Terra is the beginning of it all, and it is destined to be the end of everything.

It is the home planet of mankind, the palace of the emperor, and the only center of power and the crown world of this great empire across the galaxy, and it is on this sacred planet that the lord of mankind commands his galactic empire.

Therefore, only by destroying Terra, burning its firmament and land, and slaughtering its fortresses and defenders, will the Emperor's challengers be able to stand on the scorched earth of this world and declare their victory.

It was not difficult for the Lord of Avalon to recognize this reality: from the very moment this game began, she knew that her power had only one condition for victory, and only one way to win.

If she's not going to throw in the towel.

In this chess game, whether it is the carefully planned selection of chess pieces from the beginning, the massacre of the five loyal legions, or the encroachment of the entire Far Eastern star field, it is all about accomplishing this ultimate goal.

However, in the original plan of the Spider Queen, she will occupy half of the galaxy, have sufficient logistics base and troop replenishment, and after the most complete long-term preparation, with the five legions of Dark Angel, Dawnbreaker, Ultramarine, Iron Warrior and Whisperer as the main force, break through the remnants of the defeated army in the hands of the Lord of Humanity, and then crush the defenders of Holy Terra with absolute superiority, and declare her victory.

At that time, as long as the Lord of Humanity does not end up in person, she will not be able to think of the possibility of losing.

But the moment the gods began to laugh, they were completely torn apart, turning into countless ugly pieces of detritus that needed to be picked up by the genogens and punctured her fingers to the point of scarring.

Morgan had to cancel her original plan and embark on a different path of activism: she knew she had to spur the mighty legions under her command to attack Terra and end the war before they were completely corrupted by the pervasive subspace energy and became a mass of embarrassing waste.

Such a reckless move was not on her mind before, but now, she had to do not do it, even if it would be a terrible loss: because time was no longer her advantage, and if it continued, when the legions of the Lord of Humanity recovered, they would not be greeted by the nine elite warlords that Morgan had planned, but a large number of self-depraved stragglers, and half of the galaxy that they had ravaged to the point of being unsightly.

That's a future where Morgan can't win anyway.

Therefore, she must take advantage of this last window, while she still has a few troops under her command that can fight well and have not yet fallen, and while the loyal troops have not yet recovered, to end this war once and for all.

She's going to put an end to it.

With countless deaths.

……

Perhaps, this is the true meaning of this imperial civil war, and it is also the words that the emperor and even the gods want her to understand.

[The end, and death.] 】

The blue pupils fixed fixed on the chessboard in front of her, and the lady of Avalon sighed softly at these two heavy words: she probably didn't realize what she was saying, because all her attention was already on the war in front of her.

This is the war that surrounds Terra, and this is the war that will end all wars.

This is the Siege of Terra.

No one told her, but Morgan was sure: it would be the name.

The corners of her mouth curled into a smile of encouragement, and she raised her hand and raised her first chess piece.

"Your tricks don't work as well as you think, father. 】

The Genogen attacked her monarch with a slight sarcasm, and with her relentless words, the Monarch Slayer, the Double-Bladed Sword, and the Blind Darker worked together to push the two Loyalist Primordials who had just returned to the battlefield out of the battlefield, brutally taking possession of the passage to Holy Terra.

[Yes, I believe that with your heavenly might, of course, you can bring Horus and even Vulcan back to the battlefield: but what can this be? Even though they are the best and most powerful primitives, they are still just a lonely family, their legions have been devastated by me in the previous battles, and it is impossible for them to recover in just a few years, and now, apart from their hatred for me, do they have any weapons to snipe at me? 】

After a rare tirade, the Genogen looked at her offensive with satisfaction: she had completely gnawed off the hard bones called [Betangamon], opened the way to Holy Terra, and now, between her fleet and the Emperor's throne, there were only a few guardians.

The power in her hands is still abundant: except for the Thousand Sons and the Emperor's Son, who have been devastated, the remaining eight legions all retain a certain amount of combat effectiveness, on the other hand, on the emperor's side, in addition to the Imperial Fist Legion, which has been standing still, only the Iron Hand Legion and the Space Wolf Legion still have some remaining combat power.

While the Sixth Legion is not even in the near-Earth orbit of Holy Terra, they have returned to Fenris, desperately trying to recover their forces and catch up with the final battle: in other words, the only Terra Guardians are now two legions, the Imperial Fist and the Iron Hand.

The two legions are fanatically reinforcing the defenses of Holy Terra: despite Morgan's scoffence, in her heart, she is more jealous of Terra.

