Facts proved that the aristocracy of Avacalon moved much faster, and even more unscrupulously, than Hal had anticipated.
Seventy-two noble families were massacred overnight.
This matter could not be concealed, nor was it possible to conceal. These nobles quickly learned of the tragedy that occurred last night through various channels.
Led by the Jabba family, the families who attended Krast's 130th birthday banquet, as well as some families with close ties to Jabba, were all, without exception, bloodbathed overnight. From the family bloodline down to close retainers, all were beheaded, and their heads were neatly arranged into a horrifying 'Jingguan'!
The evidence remaining at the crime scene all pointed to Chaos warbands worshipping the Blood God!
Of course, this was just the official statement.
Just as Hal had guessed, the nobles immediately pointed the finger of suspicion at her and the Kussman family!
Thus, today's scene unfolded.
Over a hundred nobles, surrounded by their respective family private soldiers and guards, formed a mighty procession, passionately encircling the planetary governor's Mansion, demanding that Hal come out and give them an explanation!
Perhaps some might ask, wouldn't they fear being falsely accused of rebellion by leading their family private soldiers to surround the planetary governor's Mansion?
In fact, they truly weren't afraid!
Power is from the bottom up. Although Hal Kussman controlled the most important PDF, becoming planetary governor was also the result of compromises and recognition from various noble families.
Otherwise, with the emperor far away, why would an imperial decree allow her to firmly hold this position?
Surely, they didn't really think that a single word from the planetary governor could make these deeply entrenched nobles, who had been settled in Avacalon for many years with influence reaching every inch of land, directly lose their heads, did they?
Only with the recognition of these local nobles could she use the power of the army to suppress and rule Avacalon, and establish her own position.
Hal held military power, but the problem was she didn't control the economy or manpower!
The army needed weapons, ammunition, and supplies, and the factories that produced these things were all in the hands of these nobles. They also maintained close ties with the Ecclesiarchy and the Mechanicus, so they weren't afraid of Hal turning against them!
Especially now, they deliberately blew the matter up to force Hal to bring things into the open!
You can assassinate nobles, but in broad daylight, who would dare to lay a finger on them?
They were nobles bestowed by the Imperium. Legally speaking, even the Imperial Inquisition, without concrete evidence, would not dare to openly arrest these imperial nobles under the gaze of so many eyes!
"Get out!"
"Hal Kussman, don't hide inside, we know you're there, come out quickly!"
"That's right, as planetary governor, you allowed Chaos warbands to invade the hive city and massacre seventy-two noble families. This is a huge dereliction of duty, and you must give us an explanation!"
Nearly a thousand people crowded in front of the planetary governor's Mansion. These lavishly dressed nobles, like street vendors, completely disregarded their composure and yelled angrily at the top of their lungs.
"Damn it! All these bastards deserve to die!" Hal raged, veins bulging on her forehead, as she slammed her fist on the table.
Wood splinters flew, her eyes were bloodshot, and she growled with a contorted face.
"These guys are doing this on purpose—don't they know there's still a war on the front lines? Surrounding the governor's Mansion, are they trying to rebel?!"
She hadn't expected these nobles to be so bold as to surround the governor's Mansion. What was the difference from a forced abdication?!
Moreover, these shameless guys were using the pretext of 'Chaos invading the hive city, the planetary governor is to blame,' clearly intending to embarrass her!
"Ah, they're not stupid." Emrys, sitting opposite, still looked unperturbed.
"Only with an external threat can they blow things up. Otherwise, once you deal with the external threat, wouldn't they be next?"
"How can you still say that?!" Hal's face was full of resentment, and seeing his demeanor made her even angrier.
"If it weren't for you, how would things have come to this today? How exactly do you plan to solve it?!"
"Don't rush, don't rush."
Emrys gave her a look and raised his hand, pressing it down.
"Calm down, Your Excellency, let them make a fuss a bit longer."
"Where is the Lion? Didn't you say he would come to solve it? Where is he now?!"
Although Emrys appeared calm, Hal couldn't wait any longer. She knew very well that if she didn't give these nobles an explanation, it wouldn't be long before people from the Ecclesiarchy, the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Navy, and the Astra Militarum would come to pressure her!
"Why the rush?"
Emrys glanced at her, saying calmly.
"Didn't I say? It's not time yet. When the right time comes, the Lion will naturally step forward to resolve the current chaos."
"What exactly do you want to do?!"
As she said this, Hal's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, almost gritting her teeth.
"Haven't I already said?" Emrys chuckled casually, saying.
"To help the Lion take control of Avacalon as quickly as possible, of course."
"Do you know what the consequences will be if you let them continue to make trouble?!" Hal was utterly exhausted. She couldn't understand how she had, step by step, gotten onto this damned Rogue Trader's pirate ship!
Over a hundred noble factions surrounded the governor's Mansion; the situation had completely escalated. And, it was precisely at this most critical moment of a Chaos fleet invasion!
"I know."
Emrys said calmly.
"You know? You know and you still let them make trouble—"
Hal stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing something, and looked at the unperturbed Emrys with an extremely horrified gaze.
"You, you did this on purpose?!"
"Oh? You guessed it?"
Emrys' eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, his lips slightly pursed.
"I thought Your Excellency would take much longer to guess my intention. Not bad—you've gotten smarter."
"What exactly do you want, Emrys!" Hal no longer cared about the sarcasm in his words, staring at him with a horrified face, trembling.
