The faint hum of the Cadians' las-rifles filled the air as we moved in tight formation. The jagged terrain around us shimmered under the eerie, violet-pink sky. The place reeked of something sweet and acrid, clinging to the back of my throat. My boots crunched against the soft, shifting ground, the sound barely audible over the occasional crackle of distant energy storms.

"Hold," I whispered, raising a hand. The Cadians stopped instantly, their rifles snapping into a ready position. Their movements were silent, disciplined, practiced. I scanned the warped terrain ahead. The jagged rocks cast long, twisting shadows that seemed to move even when the air was still.

A low, guttural laugh echoed from somewhere in the distance.

It wasn't just a sound – it felt alive, crawling across my skin like static. My grip on the [Tau Rail Rifle] tightened, and I motioned for the Cadians to fan out slightly, forming a broader arc.

The laugh grew louder, followed by the unmistakable whine of a chainsaw revving to life. A shape emerged from the shadows – a man, though barely recognizable as one. His pale, sweat-slick skin glistened under the strange light. His eyes were wide, pupils blown, his expression twisted in a manic grin that split his face unnaturally. Tattoos and scars covered his body, crude symbols carved into his flesh, oozing pink and red.

He swung the chainsaw overhead, the blade roaring with manic energy. His steps were uneven, almost stumbling, but he moved with terrifying speed.

The sound of his voice was jagged, words tumbling out in an incoherent frenzy. "Beautiful! BEAUTIFUL! Your flesh – your pain - will feed my ecstasy!"

"Enemy sighted," one of the Cadians murmured, his voice flat.

The cultist charged, the chainsaw raised high. His laugh turned into a shrill scream that pierced the air.

The Cadians didn't flinch.

"Fire," I said, my voice steady.

A single las-rifle barked. A crimson beam lanced through the air, striking the cultist square in the chest. His momentum faltered. His body jolted as the energy burned through him, smoke rising from the blackened wound. The chainsaw slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground as he collapsed in a heap.

Silence returned, heavy and oppressive. The Cadians stood at the ready, their rifles trained on the unmoving body.

"Confirm kill," I said.

The Cadian who fired stepped forward, his boots crunching on the uneven ground. He nudged the body with the barrel of his rifle. The cultist didn't move. The Cadian glanced back at me, nodding once. "Dead, sir."

I exhaled slowly, scanning the terrain again. Nothing moved. No sound followed. The cultist lay still, his body twisted unnaturally, smoke still curling from his wound.

"What the hell was that?" I muttered under my breath, crouching near the body. Up close, the man looked even worse. His skin shimmered faintly, like it was coated in a thin layer of oil. His tattoos writhed unnaturally, as though they were alive, twisting in ways that defied reason.

His eyes were still open, frozen in that manic stare. His grin remained, even in death. The chainsaw beside him sputtered weakly, the blade twitching before falling silent.

"Movement, sir," another Cadian said sharply. His rifle shifted slightly, aimed beyond the cultist.

I stood, gripping the [Tau Rail Rifle] tighter. My eyes scanned the area, but I saw nothing. The eerie light played tricks, shadows shifting and twisting. The sweet, acrid scent in the air thickened, making it harder to breathe.

"Eyes up," I said. The Cadians adjusted their positions, their rifles sweeping in controlled arcs.

The laugh returned – this time, faint and distant, but unmistakably the same. It echoed off the rocks, growing louder, closer. The ground beneath my boots trembled slightly, as though something massive moved far below.

"Contact imminent," I muttered. "Hold position. Weapons ready."

The Cadians responded in unison. "Yes, sir."

The faint tremor grew stronger. A crackling sound joined it, like dry branches snapping. Shadows began to shift unnaturally, pooling and stretching in directions that didn't match the terrain. I raised the [Tau Rail Rifle], training it on the largest shadow, just beyond the dead cultist.

A figure began to emerge, its silhouette monstrous.

"We're not alone," I whispered.

The tremors underfoot grew stronger, sending small rocks skittering across the ground. The laughter came again, louder, closer, joined by high-pitched giggles and guttural shouts.