God knows what a terrifying meat grinder the combined efforts of Rog-Dorn and Ferus-Manus can turn the home planet of humanity into a terrible meat grinder: she may have to lose two or three legions before she can touch the Emperor's throne.

But that's never a reason to stop.

Gritting his teeth, the Lord of Avalon pushed all of his pieces to the edge of the board, thus ending all his actions in this round: while waiting for the Emperor's turn, Morgan will start an all-out offensive against Terra.

But compared to this, the genetic embodiment is more looking forward to another thing: in the face of such a situation, what kind of response should her genetic father make?

Can't he move his chess pieces at will like before, showing visible slackness and no desire to win, right?

Yes, the Spider Empress is well aware: the Emperor doesn't seem to take this game very seriously, the Lord of Humanity has been on Morgan for far more time than he has on the chessboard, and it is clear that he is not taking the Genotype's series of tricks seriously, and has kept countless hole cards that can turn the tide of battle.

This is the main reason why Morgan has been able to have smooth sailing.

It is also the biggest source of anger in her heart at this moment.

My legion is only one step away from your precious royal city, Father: with the simplest command, Holy Terra will be scorched under my iron hooves. 】

The Genogen looked at her father in a frivolous tone, which was infinitely close to sarcasm and provocation: if there was a Forbidden Army here, then he would definitely draw his weapon and fight the Lord of Avalon to the death.

And the emperor, silently looked at this maverick child of his.

He nodded.

+ Ah, indeed. ＋

+ From a beginner's point of view, you're playing well, better than the first time Macado and I played: in our countless games, this war never ended in four years, and you've already broken that record. ＋

【……】

The genogen's eyes widened, and a great sense of absurdity played in her heart.

[That's all you want to say? 】

The emperor raised his brow, as if bewildered by Morgan's astonishment.

After thinking for a moment, it dawned on him.

+ So, do you really want more compliments? ＋

The Lord of Humanity touched his square chin.

+ I have to say, it's a very childlike hobby, and I used to think that only Horus would do it: though, if you really want to, it's not impossible. ＋

The Emperor laughed, observing every inch of Queen Avalon's shocked brow.

+ Do you need me to praise you as a father, my wise daughter? I'll try to be as practical as possible so that they sound like honest compliments: honestly, it's been a long time since I've done this, but I think I can do it. ＋

【……】

【……】

【……】

Morgan blinked.

She swore by the name of every Daybreaker warrior and their mother's pillow: for a moment, she really wanted to copy this damn chessboard and smash it on the Emperor's damn black eyes.

She wasn't afraid to do so, because at least five of her brothers would intercede for her: of all the genetic primitives, this was already a fortune worthy of being called rich.

And......

That's a very tempting idea, isn't it?

She could even hear the wild laughter from the depths of the heavens, dancing in her heart: the mouthpieces of the evil gods approached her ears, the obscure breath of the exhalation blowing through her hair, and in an almost longing tone, they begged the progenitor to put their thoughts into action.

【……】

These aurtures are so obvious: so obvious that even the Lord of Humanity has noticed them.

The Emperor frowned, and he finally showed an expression that was close to [serious].

+ You seem to be thinking something very bad, my daughter? ＋

【……】

[No, nothing, father. 】

Morgan swallowed, her mouth filled with bitter air.

[I'm just curious: the war has already reached this point, and the Holy Terra is about to be surrounded by the flames of war, so don't you plan to attack it yourself?] 】

+ If I intervene in this game myself, will you stop my ability? ＋

[No, or rather, yes, but I wouldn't do that. 】

+ Tell me the keyword? ＋

【……】

[The root cause of you asking me to trade with Vashtor: Will this roundabout answer satisfy you?] 】

+ Enough. ＋

The Lord of Humanity showed a look of relief to this answer, and Morgan's serious expression.

+ Morgan, my child. ＋

The Emperor's tone became serious.

+ You know, for me, it doesn't matter if you win or lose: I've played hundreds of such games, with the most brilliant victories and the most painful defeats, but they are useless except for a little more uncertainty about the future. ＋

+ Even a hundred of these games are not as valuable to me as a clear sentence in your heart: just as now, now that you know the way to trap me, you know only the price of it, and you have suppressed the urge to use it, it is enough to make me feel gratified. ＋

The emperor gestured to the chessboard.