"Don't tell me—seventy-two families aren't enough?!"
"Not enough, of course not enough."
Since he had been guessed, Emrys stopped pretending, revealing two rows of neat white teeth, like a devil's smile.
"How can one govern the hive city without digging out all the festering sores and rotten flesh? How can the Lion be at ease leading the fleet on a distant expedition? Don't you agree, Your Excellency?"
"Madman, you—you're simply a madman!"
Hal felt a chill run through her, retreating several steps in fright, her pupils dilated several times, her innermost being already filled with terror and shock.
She had initially thought Emrys' massacre of seventy-two noble families was to make an example, and then have the Lion appear to suppress the arrogance of the other nobles, thereby gaining control of Avacalon.
But now, she knew she was wrong, terribly wrong. She had misjudged Emrys' intentions from the very beginning!
She shouldn't have trusted Emrys' words, nor should she have made concessions. Who could have imagined—he could be this insane?!
His target was all the nobles!
"Quick, send people to stop them!" Hal forced herself to call out to her subordinates to block the nobles at the entrance and ask them to calm down.
But with a thunderous crash!
"Too late, the show has already begun."
Emrys suddenly spoke, the scene outside reflected in the depths of his half-closed, narrow eyes.
However, this calm, indifferent voice contained a hint of murderous intent that made even this battle-hardened, decisive planetary governor tremble.
She instinctively looked outside. The nobles crowding at the door had already breached the threshold, leading their private soldiers, and stormed into the governor's Mansion.
It's over! Hal's vision went black, and she nearly fainted. She knew Emrys had gotten his wish. From the moment these people stepped into this mansion, they had already fallen into a trap, embarking on an irreversible... dead end!
"Your Excellency, governor, since the supporting characters are all in place, shouldn't we, as the main characters, also make our entrance?" Emrys calmly stood up, adjusted his collar, and with a gentle smile on his lips, invited Hal, who was still in a daze.
"It's too late to run now; why not finish this play with me?"
"Madman, daemon—" Hal's pupils were bloodshot and streaked with red, his face ashen, and his lips dry.
"You, do you not know what will be your fate if you do this today? The news simply cannot be concealed, and by then—"
As mentioned earlier.
If Emrys can use such despicable, rule-breaking methods against these nobles, then the nobles can also use the same methods against him!
He who walks by the river often, how can his shoes not get wet?
If you do this today, it is tantamount to cutting yourself off from the noble class. Soon, other nobles will retaliate against him in the same way!
"Haven't I already said?"
Emrys loosened his collar, completely unconcerned, and smiled.
"Just wait and see; I am very much looking forward to the day they deal with me."
When these arrogant nobles burst into the governor's Mansion, they were stopped by attendants who said the governor would receive them in the banquet hall.
But when they entered, they were startled. Hal was sitting wearily in a chair, his face pale and bloodless, his eyes bloodshot, completely lacking any composure, looking as if he did not have long to live.
And in front of the governor stood a man.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Since His Excellency the governor is indisposed, I will take over."
The man was also a noble, as could be seen from his attire. He bowed elegantly to everyone, then slowly said.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Merlin Emrys, a wandering merchant who happened to be stranded here."
Emrys?
This name startled the nobles present.
Although this was the dark side of the Imperium, news was not completely cut off. They had heard some things about the new heir of the ancient Emrys family.
But despite their surprise, they were not afraid.
No matter how powerful your Emrys Trader Dynasty is, you cannot cover the sky with one hand, and besides, this is Avakalorn, their territory!
"Then may I interpret your words as an intention to betray the Imperium?" Emrys casually threw a huge, dark accusation onto the heads of this group of people.
"Don't you ran!"
With such a huge accusation thrown at him, the leading noble felt his vision go dark and quickly tried to explain.
"I didn't say that. What I meant was—"
"Still daring to quibble?!"
Emrys didn't give him a chance to explain, cutting him off preemptively and angrily rebuking.
"With a great war at hand, Hal is fighting a bloody battle against Chaos, yet you are cutting off supplies and surrounding the governor's Mansion from the rear. What is this if not betrayal?!"
"This is slander! This is defamation!" The leading noble panicked and said sharply.
"We came to seek an explanation from the governor. We never thought of betraying the Imperium; we are forever loyal to the Emperor!"
"Sorry, you can tell that to the Emperor." Emrys' single sentence categorized them all as 'traitors'.
"Bringing troops into the governor's Mansion, daring to threaten a planetary governor empowered by the Imperium, cutting off rear supplies when the enemy is at the gates—
Now, in accordance with Imperial law, I declare that you must immediately lay down your weapons and surrender to Imperial investigation, or face immediate execution!"
"You, you are talking ran!" The leading noble was enraged, pointing at him and cursing.
"This is slander! Why should we listen to you? You are not from Avakalorn, nor are you the Inquisition. A mere wandering merchant, what right do you have to judge us?
Show us the evidence!"
What a joke! They knew all too well what fate awaited them if they surrendered!
What investigation? Wasn't it just a forced confession?
They would rather die than surrender. Today, they came to force the palace, and having come this far, how could they retreat?
Moreover, to prevent such a situation, they had specifically brought their family's private soldiers and guards!
"Very good, Avakalorn hive city, nobles attempting to usurp authority and collude with Chaos!"
Emrys sneered. How could he not have anticipated the current situation?
If they didn't resist, he wouldn't have an excuse!
