The Daemonhunter served as the flagship of Kenmei Isayama's Inquisition Black Fleet—a warship spanning ten kilometers in length.
At this moment, the lower decks of the ship were bustling with activity. Yellow warning strobes and floodlights illuminated the area. Countless crew members were scrambling, and transport vehicles were pulling to the sides, clearing a pre-designated path.
In accordance with the Inquisitor's will, an extremely dangerous "World-Killer" weapon was being transported from the sealed armory to the launch bays.
Inside a highly classified, independent armory, the temperature was well below freezing. However, for Kenmei, protected by his psychic aura, it felt no different from room temperature.
Even Elena, a Battle Sister, did not have the clearance to enter this sector. Only Inquisitors with special authorization could set foot here.
The walls were inscribed with the Emperor's blessings, and the atmosphere in the pitch-black chamber was incredibly solemn. In the distance, a massive circular pit, three hundred meters in diameter, was emblazoned with the Imperial Aquila.
Kenmei took the Inquisitorial Rosette from his chest—the symbol of his personal authority—and inserted it into a specialized black terminal, simultaneously placing his right hand upon the scanner.
The Rosette utilized the Empire's highest level of genetic encryption technology; typically, no one but the owner could use it.
Bleep. "Verification passed."
The cold, mechanical voice of the Machine Spirit resonated.
"Honorable Lord Inquisitor Macarnos, how may I assist you?"
Kenmei spoke slowly and clearly:
"In the name of the Emperor, unseal the Cyclonic Torpedoes."
Considering the surface area of the Homeworld, Kenmei thought for a moment and added:
"Two of them."
" complying with your will. According to Ultimate Dogma Article 26789, a final verification of the release key is required."
Due to the extreme nature of this weapon, Kenmei had received the key directly from the authorization of Inquisitor Lord Horst.
"Everything I do is for the Emperor, and for the continuation of humanity."
Kenmei recited the phrase slowly in High Gothic.
"Audit approved. Thank you for your contribution to humanity, Inquisitor Macarnos."
"Cyclonic Torpedoes: Unfreezing."
Following the Machine Spirit's cold announcement, the three-hundred-meter pit behind Kenmei slowly opened. Due to the massive temperature difference between the sub-zero storage and the outside, biting cold mist surged out the moment the hatch cracked.
Red alert sirens began to wail. A massive gantry crane, aided by mechanical arms, slowly hoisted a colossal missile from the freezing depths.
Just the width alone would require at least twenty-four adults like Kenmei to encircle it with their arms. It stood over a hundred meters tall—a leviathan even among the Empire's arsenal. It was hard to imagine the magnitude of destruction this thing would generate upon detonation.
Kenmei watched as the dark gold light of the Imperial Aquila flickered on the missile's hull. Even the iron containment rings were engraved with prayers to the Emperor written in High Gothic.
"This thing symbolizes peace."
Although he didn't know why anyone would spend so much effort decorating something destined to explode, the Adeptus Mechanicus evidently took great pleasure in doing so.
And so, the weapon capable of executing an entire planet was pushed by mechanical arms onto a heavy transport vehicle.
Only after watching the loading process complete and the blast doors of the ammo depot—emblazoned with the double-headed eagle—seal shut again did Kenmei's tense nerves finally relax.
That was because this armory also housed another extremely dangerous weapon. If even a trace of it leaked for a tenth of a second, the entire Black Ship—Kenmei and all the crew included—would not survive. It contained missiles loaded with the "Life-Eater" virus. It was a terrifying biological weapon capable of killing every living thing on a planet, including deep-sea organisms, in just one minute.
Kenmei walked out of the main gate. Just as he brushed the ice crystals off his coat, a call came in from the bridge.
"Report, Lord Inquisitor Macarnos. Radar has detected an anomalous number of engine signatures."
The comms officer in the command center shouted.
"I'm on my way."
Kenmei arrived at the bridge and took his seat in the captain's chair. In front of him was a massive holographic screen, nearly fifty meters long, displaying the layout of the entire Andrea System. It covered basically every planet in the sector.
The planet under the Exterminatus order was specifically highlighted. At this moment, the area surrounding that planet was completely covered by an alarming number of red dots, scattered like stars.
Every single flickering red dot represented a warship.
There were about five times as many of them as the Inquisition's Black Fleet. relying on absolute numbers, they had completely surrounded the Daemonhunter like dumplings in a pot.
"Finally here, huh?"
In the silent, pitch-black cosmos, a curtain of light began to distort, rippling with purple, water-like waves. But this was only the beginning. Soon, more and more distortions began to spread densely across the sector.
When the spatial distortion reached its peak, the first magnificent steel beast translated out of the Warp. It forcibly tore through the tides of the Sea of Souls, the psychic backlash sizzling loudly against the ship's purple "Gellar Field" shields. The rear of the massive hull spewed long, bright trails of engine flame.
It featured an early-pattern armored prow, and its flanks were lined with rows of terrifying weapon batteries and missile pods. It was a super-heavy battleship, nearly twelve kilometers in length. The golden Aquila of the Empire's banner shimmered upon it. This was a 60-megaton vessel, a symbol of the Imperial Navy's pride: an Emperor-class Battleship.
Its dorsal ridge was equipped with Lance batteries, and atop the bridge stood a massive golden statue backed by a structure resembling a grand cathedral.
As this colossal battleship appeared, warship after warship bearing the shining Imperial Aquila emerged from the shimmering ripples of the Warp, translating into realspace. The flashing lights of teleportation illuminated the cosmos.
Every single one was a capital ship of the Imperial Navy: Cobra-class Destroyers, Firestorm-class Frigates, Tempest-class Frigates, and more.
Almost all the warships featured cathedral-like architecture—shrines to the Emperor. Only with the dual protection of the Gellar Field and the Emperor could the ships of the Imperial Navy navigate the Warp; any Warp Daemon entering the domain of the cathedral would be reduced to ash.
So, the saying that the Empire built churches on their warships is incorrect. (X)
It should be said that they built a church to the Emperor, then strapped thrusters and a battleship underneath it. ()
But the irony was that these warships, now gathered under the stars, were not preparing to fire their guns at the Empire's most vicious enemies. Instead, they were preparing to destroy a Homeworld within the Empire's own borders.
Kenmei's command center received a signal from the Emperor-class Battleship.
"This is the Imperial Navy 10th Fleet - Battlefleet Bakka, Dawn of Victory. I am Admiral Sharif Ismail."
Soon, a stern, blonde man with a hawkish nose appeared on the screen. He was dressed in the uniform of an Imperial Navy Admiral, his chest adorned with medals of distinguished service.
"Identity verified in Imperial database."
Hearing the confirmation, Kenmei spoke in a slightly softer tone.
"This is Inquisitor Macarnos. Welcome."
The Admiral was also observing the young Inquisitor. Who could have imagined that this greenhorn was of equal rank to him, a commander of an entire theater fleet?
And the kid was staring at him like he was a criminal. As expected, everyone in the Inquisition was a lunatic.
"In accordance with superior orders, Battlefleet Bakka will coordinate with the Inquisition Black Fleet to execute Exterminatus on SPO-2 Homeworld."
"All for the Emperor."
The Inquisitor's cold tone sent a chill through every crew member on Admiral Sharif's side. At the same time, this voice was broadcast to the entire Battlefleet Bakka.