I summoned the Fourth Scourge in Warhammer

Chapter 263 A Thirst for War
Cato Sicarius had miraculously recovered from the horrific shock of the Norn messenger's self-destruction. The torrent of energy, powerful enough to tear an ordinary Space Marine to shreds, had left deep, bone-revealing burns on his body, scorching through his power armor.

But the Space Marine's resilience and his powerful will ultimately triumphed over his injuries. Now, the wounds on his body have healed, and his internal tendons and bones have regained their vitality. Power surges within him, as strong and flamboyant as ever.

Despite his severe injuries, Sicarius never strayed far from the front lines. He insisted on being placed in a medical station near command post rather than being sent to the rear to recuperate. He couldn't bear to lie in a comfortable hospital bed amidst the chaos of war. Therefore, the moment he finally fully recovered, he immediately got up and eagerly embarked on his journey back to the front lines—or at least, to command post.

He strode confidently through the arched doors of the temporary command post in Plantim. The holographic projection on the tactical map emitted a faint glow. However, the moment he stepped inside, he keenly sensed something amiss. All eyes—the technical sergeant, the messenger, and the other company commanders present—were fixed on him.

Sicarius frowned slightly. Just as he was wondering what had happened and why he had become the focus of everyone's attention, Severus Agmann, who should have been the second company commander, walked up to him with a heavy expression.

“Congratulations, Cato Sicarius, my brother,” Agman’s voice was low. “You are now the captain of the Ultramarines Second Company.”

A rare look of astonishment appeared on Sicarius's usually confident face. He even wondered if there was something wrong with his hearing.

"What?" he blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief. "What happened?"

Agmann briefly recounted to Sicarius everything that had happened recently: the First Company had encountered the enemy at the command post, and Chief Company Commander Sol Inviktus and the First Company had been almost completely wiped out; in order to fill the vacancy, Regiment Commander Maneus Calga promoted Agmann to be the acting company commander of the First Company; and Sicarius was assigned to replace Agmann as the new company commander of the Second Company.

The whole process sounded like a fantasy, but looking at Agman's serious expression and the gazes of all the Astartes around him, Sicarius knew it was no joke.

“I understand.” Sicarius took a deep breath, his eyes gradually sharpening. He quickly adjusted his mindset, suppressing his personal emotions and replacing them with his duty as the commander of an Ultramarines company.

Agman patted him on the shoulder, his eyes filled with expectation: "Kato, the glory of the Second Company is now in your hands. I believe you can lead them to continue fighting for the Emperor and Urtramar."

After saying that, Agman turned and left, clearly to begin fulfilling his new duties.

Sicarius watched Agman leave, then strode to the center of the command post, to where Agman had stood. He glanced at the densely packed Zerg symbols on the holographic tactical map, and at the deployment of the Second Company. The new burden was heavier than he had imagined, but he quickly accepted the responsibility.

"Second Company..." he murmured to himself, his voice carrying a solemnity he himself was unaware of, "From this moment on, I will lead you to utterly crush these filthy aliens!"

Sicarius stood before the holographic tactical map, his finger gliding deftly across the light and shadow-constructed landscape of Plantim. He rapidly processed all the intelligence provided by command: the Tyranid troop deployments, their advance routes, and the weak points of the Imperial defenses. He could feel the heavy atmosphere permeating command, and the barely suppressed grief and indignation in the eyes of every Astartes. The losses of the First Company had ultimately impacted the chapter's morale.

"These aliens think they can devour everything," Sicarius said coldly, his voice carrying a hint of arrogance, but deeper within it lay the iron will of an Ultramariner.

"We will not back down, nor will we allow them to devour our homes. The Second Company will launch a surprise attack," he announced, his gaze sweeping over every sergeant and company commander present.

His tactical plan was bold and radical: he proposed not to adopt a traditional defensive strategy or a slow recapturation of lost territory, but to concentrate all the elite forces of the Second Company on a daring deep infiltration, bypassing the main Tyranid defenses and directly striking a key rear lair—a breeding ground for a large number of elite Tyranid creatures. This was undoubtedly a high-risk gamble; if surrounded by the Tyranids, the Second Company would face a desperate situation of isolation and helplessness.

Normally, such tactical proposals might draw skepticism from some conservative non-commissioned officers, who would advocate for a more conservative strategy to avoid unnecessary losses. One experienced non-commissioned officer even frowned slightly, seemingly preparing to propose a more robust alternative.

However, Sicarius gave them little time to think. His voice suddenly rose, striking the hearts of every Astartes like a war drum: "These aliens try to drag us into the mire, they think we are lambs to the slaughter! But they are wrong! We are Ultramarines! We are the Emperor's blade! Brothers of the First Company, their sacrifice must not be in vain!"

"We will use their blood to mourn our fallen! We will use their bones to forge a new line of defense! We will use our sharpest fangs to tear these vile aliens apart, and let them know that the Ultramarines' rage burns far brighter than theirs!"

His words were like adding fuel to the fire, instantly igniting the burning flames of revenge in the hearts of all the Astartes present. The annihilation of the First Company was their shared shame and sorrow. Every Space Marine's chest burned with a deep-seated hatred for the Tyranids; they yearned for a thunderous counterattack, for the exhilarating pain of paying for their blood debts.

The sergeant major, who had initially intended to object, slammed his clenched fist into his breastplate with a dull thud. The hesitation in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by a resolute killing intent.

"For the First Company!"

"For the Emperor!"

"For Ultramar!"

Roars echoed through the command post, a lament for the dead and a burning desire to kill the aliens. Sicarius's aggressive tactics were exactly what they wanted, perfectly matching their thirst for revenge.

(End of this chapter)