Inside a fortress-like factory forged of cold steel.
An office, adorned with expensive decorations imported from the Spire, welcomed a peculiar guest.
Heile, the factory owner, leisurely sipped a costly beverage. To run a factory in the Underhive, one relied on two things: talent and raw violence.
"Brother Yuki, I would be more than happy to emulate our Saint of Tex and practice selfless devotion. However, as you know, the war is critical. The Arbites, the Astra Militarum, and even the Sisters of Battle are demanding food supplies from me. I simply have nothing left to distribute to the refugees."
This was a half-truth, but certainly not the whole truth.
Heile's corpse starch processing plant had acquired a massive surplus of raw materials during the war. Under the guise of supporting the war effort, he had obtained special permits to acquire those materials at a pittance.
In the Underhive, the most profitable business was exploiting the fear and anxiety of the idiots in the Spire.
While regular troops required corpse starch supplies, it was mostly for emergencies. According to Heile's sources, the Imperial military situation was optimistic; the delay in victory was simply because the commanders were unwilling to expend unnecessary forces. A slow grind caused less damage to their own units and made it easier to request larger budgets and more reinforcements from high command.
"I don't need your finished products, Heile," Yuki said calmly. "I only ask that you donate the 'wastage' generated during the production process. That would be enough."
"Wastage? Brother Yuki, wastage is also profit! Where else do you think the cheap starch on the market comes from? To tell you the truth, our factory has been operating at a loss for years, all just to keep the bellies of the Underhivers full!"
Do you even believe your own lies?
Yuki felt a strong urge to smash the silver statue on the desk into the face of this black-hearted manager. He had done his research: since the war against the Genestealers began, already scarce resources had become even more depleted. Heile had seized the opportunity to price-gouge, amassing a fortune.
"Heile, you know exactly how much you've profited. I only hope you can let a shard of conscience prevail over your greed."
"That's cold, Brother Yuki. We have it hard too. I truly admire the grand vision of the Cathedral of Tex. Tell you what, I'll take a portion of my own salary and donate it to your cause. How does that sound?"
"We need food."
"Brother Yuki, let's be blunt," Heile said, leaning forward. "How much food do you need? Ten tons? A hundred? A thousand? There are over a hundred thousand refugees staying here. Do you know how much they consume every day? If I act out of kindness today, you'll be back tomorrow asking for more. In the end, how am I supposed to keep this factory running?"
"Do you want to live?" Yuki asked suddenly.
"What do you mean? Are you threatening me?" Heile's hand moved beneath the desk toward a hidden button. With one press, the thugs lying in wait outside would turn the man and woman before him into swiss cheese.
"Ultimately, you want to live. So do we, and so do the refugees. They have reached a point where survival is nearly impossible. Do you really think you, a man sitting on a mountain of food, will be spared when they break?"
"Don't overestimate the strength of those people, Brother Yuki. The Cathedral of Tex has done its best, and so have you. Let them return to the Golden Throne; after all, only through sacrifice can our world endure."
Seeing that persuasion was impossible, Yuki sighed.
"Do it, Yuno."
In an instant, Yuno's arm transformed into a blade. She appeared before the factory owner in a blur, severing his arm before he could even blink.
Heile's body had been augmented; ordinary bullets and blades could not easily pierce his skin. This was why he had dared to face Yuki alone.
"Xenos..."
His throat was slashed. Blood foam choked his vocal cords. Yuki was splattered with blood, but he didn't wipe it away. Instead, he planted his boot firmly on Heile's throat.
"I told you, I would let you live. But you refused. This is the first time I've seen someone decline such a generous offer."
Heile struggled frantically under Yuki's foot, but it was futile. As his lifeblood drained away, his body shuddered, tears welled in his eyes, and finally, he went still.
Yuki gave the body a kick to confirm he was dead, then opened the door.
"Help! Help! Mr. Heile has been murdered by a monster!"
The thugs outside were not as well-equipped as the regular military; they were merely private security. Hearing Yuki's shout, their first instinct was to rush into the room, where they were easily hunted down by Yuno.
Yuki had come in secret, and Heile had planned to kill them if the talk failed, so not many people knew about this meeting. If Heile had called the entire factory staff to greet him, Yuki might not have been so decisive.
"Next, let's go talk to the successor. Yuno, make sure to deal with anyone who saw us."
The factory was essentially the core stronghold of the gang power in this district. Yuki left by the way he came, tidied his appearance, and then made a formal "first" visit to the corpse starch factory.
The successor knew nothing of Yuki's secret visit. Upon hearing that a representative from the Cathedral of Tex had arrived, he immediately invited Yuki in.
"I apologize, Brother Yuki. We've had... a bit of an incident here. Please follow me to the panic room."
"What happened?"
"We were attacked. Mr. Heile has passed away unexpectedly. Sigh, it breaks my heart." The successor took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes. Yuki noticed, however, that the man wasn't actually crying.
"Have the attackers been found?"
"No. To be honest, I'm not entirely familiar with this sector myself. Mr. Yuki, although you've only arrived recently, you must know there was some friction between Mr. Heile and myself."
This matched the intelligence Yuki had gathered.
"This might be an order from above," Yuki whispered.
"Above? The Mid-hive? Or the Spire?"
"I'm afraid I cannot disclose that."
Yuki decided to bluff. With Heile dead, this faction's power was bound to be unstable. "If there is a need, the Cathedral of Tex would be happy to help."
...
"Settled?" Yuno asked later.
"Yeah. Now they need our help. That successor is more than willing to use a bit of 'charity' to consolidate his new position."
"You're more decisive than I imagined," Yuno said, smiling at Yuki.
Yuki smiled back. "With you by my side, why shouldn't I be?"
"What are you saying... you're making me blush."
"By the way, why isn't there a single drop of blood on you?"
Yuno looked down at her dress and replied, "Think of this as my exoskeleton. It's part of my body, and it can also function as a feeding organ."
Right. Yuno was temporarily using a human-shaped body for his sake, but it only looked like one. Her essence was still that of a monster.
"Alright! This matter is finally resolved. Let's go for a walk somewhere else. Look at those clothes of yours—they're so boring."
"These were given by the cathedral..."
"Just come with me, please?"
Yuki took her hand. "Alright."