"The will of humanity, thoroughly spread across the entire planet."
"Ahhh!!"
"Run!!"
Witnessing a mass of their fellow Grunts, along with Jackals and Brutes, crushed by six drop pods, the Grunts, already unwilling to fight for the Covenant, quickly scattered in fear.
Boom~—Boom!
Before the Brutes in charge of keeping the Grunts in line could execute them for fleeing, the doors of the drop pods swung open.
Thud, thud!
Bang, bang, bang!
Heavy, hellish footsteps echoed out, along with the distinct, "melodic" gunfire of bolter rounds.
Thirty Thunder Warriors, as tall as Brutes but far bulkier, emerged from the drop pods, immediately unloading bolter rounds into the surrounding Covenant infantry. In mere moments, they created a vacuum of destruction around them.
Meanwhile, in a pod occupied by a single individual, Samuel Young suddenly appeared beside an injured veteran squad leader.
??!!
Even the high-ranking Brutes, including Atriox, wore expressions of shock and terror. Though it was hard for a human to read Brute expressions, the reason for their fear was unmistakable—they had never seen a human standing five meters tall.
And this human radiated a faint golden glow.
With black hair flowing, a massive golden-flamed sword in his right hand, and golden lightning crackling between the claws of his left, his black and gold armor and a red cape hanging from his shoulders gave him the aura of a god rather than the formless "god" their prophets spoke of.
Many of the Brutes, upon seeing Samuel Young, felt an immediate wavering of spirit, wondering if fighting for him might bring them true honor. Brutes shared the Elites' respect and admiration for strength, and Samuel Young was an embodiment of that strength.
Boom—Boom!
In the next instant, blazing golden flames erupted, consuming Atriox and every high-ranking Brute nearby.
"No!"
"Ah!"
The excruciating pain that seared their very souls caused them to scream as they turned to ash and scattered with the wind.
The entire process happened so quickly that the Covenant infantry in the distance could not react. The Brutes and other elite units that had posed the greatest threat were utterly obliterated.
The battlefield fell silent.
Samuel Young paid no heed to the Covenant forces' despair. He crouched down next to the veteran squad leader, who was trying to stand, and plunged the Emperor's Sword into the ground to free his right hand and offer help, saying, "Kid, are you alright?"
With Samuel's help and his wounds healing quickly, the veteran squad leader managed to stand.
However, standing at 2.5 meters tall, the squad leader found himself eye-level with a crouching Samuel Young and immediately lowered his head, dropping to one knee. "To have you on the battlefield in person is a failure on our part!"
"Heh, no need to be so tense."
Samuel lifted a hand to halt the kneeling. Seeing the squad leader relax slightly, he stood up, holding the Emperor's Sword once more. Looking down at the guilt-ridden yet honored veteran, he continued, "I'm glad you're unharmed, and there's no need to blame yourself."
"The resistance on this planet has been much stronger than in the past, which is why you've faced delays and casualties."
Turning to face the Covenant infantry, who had barely regained their composure, Samuel's voice sharpened, and he spoke with psionic amplification: "You and your brothers will now fight alongside me to end this ground battle on this planet!"
The echoing quality of his voice reverberated across the battlefield.
As he finished, Samuel's golden gaze flared. Slowly, he raised the Emperor's Sword, allowing the veteran squad leader, the newly arrived Thunder Warriors, the Blood Angels, and the entire army to witness his every movement.
Then—
BOOM—!!!
A sea of golden flames, like an ocean, poured from the blade of the Emperor's Sword, engulfing every Covenant infantry and armored vehicle on the battlefield. Even the pesky Covenant fighters and transports flying overhead couldn't escape the fiery "waves," which incinerated them on the spot.
But as Samuel swung his sword, the soldiers around him saw only a radiant golden glow.
Instead of a searing heat or pain, the flames filled them with a warm, comforting sensation.
When the radiance faded and the world returned to normal, the veteran squad leader and the others saw that the Brutes and Covenant forces that had posed a deadly threat had vanished.
The soil, distant shipyards, nearby lakes, forests, and all natural landscapes remained perfectly intact.
Even the Thunder Warriors and surviving Grunts in the sea of flames emerged unscathed.
It seemed that Samuel's psionic flames could distinguish friend from foe, ensuring the safety of allied forces and select species.
"Huh?"
"Whoa?"
