"Anyone who dares to fight… will lose! I'm not fighting!"
The morale of the allied forces began to collapse. Mercenaries and pirates—those who had only joined for profit—were the first to break.
They desperately tried to escape the encirclement.
But Lunubi knew… he couldn't stop them.
The problem was, the Celestial Imperium had no intention of letting anyone escape either.
One by one, the fleeing ships were blown apart in the heart of the galaxy. Explosions lit up like falling stars across the black canvas of space.
Watching this, Lunubi and his crew completely gave up on any hope of fleeing.
"Go ahead and try—your ship'll turn into a motorbike!"
Lunubi sneered, trying to hide his fear behind a dry joke.
But the joke died instantly as his eyes locked onto a massive warship—enemy flagship—slowly emerging from the center of the enemy formation.
Majestic. Terrifying. Dominating the void with an aura of crushing grandeur.
Supremacy had arrived.
"Now! Hurry! Destroy it before it's too late!"
The alliance scrambled in desperation.
They knew—if they could take out the command ship, they might still have a chance.
What they didn't know… what they truly didn't understand… was why the humans were so confident in revealing this ship to them at all.
---
"Activate shields. Release all weapon systems. Let the Emperor's will erase them completely."
Kenthelion's command was cold and emotionless—but carried absolute authority.
In the next instant, all of Supremacy's weapon systems came online.
Heavy turbolasers, anti-ship missiles, heavy ion cannons, tractor beam projectors, disruptor arrays, and rows of experimental weaponry—all locked on a single target: the alliance fleet that dared to resist.
"All systems are ready!"
The imperial officers stood sharply at their stations, waiting for their Emperor's final command.
"Fire."
That single word from Kenthelion shook the entire battlefield.
A hellish storm of energy and explosions tore through the enemy formation.
The light of battle became a merciless inferno, swallowing ships without pause.
"NOOOOO—!"
Lunubi's final cry, along with those of his doomed allies, was consumed in a blinding wave of destruction—leaving no room for mercy, no chance for escape.
---
"Is that all? This... this is the coalition's force?"
Kenthelion stared at the devastation in disbelief. His expression wasn't one of satisfaction—rather, confusion.
"This... this is their level?"
Even now, he couldn't believe they had the audacity to challenge him with such power.
The combined operation ended with a single strike. Done—just like that.
Kenthelion had only been on his way back to Terra Aeterna. He hadn't intended to fight. He just wanted to open a portal to the next universe.
But they dared to ambush him?
Wasn't this... suicide?
---
When the generals of the Imperium Caelestis learned that their Emperor had been attacked during his journey… madness erupted.
Especially Angron.
His rage surged like a war demon unleashed from hell. Mercilessly, he led the troops in a brutal assault on the remnants of the alien fleet—slaughtering them to the last without mercy, without giving them a chance to repent.
Space turned red.
---
Battle reports spread rapidly across the galaxy.
Recordings of destruction, fragments of the shattered combined fleet, and the looming shadow of the Supremacy filled the military and intelligence channels of nearly every major civilization.
Everyone was confused.
> "Where is the 'invincible' coalition force? Where's the promised 'total annihilation' of the Imperium Caelestis?"
> "Is that it? Just that? Were they just used to clean out the Imperium's ammo dumps?"
Reactions from the Core Ring were mostly cynical. Many regarded this incident as a political joke or an overhyped military propaganda stunt.
But it was a different story in the Outer Ring.
There, frontline civilizations who had witnessed the Imperium Caelestis fleet firsthand were mourning. Half of their military power vanished overnight. Their prideful fleets were wiped out without effectively firing a single shot in return.
They knew… this wasn't just a defeat. This was the beginning of conquest.
---
Still, not everyone was shaken.
Many civilizations—especially those rotting from within—responded to the reports with cold apathy. In some places, alien generals lounged in luxury, puffing expensive cigars while reading the war reports like failed company financial statements.
> "One million of our soldiers killed?"
The general raised an eyebrow, blowing smoke at the ceiling.
> "This coalition force is a joke. Our casualties are relatively minor."
