Yuki was one of the few individuals who could move freely within the blockaded zones. The Canoness had publicly proclaimed him a "Scion of Terra," which earned him a great deal of respect even from the Astra Militarum.
They all believed Yuki's ancestors were pioneers from Holy Terra itself, and that this noble lineage manifested in his very being. Through this point alone, Yuki had bypassed those who had devoutly worshipped the Emperor for decades, and those underground rulers who had spent a lifetime building their power, becoming the primary liaison between the Imperial military and the local populace.
This status didn't grant him actual power or tangible benefits; it was more like a psychological tool used to stabilize the hearts of the masses. Yuki even suspected that the Canoness herself might not truly believe the "Scion of Terra" claim, but simply wanted fewer headaches while her troops took control.
In the residential areas—or rather, the concentrated slums—only a few Astra Militarum squads were on patrol. They questioned anyone who passed by, ensuring there was no Chaos infiltration.
Yuki successfully passed their questioning and quietly arrived outside a nondescript shack. Seven people lived inside. Sensing someone outside, the rustling sounds within vanished instantly. A voice asked cautiously, "Who is it?"
Yuki had learned of this place from Hopper. She mentioned seeing a light here at night—not the usual color of fire, but an unexpectedly vivid, bloody red. She hadn't dared tell the Sisters of Battle, so she told Yuki instead.
And so, Yuki had come. Standing outside the shack, he replied, "Yuki."
"Yukifrom Tex Cathedral?"
"Yes."
Without warning, a hatchet swung out, striking Yuki's clothing only to be deflected. Yuki grabbed the assailant's face; the texture felt like gripping a piece of solid stone. Without hesitation, he crushed the object in his hand and turned his attention inside the shack.
Blood had been used as paint to smear grotesque shapes across the walls. Lampposts made of human bone were burning with an eerie light, and several skulls were piled together. Yuki could tell at a glance what they were doing.
"Khorne cultists?"
The blood-smeared cultists brandished their axes and charged. Yuki dodged their attacks, his fist clenching as he landed a punch squarely on the leader's face. The crisp crack of bone triggered a mockery from the Warp that Yuki could actually hear. No matter who died, Khorne would find joy.
The combat suit Yuno had crafted for Yuki was essentially a weakened, lightweight version of Power Armor. He could easily kill these ordinary, unblessed Chaos cultists. As he tore through the next attacker, even the splattered blood was absorbed by his white uniform.
Within mere dozens of seconds, only one remained, cowering in a corner.
"Sorry, I have to kill you all. If the Sisters of Battle find this, they'll probably burn this entire sector to the ground." With that, Yuki shattered the last man's skull without hesitation. He then picked up a bone lamp and set the ritual circle on the floor ablaze.
"Whew... has Chaos infiltrated this deeply already?"
If not for Hopper, and if this corruption had continued to spread, then...
No. Yuki realized something terrifying. Given the state of the Underhive, if even a small spark of Chaos contamination appeared, it meant much more was lurking in the darkness. There were tens of thousands of people in this small district—and that was just the official count. The real number was likely far higher.
He felt as if countless eyes were watching him. A gust of searing wind blew out of nowhere. He felt a pair of hands rest upon his shoulders.
"You can change nothing... but all of this is because of your weakness. Your weakness leaves you capable only of watching these things happen. Ah, how pitiful. You could change all of this."
Yuki spun around, but the voice vanished instantly. It reappeared right next to his ear.
"It is a gift—a gift from the Warp. It is stronger and purer than these petty mechanical tricks you wear. I understand your uniqueness, and I understand your desires. Look at how well you did just now."
"Come, acknowledge your heart."
Yuki clenched his fists. Damn it, this is Warp-tongue!
"Come, speak the words."
Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!
Yuki could actually feel his body beginning to yield to this power. He craved slaughter; he craved blood.
"Shut up!"
Yuki punched himself. The immense force and pain brought a brief moment of clarity. Only then did he see that the blood on the floor had already coiled around his legs. They seemed to possess a life of their own. Yuki had no time to linger; he instantly tore himself free from the bloody threads.
He retreated decisively.
"Hehehe... admit it. You want to kill. Use blood to soothe the unease in your heart. Look at this world—so ugly, so sinful. Destroy it, destroy it..."
"Shut up!" Yuki struggled, feeling as if his body were being wrapped in countless fine silks. "If you want to turn me, at least transform into something sweet and soft!"
The voice in his head stopped abruptly, but not because of Yuki's Slaanesh-adjacent comment.
Yuno appeared at the doorway, her face flushed red. "What are you saying, you idiot?"
"This... well... you do look sweet and soft right now."
Yuno covered her face, her mouth watering again. Amidst their playful banter, a psychic storm swept through Yuki's sea of soul, and the traces of bleeding Warp-energy vanished.
One of the High Entities in the Warp withdrew its power.
"Has that creature beaten me to him? I was so close to shaking his heart..."
It didn't display the stereotypical rage or endless fury. Instead, it rested its head on its hand, deep in thought. In the Warp, time and space have no clear meaning. After an unknown amount of time, it looked up.
"I am displeased. If they cannot raise eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight skull towers for me across eighty-eight planets today, then they shall place their own heads beneath my throne!"
Accompanied by its final roar, the realm of blood and skulls boiled once more. Countless Khornate demons manifested in the real world, launching crusade after crusade in the name of Khorne.
Their god wanted to turn its gaze back to that new transmigrator, but the impenetrable Shadow in the Warp blocked even its vision. Pure nothingness—a void where even the Warp did not exist—an extragalactic organism invading both the material world and the Warp.
"What capability does he possess to make such an entity willing to take such a loss?"
Did that Tzeentch fellow know of this human male? It was worth considering. And humanity... humanity was the claimed property of that bastard on the throne. To fight for this transmigrator, how much more blood and fire would have to be unleashed?
...
Upper Hive of Planet Start. The Astropathic Choir.
A senior psyker went mad without reason. This wasn't strange; such things often happened while swimming in the psychic ocean. Thus, no one noticed the peculiar, pure blackness within his eyes.