+ Originally, I intended to make you have to choose that path and realize its consequences by letting my power go straight to the end, but now that you know, then my power can naturally be put away: let's count it as a reward for you. ＋

+ And ...... ＋

In the pitch-black pupils of the Lord of Humanity, there were a few glimmers of light.

+ My tactic has already been laid out, and it's so subtle that you've even subconsciously overlooked: my daughter, if you want, not only will you not be able to reach Holy Terra this turn, but you'll also be in the biggest trouble you've faced since the war. ＋

+ I don't need to use a single soldier to fight for such a purpose. ＋

【……】

Morgan's brow furrowed, she vaguely guessed what the emperor meant, but she couldn't really be sure: so she stabbed her gaze on her genetic father.

[So, please show me your solution: I'm looking forward to it.] 】

+ Of course: I never mind accommodating your little expectations, Morgan. ＋

The Emperor's pupils turned cold, and he drew a card from the deck, which was a card that had already come to his hand, and the Lord of Humanity was clearly waiting for the best time.

+ First of all, you have to answer one of my questions, Morgan: What do you think is your biggest potential threat in this chess game so far? ＋

【……】

Morgan didn't hesitate for long.

[Chaos? 】

+ Answer correctly. ＋

The Emperor smiled, and he showed the card in his hand: for a moment, Morgan's face turned pale.

That is the Great Vision.

I've destroyed this card! 】

The genoplasm even let out a low growl.

+ Chaos can't be killed, Morgan. ＋

The Emperor only answered his daughter quietly, slowly, sadly.

+ There is no end to it. ＋

The next moment, the Great Vision was pressed to the table by the Lord of Humanity.

In an instant, the strange purple light squeezed through the battle on the chess game, and attacked Morgan's chess pieces like a greedy poisonous snake: before the genetic prototype could react, including the three chess pieces of [Chosen One], [King of Nothingness] and [Lord of Clouds], as well as the [Perfector] approaching them at high speed, they all faded away from their last trace of purity and bottom line, and turned into outright purple.

The next moment, they blatantly reversed their troops, and launched an offensive against the loyalists and the warlords at the same time: the first target of the attack was the [Monarch Slayer] representing Morgan.

【！！！ 】

Genogen frowned, and she instantly understood what was going on.

It's a rebellion!

A rebellion led by Luo Jia and joined by three Fallen Primitives to kill or overthrow Morgan: Obviously, in the battle with Luo Jia, the two Gene Primordials have been quietly corrupted by the energy of the subspace, which is the fundamental reason why they do not listen to the announcement.

And now, perhaps a direct order from the Chaos Gods, or perhaps the ambition in their hearts can no longer be suppressed: as the Warlords kicked through the last of the loyalist's defenses and rallied to march on Terra, the Fallen Primordials launched their rebellion and laid down the gods' punishment for Morgan's rudeness that had torn apart the Great Vision.

【……】

The Lord of Avalon watched it all: her heart was even calmer than she had imagined, and even a ridiculous smile suddenly took over her throat and rushed out of her lips.

A rebellion within a rebellion?

Ha!

The corners of Morgan's mouth curled, and she looked up at her genetic father, her pupils glinting dangerously.

[Are you thinking about all this? That's your defensive tactics? 】

+ Yes and no. ＋

The Lord of Humanity stroked his broken pieces.

+ This rebellion itself is not my plan, but it has already been seen by me: the creatures of the High are insatiable, even those who claim to be gods, and when you do not worship them reverently, in the eyes of their believers, they naturally have a reason to be against you, even necessary. ＋

+ And now is not the best time for them to rebel: your common cause has been tested by the most severe test, and the fruits of victory are within reach, and if you fall at this time, they will be able to complete their revenge, or they can steal your fruit in the ensuing war, and worship the gods. ＋

[Just with their four legions? And one of the defective products? 】

Morgan shook her head, and she found herself with the coldest and most helpless sneer, which was both anger and pity at this ridiculous rebellion.

The genogen didn't make any more moves, she just moved a few pieces at random, and the rebellion was completely suppressed: in front of the blades of the Dark Angel and the Midnight Lord, the farcical rebel army was quickly crushed, and they did not even flee together, but scattered in a hurry.

Morgan tried to make fun of the second rebellion, but she soon couldn't laugh at all: wasn't her military so ridiculous? After a farce, she literally lost four legions, a full half of her strength.

A farce that is more effective than countless tragic battles?

[This is also in your plan?] 】

Morgan's gaze glanced over her father.