He chuckled softly, pointing at the supporting data:
> "Less than 30% died in combat. The rest?
500,000 died from disease, 1,500,000 from accidents... some even died when two of our own ships collided. If we report it like this, we'll save a lot in the budget."
He began daydreaming about early retirement and a private villa on a resort planet when—
BAM!
The command room door suddenly burst open.
A young officer rushed in, face pale as death.
> "General! Imperium Caelestis warships! They're here! They're in orbit!"
Before the words could be fully processed, emergency sirens blared loudly throughout the base. The sky darkened. The sun vanished behind the colossal shadow of warships now hanging directly over the atmosphere.
> "It's over… RUN!!"
The general shouted, tossing his cigar and scrambling to flee.
But it was too late.
Red light tore through the sky—the spear of light had been activated.
---
Elsewhere, Angron—the war general and Kenthelion's biological son—received the report about the sudden attack on his father's ship.
His eyes flared. His voice was cold.
> "Nova Cannon, prepare for full charge.
Release the Spear of Light. Annihilate them all."
---
The Spear of Light was a massive energy weapon mounted on spacecraft, commonly seen on fleets of the Human Imperial Navy as well as warships of other factions. This technology was perfected by Mars at the end of M37, enabling mass production of the Spear of Light with extraordinary range.
As one of the deadliest weapons in the imperial navy, the Spear of Light came in various forms. One variant was the anti-ground spear, installed on the warships involved in this assault. Just one shot was enough to utterly devastate a continent-sized landing site.
"Begin capsule launch! Prepare for landing!"
the order rang out sharply.
With the fall of Astartes capsules on the surface, an alien planet officially became part of human territory.
Angron and the World Eaters didn't stop there. Every alien world they encountered, they ruthlessly turned into a battlefield for slaughter and conquest.
---
Eldar Empire — Lion Sector
"This... this is no accident. This is clearly no accident…"
Several Eldar scholars grew restless as they flipped through pages of ancient tomes inside the Hall of Echoes. On the holo screen in the center of the room, news of the Imperium Caelestis's massive assault rocked the entire Lion Sector.
For the Eldar—an ancient race that had existed since the star-dark ages alongside the Protoss—this event was far more than a mere war. They were a civilization that had roamed the stars long before humanity even grasped the concept of space travel. Records of the early universe's history were carefully preserved in scrolls and ancient books belonging to the Spirit Clans, some containing secrets no other races could even imagine.
"Found it!" one scholar exclaimed loudly, eyes wide as he pulled out a manuscript thousands of years old.
"Look at this. In ancient legend, it is written that there were four Great Natural Disasters that once threatened the balance of the galaxy. The first was the Treaty of Reconciliation, the second known as the High Star Invasion, and the third was the Thorin Protozoa and Zerg Catastrophe. We all know that since the last Zerg assault on the Milky Way, thousands of years have passed…"
The other scholars gathered closer, watching every detail with tense focus.
"Currently, only a few great civilizations still keep records of the Third Natural Disaster. But look here—it's also mentioned that every disaster was always preceded by certain omens."
He pointed to a yellowed section of the manuscript.
"For example, if a civilization develops three critical technologies: self-aware artificial intelligence, self-perception logic, and synthetic humans, yet fails to grant rights and recognition to machine entities… then they almost certainly trigger the Mechanical Natural Disaster."
Everyone fell silent. The atmosphere grew chilling.
"Each great disaster reshapes the galactic order of power. But they also bring destruction on an unimaginable scale. This manuscript also mentions the 'Battle of the Skies'—a cataclysmic war that heralds the Fourth Natural Disaster..."
The faces of the scholars turned pale. One by one, they began to realize the horrifying possibility of what they were facing.
"Humans... they might be the legendary Fourth Natural Disaster."
The words hung in the air, colder than the chill of the archive room that had been freezing from the start.
"The signs match," another scholar said, voice trembling.
"They're xenophobic, incapable of normal communication, slaughter anything not part of their kind, suddenly appeared from a remote galaxy, and possess enormous military power. All of this... perfectly aligns with the basic descriptions of the disaster forces."
