Chapter 99
If you can't land one punch, you'll be met with a hundred.
The Human Imperium now seems to have become an easy target in the eyes of the alien races, a place that anyone can easily exploit.
This also owes much to the incredible operation of Human Imperium over the past millennia of peace.
The Aeldari hacked and slashed their way through the enemy lines.
The Aeldari Harlequins's surprise attack, like a deadly rainbow, shattered the silence of the palace.
Their battle suits shimmered with an ethereal glow, making each step difficult for mortals to follow.
Lucifer Blacks, those Emperor Death Knights clad in jet-black power armor, didn't even have time to sound the alarm before their throats were slit by Aeldari's longswords.
But deep within the palace, there are always even more terrifying guards.
"Alien! Blasphemers of the Sanctuary, die!"
A torrent of gold surged forth from the shadows.
The Adeptus Custodes, the Emperor's most perfect creation, their figures descended like gods in the dimly lit corridors, the hum of their power spears vibrating the air, the sharpness of their halberds enough to sever souls.
The head of the Adeptus Custodes, a cold, mechanical voice emanated from beneath his helmet, his golden armor etched with ancient victory inscriptions.
His halberd swept across, and a Harlequins who had just leaped up was cut in half at the waist, his Aeldari body cleaved open and scattered all over the ground.
But these Harlequins are no ordinary warriors.
They danced with death, their laughter beneath the masks as clear as silver bells, yet carrying a deadly intent.
"Look at you, you're even more dazzling than me?!" the leader of the Harlequins laughed. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd really won."
These words enraged the Adeptus Custodes, who rushed forward.
His mask, depicting a mixture of laughter and tears, Distortion in the shadows as his double-edged sword pierced the throat of the Adeptus Custodes like a venomous snake.
"In this grand occasion, no amount of dressing up is too much, so forgive them," another Harlequins said with a grin, completely disregarding the Adeptus Custodes before him.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the Adeptus Custodes's powered spears were precisely parried, but the Harlequins leader's second strike came from an unbelievable angle, aiming straight for the joint gaps in the Adeptus Custodes Guard's armor.
The golden armor was cut open, blood splattered, but the Adeptus Custodes did not back down, and smashed the Harlequins's mask with a powerful punch.
"Hahahaha." Another Harlequins shrieked and leaped up, his blade slicing through the Adeptus Custodes's neck armor, leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash.
But the next second, three powered spears pierced through his body simultaneously, and the Aeldari's body exploded in the lightning.
The battle in the narrow corridor turned into a brutal, meat grinder-like fight.
The Adeptus Custodes' formation was like an impregnable fortress, each strike carrying immense force, while the Harlequins moved like ghosts, their blades leaving marks on the golden armor.
An Adeptus Custodes, his throat slit by a poisoned blade from the Aeldari, collapsed to his knees, but before dying, he pierced the enemy's heart with a powered spear.
Another Harlequins's head was smashed by the gauntlets of the Adeptus Custodes, but his blade remained deeply embedded in the Adeptus Custodes's breastplate.
"Their target is the Eternal Gate!" an Adeptus Custodes roared. "We must not let them break in!"
The Harlequins weren't simply there to kill; they were advancing, each step pushing towards the innermost forbidden zone of the palace.
Their dance steps were unpredictable and strange, as if they had foreseen every interception by the Adeptus Custodes.
Eternal Gate.
Finally, after sacrificing the lives of more than forty Adeptus Custodes, the Harlequins all came to a stop here.
Blood meandered across the golden floor tiles.
The corpses of more than forty Adeptus Custodes lay strewn before the Eternal Gate, their golden armor shattered, their power spears broken, and blood seeping from their cracked breastplates, staining the ground of the Emperor's Sanctum dark red.
Some of the Adeptus Custodes remained in battle stances, their fingers gripping the enemy's throats tightly, even though their heads had been pierced by the Aeldari's blades, and some had been pinned to the wall by several battle blades at the same time, their spines broken, yet their eyes remained wide open in fury.
The corpses of the Aeldari Harlequins were scattered everywhere.
Their battle armor lost its luster, their masks shattered, revealing Aeldari faces as pale as the dead moon.
The blood of the Aeldari mingled with the crimson of humans, forming a strange stream on the steps before the Eternal Gate.
Only one Harlequins is still alive.
His legs were severed, his left arm disappeared at the shoulder, and his remaining right hand Adeptus Custodes' powered spear, pinning him to the ground.
The mask with the crying and laughing face cracked open, revealing half of a Distortion face. He was laughing, his mouth stretched to his ears, and his sharp teeth were stained with the blood of the Adeptus Custodes.
"Speak," one of the Adeptus Custodes said, looking at the Harlequins.
His golden armor was almost completely cleaved open, a deep wound that exposed bone stretched from his collarbone to his abdomen, blood dripping down his leg armor, yet he still stood firm.
The Harlequins chuckled softly, squeezing out a hoarse whisper in Aeldari language, "You... are already dead... you just haven't fallen yet..."
The Adeptus Custodes Guard's gauntlets tightened suddenly, crushing the Harlequins's wrist bones.
Why have you come?
The Harlequins's yellow eyes gleamed behind his mask as he tilted his head, seemingly enjoying the commander of the Adeptus Custodes's anger.
