Saintess Star, Grand Cathedral.
This was the faith center of the entire planet, a magnificent Gothic structure capable of accommodating one hundred thousand people.
The dome soared into the clouds, as if to pierce the firmament and connect to the realm of the gods.
On the massive stained-glass windows were depicted the saints and heroic deeds of the Empire over ten thousand years; the Emperor on the Golden Throne was always the center of every scene, his face blurred, majestic and distant.
But today, these images, to which countless Battle Sisters had dedicated their lives, appeared dim and lusterless, like faded historical relics.
For a true miracle was occurring here.
Thirty-seven thousand Battle Sisters had removed their power armor and donned the simplest black monastic robes.
Like a black tide, they filled every corner of the cathedral, yet it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
All eyes were fixed on the high platform in the center of the cathedral.
There stood their newborn deity.
Leticia wore a snow-white robe, her jet-black hair cascading down like the night sky, making her god-like visage appear all the more holy.
She did not speak, only reached out and gently took the hand of the blonde little girl beside her.
Terrania had awakened from her slumber; in her pure golden eyes, there was no longer the fear and pain from before, replaced instead by complete trust and peace.
Her small hand gripped Leticia's tightly, as if she were holding onto her entire world.
"Are you ready, Nia?" Leticia's voice resonated gently in Terrania's heart through their soul link.
"Mm." The little one nodded heavily, a brilliant smile blooming on her face, one bright enough to pale the stars, "For Sister."
The next moment, the sacred explosion descended once again.
This time, it was not an unconscious, passive divine radiation, but a precise and vast genesis symphony co-directed by two goddesses!
With Terrania as the center, the purest golden radiance, representing [Origin], surged into the sky like the first light of the nascent universe, transforming into a warm, non-blinding sun suspended beneath the dome.
Immediately after, three-colored divine light intertwined and bloomed from Leticia's body.
The pink-purple halo representing [Divine Charm], like the gentlest nebula, swirled upward, adorning that golden sun with a dreamlike ring of light.
The emerald-green radiance representing [Vitality], like the first rain of early spring, scattered everywhere, transforming into billions of specks of light that merged into the golden glow, bringing the fragrance of all things reviving.
The deep blue light representing [Intellect] transformed into countless precise and complex runic chains, like the underlying code of the universe, weaving this vast ocean of energy into an orderly and efficient web of divine power.
The four-colored sea of light converged and merged in the palms of the two goddesses, then, like a bursting flood, poured down with a roar, enveloping every Battle Sister present!
"Ah..."
Katerina, standing at the very front, was the first to be submerged by the sea of light.
She couldn't help but let out a moan mixed with pain and ecstasy.
She felt her soul being scooped out of her body by a pair of hands that were both the gentlest and the most overbearing, submerged in an ocean warm and filled with the aura of life.
The emerald-green power of [Vitality], like countless nimble hands, gently smoothed out the hideous scars and cracks deep within her soul, left behind by years of war, self-repression, and asceticism.
The hidden injuries at the genetic level that had plagued her for decades due to the overuse of combat drugs were now being repaired and erased at their root.
The deep blue power of [Intellect] transformed into a cool stream, washing over her consciousness.
The rigid and inflexible dogmas forcibly instilled by the Imperial Ecclesiarchy melted away like ice and snow.
Her understanding of combat, her application of tactics, and her insight into human nature were elevated to a brand-new, unprecedented height at this moment.
She even felt she could clearly "see" the emotions and states of every Sister beside her; their souls seemed to be connected to her own.
And that pink-purple power of [Divine Charm] was a reshaping of a higher dimension.
It re-tempered her heart, which had been somewhat fragile from the collapse and reconstruction of her faith, making it indestructible.
It told her that the beauty and glory she pursued were no longer ethereal slogans, but the living, tangible goddess before her.
Fighting for her was, in itself, the ultimate "perfection."
Finally, the core golden light of [Origin] sublimated and condensed all of this.
It branded an indelible, sacred mark deep within Katerina's soul.
A mark of absolute loyalty that belonged only to Leticia and Terrania!
This was not an isolated case.
The same transformation was occurring simultaneously in thirty-seven thousand two hundred and sixteen Battle Sisters.
Their bodies, nourished by [Vitality], broke through the limits of mortals, becoming stronger, more agile, and more resilient.
