Chương 100: Chapter 96: The Walk

P OV: Nicole It was amusing to see the cadets go from nervous to excited when it finally clicked that I was taking them to Kiryu for his walk. Though technically, I didn't need them. Kiryu was far more automated than most Warlords, and it was designed specifically so that, if necessary, it's possible for me to operate Kiryu alone. Still, he was more effective when the available auxiliary crew slots were filled. I keep quiet on the ride down from orbit to the surface, my posture is relaxed, and my eyes are closed.

I let the kids talk among themselves, reviewing their responsibilities as Moderatii, while my attention is mainly on the noosphere. When I step out of the lander, I am surprised to find someone waiting for us, or more specifically, waiting for me. The brunette waiting for me could easily be mistaken for a typical Mechanicus adept, albeit a heavily augmented one, except AME's Auspex can peer deeper and spot what's hidden underneath.

Her noospheric presence is also far more potent than it should be, and her implants are all of an extremely high grade. She doesn't look all that old, perhaps a few years older than I am, and much to my delight, I don't have to tilt my head back to make eye contact with her! She waits patiently for me to approach, she barely makes any noise, and once I come close enough, she bows deeply at the waist with surprising grace for someone so heavily augmented.

"Greetings, Lady Cavalerio! My name is Victoria Ferrum of Temple Vanus. I have been sent to assist you!" she chirps, her voice bright, high-pitched, and almost startlingly bubbly – more like an overly enthusiastic academy student than a servant of the Mechanicus. One of her mechadendrites extends smoothly forward, presenting a sealed letter with careful precision. I take the letter and crack the seal after scanning it with AME.

It's just paper, wax, and ink; the sigil and specialty wax utilized by the Assassinorum is not easily faked. The cadets form up behind me as I finish my examination and begin to read. The letter is easy to verify and fairly concise. Lord Shadow sent me a freaking Vanus Assassin to act as my assistant as a thank-you for the divination information. She's also probably – definitely – here to monitor me, but that's fine.

I should figure out a way to thank the old man; maybe Arken would be willing to give him a vat-rejuvenation? I am not sure what it is, but Victoria gives me a good feeling right off the bat.

"Hi, Victoria, can I call you Victoria?"

"Yes, my Lady," Victoria replies politely.

"What about Vicky?" I ask, giving her a friendly poke over the Noosphere that makes her twitch. She hesitates and blinks at me, "Vicky is… acceptable, I suppose."

"Great! Welcome to my staff, Vicky. For now, I'm assigning you as my personal secretary. I'll need you to familiarize yourself with Titanicus Legio logistics and operations. If that suits someone of your talents, we can discuss elevating you to Legate or another role within my Legio." Vicky tries to hide it, but I can see when she perks up. I've given her something new to learn, and it's clearly piqued her interest.

"I shall endeavor to meet your expectations, Lady Cavalerio."

"Great, we're going to take my Titan for a walk, you can come along," I tell her as I usher the cadets into the waiting hover transport. Vicky and I start exchanging a considerable amount of data through the noosphere as I grant her the permissions she'll need and show her where I want her to start with the current Legio forces, funds, and personnel. I'm curious to see what someone with her capabilities as an Info-Cyte comes up with.

I ping Genta, who is the only cadet to notice Vicky is more than she appears to be, but a quick private message confirms Vicky has a dense, pure soul with no sign of corruption. I tell Genta to keep quiet about that and give her a quick bit of praise. With my new assistant-assassin acquired, I bring my focus back to the cadets.

"Now, I'll be undergoing the full rituals of activation when we reach the throne. Unlike most engines, none of you will connect to Kiryu until after I do. The experience is going to be far more intense than you expect. Kiryu's spirit is potent well above most Engines, closer to the spirit of an Imperator than that of a traditional Warlord." I smile at the suddenly worried-looking cadets, "Which is why I do not consider this strictly as a reward; it's also a form of training and could be viewed as a punishment."

The cadets all react differently. Nyanko lets out a small, nervous whimper. Yip fidgets, but his tail is wagging excitedly. Genta just looks curious, and both Robin and William put on determined faces. Z0-0M is already making a data inquiry for Kiryu's estimated top speed. —------ By the time we reached the Forge Temple, the cadets had managed to settle their initial jitters – only for a deeper, quieter nervousness and bubbling excitement to take its place.

Nyanko and Yip both pulled up their hoods as they stepped from the transport. For a brief moment, an old irony drifted through my thoughts: their genomes were closer to baseline humanity than my own had ever been. Yet, they were the ones forced to endure the Imperium's suspicion, its whispered slurs, and inherited prejudices. I shake the thought away with a faint snort of irritation.

The Imperium had never cared much for irony, and while the Mechanicus is slightly more objective, they're not necessarily better when it comes to the treatment of abhumans – or humans in general, really. I walk forward into the entrance to the forge Temple. The various adepts scatter, and Gerontius Zulu-9 emerges from the entrance to greet me,"Princeps Senioris Cavalerio!" I don't slow my stride, forcing the Forge Master to keep up with me.

"Gerontius, I do hope your teams have concluded the required repairs," I give him a brief sidelong glance.

"Yes!" He resets his vocalizer,"Yes, the legs are repaired to the standards requested. However, we have not quite finished the renovations and are still mapping a suitable exit route." He forwards me the relevant topographical data.

"I see… The route will be adequate. I highly recommend you clear sector Iota-4. You will have a few hours as I undergo the Rite of Awakening," I say as we enter the main elevator lift. He flinches but wisely does not attempt to sway me from my decision.

"It will be done. Thank you, Princeps." The chamber had been transformed. Now it was fully illuminated, the harsh lumen strips cast long bars of white sterile light across the deck plating, exposing just how much of the fore-arc had been stripped bare. Most of the equipment that had once crowded the space before Kiryu had been hauled away, leaving a clear route toward the newly opened breach in the far wall.

