Then He Closed His Eyes (IV)

"Awesome!"

Yulia threw up her arms and cheered excitedly, showing none of the decorum expected of a Third Legion Space Marine.

Sexdu looked at her and could not help muttering to himself.

He finally understood why he always felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity whenever he looked at the Primarch.

Yulia's personality seemed remarkably similar to Fulgrim's.

They were both incredibly boisterous.

Still, it had been a long time since he had enjoyed any rest.

It was not as though he disliked it.

"Everyone from the Third Legion, please follow me."

A remarkably young and handsome man slowly stepped out from beside Fulgrim and smiled at the group.

"Look, look! It's him!"

Yulia, following behind him, suddenly rushed forward and slapped his shoulder. "It's him! Our Primarch's husband!"

"I think... I think his name is Kasgar!"

He was that young?

He was young enough to undergo genetic modification and become a Space Marine, yet he was Fulgrim's husband?

Fulgrim had even argued with the Emperor over him?

But the good news was that he was still alive.

That meant that despite the argument, the merciful Emperor really had not done anything to him in the end.

And then there was the difference in height between the two of them.

Sexdu's expression could not help turning strange.

Everyone in the Third Legion was the Primarch's child. Since the Primarch was already married, did that mean they should call him...

Father?

Of course, they would not actually call him that.

Silently following Kasgar aboard a specially made low-altitude shuttle, Sexdu sat in the cabin and looked out at the bustling view beyond the window.

Lush greenery adorned the thriving steel city known as Karax. Vehicles streamed endlessly through its streets, while the steel-supported buildings each possessed their own distinctive style without disrupting the harmony of the whole.

Chemos truly was a beautiful and prosperous planet.

As a former member of the Emperor's honor guard, he had accompanied the Emperor to several beautiful human Pocket Imperiums.

Yet few had developed into somewhere as peaceful and tranquil as Chemos.

Especially considering that this planet had still been barren wasteland thirty years ago.

Not long after they disembarked from the shuttle, Fulgrim disappeared.

Kasgar led them to an extraordinarily magnificent theater hall.

The marble pillars and walls were covered in elaborate, splendid carvings. Paintings by countless famous artists hung high upon the walls, and the lighting equipment was complete in every respect.

It seemed that they had even booked out the entire venue for them.

"This is... a performance Fulgrim specifically requested."

Kasgar gritted his teeth particularly hard as he recited those words.

"Now, please take your seats and enjoy her one-woman performance:"

"'Thirty Years of Chemos: The Centaur Gold Ring.'"

"...Fulgrim!"

"You! Forever↑, are↓ my—Centaur↓ constellation↑!"

"No matter where you gallop in the future, I will remain by your side!!"

The End.

Clap clap clap clap clap.

After the performance ended, Sexdu stood and applauded.

The entire play had been very good, depicting the thirty-year emotional journey of the Primarch and Kasgar on Chemos.

The acting was superb, the script beautifully written, and the production lavish.

The actor had also performed with tremendous passion.

Well.

It would be more accurate to say that the actor had been a little too passionate.

Fulgrim had created the imposing momentum of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses all by herself on the stage.

The only thing missing was her shouting as she crawled all over the floor.

Such a heartfelt performance made Sexdu feel an urge to claw through his Adamantium boots with his toes.

Only when he saw Kasgar beside him holding his forehead and not daring to raise his head did the feeling ease somewhat.

Brother, I get it.

"Waaaah..."

"It's... it's so moving!"

"A masterpiece! This is a masterpiece!"

Then, after standing up, Sexdu saw Yulia sobbing wildly inside her helmet beside him.

What kind of reaction was that?

As a warrior of the Third Legion, a multiply enhanced Space Marine, how could she fuss over something as trivial as romantic love?

"What's wrong with that?!"

"Sexdu! Don't you have anyone you like?"

"...No."

Right.

Not even a little.

After receiving the enlightening influence of the Primarch's personal performance, the members of the Third Legion were swiftly led out of the theater by Kasgar, who did not wish to remain for even another moment.

Though it had indeed been somewhat absurd, Sexdu still felt a long-forgotten joy.

It was as if he had drawn a tiny bit of amusement from the meaningless mechanical life he had led before.

