Seven days.
Bruce had spent seven whole days working without food, drink, or sleep, and it left him marveling at just how powerful an Astartes really was. Even after pushing himself that hard, he was still in perfectly good health.
And during that time, he had even found opportunities to spare a little attention for other matters—disguising himself as Lion to keep the Dark Angels pacified, checking the stock performance of his company, and monitoring production schedules.
Sometimes he even found himself thinking: if he gave the employees of Wayne Enterprises the same enhancement surgery, then wouldn't—
What should he do? The temptation of ever-rising asset values was beckoning to him.
"Heh heh heh…" Bruce grinned as he watched the progress bar creep toward completion. Only 1% remained.
Almost there. Just one last step and it would be done. His mission was practically complete.
"Recruit, are you still not finished?"
Curze walked into the chamber in her sleepwear, yawning.
She had been counting the days. It should be about time now. Was her embarrassing older brother finally about to make an appearance?
This was a moment worth commemorating.
"Almost! Almost!" Bruce replied brightly, glancing at the status of the other cat-eared knights as well, which only put him in an even better mood.
The current Lion was no longer that sly, scheming, razor-minded beast masquerading as a knight.
She had become a king of knights—one of noble character, a true believer in the knightly way.
After seven days of nonstop effort, Bruce and Doraemon had more or less rebuilt Lion from top to bottom. They had not only rewritten her earliest memories, but had perfectly woven Saber's identity into her very foundation.
The original Lion had fought for survival on the world of Caliban from the moment of birth, battling monsters and enduring the taint and whispers of the Warp. But now that history had changed. In this new version, from the day she was born, she had been guided by a wise sage named Merlin.
She cherished duty, but also her own code of chivalry. Before ever joining the Great Crusade, she had already conquered all of Caliban. And after meeting her father, the Emperor, she had borne everything as a king.
As the eldest brother, she treasured her siblings more than anyone. So when the position of Warmaster arose, she had wanted to compete for it—but in the end, she had fallen short. Between her own lack of success and the Emperor's favoritism, she had been forced to give it up.
Even so, Lion had not been discouraged. In her eyes, the title of Warmaster was only a hollow thing; true loyalty to the Emperor, and the salvation of mankind, were the greatest rewards of all.
So when she learned of the future, she became determined to overturn that cursed destiny at all costs.
And the catalyst for that revelation had been—the Holy Grail War.
That was the final touch that bound Lion and Saber together.
Because Lion had participated in the Grail War and emerged victorious, she now had the right to return to the timeline before the Horus Heresy and change the future of the Emperor and the Imperium.
Ah, what a perfectly self-contained story.
"Hm? Why does my big brother's memory still include competing for the Warmaster position?" Curze asked. "Wasn't that supposed to be rewritten so she gave it up?"
"It couldn't be done. Totally impossible," Bruce said, shaking his head. "Honestly, getting Lion to let go of her fixation on the Warmaster title was even harder than getting her to accept the future."
"It's not an especially important detail anyway. Since she refused to let it go, I just left it in."
"Ridiculous," Curze muttered, finding her elder brother more than a little insane.
Even with her memories altered, her mental defenses broken, and the future accepted, she still could not let go of that stupid Warmaster obsession.
Was that position really that desirable?
Only a few primarchs who liked playing house would care that much about it.
What a joke.
"Alright," Bruce said, finishing the final wake-up sequence. "It's time for you to meet your brand-new big brother, Father. Are you ready?"
Seven sleepless days of labor had led to this moment. If everything went smoothly, Bruce would be able to take Lion to the Invincible Reason afterward, then use the transformation drink to turn all the Dark Angels elites into women as well.
At that point, he would have the ultimate secret with which to keep the Dark Angels in line.
Your primarch has become a woman. So have you.
If you do not want that secret exposed, then helping him out a little should not be too hard, right?
And once they saw the fallen Horus with their own eyes, then naturally they would understand who their allies were—and who their enemies were.
After that, Bruce and the Night Lords could lie low for a while and disappear from the spotlight.
Everything was perfect.
All that remained was to wake the Lion.
"Interesting. Very interesting!" Curze said excitedly. "Bruce, you've done well. Very well indeed!"
"I can't wait to see the idiotic look on my big brother's face. When she finally remembers everything, I'll make sure all of this is recorded and shown back to her."
"What exquisite humiliation! Hahahaha!"
Of all the torments Curze could imagine, none of them came close to the brilliance of this plan. It had taken time, yes—but the result was magnificent.
"Then let's begin," Bruce said, dropping to one knee and extending a hand toward Curze.
"Good!"
Curze stepped onto his palm, climbed up his arm, and then settled herself into the position and height she knew best—on his shoulder.
My dear big brother, the show is about to begin.