Their wills, combed through by [Intellect], shed their ignorant fanaticism and transformed into an efficient and calm iron resolve.
Their souls, under the inspiration of [Divine Charm], found their final resting place, erupting with an unprecedented, pure fire of faith.
Inside the cathedral, the suppressed sobbing gradually turned into uncontrollable, joyful weeping.
Soon, the weeping turned into fanatical prayers and praises that sounded like a roaring tsunami!
"Goddess!!"
"Empress!!"
"My body, my heart, my soul! All are yours!!"
They no longer knelt, but stood up one after another, raising their arms high, looking up at the four-colored sea of light on the dome, like sunflowers chasing the sun.
Their faces were streaked with tears, yet they beamed with a heartfelt ecstasy and liberation they had never known in their lives!
That torrent of faith, massive enough to distort reality, flowed upstream through the invisible soul link, rushing madly into the bodies of Leticia and Terrania.
Leticia felt her sea of divine power, which had become somewhat empty from the blessing, instantly refilled, and even began to boil and expand!
A perfect, self-strengthening, faith-based closed loop was completely formed!
The light slowly dissipated.
Leticia, holding Terrania's hand, stood calmly on the high platform, overlooking the black ocean of fanaticism and loyalty below.
She knew that from this moment on, this massive legion had been completely reborn, becoming the sharpest sword that belonged only to her.
"My children."
Leticia's voice resonated clearly in the heart of every "Saint-Blessed Rose" Battle Sister through the soul link.
The voice carried the majesty of a deity, yet contained the tenderness of a mother.
"The power you feel is the grace earned by your own faith."
"Now, listen to my oracle."
Thirty-seven thousand Battle Sisters, as one, instantly fell silent; their souls, with unprecedented focus, listened to the first true command from their deity.
"From this day forward, your identities will have two sides."
"In front of the world, you will remain the Bloody Roses of the Empire, the most loyal Battle Sisters of the Emperor."
"You must return to your respective war zones, return to the military ranks of the Empire, pray as you did before, and fight as you did before."
"Do not reveal your true inner faith to anyone."
This command left many Battle Sisters confused, but they raised no questions, only accepting it absolutely and unconditionally.
"But in the darkness, in the corners unknown to anyone, you are the first batch of'sparks' I have sown into this decaying universe."
Leticia's voice carried a hint of cold, strategic resolve.
"Your mission is to use the Imperial network to find those lost Sisters who, like you, are struggling in the darkness and praying in despair."
"Find them, inspire them, and convert them into one of our own."
"Let our sparks quietly spread beneath the massive body of the Empire, until they are enough to start a prairie fire."
"Your mission is to purge the true Chaos corruption that has been ignored by the Empire and tolerated by the Inquisition."
"Every demon you slay, every inch of land you purify, will turn into the purest power, feeding back to me through the soul link, accumulating the most solid foundation for our upcoming, true 'genesis'."
"You are a secret dagger I have plunged into the heart of the old world. You are the first flame to ignite the dawn of the new world."
A grand sense of mission struck the soul of every Battle Sister like an electric current.
They understood.
They were no longer mere warriors, but the precursors of the new god's descent, the sacred conspirators who would overthrow the old universe!
That confusion instantly transformed into unparalleled excitement and pride!
"We obey your oracle!!"
The shouts of thirty-seven thousand souls converged into a torrent of will powerful enough to shake the stars.
Leticia nodded with satisfaction.
Her gaze fell upon Katerina at the very front of the formation.
"Katerina."
"Goddess! I am here!" Katerina stepped forward, kneeling on one knee, her face beaming with a sacred radiance.
"You shall be my first apostle." Leticia's voice became solemn.
She reached out, and the cold black data slate recording the list of "Saintess Candidates" appeared in her palm out of thin air.
Leticia walked down from the high platform herself, came before Katerina, and personally placed this slate, which carried the Hope of countless Sisters, into her hands.
"This star map will be your guide," Leticia whispered, her voice audible only to the two of them. "Marked on it are the most precious'sparks' scattered throughout the galaxy. Each of them possesses the power to change the world. Find them, protect them, and bring them to me."
"This is... the most important mission I entrust to you."
Katerina's hands trembled violently with excitement. She held the cold slate, yet felt as if she were holding the future of the entire universe.
"I... Katerina, swear by my soul! I will surely fulfill your entrustment!" She choked up, pressing her forehead heavily against the back of Leticia's hand that had handed over the slate, offering her most humble and fervent kiss.
