Krieg

Golden sunlight streamed across the fields of this Agri World, the wheat waves rippled in the wind, and the fragrance of earth mixed with the wheat ears filled the air.

The trenches were dug along the edge of the field, and the rough mud formed low walls, where Krieg's figure was huddled.

The cold, hard lines of the gas mask gleamed faintly in the sunlight, and breath through the filter produced a soft, rhythmic hum.

"Soldier, get up quickly."

A crisp sound shattered the silence of the trench. A blonde girl stood on the embankment, her hair gleaming in the sunlight, like crushed stardust scattered on her shoulders.

She shook the fishing rod in her hand, the bamboo rod trembling slightly. "We should go fishing today."

The figure in the trench stirred, the metal armor scraping against each other with a soft rustling sound. Krieg slowly stood up, his posture ramrod straight.

Even with soft soil beneath their feet, their backs remained taut and straight, like a battle flag forever standing amidst the smoke of battle.

He glanced down at the trench beneath his feet, his fingertips touching the somewhat thin earthen wall. His voice, muffled and mechanical, came through the gas mask:

"I think I should dig the trenches deeper and wider today."

"This way, when heretics invade, our charge will be more effective."

The girl couldn't help but laugh, her eyes curving into crescents. She took two steps forward and lightly touched Krieg's cold shoulder armor with her fingertips:

"But this is just an Agri World, and you're the only soldier here. Relax, soldier, there won't be any heretics here."

She was holding a round, green doll in her arms, which looked like a flattened, rotten melon. She casually placed it on the wooden cart next to her, and the wheels sank into the soft mud, leaving shallow ruts.

Before Krieg could speak again, the girl had already grabbed his wrist, her warm fingertips gripping the cold bracer, and pulled him toward the river.

The breeze along the riverbank was gentler, and the river water was crystal clear, reflecting the clouds in the sky.

Not long after the fishing hook sank, there was movement. The girl pulled the fishing rod up, and a strange fish was thrown onto the grass, thrashing about.

Its purple scales gleamed with a glazed sheen, its white belly was swollen, and its body was slippery, making it look more like a fat, strange worm than a fish.

Krieg sat on a blue stone by the river, unpacking his combat rations; the metal foil made a crisp sound.

His movements were swift and efficient; he pinched the nutrient tube between his fingertips, lowered his head to sip, while the girl beside him had been watching with her chin propped up for a long time.

Her fishing bucket was already half full of purple-scaled monster fish, all caught casually by Krieg with movements as precise as if he were executing tactical orders.

"Soldier, how does this combat ration taste?" the girl asked, tilting her head and looking at the silver-gray nutrient tube.

Krieg raised his hand and handed the rations to the girl, his voice still deep and resonant, yet carrying the rigid seriousness characteristic of a follower of the Adeptus Mechanicus:

"Specially made by the Adeptus Mechanicus, it can perfectly replenish physical strength, maintain bodily functions, support prolonged combat, and cause no nutritional loss."

As he spoke, he gestured to the side, inviting, "You can try some."

The girl's gaze fell on the tip of the feeding tube, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

The straw looked like it had been used by Krieg, and even though she was wearing a gas mask, it must have been pressed against her lips.

In the unseen crevice of the Warp, Slaanesh gripped a quill and frantically scribbled on the pages, crimson ink spreading across them, his voice trembling with excited excitement:

"That's right! That's how it should be! This ambiguous feeling, this heart-pounding excitement!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a golden figure suddenly appeared behind him.

The Emperor's hand, carrying undeniable power, slammed into Slaanesh's head, the deep, cold sound causing ripples to spread through the Warp.

"No pornography allowed!"

The girl hesitated for a long time before finally taking the feeding tube, pursing her lips, and taking a sip.

The icy liquid slid down my throat; it was neither sweet nor salty, nor even tasteless, like drinking a sip of cool boiled water, yet it had a strange, viscous texture.

She frowned, stuck out her tongue, and complained, "It has absolutely no taste."

"As combat rations, taste was not a consideration in its design."

After Krieg finished answering, he sat up straight again. The gentle breeze from the riverbank blew by, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead, but not touching his face.

The gas mask kept everything out; he couldn't feel the temperature of the wind, nor smell the fishy sweetness of the river.

The girl stood beside him, watching his straight back, and suddenly took a deep breath, her voice soft yet firm, like drumbeats striking the heart:

"Soldier, I like you!"