Chapter 144: Then Let the Galaxy Burn

Anarakel heard the console's voice praising the God of All Machines, and felt a flicker of confusion.

Had these humans in their red robes' strange prayers made even this machine superstitious?

But Anarakel had no time to care now.

The Star-God shard of the Burner had already departed to manually calibrate the Grand Prism's launch.

Anarakel must act swiftly, completing everything before the Star-God shard slipped from control.

His will flowed through the console into the entire Asford, into the grand energy utilization system humans had built for the Grand Prism.

After humans discovered the Grand Prism, the so-called Machine Cult from Mars, influenced by the Void Dragon shard, developed an entire system to harness its energy.

Across the entire Underworld System, every human-inhabited planet drew energy from the two stars via the Grand Prism.

Though crude, this human-built system now served its purpose.

Anarakel would use them as relays to guide the Grand Prism in firing the stars' immense energy into the core of the gas giant Aelos, igniting it completely, forcing it into rapid collision to unleash a powerful thermal storm that would consume the entire Underworld System.

The human and necron fleets had already retreated to the planet's far side, sheltered from the thermal storm.

The millions of Tyranid bio-ships filling the star system would be reduced to cinders.

Anarakel opened his eyes and looked behind him at Dante and the Blood Angels.

He gave a slight nod to his temporary allies: "I am done."

Dante nodded to him, and the combined necron-human force began their rapid retreat.

They had to return to Melos Port before the Grand Prism activated, before the gas giant Aelos exploded and ignited the entire star system.

There, they would join the few remaining Cadian Shock Troopers still holding the line and retreat together to the far side of Asford.

"This was never what I wanted."

Zhou Yun, wearing the face of Doraemon, gazed up at the Star-God shard burning across the sky, its hands reaching toward the Grand Prism.

The power of this material-universe deity was manually adjusting the Grand Prism, forcing the machine that siphoned stellar energy to roar louder.

Before Zhou Yun lay the Grand Prism's control console, forged of dull metal; the green-glowing button at its center was its master control, complex activation runes flickering faintly upon its surface.

Once the Burner completed manual calibration, Zhou Yun would trigger these runes, unleashing the stars' energy through the Grand Prism toward every planet in the Underworld System.

That energy would pass through Asford as a relay, reflected and focused by the Crawlers array on Laixio, then strike the stellar core of the gas giant Aelos.

"This was never what I wanted."

Zhou Yun repeated it again, his voice rising like a poetic chant to Saint Guilliman and the Blood Angels beside him:

"I never intended for my tools to strike."

"We once drove the gene-thieves from the underhive together, but the Tyranids attacked me—the Tyranids attacked us all."

"It steals biomass from humans and has struck the humans of the Underworld."

Captain Kaelen, clutching his chest, stared blankly at the blue cat.

Priest Aron's expression twisted further; had Saint Guilliman not stood beside the blue cat, Kaelen suspected Aron would have charged forward and smashed its iron skull with his priest's staff.

And Saint Guilliman himself—legendary hero—gripped his silver blade tightly, as if barely restraining the urge to slash the blue cat.

"The Underworld has only one chance at salvation. If you won't seize it, then let me complete it."

Zhou Yun grinned and placed his hand gently upon the activation rune.

The words he spoke were a revised version of Horus's declaration when he ignited the Great Betrayal.

Saint Guilliman, standing beside Zhou Yun, would have cursed aloud had he not needed to preserve his image before the Blood Angels.

The winged figure within the thin white light had already begun to curse.

But he had expended too much power—his voice now barely audible.

"So let war begin!"

Zhou Yun saw the Burner had finished calibrating the Grand Prism in the sky.

Under the profane gaze of the Underworld System's twin stars, the ancient necron artifact shone like the Morning Star, as if ready to cast its light across the entire Underworld System.

"From the skies of Asford to the rim of the Lord's Belt!"

"Let the Sea of Laixio boil, let the Hive Fleets fall!"

"Even if I drain my last drop of blood, I will see the Underworld System freed again."

"If I cannot save it from your invasion, Swarm—"

"Then let the Underworld System burn!"

Zhou Yun slammed his hand onto the green-glowing activation rune.

In the void, the Grand Prism erupted in blinding light.

It was the stars roaring.

On Laixio, the Death Company's Dreadnoughts roared, swinging their power claws.

