The planetary orbit of SPO-2 Home World was already completely covered by countless Imperial Navy warships; basic strategic deployment had been completed.
Now, no matter where one was on the planet, looking up would reveal at least one fleet so massive it could blot out the sky.
"Makonos, is it truly irreversible?"
The screen in front of Kenmyo Isayama showed a middle-aged man on the verge of tears. Although he was in an extremely luxurious room, his face was ashen.
"I still have three million Astra Militarum and 2.5 billion civilians alive here."
The middle-aged man was almost on his knees, pleading.
Anyone facing such a situation would be driven to despair and madness, for not only was he on this planet about to be subjected to Exterminatus, but he was also the only one who knew that this planet had been deemed to be opposing the Imperium.
All communications on SPO-2 Home World had been blocked as soon as the Inquisition's advance forces arrived.
The response from the Imperium, which they had finally received, was to inform them that the entire planet had been abandoned by the Imperium and that Exterminatus would be carried out on this Home World.
Even the authority to fire anti-aircraft weapons had been locked by the Mechanicum's experts, turning them into piles of scrap metal.
This was to prevent a mutiny among the remaining forces, as Home Worlds were generally equipped with very comprehensive anti-air defenses to prevent Chaos fleet invasions, and even an Imperial Navy attack would suffer heavy losses.
"Governor Spire, I am deeply sorry for your predicament."
The middle-aged man in front of them was the planetary governor of SPO-2 Home World. Due to the planet-wide lockdown, even he, a high-ranking Imperial official, could not leave the planet.
"For the Emperor, this is a necessary sacrifice."
Even if there were still tens of billions of innocent civilians on this planet, their fate had been sealed the moment the Exterminatus was signed.
Moreover, these people being alive did not mean they were not infected with the plague; it only meant it hadn't erupted yet. Even if only a very small number of the 2.5 billion survivors were infected, they still had to be purged.
Kenmyo Isayama expressed his inability to help; the Exterminatus was signed by higher-ranking Inquisition officials. His call was merely a routine procedure before the Exterminatus was initiated, to inform the planet's highest ruler and offer final condolences.
Furthermore, the planet's current state was significantly related to its administrator's rule.
The plague outbreak on this planet was caused by heretics who worshipped the Plague Lord, performing a forbidden sacrificial ritual in a large city with a population of over a hundred million, thereby gaining the attention of the Chaos God Nurgle, which led to such terrifying consequences.
Sixty-five percent of all life died in the first wave of the plague, and even their corpses were corrupted by the power of the Chaos Gods, turning into plague-spreading monsters. Therefore, this was due to improper supervision by the planet's management.
The Inquisition's duty is to execute heretics among humanity, but the Imperium's territory is unimaginably vast. With the Inquisition's limited personnel spread across the entire The Galaxy / Milky Way, hundreds of star systems might not even get a single Inquisitor.
This universe is so despairing. From the moment Horus launched his rebellion and the gravely wounded Emperor sat on the Golden Throne, humanity had no hope left.
All the astartes, Inquisition, Astra Militarum, Imperial Navy, Battle Sisters, Custodes, and other armed forces are as desperate as white blood cells in a terminally ill cancer patient, doing nothing more than trying to prolong the Imperium's lifespan as much as possible.
Exterminatus is like chemotherapy; it kills all cells, good cells, white blood cells, and cancer cells alike.
"Governor Spire, do you have any other questions?"
Kenmyo Isayama saw him shake his head, then said one last thing before ending the call.
"Thank you for your continued contributions to the Imperium."
Kenmyo Isayama turned to look at Admiral Sherif Ismail, the commander of the Bakka Fleet, who had arrived on the Demon Hunter.
Beside him, Elena immediately took out two briefcases and placed them in front of the two men.
This was to prevent any ship captains from disobeying orders and refusing to carry out commands that were essentially no different from "indiscriminate slaughter."
Therefore, the safety switches for all warship cannons in all fleets, including the Bakka Fleet, were now consolidated in these two briefcases.
There were a total of ninety warships, evenly distributed: forty-five for Kenmyo Isayama and forty-five for Admiral Sherif.
"Admiral Sherif, you and I will count down from ten together."
Kenmyo Isayama opened the briefcase lid, which contained only a simple slot. He inserted his Inquisitor's badge, a symbol of his authority. A slight twist would determine the fate of 2.5 billion people on this planet.
"Admiral Sherif?"
Kenmyo Isayama took off his Type I Inquisitor's badge from his chest, only to find that the Admiral was still lost in thought.
"Oh, my apologies."
Sherif was staring at the planet data on the screen in front of him, slightly dazed. The blood-red areas represented destruction and death, and only ten percent of the planet remained uncovered by red, which was also where most civilians resided.
Therefore, not only the main cannon of his *Victory Dawn* but also the main cannon of Inquisitor Makonos's *Demon Hunter* were aimed there.
Firing would inevitably lead to widespread devastation.
This was an experience Sherif had never had in his long military career. He had also risen to this position from a civilian background, and his purpose in joining the military was simple: to protect his home and country.
"Makonos, do you not hesitate even a little?"
To this, Kenmyo Isayama simply replied coldly,
"This is all for the Emperor."
