Lumina Crusade

by ColinHayworth

In the 42nd Millennium, there is only war. In the Hive World of Twilight where the promise of technology and understanding still remains but the corrupted and rotten bureaucracy in its place is threatening to destroy all of it slowly but surely. And when the threshold has finally been broken, it will take only a spark to burn all of it down. And there will be retribution...

3. Transcension

Warning: This story doesn't exactly follow the suit of grimdark because of the way the story may develop. If you still enjoy what you are reading then go ahead.

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Chapter 2
Transcension

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Mika opened her eyes once more and found out that she is in somewhere completely alien and unrecognizable to her. A cold wind flew past as the frozen gale makes her body shiver instinctively to her core but it wasn't the first thing that she noticed... It was that everything surrounding her is on fire!

She noticed that the structures around her are of a Hive City similar to where she used to live but everything as far as she could take in was set ablaze. The dissonance between the cold and heat makes it completely unnerving to her. Regathering her posture, her grips on the Autopistols she wields tighten as she determines to know what is this test or procedure that she was called out to fulfill.

Snow and black ashes mixed and the bitter burnt smell with frigid wind makes it completely sickened in a way that she didn't expect herself to ever know. Trudging through ankle-deep snow, she noticed a flame that was too different than the blaze surrounding her. A pyre of something that seemingly beckons her towards.

Is it a desperate call? Or a trap that lures her in? Mika doesn't know but she has decided to go towards it either way for there is almost no distinction between staying here or risking it.

With each heavy step of her, she is getting closer to where the pyre should have been. But by the time she did, nothing awaits her there but burnt corpses that were strewn across the place in a haphazardous manner

"What was it that lure me here then?" Mika said as she tries to look through the increasingly dense snowstorm.

Suddenly, a flicker appeared right in the center of the snow-filled plaza. Then something rose from the snow... Mika raised her guns at the distant figure, preparing for whatever that may be.

A deafening scream was unleashed, one that Mika can't help but stagger a bit from just the sheer intensity of it. However, what was of a flicker now started to ignite into a blaze as it completely engulfs the figure, revealing what it was.

It was of a little girl but almost all features of her have been burned to a char leaving only a blackened body that stood out from the flame itself. The eye sockets are set ablaze and glare straight toward Mika with an unforeseen vendetta.

To make the matter worse, the burnt corpses also rose with embers flickering across their body. With their intentions sorely revealed to Mika, she can only gulf her breath before inevitably facing again.

"Very well, let me put this flame to rest..." Mika said before she pulled her triggers.

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"What the... What is she doing in that pod?" Kang said as he steps out of the Gear Workshop with his improved gears.

"Enlightenment Protocol in processes. Please wait..." Alphric reads the holo-deck that was floating beside Mika's pod.

"Oh the Emperor, she just stepped in with no idea of what's about?" Kang said as he felt weirdly anxious more than how he should.

They spent their time just now in Gear Workshop to create said Mastercrafted weapons that the Military Science and Tech tab told them about. Unfortunately, Mastercraft something ended up requiring some great degree of control over Light that they don't have. And thus the best they could do is just make it of better quality.

Alphric's Autogun is now better than all of Vespera's mass-produced models. The Heavy Stubber has been modified to fire 12.7mm cartridges with much better recoil control in prone positions. The ballistic vest he wore is now of considerably more quality than when he first found it and stocked to the most he could carry to his capacity.

Kang's armor focused more on defense than the auxiliary utility. It was simply the best that it could be without stepping into other classes of armor. Pouches and bandoliers of assorted shells of all types for his Combat Shotgun which is now refined to ink out all the flaws it may still have. An additional bayonet is attached beneath the muzzle because why not? He is more of a close-up and personal type either way.

Suddenly, the two pods next to Mika's opened and a voice called out to them in the same way that Mika did. Seeing the emergence that the situation may entail, Kang and Alphric looked at each other and then nodded. Both of them then entered their respective pod and soon took up that same procedure that Mika entered. Little did they know though that no man's path to enlightenment is the same. Especially after hearing it declared much earlier at the beginning.

This is a fight that only each of them has to accomplish by themselves alone.

Enlightenment Protocol Initiated. Begins the reception of Bloody Aftermath.

Enlightenment Protocol Initiated. Begins the reception of Forsaken Servitor.

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Heat... What was supposed to be the saving grace in this inhospitable cold that beckoned becomes just another way to perish. The heat that emanates from those ember husks is not of comfort but agonizing torture should she fail to control herself or let too many moments of open guards befall her. Searing scorch marks smear across her body and clothing as she crushes the head of another ember husk before it completely died down.

The pyre of fire that the scorched girl is wilted down for the moment before continuing to grow in size once more. Killing those ember husks seems to be doing the job of delaying the scorched girl from engulfing her. But those ember husks aren't easy to kill like the Gangers, she would have to knock them down and crush their head so that the kills are confirmed.

Wincing from the constant agony that spreads from the burn wounds from before with only the brutal cold the source of numbness she can ultimately rely on. To think that her way of fighting and life inverted like this is out of her imagination no matter what.

"Die!" Mika's thought flashed as she curb-stomped another husk until its head no longer remain.

"There's still too many of them left, is this how I went out?" Mika thought as what was a small pyre is now a raging fire that the blizzard can't extinguish anymore.

She continues to fire her Autopistols with sharp precision. Knee-shot to cripple, the follows up with a kick and curb-stomp. Rinse and repeat. But the real race she is going against is time itself. Before the undying fire ultimately consume her.

Many lines of thought run through her mind but her body is already in motion.

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"What?" Alphric thought as he found himself in strange surroundings.

The smell of decaying blood makes him almost instinctively gag despite the protection of Light against it but what puts him off was the amount of blood is actually in here. The wall is stained with blood, there's blood dripping from the ceilings, and the floor is flooded with blood up to his knee.

"What in the world is this place!?" Alphric shouted in his mind as he seems to be taken aback by the appearance of his surrounding.

"This place... it seems to be a medical facility or a hospital... One that the Sister Hospitaliers established to treat the ailed. The structures suggest this assessment is correct but I have no means to confirm it." Alphric mumbles under his breath as he tries to figure out where to go assuming a similar structure design.

Suddenly, Alphric felt motions that don't belong to him reverberate through the blood that flooded the floor here. With swift motions, Alphric took out his Autogun and points it at where he may think it could come from.

Slowly taking a few steps back, the ominous figures turns from the corner of the hallway. The dim vision of the atmosphere can only give him a general outline at best and thus he took out his flashlight and lights upon it. A decision that Alphric may come to hate very much soon afterward.

The moment he did, his pupils shrink and he felt like he wanted to puke just from witnessing its appearance. But instead of falling into a panic on impulse, Alphric took the next course of action which is firing his Autogun at it with a clear aim that he could muster.

It was humanoid in appearance but it did not feel human at all. It was more of a mass of putrid fleshes and scars stacked and stitched on top of each other into the form of a human. Seemingly wailing of something that Alphric couldn't make out, he decided that it is the target he must put down by himself alone.

And as bullets flew toward it, it raised its arm to cover its front from the incoming attacks. Much like how Alphric expected, the bullets bounced off the guard that the monster puts on harmlessly as if they did nothing to it. With that, his options are limited once more.

The stagnant blood that floods this place makes grenades lose a majority of their power, timing it just doesn't even work anymore as its guard seemingly shakes off even the frag grenades that he threw at it. And the only thing that Alphric could dare fathom to work is the Heavy Stubber that is slung on his back.

Alphric gritted his teeth and makes an immediate fallback. If the Autogun didn't even work on it then his pre-upgraded Heavy Stubber won't work on it in the first place. As his heavy steps trudged through the blood, that scar-stitched monster still pursue him. This was only a start of a battle and it hasn't yet revealed all of its tricks.

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Kang's vision finally returned to him as he finds himself in a strange yet somewhat familiar environment. However, what he noticed is that Alphric is nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it... Don't tell me that we were separated!?" Kang said as he aims his Combat Shotguns at anything close by or suspicious.

It didn't take long before a loud rumbling occur before Kang even realized where he is. The sounds of something fierce and violent, like a force of nature waiting to be unleashed upon. Heavy metals clashing with one another with unbridled rage that is impossible to comprehend.

And not much for Kang to immediately take action. As he tries to run away from where the sounds of havoc come from, it immediately picks up as if it found him already.

The hallway that Kang ran down is filled with archaic pipes of all kinds, it implies that the place Kang is stuck in is a research facility or something similar. He couldn't tell just what is going on here for the protection of Light filters out any taint and filth that may come across them. But with how unkempt and dirty the place is, it is not pleasant at all.

A wide door soon comes in front of his vision. With all of his momentum, he crashed through it only to find himself stuck in a dead-end of a large room. With what is seemingly shadowed figures above the room looking down at him. Kang couldn't make out who any of them were but he realized one thing for sure...

He is stuck in an arena... a testing ground against what is pursuing him.

It then came crashing through the door, Kang has only a few moments to analyze just what it is. It was an unholy fusion of both robotic and organic in such a way that Kang couldn't dare to gaze at it too long despite once being a Ganger. It is humanoid stature in appearance but the ridiculous amount of cybernetics and wirings that courses through its body just tells him otherwise. It may have been a human once but now? It's just a mindless drone carrying out only one directive, destruction...

It 'yelled', Kang doesn't even know how but it must be of such anguish and agony that despite the flesh having long decayed, the mechadendrite refuses to wither. It then lunges at him and suddenly headbutted him right into his guts with such force that he was sent crashing into the brick wall and straight up denting it. The thing did it again, but Kang managed to pull himself out before it plants itself into the wall.

That first blow alone should have killed him straight up and Kang felt like he just broke a few bones because of it. But thanks to the protection of Light, what should have been lethal blows ended up reduce to grievous injury. The Athletic level strength ended up being his saving grace more than how he expected since he is still functioning normally despite before.