The next moment, dozens of Space Marines suddenly appeared in the huge banquet hall, rushing into the noble crowd without hesitation!
Buzz!!!
Amidst the roar of chainswords, the private soldiers brought by the nobles fell like straw!
Soon, in just a few minutes, hundreds of noble private soldiers were reduced to shattered corpses on the ground under the blades of the Dark Angels led by Av Krast.
This scene shocked the nobles present.
They never imagined that this man, with no evidence, would dare to put a label on them and order the slaughter of people from various noble families!
"You, are you insane?!"
The leading noble roared in horror.
Emrys slowly descended the steps. The latter was so terrified by his chilling gaze that he collapsed to the ground, stammering.
"You, you have no evidence, this is slander, we are nobles, you cannot kill us!"
"What did you say?"
Emrys stepped on his stomach, applying pressure, and the pain interrupted his words. Then he deliberately bent down, making a gesture of listening.
"Am I trampling on Imperial law, and harming nobles will lead to the fire stake? I am not the Inquisition; I have no right to do this to you?
Sorry, I am just following orders. If you have any problems, go tell the Inquisition. I thought you were Chaos—we are all trying hard to live, don't blame me."
"???"
The noble under his foot, listening to his disingenuous excuses, almost vomited blood from anger.
Emrys drew the sword from his waist and pressed it against his neck, his face filled with a chilling sneer.
"With parasites like you in the Imperium, how can it ever be good?!"
"You, you cannot kill us!"
The leading noble cried out in terror.
"I am a noble, you have no right, you have no evidence!"
"Heh, you got one thing wrong. The Inquisition needs evidence, but I—I don't need evidence."
Emrys gave a cold smile, just as he was about to slaughter this pig, he heard a commotion outside.
Boom!
Suddenly, hundreds of people burst into the banquet hall.
"Stop!"
A shrill voice followed.
The source of that voice was none other than a Grand Bishop of the Ecclesiarchy, clad in luxurious red robes and adorned with many priestly ornaments.
He hurriedly entered the banquet hall, saw the blood and limbs on the floor, and then saw the leading noble under Emrys' sword.
"Stop at once!"
"Save me, Arch-Bishop Alton, quickly save—"
Emrys frowned slightly, a fierce glint in his eyes. Disregarding the shouts and pleas of those who burst in, he brought his hand down, severing the head of the struggling noble beneath him!
"Merlin Emrys—!!!"
The red-robed Ecclesiarchy priest froze in place, then anger surged, his eyes filled with horror and shock.
"You, you dare to harm an Imperial noble in front of me?!"
He had clearly shouted for them to stop, but who would have thought that Emrys would still be so audacious, beheading that noble right in front of him, the Grand Bishop of the Ecclesiarchy? What arrogance!
"Oh, your voice was too soft. I thought it was a fly, sorry, I didn't hear clearly."
Emrys twirled his pinky in his ear, then, in front of the Red-robed Grand Bishop, pulled it out and blew on it, his face calm.
"You—!!!"
The Red-robed Grand Bishop was trembling with rage. The other party was clearly playing dumb, not even bothering to find an excuse, practically treating him as nothing!
The governor's mansion's banquet hall was quite large, but with several hundred people suddenly entering, it became a bit crowded.
Aside from those already lying on the ground, there were several hundred private guards and escorts of nobles dealt with by the Dark Angels, about a hundred nobles huddled in corners trembling, and several hundred fully armed Battle sisters brought by the Red Arch-Cardinal of the Ecclesiarchy.
Beyond the missionaries responsible for spreading the faith at the grassroots level, the Ecclesiarchy possesses independent armed forces, separate from the Imperium's Ministry of Interior, Ministry of War, and even the Mechanicus — these are the renowned Battle sisters!
These sisters, specially modified and equipped with excellent weapons, are known for their piety, even fanaticism, and are one of the necessary deterrent forces of the Ecclesiarchy.
This was also the reason why Arch-Cardinal Alton dared to directly barge into the banquet hall.
"Merlin Emrys, I command you now, release them immediately!"
Alton had received the message and rushed over, but he was still a step too late. Looking at the scattered limbs and flesh, and the beheaded noble leader, this scene made his eyes burn with fury.
"How dare you! Who allowed you to harm nobles?!"
"What are you talking about, Your Eminence Arch-Cardinal?"
Emrys turned his head, looking at him strangely, with a pained expression.
"With the great war upon us, and Chaos invading, what about these people? They deliberately cut off supply lines. Is this not betrayal? I am doing all this for the Imperium!"
As he spoke, he gave Av-Krast a murderous look.
Av-Krast understood, let out a sneer, and with his bare hands, twisted the neck of a noble huddling in a corner, trembling. The crisp sound of bone breaking echoed through the bloody banquet hall.
Thud.
Dropping the limp, dead noble, Av-Krast's voice swept across, his tone somewhat nonchalant.
"Are you all blind? Didn't you see His Highness' command?"
With the Knight Commander setting an example, the other Dark Angels also reacted, pouncing on the terrified nobles like beasts.
"Help, Arch-Cardinal lord!"
"No, don't kill me!"
"Ah ah ah — help me, Arch-Cardinal!"
Those people tried to run, but how could they outrun Space Marines?
After only a few steps, they were dragged back, then treated like animals, their chests slit open with daggers, their heads cut off. "Stop! I told you to stop!!!"