+ No need to plan at all. ＋

The Lord of Humanity unhurriedly arranges the cards in his hand, as if thinking.

+ Your essence is nothing more than a group of betrayers who come together because of a common goal, and the first betrayal will not make you an indestructible friendship, it will only make the second betrayal seem taken for granted. ＋

+ How can you count on the loyalty of your comrades, who have sworn allegiance to the ideals they once swore allegiance to, and who have become slaves to the moody gods? ＋

+ Their betrayal is only a matter of time before they betray again, it is only a difference in scale and time: you ignore this and wishfully think that I am the only one of your enemies, but the real reality is that everyone but you are your enemies, only some of them will be your enemies later. ＋

【……】

Morgan didn't answer, she just looked silently at the four legions of the Second Rebellion, and then at the greatly reduced power in her hands.

Is this the effect of believing in chaos on them? 】

+ Not entirely. ＋

The Lord of Humanity looked up, and when he heard Morgan's soft doubt, the Emperor laughed, as if he had been waiting for it for a long time.

+ There is a dark side in everyone's heart, my daughter, which no one can escape from innate malice, like a torrent that lurks in the soil of our hearts and minds and may burst into a flood at any moment. ＋

+ However, some people are able to build a strong embankment in their hearts so that the rapids remain within their reach, while others do not or cannot build a dam, so that the torrent of malice swallows their hearts. ＋

+ And those who believe in chaos are the saddest: because the power of the subspace will corrupt the land in his heart, so that the will not even have a place to live, and his soul will go to a flood and completely degenerate and degenerate in an unimaginably short time. ＋

+ Because chaos itself is the opposite of all order and reason, when those who are not strong enough become their slaves, madness, bloodlust and anarchism will run wild in their minds, making them beasts detached from civilization, and beasts cannot do anything great. ＋

+ That's why I tell you that time is not on your side: when you play the Great Vision, you're already on the countdown that the gods have designed for you, but they don't wait patiently for the countdown to end, and they greedily try to take everything you value from you. ＋

+ After all, the gods are short-sighted, mad and irrational, capricious and will only ruin all long-term plans for the sake of short-term pleasures, all actions only to make their eternally empty hearts flash with the joy of utter destruction. ＋

+ And so the situation became what you see now. ＋

+ Perhaps from the beginning, the gods understood that this rebellion could not succeed and that all your plans would be ruined by this rebellion, but they would still do it, and they would still not command their followers to launch this doomed rebellion for a simple reason: it would bring them joy, it would allow them to get more out of the real universe, and satisfy their capricious hearts. ＋

+ As for your success, or even the life or death of these fallen primordials themselves, it means nothing to the gods, they care about something else, something you are not qualified to know right now. ＋

The Emperor's narration was heavy and slow, full of sincere emotion, he had never said so many words at once in front of Morgan, and from now on, the Spider Empress felt the undeniable sincerity and rationality in his heart.

Morgan even felt a kind of fear, she was afraid of the way her genetic father looked now, because she could not answer the emperor's words or respond to the emperor's gestures, she could only be silent, looking intently at the chessboard in front of her, painstakingly studying the victory that the emperor did not care about.

She seems to have lost?

Opening her mouth, Morgan felt for the first time how difficult the words were, as if she could not even say half an answer with certainty, let alone continue to discuss with the Emperor what he had said: even though it had been in Morgan's mind from the beginning. There was no need for the emperor to be educated again.

Eventually, the Spider Queen fled the discussion in embarrassment.

[Is that all you do?] Father? A rebellion? No more? 】

+ Of course not, my daughter. ＋

The emperor seemed unfazed by Morgan's blunt way of shifting the subject, and only pointed to the left and right edges of the board: a place Morgan had never cared about before.

+ My real hole cards are here: they will turn the tide of this war. ＋

The Lord of Avalon followed the Emperor's lead: she first looked south, for the Chosen One and the Lord of the Clouds had fled, but soon their flight had to be halted because a huge pawn loyal to the Emperor was blocking their path.

That's Shadow.

It was during the Baal massacre, the Shadow who had been battered and fled all the way back to his home planet, and his Nineteenth Legion, who had once again appeared as pawns of the Emperor, and had grown to an alarming extent.

Judging by the scale and luster of the pieces, the Nineteenth Legion seems to have regained its strength, and it is even stronger than any of Morgan's pawns.

【……】

Genogen's eyes widened, and she looked at her father.

What's going on? 】

The Lord of Humanity is just bored playing with the pieces in his hands.