As Kang looks at the thing trying to burrow itself out of the wall where it is stuck into. He finds them weirdly familiar as if he saw them somewhere, a hazy and aching memory of his started to reveal itself amidst this increasingly tense atmosphere. Then he muttered before his mind realized.

Servitor...

He has the misfortune of knowing their true nature and how they were made. This thing was an essential part that keeps Imperium's industry alive by doing repetitive and simple tasks repeatedly until they gave out. Manufactorums were filled to the brim with these things to keep the manufacturing going. But how did he know? It was a massive dispute between Tech-Priests and Sister Hospitaliers during his time hospitalized about what to do with the terminally ill patients. The Tech-Priests' answer was simple, turning all of them into servitors against their consent. And they go even against the Sisters' protests and Kang was misfortunate to learn about them when he stumbled into the basement of the hospital he was in.

Servitors were criminals, people who commit grave offenses against the Imperial Law or Tech-Priests. They were effectively lobotomized and turned into robotics so that they can do basic repetitive tasks. But there's one thing... Servitors aren't supposed to remember anything at all or even senses. They are braindead and the Tech-Priests made sure of that.

But sometimes, lobotomizing processes were half-assed and those who could remain a modicum of self will suffer for eternity. Sometimes by mistake or deliberation. These people will spend the rest of their pitiable existence as mindless drones, unable to deviate beyond their directive and suffer until their minds are effectively degraded into mush.

Kang when learned of these facts, stayed silent and never once speak of it to his friends. Whenever he and his friends enter the manufactorums for some important dealings and personal transport, he couldn't help but gaze away from the Servitors as his friends remain clueless about its true nature. And worse... he felt of what could be residual thoughts or emotions lingering in there. No longer having any sense of ignorance of the truth, Kang resorted to apathy just to live another day and delivery jobs often made manufactorums major frequent places.

He hated it with every ounce of his being...

The Servitor lunged at him once more but this time, Kang is no longer fearful of it. Instead, a scornful sorrow permeates him. He was once a criminal given a chance of redemption. This being's existence struck him in a way that his friends won't. He is practically seeing himself had he continued the lawless path he condemned himself to. Had he not thought of other ways to better his life.

He pulled his trigger as the point-blank shotgun shell blasted into it.

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With heavy breathing and char-stained cheek, Mika managed to terminate the majority of the ember husks that linger in this place and only a small few of them are left. With each kill, she managed to stop the pyre from growing in intensity. But that's just it... using subtraction in exponential math after the number has gotten too big. With as much strength she could muster into her numb feet, she rushes forward toward the remaining ember husks that are still scattered around.2

The fire has now grown in size, too much that it has engulfed nearly this section. She dares not to fathom what it would be like hadn't she killed those husks earlier. With each second passes, she wonders if she is doing something wrong or not getting the whole purpose of this procedure.

Spiritual... What exactly is spiritual about fighting an anomaly?

Wracking her mind for all answers that her ignorant being could possibly hold. Perhaps, the answer shouldn't be anything out there or too out of her reach but instead, she should start looking inward toward herself instead of the far-off stars in the distant sky.

Fire... Warmth... The universal sensation for love and family. Her late mother once spoke back when she used to live in the squalor of Lower Hive, that even if the world is cruel, love would ultimately manage to bring a person back from the brink of despair. That's what her mother wanted to believe because otherwise, what is there to live for?

Then a sudden realization dawned upon her... Love...

The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.

Love... In the Imperium, kindness, and love are the first to go die in the cruel machination of it. What deranged and destructive behaviors were born from it and how they were glorified and worshiped with zealotry and madness. Lives are nothing and especially feelings for there is no room for compassion in a galaxy driven to the brink.

The burning structures and the cruel snowstorm around her are the analogy of said proverb. An unstoppable inferno that seeks to consume all in its blind destruction and the frigid and bitter blizzard cementing the cruelty with coldness. A cry for help with destructive behaviors.

Mika was lucky... beyond lucky for what could have been her. Not even an astronomical probability could measure up to what it takes for Mika to get out of that squalor with the mere chances she was given.

After that revelation, she gripped her guns tightly once more and the frown turned into furious and bitter melancholy. In what could have been mere seconds left, a fire now ignited in her heart. Hope, love, passion, all of what was similar to that scorched girl.

An ember that refuses to be smothered...

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How much had he run on this bloody hospital? Not even Alphric knows any longer at this point, the structure seemingly and procedurally loops itself that there's no possible way to discern where he is actually going. There is even a moment when he returned back to where he was a few minutes ago despite literally going on a straight path. At that point, it was clear that he has to fight that monstrosity if he want to get out of this horrific nightmare.

A part of him wished that he didn't converse his Heavy Stubber to 12.7mm since he couldn't even find a position to fire the Heavy Stubber. But another part just told him that if the Autogun couldn't do anything then his pre-converse Heavy Stubber wouldn't do anything either to it.

Suddenly, the figure speeds up, and before Alphric realized it, its putrid 'hand' slams into his back. And at that moment, both its force and the skin-paling sensation send him flying face-first into the bloody floor. With the lingering shock and paleness, his body convulsed in impulse as he almost drowned in the blood that flooded this place. Barely managed to surface out of the stagnant blood, he saw the ominous figure with its guard raised at him running at breakneck speed once more.

Alphric thought it is gonna trample him into the blood as he desperately tries to pull himself up. But the blood that lingers here makes movement sluggish and as if a weight has just been added on top of him. With each second it got closer, his body continues to scream in instinct even if his face doesn't express any of it. It suddenly... stopped...

It stopped right in front of him with its guard still raised. It expected Alphric to do something but... Alphric is still there trying to pull himself up while the monstrosity just stood there like that. Before it even puts down its guard, Alphric has already put some distance between it.

Alphric's mind was basically in flux, his mind concentrated on nearly everything that he could muster but the close call moment ingrained into his mind like a vivid picture that he couldn't remove no matter what despite his effort. But as the image continues to float about, he noticed something about it in deeper insight. The scar masses at the hand were far more visible than it should or perhaps... it was much larger than the rest of the body.

That pale sensation still lingers and Alphric knows it far more than how he should. He was a straight man, takes no shit, and is no-nonsense. But during his life when he practically lived as a social outcast or an outlier for Emperor knows how long before he actually came to be a merchant. The people's inane characteristics once used to drive him off into the deep end as he wonders why is he the different and outlier in society. And why he was blessed with common sense yet has to deal with the self-destructive behaviors of others.

It was then that he start to lose his faith that people can turn to be the better. He contemplates suicide before and it was such a calling that it took a long time to shrug the thing off. No amount of psychoactive drugs or therapy actually wedges the thing off his back. But one thing that actually did it for him was a part of himself that he despite for so long...

Spite... If this world really hates him, he has no reason to spite it for doing it so. He wants to prove that he is stronger than this world. Stronger than the hate that has driven the mind of people. And soon, he forgot why he was attempting to kill himself in the first place, and instead, he carries only a determination that his common sense will outlive the insanity that people perpetuated.

And the pale hands that he felt in this battle were no different than the suicidal contemplations that he felt back then. He is stronger now and he will prove himself so. His usual stern expression now furrowed as he turned back upon it. Now looking at it with not disgust but a solemn determination.

The stagnant blood that once held him back will now be the showstopper of this fight.

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The sound of something heavy smashed into the wall again, this time, it was Kang again. The strength of the human body can't easily measure up to the mechanical synthesis that the AdMech produced. As much as he hated to admit it, the flesh is weak against the purity of steel and that much is really as true as it may be.

But even then, he will not go down without a fight. Even if his opponent is something that could barely be passed as human.

His shotgun rang out again but even if the buckshot pelts against the mechadendrite body, it doesn't seem to care as its limb slammed into him once more. As Kang rolled down to the ground as the mechanical monstrosity seek to trample him, he decided to load whatever shells he has in his pouch without caring about what they are.

The body may be indestructible but the weakness of the mind is undeniable.

Kang pulled the trigger even if the muzzle is nowhere pointed at the servitor. But the bright muzzle flash along with its unexpectedly loud sound comes forward. So bright and loud that it was overwhelming even to Kang.

The servitor instantly backed off and Kang was not less disoriented because of it. Not even normal shotgun shells are supposed to be this loud and bright. As he pumped the shell out, he noticed its black coloring and words on it in his momentary gaze.

Flashbang shell.

In that brief moment of realization, he quickly stood up and checked his pouch for all of his shells to see what they are while the servitor is still disoriented. Black rounds are flashbang, deep orange is dragon's breath, green is slug and red is buckshot. The exotic rounds are separated into their own and standard rounds are cluttered as much as his dismay.

The servitor stood up again and lunged at him with a ferocity unseen before, Kang in his reaction fired his combat shotgun once more and this time a stream of relentless fire unleashed from the barrel toward the Servitor. As the blaze bathes upon the Servitor, it instantly rolled on the ground and writhing as if the fire is searing into it... despite the fact that the mechadendrite has no visible damage appear.

At that moment, Kang realized something... Servitors are effectively lobotomized minds put into mechanical bodies. The body may stand up to far more damage than how it may but the mind is always on the constant verge of meltdowns. They were basically misfortunate people and criminals put into penance and to suffer for eternity until their minds are reduced to mush.

The Servitors obey...

The mind is ultimately vulnerable and maybe... just maybe... It may be his way of exploiting its weakness and claiming his victory against it.

Decided to unload the rest of his rounds and strategically plan out. A battle formulated in his mind, his Ganger experiences kicking in and he knew that he has one shot at this. Better than continuously broken down by the Servitor until he can no longer stand up.

He aimed his shotgun upward and fired at the light above.

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Mika sneezed as she finally feels the effect the cold weather finally have on her. Despite it being mere minutes into the battle, the agonizing burn marks and bitter cold that seeps finally tore into her in its last moment. Her fingers are literally stuck in place except for the index and her movements become slower as frostbites ran deep into her nerves.

