The gloomy clouds were like a falling sky, and the raging lightning that poured down illuminated the endless darkness.
The voice of the Primarch echoed through the violent thunderstorm.
That grand voice overpowered everything.
It was like a majestic, divine celestial being proclaiming the sins of the world.
The planetary governor's body trembled, and the bodies of all the nobles trembled.
"Lord, is there some misunderstanding?" The planetary governor asked tremblingly.
"There is no misunderstanding. House Glaus, you have been declared Anathema Traitors," Guilliman looked at the planetary governor before him, his tone icy.
The Honor Guard stood around him, silent beneath their cold metal helmets.
They showed no reaction to this Anathema Treachery, which was enough to shake the Imperium.
The planetary governor slumped to the ground, his earlier smug, arrogant smile completely gone.
House Glaus was a vast family spanning several star systems, possessing unparalleled wealth.
They could afford expensive life-extending surgeries for family members and owned their private fleet.
But the planetary governor knew very well that these were insignificant in the face of a Primarch.
With a single word, the other party had stripped House Glaus of everything.
The planetary governor looked at the other nobles, his eyes pleading for help.
But no one dared to step forward. These nobles had all sworn to stand with House Glaus.
Yet now, not a single one came forward.
Everyone avoided him like the plague.
"Sicarius, execute the adult members of House Glaus, and send their children to the penitent camps. Tell those children that only through war and bloodshed can they wash away the sins of their fathers."
Guilliman's gaze swept over the other nobles, the majesty in his eyes making them instinctively recoil a few steps. "You allowed House Glaus to defy my orders, greedy for the power in your hands and unwilling to speak up. You will also be subjected to scrutiny."
The nobles immediately started crying in fear.
Some nobles wanted to rush to the Primarch, begging for his forgiveness.
The Honor Guard blocked them, their Terminator armor forming a metal line they could not cross.
"Lord, my ancestors bled for the Emperor, my ancestors served the Imperium, Lord, you cannot do this!"
A noble howled and cried, his obese body shaking.
He cried out, trying to squeeze through the iron wall formed by the Space Marines, reaching forward with effort.
"Then your ancestors will be ashamed of you. You have betrayed their ideals and bloodline. Take them away. Every single one will be scrutinized. If there is any problem, deal with it immediately."
Guilliman scanned the crying nobles, completely unmoved.
The Space Marines pushed all the nobles aside and arrested them according to the list.
Guilliman, surrounded by the Honor Guard, stepped towards the red carpet prepared for him.
The only regret was that the people who had been ordered to lay the red carpet had all been arrested.
This should have been a grand welcoming ceremony.
Instead, it became the scene of the arrest of House Glaus and many other nobles.
The nobles were taken away by the Inquisitors from Guilliman's fleet, each to be examined for their sins.
Many nobles fainted on the spot.
The Inquisition was notoriously terrifying. Falling into their hands meant absolutely no good outcome.
To efficiently combat the enemies of the Imperium, Inquisitors often employed various horrific tortures without restraint.
Guilliman showed no mercy. No matter how these individuals wailed and screamed, he did not cast another glance.
This plunged the nobles into complete despair.
Even if they were cleared after the scrutiny, they would lose their noble status and become lowly commoners.
"You are a complete and utter tyrant!" A frenzied high noble shouted. He pulled out a pistol and fired in Guilliman's direction. "You persecute loyal servants of the Imperium! You are trying to usurp your father's throne, tyrant!"
Laser beams flashed in the rain.
The Honor Guard easily blocked such insignificant attacks that couldn't even break their shields.
The actions of this high noble completely enraged the Space Marines.
One warrior violently smashed the butt of his gun into the man's face, making him scream in pain.
The strength of a space marine was immense. Even controlling his force, he easily shattered the man's face.
Flesh and blood mixed with broken teeth flew out, and the once high-ranking noble lay on the ground like a dead dog.
He was not dead yet.
He still had one last breath.
But this was not his luck. Death was a thousand times better than falling into the hands of the Inquisition.
"This is their loyalty. Power corrupts them, making them abandon their oaths and forget reverence," Guilliman glanced at him, then stepped towards the hive city. "Announce my arrival to this world. I will listen to their voices."
Servo-skulls, cherubs, and many other flying objects flew to various places, roaring the news of the great Primarch's arrival to the entire hive city.
The news of the nobles' arrest quickly spread, shocking everyone.
Those who considered themselves powerful felt as if the end of the world had arrived, filled with fear and unease.
The situation was completely different from what they had imagined.
They thought it would be like the political games of the past: bidding, contending, compromising, trading, operating according to their own set of rules.
Gangs, nobles, bureaucrats - every faction was intricately intertwined, forming a very special relationship.
Everyone patiently made their moves on the chessboard, assessing what they had and using their advantages to gain more benefits.
No one could have imagined that the Primarch would, with an unimaginably brutal and sudden punch, smash the network of relationships that the great families had built over thousands of years.
It was like another chess player contemplating all of the opponent's moves, speculating on their strategies, and considering their own responses.
As soon as the opponent sat down, they casually picked up the chessboard and slammed it onto the chess player's face.
An unprecedented fear spread as Guilliman entered the hive city.
Of course, the fear was limited to those in power. The lower classes were all cheering.
The greed of House Glaus had long been deeply ingrained in people's hearts, causing resentment.
With the help of the Mechanicus, they meticulously calculated the value of each person.
The policies they implemented were designed to ensure that every worker's savings were squeezed dry, ensuring they stayed alive but also ensuring they could not rise up, so that they could be better controlled.
Work, life, marriage, and so on, every aspect was clearly arranged.
House Glaus would profit from everything. All people could do was work for House Glaus their whole lives, and bear the next generation of Imperial citizens to work for them.
And all of this would change.
"Please, don't accuse me. I have a wife, I have a daughter."
The enforcer who had shot Ban in the leg cried and pleaded. He would be judged for his arrogance and audacity.
"You should go to hell, just like that damned House Glaus. Your wife and daughter will spit on you forever, and you will never be able to return to the Emperor's embrace, only fit to be gnawed on by those twisted monsters."
The blind old woman spat at him.
The others also followed the old woman and spat at the enforcer.
"No, have mercy on me." The enforcer begged, but it was useless.
He had been so vicious to others, wantonly inflicting pain.
And now the same terrible thing was happening to him, and no one would pity him.
The soldiers took the enforcers away. Hawk followed the crowd, cheering. When he wanted to find his friend Ban, to tell him that he would continue to receive his pension and live a decent life.
He only then realized his friend had left.
Ban's body lay in a corner, covered by that worn-out blanket, his head with pale, messy hair slumped to the side, his body cold from losing temperature, his cane placed by his feet.
His face wore an expression of pain and relief.
The inflammation and burning from the gunshot wound, the humiliation of being driven away by the enforcers, the sorrow of not being able to see the Primarch, all tormented this poor veteran soldier.
If not for finally witnessing the downfall of House Glaus and the many nobles, he would have likely died filled with resentment.
Hawk held his friend's body and wept.
At this moment, he saw that on the wall next to the body, written with a piece of charcoal, was:
Humanity will prevail, the Imperium will prevail.
Below was the signature: Captain Ban, 33rd Regiment, Imperial Army, planet Axos.