All in all, he had confirmed the effects of Lex Machina—not that he intended to speak it again.
The way he saw it, the language was better suited as a programming language. Software was absurdly precise, so the cost would be minimal, almost nonexistent.
The Fabricator-General remained seated as several servitors cleared the test area. There were many other tasks to attend to.
While the Fabricator-General conducted tests and worked on Bastion's numerous projects, the real body—Bastion himself—could be seen in the Convent once more.
This time, however, one of the Sisters stood before him: Sister Evangeline.
He had seen her when he first arrived—a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties or younger, with dark features and standing around 5'8".
But the woman before him now was nothing like the one he had met before. She now stood at nearly 6'9", her skin gleaming faintly in the sunlight, her body sculpted as if by divine hands.
In her grip was a rubber baton—hard, nearly unbreakable, and perfect for training the Sanctis.
Bastion watched as her arm carved a horizontal arc in a strike powerful enough to crush a tank. Yet before the blow could land, he stepped away like a ghost, reappearing beside her. With a light tap to her nape, he retreated as Evangeline collapsed—only to recover instantly, putting distance between them.
"Big swings get you killed in single combat. Again!" Bastion commanded, standing firm.
Behind her, he noticed the former Inquisitor watching, her eyes wide.
"Yes, my lord," Evangeline replied before suddenly shifting into a stance.
Her posture was steady, firm—yet Bastion could see it evolving even as she stood.
Evangeline knew her opponent was a being chosen by the Emperor. She couldn't afford to hold back or treat this as a mere spar.
Gripping her baton like a one-handed sword, she vanished—only to reappear before Bastion, who stepped back mere millimeters out of reach, as if mocking her.
She shifted stance instantly, folding the baton back like a dagger before balling her fist and driving it toward his knee.
Bastion simply lifted his leg, avoiding the strike, then slapped downward, slamming her into the ground.
The impact cratered the floor, blood spraying from her mouth—yet she felt no pain as the wound sealed itself.
"Better. But you're still slow," Bastion remarked, stepping back to let her recover.
He knew his design well. That strike would have shattered bones and ruptured organs in a normal human, but she would heal just as quickly.
As predicted, the girl rose, stepping back with a murderous expression, her eyes glowing faintly.
Meanwhile, Dresk watched from behind, her eyes wide. His Lordship had summoned her, and now she bore witness to a battle beyond comprehension.
To her, it was like watching ghosts fight—only the aftermath of shattered air and broken rockcrete proved they had moved at all.
Neither her natural eye nor her cybernetic one could keep up. All she saw were blurs, followed by shockwaves and shattered earth. She had seen Space Marines fight, yet none matched this.
As Bastion distanced himself, Dresk saw the Battle Sister rise as if unharmed, her gaze piercing. Then, they all felt something shift within her.
Bastion observed as her stance evolved further, but her eyes stirred something unfamiliar in him—an inexplicable dread, as if standing before a predator.
Biologically, nothing had changed. Her combat style remained the same. Yet Bastion felt fear as she rushed toward him.
Now taking the fight more seriously, he deflected her attack with his palm, yanked her forward, and drove a knee into her chest—yet she didn't fall. Instead, her muscles coiled as she struck toward his stomach with an open palm.
Though the attack seemed harmless, Bastion sensed unprecedented danger.
He allowed the strike to land.
The moment her palm touched him, an invasive force surged into his body. A golden light erupted from her hand, coursing through him.
Bastion felt no harm—but he recognized the presence within that light. The same divinity he had felt during prayer.
This was true power. His prayers had transformed these women into something beyond his expectations.
"Excellent!" A broad smile spread across Bastion's face before he suddenly kicked her away.
Just because she had unlocked a new ability didn't mean she was free from counterattacks. Letting her guard down was her mistake.
Dresk's body moved before her mind could react. Her knees hit the ground, the afterimage of that golden light seared into her vision.
It was the light of the divine, the battle sister had unleashed the Emperor's light.
"Of course," she heard the Battle sister whisper bitterly, as she rose from the rubble
The Battle Sister loomed over her, her arm lay limp but very quickly reset itself with a mere flex.
Kneeling, Dresk wondered if this was how the Inquisition would end. She had hoped to reason with His Grace.. but seeing the Battle Sister and the aura she radiated, the truth was clear.
The disbandment of the Inquisition wasn't arbitrary. The Saint already had his replacements ready.
Meanwhile, Bastion's mind raced. That holy energy from Evangeline's hands had opened new possibilities… another tool in his quest to forge a true Bastion of Hope for humanity in this forsaken corner of the galaxy