"It's a bit different from what I imagined."
Yuki stepped into Yuno's room—a small base established in the interstitial spaces of the Underhive's underground pipelines. He noticed that the pipes were slick with various unknown slimes and dark substances, including the wiring. Given the scattering of corpses scattered around, Yuki didn't have to wonder for long what materials had been used to construct this nest.
Unexpectedly, the stench he had anticipated was absent. In its place was a rather potent fragrance, as if he were standing not in the lair of a Tyranid monster, but in a field of flowers that cleared the mind.
"Come in, my love."
"Can you maybe change the way you call me?" Yuki reached out his hand to Yuno, who pulled him into the small base. The interior was quite cramped, feeling like a secret base built by children using sticks and rags on a hillside.
"Would you rather I call you 'Baby'? Like I used to?"
"Whatever makes you happy."
The scene looked like something straight out of an Alien movie: black and deep green organic matter fused together, with some parts pulsating as if breathing. Fortunately, none of it stuck to him.
"I say... you aren't planning to skip the fleet and hand-craft the Tyranids here yourself, are you?"
"No, I won't. That would be too inefficient and a waste of biomass. I need a fleet—a complete system for organic decomposition, utilization, assembly, and deployment—to fully unleash my power. You can think of this place as a loom, a sewing machine, and a dye vat."
Yuno approached Yuki and tugged at his cloak-like clothing. "I told you, I don't like these clothes. You can keep the outer coat if you must, but you have to wear what I made for you underneath."
With that, Yuno produced a set of white clothing from somewhere. It looked more like a uniform than regular clothes—stark white with grey linear and circular patterns. it had a distinct sci-fi aesthetic.
"This is..."
"I made it for you. Your current body is far too fragile. Forget a Warrior, you couldn't even defeat a common Termagant. I want you to die of natural causes, eventually."
Yuki changed into the outfit. It was unexpectedly well-fitted, clinging to his skin like a second layer.
"In essence, this is a type of exoskeleton, similar to Tyranid armor. I've done my best to enhance its defensive capabilities. At the very least, you won't be treated like a mere speed bump if you face a Space Marine."
Yuki indeed felt himself becoming more powerful. He swung his hand, striking the nearby wall; with a loud thud, a shallow indentation appeared.
"This definitely doesn't look like something from the Warhammer world."
"Well, I have seen things from another world now, haven't I? I'm the reason you got isekaid after all..." Yuno did some quick mending on the robe Yuki had discarded and threw it back to him. "Wear this over it. It wouldn't do to be suspected because of your clothes."
Once Yuki was dressed, Yuno lunged at him. "Hehe, before I was afraid of breaking you, so I didn't dare use too much strength. Now that you have this, I can finally be a little more... unrestrained."
"So that was your real motive?"
After a brief moment of playfulness between the couple, Yuki returned to the cathedral, the uniform hidden beneath his ash-grey robes.
"Brother Yuki?" As Yuki was heading back to his room, he saw Hopper running toward him.
"What's the rush?"
"Brother Yuki, there's trouble. I went to the black market today to buy some essentials, and I found this." Hopper handed over a packaged block of corpse starch. Yuki recognized the cathedral's packaging method at a glance.
"Someone is using our charity for business?" Yuki was incensed. "Hopper, don't tell anyone about this. I suspect someone inside the cathedral is reselling it."
"Why? It could be those—"
"What do you think those starving people would trade their food for? Even if some did, are you saying no one in the cathedral would do the same?" Yuki had considered the possibility of this happening, but when the reality confronted him, his anger surged beyond control. "Where did you buy it?"
A left turn at the third alley of Saint's Grace Road, ignoring the refugees lying on the ground begging for alms, then a right turn through a door painted with a key. Three light knocks, five heavy knocks, and the door opened.
It was nothing remarkable—much like he imagined. A curtain hung in the middle of the room, and Yuki could feel eyes observing him from behind it.
"That outfit... you look like you're from the Cathedral of Tex?"
"Yes."
"What do you want?"
"Who sold you the cathedral's corpse starch?"
"It's not business hours. I only let you in because you looked like someone important, yet you're giving me this grief."
"How much money?"
"It's not a matter of money, brother. Business requires reputation; those are the rules of our trade. And as you know, times are unstable, making reputation even more precious."
Yuki remained silent. Since putting on the uniform, his senses had been heightened. The suit was a living thing, attached to him, granting him numerous advantages. He could sense more than one person behind the curtain—at least five—and all were armed. But they weren't using standard-issue weapons; they were likely improvised.
Yuki thought for a moment, then asked, "I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me: who sold you the corpse starch meant to save the hungry?"
"I decline. Please leave."
Yuki reached out and grabbed the person behind the curtain by the throat. The speed and power surprised even him. The hidden men opened fire, but the uniform on Yuki's body deflected the weak bullets.
Yuki had to be faster. He couldn't leave every battle to Yuno. She couldn't focus her entire attention on him, and he couldn't stand being cared for in everything.
He lunged, his hand piercing through the person beside him. He slashed out, snapping another man's neck instantly. Before the survivors could fire again, he had killed them with his bare hands.
Blood dripped from his arms—not just the enemies', but his own. The uniform was slowly repairing itself and his flesh. Yuki lifted the sole survivor.
"Tell me. Who sold it? I'll give you a quick death."
"It's... Sister Aix!"
Aix. A nun of the Cathedral of Tex, a paragon of virtue, said to be exceptionally devout. Yuki was no longer capable of being surprised by anything.
"Very well."
He snapped the man's neck.