He was just an ordinary Inquisitor. With the Exterminatus already in effect, only if Kenmyo Isayama's simulated subject were Guilliman, the Imperial Regent, would it be possible to prevent this tragedy.
All Kenmyo Isayama could do was use the most powerful weapons to allow these people to pass as peacefully and painlessly as possible.
Under this simulation, it was the most terrifying one Kenmyo Isayama had ever experienced.
The Imperium was unlike the jovial Orks; here, there was only ruthless, extreme command and suffocating despair.
A thin piece of paper could dictate the lives of billions, even tens of billions. Even a powerful Mentor like Ahriman, Kenmyo Isayama's Mentor, could not defy fate; the Thousand Sons Legion's homeworld was utterly destroyed by an order equivalent to Exterminatus.
He even had a question: Was the Imperium truly on the side of justice?
Was it possible that to other races in the The Galaxy / Milky Way, the Emperor and his Imperial forces were viewed as entities similar to Chaos Gods / The Four Gods of Chaos?
"For the Emperor..."
A truly fitting answer from the Inquisition.
Admiral Sherif sighed and took out his badge, symbolizing his position as the supreme commander of the Imperial Navy's Bakka Fleet, then opened the briefcase in front of him.
As Kenmyo Isayama and he simultaneously opened the uppermost safety covers, the sharp prows of all warships orbiting SPO-2 Home World opened like keen blades, revealing their main cannons. Simultaneously, the missile bay and lance battery covers also opened, exposing the terrifying warheads within.
"Three, two, one."
Kenmyo Isayama and Sherif, clutching the symbols of their respective authorities, simultaneously twisted the switches in front of them.
After hearing the crisp, pleasant, slight sound of triggers being pulled inside the briefcases, the next second, the sky above SPO-2 Home World instantly boiled like water.
Basically, all 2.5 billion civilians had no idea what was happening; they just suddenly noticed many sky-darkening warships in the sky, and then the entire sky lit up.
"Mommy, I'm scared."
A mother hugged her anxious, frightened child tightly, saying gently,
"Don't be afraid, child. The Emperor will protect us."
Only Governor Spire of SPO-2 Home World walked out of the administrative building. When he saw the sky illuminated by fire above, he knew Exterminatus had begun.
He knelt and prostrated himself on the ground, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes, seemingly thanking the Emperor for his mercy.
"Praise the Emperor."
What a sight it was, a full-scale bombardment from one hundred and ten Imperial warships.
Even the darkest night became bright as day, the entire sky torn apart!
All the plague-laden clouds and dark clouds were shattered by countless cannon fire and energy beams from space.
Countless projectiles surged into space, a barrage like a dense downpour from the heavens plummeting towards the ground.
Macro-cannons as tall as buildings, their leading laser cannons slowly raised their barrels and roared, as countless terrifying orbital cannons and lances continuously spewed curtains of death.
Not only that, but thousands of destructive warheads also erupted from these missile bays, their tails flashing long contrails as they plunged straight to the ground.
Countless cannon fire thus rushed towards this beautiful Home World. All the clouds and dark clouds below were torn apart by the dense ordnance, allowing the entire sky of SPO-2 Home World to become perfectly clear.
This allowed the Imperial Navy fleet and the Black Ship fleet hovering in planetary orbit—all the naval soldiers, logistics personnel, officers, and Inquisitors—everyone to witness countless terrifying mushroom clouds rising from the entire planet's surface.
What was most devastating was that due to preset programming, their warships continued to fire relentlessly, bringing destruction to every inch of the land here.
Such saturated bombing essentially guaranteed that no living thing could survive on the surface; only civilians hiding in underground bunkers might still be alive.
Unfortunately, this Exterminatus was launched not only to purge life but also to destroy this planet, which now seemed to be burning.
After the order to cease fire for all fleets was given, a retreat order was issued.
Once all Imperial warships had withdrawn to a safe position, Kenmyo Isayama opened a special missile launch bay on the Demon Hunter, which contained the forbidden weapon he had previously retrieved from the sealed armory.
And when Admiral Sherif saw the design of that warhead, his voice trembled as he spoke.
"cyclone torpedo?"
Within the Imperium, only the Inquisition and a few astartes Chapter Masters could order the use of cyclone torpedo for Exterminatus. Even an Imperial Navy Grand Marshal, a rank higher than Sherif, did not have the authority to use such a monstrous weapon.
Just one Whirlwind Torpedo would incinerate the planet's entire atmosphere into a vacuum, and the terrifying high temperatures would completely evaporate the oceans, leaving behind only barren bedrock.
But don't think that's all; the explosive power of a Whirlwind Torpedo is usually enough to shatter a planet's crust and destabilize its core. In some cases, the planet would directly break into fragments, meaning this is a true "planet-killing weapon."
Kenmyo Isayama pulled the trigger, aiming at this ravaged world.
Although they were just two missiles, insignificant compared to the planet's size, as soon as they touched the planet's surface, flames far more terrifying than all previous bombardments engulfed the entire planet.
It truly became a burning fireball, like a star. Even though the Imperial warships had retreated almost to the edge of the star system, the scorching flames still illuminated their faces.
As the temperature reached its peak, a clear crack appeared on the planet's surface, eventually spreading to cover the entire planet.
"Execution of SPO-2 Home World completed."
Exterminatus is the Emperor's unforgiving wrath against heresy.