Outside the Church of the Celestial Woman, gunshots, roars, screams, moans, and hymns converged into a single sound, echoing over the solemn and majestic church.
"Discipline! Sisters! Battle formation!"
The Battle Sisterss of the Church of the Celestial Woman's 'Holy Gate Guard', led by a High Sister, stood in a neat line, arrayed before the Church of the Celestial Woman's silver gates.
These silver-armored female Soldiers poured down a rain of fire, steadfastly preventing the demons from advancing.
Their faith in the God-Emperor was unwavering, making them immune to Khorne's power of slaughter, but their Bolter magazines would not allow them to hold this position for long.
As Celestial Women sworn to defend the Holy Gate to the death, these silver-armored girls were prepared to fight to the last Bloodletter to protect the Church's gates under the gaze of the Saint, determined to use their duty and sacrifice to give the civilians inside a chance to live.
The area outside the gate was too narrow and still affected by Khorne's power. At the Great Sister's suggestion, Horatio prepared to organize a 'Last Line of Defense' inside the Church.
Inside the Church of the Celestial Woman.
"Line up! Check weapons and ammunition, arrange the battle line! Set up cover and obstacles!" Horatio was rapidly giving commands, organizing the evacuation of personnel, and arranging for Soldiers to take their positions.
He quickly and keenly observed the terrain inside the Church, using his Hand of Command to mark the positions for heavy weapons and the placement of mobile breastworks.
There was a 50-meter-long open area from the prayer pews to the altar, which was the only suitable place in the Church to set up fortifications and organize a defensive line.
"There are too many people; the shelter isn't big enough to hold so many," Sister Arabella said, shaking her head sadly.
"I can't just stand by and watch the remaining people be killed. Is there anywhere else we can squeeze people in?" Horatio asked Sister Arabella gravely.
Suddenly, the Medical Sister remembered something and said to the Great Sister, "Great Sister, can we open the Holy Chamber for the faithful to take refuge?"
The Church was cruciform in shape, with the altar at the very center of the cross, and behind it a Holy Chamber that was shorter but wider than the front hall. With some squeezing, it might accommodate the remaining people, though the space would certainly be more cramped than a sardine can.
"The Holy Chamber contains precious sacred vessels and relics; allowing civilians in rashly…" The Great Sister was somewhat conflicted and hesitant.
"Let the children and mothers with infants go in! Saint Arabella, who symbolizes life and hope, would surely not be angry. The benevolent Saint would certainly approve of your actions, Great Sister." Horatio looked at the countless heads before him and urgently said to the Great Sister, whose face was filled with worry.
The Great Sister struggled internally for a while but quickly relented.
"Alright, but I need ten Battle Sisterss to guard the Holy Chamber, Sergeant Major."
"That's not a problem. The battle line is up to me; the children's safety is up to you." Horatio ejected a spent, smoking casing and reloaded his Bolter Pistol with a fresh magazine.
Soon, the Great Sister immediately announced the evacuation order in a loud and clear voice.
The crowd began to surge forward, moving towards the underground shelter behind the altar.
The Battle Sisterss guarding the Church's main entrance handed their empty Holy Boltguns to the robed Ceremony Sisters, then picked up their Promethium Flamers and began to unleash holy fury upon the white steps.
If their fuel reserves ran out, their only weapons would be the silver-white Chainswords and Bolter Pistols at their waists.
"We're out of time! Hurry up!" Horatio shouted at the crowd.
The wide ceremonial path in the middle of the Church pews seemed so narrow in front of the dense crowd. Horatio dispatched Soldiers to maintain order, preventing stampedes, as there was no room for error now.
But the evacuation speed remained less than ideal.
"Let the children go first!" someone shouted. "I won't stand by and watch our children be killed!"
This cry was met with widespread agreement, and tears welled up in people's eyes.
Those who came here on St. Giles Festival brought their families, and with the Imperium encouraging procreation, there were at least a thousand children and adolescents in the Church.
"Clear a path for all children to go forward. Our Nun Order will lead the children to the Holy Place for refuge." No sooner had the Great Sister finished speaking than the roar of Chainsword motors sounded from outside the door.
The Sisters of the Holy Gate Guard had already begun close-quarters combat with the charging demons.
"Louise." Horatio pulled Louise to his side and said solemnly, "You continue to command the evacuation mission. I'm going outside to help the Sisters hold back the demons."
"Horatio." Louise took his hand, her face etched with worry, "Be careful."
Then, she released his hand, her fingertips sliding away.
"You too." Horatio nodded, gripping his Holy Blood Chainsword, and strode directly towards the Holy Gate. Three Blood Angels walked behind him.
"Sisters! Today is a great day! Sanguinius is watching us from above, Saint Arabella is behind us, and the Emperor protects us! Draw the Chainswords He has bestowed upon us! As long as we live, these filthy evils shall not step one inch into our holy Church!"
Thump! Thump!
"Brave Battle Sisterss, today we will guard this Church with you and share in your hardships." Horatio and the Blood Angels stood beside the Sacred Rose.
"May the Emperor, Sanguinius, and Saint Arabella bless you, loyal and brave Imperial Navy brothers and Monk brothers," the High Sister said with a tired voice, gratefully.
Horatio had synchronized with the Great Sister's faith, gaining resistance to Khorne's power from outside, but other mortals could not, so Horatio left them inside the Church, letting Louise take over the evacuation mission and set up that 'Last Line of Defense'.
He looked back anxiously.
Under Louise's organization, the Hellspawns, the remaining Battle Sisterss, and Cadia Soldiers were orderly controlling traffic, clearing an unobstructed path for the children.
The children ran quickly, led by the Ceremony Sisters to the Holy Chamber filled with consecrated instruments. This made Horatio breathe a sigh of relief, the stone hanging in his heart finally dropping.
Horatio also saw a mother, watching her child safely enter the Holy Chamber, cover her mouth and cry, tears streaming down her face.
She was not weeping for her own potentially impending fate, but rather, tears of sorrow and reluctance at the thought of perhaps never seeing her child again.
Horatio tightened his grip on the Holy Blood Chainsword. He did not want such a thing to happen. He secretly swore in his heart to do everything in his power to prevent such a tragedy from occurring on such a holy, supposedly happy and harmonious day.
For some reason, Horatio felt a surging Fury still burning within him, growing stronger and stronger.
By rights, after synchronizing with the Great Sister's faith, he should not have been affected by Khorne's Fury.
[Is it my own Fury? Or… 'Blood Angel's Fury'?] He looked at the Holy Blood Chainsword in his hand.
There was no time for him to ponder this question; the Bloodletter had already charged forward.
"Charge! Sisters, for Saint Arabella! For Sanguinius! For the Emperor!"
"Sanguinius is watching us! Charge! Do not betray the Bloodletter of Sanguinius!"
[Ancient warrior, fight with me, with His descendants, His people! Dedicate victory to Sanguinius! Long live the Emperor!]
"For the Imperial Navy! For the Gothic Fleet! For the Emperor and Sanguinius!" Horatio roared, raising his Holy Blood Chainsword, its teeth howling, and bringing it down on the Bloodletter's head that was snarling ferociously at him.