Meanwhile, Doraemon, who had worked alongside Bruce all this time, remained fast asleep, snoring softly.
Beep—
At the press of a button, the chamber vented its air, and Saber, lying motionless inside the device, began to awaken. First her expression shifted, then her fingers twitched.
Very soon, the primarch who had slept for an entire month regained consciousness—and control of her body. The fabricated memories slipped into place without the slightest hitch.
"Hm?" Doraemon was jolted awake by an alarm from the central console. He scrambled up, checked the logs, confirmed everything was functioning properly, then promptly lay back down again.
What a beast of burden Old Wang was. Even in the Warhammer universe, he was born to work himself to the bone. If he had joined the Iron Warriors instead, it almost would have been a waste.
"…"
Lion took a long while to recover, then finally opened her eyes, staring warily at the unfamiliar mechanical ceiling above her.
What happened to me? Where am I?
Is this another Holy Grail War?
The next instant, her primarch-level hearing pierced through the background machinery and picked up two heartbeats—one very familiar, the other extremely dangerous.
In a flash, she entered combat mode.
An enemy.
Pushing herself upright from inside the chamber, Lion immediately locked onto the most dangerous person in the room—Curze.
"Big brother, you're awake? I—"
Whoosh—
A white blur lunged forward at such speed that Bruce did not even have time to raise both arms and block. All he could do was step back to keep the primarch on his shoulder from being struck.
The fist exploded through the empty air with a piercing sonic boom.
Thrown off by the shockwave—and also acting for safety—Lion leapt backward, opening up distance.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Several knives flew in from the darkness, accelerated by some special ability to a speed so fast that even Bruce's superhuman senses could barely follow them.
But when the knives closed in on her, Lion merely stamped one foot. A powerful burst of wind erupted outward from her body, halting the blades in midair before flinging them aside.
The clatter of metal hitting the ground rang out sharply.
"Master, please be careful."
Lion placed herself protectively in front of Bruce, taking up a fighting stance with empty hands.
"These enemies are not to be taken lightly."
"?"
Everything had happened so quickly that Bruce still had not fully caught up.
"You woke up and the first thing you did was try to kill me?" Curze snapped angrily.
That punch had very clearly been aimed at her. If Bruce had not shifted in time, it might really have landed.
And that was precisely why Curze was so furious.
The first thing you do after waking up is worry about my mount? What exactly is that supposed to mean?
"Father…" Sevatar arrived with knives in hand, stepping in front of Curze protectively as well.
Facing the hostility of a primarch was immense pressure. If she had not used her time-stop ability just now, those blades never would have gotten anywhere near Lion.
"Two against one, is it…" Lion muttered, evaluating the two opponents before her. She did not have a sword, but she could still fight.
"Stop!"
At last Bruce reacted. He sprinted forward, leapt, and planted himself squarely between the two sides.
Throwing out both arms, palms open toward each of them, he stood in the most dangerous position possible—the mediator in the middle.
Anyone reckless enough to take that position could be torn apart in an instant. Since ancient times, the one standing between both sides had always been the one suffering most.
"We need to talk! Not fight! Got it?!"
Lion looked at Bruce for several seconds, then nodded and lowered her guard.
"Fine," Curze said, deciding not to pursue the earlier attack after all. Since this was what Bruce wanted, she would go along with it.
"Lady Sevatar, have the Black Guard prepare a table of food," Bruce said. "Quickly. As much as possible. It'll serve a purpose."
"Yes!"
Sevatar did not question him. She turned and immediately went to make arrangements.
"The food's being prepared, so just wait a little," Bruce said to Lion.
"I'm not hungry for the moment," Lion replied, shaking her head.
But the very next second, her stomach let out a roar like a wild beast.
After being unconscious for that long, not hungry? Who was she trying to fool?
"Sorry…"
"It's alright. Some things need to be talked through slowly, don't they?" Bruce said with a warm smile.
Smack—
Curze kicked Bruce hard in the shin and said irritably, "What are you acting like some warm-hearted gentleman for? It's disgusting."
"Isn't this just the most basic level of hospitality?" Bruce yelped, hopping around in pain.
"…"
Lion stared at the angry Curze for a long moment.
A flood of memories flashed through her mind—among them, memories of the Thramas Crusade.
And in that instant, she remembered everything.
"You're…"
"Curze? My brother?!"
Lion stared at her in shock.
Then that means…
I really did succeed?
I truly returned to the point where everything can still be changed?
Wonderful.
"Oh? So you finally remember?" Curze said, ignoring Bruce now and facing her brother with both hands on her hips.
"Yes. I remember."
"I'm going to…"
"Change your fate—and everyone else's, too!"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 126)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter134)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 87
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 79
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 73
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 49
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 45
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 45
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 31
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 27
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 26
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