Alexander's hand, which was holding Reyna's head, suddenly exerted force, pressing Reyna's head down hard and stuffing her into the four-dimensional pocket.
Reyna seemed to realize the danger inside the pocket. She let out a sharp cry, like a banshee's shriek, its high frequency piercing Alexander like a blade.
Alexander grunted, immediately feeling his head swell and a dizzying nausea.
The entity, clearly not the real Reyna, twisted its body, trying to escape from Alexander's grasp.
The way her body twisted completely exceeded the limits of what a mortal body could endure, but...
A massive, black Dreadnought power claw suddenly extended from the four-dimensional pocket on Alexander's stomach.
"Reyna" clearly hadn't anticipated this move. Her body was instantly gripped by the Dreadnought power claw.
The power claw held her firmly, but she writhed like a snake, her body seemingly boneless and soft, trying to escape from the power claw.
But Alexander didn't give her the chance. Overcoming the dizziness caused by the piercing shriek, Alexander's finger pressed hard on the mechanized device at his waist.
A one-meter-wide Static Field instantly generated from his fingertip. "Reyna's" speed was instantly reduced, almost freezing her in place, like a bizarrely shaped statue.
Alexander took advantage of her being controlled by the Static Field to stuff her into the four-dimensional pocket.
[Item: Keeper of Secrets]
[Origin: Warp - Slaanesh's Sixth Ring]
[Description: A daemon of the Dark Prince Slaanesh, the most devout, blasphemous, and beautiful servant of the Lord of Excess. This Keeper of Secrets once battled Reyna on Cadia, leaving a scar on Reyna's face and thereby obtaining Reyna's blood and some of her memories.
By order of the daemon Primarch Fulgrim, it was summoned on Macragge by Slaanesh cultists through sixty-six acts of lustful sacrifice accumulated over six years, and Reyna's blood was used to shape a material body indistinguishable from Reyna's appearance. Its power is also limited by the strength of its body.]
[Production Time: ???]
[Value: 66,666,666]
[Can be used as supplementary material for child behavior correction and re-education]
So, it was a Slaanesh daemon sent by Fulgrim, disguised as Reyna.
It seemed Alexander himself had been targeted by Fulgrim, who deliberately sent this Slaanesh daemon to corrupt him.
However, Alexander was too familiar with Reyna. From the very beginning, he had noticed a slight abnormality, and after arriving on this platform and hearing Reyna's declaration of love, he grew even more suspicious.
The main reason was that, although this Slaanesh daemon tried its best to impersonate Reyna, it ultimately appeared too intelligent, which didn't match Reyna's style.
Of course, Alexander was only suspicious.
But in any case, there would be no loss in putting it in the pocket. If there was no problem, he would just pull Reyna out again.
The current problem was what had happened to Reyna. Alexander still had a little worry in his heart about this.
Reyna's strength was quite good; an Alpha-level psyker wouldn't disappear without a trace even if she encountered danger.
Alexander guessed that this Keeper of Secrets probably just chose a time when Reyna was absent to corrupt him, and Reyna herself should be safe and sound.
However, deep down, Alexander couldn't help but worry about an accident, after all, Reyna was also an old friend of his.
Just as Alexander was slightly frowning, a magnificent bell rang from Guilliman's Shrine nearby.
The great bell then vibrated thirteen times, emitting thirteen chimes, symbolizing the Human Emperor's thirteenth son, Roboute Guilliman.
After a brief pause, nine more chimes rang out. This naturally represented the ninth Primarch, Sanguinius.
In total, there were twenty-two chimes.
This heralded the start of the ceremony.
Alexander calmed himself slightly, took out his anywhere door from his pocket, and opened it.
Guilliman's Shrine, once destroyed in war, had been repaired. Marble pillars, quarried from the mountains of Macragge, once again supported the magnificent dome.
However, the carvings that once recorded Roboute Guilliman's achievements had not been restored due to time, making the entire shrine appear much more rustic and minimalist than its former self.
But no one cared about this, because the shrine no longer needed stones to record glory.
Glory itself stood within the shrine.
Cherubim flew through the air, their censers, burning with incense, swayed continuously, and hymns resonated within their bodies.
Representatives of the Ultramar Auxiliary Army wept profusely, while Imperial Navy captains' faces were filled with awe. The invited nobles of Macragge dared not even look directly at the two glorious figures at the end of the shrine.
And new scribes were recording this sacred moment in various ways. They had been selected by Guilliman to preserve, record, and discover history.
Most scribes were excited by the mission of this moment, but a few lamented that the Ptolemy Library was still under repair, preventing them from using its historical records to prove the value of this moment.
Priests of the Adeptus Ministorum were praying devoutly. Chapter Masters of the Astartes stood at the forefront of the ranks, alongside them Ms. Greyfax, a representative of the Inquisition, Valdus, the Grand Master of the Grey Knights, Archmagos Belisarius Cawl, and Reyna, representing Cadia.
Reyna slowly looked around. Everything was as if newly forged, magnificent, sacred, and grand.
The Astartes' power armor gleamed with metallic luster, the nobles' and Navy's ceremonial attire was splendid and dazzling, and the Ultramar Auxiliary Army's uniforms were crisp and straight.
Every single person among them was someone Reyna used to look up to. Even the power of the former governor Ashford was insignificant here.
But Reyna tried her best to steel her resolve, so as not to show any timidity in front of these people.
