Warhammer 40: My Fiancée Fulgrim.

Chapter 21 Then, he closed his eyes (Part 3)
"What!?"

Sykes was startled.

The Primarch and the Emperor got into a fight?
"impossible."

"An emperor would never quarrel with his own children over such a trivial matter. Don't try to fool me."

Sykes looked serious.

The Emperor was not the kind of person to dwell on trivial matters of emotion, much less to make such an emotional critique of the Primarch's choice.

They were all his tools.

At least that's what the Imperial Guards all say.

"Even if I dared to lie to you, I wouldn't dare to spread rumors about the Emperor, Sykes!"

"That's absolutely true."

“If you don’t believe me, ask the Imperial Guards who are coming later,” Julia chuckled. “You’ve been with them in the guard of honor for so long. If you don’t believe me, you can’t possibly not believe them either, can you?”

Sykes remained silent for a moment after hearing what the other party said.

“I’m no longer a member of the honor guard, Julia.”

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

"I'm sorry, Sykes. I...I didn't mean to."

Her voice immediately dropped several octaves as she spoke softly.

"fine."

"It's all in the past anyway."

Sykes just laughed it off.

He was indeed a member of the honor guard before.

After the Proxima Centauri turmoil and the disappearance of the ships carrying the gene seeds, the Third Legion's numbers plummeted, rendering it unable to function independently, and they withdrew from the front lines.

Fortunately, they all came from ancient noble families in Terra and were more proficient in court etiquette. Therefore, the emperor arranged for them to serve as ceremonial attendants alongside the royal guards during his travels.

The ceremonial officer, Sykes, was one of them.

As a Third Legion Space Marine, he strives for perfection in everything and performs his duties as a member of the honor guard very well.

There, he received meticulous guidance from his mentor, the commander of the Third Legion.

That was his elder brother's best friend.

After his elder brother died in battle, this legion commander imparted all his knowledge of etiquette, combat, and tactics to others without reservation.

And Sykes lived up to expectations.

Under the other party's guidance, he made rapid progress and soon grew from an ordinary reconnaissance soldier into a company commander who could take charge on his own.

Even many of the Custodians who had previously looked down on the Space Marines gradually became his close friends.

Everything is going in a good place.

Even though rebuilding the Third Army was still fraught with difficulties, and even though all his brothers and sisters had died.

But there is still hope for the future.

Things will get better.

Sykes firmly believed this.

But fate is such a damn thing.

He will always deliver the most fatal blow just when you are about to have hope.

Sykes remembers it as a peaceful day.

A highly respected Imperial Army commander excitedly approached them and told them that the next batch of genetically modified seeds from the lunar laboratory was about to arrive.

The Third Army will be rebuilt soon!
He still remembers how excited he was at the time.

He also remembered that the Imperial Guards and their comrades-in-arms said words of praise to them, to bless the glorious Third Army Corps' rebirth from the ashes.

After a long wait, they finally reaped the fruits of their labor.

Overjoyed, he and the legion commander boarded the large transport ship, which was fully loaded with gene seeds, under the other party's guidance.

Then he saw the poisonous fog and the firelight.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you spacing out again!?"

Sextus heard Julia's shouts.

"It's time to board the landing craft."

"Cheer up, we're about to see the Primarch, it's a time to be happy."

"I really don't know what kind of person they are."

More and more Third Legion Space Marines gradually gathered in the hall.

They, too, will soon travel with them to the surface of Chemos to confront the Gene Primal.

"Relax, Sextu."

"No matter what the final outcome may be, your actions have proven that you are the noblest Space Marine in my heart, and the Emperor's most devoted servant."

The Imperial Guard strolled past him and gently patted his terracotta shoulder guards.

That was the Shield Guard company commander who escorted them there.

He whispered in Sykes' ear.

".Thanks."

Sykes answered and squeezed into the landing craft along with the other Third Army soldiers.

Landing craft. Yes, landing craft.

That's how they boarded the landing craft and got onto the transport ship that was full of genetic seeds.

However, they were not greeted with flowers and applause.

It was an internal rebellion.

In an instant, guns roared and shouts filled the air.

The Imperial Army commander who led them here was already a member of the Lunar Gene Cult!
He betrayed the empire long ago, and he betrayed them long ago!
The landing Space Marines were immediately divided and surrounded. Countless modified cultists, armed with biological weapons and accompanied by various ferocious and terrifying genetically modified monsters, rushed towards them like a tidal wave.

They even released an extremely insidious viral fog to contaminate all of them, the Space Marines!