"One more..." A sluggish thought ran through her mind as lethargy ran even deeper,

She was so close, so close to taking out whatever might be the objective of this test, maybe... Does killing all ember husks even do anything?

As she then collapses to her knees, she feels the blaze that ever-expanding start to grow closer and closer to her. Now standing on the brinks of it, she wonders if she should just let herself be incinerated by the flame just to be done with it once and for all.

But there's something that kept her from making that decision. Enlightenment... If this is a test then...

"FUCK, NO! This is why humanity is a massive failure. By glorifying our worst excesses and accepting them, we welcomed degeneracy and made it as if it was salvation from beyond. Fanatism was a drug and humanity has become addicted to it and can't survive its withdrawal." Mika's mind flared in its terminal lucidity.

The ember that sparks from her heart on its brink of death blazed into a raging fire that can't be snuffed. In her eyes that were near-death now carried a spark burning hot, one that she nearly never thought of. Her legs instantly kicked into high gears as her mind now run on any fume it may have left. So much that the last ember husk couldn't perceive in its limited sense, and thus smacked across its face is the Autopistol.

Toppled down to the ground, Mika pulled herself up and tried to fire it only to find that the guns have been frozen. Not that it matters, she will just bash the head of the damn thing into the ground with all meagers strength that she has left. As the vaporizing heat of the scorched girl approaches not mere millimeters off, Mika clumped her frozen hands together with one last overhead smash into the last ember husk.

Last breath before she closed her eyes in inevitability, whether this actually did something or it was a pointless endeavor before being consumed by the fire. She knew that she has done all the best she could. If it is the end for her then it shall be...

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She didn't know how much time has passed but she no longer felt that searing heat anymore. She still breathing and when she opened her eyes, she saw only the burning surroundings, frigid and skin-paling coldness. She turned toward the scorched girl and saw only its charred body kneeling toward her. Mika didn't know how but... she actually stopped its raging fire by killing all the ember husks nearby. She doesn't know how but... here she is...

As she stood up and trudges her body toward the scorched girl kneeling with no other motion, she kicked the thing straight with her foot to the ground, and with all she has left, she crushed the damn thing's head for once and for all.

She noticed something flashing in the corner of her vision. By a mere nudge of her thought, it creates a list overlaying the corner of her eyes, and... it shows her what she should do to take it down... Which was by killing all the ember husks and an analysis of the scorched girl...

She felt like she should have face palmed herself... hard... This analysis would have saved her a lot of pain and misery but here she is already done with the whole thing. When the deed is finally done, her body finally ran out as she collapsed to the frozen ground. As her vision starts to dim, the charred corpse that she has so much pain dealing with dissipated into something familiar.

Lights... The essence that is now what made up Mika right now as it flows toward her as if she has become its rightful master and beholder of this power. As a reward for overcoming one of her potential fatal flaws, she no longer maybe crack from it and in fact become stronger mentally thanks to it.

A small smile appeared on her face before her vision finally succumbs.

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A convulsing and shocking sensation spreads through him once more. His skin turned pale just from its touch alone as he fell to his back upon the stagnant blood. If suicidal tendency counts as a sensation then that would be it. Whatever that is, it just blasted him forward in mere convulsion roughly a dozen meters ahead. If it weren't for the blood cushioning the fall then that would honestly be the end of him.

Alphric stood up while completely drenched in the stagnant blood. If blood has more density and viscousness then this would definitely qualify for it. 10 meters left, Alphric decided this is the 'make it or break it' moment. All-in on this one gamble that will decide his fate. To confront his worst excesses head-on and overcome them with all he has.

With the Heavy Stubber in place, he crouched to the point his body was nearly engulfed in blood to his waist. The Heavy Stubber submerged into the blood except for the barrel as Alphric prays that it stood functional even in it. This wild chase must end and he has no strength left to continue the pointless endeavor that he put himself into.

6 meters left, Alphric gulped his breath as he holds the trigger. Bullets burst forward and the recoil visible shook him. The stagnant blood did wonder to reduce the recoil he felt since it technically added weight to it. With the 12.7mm cartridges, the projectiles are visibly more powerful than how they should be. If 7.65mm is a light nudge then 12.7mm is a killing blow.

The bullets punch into the abomination with such force that it started to be pushed back despite its guard, Alphric aimed toward the joint, and with one shot, he managed to blast the elbow of the putrid thing off. One more and he managed to completely disarm the thing.

With nothing left to put its guard, it suddenly rushes toward him at a neck-breaking speed. In its swift pace, Alphric swears that he could see pale hands rising up from the blood as it rages toward him. He thought that his mind is starting to fuck with him but at this point, anything could go. Now on complete offense on both sides, Alphric has only one move left before it will inevitably catch up with him and pummels him to death in the blood.

Alphric yelled as he unleashes the Heavy Stubber at its full power. With its full-auto mode activated, the stream of uncompromising bullets rushes head-on and despite chunks of it torn into, the thing still rushes with unrelenting pace.

2 meters left, death's door is on both sides. One more attack and one of them will perish. But right before the finishing blow could reach that abomination, his Heavy Stubber has finally given up as blood has completely clogged its whole system. Alphric's mind screams in desperation as he couldn't believe that it just has to happen after getting so close and now, he is truly out of options.

1 meter left...

Everything in Alphric's sight slowed down, his mind is now in its desperate struggle to find a solution and an unfathomable amount of information is being processed by his mind in that blistering last second. There's nothing left in his arsenal that will work anymore. What else does he has left that could kill it?

Its overwhelming presence unnerved him even when a second is unfathomably stretched to Emperor knows how long, the foreboding sense of death looking down upon him is a feeling that he has no words to describe or write down into words. He wanted to win, he wanted to defeat this thing so that he could escape this twisted nightmare he got himself into unknowingly.

And as that second can't be stretched anymore, time started to resume as he looks at death in its 'face'. And when given a man no escape, he'll fight to his death for it rather than give up. For what is stronger? His own suicidal thoughts or the will to live? Perhaps, the answer has already been chosen before Alphric's mind even computes it.

Fear lapsed over him as his mind froze in place. But his instinct moved past that unseen chains as he screams in conviction. His arm pulled itself back against his fear as it lunged for one last decisive strike. Adrenaline floods into his blood as if never once did he ever fight this hard at all, especially counting that his life is on the line.

The unexpected might tore straight into its head as the punch completely cleaves its head from its body. Alphric's body has already followed the motion on its own and when his mind finally reprocessed itself, it was to pull himself back from the pool of blood. Seeing the lifeless corpse fall to the ground, he has finally earned his victory after such grueling combat to overcome his own mental footfalls.

Lights start to rise up from where the abomination's corpse fell. As it flows toward him, Alphric can only let out a wry smirk before his vision fails him. When his last drop of strength faded, his consciousness fell into the nothingness.

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As the slug round struck the light above, the entire room fell into darkness. But the light illuminated by Kang himself is no doubt indistinguishable and he could see himself fine. But more than that is impossible regardless of how he tries to glint. The Servitor is no less conspicuous than him due to its red eyes keep shining in the dark and the outline of its body could be visibly seen even in the depth of darks.

It seems to try to scan things in the dark. Tech-Priests have something called night-vision but he doubts it would actually do well when it tries to scan literal light.

Kang then proceeds to go with the plan he has in his mind. One flash round, the rest being dragon's breath with the last one being the flashbang. His stock is limited and he would do well in mind to finish the fight as soon as he could.

The servitor lunged once more, he knew that if this was a combat servitor, he would be dead where he stood. But it seems that this one was made with eternal penance in mind where the mind is vulnerable to every assault. A fate worse than death that was forced upon.

He pulled the trigger and the flashbang shell was fired giving a brief moment for Kang to chain his assault. The servitor was taken aback by the blinding flash as it tried to turn away from it. Taking advantage of it, Kang holds the pump back and repeatedly pulls the trigger at the servitor.

Slamfire... It was a side effect of the shotgun's firing mechanism but many took advantage of it for its repeated volleys of firing. Such a thing was unintended but they kept it because increased combat effectiveness is worth more than safety in this rotten Imperium.

As the stream of molten fire bashes upon the servitor, it didn't take that kindly as Kang swore that if it could scream, it would have already from its body motion and writhing. He could only grit his teeth as he tries to take it down as fast as he could while sparing no room for it to take advantage of.

When it could no longer withstand the searing heat of the dragon's breath round, its mind instantly shut off all reception of the outside world and just lunge at Kang in pure instinct and rage. Kang managed to barely get out of its way or else he would be flattened into a smear on the ground.

It has no mouth yet it must screams.

Kang fires the last shell in the shotgun and the loud and bright flash is unleashed upon it. The flashbang round has no projectile but its purpose is purely support and auxiliary. Using the brief moment that the flash round gave, he quickly load the same set of shells in the shotguns. One flashbang round, the rest is dragon's breath and the last is 1 flashbang. Right after he did so, the servitor regained its scanning vision and lash out at Kang again.

Both have no room for mistake and just like Kang was thrashed into rags by the servitor and vice versa through debilitation by Kang. With their wits at their end, both of them charged at one another for one last blow. As its arm was about to reach him, Kang pulled the trigger of his shotgun.

A bright flash was unleashed once more and the deafening sound followed with a brief silence. The servitor's arm completely gutted into Kang's stomach as blood and guts flush out. The two of them smashed into the wall but the effect of the flashbang round at such close quarter completely overwhelmed its auspex (read: sensor) and now its whole body writhe in shock. Kang forcefully pulled the arm out for it doesn't feel anywhere pleasant for such a thing to lurch inside him.

His body on its own is already in a bad shape but his Ganger's instinct and experience kick into high gear as Kang furiously unleashes the dragon's breath hail upon the servitor with no mercy in his eyes. As streams of raging fire and molten buckshot rends into its body, Kang's teeth grit in hatred and contempt for this thing reminding him far too much of who he was. A man who has the strength yet lacks the will to change himself for the better. An indomitable body yet a mind no less fragile than a cracked mirror.

