The bellringer was a metre away. Felix was taller than the traitor, but with far less mass; the bellringer was a swollen horror, bloated with unnatural disease and fell power. His cracked armour strained to contain his bulk. Diseased horns sprouted from his back, the bell hanger but one of them, and they were part of his body. A filthy tabard hung from his armour, yellowed by smoke pouring from a censer at his waist.

Felix leapt onto the corpse of the tentacled Space Marine, using the backpack as a springboard to launch himself at his foe. The bellringer loosed a shot from his plasma pistol, and a globular sun howled past the captain’s ear. Felix let fly with his boltstorm gauntlet, the shots ringing the bell, then brought his power sword up and back for a mighty downwards cut. The blade’s powered edge sank deep into the traitor’s thick armour, bringing forth a wash of black blood and a ringing grunt, more bell chime than voice.

The traitor staggered, his motion setting the great bell on his back into another swing. Soundwaves pummelled Felix, piercing the psychic protection of Maxim. His auditory dampers burst. The scent of fried electronics filled his mask, and his ears bled.

A second, smaller bell hung from the traitor’s hand. He swung it like a weapon at Felix’s head. Felix recovered quickly, his Primaris physique, aided by the Codicier’s psychic might, purging the great bell’s effects from his mind, and he swung his power sword, cleaving the bellringer’s hand from his body. Blood, thick and slow as tar, congealed at the stump. Felix levelled his sword, and rammed it as hard as he could at the traitor’s chest. A sparking furrow split the armour as the point scraped across the rounded chest-plate, setting the traitor’s tabard aflame. It bit near the bellringer’s armpit, and penetrated the metal to the rotten meat beneath. Felix put all his weight onto the sword, and pushed it through his enemy. Metal squealed on metal. The disruption field cracked and banged. Stinking smoke wisped from the wound.

The traitor roared, and flailed once again with his smaller bell. Felix released his sword and punched hard with his gauntlet, caving in the traitor’s helmet. As the bellringer fell, Felix yanked his sword free and swung, cutting through the bell’s supporting horn. It fell with a muted clank, and was silent.

Instantly, the effect of the bell vanished. The Primaris Space Marines recovered their wits and attacked with renewed vigour. Death Guard fell by the dozen, though the cost to the Ultra­marines was high.

‘Onward!’ shouted Felix. ‘Onward! To the chapel!’