Chapter 315 304. The beginning of divine punishment
was on the 21st day of the eighteenth year of Cyrene, when the sky split open.
For seven days and nights, fireballs rained down on the earth, and for seven days and nights, silent tides surged onto the earth.
And after that great catastrophe and great conversion, she was called the Blessed Lady by the angels in gray armor.
From then on Cyrene was no longer Cyrene.
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[Perfect City]
“What is that?”
The shirtless boy selling holy oil candles on the street was the first to notice something was wrong. He squinted his eyes hard and spoke with Blocking the dazzling sunlight with his hands, he looked at the blue sky above the crowd.
There, the blue sky seemed to be trembling slightly with an abnormal amplitude.
The boy was confused and thought it was just his eyesight. How could the sky tremble? How could it be possible to shed tears like a lamb about to be slaughtered?
He was silent for so long that the old woman who was bending to choose candles in front of his stall stood up impatiently. She held three candles and looked dissatisfied, as if she wanted to reason with the inattentive vendor.
But when she saw the boy's abnormal gaze, the old woman impatiently smoothed the layers of silver bracelets on her arms. She guessed it was some kind of wild bird mating. She thought, this is what boys of this age are like. Even in the holy city the mind is filled with desire.
Then she turned around -
"Ah!!!!"
The sharp scream suddenly burst out into the noisy street. People looked at the source of the sound in confusion, but only saw an old woman who collapsed and fell to the ground, and a man looking into the distance. Trembling boy.
So they followed the boy's trembling gaze -
the noisy crowd fell silent for an instant as if the pause button had been pressed.
Gray tears dripped from the sky, with orange flames on them and bright blue stars falling at the end.
Divine punishment has begun.
It started with the first star hitting the square, and the angel in blue armor walked out from there.
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[Ultramarines]
Ayton, the commander of the 19th company of the Ultramarines, is holding his sword and walking among the guards. According to the plan, they landed in Midnight Square, One of the busiest squares in the Perfect City.
The smell of burning chemicals when the airdrop pod landed was mixed with the strong aroma of incense in the square, making it pungent and irritating.
Ayton calmly suppressed the faint uneasiness and anxiety in his heart. He acted according to the orders of Legion Commander Guilliman, and that was all.
Only, is, like, this.
He looked at the crowd of onlookers, squirming and kneeling around the airdrop cabin like newborn lambs. They were mumbling words, and Aiden heard with disgust that they were praising the God Emperor and praising his children.
Although this feeling of disgust could not dilute his inner uneasiness.
Ayton gave himself a second to calm down, and then he turned on the helmet's speaker, and a tingling sound of electricity sounded.
He said what he was asked to say, as he had rehearsed a thousand times before.
[We, the soldiers of the Thirteenth Regiment of the Forty-seventh Expeditionary Fleet, are here to exercise our authority and abide by the Tenth Decree promulgated by the Emperor, which shall be reviewed and approved by the Empire and shall take effect immediately. 】
His cold and low voice spread to every corner, and he heard the whispers of the crowd. Some were looking forward to it, some were nervous, and most of them were just mumbling meaningless prayers.
He continued, making sure his voice did not tremble,
[As a punishment for your faith, the Emperor ordered the destruction of the Perfect City. You were allowed three days to collect your belongings in the city. On the fourth day, the fortieth day The Seventh Expedition Fleet will break down the city gates and allow you four days to evacuate. ]
[On the seventh and last day, your planetary governor is allowed to send a psychic communication for help to the Seventeenth Legion. 】
He finished speaking, and now, everything is silent.
Those prayers disappeared, as if they were stressed, and people froze in place, as if they had melted into the sculptures of pilgrims.
Ayton sighed softly, and the sound was transformed into a crisp electric sound by the speaker.
The next moment, a wave of abuse, screams, prayers, and sobs rolled over him.
People screamed and huddled together. Some people tried to escape, but tripped over people on the ground. Some people fainted and collapsed on the ground, mixed with those who were prostrate on the ground praying, and some people were trying to spit at them. , throwing stones, someone tried to stop the men, and then they struggled with each other.
Ayton calmly stretched his hand to the bolter on his waist. He listened to the sound of the pebbles clattering against his armor. He held the sword against the ground with one hand and the gun with the other, slowly raising the muzzle of the gun. ——The
sunlight coated his dazzling blue armor with a layer of dizzy white.
"Bang!!!"
Old people, young people, men, and women all stopped now. They looked at him in horror, looking at the muzzle of the gun that was still slightly hot.
[You only have seven days. 】
Aiton said,
【No one is allowed to stay here in the early morning of the seventh day. Resistance will inevitably lead to bloodshed. ]
[Again, resistance will result in bloodshed. 】
Ayton swallowed, now he had finished what he was asked to say.
[From my personal point of view,]
he said, trying to soften his voice,
[You need to recognize the facts as soon as possible and leave here on the fourth day. As soldiers of the 47th Expeditionary Fleet, we protect every empire legally The reasonable demands of citizens, as long as you obey the Emperor's orders in an orderly manner, we will not harm your personal safety. 】
The crowd was silent for a moment, and then a voice shouted,
"This is our home! Where else can we go?!"
With his keen observation, Ayton found the source of the voice in the crowd, a rickety man. The old woman seemed to be chattering away.
He pointed the bolter at her, and she trembled violently. A man beside her who looked very similar to her seemed to want to block her. He might be her son.
[Resistance will bleed, lady, now go back to your home, pack your bags, and leave on the fourth day. 】
The next moment, the wine bottle exploded at his feet.
A'iton sighed again, then fired a warning shot into the sky as the Ultramarines around him began to drive away the crowd.
On the horizon, the Ultramarines' airdrop pod was still landing, like a rain of fire.
Ayton watched all this with an expressionless face. The plan went smoothly without even activating the backup plan.
His private communication channel sounded, and the voice was very calm, but for some reason, Ayton heard a hint of relaxation in it...that kind of...real calm, not depression.
[Captain Ayton of the 19th Company, this is Hades, the Lord of the Silent Order, asking about your progress. 】
[Lord Hades, this is the Ultramarine Ayton. The crowd has been warned. After a day of chaos, most people will return home. ]
There was a sound of electricity in the channel,
[Received,]
the other side said,
[We will take action on the night of the first day, pay attention to sealing off the city, and do not let suspicious people leave early. If necessary, you can impose a curfew. ]
Ayton paused for a moment,
[Lord Hades, this may be difficult...]
[Haha, a suggestion. This will make it easier for us, but it will probably be difficult for you. Don't worry, just follow your limits. Come warrior, bleed as little as possible. 】
The voice of the Lord of the Silent Order was particularly relaxed... This gave Ayton an illusion, a feeling that he was just performing an ordinary task, which may have slightly confused his uneasiness.
[I wish you a successful mission, Captain Ayton. ]
As the other side of the channel said this, Ayton opened his mouth,
[Received, I wish you good luck with the mission, Lord Hades. 】
The communication was immediately hung up.
Here, the first paragraph of Ayton expelling the crowd, as well as the fragment of the home and the wine bottle are all from the original work "The First Heresy". They have been adapted and processed, occupying about 200 words. I am very sorry that it involves the plot of the original work.
It also involves some parts that adapt the Bible. If reading this part makes you feel uncomfortable with your faith, it is recommended to stop reading the Word Bearers religious part.
(End of chapter)