Solomon's Ceremonial Sword

The moment the holy sword pierced the Captain's Throne, Golden Flame surged up like a living thing, spreading wildly along the seams in the steel.

The Machine Spirit, corrupted by Chaos for who knew how many years, seemed to have suffered a fatal wound. It let out a shriek so piercing it could be heard even in realspace.

The next second, the Emperor's Psychic power surged forth like a breached dam, exploding from the point where the holy sword connected to the throne.

As the three watched in shock, visible golden light raced along the various circuits. Wherever it passed, the Thinkers and servo-skulls that had glowed with an eerie purple crackled, and all traces of corruption rapidly melted away like wax, replaced by the blue light that signaled everything had returned to normal.

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

Her gaze pierced the alloy walls. She saw the corrupted matter, once a fusion of flesh and metal, melt like snow in the golden light, revealing the cold, solid alloy deck beneath.

The profane constructs scattered throughout the ship, cobbled together from bones and organs, crumbled under the impact of Holy Power, turning to dust that drifted through the air.

Even the viscous pus flowing through the ventilation ducts evaporated into harmless vapor the moment the golden light touched it. The air throughout the ship grew fresh, and the nauseatingly sweet scent unique to Slaanesh was completely purged.

On the Bridge, Lucia gazed at the holy sword blazing with golden light, feeling the Emperor's pure and mighty will in the air. She trembled with excitement.

She clasped her hands before her chest and began to murmur a prayer.

"Be humble, doubt not, and the Emperor will bless you. Prayer purifies the soul; pain purifies the body. Strive for perfection, and never rest until death. Better to mutilate the flesh than let the spirit fall..."

At last, Lucia abruptly raised her head and solemnly proclaimed, in her capacity as a Living Saint:

"It is the Emperor's gaze. He is here, at this very moment, watching this ship and wielding His might!"

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

Rowan's calm voice rang out from above the Bridge.

He gently ran his hand along the blade. The Golden Flame swayed faintly with his movement. "My Reality Warping Ability is essentially an amplifier, making His power far more tangible."

That was right. This was like a combination move between Rowan and the Emperor, with their blood boiling and the power of one plus one adding up to more than two.

Leonardo stared at the holy sword, its aura sacred, and murmured:

"Whatever the case, this is still a holy relic of Our Lord."

Rowan didn't deny it. He simply grasped the hilt and gave it a gentle pull. As the holy sword left the throne, the Golden Flame withdrew into the blade, leaving behind only a faint, flowing halo of light.

He drifted down and returned to the group.

"The purification is complete, but the physical damage the Chaos Corruption caused to the ship is still extensive. That can't be undone. We need to check whether this Strike Cruiser can still operate normally."

Rowan stopped and raised the holy sword before him. With a thought, he activated his Reality Warping Ability once more.

As he lightly drew his hand across the blade, Leonardo, Lucia, and Sibyl all felt energy fill their bodies, raising their Reality Strength a little further.

"What was that...?"

Everyone cried out in unison.

Sibyl frowned and was the first to ask:

"Lord Rowan, won't such a substantial increase in Reality Warping level have any effect on you?"

"Not anymore. Why do you think I insisted on forging this sword?"

Rowan raised the holy sword for them to see and explained, "This holy sword draws on the Emperor's power. And after I deliberately interfered with my Ability, it now has Reality Strength equivalent to that of a Level 2 Reality Warper.

"However, compared to my current Reality Strength, its own is still rather weak, so it won't help with my upcoming Ascension.

"But I can separate out its Reality Strength and use it to cover the cost of raising your levels. That way, I can avoid losing any of my own."

He paused, then continued, "And there's no need to worry about restoring it. This sword is directly connected to the Golden Throne. All costs are borne by the Emperor's inexhaustible faith and might. So, given enough time, its Reality Strength will recover on its own."

"I see!"

Everyone was delighted.

This was undoubtedly a tremendous boost!

They'd already seen how formidable Reality Warping Ability was. Its near-omnipotent power had amazed them, and now they could hardly believe how easily they could improve.

"Of course, your increase won't be as drastic as jumping directly from Level 1 to Level 2. But regardless, it will be a significant improvement, especially for you, Sibyl, as a Psyker."

Rowan added.

"Then what is this holy sword called? Have you given it a name?"

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

Rowan paused in thought, his mind seeming to drift back to some distant moment. He soon made up his mind.

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

After giving the sword its name, Rowan didn't explain where it came from. He immediately changed the subject and continued giving orders. "Back to the matter at hand. We need to determine whether this ship can operate. Only then can we decide what to do next."

"Leonardo, your task is to explore the entire Strike Cruiser and inspect the damage to every system, especially the Warp Engine and the Gellar Field. Give me a report as soon as possible."

"Understood, Lord Rowan."

Leonardo nodded and answered at once.

"Lucia."

Rowan turned to the winged Living Saint. "Purge the remaining Chaos followers aboard the ship. Remember, if possible, try to capture every Chaos Space Marine you encounter along the way. We still have a use for them."

Lucia fell into thought. "Capture them alive? What use could we have for those madmen, completely corrupted by the Chaos Gods?"

The corners of Rowan's mouth lifted, and his eyes gleamed with I've got a plan:

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

Finally, he turned to Inquisitor Sibyl. "Your task is to return to our original ship through the Warp, and see if there are any survivors. Also... you'll need to find a way to capture some Chaos Space Marines."

Though full of questions, Sibyl still nodded and accepted her orders. "Understood."

Soon, the three of them went their separate ways, leaving Rowan alone on the Bridge.

He walked to the observation window and gazed out at the vast depths of space. The holy sword in his hand trembled faintly, as if responding to some distant will.