With a sickening splatter, Covenant infantry without energy shields were obliterated by a barrage of various calibers and munitions. Forced into combat, Grunts and simple-minded Drones, controlled by their queen's will, were little more than expendable "living shields." The vicious Jackals, hiding behind rubble and using Grunts and Drones as meat shields, exploited their cover to snipe weaker clone soldiers with deadly precision. Equipped with energy shields, most Jackals could withstand small-caliber rounds effectively.
At that moment, a few Jackals, equipped with beam sniper rifles and goggles, locked onto an Ultramarine and several nearby clone soldiers. The rifles emitted a high-pitched hum, discharging purple-pink beams. While the magnetic field around the Ultramarine's Titan armor deflected the beams, the clones weren't so lucky. Within seconds, several clones were pierced through their torsos.
"Medic!"
"I need help!"
"Cover fire!"
Despite taking severe chest and abdominal hits, the clones didn't immediately collapse. They rolled to the ground, yelling in pain but quickly seeking cover to avoid further sniping. Medics, marked with white armbands, rushed forward, flanked by heavily armored clones with exoskeletons providing covering fire.
The rotating Gauss guns of the heavy clones tore through the Covenant ranks, sending blue tracer rounds and armor-piercing rounds that shredded even Jackals with energy shields. Meanwhile, the injured clones received rapid, lifesaving treatment. The medics checked the wounds, spraying biofoam over the injuries to staunch blood loss and injecting a purple fluid directly into the wounds.
Moments later, the injured clones flexed their necks and shoulders, already standing to rejoin the battle. These injections enhanced their speed and reflexes further, making them more aggressive as they charged alongside the Ultramarines into the Covenant line. These treatments were a temporary surge, a "last hurrah" for the clones who were genetically engineered to be fearless and pain-resistant, requiring dismemberment or a headshot to fully incapacitate them.
With the medics' work complete, the formation moved forward. Six Ultramarines led the charge, followed closely by over two hundred clones. Titan tanks and Cyclops mechs flanked them, bombarding the Covenant lines with suppressive fire. From nearby buildings on the city outskirts, ODST teams provided targeting coordinates for orbital strikes.
Moments later, 400mm plasma rounds crashed down from orbit, striking the Covenant's armored vehicles with devastating force. Explosions and blue flames tore through the Covenant's rear lines. The Ultramarines, wielding bolters and plasma cannons, pushed forward and penetrated the enemy's defenses.
"Die, alien scum!"
"For humanity! For glory!"
As they closed in, their voices echoed with a metallic, powerful edge, amplified by their helmets. Like other Astartes squads, the Ultramarines were composed of four riflemen and two heavy gunners. The riflemen were in the vanguard, unleashing salvoes of specialized bolter rounds upon any Covenant forces in sight. Their arsenal included Venom Bolts, which released corrosive acid upon impact, and Storm Bolts, packed with miniaturized metal-hydrogen rounds.
The effect was devastating. Venom Bolts hit a group of Jackals, releasing a green acidic mist that corroded armor and flesh alike, filling the air with the sound of sizzling and the screams of dying Covenant troops. Even the Brutes, who tried to escape the acid cloud, found their fur and muscles melting off in chunks. Within seconds, the mist dissolved the bodies into a viscous sludge that seeped into the ground.
Storm Bolts, on the other hand, ended enemies quickly and cleanly. Their victims felt only a brief, searing warmth before death overtook them. From the Ultramarines' forward push, it seemed like they had the upper hand. But as they continued to advance, the resistance intensified.
Suddenly, a group of Brutes, towering over three meters tall and clad in reinforced armor, appeared on the Ultramarines' right flank. Despite spotting them in advance, the relentless flood of Covenant infantry prevented the Ultramarines from engaging immediately. Drones willingly threw themselves into the line of fire, allowing the Brutes time to close the distance.