Personnel were scattered, weapons and equipment were insufficient, and command and communication were cut off.

The situation was very unfavorable for them.

At this critical juncture, Sykes' mentor, the commander of the Third Legion, stepped forward in the face of danger.

"All soldiers of the Third Army Corps!"

"Come to my place and defend the gene seed bank to the death!"

"We cannot let these scum stain our future!"

"We—will once again rebuild the Third Legion amidst the flames!"

Sykes' remaining memories of that battle were nothing but endless fighting and steadfast defense. During the battle, he and his mentor commander fought with all their might to reach the Gene Seed Vault, relying on their hopes to repel wave after wave of attacks.

"We must hold this place!"

"This is our hope for the reconstruction of the Third Army!"

Faced with endless attacks from enemies, he was exhausted many times and nearly collapsed.

But for that elusive hope, for the Third Legion that was about to be reborn.

Also for the legion commander who fought with all his might to slay the most dangerous genetically modified monsters and perished together with the besieging enemies.

Sykes fought to the very last moment.

Only when he watched as the traitors were wiped out by the arriving reinforcements did he finally collapse in a pool of blood, relieved.

He succeeded.

Although the legion commander and many of his brothers died gloriously in battle, their sacrifice was not in vain.

They protected the entire ship's genetic seed, and they protected the future of the Third Legion.

Upon waking, supported by the pharmacist, he looked at the ship full of genetic seeds and smiled happily.

hope!

There is hope!

As long as the genetic seed remains, their Third Legion can be rebuilt!
The corps commander's sacrifice was not in vain!
But fate always seems to play a cruel joke.

"The time has come."

"Destroy all of these things."

The towering flames spewed from the jets cast a long, long shadow of Sykes, who was slumped on the ground.

It’s over.

It's all over.

The entire ship's genetic material had already been contaminated in the lunar laboratory.

What he was holding onto was not the future of the legion, but the already corrupt and filthy soil.

What he was hoping for never made any sense.

His mentor, his legion commander, the rising star of their Third Legion, a master of swordsmanship and tactics.

There were so many kind and upright comrades who died for such a ridiculous reason.

"Navespasian, the future of our Third Legion—"

"There is no future, Sykes."

The newly appointed commander remained silent for a moment.

"No, it's in the future."

He held a flamethrower and had his back to Sykes.

"The moon's gene pool has been completely contaminated."

"The Third Legion is completely finished."

".unless--"

"Unless what!?"

"Don't leave things unsaid, Vespasian! Unless what?"

"Unless we can find our original genome right now."

Finding the lost original gene is no easy task.

The Primarch was swept away by a warp storm at birth and has been scattered throughout the universe ever since.

Finding them is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

Stupid!
Sykes, who was deep in thought in the middle of the landing craft, heard the sound of the hatch opening.

"We've arrived! The photos are real, and the scenery here is truly beautiful!"

"Get ready quickly, the Primarch is waiting for us!"

He heard Julia shouting excitedly from the side.

But just as the Third Legion was about to perish, just as Sykes was about to despair...
And sure enough, they found her on this very Chemos.

Hehe, hehe.

He didn't know whether he should cry or laugh.

Perhaps reality will always be an absurd comedy filled with bottomless dark humor.

It makes it impossible to guess whether the next step will be better or worse.

But no matter what, we must keep going.

Sykes, keep going.

"Has the plan changed?"

The group, who were on their way to Carax Parade Ground, stopped in their tracks.

"That's right!"

Before they could even reach the plaza and stand still, a tall and imposing figure suddenly blocked the view of the Third Legion Space Marines.

Fugrim.

Their genetic prototypes.

Despite not knowing what the other person looked like, Sykes's intuition from deep within her genes led her to make a direct judgment.

How could Fugrim, who loves to show off in front of others, possibly play by the rules?

"This is your first time visiting Chemos, you are our honored guests."

"There's no reason to inspect the guests right away."

She excitedly spun around on the spot, raising her right hand behind her back.

The gorgeous traditional dress she wore, characteristic of the Chemos people, traced a graceful arc.

A sonic boomerang had appeared in his hand without him even noticing.

Her appearance makes her seem less like the offspring of an emperor or demigod and more like a hospitable tour guide.

"Here, we have prepared a special journey for all the valiant soldiers of the Third Army Corps—"

As she spoke, several beautiful landscape images flashed on the giant screen behind Fugrim.

Although the elaborate lace decorations are indeed a bit tacky, they do not change the fact that the scenery is beautiful in itself.

"Dang-dang-dang!"

"—A day trip to Chemos!"

(End of this chapter)