Chapter 1019, Overpowering a Lion
Chapter 1019, Suppressing a Lion
"That was a trap."
This is what Gu Hang said to Leon.
He was referring to the current operation of the Angels of Death, which has gathered a large number of subgroups, forming a legion-level force, and heading out of the Nightless Realm.
"But the Angels of Death have no intention of heeding the advice of the Imperial Central Government, and even refuse reinforcements. They claim that this is their own business, their own hatred, and they will settle it themselves."
"But that's not right, this isn't their own problem."
"To put it bluntly, even if the Death Angels were to perish, it wouldn't matter much. We have ample productivity and sufficient genetic seeds, and we can rebuild the Death Angels Chapter within a few years. The casualties of nearly 20,000 Space Marines are a significant loss, but I can still accept it, especially since these 20,000-plus people don't like to obey the orders of the Imperial Central Committee. Let them die."
"But I will absolutely not allow the Stone Monastery of the Angels of Death to fall into the hands of the Chaos Enemy."
"I have given the order that the Angel Expeditionary Force will be fully assembled and head to the Nightless Realm. Whether the Angels of Death need reinforcements or not, our reinforcements will arrive."
"If the Angels of Death can preserve the Monastery of the Great Stone, then the Empire will allow them to continue to retain and protect the Great Stone. If the Angels of Death cannot do so, then the Monastery of the Great Stone should be kept by the Empire, or the Angels of Death will need the Empire's assistance to protect the Great Stone."
"If the Angel of Death, in turn, becomes an obstacle to the Empire's defense of the Great Stone, then..."
"They are the enemies of the Empire, traitors to humanity!"
Hearing this, Leon finally couldn't hold back any longer and could no longer remain silent.
Leon Charles abruptly stood up, his heavy, finely crafted dark green armor scraping against the stone chair with a piercing screeching sound. The Son of God's massive size was more than enough to look down upon Gu Hang's avatar, who sat as if he were an ordinary mortal.
"Traitor?! Prime Minister Gu Hang!" Leon's voice was deep and oppressive, every syllable carrying power. "You'd better think carefully about the meaning of your words! You accuse my offspring, the Empire's most loyal and steadfast Death Angels, of being traitors? The First Legion, which sacrificed countless lives and won countless glories, of being traitors? Even the possibility of that is an unforgivable insult!"
“Unwilling to hand over the foundation they’ve protected for ten thousand years to a…” He paused, seemingly searching for a less sharp but equally questioning word, “…a new government they haven’t fully understood? That’s perfectly reasonable! Even if what you’re saying is true, the Angels of Death have protected the Great Stone for ten thousand years, and will continue to do so for another ten thousand! The Angels of Death’s loyalty to humanity and the Empire cannot be questioned!”
“I’m not accusing them of loyalty,” Gu Hang’s voice was as calm as a bottomless abyss beneath a calm sea, “I’m accusing them of arrogance and shortsightedness!”
"They have the ability to protect it!" Leon roared, his fists clenched. "The destruction of Knight Star could not extinguish their will! Ten thousand years of perseverance, they still defended their territory even as the empire crumbled..."
"The destruction of Knight Star ten thousand years ago," Gu Hang interrupted him, his tone suddenly rising, "wasn't it precisely because of irreconcilable internal secrets and struggles?! Wasn't it precisely because their stubborn adherence to tradition and actions gave the enemy an opportunity, ultimately leading to tragedy?! Your Highness Leon, history has already given us a bloody lesson! The resilience and tradition that the Angels of Death pride themselves on are leading them down a dead end, repeating the same mistakes, in the face of the intricate web of conspiracy woven by the evil god! This is not resilience, this is stubbornness!"
"Who do you think you are?!" Leon's anger was completely ignited. He took a step forward, and the ground seemed to tremble. "A human prime minister who has only ruled for a hundred years?! What right do you have to so casually question or even judge a legion with ten thousand years of glory and my blood flowing through its veins?!"
His words were filled with the pride and imposing presence characteristic of Primarchs: "Their problems are my responsibility! I will deal with them, I will guide them! Your 'Empire' doesn't need to pronounce judgment in this way!"
Their gazes clashed fiercely in mid-air.
The Lionheart King's aura was like that of an ancient lion awakening, enough to make mortals grovel and suffocate Space Marines.
But Gu Hang's figure, supported by his powerful spiritual energy and will, not only did not retreat in the slightest, but became even more imposing. A vast "pressure" originating from the very source of the real universe spread out from Gu Hang, making the air viscous and the light slightly distorted, forcefully freezing and neutralizing Leon's turbulent pressure.
“You are their genetic prototype, the son of God, the Lionheart, Leon Charles,” Gu Hang’s voice was no longer impassioned, but carried a more terrifying, fate-controlling coldness, “But at this moment, do you still acknowledge that you are a member of the Empire? Do you still obey the Empire’s orders? Do you acknowledge the new Empire after you have met the Emperor?”
Before Leon could answer, Gu Hang continued, "If your answer is 'yes,' then I'm telling you, I'm giving you this order as the highest leader of the Imperial Government, carrying the Emperor's will and maintaining humanity's hope of survival in the dark galaxy!"
Gu Hang emphasized the word 'command'.
Both being children of God, Gu Hang had never spoken to Robert like this before.
