"Wah—help! Acting Commander!"
Warfarin cried out for help on pure instinct.
This was just too miserable. She had barely escaped death once, only to find that instead of dying at the enemy's hands, she was about to be killed by her own side.
What kind of nonsense was this?!
"W-Wait!"
At the critical moment, a deep voice rang out.
The greatsword Lion had been about to bring down on Warfarin's neck stopped dead in midair. She turned to look at Alfred, who was still lying on the floor.
"We haven't been corrupted!"
"But more importantly, please save our Acting Commander first! He's in grave danger!" Alfred pleaded, barely able to move under a debuff that had left him almost completely drained.
To stand face-to-face with Chaos like that—too terrifying. Alfred deeply regretted not having followed Bruce farther in, but he also knew that someone had needed to get out and report what was happening. Otherwise, they all might have died in there.
"You mean Bruce's in danger right now?" Lion's anger flared the instant she heard that Bruce might be in trouble. She strode over, grabbed Alfred by the front of his armor, and lifted him bodily off the ground.
"The Acting Commander entered the spiritual world and negotiated directly with Chaos. I'm afraid the odds are very bad." Alfred's eyes were still glowing blue.
He did not feel embarrassed in the slightest about being lifted like a chick by a little girl. At that moment, all he could think about was how to get back in there and save Bruce.
"Chaos? What do you mean? Why would there be Chaos in Horus's spiritual world?!"
"The dagger that wounded the Warmaster had been tainted by Chaos. That was the medium they used to invade his soul."
Alfred told her the truth. "To purge the corruption from the Warmaster's soul, the Acting Commander chose to face them alone."
"Then why did the two of you run instead of fighting beside him? You cowards!" Lion exploded.
If Bruce dies… I'll bury everyone aboard the Remilia in the grave with him! You wanted to live that badly? Then you can all die!
"My proudest son…"
"I like you best…"
"Warmaster… Lion…"
"Thirty years…"
At that exact moment, a series of muttered half-dreaming words escaped Bruce's lips.
The moment Lion heard them, the killing intent she had just raised vanished all at once.
Because those fragmented murmurs instantly reminded her of the little "games" she had played with Bruce before. The words almost matched exactly, and he had even said her name, and the Warmaster's too.
"Br-Bruce?!"
Lion hurried to the bedside and pressed her ear close to Bruce's mouth.
Then she heard even more dream-muttering.
And those words gradually transformed the enraged Lion into something soft and docile. Before long, the Primarch who had been seconds away from killing someone was leaning on the bedside with both elbows propped up, happily kicking her legs back and forth.
"D-Do you think… we're saved?" Warfarin crawled over to Alfred, pale-faced and shaken out of her mind.
"What does it matter if only we're saved? The important one is the Acting Commander!" Alfred shook his head in shame.
"At a time like this, shouldn't the important ones be us?" Warfarin said through gritted teeth. "The Acting Commander's terrifying enough already. Does he really need us worrying about him?"
Warfarin had no idea where Bruce's overwhelming strength actually came from, but in her eyes he was one of those monsters who could turn rotten wood into divine steel. Worrying about him felt less urgent than worrying about herself.
"Still, the Acting Commander is deep in danger right now!" Alfred shouted.
"And we're not?!" Warfarin snapped back.
Did he not see what state the Lion was in right now? Leaning half across their Acting Commander's chest, swaying her head back and forth, giggling in incomprehensible ways—she looked exactly like a lovestruck maiden alone with the boy she liked.
But how long could that state last? The moment she realized there were witnesses, they were all dead.
Because they had seen something they absolutely should not have seen.
Once again, Warfarin offered Bruce, her Acting Commander, the highest possible respect for his capabilities.
Too strong!
He could even handle a Primarch!
Why was she still hanging around under Sevatar's chain of command? Bruce was obviously where the future lay.
Of course, she first needed to survive today.
"I'm going back into the spiritual world!" Alfred declared. "Even if it kills me!"
Since he had already sworn himself to the Acting Commander, then he would live and die with him. There was no way he would crawl back out alone and keep living while Bruce remained trapped in there.
"Will you calm the hell down?!" Warfarin headbutted him in desperation. "Ow, ow, ow… Right now the urgent thing is calling in reinforcements!"
"There's strength in numbers, got it?!"
More importantly, if more outsiders were present, then even if the Lion completely lost it, she probably would not be able to kill them all, right?
…Probably.
"Y-You're right…" Alfred froze, then reflected for a moment.
"That's more like it."
At that moment, the operating room held five people, but somehow every single one of them seemed to be living in a completely different reality.
One was still in the process of reviving, one was over the moon, one was muttering in his sleep, one was obsessed with saving someone, and one was desperately trying to stay alive.
And the one who looked the least reliable of the lot was ironically the one most focused on actually solving the problem.
Hehe. I'm definitely surviving this. And I'm saving the Acting Commander too.
If he dies, being exiled by the Primarch will be the least of my problems. I'll probably be executed by the Lion before I even make it back to the homeworld.
So am I saving the Acting Commander?
No—I'm saving myself!