They began to grasp the grim irony written in those ancient texts.
"If the signs are this clear, then... maybe the great civilizations that once enslaved and massacred humanity had their reasons. Perhaps—they were only trying to prevent the birth of a disaster. But... they failed."
A chilling silence fell over the room. Amid the distant roar of galactic battles, one fact carved itself deep into their minds:
The disaster had risen. And it called itself: the Imperium Caelestis.
Seluthar Virean slammed the old book shut, the thud echoing off the psychic stone walls.
"Enough. Don't say that again. Consider everything that happened today… never happened."
The other scholars fell silent, some still staring at the ancient pages with doubt, fear, and perhaps a trace of guilt.
"Why? Seluthar Virean! We must inform the Inner Circle Alliance and... the Protoss too—"
"And then what?" Virean cut in coldly, eyes narrowing like a psi-blade's edge.
"Do you think those arrogant beings who see themselves as gods will listen? They'll call it an ancient myth, then speed up humanity's extermination in the name of 'disaster prevention.'"
He sighed deeply, carrying a burden older than the stars above.
"Leave it be. All we can do is wait. Besides... whether humans truly are the Fourth Natural Disaster is still up for debate."
---
Psi-Lane Leading to the Crystal Tower — Moments Later
Eldrad Ulthran stepped out of the secret meeting room. Behind him, Visarch stood watchful, and Yvraine followed with a worried look.
Yvraine:
"Farseer Ulthran… why don't we discuss this with the Council? If humans really are as the scholars say, we can't ignore it."
Eldrad Ulthran:
(pausing to gaze at the stars through the transparent crystal wall)
"Yvraine… our situation is too fragile. Too many factions, too many wounds, and too little time. And you—you are our last beacon of hope. I cannot let you waste your strength trying to persuade the walking corpses masquerading as politicians."
Yvraine:
"But if humans truly are a disaster... if we don't act now, we might lose everything."
Eldrad Ulthran:
"You see it yourself. Our population shrinks, our worldships are isolated. Most of us… drown in illusions and endless revelry."
(his voice turns bitter)
"They surrender to hollow pleasures, boundless freedom, and chaos wrapped in aesthetics. Look at Commorragh—or even some small Craftworlds mimicking their lifestyle."
"From this void and greed… Slaanesh was born."
Visarch turned slowly, expression unreadable, but his eyes followed Eldrad's every word sharply.
Eldrad Ulthran:
"The god of pain and ecstasy, a power we created ourselves… unwittingly, inevitably. And now, we stand at history's brink, ready to repeat itself."
Yvraine:
"And you expect me to unite them all?"
Eldrad Ulthran:
"Yes."
(his gaze piercing through time)
"Craftworld, Drukhari, Exodite… even those long lost to darkness. Only the Ynnari can be the bridge. Diri'mar, the Shadow Prince, has entrusted this hope to you."
(he places a hand on Yvraine's shoulder)
"If humans truly are the Fourth Disaster... we cannot face them divided. We must be one."
Eldrad Ulthran:
(with a heavy, deep voice like an echo from a distant past)
"Hurry, Yvraine. In the inner galactic ring, war has broken out—Necron rise from their stellar tombs, Orks roar like storms of destruction, and the T'au Empire spreads its cold ideology."
"And when the Tyranids move... when the Chaos Gods fully awaken from the Warp's corridors—
there will be no time for debate. Only annihilation."
Yvraine:
(bowing her head briefly, then raising it with fierce determination)
"I understand, Farseer Ulthran. I will move as swiftly as I can."
Eldrad Ulthran:
"Don't rely on our kind alone. Send word to the Protoss. Contact Artanis, Zeratul… even Tassadar, if his soul still lingers between dimensions."
"Warn them—the multiverse war is about to begin.
If we don't unite now… everything will end.
Not just Eldar—but all sentient beings in this galaxy."
Yvraine:
(firm, resolute)
"Understood, Farseer Ulthran. For the future… of us all."