Inquisitor and Adeptus Custodes

With Sibyl's experience, the other man's behavior had already been enough for her to identify the origins of this temporary companion.

"Why is an Emperor's Eye on this ship?"

The Emperor's Eyes were the Custodes' intelligence organization.

Its members were all retired Custodes who believed their strength had declined and that they were no longer at their peak. They would remove their armor, leave Terra, don black robes, and wander across the Galaxy, gathering secret intelligence for the Custodes or resolving disasters that threatened the citizens of the Imperium.

"What Emperor's Eyes?"

The man scratched his head, pretending to be ignorant. "I'm just an ordinary Ogryn. I don't understand what you're talking about."

Even with Sibyl's extensive experience, the joke nearly made her laugh.

She looked at the several headless corpses in Power Armor lying at the man's feet. He had cut them down effortlessly with swordsmanship so fluid it seemed heaven-made.

And you called that an Ogryn?

Then why had the Emperor created Space Marines? Because He had nothing better to do after eating his fill?

The man was not about to be outdone, and he countered, "Then what are you doing on this ship? I don't believe an ordinary Lunar-class Cruiser is worth a veteran Inquisitor concealing her identity to investigate it."

"Of course, because I'm a Psyker."

Sibyl was not surprised that her identity had been seen through. After all, in order to rain the Emperor's wrath upon the Heretics, she had brought out both a master-crafted Bolter and a Force Sword, with a group of highly trained Storm Troopers willing to die to protect her. Given the Emperor's Eyes' knowledge, it would have been stranger if he had failed to recognize her.

"A month ago, I saw an omen from the Emperor in a dream. That omen showed that hope capable of saving the entire Imperium of Man would appear aboard this vessel."

Given the current situation, she had no intention of hiding anything from this Black Robe Custodes, and she laid everything out plainly.

"...That sounds like a Heretic's trick."

Upon hearing this, the Black Robe Custodes gave his blunt assessment.

"Even if you're a Custodes, you cannot insult my professional integrity as the Throne's agent like that. Don't lump me in with those fools among the radicals."

Sibyl spoke coldly. "Naturally, I made sufficient confirmations beforehand. This omen must have come from the Emperor, not from some Chaos God within the Warp."

"After receiving the omen, I endured the pain and found two Sisters of Silence to stand beside me and watch as I fell asleep. Yet the omen still appeared, completely unaffected."

That reasoning was indeed sufficient and flawless.

As the Imperium's anti-psyker force, the Sisters of Silence, all of whom were Blanks, could effectively block the Warp and psychic powers. Still, the Black Robe Custodes was somewhat curious about how this female Inquisitor had found Sisters of Silence when most had already left Terra, and how, as a Psyker, she had managed to fall asleep with Blanks beside her.

However, he naturally would not ask such a boring question. Instead, he simply explained why he was here.

"...I received intelligence that a special Xenos ruin may have appeared on this planet. An Archmagos of the Mars Mechanicus has already gone there. As an Emperor's Eye, and since this is the Sol Sector, I naturally came to determine whether this place poses any threat to Terra."

"Since when have the Custodes been so curious?"

Sibyl frowned.

As the Emperor's loyal servant and the Throne's agent, she had always disliked how these Custodes possessed the finest equipment in the entire Imperium yet only knew how to remain in the Imperial Palace—either playing their damned Blood Games, or coming out to clean up Terra, suppressing underhive gangs and doing work even the Astra Militarum could handle.

Of course, she knew when to hold her tongue. She would never dare make such sarcastic remarks to Custodes standing guard at the gates of the Imperial Palace.

But given the current circumstances, Sibyl felt that she might die before finding the hope that could save the Imperium, so she became utterly unconstrained.

"Actually, I also believe that merely staying in the Imperial Palace and doing nothing could never have been the Emperor's true intention in creating us. Unfortunately, most Custodes do not agree with me..."

Hearing the implication in Sibyl's words, the Black Robe Custodes casually voiced his own thoughts.

"That is at least pleasant to hear."

Sibyl nodded. "How about this? I have a proposal. You do not want your corpse, as a noble Custodes, to be desecrated by these Heretic Traitors, do you? When the time comes, I will take the initiative to release my self-seal and unleash my psychic power at full strength, opening a Warp Rift at the cost of most of my soul."

"This rift will not be the sort of doorway that allows Demons to pass through. It will be more like a vortex grenade, flushing things from reality into the Warp like a toilet. If you are swallowed as well, I can guarantee there will not be even a corpse left behind, and no risk of desecration."

"...Not a bad proposal."

The Black Robe Custodes fell into thought.

Just then.

"BOOM!!!"

A tremendous explosion rang out. Outside the Bridge, bursts of sparks erupted across the Traitor Space Marines' positions.

Violent shockwaves swept through the area, their vibrations making even the ground beneath the two of them tremble slightly.

What was happening?

Astonishment and suspicion appeared on both Sibyl's and the Black Robe Custodes' faces.

However, they soon understood why.

"Seems like friendly reinforcements?"

The Black Robe Custodes listened closely for a moment. Through his superhuman senses, he faintly heard battle cries of "For the Emperor!"

"No mistake, it isn't a conspiracy. I can already sense those Heretics' fear and death!"

Joy appeared on Sibyl's face. "We must immediately coordinate with our allies and launch a counterattack!"

"But the problem is that we have no ability to break out. There are at least three quad-barreled Thunderfire Cannons aimed at the entrance outside the Bridge. The moment we try to leave, we'll be blasted to pieces."

The Custodes gave Sibyl a puzzled look, only to see her shake her head and speak calmly. "I have a way."

The Inquisitor extended her right hand, revealing a black wristband wrapped around her exposed wrist.

She unfastened the wristband and stuffed it into the pocket of her coat.

An immense surge of psychic power instantly erupted from Sibyl. Azure lightning burst from her eyes, and the leaking psychic energy whipped up a violent gale across the Bridge. The temperature around them began to plummet, faint frost trails and ice crystals silently forming across the floor.

The Custodes stared in shock. "You were wearing that thing the entire time you fought?"

Clearly, he had vastly underestimated this Inquisitor's psychic level.

"You... could you be an Alpha-level Psyker?"

"That's right, but this isn't the time to worry about that."

Sibyl spoke. "In this state, there's a high chance I'll lose control of my psychic powers. We need to end this quickly."

As she spoke, she drew her Force Sword again and slashed with all her strength.

Vast psychic power flowed along the blade, tearing open a gap in the Veil. A Warp rift abruptly appeared.

"Go!"

"...You're insane!"

The Black Robe Custodes grumbled, but without hesitation, he charged into the rift after her.