+ What's going on? Don't you know? Are you delving into the memories that belong to Heydrich? Can't you see the amazing technology that bears the name Super Ravenguard? ＋

The Emperor chuckled softly: in Morgan's eyes, this was the most obvious irony.

+ You know this well, my wise daughter: if I hand over this technique to any loyal legion behind you, he will be your inevitable nightmare and a key pawn in this siege of Terra. ＋

In the Emperor's words, the Shadow had easily crushed the Fallen Primordial that had fled south, and was heading for Terra, who was too big, too crazy, too powerful, and as soon as he reached Holy Terra, the war would be over.

But before Morgan could recover from the shock, she found that on the other side of the board, something was also going on.

In the previous long game, the wavering [Angel] suddenly appeared behind Morgan with the [Twins], as if they had united, and this genetic prototype of the Ninth Legion even flashed with a stinging brilliance.

Morgan subconsciously looked at the Emperor again, and she found that her Father of Genes had quietly taken out a card with an intricate painting on it: a Blood Angel was turning to ashes in the flames, and his Father of Genes, St. Giles of Barr, was kneeling outside the flames, drooping red tears.

【Enlightenment】

This is the name of the card, and it is the Lord of Humanity's way of redeeming the Ninth Legion: judging by his expression, this is even a dispensable move, just one of the countless small straws that overwhelm Morgan's camel.

The Spider Empress didn't even bother to find out the legitimacy of the card, she just shifted her somewhat dull gaze back to Divine Terra: this time, she had five legions surrounding the seemingly crumbling world of the throne, but she only felt a suffocating coldness.

All of her advantages had been crumbled in the face of the seemingly inadvertent chess of the Lord of Humanity, the loyalists had outnumbered her armies, and they had even completed the entrapment of her.

The three loyal legions behind him came quickly, and the two loyal legions in front of them were also immovable: all this seemed to confirm what the emperor said.

Time is not on her side.

【……】

No!

There must still be a chance

Morgan breathed deeply, forcing herself to rekindle her fighting spirit, because the current predicament could not defeat it, not even make her lose her temper even a little.

She still has a chance, she still has at least six legions, and she's got an absolute advantage over the Holy Terra defenders: as long as she defeats Terra, she can calmly face the loyal reinforcements behind her and win the war.

As long as she attacks......

+ You seem to have forgotten something, my clever daughter: I'm not done yet. ＋

The Emperor laughed, his laughter sounding so harsh.

The Lord of Humanity draws a card.

[Split]

The next moment, the Twins, who were supposed to be marching side by side with St. Giles, suddenly changed: just like the name of the chess piece, it became two, one accompanied by the army of angels and continued to pounce on Terra, while the other ......

It appeared directly on the land called the Five Hundred Worlds.

【……】

In the next moment, the five hundred worlds of Otlama were on fire again.

【？ 】

The next moment, the Uncrowned King forcibly broke through Morgan's control and marched towards his home planet in desperation, leaving behind only a pitiful card that told the apologies and some troops he left for Morgan.

【？?】

The progenitor opened her mouth, as if she wanted to appeal something, but after all, she had nothing to say, just gritted her teeth and continued to advance her pawns towards the Holy Terra.

Dark Angel, Dawnbreaker, Thousand Sons, Iron Warrior, and Midnight Lord.

She also has five legions, completely ......

"Bang!"

【……】

[Think tank] seems to be out of control? There was even an explosion?

+ Some problems are unsolvable: at least you can't solve them. ＋

The Emperor's words were tiresome and slow.

【？？？ 】

Never mind! Predictable!

Morgan breathed deeply, trying to suppress the hideousness of her face.

Meaning! Material! It! Middle! Target! Affair!

【You...... You ......】

【Are you done?】 Is it my turn? 】

+ Be patient, one step away. ＋

The Lord of Humanity leaned forward, as if enjoying Morgan's knife-like gaze, and unhurriedly drew the last card, one with an ominous glow.

【Bacchus Spear】

The next moment, the chess piece, which symbolized Riemanrus, rushed out of his hidden place in Fenris and came to the battlefield of Holy Terra.

He pounced on Morgan's flank.

Pounced on Johnson.

The emperor smiled.

The Bacchus Spear flickered.

The Hungry Wolf is gone.

The double-edged sword fell, turning into a sky full of detritus.

Johnson is dead.

【……】

【……】

【……】

"Bang !!!"

——————

Morgan.

Overturned the chessboard.

(End of chapter)