Guilliman looked up at the starships ceaselessly raining down fire, then at the defenses crumbling around him, and gave a bitter smile.
"What the hell is all this?"
Sicarius hurried in, covered in blood, and saluted.
"Father, Lord Lion El'Jonson and the others are looking for you."
"Understood."
Guilliman forced his exhausted body up from the rubble, then made his way to a garden the bombardment had not yet reached.
There, he found Lion El'Jonson, Angron, Horus, and Dorn.
Lion El'Jonson was briefing them on the situation.
"Those strange Weeping Angels should still be inside the palace's inner walls. I can't guarantee their numbers haven't increased."
"Sanguinius and Russ have attacked three times already, but they still haven't reached the Gate of the End."
Seeing Guilliman approach, Lion El'Jonson stopped speaking and turned to him with a frown.
"How much strength do we have left?"
Guilliman shook his head, his expression grim.
"Very little. The Space Wolves and Iron Hands have been all but wiped out, and the other Legions won't be much better off."
"I estimate... we can only sustain one final assault."
Lion El'Jonson's expression darkened further.
The First Founding Chapters had brought few warriors to the parade on Terra to begin with. If Guilliman had not hidden away a contingent of Ultramarines beforehand to come to their rescue, they would never have held out this long.
By contrast, vast numbers of Astra Militarum had attended the parade, and many of them were formidable opponents.
"Enough. There's no need for another assault."
Horus spoke, looking toward the Titan War Machines already closing in from the distance.
"Once the reinforcements arrive, we'll soon be able to clear the defenses at the inner walls, and then..."
"No. We attack now."
A voice suddenly rang out. Somehow, Bona had appeared among