The Red Arch-Cardinal's voice became extremely shrill with anger. He glared with shock and fury, even his index finger pointing at Emrys was trembling.
"You, I already said, they have nothing to do with Chaos, yet you — you still dare to harm Imperial nobles in front of me? How dare you!!!"
He never expected that even with his presence, the other party would still dare to harm nobles bestowed by the Imperium right in front of him?
1
As for Hal?
She was completely paralyzed with fear, slumped in her chair, watching everything unfold with a pale face. Only one thought filled her mind — it's over, we're doomed!
This was the Red Arch-Cardinal of the Ecclesiarchy!
His status was far above that of a planetary governor, and he even commanded the Battle sisters. He was the Ecclesiarchy's 'feudal lord' stationed in the hive city to spread the faith of the God-Emperor, and his power was immense!
Especially in this era, anyone who dared to question the Ecclesiarchy risked being branded as disloyal to the Emperor!
With the Imperium of Man's current creed of "Loyalty not absolute is absolute disloyalty," being branded with that title most likely meant certain death!
"I told you to stop, Merlin Emrys, are you trying to rebel?!" The Arch-Cardinal was furious. If these nobles died, not only would he fail his mission, but how would he indulge in a life of debauchery afterward?
However, Emrys remained deaf to his words.
"Merlin Emrys, you are harming Imperial nobles and trampling upon the Ecclesiarchy. This is disloyalty to the great God-Emperor. I, Alton Macintyre, in the name of the Arch-Cardinal of the Avacalon Ecclesiarchy, command you to surrender immediately, or you will be treated as a traitor!"
Alton pointed at him furiously, his chest heaving with anger, a fierce glint in his eyes.
"Battle sisters, surround them! Anyone who dares to move again will be treated as a traitor!!!"
At his command, the Battle sisters who had surged into the banquet hall surrounded them without hesitation, simultaneously aiming their guns at Emrys and the Space Marines.
An atmosphere of intense tension filled the entire banquet hall in an instant.
"Your Eminence Arch-Cardinal, are you trying to stop me?"
Emrys' eyes narrowed slightly, as if a cold glint flashed within, and his tone became much deeper.
Several hundred Battle sisters, this force was not to be underestimated. They belonged to the Ecclesiarchy, equipped not only with excellent weapons and power armor, but also with combat skills that were by no means inferior to elite Astra Militarum legions.
Such an armed force, even Space Marines, could not easily defeat.
Moreover, they were currently at an absolute disadvantage.
Not only were they outnumbered, but their position was also awkward. The large banquet hall lacked cover. If a direct conflict occurred, Av-Krast didn't think they would lose, but it would be difficult to guarantee Emrys' safety.
He subtly made a gesture, ordering the Dark Angels to retreat and shield Emrys behind them.
"Arch-Cardinal Alton, am I to understand that you are harboring Chaos cultists?"
Emrys said coldly, his eyes filled with icy intent.
"Whoever I say is a traitor, is a traitor!"
As the Arch-Cardinal of the Ecclesiarchy in this place, Alton held the moral high ground and occupied an absolute advantage, which made a proud sneer appear on his face.
"Now, I say you are a traitor, and you are a traitor. I want to see who gave you the courage to harm Imperial nobles in front of me. Seize him!"
Emrys, surrounded by hundreds of Battle sisters, seemed to have reached a dead end!
However, just then.
A deep voice, as if containing endless fury, enveloped the entire banquet hall like a storm.
It was I. The next moment, an indescribable, terrifying pressure surged forth like a tide. The floor, glass, and pillars of the entire banquet hall groaned under the unbearable weight, the dreadful air pressure making people feel as if they were falling into an abyss!
"I gave him the courage, what's wrong with that?"
As he spoke, a majestic figure, as towering as a mountain, clad in deep green armor, entered the banquet hall, surrounded by hundreds of Space Marines.
"Who? Who dares to question me?!"
Arch-Cardinal Alton turned around furiously, wanting to question who dared to defy him!
What met his eyes was a figure about four meters tall, wearing a heavy cloak. The deep green power armor was carved with exquisite and complex patterns, and his whole body exuded a heavy and wild aura, like a male lion stepping into his territory, his eyes filled with undisguised aggression, falling upon him!
"You—who are you?!"
This terrifying aura made Alton, as the Arch-Cardinal of the Ecclesiarchy, feel a deep-seated fear.
"Who am I? Heh."
This towering figure, like an ancient sculpture, stood before everyone, his voice like a giant rock falling into a deep pool, stirring up a thousand waves.
"Lord of the First Legion, Father of the Dark Angels, First Son of the Emperor, Primarch, Lion El'Jonson, the Lion. Is that enough qualification?!"
Lion, Lion King?!
Perhaps others, upon hearing this name, would fall into a brief thought, recalling who this so-called "Lion King" truly was.
But Alton didn't need to.
He was a Cardinal Archbishop of the Ecclesiarchy; the Imperial Decrees he recited and prayed to daily recorded the deeds of those divine sons, including their names!
Lion El'Jonson, rumored to be the first of the Emperor's sons to be found, commanded the Dark Angels Legion, was the undisputed eldest son, and rendered great service during the Great Crusade, but unfortunately disappeared mysteriously in the later stages of the Great Heresy, with no news of him.
But why would such a Primarch appear here?!
Alton felt his brain short-circuiting, his eyes wide, trying to clearly identify if the person standing before him was the legendary divine son.
