The fierce battle erupting in the Sanctum at the summit of High Charity instantly alarmed the Middle and Lower City.
On the streets, large numbers of Covenant armored units, along with fully armed Kig-Yar, Unggoy, Sangheili warriors, and soldiers of various races began assembling under the orders of their Sangheili commanders.
Although relations with the High Council had soured somewhat, Prophet of Mercy had intended to purge them only after exploiting their usefulness. For now, he had merely elevated the status of the Jiralhanae, without stripping the Sangheili of their military ranks or armaments. The Sangheili, led by their councilors, had only threatened resignation and withdrawn in protest.
The Sangheili military command structure remained intact.
Hearing the commotion, they rushed out from their residences in the Upper City, staring blankly at the thunderous explosions echoing from the summit.
"What is happening?"
"Why is there intense combat coming from the direction of the High Council? Have we been attacked?"
"Hmph! I said it before—those lowly ape Jiralhanae were never qualified. See? Something's gone wrong already."
While anxiously mobilizing their forces, groups of blue-armored, brown-armored, and red-armored Sangheili warriors muttered among themselves.
"Enough. That topic ends here. Issue the order—citywide martial law! Seal all district passages. No one enters or leaves."
Several Sangheili councilors stepped forward, clad in exquisite silver-white armor. The crests upon their helmets were more ornate, and their figures taller and more slender than their kin. Gazing up at the blazing explosions at the summit, they issued their commands.
Because they had withdrawn in protest against the Prophets' decree, many Sangheili councilors, shipmasters, and veteran elites were now gathered together.
"That direction is... the central control chamber! Not good!" One Sangheili councilor narrowed his eyes. After carefully examining the area where the fire and gunfire were most concentrated, his expression changed drastically.
"Move! This is no time to mock the Jiralhanae. The central control chamber is under attack! This is a disaster!"
"Let's hope those apes are at least as capable as their boasts suggest—at least enough to hold out for a while."
Hurriedly drawing their weapons, the assembled Covenant defense forces sprang into action under Sangheili command.
Just then, before the councilors had gone far—
"Emergency broadcast! The Jiralhanae have rebelled!"
"I am Supreme Commander Voro Nar 'Mantakree. By the order of Supreme Fleet Commander Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, suppress the Jiralhanae rebellion! All who collaborate with the rebels are to be exterminated without mercy!"
The title of Supreme Commander was one of the senior command ranks within the Covenant fleet, overseeing one or more fleets. It was equivalent to a deputy commander, subordinate only to the Supreme Fleet Commander.
"This order has been approved by the High Council! Our gods are watching you! Execute immediately!"
As the announcement echoed throughout High Charity, the advancing Covenant defense forces froze in place.
What was going on?!
"Voro Nar 'Mantakree? Commander Wattinree... weren't they pursuing the scattered human strike fleets that had fled into Covenant territory?"
Watching the enormous display showing the gold-armored Voro Nar 'Mantakree, the Sangheili councilors halted and exchanged uncertain glances.
Should they obey this order?
In principle, the Sangheili councilors opposed such a ruthless command for the sake of the Covenant's military strength. No matter how much they despised the Jiralhanae, extermination was excessive. Removing the ringleaders would have sufficed.
But when gunfire erupted—and they saw their own kin open fire first...
And when a force composed of Jiralhanae warriors came charging toward them.
He clenched his teeth and made his decision in an instant.
"I trust Wattinree. As for the reason—we will ask after this is over."
"Execute the Supreme Fleet Commander's order!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Pew! Pew! Pew!
In a short span of time, more than half of High Charity was engulfed in warfare. Violent explosions and the humming whine of plasma fire filled every major thoroughfare.
The sight caused the various Covenant species within the city to recall the Unggoy Rebellion—but this time, the scale and devastation far surpassed it.
At that moment, atop High Charity—in the central control chamber.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Vwooom—!
Bzzz!
"Purge them! Let this land be drenched in blood! For Selene!"
"Warriors! For glory! Burn!"
Disruption fields roared. Chainswords tore through flesh. Thunderous bolt shells howled through the air. The Retributors pressed forward like madmen, advancing under the counterattack of the Jiralhanae guards stationed near the control chamber.
Plasma, melta blasts, incendiary rounds, and grenades flared in succession. The air itself seemed to burn, thick with the acrid stench of ozone.
