"Damn it! Damn it!"
A figure stumbled through the alleyway, looking panicked and desperate.
He clutched his severed wound tightly, the purple psychic energy repairing it making Tosak Rome's face look slightly better. He cast a vicious glance back in the direction of the explosion.
"I've been played!"
That was no idle noble scion relying on his father's resources to gallivant around the Imperium with a mistress. That was clearly his former colleague, another Inquisitor belonging to the Ordo Hereticus.
Tosak Rome recognized that custom bolt pistol—something only an Inquisitor was qualified to carry. That damn thing existed solely to deal with tenacious Daemons or heretical monsters.
The ammunition it used wasn't like ordinary bullets that relied merely on kinetic impact to kill enemies. Inquisition bolt rounds didn't just have the advantage in size and payload; these miniature projectiles were terrifying instruments of slaughter. Rather than bullets, they were more like miniature missiles. After penetrating the enemy's body and inflicting initial damage, they would explode, causing a second, even more horrific injury!
Even protected by a psychic barrier, he was still torn apart by the exploding round. That was why Tosak Rome's left arm had been violently severed at the joint before he could react.
Tosak Rome used to have one of those too. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a large blank in his memory. He didn't even know how he arrived at this Hive World, and everything proving his identity as a former Inquisitor was gone.
Only a single mission remained in his mind, driving his actions: to gain the appreciation of the Prince of Pleasure.
No matter how great the power, one needed to be alive to enjoy it. Upon realizing he was being targeted by another Inquisitor, Tosak Rome felt like half his soul had been scared out of him.
After all, discovering you were targeted by the Inquisition meant countless eyes had been watching you closely without your knowledge.
Moreover, it was like poking a hornet's nest. Kill one Inquisitor, and even more would step forward.
The powerful Daemonhunters of the Ordo Malleus were terrifying, and the Assassins of the Ordo Xenos were impossible to guard against.
Tosak Rome had been lurking in the Adeli Hive World for over a month and had made considerable preparations. Being from the Inquisition, he was naturally thorough and rigorous, always leaving himself a way out.
It was time to flee.
The location of this escape route was in Asheli, the lowest level of the Adeli Hive World. Tosak Rome usually avoided the filthy environment there like the plague, but when running for his life, who cared about that? He hurriedly disappeared into the alleyway.
Of course, what Tosak Rome could think of, Kenmei Isayama could naturally think of too.
"Damn rat!"
Two hours after sealing off the Middle Hive, Kenmei received no news about Tosak Rome. He roughly understood that the seemingly airtight blockade likely hadn't stopped him.
To think they couldn't even catch a wounded guy. Truly a bunch of useless snacks.
"Dispatch the troops. Sweep and purge the underground world, Asheli."
This time, Kenmei didn't hide his identity as an Inquisitor. He had only concealed it before because he feared the opponent in the shadows wouldn't dare come out to "deliver warmth."
Now that the initial confrontation had determined the winner, Kenmei naturally wanted to press his advantage.
The Department of Justice had fighters, tanks, and a considerable number of soldiers available for combat. As a defense force for a Hive World, they were barely acceptable.
But if he were just a high-ranking Imperial official, he would only have the authority to mobilize law enforcement personnel. He wouldn't be able to mobilize the local military for any operations or intervention, nor use them.
However, an Inquisitor's authority had no such limitations. If he could authorize Cyclonic Torpedoes to wipe out all life on a planet, mobilizing the local military was a piece of cake.
Earlier, Kenmei had said that anyone related to Tosak Rome had to die—whether gang members or those providing protective umbrellas. All connections had to be severed by death to minimize the negative impact of Tosak Rome's betrayal on the Inquisition. Therefore, Kenmei intended to completely and physically purify all the indigenous inhabitants of Asheli.
The simplest method was fire. For a bottom-layer world of such vast area, the method of judgment that had existed since the early days of the Imperium was the best way.
He would have fighter jets fully loaded with highly flammable fuel spray vast areas of the underhive, and then a tiny flame, weak as a matchstick, would be enough to start a prairie fire.
Surrounded by a crowd, Kenmei stood at the edge of Asheli's lowest level. Fighter jets roared overhead, faithfully executing his orders, covering every inch of the land with high-explosive fuel.
Officials, many much older than Kenmei, were also present. They looked at the young Inquisitor with awe; a single iron command from him decided the life and death of countless people.
"Do you know? A single spark can start a prairie fire."
Scritch...
With a gentle smile, Kenmei's distinct knuckles held a match and struck it lightly against the box.
The match in his hand ignited with a faint glow. Although it was just a weak beam of light in the darkness right now, in the next second, it would support a blinding radiance that would burn the entire world.
"In the name of the Emperor, I grant thee death!"
Kenmei simply tossed the match gently into the pool of fuel that had accumulated in front of him. Soon, aided by the fuel, the faint fire grew, its volume expanding rapidly.
Everyone could hear the roar of the burning fire, a whoosh-whoosh sound that was shockingly loud!
Houses were igniting, the ground was melting, and mixed in were the screams of those awakened from their sleep.
Kenmei had chosen his time well. It was essentially past 2 AM, the time when most people were asleep.
However, although this crimson fire dragon had already swallowed an entire block, it was insignificant compared to the entirety of Asheli.
Kenmei knew this, so he directly activated a function in Asheli that hadn't been used for nearly centuries: the ventilation system.
The so-called ventilation system injected fresh oxygen at appropriate concentrations. This was a necessary function for most Hive Worlds, even those ancient antiques thousands of years old. Adeli couldn't possibly lack it.
In his past life, when Kenmei used a stove to burn fire, there was something very effective: a bellows. Injecting fresh air could help burn more efficiently.
So, one could imagine what would happen when the oxygen concentration increased in a world already set ablaze with dry wood and raging fire?
It would inevitably be an uncontrollable deflagration!
Kenmei and these old men had already retreated to the safety of the Middle Hive when the ventilation started.
Poor Asheli. What started as a fire dragon hundreds of meters long instantly turned into a colossal dragon stretching for dozens of kilometers. These flames devoured everything in their vicinity, explosions occurring constantly. Ruthless fire covered every inch of the ground here.
The temperature reached over 1,400 degrees, turning it directly into a forbidden zone for life!
Who knew how many criminals and heretics were burned alive or suffocated to death in the flames that night?
At this moment, a spaceship that could finally hold back no longer blasted through the outermost barrier with laser cannons amidst the raging fire and flew out.