The Emperor’s Angel of Death

As the Imperial Joint Task Force began engaging the swarming Tyranid army in the bridgehead of the defended landing zone, a massive evacuation also commenced. Coordinated by the militia, the residents of Trident City, with their families, lined up to walk towards the landing zone. Those with a bit more status and wealth were able to ride in trucks and other vehicles, carrying more personal belongings. Although officials repeatedly assured that everyone would be provided with food, many still chose to bring as much as possible. The 30kg luggage limit was difficult to enforce from the start, and the pace of the column was much slower than anticipated.

But time was of the essence. After securing the landing zone, the pressure immediately intensified. The Tyranids seemed to sense the presence of a large number of lifeforms and began to concentrate their forces to break through, with various monstrous creatures arriving in droves.

In the brutal fighting, the Faith Wardens, as a newly formed unit, demonstrated unexpected combat capabilities and willpower. The Ecclesiarchy's powerful indoctrination allowed these new recruits, fresh off the farm, to be fearless in the face of death, even frequently launching suicidal attacks—which the Faith Warden officers called Redemption Strikes. At that time, a soldier would remove all equipment, offer a final confession and prayer to the priest, then put on a metal hood that could no longer be removed, strap a melta bomb to their body, inject a large dose of enhancing stimulants that could greatly increase speed and strength in a short time and withstand fatal injuries, and equip three-bladed claws on their arms, just like the Ecclesiarchy's Penitent Engines, charging directly towards the enemy's vital targets.

The soldiers all voluntarily accepted this glorious mission, at least according to the officers. Murad didn't bother to investigate, as he didn't care whether they were willing or not.

But in his heart, he felt that this behavior was stupid and wasteful. Training a soldier itself required resources, and they were not lacking in heavy firepower and anti-armor capabilities. This inexplicable special attack, apart from making the preachers more enthusiastic and fanatical, didn't seem to have any real meaning. Or perhaps, in the eyes of those officers, it was a good way to boost morale?

It could only be said that the Ecclesiarchy's armed forces had a very different mindset from the Astra Militarum, placing great emphasis on 'psychological warfare'.

It was said that during the Vandire era, the Ecclesiarchy's army had engaged in bizarre behavior such as having a thousand soldiers commit suicide and offer themselves as sacrifices before the enemy, which, according to historical records, deterred the enemy and won the victory, but Murad was skeptical about this.

When the defense line was stabilized, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but the Tyranids didn't only have frontal assaults as an option.

Soon, a screaming hurricane descended upon the landing zone. The swarm blotted out the light, like a storm of claws and wings, disturbing the crowd. The orderly lines immediately descended into chaos, with everyone desperately trying to squeeze onto the transports. The militia, trying to maintain order, beat them with clubs, but could not stop the collapse.

The transports and the Hydra flak cannons and Basilisk flak vehicles deployed around the perimeter immediately targeted the flying swarm, unleashing their remaining ammunition, filling the sky with shattered metal and exploding corpses. The air force, having received support orders, roared in, scattering the dense Tyranid Gargoyle swarms with a storm of solid projectiles. The contrails of missiles and the bursts of laser beams hunted them down like animals, wiping them out in droves.

The winged horrors turned into minced meat in the explosions, then scattered, like a bizarre fireworks display.

This scene even caused the civilians waiting for evacuation on the ground to cheer excitedly, although some worried about being hit by falling debris or alien blood, raising their hands to shield themselves.

But just as everyone's attention was focused on the sky, an unexpected threat began to spread from beneath their feet.

"What's with the earthquake?"

At first, it was just the slightest tremor, but as the tremors grew stronger, everyone felt the movement coming from the ground, so strong that it was difficult to stand.

But when the tremors reached their peak, several behemoths burst through the earth less than five hundred meters from the landing zone, emerging from the ground with arcs of electricity and emitting terrifying roars, causing even more screams in the crowd.

"What is that!"

"Emperor protect us!"

"Move up ahead!"

"Don't push! Don't push! Ouch—"

When the Trygons emerged from the ground, the order of the crowd completely collapsed. Even the militia joined the ranks of the pushing and trampling, with shouts, screams, and cries of despair intermingling into a song of hopelessness.

"Citizens! Don't panic!"

The Space Marines had been alerted as early as the earthquake. Although their attention had initially been drawn to the Tyranid air raid, Barachram quickly realized that this was a 'feint', and immediately returned to the landing zone from the front lines. Barachram's Tenth Company and parts of the Seventh Company quickly arrived in the area using bikes and attack speeders, while the surrounding guard units also immediately returned to support.

However, the Faith Wardens' main task was to restore order, and the method was—

Rat-tat-tat!

In the roar of machine guns, patches of residents blossomed with blood and flesh and fell like wheat blown down by the wind. Preachers with torches on their backs also used anti-gravity platforms to come above the crowd.

"Those who fear death! Will surely die! Anyone who moves, runs, or shouts! Will be executed! Will be executed!"

"Return to the ranks! Return to the ranks! Shut your mouths!"

Exhortators wielding barbed iron whips lashed out at the crowd. Anyone hit by these whips, without armor, would immediately have a deep bloody mark, even tearing off a piece of skin.

Under such violence, wails, curses, and complaints arose from the crowd.

"Why are you hitting people!"

"Ouch! We haven't done anything wrong!"

"You only know how to show off your power to us, why don't you go fight the aliens!"

Some of these curses were caught by the preachers, who immediately narrowed their eyes and pressed a black button on the preaching platform.

Amid stern scolding, the Executioner Servitors, holding huge executioner swords, with abnormally swollen upper body muscles, various pipelines and reagent bottles inserted into their backs, and sharp triangular iron helmets on their heads, silently came to the edge of the chaotic crowd, grabbed a bunch of people without saying a word, and with a wave of their hands, heads rolled.

Anyone who shouted or moved could become the target of the Executioner Servitors, whether male or female, old or young.

The Ecclesiarchy was able to fully take root among the Imperial populace not only because of its doctrine, but also because of its analysis of the Imperial social strata and its appropriate methods.

The severed heads were raised on spears, and the executors with pointed hats pulled up red lines, separating the crowd like herding sheep. Preachers with torches and warhammers walked through the crowd with long knives still dripping with blood, constantly randomly drawing out a few unlucky ones, regardless of whether they had done anything wrong, and immediately cutting them down, blood splattering on the spot.

If anyone dared to run or resist, their limbs would be chopped off, and their screaming bodies would be hung up for public display.