$510, The Minotaur in Holy Terra: Shadow of the Regent! (VIII)

[In the fifth month, the Cathedral of the Emperor's Ascension, located in the southern hemisphere of Terra, is nominally a church building, but it is more like a huge building complex comparable to the scale of a city.

[In the past, this place was used to accommodate believers who came to Holy Terra for pilgrimage, but now it has become the final place where the cultists intend to resist stubbornly. ]

[Countless defensive weapons and heavy vehicles are piled up in large quantities at the entrance of the church and even on important traffic arteries. ]

[And at the outermost edge of the entire huge building complex, on the battlefield ground covered with countless craters and burn marks, armored ground forces from the Imperial Guard are slowly surrounding the entire cathedral. ]

[Having just experienced many difficult battles such as the Battle of Cadia, the number of Astartes mobilized from the Phalanx has not yet been replenished. Only less than 80 people of the Imperial Fist Company 3 were left. They were divided into several combat teams again and distributed throughout the encirclement. 】

【Once the final battle begins, they will become the sharp knives that break through the defense of the church and open the offensive channel for the subsequent Imperial Guards or armored forces. 】

【However, when countless mortal warriors and the coalition forces of the Imperial Fists and the Imperial Guards are still in the preparation stage. 】

【Boom boom boom——】

【Accompanied by huge beams of light that suddenly fell from the sky, the orbital bombardment from the Imperial Navy launched a terrifying coverage attack in advance! 】

【Then, while countless buildings in the entire church city continued to collapse and destroy. 】

【Above the blue sky that was almost bright, one after another airdrop pods carrying veterans of the Minotaur Astartes were wrapped in heavy flames and rushed heavily to the ground! 】

【And more troop transports and countless Thunderhawk transport planes carrying the Astra Militarum also showed dense traces from the periphery of the coalition battlefield! 】

【At this moment, inside the temporary command post of the coalition located outside the battlefield.

【According to common sense, they should be full of anger and surprise, but their expressions were unchanged. Captain Galadon, who seemed to have known about this for a long time, subconsciously looked at Trajan, the commander of the Imperial Guard, and then the two of them moved their eyes away from each other without leaving a trace. 】

【Soon after, when the orbital bombardment from the sky and the massacre of the Minotaur Legion were just over. 】

【When the countless mortal soldiers of the Imperial Guard and ordinary Astartes outside the ruins of the church were full of doubts and puzzlement. 】

【With the rapid spread of invisible electromagnetics, a series of mysterious broadcast signals that could connect the entire public channel of Holy Terra suddenly appeared clearly on every human screen or radio device, and maintained almost the same form as the Unyielding Ceremony of Guilliman that had just been held not long ago. 】

【At this moment, everyone on Terra subconsciously looked at the screen position that could receive the image. 】

【And inside the central dome of the broken Ascension Cathedral, the rebellious high lords who once or now controlled the entire power class of Terra, held their heads high and showed their old or strong figures. 】

【These people are Hamo Talion, the former Minister of the Ministry of the Interior, Avilisa Drachma, the Marshal of the Ministry of Justice, Fadix, the Grand Master of the Assassin Court, and Bardo Sleister, the deposed former Pope of the State Church. 】

【And behind the four rebellious high lords, you, a tall and strong man, stood there in silence wearing Terminator armor, and you were casually playing with the pale head of the leader of the cult faction, the Lord of Dreams, in one of your ceramic steel palms. 】

【"The Emperor's people, the era of rebellion is over!" 】

【At this moment, Hamo, the former Minister of the Ministry of the Interior, who was in the lead, slowly stepped forward. 】

【He announced to the whole of Terra through the public channel broadcasting equipment in an excited tone.