It had been a long time since he had been as happy as he was today.

Especially after he could no longer even carry out the honor guard's duties.

Sexdu remembered that it had happened after the last batch of Gene-seed had been burned.

Not long afterward, he had fallen ill.

Many in the Third Legion had fallen ill.

Especially the survivors of the battle against the Lunar Gene Cult.

The investigation revealed that one of the Gene Weapon Viruses used by the enemy could contaminate a Space Marine's genetic sequence.

Like a progressive cancer, it caused the patient's organs to gradually fail and become covered in tumors, until their entire body withered and rotted away in death.

Even the Gene-seed the patients had come into contact with could become infected and mutate.

The Apothecaries called it Withering Sickness.

And it became the nightmare of their Third Legion.

Even the Legion's genius Apothecaries remained helpless against this virus rooted at the genetic level.

Although a series of preventative measures later successfully contained the spread of the virus, there was currently no effective treatment for those already suffering from Withering Sickness.

In other words, the only thing they could do was watch helplessly as they withered away and died bit by bit.

"Are we... going to die?"

"...Melusine?"

The spider-like Apothecary turned around. For the first time, Sexdu saw a trace of pity in his cold eyes.

"No. It will only be worse."

"We... will live worse than death."

They visited many places on Chemos.

The bustling streets of central Karax, street performances full of extraordinary talents, and local specialty food streets.

They tried them all, one by one.

They were experiencing Chemos, and the people of Chemos were experiencing them as well.

The locals were especially enthusiastic and curious about these purple cans from beyond the skies, asking them about interesting tales from the stars.

Some bold children even dared to come forward and touch their Ceramite armor with their hands.

Sexdu felt somewhat at a loss.

In the past, whenever Space Marines encountered civilians, the civilians would always flee quickly in fear and unease.

Even under the Third Legion's strict military discipline, it was the same.

Sexdu was not surprised by this.

They were symbols of war, signs of conflict, and the Emperor's blades.

They had never been beings that brought people joy.

Still, if someone truly wished to get close to him, Sexdu did not dislike it.

But that would have to wait until he could shed the identity of a War Machine.

Perhaps it would truly happen on the day the Great Crusade ended.

Maybe then he would come to this lively yet peaceful city and quietly spend the rest of his life—

"Pfft, what am I fantasizing about?"

Sexdu laughed at himself.

"This is where Chemos's heroes rest."

The road was paved with pristine white marble, level and clean, while rows upon rows of trees stretched across the hillsides in neat formation.

A quiet, harmonious Manor.

Sexdu had seen plenty of such green spaces before, but they generally belonged to the nobles of each planet.

Here, however, a marble gravestone stood quietly before every tree.

Originally, this had only been a barren mountain in the desert.

Now, this beautiful place belonged not to any noble, but to every hero who had devoted themselves to Chemos and turned desolation into a paradise.

Countless heroes who had sacrificed themselves for Chemos's brighter tomorrow were buried here.

"Chemos belongs to the people of Chemos."

The reason such brilliant achievements had been possible was the combined effort of every person on Chemos, not the work of the Primarch alone.

Fulgrim said this while standing at the entrance.

And as heroes, they would naturally enjoy Chemos's most peaceful tranquility.

Forever.

Birdsong rang sweetly. Every tree bore an engraved name; every growth ring recorded a story.

A long-forgotten peace filled Sexdu's heart.

"I really like this place."

"What about you, Sexdu?"

Yulia stood before a small slope, gazing at the endless emerald mountains below.

She lifted her head and spoke.

"I..."

Sexdu looked around, as though examining his own home.

"I think it suits me too."

A fulfilling day.

In Chemos's reborn city, the Third Legion enjoyed a wonderful day of leave for the first time in a long while.

Yet the sky had never changed.

Chemos's light came from two stars separated by an immense distance.

Though it was already late, eternal twilight still shrouded the land, unchanged.

But people had to rest eventually.

At this moment, most of Karax's people were returning home, while some had begun their new "night" lives.

Karax remained bustling, but their day of touring Chemos was nearing its end.

Only one final destination remained, waiting for them.

It was the sea.

The sea of Chemos.