Even if the body doesn't seem to be affected much by the dragon's breaths, the stimuli overload resulted from a seemingly endless flame completely engulfing everything in its mentally. In a short duration, its mind is completely reduced to mush from the sheer processing it was forced to endure and for all purposes, it is dead at its most basic.

Kang fell to the ground as the adrenaline finally waned away. The agony and pain that his body tried to push away now released like a flood that seeks to overwhelm him much like how he did the servitor in. As his body lies on the ground, the remnant of the servitor collapsed into Lights and finally subsumes into him.

His vision faded away as he finally affirms that he is no longer bound to the weakness of his past.

---

Mika Apocrypha

Spiritual Resolution Ranked Up!
Baseline =====} Residual Touch

Emotion Level Limit Raised!
New Psykic Passives Unlocked

-Ember of Hope: Kinetic-based attacks gain incendiary effect, and heat-based weapons gain more effectiveness. Close-quarter combat can release fire burst upon injury received and inflicted.

-Burning Heart: Melee attacks gain increased potency and can cause explosions at times. Can cause friendly fire and self-harm. Can be activated and deactivated at will.

-Rise From the Ashes: Cause a massive incendiary explosion on receiving mortal wounds, nullify said deathblow at the cost of potentially losing all non-relic equipment in the said explosion. Can be activated and deactivated at will.

---

Alphric Alpheus

Spiritual Resolution Ranked Up!
Baseline =====} Residual Touch

Emotion Level Limit Raised!
New Psykic Passives Unlocked

-Stagnant Blood: Blocking become much more effective and can withstand all blows with no agony and permanent damage.

-Scar of Sorrow: Slash attacks received deal significantly reduced damage and can nullify blows at chances.

-Pale Hands: Melee attacks can inflict shocking and revolting sensations. Extensive contact can destroy a target mentally.

---

Kang Jeremy

Spiritual Resolution Ranked Up!
Baseline =====} Residual Touch

Emotion Level Limit Raised!
New Psykic Passives Unlocked

-Violence: All attacks gain a significant boost but skill-based attacks may suffer from uncontrollable violence. Can be activated and deactivated at will.

-Metallic Crush: Strike attacks or critical blows inflict permanent damage that can't be removed.

-Chained Wrath: Gain a massive attack boost to everything even firearms, however, mobility is reduced to a near slow pace. Can be activated and deactivated at will.

---

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A Promise to Fulfill

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---

"Man the gate! Be careful out there!" The guardsman atop of the wall said to the convoy in front of it.

"Can't believe that we received a request that goes straight to Lower Hive. I know that the closest voidship port to our place is gone and all but Lower Hive? This thing reeks with suspicious aura and felt like a trap waiting to spring". A woman in a short dress with dark blue hair said as her hands placed on the steering wheel of the transport.

"Michele, if they really wanted to steal from us, they would have stolen straight from a manufactorum instead of trying to go through us. It has far less chance of error and what could even be worse? Hell, just where do they even get the money to make this transaction in the first place?" Another girl in a white outfit with snow-white hair. A look that is too much of a far cry in this Hive City.

"Anny... I... I'm scared... I don't know what Lower Hive looks like and based on everyone's expression, it tells me that it is a horrible place that no one wants to be there at all". The smaller and younger girl with grayish hair sat between the two said as she felt anxious about this journey. In fact, she seems too young to be a merchant.

"Don't worry, Elise. Sister is here to protect you from any danger that may come between us". The girl in white said as she tries to comfort her younger sister.

Michele looks at the interaction between the two and sighs because she knows that this is just a disaster waiting to happen. She isn't meant to be pessimistic but the rule of this universe always makes good people suffer for no apparent reason other than... grimdark...

As the truck drives through the checkpoint that the Guardsmen opened for this moment, Anny checks her pouch to make sure her Middle Hive permit is still within her possession. If it is lost, she will practically be forfeiting her privilege to Emperor-knows fate.

"So miss Michele, what are we transporting?" Elise said as her curiosity got the best of her.

"Sigh... According to our contract, we are delivering Lasguns... Not just any normal Lasgun, Twilight-Lasgun. Anastasia, mind if you explain the thing to her? I don't have the thought to explain to her right now." Michele said as she keeps her mind from drifting to nowhere.

Since Twilight was a forge world with a lot of survived tech, it is obvious that some of the weapons' quality here exceeds the average norm of the Imperium. Such an example is the Lasgun where even a standard one has the firepower equivalent to 12.7mm cartridges and fires at a decent rate of a semi-auto rifle with little to no recoil. Twilight Lasgun has a much higher rate of fire than that it straights up supplant Autogun as standard Imperial Guards' Twilight garrison weapon.

And for that same reason, it was not allowed to be in civilians' hands in order to make sure that they are controllable and not become destructive when rebelling. Even Arbites don't have the privilege to use it.

Apparently, a Rogue Trader in Lower Hive wanted to arm his retinue with such weapons and was willing to pay even massive bucks for it. An additional fact is that Vespera may fall soon after the collapse point and thus such a weapon may become a prized relic in the Imperium. Michele thought all of them are fucking vultures but who is even the right person to blame at this point?

"How long is our journey going to be, Michele?" Anastasia said as she strokes her little sister's hair.

"You know how massive Vespera is, Anastasia. This could take weeks and we may not all come back alive thanks to that kid being a potential liability. Better buckle up and pray to the Emperor that it goes smoothly". Michele said as she grips her steering wheel tighter.

"What on Twilight did you just say that my sister is a liability!? How dare you speak something like that in your capacity!?" Anastasia seems to not take what Michele just said kindly.

"Tsk... I'm sorry, it's just that the current situation of Vespera is so horridly shitty that whenever I think too hard about it, it just fucking makes my mood sour pretty fucking fast. Sigh... Apologize for the rambling... That was quite a bad display of a therapist, isn't it". Michele said as she tries to calm herself down but Elise saw that Michele's grip on the steering wheel is awfully tight that she felt like Michele could crush it at any moment's notice.

Anastasia looks at Michele for a brief moment before looking at the sheathed sword that she wore on her waist. It's really unbelievable that Michele is a therapist based on the first look. Her long dark blue hair tightened into a bun, her office clothing look messy, and only covered above it is a jacket that is so full of creeks on its surface that looking at it for long enough could cause sanity damage.

If Middle Hive people still look so miserable like this then just what is Lower Hive people would look like?

Michele used to have a long history of violence and manslaughter before willingly become joining the Eventide Merchant Guild. She is probably more skilled with her sword than how she is with her words. One of the reasons why she even made herself a therapist is that she saw too many times that people become unstable messes upon seeing their colleagues' deaths and that even she felt she has to do something. And another part is... she cared too much.

Because of something that she has no control over, she felt emotions more strongly than others. When people could easily numb to the hardship, she will instantly unleash the flood gates at any moment. Happiness can easily turn to euphoric only to turn to sudden anger in a matter of seconds. She was a whiplash that most people don't even want to deal with and it would have been that way if it weren't for someone... A certain someone who has taught her how to redirect said outbursts. Alphric...

Alphric being a man of common sense teaches her how to put self-control on the line. How to put said emotions at work and how to redirect them into something more useful. She is still an emotional whiplash in human form but she now knows how to put it into something more useful than how it is. Lending an ear to hear and telling them what her clients should do. Not the best but considering how deranged people can get, it's only one bad day to turn a perfectly fine person into a disaster that doesn't end with them.

And long enough with it, it sorts of become her occupation regardless of how she wanted to.

"What about the sword, is it something special or not?" Anastasia asked because she hasn't seen them in action ever since her joining.

"Nah... It's just a piece of whetted metal with nothing more special to it. I could certainly wish for something more powerful considering that the workforce of the Guild is being strained right now since Collapse Point. But it will still do like before and now. What about yours? The trip is long and it won't hurt to know each other right now". Michele said as her grips on the steering wheel released for a bit.

"Yeah... Her mood really reflects upon the closest thing that has happened to her". Anastasia thought before she decide to respond.

The truck continues its path as it descends into the pollution lines. Whatever it is, it's going to feel like another world entirely compare to what they know.

---

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Temperament Competent

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---

The 3 cryo pods opened and their user steps out feeling as if they have went through a horrendous nightmare that took all of them to overcome. Although nothing has changed to their physical appearance, they are deeply affected by the experience they have gone through.

"I don't know why it put us through that. If we are facing the worst aspects in our mentality then... What would it bold for us?" Mika said as she felt like she went through the worst of her life.

"If I'm gonna guess, they make life lessons paired with unforgiving challenges to make it stick. I mean I fucking remember it plainly of what not to do and why the past me is a failure that won't live long" Kang said as he touches where the servitor gutted him before and seeing that nothing about him has changed. But he can't deny that it felt too vividly real for its purpose.

"Guess that if we really want to be humanity's exemplary of virtue then we have to get rid of anything that makes us no less deranged and barbaric like the rest of them. So our worst has to go and be removed..." Alphric said as he has no idea of how to even grasp such a thing.

As Mika looks at the two of her friends' trading theories and hypotheses together. She remembered why she entered the thing in the first place and quickly used her holo-watch to check her statistic. The particular one that got her into the cryo pod for the procedure in the first place.

Spiritual Resolution: Residual Touch

"It changed... Everyone, check your status, especially the one that reads Spiritual Resolution!" Mika said as she stares at the holo-lithic screen that the watch projects.

Both Kang and Alphric heed her word and soon they activate their watch. As they checked out that one statistic that Mika pointed out, it said the same thing as Mika.

While overall statistics didn't change, that one status alone tells a whole different story. This is what they have to master should they ever dare to call themselves virtuous. Because otherwise, they are nothing but megalomanic proclaiming statuses they never have. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts completely.

