[The 473rd Iron Legion is overloading the core. Block the enemy! Do not let them get close!]
The core area… at this moment, not a single living soul remained among the ruins.
Those things that resembled humanoids were most likely corpses—or something similar.
In the past, the corpses in this city would have been collected by the Corpse Guild to be turned into corpse starch.
But now, the people of the Corpse Guild had long since abandoned this Hive City. The entire Hive City, except for the Astra Militarum deployed here for defense, had become a complete no-man's land.
A soldier ran over in a hurry and saluted his superior officer. His eyes were firm, as if he were already prepared to sacrifice himself at any moment.
"Colonel… we have activated all the energy pumps!"
"It will only take two hours for the energy to reach its peak. At that time, we shall return to the Golden Throne."
"The Emperor's light shall shine upon us!"
"Good job, soldier!" Colonel Bokant could not help taking a sip of hot coffee. His hands trembled; he could hardly believe that he had become the one to destroy his own home.
"Next, we shall prove our loyalty through action!"
"To be honest, I truly hate having to blow up my former home!"
"But to prevent it from falling into the hands of traitors, I have no choice!"
[Lion King: I understand!]
The sudden voice tightened everyone's hearts.
Generally speaking, voices transmitted through this channel were extremely important, as they carried combat instructions relayed by that blonde girl.
[Colonel Bokant: We await your orders, My Lady. We shall hold the Hive City until the very last moment!]
[We will not move a single step until the engine explodes… Every member of our 473rd Iron Legion is ready to offer their loyalty to the God-Emperor.]
His tone was fierce, carrying a heavy sense of finality. The Steel Legion lived up to its name: steel inside and out. They were not soldiers like those from Krieg, who had been completely brainwashed, yet they still had the courage to stay and perish together with the enemy.
[Lion King: I am not here to give orders; I merely came to bid you farewell!]
[I once personally gave the order to destroy my home and watched my mother world shatter before my eyes. Since then, I have carried the duty of slaying traitors.]
[My father… my former adoptive father betrayed me and the Emperor. I will never fall before I kill him!]
At the front of the battlefield, a large number of Terminators followed Lion King, charging toward the Chaos positions.
The thick armor of the Terminators provided immunity to most bullets, but even their defenses could be overwhelmed on such a massive battlefield. Whenever a massive macro-cannon shell landed, it would claim the life of even the most seasoned Terminator veterans.
World Eaters swarmed around them, yet even in such chaos, Lion King managed to chat with Mortals. For her, it was not difficult to command the battlefield while interacting with ordinary soldiers. She was gradually adapting to the multi-threaded battlefield, compensating for her past shortcomings.
[Colonel Bokant: My Lady, I imagine your side is even busier. I can hear cannon fire through the comms.]
[You are on the battlefield and should not have contacted us. Compared to us, you Angels of the Empire are far more precious in the Emperor's eyes!]
[We Mortals are not worthy of grief. For the Emperor, for humanity's future, for any possible hope, we choose glorious sacrifice.]
The Colonel's tone was now indifferent, yet his admiration was clear. Compared to cowardly nobles, this small girl could influence the battlefield more than many Astartes. She looked fragile, yet in battle, she was even fiercer than the Astartes around her.
It was said she had personally dismantled a Titan on the front lines. A Mortal like him could scarcely imagine how someone smaller than himself could achieve that.
[Lion King: Don't say such things!] Lion King shouted into the communicator.
[The Emperor has never belittled Mortal life. At the Council of Terra, he even considered giving ordinary people political power!]
[Remember this: compared to his children and scions, the Emperor cherishes all of humanity even more!]
[Everything he has done is a manifestation of that favor. If you return to the Golden Throne, remember this!]
Lion King severed the heads of a few more demons, but the relentless fighting began to overwhelm her. Several World Eaters slashed her elbow despite evasive maneuvers—the enemy numbers were simply too great.
[Lion King: Damn it, no more talking!]
[I must devote myself entirely to battle!]
[Be careful, Chaos Astartes are charging toward your position. Stop them… you must…]
The call cut off. The entire 473rd Iron Legion fell into a communication blackout. They knew this was the war's opening act. They also knew the enemy's offensive would be frenzied.
"Everyone, hold your positions!"
"Remember… in two hours, we meet the God-Emperor!"
"Show your mettle! Do not disgrace the Emperor!"
The battle cry ignited their spirits. Mortals prepared for death now showed defiance. Heavy weapons teams fired relentlessly, erasing many Chaos followers like snowflakes. Leman Russ tanks tore through the streets, and Basilisk artillery targeted distant avenues.
