"What is the current status?"
The first thing Yuno did upon waking was ask Yuki about the situation.
"Everything is proceeding smoothly. We are preparing to launch an offensive against the Spire. According to the plan, we will seize all surface defense systems, allowing the fleet to descend directly."
"We must accelerate. One ship escaped."
"Escaped? How? Could they find a Warp route within the Shadow in the Warp?"
Yuno's expression was grim, her voice laced with displeasure. "It must be the 'Old Corpse' exerting his influence. Only those on the same level as I could forcibly tear a path through the Shadow in the Warp."
"The Emperor of Mankind?"
"Only him. It seems he has noticed you. Be careful."
"It's fine, Yuno. With the efficiency of the Administratum, even if one ship gets out, it won't make a difference."
"No, what I worry about most is whether the Four will unite to cause trouble, and I cannot be sure if the Old Corpse will use this as an opportunity to intervene as well."
If the four Chaos Gods interfered with Yuno's invasion, this planet would end up as nothing more than a worthless trash bin with no harvest.
"We must speed up. If it comes to it, I'll just go and thrash the Four one by one. I'm not afraid of anyone in a duel!"
Damn, does my girlfriend have such a strong desire for combat? Yuki wondered.
"You haven't encountered any other troublesome resistance?"
"None," Yuki replied. "It turns out the Imperium's control over the Hive is far lower than imagined."
Yuno shrugged and muttered, "The real miracle is that the Imperium has survived ten thousand years with this level of efficiency and management."
"The Great Nottingham Evil God is at work," Yuki joked, drawing a line on the map marking their next vital objective. The Spire must have noticed something unusual by now; the Arbites and Planetary Defense Forces could deploy at any moment.
"We should—"
Yuki stopped mid-sentence. Yuno also sensed the presences that had interrupted their conversation.
"I knew they wouldn't just send a single Inquisitor."
He looked into the distance, where a tiny speck of light flickered for an instant. A faint whistle of wind followed as a tiny bolt shell sliced through the air, triggering a series of sonic booms. After multiple accelerations, the projectile reached a top speed of Mach 3, hurtling directly toward Yuki's head.
It was too late. Yuki couldn't react. Yuno deployed a psychic barrier, only to see the bullet pierce straight through it, blowing Yuki's head apart.
The warhead was infused with the remains of a Blank. By relying on these wretched creatures, the projectile could bypass the psychic shield Yuno had constructed in her haste.
She had already pinpointed the assassin's location, and the assassin showed no intent to flee. This Vindicare Assassin possessed the authority for autonomous judgment; he now believed these two individuals were the greatest threats to the Imperium. Even if it meant his death, he had to eliminate them both.
He didn't care if his opponent was a psyker. A bullet made from the bones of a Blank could banish even a Greater Daemon of Chaos. Then, through his scope, he met Yuno's eyes.
An inexplicable sense of dread crept into his heart. This was supposed to be impossible, as the emotion of fear had been physiologically purged during his decades of augmentation and training. Even facing a host of Chaos daemons, he would never waver, let alone hesitate in his mission.
Fire! he roared at himself in his mind, but his finger had turned rigid. A single glance from that girl had rendered him unable to continue his task. Breathe... keep breathing... the target is still there. Don't be nervous.
Then, he saw Yuno raise her hand and point at him.
To the Vindicare, the events of that single second felt like minutes. His body anticipated imminent death, adrenaline surged, and his senses slowed time down. A beam of greenish-white light shot out, crossing several kilometers to strike the Vindicare accurately. His specialized stealth suit and flesh boiled and melted instantly.
Yuki's head was regenerating. He pushed himself up and looked around. The Assassinorum had definitely sent more than one.
"Yuno, these enemies are ours to handle. Be careful."
"No, Yuki. There are other units that can deal with them, but that would expose us prematurely."
"You mean using the Tyranid units? That's a last resort."
As they spoke, the sound of fighting erupted outside, though it vanished quickly. Several assassins wearing skull masks appeared before them. They were equipped with Neural Shredder gauntlets, five neurotoxin injectors, a power sword, and an Exitus pistol, with melta bombs hidden on their persons.
Eversor Assassins—the deadliest and most hazardous killers in the Assassinorum. Unlike the Vindicare who specialized in sniping, the Eversors were the most frenzied of berserkers.
"What a nuisance," Yuki muttered, clenching his fists. Several tentacles extended from behind Yuno.
"Watch out. Their self-destruction won't kill us, but if they blow this place to pieces, we'll have to spend more time cleaning up."
"I don't need you to remind me."
The Eversor squad charged, locking Yuki and Yuno in a brutal melee.
...
Eleven walked down a long corridor.
As a quasi-Alpha-level psyker, she had been sent out over the past few days to deal with other psykers and suppress well-equipped, difficult enemies. Was she tired? No. As long as it was for the God-Emperor, everything was worth it.
"Eleven! Behind you!"
It was Mr. Hermit. Eleven didn't like reading her friends' minds, but Hermit's expression was panicked. It was better to know exactly what was happening to save time.
An enemy behind.
Eleven was surprised. Her psychic detection was always active; how had she failed to notice? She tried to use her power to repel the foe, but a blade pierced her body. The presence of a Blank attached to the weapon caused her to lose all ability to resist instantly.
If Hermit hadn't fired immediately, forcing the attacker to retreat, Eleven's head would have been severed.
The attacker wore a strange bodysuit, with massive syringes containing a weird blue energy protruding from their back and the base of their skull. Eleven curled up, clutching her head in unbearable agony. This was the inevitable reaction of a psyker encountering a Blank. In fact, the fact that Eleven remained conscious at all was a testament to her strength.
Hermit also felt an intense sense of discomfort.
"You've got to be kidding... the Assassinorum? Damn it, I only ever heard rumors that Malcador built such a thing."
The Culexus Assassin said nothing, swinging its power sword to suppress Hermit.