...
genesis, Captain's Quarters.
The air was still filled with the fresh scent of "Burning Tranquility."
Leticia leaned comfortably on the sofa; Terrania, like a lazy kitten, curled up in her arms, her little head resting on her soft thighs, sleeping soundly.
Fogremia had changed into a perfectly tailored moon-white gown, her moonlight-like silver hair draped smoothly behind her shoulders, her long, snow-white legs elegantly crossed, holding a cup of herbal tea in her hand, but in her deep, beautiful purple eyes, there was a trace of imperceptible scrutiny.
"Sister," she said, gently putting down the teacup, her voice like the most beautiful harp, "Do you really trust that group of mortals who have just converted?"
She paused, her tone carrying a hint of the innate pride and contempt of a Primarch, "Faith is the easiest thing to waver. Today they may worship you for the miracle, but tomorrow, they might forsake you because of greater fear or more tempting interests. Is it... perhaps too rash to entrust such an important'spark' plan to a group of mortals?"
She was not questioning Leticia's decision, but rather expressing a concern stemming from a "perfectionist." In her view, only creations like herself and Angronia, who were personally reshaped by the goddess and whose souls and existence were bound to the goddess, were absolutely reliable.
Leticia smiled upon hearing this.
She reached out and gently stroked the golden, brilliant hair of Terrania in her arms, her movements soft.
"Fogremia, you are right. Pure faith is indeed fragile."
She raised her eyes, her black pupils, deep as the night sky, looking at Fogremia, flashing with the mesmerizing light of a wise person.
"But what you see is only the tip of the iceberg."
"What I have bestowed upon them is not just power and rebirth, but a'shackle' that cannot be broken, originating from the deepest part of their souls. As long as I exist, as long as Nia exists, their loyalty will be stronger than any alloy you can imagine."
"More importantly..." A playful arc curled at the corner of Leticia's mouth, "What I need is not their impeccable loyalty, but them themselves."
"Hmm?" A hint of confusion appeared in Fogremia's perfect, beautiful purple eyes.
"This universe is like an old house, decaying, damp, and crawling with woodworms," Leticia's voice became distant and deep. "To build a brand-new, perfect palace, patching it up is not enough. What you need to do is set a big fire first, burning this old house, along with all the garbage inside, to the ground."
She looked at Fogremia's beautiful eyes, which had widened slightly in shock, and the smile on her face became even more mysterious.
"Those thirty-seven thousand Battle Sisters, and the thousands of Sisters who will be inspired by them in the future, are the first batch of'sparks' I have thrown into this old house, soaked in the oil of divine grace."
"Their loyalty, their betrayal, their success, their failure... none of it matters."
"The important thing is that when this fire starts burning, the gaze of the entire universe will be attracted. Whether it is the Empire or Chaos, they will panic, they will be angry, and they will spare no cost to try to extinguish this fire."
"And by then..." A flash of anticipation and excitement shone in Leticia's eyes, "...is when we 'arsonists' truly make our entrance."
Fogremia was completely shocked by Leticia's grand and cold plan. Looking at the goddess before her, with her beautiful face and gentle aura, she realized for the first time, deeply, what kind of vast and terrifying wisdom and ambition, enough to overthrow the entire universe, lay hidden beneath that mercy that protected everything.
This... was the true god she followed!
An emotion mixed with awe, ecstasy, and obsession instantly filled her heart.
"I understand, Sister." She lowered her proud head, her voice filled with the trembling tone of heartfelt submission.
"Mm." Leticia nodded with satisfaction.
As if remembering something, she casually swiped through the air, bringing up a translucent system panel that only she could see.
At the very top of the panel, a line of data was jumping rapidly.
[Warband Points: 1,374,500]
And below it was another independent, newly unlocked progress bar.
[Divinity Growth Plan: genesis · Phase I]
[Current Progress: 98%]
[Conditions for Completion: Possess three (or more) Primarch-level Sisters and obtain the absolute loyalty of over one million fanatics.]
[Phase Reward:???]
Looking at the progress bar about to be filled, a meaningful smile appeared on Leticia's face.
"It's almost time..."
She thought to herself.
"Just one more 'big fire', let my'sparks' offer me the first batch of grand sacrifices..."
"My most critical 'reward', the one that can change everything, will then be delivered."
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