Beside them stood Death Company warriors and Laixio citizens determined to defend their home until their final breath.

In their final moments, these Blood Angels of the Flesh Tearers Chapter earned the honor Ces had long desired.

These mad warriors used their noble sacrifice to block the Swarm, buying the Great Monastery precious last moments.

The surviving Laixio people revered these warriors clad in black power armor, even though they knew these warriors had long since descended into madness.

"The Cursed of Laixio," the Laixio people called them with reverence, honoring their sacrifice, praying they might find release from their curse in death.

Many Laixio people, inspired, chose to leave the monastery and hold the final line, though it was deadly.

"But this is our land and our sea," said the leaders of the Laixio herdsmen: "May your Emperor—now also our Emperor—bless our deaths."

Until the very last moment, Magda's original goal was achieved.

The Laixio herdsmen once again wholeheartedly worshipped the Emperor, chanting His name as they charged into battle.

Perhaps the Emperor heard their prayers—and Magda's prayers.

The monastery's Void Shield, dormant for countless years, awakened at the final moment and activated.

Almost everyone felt the Void Shield's machine-soul roaring.

Then, within the Great Monastery, the Flesh Tearers, Battle Sisters, and surviving Laixio herdsmen saw the sky turn blood-red from searing sunlight.

The sky burned; Laixio's seas boiled and roared.

The Swarm screamed as the thermal shockwave descended from above, their bodies dissolving into ash.

The Crawler arrays met the light, reflecting and focusing it.

On Asford, at Melos Port,

the Necrons betrayed their allies at the last moment.

At the final instant before the planet was consumed by stellar light, the Necrons of Zalasusa vanished from their positions, teleporting with their ships back to their tomb worlds.

They abandoned the humans to die—entire star system doomed—but Zalasusa's buried tomb worlds remained untouched.

In truth, not only humans—the Traveler, Anarakel—was also left bewildered.

The Traveler, Anarakel, cursed Zalasusa for abandoning the Master's honor.

Yet he himself soon fled in haste—the Star-God shard was breaking free.

Melos Port had nearly become ruins; the Sixth Company's Blood Angels, the last Cadian warriors, and the underhive gangers held out until Dante and the others returned.

The Imperial Guard and gangers were the first evacuated.

Leina and General Drostron boarded the Storm Crow's crew compartment.

General Drostron, weary, gazed at the planet.

A million Cadians had died on Asford.

They should have gone to Cadia, to fight for their homeland—now they would turn to ash in the stars' roar.

Leina's gaze was even more lost.

!. ead

This was her homeland. She had given everything for it—but in the end…

Leina gently reached out and touched the scripture tattoo on her cheek.

The tattoo seemed to glow faintly warm, as if radiating the Emperor's glory.

"If all this is the Emperor's design, then it is the best design," Leina whispered.

"It is more than the best design."

General Drostron coughed sharply, lifting his weary face to Leina:

"In the Emperor's name, we have done our utmost."

"Think of how many lives we saved—how many on Asford live because of Zhou Yun, you, and the underhive gangers."

"Think of how many Tyranids died because of our efforts—we defended Asford, the Underworld System, even Baal, and humanity itself."

"Here, every glorious dead soul shall return to the Golden Throne."

Here, General Drostron paused.

He glanced beside him—no sign of Battle Sister Agelaid.

Lately, that Battle Sister had seemed distracted, harboring her own secrets.

With no one else around to interrupt, General Drostron turned to Leina:

"Where will you go next? Baal—or…"

Leina looked at General Drostron with a puzzled expression.

"Or… Cadia."

General Drostron's weary face broke into a dry smile:

"You and your people have been forged in war. My forces—the Cadia 184th Regiment—need successors and new strength."

"We must return to reinforce Cadia. We cannot go back with only a few thousand."

Leina was nearly speechless, staring wide-eyed at General Luo Site: "But we're not Cadrians."

Leina held her breath, knowing what this meant—it was an immense honor.

"You can be."

General Luo Site seemed to regain a fraction of his former strength, raising his voice slightly:

"Cadria stands unshaken—not merely because its fortresses stand unshaken."

"Cadria's warriors, Cadria's name, will stand unshaken."

"Will you become a Cadrian? Cadria will become your and your warriors' new homeland."

"And Asford. sford will stand unshaken because of your valor."

"The planet may be destroyed, but loyalty and honor will not."

(End of Chapter)