She was not standing here for herself; she represented the entire 184th Regiment, the entire Cadia, General Drost, Kreed, Lord of the Fortress, and all Cadia warriors who had sacrificed and were prepared to sacrifice.
Just then, Reyna's gaze caught sight of a pinkish-red wooden door appearing from a corner of the shrine.
Not only Reyna, but many people in the shrine saw the wooden door.
The nobles who noticed this scene held their breath, as if witnessing a mythical event. They had clearly all learned about the faith concerning Saint Doraemon.
Alexander pushed open the wooden door and stepped out. Sanguinius on the high platform nodded to him with a smile. Alexander nodded back, then ignored the gazes of the nobles, captains, and auxiliary army officers, walking directly to the front row where Reyna and the others were.
He quietly stood beside Reyna, then his gaze scrutinized Reyna, as if observing something.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Reyna felt a little uncomfortable being stared at.
Alexander silently looked at Reyna's attire. It was her somewhat worn Cadian uniform. On the left chest of the uniform were the words "Cadia Stands." The uniform had been washed many times, was somewhat faded and white, and had many patches, clearly showing it had seen much battle.
But Reyna still wore it to attend this ceremony symbolizing the return of the Primarchs.
Alexander's expression softened slightly. At least, the Reyna before him seemed to be fine, at first glance.
"What happened?" Reyna noticed Alexander's gaze, then remembered that Alexander seemed to be a little late.
"I encountered a small matter."
Alexander's lips curved into a slight smile. He remembered the data pad with the recording in his four-dimensional pocket:
"I'll tell you after the ceremony ends."
Reyna nodded, half-understanding.
Then Alexander cast his gaze to the end of the shrine, where the ceremony would take place.
The wall behind the throne was one of the few intact parts of the entire hall, and its magnificent carvings had been preserved.
But those carvings were not related to Guilliman's honor. The gray-white marble was carved into countless human skeletons, from children to elders, from women to warriors. Every kind of human skeleton was carved onto that towering wall. These skeletons were piled layer upon layer, all reaching out their arms towards the mid-air.
And at the position their arms pointed to, was a pale throne carved from marble, upon which sat the skeletal remains symbolizing the Human Emperor.
The scorching sun of Macragge poured down from the dome, forming a column of light that perfectly illuminated the throne and the Human Emperor upon it, dyeing them a brilliant gold.
Roboute Guilliman stood beneath this wall, gazing up at the Human Emperor on the throne. His blue and gold power armor shone brightly under the sunlight reflected by the marble wall, looking from afar like a storm of blue and gold light.
His features carried the handsome and majestic look of a Macragge military noble, pale as marble, set against short, dazzling golden hair.
But even he could not steal the glory of his brother standing beside him.
Mortals, upon seeing Guilliman, already felt a shock to their souls, almost unable to stand upright.
And upon seeing the divine figure standing beside Guilliman, clad in red and gold armor, they almost knelt.
Sanguinius gently trembled his pure white wings. Silver chains swayed with light in the sunlight, and crisp clinking sounds resonated through the hall.
The two Primarchs sat on two newly constructed marble thrones.
Behind Roboute Guilliman was the inverted Omega symbol representing the Ultramarines, and behind Sanguinius was the teardrop-winged symbol of the Blood Angels.
As the sacred bells chimed, amidst the hymns of the Cherubim in mid-air, Chapter Master Calgar of the Ultramarines slowly ascended the steps, holding two laurel wreaths aloft, and knelt on one knee at the third step.
"My Lord." Calgar bowed his head deeply, offering the laurel wreath to the true Lord of Ultramarines: "In the name of the Emperor, all power of the Ultramarines and Macragge belongs to you. May you forever accept our loyalty."
Saint Celestine, blessed by the Human Emperor, gently trembled her wings and landed beside Calgar, taking one of the laurel wreaths.
"Rejoice, O people."
She gently waved her pure white wings, floating in mid-air as she crowned Roboute Guilliman with the laurel wreath, her voice filled with emotion as she proclaimed:
"For the son of the God-Emperor has returned, to guide humanity's path."
But Roboute Guilliman stood up, his massive, three-meter-tall body filled with an oppressive presence. He descended the steps and took the other laurel wreath from Calgar's hand.
"And I, too, shall share all power with my most perfect and sacred brother."
The Primarch of the Ultramarines, holding the laurel wreath in the wide gauntlet of his Fate Armor, bowed slightly and placed it upon Sanguinius' golden hair:
"Sanguinius, the heir of our father, the sharer of our power, you shall share with me the loyalty and power of Macragge and Ultramar."
Cheers echoed through the shrine. This scene was broadcast throughout Hera Fortress, Macragge, and even the entire Great Ultramar. Cheers were incessant for a time.
The scribes wrote furiously, recording this unprecedented moment: a Primarch returned to the Imperium of Man, and for the first time, shared his power on Macragge and Ultramar with his brother.
"This is the most moving moment of my life."
Reyna whispered to Alexander beside her:
"I never thought such a day would come. I will remember this day for the rest of my life."
Alexander merely smiled.
After the ceremony, in a confidential meeting room within Hera Fortress...
"You always called me a fool, and I truly don't understand many things."
"..But, but I just love you."
"..Just, just for today, will you come with me to see the sea?"
Alexander held up the data pad, playing this audio clip for the sixth time.
Reyna let out a wail. She truly would never forget this day for the rest of her life.