Solomon's Ceremonial Sword

The moment the holy sword pierced the captain's throne, golden flames erupted like living things, spreading wildly along the steel seams.

The machine spirit, corrupted by Chaos for untold years, let out a piercing scream audible even in realspace, as if struck by a fatal wound.

The next second, the Emperor's psykana burst forth like a dam-breaking torrent, surging through the connection point between the holy sword and the throne.

Under the trio's stunned gaze, visible golden light raced along every conduit, causing the Thinkers and Bird Servants glowing with eerie purple to crackle and pop. All corruption peeled away like melted wax, replaced by the blue light of restored normalcy.

Among everyone present, Sibyl, as a Psyker, felt it most keenly.

Her perception pierced the alloy walls, seeing the flesh-and-metal amalgamations of corruption dissolve like snow in sunlight, revealing cold, solid alloy decking.

Throughout the ship, the blasphemous constructs pieced together from bones and organs crumbled to dust under the holy power's impact, scattering into the air.

Even the viscous pus flowing through ventilation ducts evaporated into harmless vapor the moment the golden light touched it. The entire ship's air grew fresh, the sickly sweet stench unique to Slaanesh utterly cleansed.

On the bridge, Lucia trembled with fervor as she watched the holy sword burning with golden light, feeling the pure and vast Emperor's Will in the air.

She clasped her hands before her chest and began murmuring prayers.

"Trust without doubt, and the Emperor protects. Prayer cleanses the soul, pain cleanses the body. Strive for perfection until death. Better to mar the flesh than corrupt the spirit..."

Finally, Lucia lifted her head and declared solemnly as a Living Saint:

"It is the Emperor's Gaze. He, at this very moment, is watching this ship, wielding His great power!"

"To be precise, it is the Emperor's gaze fixed upon this holy sword."

From above the bridge, Lord Rowan's voice rang out calmly.

He raised a hand and gently brushed the blade of the holy sword, the golden flames swaying with the motion. "My Reality Warping Ability acts as an amplifier, giving His power a greater physical manifestation."

Indeed, this was like a combined technique between Rowan and the Emperor, with a power greater than the sum of its parts.

Leonardo stared at the holy sword radiating sacred aura and murmured:

"Regardless, it is still Our Lord's holy relic."

Rowan didn't deny it. He simply gripped the hilt and pulled lightly. The moment the holy sword left the throne, the golden flames receded into the blade, leaving only a faint glow.

He descended, landing back beside the team.

"Now, the purification is complete, but Chaos Corruption has still caused extensive physical damage to the ship. That can't be restored. We need to confirm whether this Strike Cruiser can still function."

Rowan stopped, raised the holy sword before him, and with a thought, activated his Reality Warping Ability again.

As he lightly traced a line across the blade, Leonardo, Lucia, and Sibyl all sensed energy filling their bodies, raising their Reality Strength by a notch.

"This is..."

Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

Sibyl frowned and asked first:

"Lord Rowan, won't such a large increase in Reality Warping level affect you?"

"Not anymore. Do you think I forged this sword for no reason?"

Rowan held up the holy sword to show them, explaining: "This holy sword originates from the Emperor's Power, and with my deliberate interference using my ability, it now possesses a Reality Strength equivalent to a Level 2 Reality Warper.

However, since this Reality Strength is still weak compared to mine, it won't help with my upcoming ascension."

"But the Reality Strength on it can be split off by me, used to satisfy your level-up needs. This way, I avoid any loss to myself."

He paused, then continued: "As for recovery, don't worry. This sword is directly connected to the Golden Throne. All consumption is borne by the Emperor's endless faith and power. So, after a certain time, its Reality Strength will restore itself."

"I see!"

Everyone was delighted.

This was undoubtedly a huge boost!

They had seen the power of Reality Warping before—that nearly omnipotent force had amazed them. Now, they could gain such an upgrade so conveniently.

"Although your improvement won't be as dramatic as jumping from Level 1 to Level 2, for you, especially Sibyl as a Psyker, this is already a significant enhancement."

Rowan added.

"So, what is the name of this holy sword? Have you named it?"

Lucia asked curiously, her eyes never leaving the silver-white longsword radiating sacred aura.

Rowan paused for a moment, his thoughts drifting back to some distant point, before quickly deciding.

"Its name is—Solomon's Ceremonial Sword." (Note)

After saying the name, Rowan didn't explain its origin. He immediately shifted the topic and continued giving orders: "Back to business. We need to confirm whether this ship can move. Only then can we decide the next step."

"Leonardo, your task is to explore the entire Strike Cruiser, check the damage to all facilities, especially the Warp Engine and Gellar Field. Report back as soon as possible."

"Understood, Lord Rowan."

Leonardo nodded and replied promptly.

"Lucia."

Rowan turned to the winged Living Saint. "You will purge the remaining Chaos Cultists aboard. Remember, if possible, try to capture alive any Chaos Space Marines you encounter along the way. They still have their uses."

Lucia fell into thought: "Capture alive? What use are those madmen fully corrupted by the Chaos Gods?"

A faint smile tugged at Rowan's lips, and his eyes gleamed with the unmistakable light of "I have a plan."

"Because I've thought of another way to put them to use—as waste."

Finally, he turned to Inquisitor Sibyl. "Your orders are: use the Warp to teleport back to our original ship, try to find any survivors, and also... find a way to capture some Chaos Space Marines alive."

Though brimming with doubt, Sibyl nodded in acceptance. "Understood."

Soon, the three departed, leaving Rowan alone on the Bridge.

He walked to the viewport, gazing out at the deep cosmos beyond. The Holy Sword in his hand trembled faintly, as if echoing some distant will.