"Can you create Custodians too?"
"Theoretically, as long as I have the genetic material, it's possible. Though I've never tried it."
Yuki perked up at that. "In that case, we could head straight for the Pariah Nexus... no, wait, the Silent King hasn't revealed himself yet. And right now, the Custodes are still hunkered down on Terra."
While Yuki seriously pondered the feasibility of manufacturing Custodians, Yuno had already begun eyeing the swimming pool inside the mansion.
"This is all pure water. A whole pool of it. It seems you've really made a name for yourself over the past year."
"I'm not joking. I might be a third-rate figure compared to those in the Mid-spire or Hive City, but down here in the Underhive, it's a different story."
"Being just in the Underhive isn't enough, though. By the time the future fleet arrives, you'll need to have at least disabled the planetary defense cannons."
Planetary defense systems—massive cannons anchored into the planet itself. A single shot could cripple several capital ships.
"I know. We still have time. Twenty years. I will definitely deliver this world to you."
"Hahahaha! This isn't a gift for me, my love." Yuno grabbed Yuki by the collar and pulled his face close to hers. "It's something we're going to take together."
With that, Yuno dragged Yuki and plunged into the water.
Glug, glug, glug, glug...
"It's the perfect time to train your underwater breathing."
Caught off guard, Yuki inhaled a massive lungful of water. Driven by survival instinct, his lungs began to shift. This body had originally been a simulation of a human system, but in reality, it didn't need to be that complex. A bloom of blood surfaced on the water, and Yuki thrashed his way up, gasping.
"Could you give me a heads-up next time?"
Yuno was like a mermaid—no, not just like one; her lower body had transformed into a fish tail, and she was swimming freely in the water.
"Don't worry, you won't die."
"It's not a matter of whether I'll die or not..."
Yuno continued to swim. "Yuki, you must accept our current essence. The Tyranids are, at their core, the will of life. I am the ultimate creation of life; everything about me stems from the most fundamental biological desires. You are the same. You are already unconsciously practicing your own desires, even if those desires seem lowly, vulgar, or unrefined."
"Desires of life are never 'lowly.'"
"The desire for control, sexual desire, eros, superiority... Yuki, those 'lowly' things are what compose us. Life that seeks to overcome them is great, but life that accepts them is powerful."
Yuno was acting strange today. Yuki felt it—her mind was racing at a frantic pace. What is this girl trying to do? Sensing something was off, he began swimming toward the edge of the pool.
Yuno instantly hugged him from behind. Every word she spoke carried a vibration of air that brushed against his ear, an incredibly strange sensation.
"Don't run. Stay. Please. I'm so lonely."
What was going on? Yuki had no idea what was happening to Yuno. Out of concern, he turned around, but Yuno pressed her head firmly against him, refusing to let him see her face.
"What's wrong, Yuno?"
"I... I can't quite suppress my desires anymore. Before, it was enough just to eat. But why is it different now...?"
"Isn't this a bit sudden?" Yuki couldn't wrap his head around it. As the Great Devourer, Yuno had experienced far more than he could imagine. Why would she feel unsettled by something like this?
"No, you don't understand, Yuki. Right now, I really want... you."
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Before Yuki could react, Yuno had reverted to her human form. With immense strength, she hoisted him up and headed straight for the bedroom.
"Hey! Wait! It's not like I'm unwilling, but can we not do it like this?"
For the first time, Yuno displayed her form as a hunter. There was even a strange glimmer in her blood-red eyes. She smiled, just as she had said back then.
How to deal with the prey is the hunter's prerogative.
...
Hive Fleet Gorgon. Tau Empire Territory.
The Tau fleet had reached a de facto ceasefire with the Imperium of Man. Although there was no written agreement, they were united in facing the Tyranids, who were frantically slaughtering all other lifeforms.
The combat instincts of Tau Commander Vorka gave him a premonition that this terrible alien invasion would soon end. But no—there were even more terrifying aliens. When these Tyranids invaded a moon, they had awakened ancient mechanical constructs. The tragic Ethereal An'tynil had believed them to be friendly, which ultimately led to destruction.
The young Tau Empire was destined to meet more enemies, but guided by the Greater Good, the Tau Empire would surely rise.
"Engage the enemy!"
The Tau were ambushing this splinter fleet. Everything was going according to plan; fully sealed ships and battle suits prevented the spread of toxins, while massive numbers of drones and long-range fire steadily whittled down the Hive Fleet's strength. Vorka felt extremely lucky to have survived such an onslaught and to be able to avenge his comrades. He personally pressed the activation button for the ship's weapons, watching a massive ion cannon pierce through the shell of a bio-ship.
"The humans... they have arrived. They still harbor hatred, but once they realize the danger of these enemies, they will understand the importance of cooperation."
Vorka had already detached his thoughts from the battlefield. The situation was excellent. If only this Hive Fleet were a bit larger, then—
"Reporting, Commander! The swarm is changing!"
The sudden report snapped Vorka back from his reverie. "What kind of change?"
"According to reports from the front line, the bugs have become extremely hyper-active. They've begun to attack frantically!"
"The enemy is losing their mind; it means they're desperate. That is our advantage. Now, let us launch the general offensive."
"No, Commander! They've evolved again! Our battle suits cannot fully filter the toxins, and their ships..."
Vorka quickly had his subordinates broadcast the battlefield feed to him. The Tyranid bio-ships that had been destroyed by Tau vessels were beginning to reconstruct themselves, becoming even more hideous and swift, rapidly closing the distance with massive swarms of creatures. Furthermore, the organisms drifting in space were huddling together; they sprayed toxins at each other, dissolving parts of their bodies to fuse into new forms.
Harridans and Razorfexes capable of space flight carried these swarms, charging toward the Tau warships.
The tide of the battle reversed instantly.
It wasn't just on this battlefield. Across the entire galaxy, wherever Tyranids existed, those fighting them discovered that the swarms had entered an inexplicable state of hyper-excitement. Their combat effectiveness had surged to unprecedented levels.
This strange phenomenon lasted for three full days, resulting in countless additional casualties.