"We have to remember why we are fighting. To change things for the better. Our existence is a contradiction and I'm certain that people won't take kindly to us either way. Because of that, if we want to keep the fire alive, we have to be stronger than anything that the Imperium may throw at us. Stronger than the darkness that has permeated this world". Alphric said as he knows it too damn well for his liking.

The three stared into each other for a while before Kang decided that he should break the silent atmosphere.

"Uhm... I think we should prepare ourselves for the journey ahead. Besides, this is something new so we should test it out either way. Our foes will only get stronger and we better not be left behind". Kang said as he raises his voice.

Mika looks at him for a moment before nodding. She realized that she shouldn't think too hard either way. Having stronger mental strength will allow her to not break against the adversary that may pit her. She then follows Kang into the workshop so that they can further improve their armaments. Time is in essence and especially now since then.

Alphric looks at the corner of his vision and saw the Emotion Level limit has been raised. From 1 to 2 and the rest is still blacked out. But it makes him a question, what exactly happens if he reaches 1? Or 2?

Maybe not now but that question will have its solution in the due time.

...

Half an hour later...

...

The three of them reappeared from the beacon of Light. And based on their surrounding, it is verified that no one could even tell that there was a beacon of Light here anyways.

"It seems that no matter the time of the day, it is always dark in the Underhive". Alphric said as he looks at the time displayed by the holo-watch.

"So how do I look, Alphric?" Mika said as she shows her pair of mastercrafted Autopistols and her refined outfit to suit her while still remaining practical.

The bulletproof vest is traded for a jacket of the same material. Although flak vests and jackets produced by Vespera's manufactorums have such supreme quality that it made the gear they wore look like paper tissues. The reason that they aren't issued to the PDF is so that the Hive Nobles' control over them is absolute and rebelling against them is certain doom.

"They look well on you. More than how you were before with that coat full of patches that you had before". Alphric said as he looks at her before proceeding to scout the surrounding.

"By the way, what's our next objective. Other than reaching back to the Middle Hive, I mean". Kang said while his hand still holding to the grip of his Combat Shotgun with his finger off the trigger.

Alphric then activates his holo-watch and turned toward the Military Science and Tech tab. New unlock at 15,000 Lights showing the new place to unlock. The Archive.

"I see. Information... At the end of the day, no matter how powerful we can become, we are still only three people at best. It would be hellish to uncover pathways and key points in the Underhive by ourselves alone. So why not kill some people, turn their memory into an interactive medium and use it to make short work of everything that is otherwise hellish to deal with when unknown?" Kang said as he reads over the detail of it.

"Yup... More killing. Since Gangers... most of the time serves no purpose other than fighting each other for their own survival. There probably wasn't that much to miss about them in the first place". Alphric said as he assess his future battle plan.

"Alphric, I think I have something to say here. What you did just now is dehumanization at work and that is the first step towards some really bad shit that I have seen people trying to justify. And much like any first step towards darkness, it is a slippery slope that if one doesn't realize it, one will fall into without noticing." Kang said as his experience as a Ganger already told him that it is very much a possible thing.

Alphric thinks for a moment and knows that Kang is absolutely right about his input. Knows your boundary and always be truthful to yourself, that's what he wanted to respond but in the end...

"I know, it has to be this way..." Alphric said as he looked toward the few floodlights that are placed somewhere a fair distance away. Seems those Gangers managed to work with others for the short term for now seeing as they have built an outpost.

The Luminary then goes forward, their gears right now would make anyone in the Underhive kill for them but that's precisely what they intend to. Conflicts in Underhive are inevitable and no matter how much they killed, at least it will never be as pointless and self-destructive as those who are responsible for letting Collapse Point happens.

Kang looks at the minimap displayed in the corner of his vision. A lot of hostiles and congregating and moving from there thus he expects that if anything could kick their Emotion Level to its limit, it would be this battle. Tension starts to rise as they knew even if they are superior to anything the Underhive Gangers could feasibly muster, this is still a battle that which they are hopelessly outnumbered. If they don't play their card right, they would inevitably fall to attrition.

"Let's do this..." Alphric said as he cocks his Autogun's bolt back to load the round in.

---

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On the Limelight

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---

Hive Governor's Office, Vespera Spire, Twilight

Another Inquisitorial ship in the distance landed on the reserved voidship port for important officials. Chavin looked down from the balcony of the Hive Governor's Office and sighed once more. His Ordo has its paint job to distinguish each other although very few of them even chose this Ordo in the first place. That ship was none of it and he could already tell which Inquisitor it is in there.

"Caedes..." Chavin muttered beneath his breath as if he doesn't want to recall his memory with that particular one.

If you ever see one Inquisitor, there are probably ten more running around. And since the Ordos don't interact with one another unless specifically seeking out, there stood a huge chance that they may sabotage each other in the process and cause wanton destruction. And each Inquisitor is different with different personal goals and agendas, to say that a complicated mess is about to brew is no exaggeration.

Ordo Civitatis is minor compared to the major Ordos such as Hereticus, Xeno, and Malleus. Thus his presence is easily overshadowed by these big shots. Not that it stopped him from doing his duty, at least in here, he will not let himself be silenced as long as he has Libert's permission. Libert's authority is very much like Guilliman for he is his chosen disciple for this very purpose here.

"Are all of you still working on that paperwork? I thought Astartes are meant to fight, not administrate". Chavin said as he sees a group of them sitting in a circle writing down paperwork at a blistering speed compare to humans.

"It is our duty to help Governor Libert in any capacity we could. To say that we are only born to fight is a gross understating of our capability. Fighting against the enemy of mankind requires not only strength but an unparalleled mind. And if we can't put our mind to use then we are nothing but short of the Ogryns that the Imperial Guards have". An Ultramarine said as he continues to look down at the paperwork after he spoke his answer.

"Understandable then..." Chavin said as he saw another Inquisitorial ship approach from the exosphere. Vespera was tall to the point that one could visibly see the space and star above.

Turning away from the sorry sight that Chavin envisioned to himself as he approaches Libert's personal quarter. It seems that he was so deep in fatigue that even in the late morning does he still sleep like a dead person. There's no doubt that many Inquisitors will come here for permission to operate here and he has to be prepared until then. Perhaps not even he and his retinue could handle the chaos that conflicting powers in the Inquisition will result during their time here.

The Inquisition basically have absolute authority behind the Emperor himself. That part enables them to cut out a lot of bureaucratic red tapes and get things done in the process earlier. But unlimited power means it becomes a breeding ground for psychopathy. People who abuse their authority and cause wanton destruction in their wakes, even if their career becomes short-lived, the destruction resulting from them doesn't end with them.

Chavin assures himself that there are plenty of reasonable Inquisitors out there doing their jobs properly but it takes only one extreme Inquisitor, no matter the puritan or radical, to destroy everyone's collective effort and get away scotfree because of the Inquisition's authority. Good people suffer at the behest of bad people and it will forever remain that way until the day that Emperor truly abandoned them.

The more Chavin thinks about it, the more he felt a schism about to form in his mind. Nothing to make sure that the Inquisition doesn't abuse their authority... That is just a recipe for a disaster, especially after this long when its original purpose has already been lost long ago.

"Sigh... I definitely need more men than this... Tell the astropaths to send a hymnal, we need a lot more like-minded people to make sure that Vespera will not fall in the wake of the recent crisis. Not now..." Chavin said to the Ultramarine to fulfill his request.

He understood what Gulliman truly felt when he has to carry the weight of the Imperium alone. 20 people like him failed at what they did and now Guilliman is alone to reattempt this horrid nightmare of what he feared. Anyone who follows his vision so that humanity may finally be able to escape the dredge that it made itself into. Maybe not now in any of their life but their reach might be able to make a difference in this grim galaxy.

Just pray that none of it was retroactively undone on a whim by a self-vindicated idiot with power.

---

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Omake
Where's Recaf?

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---

Guilliman stood in front of the recaf machine that now suddenly stop working... At this point in time, his mind was so consummated in it that when it just suddenly screeches and stops functioning, it felt like Horus Heresy was happening again. He has the Tech-Priests already working on it and yet with each second it passes, he felt like his own life is draining away without a single sip of that precious revitalizing brew.

"Imperial Regent, I suggest you sit down and wait. The Machine Spirit of it is in unrest and it would take a while to calm down and appease it". The Tech-Priest said as he chants something in binaric. Guilliman could try to decipher but the lack of caffeine after brutal administrating work is getting on his nerve far faster than how he wishes. Months with no rest and repetitive paperwork is a nightmare that none of his other brothers wanted to deal with even with their capability.

He sometimes envies them that they don't have to care about such a thing. Especially on a galactic scale where a very small margin of error has fatal repercussions in its aftermath.

Guilliman sits down on the ground and curls up. The Tech-Priest swore that he could hear him sobbing at such a low volume that only his cybernetic audio receptors could detect but before he could say anything, Guilliman rolls away like a ball out of the room. Before the Tech-Priest even utters his vox, Guilliman has already disappeared from the doorway of his office.

"Omnisiah... Pray to tell me that I get this thing done before he completely lost it". The Tech-Priest thought to himself before focusing on the recaf machine.

The recaf seems to vibrate in a way that the Tech-Priest seemingly takes offense of. Before he even said anything in binaric at it. It spews grounded coffee powder at him in which the Tech-Priest starts to wonder if this was a mistake to fix it already.

Guilliman starts to wander down the hallway as his body seems to shake in a near-invisible tinge. He is no longer able to see himself working without consuming it. Maybe... maybe he should just snort grounded coffee for the same effect and...

"No! That's degeneracy... Yvraine won't let me live down with it if I fucking do that!" Guilliman thought loudly as he suddenly snaps out of it.

Maybe... he could just re-extract the caffeine in his blood that resulted from excessive consumption of recaf and...

"Why the hell is that an option! I'm not Sanguinius!... Damn it... I miss him..." Guilliman thought again as he walks down the hallway...

