Your massive body crouched atop a ruined city wall, a gigantic axe with more than half its blade chipped away casually buried deep within the rock.
Everywhere your blood-red gaze reached, buildings burned beneath scorching flames.
Gladiators implanted with Silvervine Tendrils, their weapons largely replaced with the ancient technology of the High Riders, were herding vast numbers of unarmed Nucerian civilians out onto the red sands beyond the city like livestock, forcing them to endure the torture of the blazing sun.
You had not burned the civilians before you, along with this medium-sized city your forces had conquered, into ashes.
You had merely chosen to enjoy the brief peace that vengeance and slaughter brought you while waiting for the remaining time before some distant visitors arrived.
As time passed, batch after batch of Nucerian civilians perished beneath the blazing sun.
Bzzzz—
At that moment, two white-painted Thunderhawk Gunships slowly emerged upon the horizon, wavering through streams of rising heat.
You drew a deep breath, struggling to suppress the Butcher's Nails buzzing above your head.
You waved a massive hand at the remaining two hundred or so brothers and sisters below, signaling for them to take a large quantity of supplies and temporarily leave this troubled place.
Not long afterward, the two Thunderhawk Gunships, their Vector Engines roaring, swiftly landed before the scorching corpses of countless Nucerian civilians.
Then, a towering Custodian Guard clad in Adamantium Power Armour led an Astartes Combat Squad out from the aircraft holds.
They appeared indifferent to the Nucerian corpses scattered around them, even completely ignoring the cries and pleas of some survivors as they walked straight toward you, crouched atop the ruined wall.
Boom—
A cold, bloodthirsty smile unconsciously spread across your lips.
You slowly rose with your massive body gleaming with a pale golden