However, as his gaze moved upwards and met Lion's icy stare, his heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and a suffocating sensation enveloped him!
"Am I—am I qualified?!"
Lyon's tone clearly showed his anger; even the air in the entire banquet hall seemed to drop several degrees due to the Primarch's fury.
"You—are you really Lyon?"
Alton was already dumbfounded; he had only come to find Emrys, how did a Primarch get involved?!
"Do you have a problem?" Lyon glanced at Emrys, and seeing that he was fine, he relaxed and turned his cold gaze to the Archbishop.
"No, no—I just—" Archbishop Alton's mind was in a jumble, and he stammered, "How—how are you here?"
"Then where do you think I should be?"
Lyon sneered, his gaze sweeping over the nobles in the banquet hall, growing more disgusted.
"I didn't expect that after only ten thousand years of my slumber, the Imperium—would be ruined by you all to this state!"
It was only then that the nobles awoke as if from a dream, remembering who the "Lion King" was!
"Lyon is—a Primarch!"
"Lion King, please, deliver justice for us!"
"Great divine son, he is harming Imperial nobles; he is absolutely a Chaos worshipper! You must uphold justice for us!"
In an instant, these nobles shifted their focus to Lyon, hoping that this eldest son of the Emperor would deliver justice for them and severely punish the culprit!
"I told him to do it, what's wrong?"
However, the next second, Lyon's casual remark made these nobles' eyes widen, their throats feeling as if they were choked, unable to speak.
"A mere few hundred Battle sisters make you all cower? Do you still look like Dark Angels?!" Then, Lyon angrily rebuked Krast and the others.
"It seems these ten thousand years have made you too comfortable, and you've forgotten your Legion's training, haven't you?!"
Krast twitched his lips.
How could this be blamed on them? You're not looking for a scapegoat like this, are you?!
But alas, they couldn't refute him, after all, the Blade Angels were originally the Dark Angels' spearhead; no matter the reason, being surrounded now was indeed very embarrassing to speak of.
"What are you still standing there for?!"
Lyon was angry again, scolding.
"Are you done with your business? What are you doing there?!"
"Tsk."
Krast, who was being scolded, raised an eyebrow, and could only vent his anger on these nobles and his subordinates.
"Are you all blind?! Hurry up and get to work!"
The Dark Angels, used as scapegoats, fiercely turned their attention to these nobles who had just escaped, and this time their actions were even swifter!
Grab one, and immediately smack him to death.
"Wait, wait—!" Alton was already bewildered, and in his desperation, he immediately shouted for them to stop.
"Don't kill them, Lion King, they are Imperial nobles!"
But Lyon remained unmoved, like a statue of rock, watching expressionlessly as these nobles were slaughtered.
"Stop them for me!!!" Alton, completely pushed to the brink, no longer cared about Lyon; he couldn't let these nobles all die, otherwise, his position as Cardinal Archbishop would be revoked!
The Battle sisters hesitated for a few seconds, their gaze flickering between Lyon and the Archbishop.
"Who dares?!"
An icy voice immediately made the Battle sisters' hearts feel as if they were gripped by an invisible hand.
Lyon's cold gaze fell on the Battle sisters, and he said with a chilling tone, "Dare to move again, and I'll slaughter them!"
Facing the naked threat of a Primarch, these Battle sisters decisively put down their weapons; they weren't fools.
Not obeying the Archbishop's orders would at most result in a scolding, but not obeying this 'Primarch's' orders, whether they could even leave here was questionable.
"Save me, Archbishop!"
"Ah ah ah—"
"Help, help me!"
The screams in his ears lingered, the voices of those nobles, and their numbers were rapidly decreasing!
Seeing this, Alton was burning with anxiety; he couldn't care about so much anymore. He knew that if he didn't deal with Lyon, he wouldn't be able to save these nobles.
So, he plucked up his courage and made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.
"You—you say you are Lyon, how do you prove you are truly the Emperor's son?!"
As soon as these words left his mouth, the banquet hall fell silent.
Even Krast, who was busy killing, paused for a moment, and after regaining his senses, looked at the Archbishop with a look of admiration.
"Prove it?!"
Lyon's eyebrows shot up, and he laughed in extreme anger.
"You mean, you want me to prove that I am Lyon, Lion El'Jonson, is that right?"
Looking at this oppressive figure, and thinking of Emrys' behavior just now, Alton's anger turned into boldness. Relying on his position as a Cardinal Archbishop of the Ecclesiarchy, he bit the bullet and said, "Yes, Lyon has been missing for ten thousand years, it's hard for us to believe that you are Lyon—please understand our predicament."
To be honest, what he said was not wrong, and he also gave Lyon enough face; after all, you've been missing for ten thousand years, and now you suddenly appear, who knows if it's real or fake?
"Hahahahaha—"
Lyon was laughing.
Good, good, as expected of the 'Ecclesiarchy', their audacity has reached such a level that they dare to openly question him as an impostor!
Very good, extremely good!
And Krast, who knew Lyon's temper, was already mourning for him; he wouldn't really think that Lyon's temper would improve after sleeping for ten thousand years, would he?
The next second, the brave Archbishop felt a strong wind Attacking, followed by his head feeling as if it had been struck by a large iron rod, and his entire body flew backward, falling heavily to the ground.
Slap!
A loud slap sent Alton spinning like a top in mid-air for more than a dozen turns before he fell heavily onto the carpet.