Isn't he just so tired? Why not just go ape-shit just to clear away all of that-

"Okay, Fulgrim... If you have done tormenting my suffering for your personal amusement. I have only one thing to say... Fuck off out of my place!" Guilliman yelled loudly as he could to the point the structure verberates from it.

Nothing followed... Guilliman sighed as he couldn't allow himself to find joy in anything anymore. Not after that bad experience with 41k Fulgrim and his devious attempts to make his life worse in general. Glory and valor... now just a hollow word in this meaningless world.

"Sir Roboute!" A voice spoke toward him which caught his attention. Seemingly enough, upon hearing it... Guilliman felt a sense of relief wash over him as if he is no longer followed by that ominous presence. Guess he really needs to lay off the excessive consumption of recaf at this point.

"Cato Sicarius? What's your purpose doing here?" Guilliman said in surprise as he expected him to be a long way away from here.

"I, Cato Sicarius, the venerable Captain of 2nd Company Ultramarine have come here as soon as I could upon hearing your loud yelling that it doesn't take a genius mind of I, Cato Sicarius, to come for your aid". Cato Sicarius said in a squeaky voice that almost inflicts brain aneurysm to anyone if it weren't for his feats being true to its core.

Guilliman sighed... He didn't know when Cato Sicarius's voice become like this. A voice that doesn't belong to a man like him and it honestly downplays him as a jest undeserved of its title. Probably ever since his disappearance into the Warp but Calgar said it was long before then. Many veterans also for some reason despite him even if he hasn't done anything wrong to them. That might have been attributed to the fact that the record of the Ultramarine in recent history for some reason has many unreasonable victories that may have been exaggerated for propaganda or zealotry.

"I'm fine... Sicarius. You did your duty well enough". Guilliman said as he consolates his prized son.

Sicarius then continues to go on and on about how glorious and valorous he is. So much so that it just... how would one of Guilliman's brothers put this?... Cringe... cringe cringe cringe cri- before that lines of thought just completely shut themselves off.

But Guilliman finds this a very much welcomed change of pace since anything that distracts him from the voice that demands its fix of caffeine satiated. As he goes on and on, Guilliman felt the passage of time flows away without his notice. And suddenly, someone touched him and called out to him in a voice distorted in static.

"Regent, I have fixed the recaf machine at your request. And based on your recent actions, I decided to bring you a cup of recaf just in case you become prone to violence due to withdrawal..." The Tech-Priest said as he holds the piping hot cup of recaf in his hand and presents it to Guilliman as if it was a tribute.

Guilliman looks at it for a moment but during that short time, he remembers that call of temptation from before, and now he no longer is able to see that life-saving drink the same as before anymore. Seeing his reflection in it, the disapproving stare that he imagined himself seeing started to physically shake him to his core. With that, he knew... he is better off taking proper rest and stopping his excessive usage of recaf or else.

He took the cup of recaf from the Tech-Priest and decided to give it to Sicarius. He had enough of it and decided that it was the best course of action for all involved. He really needs to lay it off or else. To think that the Great Enemy could almost fuck him over with just recaf of all things.

"For me!? Unbelievable! I, Cato Sicarius shall honorably accept your precious gift for me of all things!" Cato Sicarius said in celebration as his still-squeaky voice almost cracks Guilliman's grim demeanor of the situation just now.

"Please actually drink it, recaf tastes bland if left alone too long". Guilliman said to Sicarius as the captain in ultramarine blue skitters away while holding the cup of recaf in hand.

Guilliman sighed before turning towards the Tech-Priest. Even if Sicarius didn't realize it, he actually saved Guilliman a massively great deal of mental health. Had he not received that waking call then he would just degenerate himself into something that he wishes not to actually perceive or spoke out loud.

"Tell those who are capable to pick things up in my stead. I have to take a proper rest now or it will be never". Guilliman said as he departs on his own to his personal quarter. It's been a long time since the endless war for humanity's survival and he considers that his rest shall now be important to it too.

Guilliman slowly steps away leaving behind a Tech-Priest to wonder just what the hell did he do. Or it is just some enigmatic will of Omnisiah that he will never understand.

---

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Inevitable Confrontation

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---

The three of them stood in front of the Ganger outpost as floodlight completely shone upon them. They knew that the Gangers have their guns aimed at them and will not hesitate to fire if any of them dare to make a move. And the way that Luminary dressed right now, it would be more unlikely that the Gangers will not be precautious against a potentially deadly foe. War gears that put the Gangers' hastily forged scraps to shame.

And the outpost's wall and the entrance were made entirely out of scrap metals and materials that they managed to salvage and hastily put together. If there were a wind down here, it would most likely have collapsed by now. But if there's anything that surprises them is that they managed to establish something like this in a span of time that stretches not even a day so credit is given to where it is due.

The only thing that stood in between their chance of getting out of the Collapsed Zone and the rest of the Underhive is this outpost manned by hundreds of Gangers scavenging the Collapsed Zone.

Suspicion and tension rise, The three of them stood there waiting for the first blow to come, knowing that Gangers have no compromise and promises are tenuously held before being broken by greed. And trust is but a fleeting word spoken before inevitable forgotten in the next.

"Look what we have here! Some folks who have a death wish picking a fight that they knew they can't win". One of the Gangers seemingly has better gears than the rest in which the difference is more fiscal and it was only their ego keeping the authoritarian aura around to keep other Gangers in check.

"Exquisite stuff you're having here. Too bad that all of you are horrendously outnumbered... You might be able to beat one of us alone but don't think you can do that with hundreds". A female Ganger said as if she is trying to taunt the Luminary into making the first move.

Alphric reads over the expression and he knew that it was an empty threat at best with how the Luminary is right now. They may have some trick up their sleeves but the power of Lights itself is too tremendous and potentially overpowered if used correctly. He knew that with all confidence, they have the means to make it through. Just that their will must prove themselves to be stronger.

"I'm done with these fools already. Now fire so that I may loot their-" The leading Ganger said as he is about to be interrupted by a loud flash that was released by Kang firing his flashbang shell.

Exotic ammunitions do exist in Underhive assuming anyone could find them, but they were mostly of stuff that can feasibly mimic or just that luckily kept in the right condition. Stuff like flashbang rounds or chemical-based like them decayed into useless and self-destructive in the course of time and thus most Gangers don't even know what just hit them.

Taking advantage of it, the Luminary jumps into synch as their battle plan initiates into action. Alphric took out a breaching charge and detonated the gate open wide for assault. Mika instantly follows up as her sharp insight took hold and begins to unleash her hails of bullets upon the enemy with precision. Her Autopistols' rapid firing took her enemy by surprise as they didn't expect a little pistol to pack that much firepower in it.

The blindsided Gangers realized what was going on and quickly fall back into battle position. And as the Gangers tried to do so, Kang's dragon breath rounds started to fire toward and incapacitated them as they writhe on the ground in agony as the searing flame pierces into them. A few that managed to escape will definitely regroup to fight back with much fiercer ferocity than it is.

25 killed in first contact. This outpost is much bigger than how it first appeared to be from the outside. But their objective is to get out of here and this outpost happens to be in their way. And like that, a conflict like this always ended up becoming inevitable.

Emotion Level: 0.23

The three of them push further. Some Gangers obviously try to use ambush tactics and cover but hard for that to matter when the Luminary literally has auspex in their vision telling them where their enemies are. It didn't take much to know the outcome but it didn't reduce the potentiality of how things can go wrong like how one almost ambushed Alphric when he was too focused on his Heavy Stubber. Mika ended up saving him with a sharp shot with her Autopistol.

76 killed. There's still more coming. Death doesn't seem to faze them when lives are only hell as far as they even knew or understand. Although they are fighting together now, it will inevitably break down with death tolls on the rise.

Emotion Level: 0.67

"Stubbers!" Kang said in warning as he saw a group of them manning the Heavy Stubber and points it toward Alphric. It seems that they have a very clear idea that killing the leadership may stop this assault in its entirety as they have often seen Alphric as always the leading figure of the two behinds much to even his dismay.

They weren't wrong per se. But the fact that they lost a lot of their manpower from just fighting 3 people makes them not very fine in their minds and clearly not now. But before they could even pull the trigger, Mika puts a stop to it as fast as she could by precisely shooting her barrages of bullets toward them. As the bullets sweep toward them and halted them for a moment, it was enough for Alphric to make his next move.

With his Autogun trained on them, he focuses his fire to suppress them while Kang swiftly makes his way toward them. To say that there are resistant on their way is understating but with Kang's unmatched close-quarter combat and near-instinctual understanding of Gangers' behaviors, this match-up was practically rigged against them in every way possible.

A bloodbath ensued followed by sounds of snaps and cracks in a sickening measure. There were plenty of those who tried to suicide bomb their ways in desperation but both Alphric and Mika put that thought of them down before they got remotely close. But the power of those explosions that detonated when Alphric fired at them was large enough that they knew they will not get out of it unscathed if caught.

145 killed. Desperation started to mount. The Underhive Gangers for the first time felt primal fear that goes beyond what they ever dare to envision.

Emotion Level: 0.95

The three of them continue to proceed. Having hundreds of them Gangers here congregating is not a surprise anymore at this point. This whole thing has screamed of a meat grinder just because of how unflinching both sides refuse to yield no matter what. Blood will be shed, gore will splatter, and it just doesn't matter who makes the first shot anymore for that notion has been completely lost in its carnage.

A loud thud was heard come from a heavy landing of something, or someone. And it seems that the Luminary has finally faced their first proper opposition. Barricades and walls were built with many Gangers armed with makeshift grenade launchers placing themselves behind. They certainly won't have high-explosive but having that many shouldn't be also ignored regardless.

Coordinated defense... Most Gangers can't even agree with each other for a second and yet here they are. Whoever leads it must of having such an air of authority that they override the deadly-critical selfish nature of the Gangers. To make them fight beside each other like this in the first place at all.