The Grunts, crouched with hands over their heads, looked around, confused to find themselves unharmed. When they saw that all the Brutes, Jackals, and Drones had disappeared and that only the human forces remained, they raised their hands and fled in exaggerated panic.
Samuel had spared the Grunts because he sensed the fear and oppression they felt, slaves forced to fight. These Grunts would likely seek out Elite units after their escape, hoping to serve the Elites instead.
In this way, the Grunts would eventually become part of the allied forces.
Though cowardly, lazy, and timid, they could serve as a valuable labor force and support unit on the front lines if managed correctly.
At that moment, Samuel raised his sword once more and commanded, "Eliminate any remaining enemies and secure the facility! Complete this within one hour!"
"Yes, sir!"
The veteran squad leader responded first, raising his sword and turning to his comrades, roaring, "For humanity! For glory!"
"For humanity! For glory!" echoed the Thunder Warriors and Blood Angels as they charged toward the Covenant shipyard.
The squad leader's face, visible due to his helmet being knocked off by an earlier blow, was filled with fervor and excitement. Bloodshot eyes and bulging veins showed his commitment to this mission.
Though they carried the genes of Guilliman, their genetic lineage ultimately traced back to Samuel Young himself.
Like soldiers following their father into battle, the sight of their gene-father filled the soldiers with boundless morale.
Though the veteran squad leader wanted to shout, "For the Emperor!" it felt inappropriate, as their Empire had not yet been established. So he opted for "For humanity! For glory!" to rally his brothers.
Meanwhile, the thousands of clone soldiers mobilized.
"Advance."
"Understood."
"Teams 1003, 1007, and 1009, board ground transports and proceed to the target facility with the Thunder Warriors."
"Understood."
In the absence of enemy aerial forces, the company's aircraft could provide unimpeded fire support from above. The ODST units on the city's outskirts quickly spread out, helping other units clear out remaining resistance within the city.
Not long after, the vital shipyard facility was secured under Samuel Young's direct command, with only about thirty casualties, most of whom had rushed in too eagerly and fallen to surprise attacks from Drones or Brutes.
Samuel's presence on the battlefield had not only energized the adult Astartes but had also driven veteran soldiers, who privately revered him as a "true god," to give their utmost in battle.
Thanks to Samuel's precise psionic protection, even clone soldiers were shielded, being valuable assets to the company.
Once he confirmed no threats remained, Samuel deactivated his active psionic sense, reverting to a passive state.
Currently, Samuel stood by a lake on the southern edge of the forest near the Covenant shipyard. Around him, ten Thunder Warriors guarded the area, while nearby were groups of Thunder Warriors, Blood Angels, and three newly arrived Dark Angel squads.
The adult Astartes had gathered on their own accord to serve as his guard.
After the battle, with the nearby company units regrouping, Samuel had chosen to come to this spot for a brief moment of relaxation, while also intending to "claim" the planet as his own.
After a moment of silence, he took a few steps back, reaching an area covered in wild grass. He opened his left hand, from which the golden lightning had faded, holding his palm upward.
A gentle golden light began to gather in his palm, taking the form of a delicate, translucent peony flower with a faint golden sheen.
Samuel knelt down, gently placed the psionically-formed peony into the grass, and watched as it rooted.
Swish—!
The moment the stem touched the soil, the peony began to bloom, releasing a visible mist of pollen that spread quickly into the air.
The veteran squad leader watched the entire process, puzzled by what his "grandfather" was doing. Though he hesitated to speak, he chose to remain silent, fearing he might offend Samuel.
"What do you wish to ask, Calgar?"
Sensing the squad leader's emotional turmoil, Samuel encouraged Calgar to speak.
?!
Taken aback, Calgar stepped forward and looked down at the blooming peony. "Your Majesty, are you honoring our fallen comrades in this way?"
Using "Your Majesty" reflected Calgar's unwavering view of Samuel as the human Emperor.
"In part," Samuel replied, neither denying the term nor Calgar's interpretation.
Then he began walking back toward the regrouping troops, explaining to Calgar and the other Astartes who followed closely behind, "Moreover, this pure flower, which resembles a peony, will reproduce exponentially."
"It won't take long for it to filter the harmful substances in the atmosphere and..."
At this, Samuel paused, his tone becoming resolute:
"...to ensure that the will of humanity spreads across this entire planet."
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