After nearly two weeks of meticulous preparation, a grand celebration was finally held. Its stated purpose was twofold: to commemorate Avarax's miraculous survival from the Tyranid invasion and to offer effusive praise for the Academy of Immortality that had mysteriously appeared in the Hive City's upper levels. Thanks to Marcus and Alexia's efforts, everyone had come to believe that the Academy's existence was nothing less than a miracle from the Emperor.
Seizing this unique opportunity, almost all Ecclesiarchy believers and clergy on Avarax converged in the upper levels of the Central Hive, eager to behold the magnificent divine phenomenon. Not only Ecclesiarchy personnel from the Recidious Star System but even devout individuals from several surrounding star systems had heard the news and traveled specifically to witness the event.
This gathering finally allowed Marcus to execute his simple yet brutal plan: he would have the Tyrant Xenomorph directly deal with all those unyielding Ecclesiarchy members. After such a prolonged period of probing, Marcus had already identified the specific characteristics of his targets. In short, the Tyrant Xenomorph would meticulously eliminate only those who refused to submit to his Psychic Contract, ensuring no innocent lives were taken and no key figures who might be swayed were missed. This precise purge would allow Marcus to smoothly consolidate control over the Ecclesiarchy on Avarax.
In the upper levels of the Central Hive, outside the magnificent Academy of Immortality, a huge, temporarily constructed platform served as the focal point of the celebration. Dozens of high-ranking Ecclesiarchy priests from Avarax gathered there, ready to officiate. Below the stage, countless believers were united in unison, praising the God-Emperor and singing sacred hymns.
Seeing that the moment was ripe, Marcus released the Tyrant Xenomorph, which had been patiently waiting in a hidden spire. The massive Tyrant Xenomorph quickly vanished into the surrounding darkness, awaiting Marcus's precise command to strike. However, Marcus was not yet in a hurry to act. Before the attack, he needed to make a public appearance to completely dissociate himself from the Tyrant Xenomorph's impending actions. If necessary, he was even prepared to sustain an injury himself; after all, a convincing act required realism.
Leaving the spire, Marcus soon appeared on stage, assuming his role as the new Governor. Traditionally, only Imperial nobles were qualified to hold the position of Governor, but for Marcus, it was merely a convenient title. He could simply claim to be a distant noble, knowing no one would dare to truly investigate the authenticity of his bloodline. After proclaiming the Ecclesiarchy's achievements and praising the God-Emperor according to the prepared script, Marcus knew the time had come.
Immediately, under his secret command, the Tyrant Xenomorph, which had been lurking in the shadows, suddenly lunged forward. "Roar!" A terrifying roar, imbued with Psionics, emanated from the Tyrant Xenomorph, instantly shaking the minds of all living beings present. The entire scene descended into a brief, eerie silence. But then, an overwhelming wave of screams and shouts erupted. The Ecclesiarchy believers, who had moments ago been kneeling, praying, and singing hymns, were utterly unable to resist the predatory pressure and began to flee frantically. The previously orderly scene immediately descended into utter chaos.
"Monster! That's the monster that killed the Inquisitor!" a PDF soldier shrieked, his voice trembling. This particular individual had witnessed the Tyrant Xenomorph's rampage when it had slaughtered Astra Militarum Soldiers and Stormtroopers and directly killed the Inquisitor. Before the PDF Soldiers present could react, the Tyrant Xenomorph, moving like a relentless bulldozer, charged directly towards Marcus, who stood on the podium! With a single swipe of its massive claws, Marcus on the stage was instantly sent flying backward. To make the act completely convincing, Marcus had specifically instructed the Tyrant Xenomorph to strike hard. Its sharp claws instantly tore through Marcus's chest, causing a large amount of blood to spurt out. Marcus capitalized on the chaos, falling to the ground and feigning unconsciousness.
Without pausing, the dark Tyrant Xenomorph, enduring the fierce but ineffective firepower of the PDF Soldiers, activated the psychic organs on its back. "Buzz." A faint hum sounded, and violent Psionics instantly surged outwards, directly impacting the fleeing Ecclesiarchy personnel not far ahead. "Boom!" Instantly, over a dozen high-ranking Ecclesiarchy members were blasted into bloody pieces by the Psionics, and a rain of gore fell, staining the originally white platform crimson. Having succeeded with its first devastating strike, the Tyrant Xenomorph continued its charge, relentlessly hunting, ensuring no target on its list escaped. The PDF officers present could only watch in despair as the monster continued its slaughter, while simultaneously feeling a grim relief that the Tyrant Xenomorph did not seem to be targeting them.
"Where are our armored units?! Where have they all gone?!" the officer roared at a nearby communications soldier, watching another Ecclesiarchy priest impaled by the Tyrant Xenomorph's massive claw.
"They're on their way, sir. You know, those armored vehicles and tanks couldn't possibly be deployed at this kind of event; this isn't a parade," the communications soldier replied, somewhat helpless. No one could have predicted that this monster, which had killed an Inquisitor and then vanished for a long time, would suddenly reappear and specifically target high-ranking Ecclesiarchy priests. After cursing, the PDF Soldiers present could only unleash the full firepower of their infantry weapons on the Tyrant Xenomorph, but it caused no discernable damage.
A few minutes later, after the Tyrant Xenomorph had completed its brutal task, tearing all designated targets into shreds, a rumbling sound approached. "Rumble, rumble, rumble—" Armored vehicles and main battle tanks from the Resident Evil world slowly drove over, clumsily operated by the PDF Soldiers. Evidently, with only a few days of training, these PDF Soldiers were unable to operate these 20th-century weapons very well.
"Bang!" With a loud thud, a main battle tank fired a high-explosive round, but due to a lack of proper rangefinding and aiming, this hurried shot only hit the podium, raising a cloud of dust. Marcus, who had been lying on the stage, saw that his mission objective had been completed. He immediately used the cover of the dust to recall the Tyrant Xenomorph into his system panel.
When the smoke cleared, the PDF Soldiers, who had been standing ready for the monster's next move, found that the terrifying creature had vanished. After a moment of stunned silence, the PDF officer, realizing what had transpired, slapped his forehead. "Quickly, go up and see if there are any survivors!" The soldiers swarmed forward, searching the now-ruined stage. Soon, they found many survivors hiding in the rubble, terrified. And Marcus was among them. To make his injuries appear more severe, Marcus intentionally used his Psionics to reopen his almost healed wound.
So, by the time he was discovered, a large pool of blood had already formed beneath him. The PDF officer, already scared out of his wits, immediately ordered men to carry Marcus and place him into an armored vehicle. They then crashed through the still-fleeing, terrified crowd at top speed, transporting this newly appeared mysterious Governor to the nearest medical facility.