This was already the result of Lyon controlling his strength, otherwise, slapping his head off would definitely not be a problem.
"What are you? You dare to ask me for proof?"
Lyon strode forward, carrying a terrifying pressure, to the front of the slapped Archbishop, looking down at the wailing and screaming Alton, his words unmixed with his disgust.
"You should feel fortunate, if the person standing here were Russ, he would simply twist your head off!"
Alton was slapped almost to a concussion, staring blankly at Lyon, his reason already completely consumed by rage, and he shrieked madly.
"You—if you don't prove it, it means you have a guilty conscience, you are an impostor sent by Chaos, kill him for me!" Krast closed his eyes.
Good, you have courage, daring to curse him as Chaos and an impostor right in front of Lyon.
"An impostor of me?!"
Lyon sneered, drawing out the 'Sword of the Lake', a powerful aura surged, an indescribable pressure fell upon everyone, the blade glowed brightly, illuminating his face as if gilded.
"I am Lyon, Lion El'Jonson, and I hereby declare—I, the Emperor's eldest son, the Father of the Dark Angels, have returned!"
The Warp was vast, and storms raged!
The name of Lion El'Jonson echoed like a tsunami throughout the entire Warp!
In the dazzling golden light, the Emperor's unique aura permeated the banquet hall, making every Battle sister instinctively kneel in reverence.
The Warp's proclamation, the Emperor's miracle!
These were, without exception, the most powerful proofs; even the Astropaths in the Astropathic Towers of the hive city heard the name of Lyon!
He, he really is Lyon?!
Alton was dumbfounded; the reason consumed by rage now returned to his brain, but he knew—he was finished!
At this moment, Alton's face was ashen.
All his tricks, including his proud identity, were meaningless before a Primarch!
The four words 'Primarch' signified power, and they signified status!
They were God-children, they were Gods!
In other words, from the moment the Lion proved his identity, he naturally possessed prestige and power far beyond the reach of mortals!
The Ecclesiarchy, leveraging the faith in the God-Emperor, seized a portion of the Imperium of Man's power, but similarly—when these deities from myths and doctrines reappeared in the world, they also had to uphold the dignity of this deity, otherwise it would be tantamount to denying their own legitimacy, digging their own graves!
After all, the Ecclesiarchy's public slogan was to gather the most fervent believers in the name of the God-Emperor, to exercise power for the God-Emperor!
"sisterhood of the Saints, greetings to the Primarch!"
Within the golden light that enveloped the entire banquet hall, hundreds of Battle sisters, without hesitation, uniformly knelt and saluted this Primarch,
the Son of the Emperor!
They were loyal to the Emperor, and naturally, they were also loyal to the Emperor's Son!
Seeing this scene, Alton also trembled in his knees and immediately followed suit, kneeling down. He knew he had completely lost his last hope of turning the tables!
Now, all he could think about was that these nobles were beyond saving, but he absolutely had to save his own life!
"Alton McIntyre, Cardinal of Avacalon, greetings to the Primarch!" Alton's lips were pale, and his voice trembled.
He deliberately emphasized the words 'Cardinal', trying to secure a path to survival for himself.
If the person standing here was Guilliman, this sentence might have been somewhat useful.
But unfortunately, the person standing before him was Lion El'Jonson.
"Trying to pressure me with the Ecclesiarchy?"
The Lion smiled.
He was clearly smiling, yet the surrounding air inexplicably dropped a few degrees, and even the Dark Angels seemed to be avoiding a plague god, all moving away from this Cardinal.
"Great Primarch, I—I am a Cardinal, even if you are a Primarch, you cannot kill me!" Alton was completely panicked. He didn't want to die, so he could only bite the bullet and bring up the Ecclesiarchy.
He hoped this lord would, for the sake of the Ecclesiarchy, forgive his sins!
But unfortunately, he was wrong, terribly wrong.
Emrys looked at Alton, who was still struggling in his death throes, trying to use "The Ecclesiarchy" to make the Lion spare him, and couldn't help but sigh softly, closing his eyes.
"Idiot."
It would have been better if he hadn't said that.
Back then, it was only because Guilliman had a good temper; if it had been any other Primarch, it would have been good if they didn't uproot this so-called damned "Ecclesiarchy"!
One must know that after the Lion awoke and learned of the Ecclesiarchy's existence, he almost died of anger, even cursing Guilliman, asking why he didn't just die already!
He and his brothers fought desperately, bloody battles across the Great Crusade, ultimately turning on each other, the Emperor ascended the Golden Throne, dedicating ten millennia for humanity—what was it all for?!
It was for humanity to escape the Warp!
But now?
He woke up to find the Imperium of Man fractured, brothers dead or missing, and in the end, the faith of Lorgar had become mainstream, even given the beautiful name "Ecclesiarchy," permeating every inch of the Imperium and human territory!
Their achievements and efforts had all come to naught!
And now someone stood before him, telling him to give "The Ecclesiarchy" some face?!
"There is no Cardinal here."
The Lion's lips curled slightly, forming a sneer of disdain and contempt.
"Alton McIntyre, you conspired with rebellious nobles, intending to murder the grandmaster of the Sons of the Forest, First Watch Knight of the Dark Angels; your crime warrants death by white phosphorus!"
"No, I didn't, I'm innocent!"
Alton's pupils constricted sharply. Just as he was about to defend himself, he received a slap to the face. The words he wanted to say, along with his scream, were forcibly swallowed back!