"For a good show," he gasped, his voice like a viper's hiss, "You humans are always so arrogant, thinking you're the stars of the show..."
His gaze passed over the Adeptus Custodes and landed on the Eternal Gate.
That forbidden gate, which has not been touched by any other race since the Horus Heresy.
On the porch, a fresh Aeldari sword mark is clearly visible, etched on the edge of the Emperor's Holy Emblem.
"We're just here to remind you," the Harlequins coughed up blood, "That the curtain has been drawn, and you've even forgotten your lines, ha ha ha ha!"
On the other side, the Adeptus Custodes, unable to bear watching any longer, suddenly pressed down with their powered spears, shattering the Harlequins's shoulder blade amidst the hum of the energy field.
But he was still laughing, his laughter sharp as a knife, piercing people's eardrums.
"Your Emperor has long been silent..." the Harlequins's voice suddenly became clear, "And the true actors are about to take the stage."
The Adeptus Custodes didn't waste any more words with him and arrested him immediately.
The Human Imperium should have many ways to get other races to talk.
With the last Harlequins being led away.
The hall fell into a deathly silence.
(PS: In the original text, Hua Douya went on a rampage in the Adeptus Custodes, no longer acting.)
Chapter 69: Magical Girl, Shining Brightly! [5 Updates]
The surviving Adeptus Custodes stood silently; of the hundred who had arrived, fewer than sixty remained.
Other Adeptus Custodes were on their way, but the battle was already over.
Some knelt on one knee to close the eyes of the fallen Adeptus Custodes; others used their halberds as a crutch to support their collapsing bodies.
One of the Adeptus Custodes picked up the mask from the ground.
On the inside of the mask, a line of small characters was engraved in Aeldari runes:
"Laugh, the stage is ready for you."
He gripped his mask tightly, his angry expression contorted beneath the helmet.
In the distance, outside the palace, the shadow of the Battle Moon still loomed over Terra.
One of the Adeptus Custodes, witnessing this scene, was overcome with sorrow.
Why have humans become what they are today? Emperor... when will you return?
His words resonated with the other Adeptus Custodes.
But the other Adeptus Custodes did not respond to this Adeptus Custodes, for they loathed brotherhood within the Adeptus Custodes.
Even if you share the same thoughts, you can't express them.
This is a lesson they learned from the Great Rebellion.
Yet, they couldn't help but savor the words over and over again.
Looking at his colleagues lying on the ground and the bean sprouts scattered around, he wondered when the Human Imperium had fallen to such a state.
The aliens rode on their heads and defecated wildly.
They made no move, nor were they able to make any move.
Humanity today is like a plump lamb, waiting to be slaughtered?
The Adeptus Custodes remained silent, their hearts heavy as they began to clean up the battlefield.
In orbit near Mars.
A ship belonging to the Ultramarines slowly sailed out.
While eating the Ultramarines's energy bar, Xiao Huasheng conjured up cake to feed the Queen of Hatred was lying on his lap.
The Queen of Hatred happily crossed her legs and began to hum softly.
Reni, on the other hand, was excitedly touching the power armor, touching it here and there.
She's completely susceptible to cool and stylish things.
She likes Ultraman simply because Ultraman's cool; there's no other reason.
If there were something else even more handsome, maybe that could steal this guy's heart.
Looking at the Ultramarines' expressions, which were anything but happy, he asked them a question.
"How is the situation now?"
"They haven't contacted us."
The captain spoke, looking at Xiao Huasheng, "However, judging from this situation, it's not a very good one either."
As he spoke, the captain pointed out the window.
Xiao Huasheng looked out the porthole and saw it directly in front of him.
Very close to Mars, Earth's appearance is revealed, with a moon prominently displayed beside it.
A Battle Moon from the Orks.
The Queen of Hatred, who was in Xiao Huasheng's arms, immediately jumped up and looked curiously out the window.
Sure enough, the moment she saw the Battle Moon, she was filled with a strong sense of justice.
"Evil! I will destroy them!" She eagerly picked up her magic wand, wishing she could smash the Orks's head off in the next second.
But clearly, the range is far too short at such a distance.
Upon witnessing this scene, the captain had no doubt that the Queen of Hatred truly possessed the power to strike Orks on the head.
If only the Ultramarines' fleet were to arrive, they would be completely overwhelmed.
Coming here would only be suicide.
It's absolutely impossible for them to save the Terra in their time of need, but if it were them...
She glanced at the excited Queen of Hatred, the Angel still flashing her energy bar, and Reni touching her power armor everywhere, even noticing that she herself had inexplicably acquired power armor.
The captain thought it would be incredibly easy for them to veil these Orks.
The captain once again marveled at the power of the Emperor and the living saint.
He continued his journey toward humanity's home planet.
Outside the bridge porthole, the shadow of the Battle Moon hung like a blade over Terra's throat.
The Orks' crude space fortress, glowing a sickly green under the starlight, was covered with cannon muzzles and welding marks, like a rotten fruit hanging in orbit around humanity's home planet.
The captain's finger traced across the tactical holographic display.
Mars' gravitational trajectory and Terra's back path intertwine in the star chart to form a dangerous arc.
The holographic image flickered, and a hidden route was marked, leading directly to Terra.
Using Mars' gravitational slingshot effect, they can accelerate directly towards it.
They discreetly entered the area, their backs to Terra.
The captain shared this idea with the three of them.