No matter how formidable one's physique, no matter the energy-shielded armor or the thick, coarse hide that granted additional protection—under such concentrated bombardment, even multiplied layers of defense led only to a bitter death.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At this moment, the roads leading to the central control chamber resembled a slaughterhouse. Blood, severed heads, mutilated limbs, and torn organs were flung everywhere. Fetid fluids flowed across the ground...
They were Jiralhanae cellular fluids and fat. Even the floor itself was shattered and torn apart again and again by explosions.
Especially terrifying were the taller golden-armored Royal Guards and the Sisters of Silence fighting alongside the iron-gray giants. Though far fewer in number than the Retributors, the destruction wrought by their every movement was overwhelming.
Clang!
A massive halberd blade collided with a gravity hammer. There was no possibility of stalemate—the detonating disruption field instantly obliterated the body of the Jiralhanae high-ranking guard.
Then the halberd struck the ground.
Boom—!
Explosive energy erupted outward, forming a fan-shaped shockwave that surged forward. It tore up the earth, toppled structures and ornamental gardens, swept aside corpses, and gouged a trench hundreds of meters long before the Royal Guard.
Nearly a hundred elite Jiralhanae warriors were reduced to ash in a single blow.
Witnessing the Royal Guard's display of overwhelming might in the distance, the Sangheili high-ranking commanders—acting under Xytan 'Jar Wattinree's orders to seize control of the chamber—could not help but gape. Their four-part mandibles spread wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
Thud!
"More smoothly than expected."
The crimson plume atop his Aquila-pattern power helmet fluttered as Royal Guard Commander Hubbard, standing beside Voro Nar 'Mantakree and holding a master-crafted guardian power halberd, spoke calmly.
Just as Xytan 'Jar Wattinree had planned, after losing their leaders and with the Council paralyzed, the Covenant—without Sangheili support—was like a headless beast. Garrisons, fleets, and units fought independently. Breaking them apart was effortless.
The Jiralhanae had indeed been pushed to the forefront by Prophet of Mercy—but how long had they actually been in office? They had not even sorted out their own jurisdictions, yet they already sought to construct a fully integrated cross-species command system.
"Commander Voro Nar 'Mantakree, well done."
"Ah... yes. I will notify Commander Wattinree at once."
...
The battle was drawing to a close.
Whoosh—splurt!
Arm blades slashed at incredible speed, slicing through the air before the crack of shattering energy shields followed by the wet grind of metal and flesh being torn apart.
"Urrgh..."
As a power gauntlet treated with corrosive toxins tore free from a body, dark red droplets bubbled out under pressure, gurgling thickly.
The Jiralhanae high-ranking chieftain guards who had mocked Supreme Fleet Commander Xytan 'Jar Wattinree only a minute earlier—posturing arrogantly as if ready to strike—were now nothing more than scattered chunks of flesh.
Splatter!
Spraying blood struck the ground, reflecting Tartarus' wide-eyed, ferocious expression.
"Sangheili! You deserve to die!!"
Veins bulged across his forehead as Tartarus roared. Blood rushed to his face, flushing it red before turning livid. His neck swelled as if about to burst, his fur bristling, white foam flecking his lips as his fist clenched around the gravity hammer with a sharp crack-crack.
His loss of composure was understandable. As Jiralhanae warriors selected to serve as the Prophets' Honor Guards, these were the true elites of their species—the strongest in physique, the most seasoned in combat and command.
In Tartarus' plan, after their "gilded" tenure guarding the Prophets, these warriors would be reassigned as commanders within the Covenant military, gradually replacing the Sangheili entirely.
Who could have imagined that High Charity—supposedly the safest place of all—would erupt into such chaos? That the Sangheili would react so decisively, rebelling the instant they sensed something amiss?
Now it was all over.
Tartarus was forced to watch the backbone of the Jiralhanae generation slaughtered before his eyes, powerless to stop it.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
"Colluding with human heretics—you dare speak of honor?! Shameless!"
His energy shield had already shattered. His chest and limbs had been struck repeatedly by syringe-like projectiles. Numbness crept through his body. Tartarus knew he was finished—but he did not fear death.
"Roar—!"
Tearing the bloodied needles from his chest, he raised his gravity hammer high. Ignoring the human assassins carving dreadful wounds across his body, he launched a suicidal charge toward Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, clad in silver armor etched with golden patterns.
