"And then?"
Yuki cut a piece of synthetic steak. His culinary skills had improved significantly; the meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, perfectly suited to his taste.
Facing Yuno's question, he spoke with a smile.
"Later, I watched the Dark Angels enter the transit station, disguised as Ogryns to board the starport. I don't know what happened after that. The last command I gave Justice was to resist with everything he had."
Yuno could read Yuki's memories directly, but she rarely did so. Words were only interesting when heard from his own mouth.
"By now, they should be preparing to flee from the starport, but the Dark Angels likely won't let them escape. In the best-case scenario, the Dark Angels will simply blow the whole station up."
"Would those individuals really do that?" Yuno didn't quite understand. "It's a completely meaningless act. Pure loss with no gain."
The Tyranids were a race that placed extreme importance on the ratio of gain to loss. Blowing up a starport just to stop the spread of a secret seemed foolish to her.
"Trust me, that will most likely be the outcome. Those Dark Angels might even return to investigate further, purging anyone who had contact with the Inquisitor while continuing their hunt for Hermit."
"Then what do you plan to do? Kill the remaining Dark Angels?"
"I don't know."
Yuki admitted his limitations quite openly. "At least for the next few months, we don't have to worry about this."
The dining table wasn't just for the two of them; Eleven and Gake were also present. Neither of them understood High Gothic, so they simply focused on their food. This location wasn't Yuki's hideout either, but a small reception room in the Great Cathedral.
Icons hung on the walls—not of the Emperor, but of a saint. This made Gake feel somewhat uneasy. He was dressed in brand-new clothes, and the scars on his face had been mostly healed, but the sense of inferiority in his heart was harder to cure.
"Eat more, Gake. You're still young; you have a long road ahead," Yuki said, showing a rare moment of compassion. Gake responded with a gaze of pure admiration.
During their conversation, a guest arrived—or rather, the host who had invited them. Griffith, one of the Cardinals of the Ecclesiarchy on Planet Ender. He was a man attempting to control the Underhive by relying on the vast number of dregs to secure power for himself.
Griffith sat down quietly and began to converse with Yuki in High Gothic.
"Justice's sudden departure has nothing to do with you, I assume?"
"Didn't you arrange for people to monitor me in secret? What is your own judgment?" Yuki countered. "As the saying goes, one's own judgment is particularly important."
"It has nothing to do with you."
"But you suspect I'm involved."
Griffith didn't hide his thoughts at all. "Yuki, you are always like this. Since you appeared in the Underhive, every strange occurrence here can be linked back to you. Yet, upon careful investigation, you are nowhere to be found."
"Please, Lord Griffith. I'm but a mere commoner. How could I have such power? If anything, it's because I met you that I got dragged into these matters. After all, declaring war on Chaos cultists wasn't my personal decision."
Griffith decided to let the matter go for now. Justice had indeed left, and he hadn't brought any immediate trouble to Ender. Matters at an Inquisitorial level were beyond the interference of a single planet; for now, they could only leave it to fate.
"The goods you provide are of subpar quality, but fortunately, the quantity is massive. I can use this to gain support in the Mid-level."
"As long as you're satisfied."
The Yuki Gang and the people under their rule had opened many new factories. On this heavily polluted land, they had managed to grow a meager amount of food. In most parts of the Underhive, the lack of production stemmed from a lack of order. Once a strong force could maintain stability, even the Underhive could possess significant manufacturing capacity. This was also why planets heavily infested by Genestealers often saw unprecedented productivity and prosperity.
"Yuki, do you want to move to the Mid-level or the Spire?"
"No need. Just get me a transit pass. I can come up whenever necessary."
"Negotiations will be more difficult for you in the future if you don't reside in the upper levels."
"Just get me the pass. I'll handle the rest."
Griffith felt a faint sense that Yuki was slipping out of his control. No—from the very beginning, he had never truly controlled Yuki; they were merely partners. He had to find a way to balance this man.
"Yuki, have you been baptized?"
"No."
"Without this ritual, not many will recognize you. It is also proof of piety. Do you require me to perform the baptism personally?"
Yuki knew Griffith's intention. Being baptized in his church represented a public alignment. Griffith was worried that once Yuki entered the upper levels, he might switch partners.
"Very well, Cardinal Griffith."
Thirteen days later, witnessed by the bishops of Griffith's diocese, Cardinal Griffith personally performed the baptism for Yuki.
As his head was pressed into the holy water and the cold liquid brought a sense of suffocation, Yuki opened his eyes. He realized the event he had predicted had occurred. Baptism represented a person's transition from heretic to believer—a rebirth in a religious sense.
Unfortunately, Yuki wasn't a believer.
Griffith performed the rite before him; a Cardinal performing a baptism personally signaled that the person before him was closely connected to him. He blessed Yuki and declared with his authority: "Yuki! From this day forth, he is a member of the Emperor's glorious faithful!"
Yuno watched this scene. Seeing Yuki's hair soaked and droplets entering his eyes that he couldn't wipe away, she was stifling a laugh.
"The great bells toll, the Emperor's grace bestowed..."
Once the ceremony concluded, a messenger who had been waiting outside rushed in and whispered to Griffith. Griffith's expression changed instantly. Yuki heard the messenger's words clearly.
"Emergency situation. A massive explosion occurred at Ender's starport. A large number of vessels from Planet Stat were destroyed along with it!"
Yuki allowed a smile to form, as if he were basking in the Emperor's divine grace. In this way, Inquisitor Justice had met his complete end.
Next, I just have to hide carefully, Yuki thought.
Griffith's face, however, turned even paler. An Inquisitor was dead and a starport had exploded; next, an Inquisitor with even greater power would surely arrive. When that happened, the planetary high command would not meet a good end.
"Yuki, you must hurry. I must become the Arch-Cardinal before the big trouble arrives."
Yuki looked at Griffith. "My friend, isn't the biggest obstacle currently the fact that the Arch-Cardinal isn't dead yet?"
"You don't need to worry about that."