After a long series of preparations, the Eighth Legion finally made its decision.
They would dispatch an expeditionary fleet under Krulu's command, with more than six thousand Astartes and a full thirty warships.
The Dark Angels, meanwhile, would maintain their current formation and combine with the Night Lords to form a joint fleet bound for the Davin system.
Together, the two Legions' forces now amounted to well over eight thousand warriors.
With Primarch Lion personally overseeing the operation, the strength of this combined fleet was terrifying. Forget assassinating Erebus—even if the Word Bearers and their primarch Lorgar showed up in person, they would still be capable of fighting them head-on.
Krulu, the Claw Mistress responsible for coordinating the operation, was no ordinary commander either.
Trusted by both Sevatar and Curze, she not only led an elite force of highly disciplined and utterly loyal troops, but also had been outfitted with a considerable amount of heavy firepower.
That was because Curze had already planned for the worst.
If Horus truly proved beyond saving, then Krulu would be the one tasked with putting him down—and she had already accepted that doing so would brand her a sinner.
In short, the fleet's firepower was excessive to an almost absurd degree.
But whether it was Curze or Lion, if they had been given a choice, they would have wanted to throw in their entire main strength.
After all, both of them had seen the future. They knew perfectly well what a fallen Horus would bring upon the Imperium and mankind.
Unfortunately, circumstances did not allow for a full mobilization, so they could only proceed quietly, lest they alert the enemy too soon.
Before the joint expeditionary fleet departed, Bruce, Krulu, and Lion gathered one final time aboard the Nightfall to bid farewell to Curze and the members of the Night Haunter Council.
As for when they would meet again, no one knew.
"Horus is in your hands now," Curze told Lion. "He matters. If it comes to it… you know what needs to be done, don't you?"
"I do."
Lion nodded gravely.
"I'll become the executioner and grant him a swift end. Of course, if he can still be saved, I'll do everything in my power to save him."
Lion's wish and purpose had always been singular:
Save everyone. Keep the Imperium from repeating the fate she had seen in prophecy.
"And my hopeless new recruit is in your hands too."
Curze shot a glance at Bruce, who was currently clinging to Doraemon and crying like his world had ended, then sighed.
Damn it, how old are you already? Carrying on like this… If someone didn't know better, they'd think you were marching off into the Eye of Terror.
"Rest assured," Lion said solemnly. "Bruce is my most important comrade-in-arms. I swear I will protect him and return him safely to your side."
By the Emperor's name, she swore it.
If Horus could not be saved, then at the very least Bruce had to be. To Lion, that was the minimum acceptable outcome of this campaign.
Curze fell silent for a long moment before speaking again.
"Then promise me one more thing."
"What is it? Say whatever you wish, my brother."
"Return my new recruit to me in one piece. Can you do that? The last time I lent him to you for a few days, he came back all shriveled up."
Curze's tone was practically accusatory.
She still had no idea what exactly her dear elder sibling had done to Bruce, but there was one absolute rule:
You do not break my new recruit.
"This…"
Lion hesitated.
The hard certainty in her eyes wavered, and for once she could not answer immediately.
"Lion! If anything happens to Bruce, I will bring every last one of my people and burn Caliban to ash! We can all die together for all I care!"
Curze understood that hesitation at once, and immediately escalated.
If you can smash the table, so can I.
"Calm down, my brother," Lion hurriedly said. "I promise. I'll make sure Bruce returns to you whole and intact."
"And if you fail?"
Curze did not look even remotely reassured.
"Then I'll destroy Caliban with my own hands."
Lion hardened in turn.
Damn it, I'm your elder brother. No matter how much I want Bruce, I'm not going to just keep him by force.
That would make no sense.
Besides, once I save Horus, earn Father's praise, and become Warmaster, I can just ask Father to grant Bruce to me as a reward.
Anything Lion wanted, she would take with her own hands.
By her own merit.
"Fine. I'll trust you once."
Only then did Curze nod, satisfied.
Then she turned to Krulu, who was still kneeling on one knee nearby.
"Krulu, Bruce may be the nominal overall commander of this expedition, but remember this: if he does anything irrational, you are to stop him."
It was an insurance measure aimed squarely at Bruce.
Curze might have given him the title of Acting Commander, but no one seriously expected someone who had held that office for only a short time to conduct a major campaign flawlessly.
Throwing someone who hadn't even finished the tutorial into a diamond-ranked match took guts, if nothing else.
"Yes. I will keep Acting Commander under proper supervision. Please rest easy, Father," Krulu replied.
Meanwhile, Bruce and Doraemon were clinging to each other and bawling so hard they were practically shaking.
But the reason each of them was crying was completely different.
Doraemon was crying because he was terrified there might not be a next time. If Bruce really ran off, he was doomed.
By Sevatar and Curze's own words, if Bruce defected, Doraemon would be made to suffer a fate worse than death.
Bruce, on the other hand, was crying because he was begging Doraemon to give him some more miraculous gadgets.
This expedition was genuinely dangerous, and Bruce had no desire whatsoever to die.
He needed something for self-defense in case Lion lost control one day and devoured his fried chicken wrap for real.
No. Absolutely not.
The image of the Lion going wild on his poor wrap was horrifying.
Without Curze around, if Lion decided to do something to him, who was going to stop her?
Nobody.
Not even Bruce turning into the Emperor with the transformation drink would necessarily be enough to stop Lion.
"Ahh… Acting Commander and that round-headed tanuki really are such good brothers."
Standing nearby, Warfarin looked deeply moved, practically to the point of tears.
At the same time, she also felt a little envious. A little hopeful, too.
If she followed a commander this loyal and sentimental, perhaps freedom really wasn't far away. Perhaps this Acting Commander would someday allow her to drain prisoners dry.
The future looks bright indeed.
"Ahh… Acting Commander is really leaving. I'm gonna miss him."
Meiling looked genuinely downcast as well.
As a member of the Night Haunter Council, Bruce was the person she got along with best. They could sneak off for a few drinks now and then, eating scallion pancakes and flatbreads together, living their best lives.
But once Bruce left, who was she supposed to drink with now?
Even spicy-sour shredded potato over rice wouldn't taste the same anymore.
"Tch—"
Sevatar, who was observing from the side, privately wished Bruce would get lost already.
Maybe once he was gone, the primarch's attention would fall on her instead.
How wonderful that would be.
To have the great primarch all to herself.
"Captain Sevatar…"
Camilla approached slowly, staring fixedly at the participant in the expedition plan.
"Oh? Heren Ophion. You don't look like someone here for nostalgia. You look more like you've come to accuse me of something," Sevatar said, turning to face her.
"Why… why did you assign those loyal warriors to the expeditionary fleet?"
"Why? Because they have no sense of aesthetics. The primarch only needs to remain as she is now."
"This is a purge aimed at us!"
Camilla pointed straight at the truth.
"So what if it is?"
Sevatar's lips curved upward as she looked at her so-called heretical sibling with smug satisfaction.
This mission required the highest level of secrecy. Naturally, that meant only the best and most suitable troops could be chosen.
And in the Night Lords' current state, who fit that description?
Naturally, it was the so-called Big Mother faction.
Since all of you insisted that Acting Commander Bruce was on your side, then fine—off you go with him on campaign.
Perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
The primarch must remain exactly as she is now.
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 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
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 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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