"Boom!" Colonel Bokant, relying on Lion King's intel, successfully ambushed a charging World Eaters squad. Dozens of cannons obliterated the entire Astartes unit. As Lion King had said, Mortals could only challenge Astartes through overwhelming, saturated fire.
"Great, it worked!" the Colonel thought.
But a wounded World Eater still dragged itself forward, screaming blasphemous slogans.
"Let me handle it!" Colonel Bokant grabbed his chainsword and charged. Despite the enemy's armored bulk, his strike felled the Astartes.
"Foolish to think weak bodies can oppose us. Only the Blood God grants true strength!" the World Eater gasped before death.
"Compared to you, I am wise!" the Colonel shouted. "I would rather die than serve a demon!"
The Mortals cheered. Colonel Bokant silenced them with a stern glare. Killing a Chaos Astartes, in his eyes, was no feat.
"Hold positions!"
"Do not let the cultists swarm!"
"We've lost contact with the Dark Angels Chapter Master!"
No one faltered. They knew their maximum survival time would not exceed two hours. Dying sooner meant meeting the God-Emperor earlier.
The 20,000 Steel Legion held back hundreds of thousands, using streets and ruins as defensive cover. Every ruin and slum hid loyal soldiers. Chaos forces struggled to predict their positions.
As the core heated, frontline warriors felt the temperature rise behind them. Sweat was wiped away, their focus unwavering, as the pale yellow energy column rose.
Machines roared in protest, their machine spirits angered, yet unable to resist the influx of energy. They could only await their end, watching the Hive City's destruction.
[Mission time remaining: 3 minutes. Friendly units still in blast radius…]
[Time until explosion: 3 minutes. Friendly units still in blast radius.]
Richard observed silently. These Mortals could not retreat; if they left, Chaos could repair the Hive City, and the mission would fail. What troubled him most was that even if they wished to escape, the Mortals had no choice.
Predator tanks had been destroyed, dreadnoughts withdrawn, and the core defensive perimeter around the Primarch shrank.
"Hold… you must hold!"
Lion King ignored her wounds, focusing on Richard's intelligence. The 473rd Steel Legion was precariously holding. Only about 3,000 Mortals remained. Chaos had sent multiple Astartes squads via drop pods, raiding the core. The enemy did not expect such swift Mortal response.
Colonel Bokant, lying in blood, had tried to challenge an Astartes. He underestimated these superhumans. Even pierced, Astartes still charged like madmen.
"So that's how it is… no wonder the gap is so big." His breathing weakened, but he smiled, sensing the approaching fiery air behind him. Chaos had not yet discerned the Mortals' plan.
"Interesting Mortal, daring to challenge me… your head will honor the Blood God!"
"Sacrifice me? Your time is up! Soon, you will meet the God-Emperor. Repent to His Majesty!"
Using his last strength, Colonel Bokant activated the overload. Light like the sun illuminated the Hive City. Hunger, exploitation, oppression—all vanished in the Emperor's holy light.
The shockwave buzzed in ears. Dark Angels witnessed the intense light and massive explosion. Nearly a million Chaos legions perished; almost none survived. They met the Emperor's judgment amidst blinding light and heat.
"Is it finally over?" Lion King brushed off dust, standing amidst the ruins. Terminators rose beside her, weapons raised, guarding the surroundings.
"Primarch, their mission is complete! The Mortals proved their courage and heroism!"
Knight Commanders praised the Mortal legions. Though small, they were loyal swords of the Emperor, exchanging life for hope and devotion—more valiant than many shouting Battle-Brothers.
"Let's move—there are other battles ahead. I hope my father watches; he will surely honor their return to the Golden Throne!"
Richard quietly observed the piece in his hand: Colonel Bokant's piece. At his death's last moment, his soul was not taken by Chaos but transferred mysteriously to the chessboard.
[Congratulations, Host, mission complete. Deployment points increased to 4000.]
[Reward: permission to acquire an enemy piece—limited to Khorne pieces; other Chaos Gods' pieces cannot be captured.]
"Interesting… he truly was a hero, killing a Greater Daemon for the Empire."
Richard placed the piece next to the Emperor's, honoring the Mortal spirit and their heroic moment.
The war continued. Armageddon's battlefield burned white-hot. Apocalypse-level war unfolded. Titans roared, Knight Houses joined, Grey Knight Inquisitors arrived, and Space Wolves answered the distress signal with a full Chapter.
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