"Well?"
Yuno saw Yuki looking radiant, even happier than after their usual intimate bouts, and she knew the result must have satisfied him.
"It was incredible. No game, film, or model can compare. I was so moved I nearly cried."
Yuno looked at Yuki and teased, "You're a grown man, yet you're getting this emotional over plastic toys. Isn't that embarrassing?"
"But I truly love the Tyranids."
Yuno turned her face away. What should I do? I love him so much, so much, so much! How can he be this cute? What's wrong with me? We've been together for over a decade; logically, I should have gotten used to this by now.
"Ahem... there will be things that surprise you even more in the future!"
"By the way, Yuno, would you be willing to go a round with me in Carnifex form?"
"What the hell are you talking about? How would that even work?"
"No, no, I mean a spar. The Carnifex relies too much on instinct; it's a completely different style compared to a Lictor."
Yuno tilted her head, looking at Yuki with an expression of pure disbelief. "Are you insane? My combat instincts are top-tier in the galaxy. The gap between us is too wide; you wouldn't even gain any experience from the defeat."
"Please, I really want to try."
Yuno sighed helplessly. "Fine, let's go."
...
"Father."
"Do you still remember that I am your father?"
Angel gripped her communicator, answering with a voice full of guilt. "I'm sorry, Father. I wanted to see the world."
"Then you should look at something grander. Look at the Great Works of the God-Emperor, the loyalty and sacrifice of His Angels of Death. There is so much worth seeing; why must you go to the Underhive?"
"Father, I have seen it. I saw what they preach, but I also saw what they don't say—right there beside you! When you declare Exterminatus, are you absolutely certain you are upholding the Emperor's will?"
"Exterminatus? If we do not use it to nip corruption and taint in the bud, then far more people will suffer! You are young; you understand nothing!"
"Father, were all those people you burned to death deserving of it? Do you not know the truth yourself? That agri-world you destroyed last time clearly had nothing on it. You knew that, yet you destroyed it anyway, simply because they wouldn't obey your orders!"
"Those who dare to disobey an Inquisitor's order today will dare to betray the Emperor tomorrow."
"Then what about me, Father? Destroy me along with everyone else."
Borlais's voice became hesitant. "Angel... you are different."
"The God-Emperor said we are all His subjects, without distinction."
Borlais felt a wave of helplessness. "Angel, is Yuki actually a good man? All he wants is to keep living, and he will do anything to achieve that. Haven't you realized that yet? If you want to play in the Underhive, I can arrange—"
"Father, you don't understand what I truly want. I want you to actually be helping the citizens of the Imperium. I know you have helped many, but that doesn't compare to the number of people you've killed."
"Over something like this? You would interfere with my current duties over something like this?" Borlais felt a flash of self-loathing. "I spoiled you too much. You should never have been born."
"So even you, famous for your iron will, have moments of soft-heartedness. I'm honored!"
Angel's expression turned into one of deep resentment. Now, she only wanted to make her father change those pathetic habits he had formed as an Inquisitor—habits that had nothing to do with the path the God-Emperor sought.
"That priest must have taught you this. When this mission is over, I will personally educate you. Only when you see the crimes of the unfaithful with your own eyes will you understand why I do what I do!"
While the two were arguing, Yuki and Yuno were eavesdropping with great interest.
"To be honest, education is a troublesome issue. Even I have such problems; it takes a lot of effort just to train a synapse consciousness," Yuno remarked while snacking. "Thinking about how even the Four Gods and the Emperor have parenting issues makes me feel a bit more balanced."
"Yeah, it seems Inquisitors really aren't suited for raising kids. But Angel definitely has her own issues too. Still, we must support her; she's an excellent helper for stalling for time."
Yuno shrugged. She pulled out a sheet—a quantitative evaluation form—and put on a pair of glasses.
"Then let's talk. This will be interesting. Your score is divided into five dimensions, assuming the Hive Fleet attacks with full force. The five dimensions are: speed of conquest, number of Genestealer-controlled facilities, swarm losses, biological digestion speed, and resistance forces."
Yuno pushed up her glasses. "Speaking of which, is your current strength enough to earn my approval?"
"What is this? Some kind of roleplay game you just came up with?"
Yuno closed the document, leaned down, and traced a finger along Yuki's body.
"Of course it is. I put a lot of thought into this. So, treating me as your superior, what kind of reward do you want?"
"I want more fleets!"
Yuno looked at him with disdain. "Truly pathetic ambition." She sat back in her chair, propping her head up with her hand. "This Hive Fleet won't be too large. After picking you up, we'll head toward the Five Hundred Worlds to link up with the remnants of Hive Fleet Behemoth."
Hive Fleet Behemoth—the fleet that fought to the death against the Ultramarines in the First Tyrannic War, only to be shattered by Marneus Calgar leading the forces of Ultramar. The main issue was that the war had occurred over two centuries ago; how could there still be remnants?
"Don't underestimate the vitality of the Hive. We can replenish biomass on the way. A splinter of Hive Fleet Kronos, which I plan to hand over to you, will also arrive during the process, though Kronos isn't as strong as originally planned."
While Yuno was muttering, Yuki's attention drifted back to the father and daughter.
"Father, we'll talk later."
The opinions of the father and daughter were at odds, and now it was Yuki's turn to sow discord.
"Miss Angel?"
"Mr. Yuki, I'm here."
"I wonder if you'd be interested in hearing some stories of Inquisitors that I know?"
Yuki grinned. For someone who already harbored doubts about the Imperium, he had plenty of stories and real-world examples to deepen those doubts. Whether she fell to Chaos or betrayed the Imperium didn't matter, as long as it distracted the Inquisitor long enough to buy him more time.
Unlike others, Yuki had never truly feared the Inquisitor. This was all just a means to get a higher score on Yuno's evaluation sheet.