"How interesting. I should have seen it already based on how you managed to pierce this deeply into the outpost. But let me tell you, your warpath ends here!" The large bulky man wearing what seems like a patched fire-retardant suit with scrap armor over it.

That body form is practically near unsustainable in the Underhive where resources are so scarce that one would see more frail and dying people than there is the strong here. And he with that burly strongman form shouldn't even be able to exist but here he is. With a perpetually pissed expression with a manic psychopathy tinge along with a thick beard that obscures what is truly hidden in that smile of his. To say that is a psychopath who lusts after carnage and violence maybe not be too off the mark.

But again, what else isn't in the Underhive?

Alphric looks at the man and analyzes the strongman's weapons in the brief moment that he was given. Mere seconds at best. A large flamethrower wielded by one arm connects to the fuel tank at his back. The tank itself is pressurized and pressed to the point, firing at it won't actually damage it anywhere remotely beyond negligible. It must have been a Middle Hive's industrial fuel tank used in manufactorum which probably were fallen down here. And on the off-hand is a chain sword which its teeth moving slowly but noticeable.

Both sides are becoming tenser. As the standstill drags on, the strongman initiated first and thus the Luminary quickly moves into action. The backline grenadiers fired their guns as a hail of explosives was about to rain down upon their location. No matter how powerful they are right now compared to the base Gangers, explosives are explosives and they are still vulnerable to it at this moment.

Alphric makes his first clash and fires his Autogun at the strongman to distract him. The scrap armor may look rudimentary but it did its job perfectly as his bullets ricocheted off it despite his aim remaining true. The strongman then aims the large flamethrower at Alphric and then he pulled the trigger. Alphric felt like his body just instantly jolted from sheer instinct as it detected a danger that transcends even beyond what's natural.

His feet kicks into motion as he leaped out of the way of the relentless stream of fire that was threatening to consume him. All of this happened in mere seconds as the grenades are still on their flying course. But the few seconds that Alphric brought reduced the suppression that Mika would have otherwise suffered. If anything, Alphric took the one for the team as Mika immediately do what she does best next to her work as an apothecary. With the Autopistols ready, she aimed her guns as fast as her arms could move.

Emotion Level: 0.96

As her guns click into action, the Autopistols spew their bullets into an onslaught of matching ferocity. As the bullets and grenades flew toward each other, only one is needed to set off a chain reaction. No matter how abysmal a chance may be, anything in a sufficiently large number will happen regardless of how low the chance itself. And since the grenades were all fired in a close volley, it makes her chance more likely than however.

Within a fraction of a second, one bullet managed to strike a grenade. With one explodes, it sets off a chain reaction affecting every other one in proximity and cleared out a lot of what could have potentially been a sweeping barrage. The rest of the grenades that weren't affected missed the general area entirely. Based on Kang's estimation, they have a dozen more seconds before another barrage sweeps over. This sort of coordinated assault is dangerous and they must disrupt it in any meaningful way as fast as they could. Rushing over is suicide for what stood between is a no man's land where he is a prime target if he got too close thus he resorted to the next best option that he has.

Based on their previous encounters and battles, Kang knew that he need something to control the direction of the battle. Anything since three people no matter how powerful can't fight against an army heads on. Any advantages that they could muster are something more than invaluable to them. With that said, he managed to get one when he come across that PDF cache before.

Smoke grenades. And with correct use brings decisive turns of tides. Sometimes, obscurity is a factor that is often too under-utilized in warfare.

He took out his bandolier of smoke grenades and pulled the pins off all of them. Then he swung the bandolier and scatters the smoke grenades around their vicinity before they truly fired off. Before the next grenade volley was fired, all of the smoke grenades started to release the smoke and soon covered the whole vicinity and completely shrouded them from any outside lookers.

"Oh, so you intended to play hide and seek huh?! Then try to hide from this then!" The strongman yelled out loud before unleashing his flamethrower once more.

A stream of all-consuming fire was unleashed once more and the Luminary have to thread themselves away from its sight. Its range is too great for comfort and the area of smoke is still smaller than even its range thus they quickly try to flank the strongman. Even if it is not for counterattacking, it would still be to evade that stream of fire that will bring a world of hurt upon them even if a single drop of the seething heat lands.

The strongman doesn't know that the Luminary still has the vision auspex that enables their enemy location and attacks without direct vision. So even if he spun around in a circle with that stream of fire, the Luminary would still evade his track either way.

Emotion Level: 0.97

Another volley of grenades was fired but this time it is without the unison of before. With the smokescreen completely shrouded, they start to haphazardly fire their grenades because it was what their leader told them to do. But without the know-how to deviate from the original battle plan, they just start to fire in a random pattern and hope that some would land ignoring the fact that it might hit their boss. But since they did so either way, they probably didn't care much about him in the first place.

Mika could tell of what was going on by her vision auspex but instead of one sweeping volley, it is just a continuous fire of grenades which is arguably even worse since there's so much that she could handle without the chain reaction to set the volley off early. The only good thing right now is that the strongman overheated his flamethrower near the border of meltdown thus he is now lurking in the smoke with his chainsword revving like a predator seeking its prey.

With her two fingers placed on her temple. She telepathically communicated with the rest although it only works at close range due to their proximity. But that's far better than shouting out loud and alerting the strongman's attention.

"Everyone! To my location!" Mika's thought yelled out loud in the mind of the rest of them.

Without hesitation, the two of them got close to her proximity even before the first following grenades even landed. As Mika grips her Autopistols and fires with precision toward the grenades that might land upon them. The auspex is doing its job properly of even showing the directions of the grenades toward them and thus allows Mika to shoot them down at sight.

However, she knew that this is a makeshift solution that will break down hard with painful repercussions. But at this point, she couldn't undo her decision anymore.

Emotion Level: 0.98

Suddenly, her Autopistols click signifies it's out of ammo. Kang immediately took her place and shot down any of the grenades that were inbound towards them. Alphric however looked toward somewhere in the smoke as his auspex starts to pick up on motion towards him. He knew... he knew that strongman will eventually notice them, especially with the distinct sounds that the shotgun makes. To make it worse, not even the grenades did anything to that strongman's armor either. For some scraps that were molded into shape, their durability and protection for some reason transcend what one could think. In other words, mastercrafted scrap armor.

The sound of chainsword revving becomes louder and slowly become more audible through the smoke. So much so that the grenade explosions start to drown out. As everyone's hearts start to beat faster in tension, their minds start to turn their gear to find a solution to this dilemma.

Emotion Level: 0.99

Staying here was a clear mistake and action has been made at its direst moment. The three of them sync into action near immediately as they trace their path out. But they all knew that the margin of error is very thin and one mistake could spell failure for the rest of them. Like a chain that binds, its strength always relies on its weakest link. With too many steps that require precision unmatched, even at some point, their strength alone won't pull through this mess. With no such luxury of time or freedom of movement, the strongman eventually catches up with them.

With a rage that shook their bodies to their cores, the chainsword swung down toward Alphric as he tried to backpedal. But it was too late for he can't no longer evade in time. It was a clear blow that no one could ever mistake but the result that comes completely subverted everyone's expectations.

Emotion Level: 1.00
Spirit Resonance Unleash

!

Stagnant Blood

Alphric yelled out loud as if something is driving him forward. He instinctively raised his guard even if he is still knowing that it will do nothing against the chainsword. As his two arms cross against one another, the chainsword finally bore down its teeth into his arm as its blade gashes and lacerates. Blood starts to spew out yet Alphric doesn't yell or scream in agony. In fact, he felt nothing of sort but the force boring through into his flesh. It felt wrong... too wrong to be true yet he can't deny what he is seeing at all.

Scars of Sorrow

And then the chainsword hissed its final yell as it became stuck into his arm and remain unmoving. Chainsword for all-purpose is a monocular blade that is designed to rend through any with ease. A normal human will be bisected into two pieces effortlessly and yet, for the first time anyone here just saw a chainsword completely render immobilized and failed to cut through something. Not even a piece of ludicrously advanced tech, just his own flesh stopping a thought to be an unstoppable weapon.

"What!?" The strongman yelled in surprise as he witnessed the truly impossible.

Pale Hands

With as much force as Alphric could muster, his foot kicks straight into the strongman with all he could. A shocking and revolting sensation course into the strongman with no resistance and makes him fall back instantly to his back on the ground. His own limbs convulse as if contradictory senses and directions completely mess with his mind.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Luminary quickly puts their distance away from the strongman while they could. It seems that the barrage of grenades died down a bit since the initial assault.

"Alphric! What was that!?" Kang said to Alphric as his own mind is in no less tension than him.

"I think this is precisely the power of the abomination that we were forced to fight. The power of Spiritual Enlightenment. The proof that we have grown beyond our past weaknesses..." Alphric said as he felt a sense of ascertaining as he tries to figure out what exact power he just obtained.

His arms still function properly despite the deep cut that bore through. Alphric seemingly has no words to describe what he truly felt just now.

Kang took a look at himself and wondered just what is he power is. At this point, he is willing to take anything that works. Aligning his aim with the auspex toward what he suspects to be his target through the smoke. He felt a surge of volatile emotions seeping through, it was as if he is channeling his own violence itself into his gun. As his hesitation prevents him from pulling the trigger, it didn't take long for his determination to override through.

Violence

A single slug shot, that's what Kang knows was fired based on the cartridge that was ejected. But the force behind was far too enormous for anything similar to be. In fact, he felt like he just fired something much bigger than a slug shell. Then, a loud explosion occurred that both Kang and Alphric could feel the force behind.

The smoke grenade finally died down and a huge chunk of the defensive barricade was violently torn down in an explosive manner. The Gangers that were hiding behind it were reduced to chunks of gore on the ground with blood splatters all over. A slug shell never has that much power. No, that slug shell had become something entirely else. The closest thing to its firepower can only be described as a bolt shell from a Space Marine's bolter.