"Multiple contacts," I muttered, my voice tight. "Stay sharp."

Shapes moved in the shadows, emerging one by one. More Slaaneshi Cultists. Some were gaunt and wiry, their pale skin glistening with sweat, while others were bloated, their flesh marked with jagged scars and tattoos that seemed to writhe like living things. All of them carried weapons – chainsaws, serrated blades, makeshift clubs studded with nails. Their eyes gleamed with a feverish light, and their grins stretched too wide, almost splitting their faces.

"Kill them all!" one of the cultists screamed, their voice breaking into a shriek.

They charged.

"Fire!" I barked.

The Cadians responded instantly. Their las-rifles snapped up, bright red beams lancing out into the charging mob. Each shot found its mark, striking unarmored flesh. Cultists dropped mid-sprint, their bodies jerking as smoke curled from charred wounds. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

But there were too many. More poured out from behind the jagged rocks, screaming in ecstasy as they sprinted over the bodies of their fallen.

"Reloading," one of the Cadians called, stepping back to replace the power pack in his rifle.

"Cover him!" I shouted, already reaching for the System. More reinforcements. More firepower. The enclosed space wouldn't allow for many, but three more Cadians would balance the odds. I confirmed the summon.

In a flash of light, three new soldiers materialized behind us, their las-rifles already raised.

"Reinforcements on the line. Wedge formation! Keep firing!" I ordered.

"Yes, sir!" the Cadians barked, moving into position. The newcomers filled the gaps seamlessly, their rifles spitting death at the oncoming cultists. Bodies piled up, but the mob kept coming. The laughter and screams grew louder, reverberating off the twisted terrain.

I gritted my teeth and sent the [Tau Rail Rifle] back into my Inventory. The weapon was too powerful for this fight; its shots would rip through the cultists and half the rock formations around us, creating more chaos than I needed. I summoned the [Las Pistol] instead. Compact, precise, efficient.

The weapon buzzed to life in my hand as I raised it and took aim. A cultist barreled toward me, wielding a jagged, two-handed blade. Their eyes were wild, blood dribbling from their mouth as they screamed incoherently. I fired. The beam punched through their chest, and they crumpled mid-step, their weapon clattering to the ground.

More cultists emerged, too many to hold this position. I scanned the terrain quickly, my eyes landing on a narrow passageway between two jagged rock formations. It would funnel the cultists into a single line, negating their numbers advantage.

"There!" I pointed to the chokepoint. "We're moving! Fall back and establish a kill-zone!"

The Cadians responded instantly. "Yes, sir!"

They moved with precision, firing in short, controlled bursts as they retreated toward the chokepoint. I covered the rear, the [Las Pistol] snapping out shot after shot. Every beam found its mark, dropping a cultist with a single hit. But they kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless, their cries of ecstasy and rage deafening.

We reached the passage. I stepped aside, letting the Cadians take position. They formed a staggered line, their rifles aimed down the narrow corridor.

"Hold this position!" I barked.

"Yes, sir!"

The cultists charged into the bottleneck, their screams echoing through the narrow space. The Cadians opened fire in unison, their las-rifles cutting through the enemy like scythes through wheat. The passage filled with the stench of burning flesh and the crackle of energy discharges. Bodies piled up, blocking the path, but the cultists climbed over their fallen, their bloodlust driving them forward.

I fired alongside the Cadians, aiming for the faster cultists who slipped through the gaps. A particularly large one wielding a makeshift flail roared as he closed the distance. I fired twice, the second shot punching through his chest. He toppled, the flail dropping harmlessly at his side.

The kill-zone worked. The passage slowed their advance, forcing them into predictable paths. The Cadians fired with brutal efficiency, their shots clean and precise. The cultists' charge faltered, their numbers thinning.

A few of the cultists began to hesitate, their steps slowing, their grins faltering. The ground beneath them was slick with blood, and the pile of bodies at the chokepoint had become an impassable barrier.

"Push them back!" I shouted.

The Cadians advanced a step, firing relentlessly. The cultists broke. Those still standing turned and ran, their laughter replaced with shrieks of fear.

"Cease fire," I ordered. The crackle of las-rifles died, leaving only the faint hum of the weapons and the distant echoes of retreating footsteps.

"Clear the bodies," I said, motioning to the piled corpses. "We're not done yet."

"Yes, sir," a Cadian replied, stepping forward to shove the bodies aside with the butt of his rifle.

I scanned the horizon, my grip tightening on the [Las Pistol]. This was just the first wave.

More would come.

I could feel it.

The Cadians worked fast, clearing the bodies with precision. They hauled the corpses aside, creating space to fire if another wave came. The metallic tang of blood hung thick in the air, and the ground beneath us was slick with gore. I kept my eyes on the horizon, scanning for movement.

Then, I saw them.

Shapes darted through the haze, fast and lithe. The air grew heavier, the faint sound of laughter – high-pitched and lilting – reaching my ears. My stomach clenched as the shadows solidified into figures.

Monstrous, half-women, with horns and crab-like pincers in place of hands, hoofed feet, and long tongues. The System recognized them as [Daemonettes]

They moved like streaks of light, their clawed limbs gleaming as they bounded over the rocky terrain. Their faces were twisted, unnervingly beautiful yet horrifying, their eyes blazing with cruel delight.

"Contacts!" I shouted, raising the [Las Pistol]. "Engage! Don't let them close!"

The Cadians snapped to action, their rifles spitting crimson beams. The shots struck true, cutting down a few of the Daemonettes mid-leap, but they moved too fast. Inhumanly fast. One Cadian barely had time to scream before a clawed hand slashed through his chest, spilling him to the ground. Another soldier was thrown back, his rifle clattering away as a Daemonette eviscerated him in one fluid motion.

"Fall back!" I yelled, firing at a Daemonette closing in on my flank. The beam scorched through its chest, dropping it, but another surged forward to take its place. The third Cadian screamed as razor-sharp claws tore through his helmet. Blood sprayed as his lifeless body hit the dirt.

The remaining soldiers retreated, firing in short bursts, but the Daemonettes were relentless. I gritted my teeth. We were outmatched.

I reached for the System. No more holding back. This wasn't a fight we could win without brute force.

"Summoning Tyranid Carnifexes," I muttered, confirming the command, though I didn't really need to speak aloud for it.

My three Carnifexes materialized in a blinding flash of light. The ground shook violently beneath their bulk as they appeared, each towering over the battlefield like monstrous gods of war. Their thick, chitinous armor gleamed under the unnatural sky, and their massive claws gleamed with an organic sheen that promised death.

The Daemonettes didn't even have time to react. The first Carnifex barreled forward, its sheer mass flattening three Daemonettes in its path. The impact shattered nearby rock formations, sending debris flying in all directions. Another Carnifex roared, its guttural bellow shaking the air as it swung its scythe-like claws, slicing through a cluster of Daemonettes as if they were paper.

The tide shifted immediately.

The Daemonettes, so swift and deadly before, now looked like children trying to stop a tank. One leaped onto a Carnifex's back, claws scrabbling at its armor, but the beast bucked hard, flinging the creature into a nearby rock formation. The impact was fatal, the Daemonette reduced to a bloody smear.

"Keep firing!" I shouted to the remaining Cadians, raising my [Las Pistol] to pick off any stragglers. A Daemonette darted toward me, its claws extended. I fired twice, both shots hitting its chest. It dropped, skidding to a stop at my feet.

The third Carnifex charged through the chaos, its massive feet crushing Daemonettes as they tried to flee. One swung its claws in desperation, slashing at the Carnifex's leg, but it was like attacking a tank with a toothpick. The beast retaliated with a single swipe, cutting the Daemonette in half.

The air was thick with the sounds of destruction. The Carnifexes moved like living engines of death, their roars blending with the screams of the dying. The ground trembled under their weight, the rocky terrain reduced to rubble in their wake.

The last Daemonette tried to run, its movements frantic, but a Carnifex lunged forward, its jaws snapping shut around the fleeing figure. The creature let out a final, choked scream before disappearing into the beast's maw.

Silence fell.

AN: Chapter 29 is out on (Pat)reon!