Before long, the people Alfred had called through his psychic powers began to arrive.
As the operating room doors slid open, one squad of black-armored Astartes and one squad of white-armored Astartes rushed in.
"What happened?!" Abaddon demanded, sword already in hand.
But the moment he took in the scene—two Midnight Lords sprawled on the floor like dead dogs, Bruce and Horus lying side by side on the bed, and Lion practically hanging half off Bruce—his brain immediately entered overload.
The Dark Angels who came in with him were just as stunned. They could not understand why the room looked as though a battle had already broken out inside it.
"Quick…" Alfred forced out through pain. "Summon the Librarians! The Acting Commander and the Warmaster are both in danger!"
"Chaos… has invaded the Warmaster's soul! We need every Librarian we can gather!"
As far as Alfred could see, the only option left was to use Librarian power to break back into Horus's spiritual world and blow themselves up together with Chaos if necessary.
Acting Commander, you are not fighting alone!
"Lord Lion…?" the Dark Angels asked more cautiously, seeking her judgment first.
"That won't be necessary." Lion, slightly annoyed, finally recovered herself.
"My brother is no longer in danger," she announced. "Bruce has already dealt with the Chaos contamination. All that remains is to wait."
Though Lion understood perfectly well that Bruce's murmured words had probably been meant for Horus, if she had pressed her ear right against Bruce's lips, then naturally those words counted as being said to her.
Besides, even while he was deep inside a soul world, he still kept muttering her name.
Was that not proof that he carried her in his heart?
"Successful?" Abaddon stared at the two figures on the bed in disbelief.
Just moments ago, he had been ready to explode over the sheer disrespect of it—how could some random Astartes lie beside his father on the same bed? But in this situation… he could accept it.
As long as it saves our father, forget lying side by side. If the two of you need to lie stacked on top of each other, then get on with it already!
"Yes," Lion repeated. "What remains is to wait."
Hearing that, everyone fixed their gaze on Bruce and Horus in silence.
At the same time, Lion flicked a subtle look toward her knights, signaling them to quietly encircle Alfred and Warfarin.
The knights did not understand why, but they obeyed faithfully, already prepared to arrange for the two witnesses to suffer an "accident" if need be.
After all, once one confronted Chaos directly, a little accidental death afterwards was hardly unusual, was it?
"Alfred! Don't die on me!" Warfarin wailed as ten hulking warriors stared at her.
"I… am too tired…" Alfred murmured weakly. "The Acting Commander… I leave him to you."
Then Alfred closed his eyes and fell into deep sleep, leaving Warfarin alone to bear all the pressure.
"…" The Dark Angels quietly raised their swords, ready to strike.
They did not know why their Primarch wanted these two dead, but that was not for them to question. If Lion wanted them dead, then dead they would be.
Then—
"Aaaahhh—!"
Bruce suddenly let out a loud cry.
Like a man bolting upright from a nightmare, he jolted awake and began gasping for breath.
"Warfarin! Alfred! Are you two all right?!"
The first thing Bruce did after returning from the soul world was worry about his two subordinates.
As for Horus?
I'm out of ideas. At this point, only Doraemon can save him.
"Gah! Acting Commander! I revere you!" Warfarin practically screamed, tears flooding her eyes.
"…"
The Dark Angels ground their teeth in fury.
Tch. She actually escaped that one.
"I—" Abaddon began.
"Bruce! Are you hurt?" Lion cut him off at once and moved to Bruce's side, hands roaming over him with far too much familiarity.
"I'm fine. More importantly…" Bruce completely ignored Lion's concern and turned to look at Abaddon and the rest of the Sons of Horus.
He announced, "Your father is out of immediate danger."
"!!!"
The stern expressions on the Sons of Horus cracked instantly into joy. Some outright burst into tears.
At last. Our father is finally saved!
"But—"
That single word made their hearts seize all over again.
"He still requires follow-up treatment. And that part is beyond me."
"Abaddon, gather the Mournival and every senior figure in the Sixteenth Legion who has any authority at all. We need to hold a treatment conference."
"Y-Yes!" Abaddon nodded fervently.
"Lion, you're attending too."
Bruce turned to Lion as well, casually placing a hand on her head as he said it.
"Mm! No problem!" Lion agreed at once, as docile as a kitten.
Bruce was still exhausted, but seeing Horus's improving life-signs on the screen made it all feel worthwhile.
Now they were only one step away.
All that remained was restoring Horus's damaged soul.
If they could patch up that final piece, then their great Warmaster would finally boot back up.
"…?" Only after the excitement had begun to settle did Abaddon suddenly realize something.
Why did this Bruce radiate such an awe-inspiring presence?
And even a Primarch had been tamed so easily by him.
So this… is what true strength looks like?
If… if only I could become that strong too.
And just like that, a seed was quietly planted in the depths of Abaddon's heart.
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 126)
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 (Chapter130)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter89)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter157)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 133
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 125
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 84
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 143
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 115
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 99
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 75
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 75
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 52
Uma Musume: I Want All 51
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
A Guide to Aid in the Underwor 26
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
Supernatural Multiverse 27
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin