"Hmm..."
Yuki uttered a syllable of ambiguous meaning, making everyone around him nervous.
Gake had been Yuki's most vital subordinate, personally instructed by him many times. In return, Gake had regarded Yuki as a father figure. There was even speculation that in the future, Gake would be the one to inherit Yuki's vast gang empire.
Now, Gake's body was in pieces, and even the exact cause of death remained unclear.
Ilya wept while his sister, Elia, quietly comforted him. Hermit and Eleven also expressed their grief. The Battle Sisters stood solemnly, unable to prove they weren't responsible for this tragedy. Everyone wondered: What is Yuki thinking right now?
Yuki thought of nothing. He looked at the mess before him, his heart unexpectedly calm.
"Are you alright? If you feel distressed, you can tell me," Yuno's voice came through their psychic link. She had noticed something strange about his state. "You shouldn't be angry, and you shouldn't be sad. This is Chaos's plan—it's the work of another power."
"Why do you say that?"
"Tzeentch must have foreseen this. He hoped Gake's death would trigger an emotional outburst from you. I won't let him succeed."
Yuki convinced himself. He turned his head and said expressionlessly, "No one expected this. So be it. I will personally manage this district's people. Steff, do you have any other places to check?"
"No... no."
"Good. I'll see you out."
Yuki escorted the Battle Sisters away, leaving his subordinates to stare at each other in confusion.
"What do we do now?"
"Hermit, bury them all," Elia said, looking one last time at the remains of their friend scattered across the floor. "May the Emperor protect his soul."
...
"Hmm. Is this the planet the daemon spoke of?"
In the void of space, dozens of Navy warships were approaching. The sudden appearance of this military force alerted Planet Ender's defense systems, and its few remaining Navy vessels immediately moved to intercept. When the local commander approached, ready to die in battle, he let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the Aquila markings.
Following protocol, he inquired about their identity.
The master of this fleet sat in his command chair while several Astropaths and Navigators monitored the strength of the local Warp. Borlais toyed with a small bead carved from Eldar bone, ignoring the inquiry. He opened a small box made from the bones of a saint, designed to imprison Warp entities. Inside the box, a tiny heart was visibly beating.
"It is here, Borlais. You will find what you seek."
The daemon's whispers were seductive, but Borlais would not be swayed. He had cautiously researched the previous Inquisitor's fate, noting a key message left by his colleague, Justice: "Abnormal psychic fluctuations detected in the Underhive. Information sent to the Ordo Malleus."
Borlais smirked. He now had both the justification and the reason to intervene. He replied to the local naval forces:
"I am Inquisitor Borlais of the Ordo Malleus. I have come to this planet to investigate. Guide my fleet to the Starport."
The local commander's tone instantly softened. "Lord Inquisitor! Our Starport... exploded a few years ago. It hasn't been repaired yet. Please dock at the Battle Sisters' Convent for the time being."
The Starport exploded? Borlais sensed something was amiss.
"Then lead the way," he said slowly. "Also, inform the planetary leadership that Inquisitor Borlais has arrived. Tell them to prepare the Tithe of Judgment. And one more thing—recommend some tourist spots suitable for a young girl on this planet."
...
Months later.
Gake's death hadn't caused much disruption. On the contrary, the "Breeding Factories" he created were being rolled out on a massive scale. Yuki had slightly "improved" them; the selected laborers were stripped of their mobility, their only remaining value being their reproductive capacity.
Similarly, the workers underwent "processing" to ensure they derived no pleasure from the act, preventing them from catching the eye of Chaos. Since they were factories, they had to achieve pure efficiency—anything else related to humanity could be discarded.
Even Hermit found it hard to stomach. He tried talking to Yuki, but while Yuki would agree to every suggestion, he never changed a thing. Eventually, Hermit gave up. At least they're alive, aren't they? He reasoned. This wasn't the Imperium of the Great Crusade era anymore. The lives of those in the factories were far from the worst in the galaxy.
He convinced himself once more and picked up his power sword. Life in the Underhive was always like this—there were no opponents worthy of his blade. Training gang members was effortless; he hadn't worn his power armor in years.
"Lord Yuki?"
He saw Yuki appearing at the door, seemingly looking for him. Yuki's face was grave as he delivered the news.
"An Inquisitor from the Ordo Malleus has arrived. He's dangerous. I might need you for some operations in the future."
"The Inquisition? Are they here to investigate the last one?"
"Most likely. But that's not the worst of it. It would be far more troublesome if the Dark Angels showed up."
"Do you want me to assassinate him?"
"No. This Inquisitor is smarter than the last. An assassination likely wouldn't succeed. I need you to scout for any hidden outposts that might have appeared recently. I'm going to the Spire."
Yuki felt a nagging sense of unease. The Ordo Malleus was known for being the most unscrupulous and fanatical branch of the Inquisition. With less than four years until the Hive Fleet arrived—and only months before the Shadow in the Warp would isolate the system—he couldn't afford any accidents. He had to stall the Inquisitor and prevent him from sending word for reinforcements.
Suddenly, Yuki collapsed to the ground, his heart pounding violently. He felt a sharp pain and a strange tearing sensation.
Damn it. An assassin?
He spat out blood as a second wave of pain hit. He frantically expanded his psychic senses, eventually locating a figure in a strange suit in a small room in the Underhive below.
A Vindicare Assassin.
Is it the Officio Assassinorum? Are there others?
His blood had been vaporized by the high-velocity round. He had only one chance to kill the assassin. If he failed to kill him quickly and allowed the information to leak, his secret would be out.
"I will kill you, you bastard."
Yuki, who should have been dead, lunged upward, charging toward the Vindicare's position.