The Speech

Sibyl had completed all this, but she still hadn't stopped.

This wasn't enough to complete her mission.

So Sibyl quickly used her psychic powers to seize two more Ork sentries and bring them to this deserted corner.

She did the same thing again, forcing them to eat the canned ant-cattle.

After a few minutes, Sibyl saw clear signs of discomfort on the three Ork Boyz' ugly faces. Their coarse muscles twisted, and their bellies swelled up considerably.

Only then did the Inquisitor nod with satisfaction and control them as they headed toward the artillery position.

"What are you doing? Shoo! Go play somewhere else."

Seeing the Ork Boyz who were supposed to be standing guard outside leave their posts for some unknown reason and head this way, the Mekboyz immediately put down what they were working on and began shouting at them.

"Don't think I'll build you a Big Boom just because you beg me... Wait, what's going on?"

One sharp-eyed Mekboy realized something was wrong and cried out.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

The three Ork Boyz suddenly froze in unison. Blood sprayed everywhere, and fluids gushed out like fountains, splattering the faces of several Mekboyz standing nearby.

Thud.

A heavy impact rang out as they collapsed to the ground.

The Mekboyz stared blankly as three bizarre monsters burst through the Ork Boyz' abdomens and landed on the ground.

They were some kind of huge creatures, hunched over like apes. Their skin was blue all over, and their long claws dragged along the ground, supporting their massive bodies. Their beastlike faces were mostly taken up by jaws that could split open, while their wicked compound eyes surveyed everything around them.

What the hell was that?

Following their Orkish battle instincts, the Mekboyz immediately grabbed their Big Booms and fired. Bullets spat from their muzzles, peppering the monsters with a clatter.

Of course, it did absolutely nothing.

These absurd creatures, called ant-cattle, had enough defense and vitality to withstand Plasma. A few bullets were little more than a massage.

Instead, the attack enraged the newborn ant-cattle.

With an ear-piercing screech, the three ant-cattle charged into the Mekboyz like an unstoppable force, swinging their claws again and again. Blood sprayed, limbs flew, and screams rang out without pause!

"Don't panic! Watch this! Take a taste of this!"

An Ork suddenly hefted a massive Melta Bomb and charged toward the ant-cattle as they slaughtered everything around them.

But before it could get halfway there, the Ork's eyes widened and its body stiffened. It abruptly pulled the pin on the Melta Bomb, then, under the disbelieving stares of the other Mekboyz, hurled it into a nearby pile of shells.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!

One deafening explosion after another rang out. One heavy artillery gun after another was reduced to scrap, and the whole area descended into chaos.

Sibyl, hidden in the shadows nearby, tugged at her hood and drifted away without drawing any attention.

Her mission wasn't over. She couldn't rest yet.

There were still many artillery positions set up throughout the Hive City. The Inquisitor needed to destroy as many of them as possible.

This was only the beginning.

"Soldiers of the Armageddon Steel Legion, listen to me! The final battle is near!"

Outside the Hive City,

Yarrick stood tall as a pine tree on a makeshift platform piled up from dirt and stone, wearing the standard uniform of an Astra Militarum Commissar. The loudspeakers carried his voice far and wide.

Below the platform, the fully reequipped soldiers of the Armageddon Steel Legion stood in neat ranks, their discipline and grim bearing unmistakable.

After fully accepting and making use of Rowan's supplies, the morale of this Astra Militarum force had nearly reached its peak.

Look at the Astartes lined up alongside them. Look at the Super-heavy Tanks that were normally a rare sight. Look at the precious equipment issued to every single soldier...

Even old veterans as pessimistic as Burke had been roused. They had accepted one obvious fact.

In this battle, the only thing they needed to worry about was their own lives. They didn't need to worry at all about whether they would win.

Because the Imperium was bound to emerge victorious.

"I know that the unrelenting battles have left you exhausted. But each of these wars has hammered our bodies and minds like a heavy mallet, tempering every one of us. And what makes me proud is that, before now, we won victory after victory in our clashes with the Orks!"

"But this is no time to rest!"

Yarrick spoke with fervor, raising his hand high and pointing toward the Hive City in the distance, visible to everyone on the horizon.

"Look! That is the Orks' lair! Those damned Xenos stole the sacred property that belonged to humanity through underhanded means, and made it their own."

"And the people who once lived there—our kin, who share our blood and are fellow children of the Divine Emperor—are enduring their inhuman torture and slaughter! There can be no doubt: no one who belongs to humanity can stand by and ignore this!"

"We are the Astra Militarum, the Emperor's holy hammer! We will bring humanity's punishment down upon those damned Xenos!"

"Now, everyone can see that reinforcements have arrived! We will unite and fight alongside the Emperor's Angels of Death. Our strength has reached an unprecedented peak!"

"And the Orks, who were already collapsing before us, will taste the bitter fruit of defeat once again!"

"My order is: attack! Attack at all costs, by any means necessary! Drive every last Ork off this planet!"

"For the Emperor!"

Yarrick roared, his fervor inspiring every soldier.

"For the Emperor!"

All the soldiers of the Armageddon Steel Legion shouted in unison. Their voices rolled across the entire plain.

Then, under Yarrick's command and organization,

their hearts burning with fury and hatred for the Xenos, the soldiers climbed aboard the armored vehicles and set out for their target with unstoppable force. Their steel tracks kicked up clouds of dust across the plains.

At that very moment, the Orks in the Hive City were busy dealing with the chaos at their positions and hunting down the ant-cattle rampaging everywhere. They had no idea what was about to face them.