Inside the Tyranid Hive Ship.
Sibylla sheathed her sword and looked around. At this moment, the Tyranid organisms that had been fearlessly charging were plunged into total chaos.
The synapse creatures acting as command units had all dropped dead without a word. The remaining Termagants and Hormagaunts immediately abandoned their assault on the Legion of the Damned; instead, following their primal instincts, they began to slaughter one another for food.
A few crazed Tyranids continued to charge due to sheer momentum, but their formations had thinned, losing the unstoppable force they once possessed. They were quickly reduced to cinders under the dense web of firepower.
To be sure, these Tyranids remained terrifying—their claws were still sharp and capable of posing a lethal threat to ordinary humans—but compared to the cold, bloodless biological weapons they were moments ago, they were practically "adorable."
Realizing the swarm had collapsed, the figures of the Legion of the Damned—clad in their skull-adorned armor—faded into the air, leaving behind nothing but patches of black scorch marks on the deck.
Even without psychic sensitivity, Sibylla could feel the Emperor's gaze gradually departing from this place. She felt a slight pang of melancholy. After all, fighting alongside the heroic spirits who had returned to the Golden Throne was a rare experience and an honor that no Imperial commander could refuse.
On the other side, next to the Inquisitor, Adam's consciousness returned to his body. He rubbed his temples to soothe his mind.
"How do you feel?" Lucia, who had also just returned from the Warp, asked with concern. "Do you need to rest?"
"It's fine. I just played around a little too much," Adam replied, shaking his head.
Even though the Warp's reality-stability is low enough for him to squander his reality-warping abilities, Adam still felt a certain level of exhaustion. This was largely because creating anomalous objects is strictly the domain of Class 4 Reality Warpers. For instance, the Witch Child once heard the fairy tale of Santa Claus and believed it to be true.
And then? There was no "then."
[Insert sound of Foundation researcher screaming in existential dread]
> **Note from Dr. ■, 12/26/04:** "Who the HELL thought it was a good idea to tell her about 'Santa' and then say it was just a story?! Now we have a potential SCP to deal with, and we can't catch him because he uses 'magic.'" (Note 1)
For Adam, who was currently a standard Class 3 Reality Warper, creating anomalies that could defy fundamental laws for extended periods was likely only possible within the Warp, and even then, not for long.
However, speaking of Class 4 Reality Warpers—
Adam closed his eyes, sensing the soul power he now carried. His expression brightened into a grin. This time, he had hit the jackpot!
This was, in a literal sense, the soul-mass representing an entire Tyranid Hive Fleet. Compared to such a vast reservoir of power, the requirement for a mere billion souls was a drop in the bucket. It would be easily satisfied.
Moreover, Adam now possessed enough surplus to not only meet his own ascension requirements but also transform a significant number of new Class 2 Reality Warpers!
The good life has arrived!
Thinking of those promising Prometheus Lab researchers after their transformation, and the "Shocking Wisdom" he had stored in his mind for so long, Adam felt a sudden urge to laugh at the sky.
Our cause is booming, isn't it?
After composing himself, Adam turned to the Living Saint standing nearby. "It's been a while since we last parted. It looks like you've had quite an adventure of your own."
"Yes," Lucia said. "Not long ago, I received a calling. Saint Celestine and I traveled through the currents of the Warp under the Emperor's guidance, saving several Imperial worlds."
"And because of my manifestations, the Order of Our Martyred Lady is preparing to officially canonize me as a Living Saint."
"Oh? Should I start calling you Saint Petrovich then?" Adam joked.
"Please, Lord Adam, do not," Lucia said, a flash of embarrassment and awkwardness crossing her face. "Humanity can lose me, but it absolutely cannot lose you. I am the sword in your hand—does one use honorifics for a weapon?"
"There is one more thing I must confess to you." She bowed her head deeply. "One of the reasons for my canonization is that I was credited with slaying Miriael Sabathiel—the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh, the shame of the Battle Sisters."
"Who is that?" Adam blinked for a full second before finally remembering. "Oh, that's fine. Wait... no."
Knowing Lucia's personality, she was the loyal, straightforward type who fit the stereotypical Battle Sister mold to a tee.
Oh, I see.
Adam immediately realized what was happening. "It was the Emperor's will, wasn't it?"
"...Yes," Lucia nodded with difficulty.
Every bit of her upbringing told her that this was wrong—especially since it involved stripping another saint of their rightful glory. It was a grave sin. If this were any other high-ranking Imperial official, an honor duel would be inevitable.
But what could Lucia do? She was desperate too!
The Canoness of the Order of Our Martyred Lady received a vision directly from the Emperor in a dream. The moment Lucia arrived at the convent, Saint Celestine herself held Lucia's arm high and performed a smooth "Let us cheer her name!" combo. Every Battle Sister present looked on with reverence, sensing the Emperor's gaze upon them.
With a process that was "destined" from start to finish, the achievement of ending the Daemon Prince fell onto Lucia's head. There was no way to refuse.
After hearing the Living Saint's explanation, Adam understood.
So that's it. The Emperor still wants the same thing. He wants me to stay hidden, growing my strength in the shadows away from the eyes of Chaos.
Sound advice. However, Adam wanted to tweak the plan slightly.
Since arriving in this world, whether it was the Custodes stepping out of the Palace again or the founding of Prometheus Labs, he had already exerted a significant influence on the galaxy. For that reason, his personal strength and his protective detail were no longer as vulnerable as they were when he first arrived alone.
Furthermore, in his upcoming plan to pursue Authority, Adam intended to change his original approach. He was ready to start dealing with other Imperial factions openly rather than staying entirely behind the scenes.
This was because he didn't want to wait around for the World Engine from his original plan to show up. Instead, he intended to set his sights on other Warp entities that possessed Authority.
To achieve this, Adam needed a bait sweet enough to make those horrors—who were content to wait behind the veil for the Imperium's collapse—restless.
Coincidentally, the Imperium happened to have exactly such a thing!