The Emperor’s Angel of Death

However, within this majestic power, Seyre had to constantly maintain a separation. Although his enormous arm now held the power to annihilate armies, he was ultimately just a tiny human within the sacred steel and gears. This meant that while he could immerse himself in the will of the machine spirit, filled with transcendent power, he had to maintain a strong awareness of his own body and human identity. This was something every knight had to learn: to maintain self-awareness in order to tame the machine spirit, otherwise they would be assimilated by it.

Following the direction of the sunlight, the massive metal body took a slow step, then another.

However, the machine spirit began to roar in Seyre's mind. It craved unrestrained running, yearned to break free from its cage like a wild beast. This was a characteristic of the Cerastus Knight's machine spirit; they were almost always reckless knights, always eager to charge and desperate to seize the first honor.

But Seyre could not yield to it. He had to make the machine spirit obey him, follow his rhythm, just like taming a wild horse. This was why knights had to learn horsemanship from a young age.

Seyre tightly gripped the reins of his consciousness, forcing the whinnying war beast to submit.

Finally, the roaring faded, and Seyre raised his left arm, and the machine spirit followed suit.

The beast obeyed him. Now they could move out, because they shared a common goal: they needed enemies to destroy.

Finally, he left the landing craft and entered the landing zone, standing on the wider earth. Seyre did not move further, because he was waiting for the rest of the gunline to form up.

According to the latest operational directives issued by the High King, a standard reserve gunline consisted of 15 knights and 24 squires. Among the younger knights, there would be a Preceptor-class Knight as the commander, who was not only the instructor and commander of the young knights, but also the mentor of the squires, which was a heavy responsibility.

In addition to the Preceptor-class Knight, the other 14 knightly war machines included 4 Errant-class, 4 Paladin-class, and 6 Cerastus-class. This distribution also reflected the differences in their social standing. The Errant and Paladin classes, as standard models, were assigned to young knights from smaller families or vassals, while the Cerastus class was a mount that only young knights from more noble families could pilot. Although Seyre's father did not have a high position, as one of the adopted sons of Archduke Olga, his bloodline was very noble, so he was able to be assigned such a powerful war machine.

Class and status permeated every aspect of knightly families.

Soon all the knights and squires were assembled, shaking the earth with their footsteps, and all the bewildered mortals around them.

Of course, knightly families had more than just knights. Those armored guards also poured out of the landing ship. Although they didn't have any heavy weapons, their equipment was much better than the local armed forces. At least they could manage a lasgun for each person, plus various heavy weapons such as heavy bolters, grenade launchers, and autocannons, so their actual firepower was not weak.

However, their real mission was just to be 'stepping stones' for the knights. The protagonists of the battlefield had to be, and always would be, the noble lords and young masters.

The landing was not just Seyre's gunline. In the distance, other gunlines were also being deployed one after another, but only the gunline led by the High King's eldest son, Andrea, was truly qualified to launch a fatal blow to the enemy's heart, and their task was only to make it easier for the prince.

This was the function of class. Unless you climbed to the top, you had to serve someone higher up.

After the gunline was assembled, the Preceptor Knight blew the battle horn, as if announcing the start of the battle. At this moment, a communication cut into Seyre's private channel.

"Ray, we have to be Prince's underlings again."

The speaker was Seyre's friend, Antotsa. His father was also one of Archduke Olga's adopted sons, but as low-key as Seyre's father, Barris. Barris had few friends within the family, so the two of them naturally became childhood friends.

"They're just some Genestealers. When we face the real Tyranids, there will be plenty of battle merits. When I take down a Hive Tyrant's head—"

"What are you guys talking about?"

Then a melodious voice like a silver bell interjected.

"Haha, Tasia, Seyre said he was going to take down a Hive Tyrant's head and then propose to your father."

"Antotsa, you're talking nonsense again."

Tasia snorted.

"What, aren't you planning to do that?"

"No, no, of course not, it's just... uh... a proposal should use something more romantic, not a Tyranid's head."

Then Seyre suddenly raised his voice.

"Stop chatting, we're moving out."

At this time, the battlefield map and gunline attack route sent by the Preceptor Knight were already in place. Black geometric shapes formed a non-realistic version of a torch against a yellow background - three small triangles radiated from the top of a circle, and a large triangle pointed downwards.

As a Cerastus Punisher, Seyre's position was on the right, mainly to clear the enemy's bunker complex on both sides with firepower, and the center of the formation was undoubtedly the Preceptor Knight.

"Knights of Dubandrin, charge!"

Under the Preceptor Knight's instructions, Seyre set a fast pace, while the Squire detachments ran in front of the Knight's main force, as the first line to scout the enemy.

After crossing a low slope, the terrain became a long and gradually steep downhill slope, with dry streams running through the jagged hills. Although it had rained, the land itself had almost no moisture, only struggling life. The Knights stirred up large clouds of dust as they walked.

As for those local troops still fighting on the ground, the Knights didn't even glance at them, directly striding over their positions, even trampling fortifications and knocking down tents, but those mortals didn't dare to complain at all, just kneeling on the ground, shivering and praying. After all, they didn't know what Knights were. Everything in the distant Grand Diocese could be attributed to miracles.

These metal giants walking on the battlefield were the miracles of the Emperor.

As they gradually approached the warhammer, a drumming sensation flowed through Seyre's consciousness. This was the machine spirit's renewed burning desire for prey, the need to strike, to tear the enemy. The urge for war became more urgent.

This intermittent riot of the machine spirit was regarded as a normal phenomenon, and also a difficulty that Knights needed to overcome themselves.

"Enemy fire points detected."

A Squire shouted loudly on the channel, followed by another.

"Enemy clusters approaching from the west."

Seyre noticed the ground and found a group of gray-faced guys huddled in trenches, staring blankly at the Knights towering overhead, while bunkers on both sides were slaughtering them with machine guns.