He fired one more and... it was substantially less powerful than before. Even less than a slug even as the small pellets bounce off the wall harmlessly.

Violence... Kang obtained the power to channel violence itself as a power boost. But violence is unpredictable for misplaced wrath is far more damaging to self than one's own strongest foe. His shotgun now has the firepower ranging from birdshot to a bolt shell and honestly, he would take it. Better to have a chance of breaking through than knowing full well that nothing would change as it is.

Kang proceeds to slamfire his Combat Shotgun of his at the enemy line. As the potency of his shotgun swung violently like a metronome at max, sometimes it is pathetic weak for its purposes and suddenly, violent destruction that followed as the slug-turned-bolter utterly annihilates any defenses that the Gangers spent their times just to muster completely failed against.

And as his streak of both bad luck and good fortune goes on, the Ganger grenadiers completely broke their rank in panic and fear as their covers are blown, literally. And in their attempts to run away only to be blasted down with Alphric's Heavy Stubber and Kang's shotgun. Soon enough, what was left of them isn't even whole but shattered in every sense and way.

The strongman finally stood up as the skin-paling sensation finally fade away, his whole Gang was shot down mercilessly in this entire engagement. And it didn't even go on a minute at all. Consumed by rage and grief at his loss, if he intends to die, he'll die fighting and dragging them down into hell for their insolence toward him. As he raises his heavy flamethrower once more and aims at Kang and Alphric, something strikes him at the back of the head. Something hot and searing.

He turned around and saw Mika with a smoking Autopistol aimed at him. In her eyes is a look of disappointment, something about it makes him irked to no end but it didn't change what he intended to do. With the flamethrower already trained upon her, he pulled the trigger as his pyromania finally unhinged him as he devolved completely into the thirst for carnage.

The rushing fire moved toward her at blistering speed but she only evaded it when it nearly reaches her. Maintaining that disappointed gaze, she raises the other Autopistol while she sidesteps away from the flame in a flicker of a moment. With her trigger held, something inside her channeled towards.

Ember of Hope

What fired out of her Autopistol isn't regular bullets, they were incendiary and with their speed far surpasses the flamethrower on the strongman's hand. As burning sparks flash from her muzzle, the blazing bullets collide against the strongman's armor and the heat scorches through even if the fire can't linger long on the retardant suit.

The strongman continues to pursue while holding the flamethrower down against her. The faster the strongman attempts to become, the faster that Mika continues to move. As the flamethrower's stress from sustained usage continues, it slowly becomes more of an unignorable weakness for Mika to exploit. With swift reloading of her Autopistol, she fired toward the flank of the flamethrower. With it already borders on overheating upon excessive firing, her incendiary bullets start to pierce through, and soon, the obvious outcome came.

The flamethrower in the strongman's arm exploded as it came into contact with Mika's incendiary bullets, turning it into smoldering wreckage that is permanently seared into the strongman's arm. As he cries out in agony, it only fuels his rage even more as he charges toward Mika in a desperate attempt to take down even one, just one if he even could. With the chainsword revving to its core, he makes a swift mad rush at such a speed that even Mika didn't even think anyone in the Underhive could pull off with their malnourishment going rampant like this but nothing left in this world will ever surprise her anymore.

She has no time to reload, at least not this close with too little time. Most people often said of how ridiculously short the survival time of combatants in warfare but in reality, most engagements last only a few seconds to minutes at worst. And it takes only a moment of relapse to be killed in a gruesome manner. Non-deployment ended up being a statistical outlier and shouldn't have been counted in survival. So the reality is that the survival time of a standard combatant is 1 minute, not even 17 hours that the report of Munistorum represented.

And so her mind wracked through everything she has at that moment. Mere seconds splintered into much more and stretches as far as her mind could handle. When that last second was crunched, her body and mind aligned and time returned to its pace. With unseen motions of her hand, she unleashed her inner power once more.

Burning Heart

She swung something in her hand to clash against the chainsword which resulted in an explosion that pushed both of them back. The strongman doesn't register what caused such an explosion but Mika knew as if she learned by heart. In her hand was a scalpel that she extracted from the apothecary bag that she carried, now scorched black with remnants of scorching heat and molten steel still searing like veins across the blade.

Most people don't consider the scalpel as a weapon because its blade is small and looks non-threatening compared to other personnel weapons that exist in Imperium. But since it was made for precise incision, it ended up awfully good as a weapon for much the same reason as to how Space Marines are compared to the Imperial Guard. A precisive strike and victory are assured when bigger and badder just aren't convincing enough. And sometimes, deception is the most critical blow one can inflict.

The strongman swung his blade in unrestrained rage once more and Mika attempts to equal the match once more. The difference between her and the strongman is vast and her power was merely enough to bridge that gap through brute force. Her psykic power channels through once more as she swung the scalpel toward the chainsaw blade that threatens to rend through her effortlessly.

The two weapons collide with one another and the fiery explosion occurs once more. This time ended up more powerful than the previous and the two were sent back away as they tumbled across the torn ground. Mika's scalpel completely snapped against the force that it was put to endure but the prize it paid for was worth its price. The chainsword that the strongman had in his other hand was completely rendered broken and melted to the point it was left unusable. Something like that in Underhive is irreplaceable no matter the amount of life to replace for.

Now that Mika has completely pissed him off, he lets out a loud roar that she wasn't sure if humans could do or not. Or even if any human is supposed to do that. The strongman then lunged once more at her still wielding the broken chainsword to hit her with it as a club. This time, Mika took out something else in her pouch and then spun it around in her hand before throwing it. The strongman couldn't tell what it was nor does he care for his only intention left is-

The thing struck into his wielding hand and a scorching sensation suddenly pierces deeply. Upon instinct, he immediately tried to pull whatever it is out only to find that it has completely merged into his wrist. It was a surgical scissor and it has been heated to the point that the flesh around molten to the point that it was infused straight into.

Mika flung another one and it strikes into the strongman's below kneecap through chink of his armor. It didn't hurt any less than it was before as he was left staggered as the nerve was left exposed to the worst primal kind of torture ever conceived.

Left broken piece by piece, the strongman yelled as if he hates her taunting him as she destroys his standing. He would rather be going down in defiance than just whimpering in his final moment, it's the only privilege people in the 42nd Millenium have left. Forcing everything that he has left, he made a mad rush toward Mika as he ignores everything and boils it down to the barest essence, him and his target.

Mika is aware of what she must do, for someone like her to wish for compassion yet has to heartlessly commit the most heinous acts she could dare think of. Steeling herself and readying her stance, she took out another scalpel and prepares just as the strongman in his blind fury cut the distance between them. Without further saying, she rushes toward the strongman while the scalpel is prepared into the thrusting motion.

Like two trains about to collide, both of them lock their gaze on each other's eyes. Mika sees only fury behind it and the strongman saw... sorrow? For someone as powerful as her, she felt sorrow at his plight? It was something that the strongman could not compute for the law of Underhive is "eat or be eaten". People die for worthless reasons and for the sake of survival, and strength is the only thing that matters at this rotten bottom of this already rotten world. And yet, something in that sorrow is truthful and undeniable. An idea completely foreign, yet even at first sight, it felt as real as something that always existed in everyone.

The victor has been decided already from the moment that both of them charge toward one another. With one true blow filled with purpose, Mika's scalpel pierced true with blazing heat as her motions leave behind a trail of flame, As her hand completely burst through him from his chest and comes out through his back, Mika felt no satisfaction in this victory for she saw how degraded people have become. To betray their humanity so much that they have irredeemably divorced from it.

Reduced to nothing left but a savage beast wielding the tool of their former greatness.

Pulling her wielding hand back from the gaping hole on the strongman's chest, his corpse fell to the ground and collapsed into Lights. Yet her mind felt conflicted the same no matter what.

"In the end, it has to be this way..." She muttered as compassion is the privilege of the strong.

Kang and Alphric clean up the remaining Gangers that are still trying to make their stand. The rest that retreated turned toward the tunnel that connects the rest of the Underhive and the Collapse Zone. It seems that this is where they will proceed.

"Mika, are you alright?" Pierce asked as he finds her standing still feeling worried.

"I'm fine... Just wondering if my compassion really comes off as a curse because it felt like I'm holding back for the irredeemable. For those that is too far gone to even return to where they supposed to if there was one at all". Mika said as she looks at where the strongman's corpse once was before it collapsed into Light.

Alphric thought for a moment before picking his words, as wise as he could.

"There was nothing wrong with you feeling care and compassion. In fact, it was a quality that is now too rare in this rotten Imperium. Without it as a moral compass, we would be nothing more but mass murderers and tyrants who abuse their powers for dominance's sake. People said that compassion is the privilege of the strong but in reality, it was a right for everyone that shouldn't have been revoked because of circumstances. What you are doing is natural and shouldn't be sanctioned by any rule in the first place. It is the only line that we have left to know that we are better than monstrosity made mundane that humanity has become". Alphric said as he tries to convince her that what she did is not wrong in the first place.

"A line between good and evil must be drawn. Those who hunt should see to themselves to not become the monster that they hunt. And when you gaze into the darkness, the darkness gazes back into you". Kang said as he was exposed to the worst of humanity during his time as a Ganger and felt the need to speak some words of wisdom while he could.

"Very well... A word to live by and must never be forgotten". Alphric said as he reloads his Autogun and pulls the bolt once more.

The rest of the Gangers that retreated will definitely fight even fiercer than before. There are still two of the de-facto leaders that lead the group and they will give no quarter, especially when everything that mattered is on the line.

The Luminary step forth into the tunnel, knowing that the labyrinth that is the Underhive will be a challenge to navigate even with the power of Light guiding them. Blood will inevitably shed and life will inevitably go on.

---

Battle Report

Group Physical Strength: Athletic Human
Spiritual Resolution Level: Residual Touch
Light: 74,604
Total Kills: 1,356