The Emperor’s Angel of Death

But doing the grunt work was nothing to complain about for knights, especially for those of lower rank. Serre began to move according to the action plan, methodically clearing the Genestealers' outer defenses. Their sudden appearance caught the defending Genestealers completely off guard. After all, the fortress had been holding strong just moments ago. Who could have predicted its demise so quickly?

The addition of two gun lines instantly disrupted the Genestealers' defensive strategy, forcing them to commit more troops and firepower to the new threat.

To make matters worse, fighter jets screamed overhead, dropping Thunderstrike glide bombs on their heads. Previously, no air support had been involved, but to expedite the operation, High King Matthias had specifically deployed his family's air force—the Grey Pigeon Messengers. Despite the name, they were all standard fighter jets, albeit older Lightning heavy fighters. While unsuitable for space combat, they excelled at ground support within the atmosphere and could hold their own in air combat. This was a provision that Soriashan had specifically made for the DuPont Delin family before the battle, considering the potential weakness of knight families in terms of air power.

Under the immense barrage, the Genestealers could only retreat further, and their deployed obstacles proved utterly ineffective against the knight family's advance.

As they were forced back into their city, the true protagonists emerged.

Accompanied by the roar of engines, a towering giant, escorted by a retinue of guards, appeared from the rolling hills and mountains into the astonished gaze of the Genestealers.

They had always believed the Paladin-class was the largest knight variant, but this completely shattered their preconceptions.

The immense Castellan-class knight, the Phoenix, adorned with magnificent carvings and moving with heavy steps, entered the battlefield. Flanking it were six Cerastus Knights, all trusted vassals of High King Matthias.

Coming to a halt, the Phoenix raised its right arm, and the massive plasma decimator began to glow. With a terrifying shriek, it unleashed a searing ball of plasma towards the distant Golden City. The intense shockwave caused the banners hanging on the knight to flutter wildly.

With a thunderous roar, a burst of intense light erupted from the Golden City, and the meter-thick metal gate was instantly reduced to slag.

"Knights of the DuPont Delin family! Sons and daughters! Warriors! Fulfill our oaths, annihilate the enemy, crush them! Charge!"

The High King's voice echoed amidst the din of the battlefield.

"Charge!"

All the knights responded with a roar, including Serre, who then accelerated, following the gun lines.

From all directions, several knight gun lines, like thrusting spears, plunged fiercely into the corrupted heart of the alien. The desperate Genestealers could only put up a final struggle, but as the distance rapidly closed, more and more explosions erupted within the corrupted alien city.

Suddenly, a strike from an unknown source shattered the base of the already teetering alien golden statue. Instantly, with a cataclysmic roar, the massive statue slowly crashed down upon the city, becoming almost the final straw for the Genestealers—the real final straw being the sight of the victorious Hive Lord's head.

At that moment, the grotesque alien head was impaled upon a modified, sharpened chain halberd and held high.

"Hmm?"

Serre quickly noticed something different about the city's higher reaches, but the voice of the mentor knight quickly revealed the truth.

"It's the Astartes! Be careful when firing! Do not attack the high ground! Be careful when firing! Do not attack the high ground!"

"Hiss, when did they."

Serre adjusted his focus, and finally saw clearly. At the feet of the toppled alien statue stood several figures clad in shimmering silver armor, marked with obscure lightning patterns. Their shoulder pads were covered with the flayed faces of alien purebloods, their necks adorned with Genestealer claws, and their backs decorated with various grotesque alien heads. The one wielding the halberd wore a cloak sewn from the soft back skin of female Genestealers.

Frankly, Serre had always found the Star Knights, this mysterious chapter, to be quite bizarre. Their style was simply too strange.

Although he had heard of other Astartes decorating themselves with the organizations or bones of their enemies, this penchant was displayed too strongly in them, even to the point of making one wonder if they would treat humans the same way...

"What's going on?"

Antotessa's voice came over the private channel. Before Serre could answer, another voice chimed in, that of his friend Harlowin, who piloted a Ranger knight.

"Isn't that marked as a high-risk zone? How did the Astartes get in there? When did they get in there?"

Serre sighed softly and said:

"We're all just doing the grunt work, the entire family is. Haven't you figured it out yet? Our attacks are just bait to attract the Genestealer aliens' attention. The Astartes never expected us to eliminate the enemy from the start. Remember the introduction in the alien biology course? The Genestealer society is a hive structure, with a Hive Queen who completely controls the minds of her subjects. Clearly, for the Astartes, eliminating the Hive Lord is the best option."

Actually, he held back some words—

Like the fact that even the great High King was doing the grunt work this time, which was somewhat comforting to him.

"Ah, so we came for nothing?"

"What do you mean came for nothing?"

Tasia's cheerful voice joined the channel, and it was clear she seemed happy.

"Didn't we deal with the enemy? Besides, you wouldn't be able to catch a Hive Lord anyway. If you can't catch the Hive Lord, what's the use of killing more grunts? In battles like this, it's the Astartes who play the decisive role. Have you forgotten who was confused by psychic powers and spun around in circles when chasing the chieftain last time? It was only Lord Sabrin who finally eliminated that chieftain."

Hearing Tasia's words, Antotessa coughed lightly in embarrassment. Before, he had recklessly pursued, thinking the Genestealers were nothing more than ants, but he had overlooked the psychic abilities they might possess and almost capsized in a gutter.

"That's right, that's right! The operational limitations of mechs are very high. Only Astartes can complete this kind of mission."

Another slightly childish voice chimed in, that of Serre's classmate Ashley, also Tasia's cousin, although the two were almost the same age.

"The one who killed the Hive Lord should be Lord Li Lin, right? Such a terrible monster, I wonder if he was injured."

"Uh."

Serre was a little speechless. If this chapter itself was very strange, then Li Lin in Ashley's mouth could be called a freak.