" Alphric has never cursed so many times before during his previous life as a merchant.

Fervid Emotions + Pale Hands + [ Violence + Overdrive + Display of Affection + Cherished Memories + Recognition]

Unleashing his barrage of fists against the onslaught of Genestealers rushing in. Each blow has enough power in them to pulverize his target's into pulps in a single blow. Using the technique of Krav Magus that Yang taught him, he learned how to strike his enemy's weak points with overwhelming force. Either killing them on the spots or cripple them enough that they become non-issue. Even then, he himself is pluggin the entire flood of enemy from breaching and the corpses won't deter them long as it is also dissipating into Lights in real time.

Krav Magus Defensive Technique - Third Form

"Well, would you look at that?" Alphric said as he found another Locus has sneaked into the group trying to ambush him with its toxin spike at the tip of its tail. Unfortunately for it, Kang's Recognition allowed him to somewhat detect the enemies' intent combined with Krav Magus's Third Form making him virtually unstoppable melee-wise, at least for now.

With another grappling of that revolting sensation that it was subjected to, it screeched loudly before Alphric promptly ripped its spine from its body by tearing it apart from the tail using all the combined power that Kang and Mika has given him.

You have slain a Locus. +300,000 Lights.

Kang punched once more as he confirmed that they have indeed make it to the other side. Then with the next ounce of strength he has, he shatters the final barrier between the two. With the light beacon being literally at a jogging distance away. He turned around to make sure that both Alphric and Mika is still alright when suddenly, that foreboding chill appears once more.

"Alphric, duck!" Kang yelled through the Luminaries' short-range telepathy as he just simply doesn't know what actual threat but said either way.

Alphric heard his warning and heeds with no additional question asked. Then suddenly, something nearly clawed him from atop the dark ceilings in which he unintentionally disregarded due to just how much the Genestealers in front of him are trying to overwhelm him.

"Shit..." Yang's expression froze as he said when he realized what has just tried to ambush Alphric.

Mika who heard what Yang said in her mind quickly uses her meager strength that she barely recovered to distract the unseen assailant. Yang screams at her saying that she must not intervene or else but Mika has already committed to it already.

Ember of Hope + Burning Heart + Cherished Memories + Nostalgic Embrace + [Minor Psykic Links]

Mika unleashed a fiery powerful shockwave slash in the attempt to deter that hidden threat away. It successfully did so because that hidden threat immediately retreat instead of trying to facetank it. Alphric used this moment to also fall back as soon as he could along with his friends. However, there is one unintended side effect of unleashing such powerful attack in an unstable structure.

An explosion occurs as the newly made tunnel also start to collapses. Alphric having gotten back on his feet immediately grabs Mika by her waist as he carries her over his shoulder while he runs as fast as he could.

Fervid Emotions + Overdrive

Wuxia Martial Arts - Thousand March Footwork

Picking up speed instantly while the collapse follow them not too slow after, they at least managed to separate the Genestealers from them even if this temporary peace won't last long as they will inevitably crosspath once more. However, the Luminaries will gladly take any respite they will gain. Kang however by rough calculation and instinct became aware that it won't be enough for them to get out in time.

Instead of wasting anymore times trying to think, Kang immediately went in as he triggers all of his Psykic Passive as there's no one right now can overtake him in speed once the threshold is reached.

The Death that I Deserve

Quickly moving toward them in Mach speed as the sound barrier starts to bend around him, he has quite a trouble trying to find a way to slow down or maneuvering at such ridiculous speed impossible for human being. If this was him during their previous fight, he would no doubt just crash into the collapsing instead but, this is where he will make his difference.

Thousand March Footwork

Who said that Martial arts are only allowed to have one practitioner each? The footwork that Yang taught also listed the way to maneuver at high-speed in the event where its practitioners must make fast deliver in emergency. The ability to turn the body around at high-speed.

Making his rough calculation and use of proprioception, he mentally gauged when he should turn around so that Alphric could catch up to him. When the moment comes, Kang's foot followed the maneuver as he managed to turn his body around without falling face flat into the ground. His legs still cycling its running movement without stop as the force behind carves into floor.

The friction wasn't enough to stop roughly where he wanted thus he quickly uses his hand to dug into the ground itself. With his hand still try to slow him down at the near speed of sound, Kang felt pain in level impossible to describe as it felt like his hand is going to rip out of his wrist. Despite all of that, it persevered and Kang prepares to accelerate once again now that Alphric and Mika is closeby.

"Hold my other hand!". Kang said the collapsing tunnel approaches.

With the minds of all three in perfect sync, Alphric hold onto Kang's hand as Kang quickly burst at the speed that literally left them hanging behind. The speed that he is reaching is overkill for this seemingly small tunnel but it ends up being the right choice as the entire tunnel then proceed to collapse on them as the final stability threshold is broken. As all of it collapses, Kang barely dragged his partners out of the danger.

The three sprawls over the ground, only silence remained as their hearts seemingly can't slow down from the tension just now. The first to stand up was Alphric as he touches Mika's forehead to terminate the telepathic connection between Yang and her. After all, the Secret Sanctuary has to remain its name and if Yang realized about it, it may harm their future endeavor if their relationship turns sour after all.

"Sorry, but this isn't something to be shown". Alphric said as he tried to regain his breathe.

Kang clutches his other wrist although both are shown to be damaged. The fingers on one of his hands seems to scraped to the point that if it weren't for Alphric's Scar of Sorrow. It would have been his fingerbones that are showing instead of just small cuts.

"I'm fine... We're only need to go to the Secret Sanctuary to recuperate..." Kang said as he is somewhat tired after that daring maneuver.

Mika has no words to say because she nearly put everyone else in danger because of her rash action. It is unclear whether or not her action is the right one or not but since the past is in the past, everyone unanimously decided that they will not make any further judgment.

"Consider it just one step back to make the next jump forward. We'll bring the fight back to them next time and we'll make them pay for it". Alphric said as he puts his hand on the light beacon.

Kang and Mika did the same, and soon the three of them disappear into the light itself.

---

Battle Report

Group Physical Strength: Peak Human
Spiritual Resolution Level: Awakened Psyker
Light: 45,904,332 (45.9M)
Total Kills: 11,554

-Nemesis Slain:
-Scrap Knight (100k Lights)
-Imperial Knight (300k Lights)
-Kelermorph (300k Lights)
-Locus (300k Lights)
-Abominable Intelligence (1M Lights)

-Martial Arts learned:
+Alphric Alpheus:
-Thousand March Footwork
-Krav Magus Defense Technique

+Mika Apocrypha:
-Heavenly Demonic Divine Arts
-Autumn Falling Leaves

+Kang Jeremy:
-One-Inch Punch
-Thousand March Footwork