At this moment, in his eyes, the traitorous Sangheili were more detestable than the humans slaughtering his kin.
"Hmph."
Xytan 'Jar Wattinree gave a cold sneer and shifted slightly aside.
"Meaningless howling."
Boom!
The gravity hammer struck the ground. Debris exploded outward, leaving a crater over three meters in radius and dozens of centimeters deep.
Xytan 'Jar Wattinree seized the descending hammer's shaft, then pivoted, swinging his twin energy swords in a motion as swift as a hunting beast. The blazing blades thrust toward Tartarus' chest.
Ssssh—
When Tartarus raised an arm to block, Wattinree twisted his strength mid-motion, letting the blade slide across the guard, carving a long gash into the thick-furred arm and severing the tendons. He withdrew the sword, reversed it in a fluid motion, and drove it cleanly through Tartarus' kidney.
Then he twisted.
"Waa—! Puh!"
Entrails and organs were shredded. Agony and numbness erupted together. Clutching the near-punctured wound in his abdomen, Tartarus collapsed, his grip on the gravity hammer trembling weakly.
"Roar—! Sangheili! Release the chieftain!" Another squad of Jiralhanae stationed near the summit charged in.
"Fall back! Gather more heavy armor and return!" Tartarus bellowed.
Pew! Pew!
The next instant, accompanied by dull thuds, streaks of fluorescent light flashed along the long staircase. The charging Jiralhanae warriors shuddered mid-run. Blood blossomed from their bodies as they collapsed across the winding steps.
After eliminating the reinforcements, the Imperial assassins lowered their gauss disintegration pistols. Their tight-fitting armor began to distort, turning transparent before vanishing entirely into the surroundings.
"Xytan 'Jar Wattinree! And you dare speak of honor, you mongrels who prattle about it daily!"
"Hypocrites!"
Slash—splurt!
The crimson energy swords flashed mercilessly, severing both of Tartarus' arms.
"Honor? You lowly apes dare speak of honor? Did you think your cleansing plan with the San'Shyuum was flawless—use my people and cast them aside?"
With a heavy thud, Wattinree pinned Tartarus to the ground and slowly drew his blade across the Jiralhanae's throat, roaring, "Did those liars truly think my people were fools?!"
"Stop. Commander Wattinree—spare him for now."
Just as Wattinree was about to slit Tartarus' throat, a slender hand clad in ornate golden power armor grasped his wrist.
He looked up.
Even beneath the golden armor, the figure's tall, graceful form was unmistakable. The twin-headed aquila emblem gleamed upon the armor. A crimson cloak trimmed in gold draped from the shoulders. In her hands rested a greatsword, its blade shimmering faintly with violet light.
"You are?"
"Imperial Royal Guard. Sister of Silence."
She affixed a circular device onto Tartarus' head. Noticing Wattinree's questioning gaze, she explained calmly, "Commander Wattinree, this alien's memories may still prove useful. Waste recycling, would you not agree?"
...
Vrrrr—
"Ma'am, please refrain. I must return to the Reclaimers. You are not human, you do not possess—"
Moments earlier, the ancilla aboard the Keyship—an intelligent AI—had been reactivated by Selene's infused energy. Upon detecting the Forerunner authority imprints within Dr. Halsey, the Master Chief, and the others, it had manifested and introduced itself—only to be promptly seized by Selene.
"Enough dithering. It's all the same. What belongs to humanity belongs to me. You are not qualified. Activate the star map. Summon your main body."
Forcefully restraining the mask-like Forerunner ancilla fragment, Selene spoke dismissively.
"But that violates the mantle's inheritance protocol—"
"Protocol? You fragmented your consciousness and escaped aboard the Keyship. Does that comply with protocol?" Selene cut in bluntly.
"Besides, my will is their will..."
She gestured toward the bewildered Halsey and the others.
"What say you?"
"Your Majesty may decide," Halsey replied evenly.
"You see? Lead the way."
"But it contradicts the Creators' desi—"
"Are you not seeking repentance? Atonement?" Selene narrowed her eyes and pressed the point.
At the mention of "repentance" and "atonement," the ancilla glitched audibly, emitting bursts of static.
"I am a sinner..."
Selene needed only to hear the beginning.
That settles it.
If even its main body could be talked into betrayal, there was no reason she—armed with righteous cause and subtle authority—could not persuade a mere AI fragment.