Slap!
Krast's movements were quite swift and perceptive. Seeing the Lion's impatient expression, he stepped forward ahead of time and slapped Alton across the mouth.
That slap almost gave him a concussion.
"Mmm—I—"
Slap slap slap slap—..—!
A series of slaps, so fast they almost left afterimages, swelled Alton's face like a pig's head, leaving him dizzy and unable to utter a single word.
Trying to beg for mercy?
Impossible!
Then, he was dragged out like a dead pig. The terrified Alton couldn't speak because his mouth was too swollen from the slaps, so he could only turn his gaze to the Battle sisters he had brought, hoping they could save his life.
But unfortunately, the Battle sisters silently lowered their heads, ignoring Alton's pleading eyes.
Cardinal? Don't know him!
They were devout Battle sisters, fervent believers dedicated to the Emperor. What was a Cardinal in front of a Primarch?
"Well done."
After dealing with the nobles and the disruptive Cardinal, the Lion finally turned his gaze to Emrys, his stern tone now tinged with a hint of warmth.
"I didn't expect you to achieve so much in just a few days."
"Hehehe—"
Emrys, praised, shyly rubbed his nose and humbly said, "This is also because you are here; my plan could only go so smoothly because of you. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so fast."
"Hmph, do you think I'm praising you?"
Unexpectedly, the Lion suddenly changed his expression, slapping him on the head and angrily saying, "Who taught you to use such a clumsy excuse to harm Imperial nobles? Today I am here, and I can take the blame for you, but what if I weren't here? Did you ever consider what would happen then?!"
"Wasn't I just thinking that doing it this way would be the fastest way to help you control the power of the hive city?"
Emrys, having received a slap, wasn't angry. He heard a hint of care in the Lion's seemingly stern tone and grinned, saying, "Besides, even if you weren't here today, I would be fine. I was already prepared for them."
The Lion looked at him, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
"My point is, you used this method against them today. Are you going to use this method against all the nobles of the Imperium in the future?
Emrys pouted.
"I can't manage that far; let's just deal with what's in front of us first."
The Lion stared at him, then sighed after a long pause.
"Remember, either don't do it, or if you do—do it thoroughly, to avoid leaving future troubles."
"What do you mean?"
Emrys blinked, not quite understanding.
"A Chaos Warband invades the hive city. The local Cardinal, leading the nobles of the hive city, bravely resists, steadfastly upholding the faith of the God-Emperor, and ultimately all heroically die in battle—"
The Lion's cold gaze turned to governor Krast, who was still trembling on the side, and he said indifferently, "How does that outcome sound to you?"
"Hiss—"
Emrys gasped.
So the Lion was blaming him for not being ruthless enough; this was about cleansing all the nobles of the hive city, including the Ecclesiarchy!
This was a truly 'ruthless person'!
"Have you learned?"
The Lion's gaze fell on him, and he said earnestly, "Since you've decided to do it, then do it cleanly, to avoid leaving yourself vulnerable. As long as you do it cleanly enough, no one can trouble you!"
God damn!
Emrys' mouth hung open, dumbfounded.
He suddenly understood who those devils in the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels learned from; it was from the very root of it all!
How to make people shut up... ah, no, keep a secret?
The Dark Angels, who inherited the 'Lion's' demonic nature, clearly had their unique understanding.
As long as everyone is killed, no one will know, and then no one will leak it.
So, at lord's behest, hundreds of Dark Angels, renamed the Sons of the Forest Chapter and becoming the Forgiven Angels, didn't even bother to disguise themselves, directly carrying chainswords and bolters, going house to house to clear them out.
They killed from the east street to the west street, and from the south street to the north street, for a full dozen hours, without even blinking.
Emrys also didn't know if these daemon-people's eyelids were dry.
As for Hal?
She had no right to object at all, she could only sit obediently in her chair.
It wasn't until dark that Af Krast, who was in charge of the secrecy work, returned to the banquet hall, carrying a blood-dripping chainsword covered in minced meat.
"Done?"
lord glanced at him indifferently and asked.
"It's all taken care of, I guarantee no one will leak it." Af Krast patted his chest plate, making a clanging sound.
"Don't worry, we are professionals!"
Emrys twitched the corner of his mouth, should he say it's worthy of the Dark Angels?
Whether it was the Inner Circle's daemon-witnesses or the Fallen Angels, their methods for handling such matters were surprisingly consistent.
"Very good."
lord nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Emrys, handing him a data-slate.
"Now that all the forces within the hive city have been dealt with, what do you plan to do about the Chaos fleet outside?"
"Me?"
Emrys looked down at the document, pointed to himself, a little bewildered.
He had already helped integrate the hive city's forces; shouldn't lord appear next, then lead his own fleet to pierce through Chaos?
Seemingly noticing the doubt in his eyes, lord's eyes were devoid of emotion, and he said indifferently.
"You are the grandmaster of the Sons of the Forest. In the absence of a Chapter Master, you should naturally bear the decision-making and command authority. Is there a problem?"
"Yes" Emrys, who was focused on clinging to a powerful figure, twitched at the corner of his eye.
"You are lord, the gene-father, of course you should command."
"Stop trying to be clever with me; I'm asking you now!"
lord's eyes showed a hint of displeasure, and he tapped the table, his gaze falling on Emrys, his tone carrying a sense of consideration.
Laziness is laziness, and yet he says it so openly.