But for Leon, it's different.
This son of God, filled with suspicion and arrogance, who slept for ten thousand years before awakening, is not a being to be trifled with. Like Robert, simple rational debate is insufficient.
This lion has to be convinced.
“Even if you are the son of God, even if you are a newly founded warband, your honor and disgrace, and the millennia-old tradition of the Death Angels warband, are insignificant on the scales of human survival.” Gu Hang’s words were like a heavy hammer. “If you think my ‘new empire’ is an illusion, then you can go and pay homage to the Emperor again, or try your luck with the sword in your hand!”
"But at least for now, the order is before you: accept the Imperial Government's assignment and immediately accompany Marshal Dante and his Angel Expeditionary Fleet to the Nightless Space!"
The dangerous rage in Leon's eyes was almost palpable, but his last shred of reason held him back, though his chest heaved violently.
"Your mission is not to lead them on a revenge expedition," Gu Hang said, staring into Leon's eyes with unwavering certainty, "but to prevent a catastrophe caused by their isolation and stubbornness! If the Angels of Death accept the Central Committee's orders, abandon that foolish, and likely trap-like, expedition, and assist the Empire in protecting the Great Stone Monastery, then they will remain the pride of the Empire. If they remain obstinate, driven by personal vendettas, disregarding the Empire's overall strategy, refusing to cooperate, or even obstructing the Empire's efforts to protect the Great Stone..."
"Then, no matter whose offspring they are, no matter how much glory they have in the past, they are enemies of mankind! And your responsibility, Your Highness Lionheart, is to carry out the will of the Empire—to control them, or to destroy them."
Destroy them?
Destroy the legion he created and treated as his own?
He...it seems he's already done it once.
Upon waking up, he was determined never to let the past repeat itself.
but……
"You have no right..."
"I have the right!" Gu Hang declared resolutely, his domineering presence suddenly intensifying, even causing the conference room lights to flicker. "If you want to talk about legal principles, the Imperial Constitution grants the Prime Minister supreme decision-making power! The Imperial Dual-Chief Council grants me the final authority to handle all major crises!"
"Or do you want to talk about something else? Violence?" He pointed at Leon. "Violence is power, the ultimate violence of mankind, and that is in my hands."
At this point, Gu Hang had already made his point very blunt.
“Choose, Leon.” Gu Hang’s tone softened slightly, but the force of his words remained undiminished. “Will you be a warlord who serves the interests of humanity as a whole, or a lonely warlord who is obsessed with bloodlines and legion traditions and may ultimately destroy his own offspring? Time is of the essence. Every second wasted brings Chaos one step closer to what we want to protect! The Angel Expeditionary Force’s fleet is ready to set sail, and their commander is waiting for you.”
"Will you lead your genetic offspring to salvation, or will you only add to their devastation and sorrow?"
A profound silence enveloped the conference room.
Leon's chest heaved violently, and his black armor seemed to become a heavy burden.
The pride of a son of God, the sense of responsibility towards his offspring, the anger of a blatant rebuke that hadn't been heard in countless years...
The strength Gu Hang displayed, the guidance he provided during his audience with the emperor, and the rational thinking within him that inevitably led him to acknowledge the crises and risks...
These things were burning and simmering within him.
He recalled the chaos of his awakening, the hardship of leading his desperate people in their struggle for survival under a chaotic rule. He understood that for that small alliance to grow into such a behemoth, ruling over half the empire, it must have had a ruthless and merciless side. Beneath the gentle exterior of the Gu Hang before him lay a terrifying determination to survive by any means necessary.
And his previous audience... the emperor demanded that he listen and obey?
No, the oracle delivered during the audience was not so clear.
But that sense of heaviness and the will that Gu Hang is showing at this moment—to crush all obstacles for the survival of humanity—are so similar.
Finally, Leon slowly loosened his clenched fist.
He did not bow his head, but beneath the blazing fire in his eyes lay a deep weariness and a solemnity as if he were firmly bound by the ropes of fate.
“My power armor needs a repaint,” Leon’s voice was dry and hoarse, carrying the weariness of ten thousand years of slumber and the aftermath of a heated argument, yet filled with unwavering resolve. “Prepare a shuttle to Comoros.”
He did not admit to all of Gu Hang's accusations, nor did he completely abandon his trust in his son, but he chose to obey orders and accept assignments.
"Where is Dante?" he asked, his voice regaining its usual composure, as if his previous rage had never occurred. "Summon my... Angelic Guard. Tell them we are about to correct... a deviation."
Gu Hang's face regained that signature, polite but utterly cold expression. He nodded slightly: "A wise decision, Lionheart. Dante and the transport team will be waiting at the designated 'door.' Remember, your task is to solve problems, not create new ones."
With a flash of light and shadow, Gu Hang's figure vanished from the spot like a bubble, his attention, which had been focused on maintaining the projection, had clearly been drawn back to more important matters.
In the empty conference room, only Leon remained. Standing amidst the gradually subsiding psychic energy and the cold reality, the Lionheart's imposing figure appeared exceptionally lonely. He raised his hand, covering the cold, hard breastplate, where the lingering warmth of his earlier rage seemed to still remain.
“The Emperor…” A very faint sigh, filled with complex emotions, escaped from his tightly pursed lips.
(End of this chapter)
