On the way, Yuki and Yuno drifted into a bizarre sort of dynamic.
They interacted just as they always had—watching all kinds of random things together, sharing lighthearted moments, and experimenting with new scenarios and storylines. Yet, even without relying on their telepathic bond, both of them could feel a distinct awkwardness lingering in the air.
Yuno didn't know what to do; she wasn't human, after all. Yuki didn't know either; he was already far removed from humanity.
Between the two of them, the one most riddled with anxiety was War. She had only managed to survive within the fleet due to Yuno's grace. But the moment Yuno willed it, she would be forced to dissolve back into the collective consciousness. Consequently, because Yuno and Yuki had been in a foul mood lately, the oppressive weight bearing down on War was at an all-time high.
Amidst this eerie atmosphere, the Aether-Kronos Fleet arrived at Barbarus—or rather, the location where Mortarion's homeworld once existed.
Centuries ago, Mortarion had stepped out from Barbarus to lead the Death Guard during the Great Crusade, only to be forced into Nurgle's embrace through the machinations of First Captain Typhon. In the aftermath of the Heresy, the Dark Angels of the First Legion, led by their Primarch, had systematically laid waste to the homeworlds of several traitor Primarchs, including Barbarus.
However, due to the unnatural connection between a fallen Primarch and his birthplace, these fractured homeworlds remained territories where the forces of Chaos ran rampant.
If Nurgle hadn't requested to meet here, Yuki would absolutely never have come. Along the way, he had already spotted countless bizarre vessels. In the distance, hundreds of grotesquely misshapen warships loomed into view. Yuki recognized them at a glance—they were the ships of the Death Guard.
"Should we approach?"
"Let's move closer. Chaos gains nothing from fighting us; hopefully, they understand that logic."
The Death Guard ships did not open fire. They silently parted to clear a path. Soon after, the flagship manifested.
"That massive moth over there is Mortarion, right?"
"Yes."
"Why is he just staring at us?"
"He likely has something to say."
"Go talk to him. This is the gig you signed up for."
Without hesitation, Yuki had the prow of a massive Tyranid bio-ship reshape itself, forming a colossal, bizarre circular aperture that split open like a mouth.
"Mortarion, I have an appointment to meet your master here. Where is he?"
"Waiting within the Warp. My brothers and I convey Grandfather's sincere invitation to the Great Devourer and her consort to visit his garden."
Yuki turned to look at Yuno.
"If you give me a moment to prepare, I can interface with the main hive fleet and project their psychic might into the Warp. If we do that, even Nurgle's Garden won't be an issue."
Yuki resumed his dialogue with Mortarion. "Acceptable, but we require some time to prepare."
"Take your time."
Though the conversation had ended, Mortarion lingered, making no move to depart. He seemed to have something else on his mind.
"Mortarion, do you have another request?"
"I wanted to come see for myself. Last time was too rushed; I had no opportunity to properly observe the Great Devourer's consort."
Yuki was quite surprised, though a spark of curiosity flared within him. After securing Yuno's consent, the bio-ship opened an entry port for Mortarion.
Mortarion, Primarch of the Death Guard. His sheer martial prowess gave him the confidence to board a Tyranid hive ship entirely alone just to satisfy his curiosity.
"This is not the first time I have stepped aboard a hive ship," Mortarion noted, "but it is the first time I have seen one with an interior structure so closely resembling a human vessel."
Mortarion was unexpectedly amicable, leaving Yuki a bit bewildered. He replied, "Well, I still live in a human form from time to time."
"Did the Great Devourer turn you into a Tyranid, or did you turn the Great Devourer into... this ' Yuno '?"
"I suppose it's a bit of both."
With a casual thought, Yuki shaped a reception lounge out of the biomass and motioned for Mortarion to sit.
Mortarion's wings were breathtakingly stunning—vibrant with a shifting kaleidoscope of colors, alternating between translucent and opaque layers. The toxic spores drifting from them visibly warped the color of the air around them. Had an ordinary human come anywhere near him, they would have dropped dead on the spot.
"I imagine we might share a few things in common. We have both betrayed humanity, wouldn't you say?"
"There's some logic to that, but not much," Yuki countered. "Your existence still has a continuous loop to look forward to—playing the Great Game for eternity alongside Nurgle and the others. As for me? Nothing I do can alter the final outcome."
"What outcome?"
"The arrival of the main hive fleet."
Only half of Mortarion's face was visible beneath his hood, but even that fraction revealed his profound astonishment.
"The main Tyranid hive fleet... that is indeed a troubling matter. If the Tyranids devour every living organism in the entire cosmos, life will become exceedingly difficult for Chaos as well."
"When that time comes, will we still be able to sit around and chat like this?"
Mortarion ridiculed himself. "Knowing Grandfather's temperament, I expect we would be pushed to the very rear line. Besides, your kind will eventually have to leave, and that is when Grandfather will exert his true strength."
"Once the biomass of the galaxy is thoroughly consumed by us, the very existence of the Warp will likely cease to be."
Mortarion's gaze turned deadly serious. Yuki pressed on: "Think about it. You all fight so desperately to interfere with the material universe, but if you were to utterly destroy the materium, the Warp would lose its balance and collapse, wouldn't it? Ultimately, the relationship between the material universe and the Warp is just like the Great Game of the four Chaos Gods—it must go on eternally, never reaching a definitive conclusion."
"Is that not simply destiny?"
Something suddenly clicked in Mortarion's mind, and he asked, " Yuki, do you have a favorite number?"
"Uh, thirteen?"
"Thirteen... though the lackeys of the Imperium claim it as the Emperor's sacred number, my calculations reveal it is actually a combination of six and seven. And those happen to be the numbers of Grandfather and—"
Mortarion immediately began applying his bizarre brand of numerology to deduce destiny. Yuki's expression stiffened as he watched the Primarch dive into a frenzy of esoteric deductions.
"Yes... looking at it this way, one and twelve could also work, though they lack a concrete definition. But do they truly lack meaning? One could represent—"
Yuki poured himself a cup of tea, quietly watching Mortarion utilize his superhuman Primarch intellect to obsess over this mathematical mysticism.
Finally, after several hours had passed, Mortarion arrived at a grand conclusion: " Yuki, in the future, you will reshape the entire galaxy."
Yuki didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The realization that Mortarion had derived this conclusion using warp sorcery, yet insisted on wrapping it in a scientific, rational veneer, made Yuki want to laugh even more.
Yet Mortarion was dead serious.
" Yuki, listen to me. You are a transmigrator. Transmigrators are not entirely unheard of within this universe, but you are the only one who commands such a destiny."
Well, isn't that incredibly obvious?
Yuki shook his head, preparing to see his guest out.
Mortarion, completely oblivious to Yuki's dismissive attitude, suddenly extended a hand. " Yuki, would you care to join me for a look down upon my homeworld?"
"Uh..."
To be completely honest, from the perspective of a Warhammer enthusiast, there was absolutely no reason to refuse.
"Lead the way, Lord Commander."