The magnetic shielding of the Titan armor couldn't deflect the sheer volume of plasma and fuel rounds, and soon the Ultramarines' armor began taking direct hits. Fortunately, their Titan III power armor was equipped with shoulder-mounted energy shields similar to the Jackals', significantly boosting their survivability. Though the shields weren't as robust as those on primarch-exclusive power armor or experimental Terminator suits, they were sufficient against light arms and small-caliber artillery. When the shields overloaded, the armor's internal fusion reactor recharged them, allowing the Ultramarines to continue their push forward.
However, as their rifle magazines ran dry, the situation grew dire. With the Brutes nearing, the heavy gunners covered them, concentrating fire on the Brutes, while the riflemen holstered their bolters and unsheathed chainswords and power swords, bracing for close combat.
In an instant, a massive Brute swung a gravity hammer at the Ultramarine captain. Anticipating the strike, the captain sidestepped and activated his power sword, delivering a swift slash aimed at the Brute's left flank.
The hammer crashed into the ground, leaving a crater, while the captain took advantage of the Brute's recovery lag. He spun, directing his power sword into the Brute's side.
The Brute's energy shield couldn't withstand the force and plasma field of the power sword. In a single, fluid motion, the Ultramarine captain cleaved through the Brute's torso. Around him, the other Ultramarines dispatched several Brutes with their chainswords, tearing through the Covenant troops with ease.
But more Brutes pressed in, ignoring the bodies of their fallen allies. With wild, blood-red eyes, they roared:
"If even one of them dies, it's a victory!"
"This is our last chance to prove our worth to the gods! No retreat!"
Their words, combined with the Covenant's grim reality, revealed that the Prophets had once again used deception, inciting the Brutes into suicidal fervor. Indeed, if they lost this system, the Prophets and Brute leadership would face ruin.
Now, nearly a hundred Brutes charged at the four Ultramarines, disregarding their own safety. Covenant infantry desperately tried to support the Brutes, attempting to overwhelm the Ultramarine gunners, clone soldiers, and reinforcements. Having fought the Astartes for over a year, the Covenant knew that inflicting heavy losses on them could swing the battle and buy the Covenant a rare respite.
Seeing their comrades under siege, two more Ultramarine squads and a Blood Angel squad quickened their pace, rushing to provide aid.
Surrounded in the heart of the Covenant horde, the four Ultramarines had only one thought: eliminate the enemies in front of them.
With a resounding clang, the Ultramarines and Brutes engaged in brutal, close-quarters combat. Limbs were severed, blood sprayed, and chunks of flesh and organs flew across the battlefield.
In the Halo universe, even Grunts, Drones, and Brutes were exceptionally formidable, with shields and training that gave them the skill and resilience of legendary difficulty foes. Only the luck and unparalleled skill of Spartan-II super-soldiers allowed them to cut through Covenant forces. And even then, many Spartans fell to Hunters and Brutes.
These four Ultramarines now faced immense pressure. Their superior reflexes, strength, and experience allowed them to hold their ground at first, but the tide shifted as the Brute leader entered the fray.
"A small thing like you, dying by my hand, is an honor," snarled the Brute, who went by the name Atriox, as he led his troops in an assault on the Ultramarine captain.
"Hah! Worthless scum!" the captain retorted dismissively, attempting a familiar maneuver to slice at Atriox's side. But a low, reverberating hum interrupted his strike.
Atriox had anticipated the attack, using the head of his gravity hammer to block the power sword's arc. As he did, two other Brutes swung their hammers at the captain's exposed back.
The captain's energy shield shattered under the blow, his Titan III armor dented, and his helmet was knocked clear, revealing his fierce, chiseled face.
"Urgh!" Blood splattered as the captain was forced to the ground by the dual strike.
"Die, little one!" Atriox sneered, lifting his gravity hammer to finish him off. But as he prepared to strike, a deafening roar filled the air.
Six drop pods streaked across the sky, slamming down into the battlefield with tremendous force, creating shockwaves that sent Brutes and Covenant infantry flying.
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