【"The cultists who ravaged Holy Terra have been destroyed! Just as the Emperor's will! Just as the Code requires!"】

【"This is the Empire, this must be the Empire, and this will always be the Empire!"】

【However, just as the other party was preparing to continue his speech as his emotions gradually built up. 】

【The deep voice from you suddenly overwhelmed the voice of the rebellious high lord. 】

【"Hehe, then will this human empire belong to you high lords in the future? Or will it belong to the Emperor?"】

【At this moment, you, who were playing with the pale head, suddenly drove the Terminator power armor and stepped forward. 】

【You looked down at the former Minister of the Interior who was a little shocked by your sudden voice. 】

【Among the other three rebellious high lords, except for the Grand Master of the Assassin Court who remained calm, the other two looked at each other, and there was a hint of panic in their eyes. Obviously, they also found a huge loophole in the entire rebellion plan. 】

【That is the Astartes, which they regard as one of their military strengths. What if they suddenly disobey? 】

【"Don't worry, I want to invite you high lords and all the Terrans on the other end of the radio to watch a show... a bloody show of executing traitors that I like the most!"】

【You quickly raised one of your ceramic steel hands and firmly suppressed the former Minister of the Interior who wanted to turn around and escape. 】

【And at the moment when your voice fell, four slender dark figures whose bodies were undergoing drastic changes suddenly rushed forward from among the many mortals who originally belonged to the high lord's servant team! 】

[And these slender figures with thick braids on their heads and black plastic combat rubber suits are the female assassins of the Temple of Callidus! ]

[In an instant, except for the former Minister of the Interior and the expressionless Grand Master of the Assassin Court who were firmly suppressed by you, the other two high lords were instantly killed by the four Callidus assassins! ]

["Tsk tsk, the first scene of the execution of the high lord traitor, unfortunately this is not the plot routine I designed for you, but I can tell you that this is a small appetizer gift from Regent Guilliman to you."]

[At this moment, you lowered your metal helmet slightly. ]

[You whispered slowly to the pale and trembling former Minister of the Interior in a low and cold voice. 】

【"Look, the main course I prepared for you is here!"】

【You slowly raised the ceramic steel hand that was playing with the pale head. In everyone's field of vision, a number of troop transports belonging to the Astra Militarum Army continued to enter the ruined church. However, after the heavy hatch was opened, it was not the mortal warriors who came to rescue, but men, women, old and young with exquisite clothing, who were obviously nobles. 】

【At the same time, the Minotaur Primaris in power armor were constantly driving more nobles through the ruined church building and heading in front of you. 】

【"The thousands of people over there are all the relatives and families of the Marshal of the Ministry of Justice. I even helped him find his illegitimate son hidden in the Terra Palace... Oh, those are the male servants of the former Pope of the State Religion and his close friends and relatives. His taste is a little bit heavy, but I still admire him for not having any family members."】

【"Those are the family and friends of the Admiral of the Navy... Eh? As a high lord with high power, the number of your family members is less than I thought. Is the baby still in the woman's arms the new bloodline of your family? I still have to congratulate you, but it's a pity for this child."】

【At this moment, your not-so-loud words echoed in the ears of the rebellious high lord like the whispers of a chaos demon, and his mental state also developed from fear and terror at the beginning to complete collapse. 】

【"Please... please, Lord Moloch, for the sake of me, the high lord, who has taken care of your Minotaur Warband for so many years!" The other party kept begging you with trembling lips. 】

【"Tsk, since you can't return to the throne, before you die, I can reveal a little secret to you... I am not Moloch. To be precise, I just borrowed Moloch's body under the guidance of the Emperor."】

【"And I just like to cut the grass and root it out. So, we Astartes said we would kill your whole family, and we must kill your whole family!"】

【As soon as the voice fell, you, wearing a metal helmet, threw away the pale head of the cult leader. 】

【The next second, your two ceramic steel palms grasped the thin neck of the head of the rebellious high lord and the former Minister of the Interior, and then tore it up and down without hesitation! 】

【Accompanied by an extremely short and tragic scream, a mortal head with part of the pale spine slowly appeared in your palm in front of countless Terran people watching excitedly through the screen! 】

【Holding the fresh head in your palm, you slightly turned the metal helmet, and your eyes stared at the still running broadcasting equipment and said lightly. 】

【"This is the final fate of betraying the Emperor and the Empire of Man! Even the powerful High Lords are no exception!"】

【"Minotaur Chapter! Imperial Fists Chapter! Custodians Ten Thousand and Sisters of Silence listen to my orders! The subsequent reckoning and terrible punishment of the High Lord traitors officially begins from now on!"】

【"With the watchful eyes and blessing of the Holy Emperor, in the name of Regent Guilliman..."】

【"Kill them all——"】

Thank you for your support!

Everyone should drink less tonight, eat more vegetables, and have a happy New Year!