Of course, he only dared to mutter these words in his heart, then turned and picked up the data-slate on the table.
This contained the movements of the Chaos fleet in recent days, including their own situation.
After just a few glances, Emrys' brows furrowed.
"The situation is even worse than I imagined"
This Chaos fleet invading Avcalon was merely a combined fleet composed of hundreds of warbands under Abaddon's black Legion, but even so, the number of Chaos Space Marines reached nearly ten thousand.
The true main force of the black Legion was targeting the Dark Angels' Rock Fortress.
The purpose of this fleet was to occupy Avcalon, located in the rear, to provide support for the black Legion at the front, and at the same time, to establish daemon factories here to continuously transport daemon creations and mortal artillery to the front.
However, the army on Avcalon, including the Astra Militarum and the combined Imperial Navy, had a total strength of no more than three hundred thousand.
Among them, the combat-capable fleet consisted of only dozens of cruisers.
There were no Space Marines at all, because the closest Chapter would need half a year to cross the Warp and arrive.
In terms of numbers, Avcalon seemed to have the advantage, but in reality, this was not the case.
The Chaos fleet had nearly ten thousand Space Marines, which led to the Avcalon front almost continuously retreating. The space fleet could barely resist with its numerical advantage, but if the delay continued, the fall of the hive city would only be a matter of time.
According to Hal's previous deployment, the Imperial Navy, Astra Militarum, Adeptus Mechanicus, and PDF jointly constructed a defensive line.
But according to the latest battle reports, this method could obviously only hold back the Chaos fleet and could not last until reinforcements arrived.
Seeing that he had finished reading the intelligence, lord slowly said.
"Under this situation, what do you have in mind?"
Emrys' brows furrowed. If he wanted to solve the current problem without using his trump card, there was only one way.
Thinking of this, he looked up at lord, a glint seeming to flash in his eyes.
"Yes, but this method... requires your cooperation!"
A few days later, within the Chaos fleet, Zaan, the lord of the warband named Bloodskull, suddenly received a communication from the world.
This communication was encrypted via the Warp, specifically sent to the Chaos fleet.
The content was also very simple, roughly saying that the planetary governor of Avcalon, in order to win the war, did not hesitate to use despicable means, bathing a large number of nobles in blood.
They feared becoming the next target to be purged, so they united with other noble factions who survived the purge, intending to surrender to Chaos, and they were also willing to directly open a Warp portal within the hive city, allowing the Chaos army to directly attack the interior of the hive city!
"Hahahahaha... the opportunity has come!"
Zaan, the lord of the Bloodskull warband, was overjoyed after receiving this message!
His warband's numbers were not very large in this fleet, and their say was very low. They had always lacked opportunities to 'perform meritorious deeds,' basically just picking up the scraps and leftovers from other warbands.
But now, he finally saw hope!
If they could be the first among the other warbands to attack this Avcalon hive city, they would surely receive a reward from lord Abaddon!
Thinking of this, Zaan suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and summoned his warband.
Furthermore, to prevent other warbands from stealing his credit, Zaan deliberately concealed this message.
"Lord, you said... is it possible that this message is deceiving us?" Of course, some people expressed doubts. After all, the source of this message was a bit too strange. What if it was a trap?
"A trap? Hmph... even if it's a trap, what then?"
The person who raised the question met Zaan's cold gaze.
"The intelligence is already very clear. The closest Chapter will still take half a year to arrive. Do you really think a group of mortals can defeat the followers of the great Blood God?"
These words reassured the various Chaos Astartes.
That's right, there were no Space Marines here. The Imperial Navy and Astra Militarum were fighting the fleet in space. What was there to fear in a mere hive city?
"Aren't humans like that?" Zaan sneered and said.
"In the hive cities we conquered back then, didn't those lowly insects all kneel before us, begging for the blessings of Chaos? This is our chance, and we must seize this hive city for lord Abaddon before other warbands discover it!"
The breaching of a hive city and the surrender of nobles were not uncommon to them.
So, after Zaan appeased everyone, he waited quietly for the Warp portal to open, according to the method in the communication.
A moment later, a Warp rift, filled with evil power and blasphemous aura, indeed opened within the warship.
"Go!"
Zaan was ecstatic and hurried inside.
The other members of the Bloodskull warband also entered the Warp rift.
However, as Zaan, full of joy, thought about the credit for being the first to attack the hive city and the reward he would receive from lord Abaddon, he suddenly felt something was not quite right.
It was too dark. After emerging from the Warp portal, they entered a pitch-black banquet hall.
Just then, a bone-chilling cold, like a tsunami, enveloped them!
Amidst the heart-pounding terror and pressure, Zaan's face changed drastically. He turned and followed the source of that killing intent, seeing a towering figure, like a great mountain, standing at the entrance of the banquet hall.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time" The person stood leaning on his sword, his deep and terrifying aura like a raging tide covering the entire banquet hall.
"Who... are you?!"
Zaan looked at the figure, an unspeakable fear climbing into his heart, cold sweat uncontrollably seeping from his forehead.
"Me?"
A series of cold laughs came from that person's throat, and then he suddenly took half a step forward, advancing like a storm.
Amidst the suffocating pressure and a roaring voice, the blade, wreathed in fire and golden light, was drawn from its sheath.
"I am... the Primarch, lord, Lion El'Jonson!"
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TL/N : Lyon Lion - Tomato Tohmahto