The wall itself had not been cleanly removed so much as carved apart; Jagged edges of ferrocrete and severed conduits framed the opening, beyond which a massive ramp climbed upward toward the next sublevel, exactly as depicted on the map I had been given. The incline was broad enough for a Titan to traverse, though only barely, its surface reinforced with fresh durasteel plating that was still gleaming from recent welding.

Work crews were still swarming over the passageway: Servitors dragged shattered machinery and cargo crates out from the depths of the tunnel while labor teams guided suspended sections of piping with whining grav-cranes. Sparks cascaded intermittently from the ceiling where tech-priests and enginseers were hurriedly severing old utility lines and power conduits to widen the route further. Every few moments, the chamber echoed with the grinding shriek of metal being cut away somewhere deeper along the ascent.

The distant sound of controlled demolitions echoed back, taking place further along the route. I could even see sections farther up the ramp where debris had been hastily shoved aside into uneven heaps, evidence that the route had only recently been rediscovered – or perhaps simply abandoned for centuries before being forced open again for Kiryu's sake.

I hear Nyanko let out a sharp, audible gasp as the cadets stand stunned in silence as they finally catch sight of Kiryu's looming hull while we descend through the final levels of the Forge Temple and into the chamber where Kiryu awaits us. Kiryu's legs and armour plates gleam with a fresh coat of paint, and outwardly the repairs look to have been performed in full. A new gantry has been set up, leading to the central carapace control platform and secondary bridge.

"Baldos, you can head up to the carapace platform. I'll let the cadets watch the initial rite, but only Genta and Robin will be in the primary cockpit with me. The rest will be on the secondary bridge," I say as the elevator finally comes to a halt. Baldos's only reply is a deep grunt of affirmation as he lumbers ahead of the group. I send a few of the regular skitarii to accompany him while Vicky and Delta-A3-Raptor remain with me.

"Princeps, I do not see a Tech Priest for the reactor amongst your… retinue," Gerontius notes carefully.

"Will you require one – or be waiting for one to arrive?"

"Unless you have an expert in archeotech reactors on hand. Given that your temple has failed to activate Kiryu these past millennia, I assumed not. It will not be needed at this time. I will have to train someone to fill that role personally. The crew on hand will be sufficient for a walk," I say, ignoring how Gerontius deflates slightly and scurries off at my comment.

I lead the cadets into Kiryu past several small hordes of chanting Tech Priests who are working on last-minute checks and prayers, while others have merely gathered in the fringes to witness this historic event - it's not every day you get to see a mythical Titan walk for the first time. With only the cadets and my security forces present, I approach the command throne and divest myself of my robes, leaving me in just my bodysuit.

Unlike last time, this time I intend to use the full rite and link with each available umbilical. The first and smallest of them slithers out as I sit down, linking with one of my spinal MIU-ports. The chants aren't wholly necessary for me to link with Kiryu, but using them sets a good example for the cadets to follow, and it is his first proper walk. I trace a sigil in the air before lacing my fingers together in the sign of the cog. Unloading various binaric strings and passkeys as I chant.

"By the Motive Force made manifest, By the Blessed Circuit and the Sacred Spark, We call thee from slumber, O Ancient One." I can feel Kiryu respond instantly to my presence as he rouses from his nap. He rumbles eagerly as his primary reactor flickers to life. I continue to chant and feed various access codes into Kiryu's main processor as the next umbilical emerges and sinks into its allotted port. A deluge of system checks are performed one after the other in a massive cascade.

All systems return green across the board.

"Let the holy reactors experience sacred ignition. The plasma fires burn within consecrated bounds. The void shields rise as sanctified bulwarks. The weapon spirits know purpose and wrath." I ignore the slight chill as the remaining umbilicals slide in and lock into place. Now fully linked with the throne, Kiryu's presence is crystal clear in my mind's eye. He can feel my full, unrestrained presence as I reach out with my tiny digital hand to touch the tip of his massive snout.

A spark flashes between us as the link snaps into place. I smile, and I see Kiryu's massive spirit mirror me. For a fleeting instant, the boundary between us dissolves. Thought, instinct, and intent flow together until Kiryu and I exist in a state of gestalt synchronization – two souls braided into a single indomitable will. There is no longer a defining line between Pilot and Titan, no distinction between Flesh and Machine, only unity vast enough to drown the self.

Then the failsafes within the throne snap back into place, and we separate back into distinct but still synchronized entities once more.

"Rise, O Lord of Battle. Rise, engine of adamant wrath. Let thy steps shake the firmament. Let thy arms proclaim the dominion of Holy Mars. Walk once more beneath the gaze of the Machine God. And let the galaxy remember fear." Kiryu opens his mouth and blares his war horns as he roars.

"GRRREEEEEEEOOOONK!" I smile and feel his reactor flare before I calm him back down.

"Alright, Kiryu… You're going to meet some new faces. I want you to play nice with them, they're just cadets, my cadets." I warn him while giving his avatar a pat. Kiryu snorts and settles back on his haunches as his avatar gives me a nod.

"This is Princeps Cavalerio. Engine Kiryu: Status: Operational. All Moderatii to stations." I order as I glance over at the wide-eyed cadets.

"All of you… Take it slow. Brace yourselves when you activate your MIU linkages. Kiryu is nothing like the simulations or other Warlords," I warn the cadets. As they make their way to their positions in the digital and spiritual space, I ensure I am standing between Kiryu and them to help provide a buffer and filter for the link. —------------------------------------------------------ POV: Genta She had stood silently throughout the entire activation ritual.

Watching the Princeps awaken Kiryu with her enhanced senses was an experience she would not forget. Observing Lady Cavalerio, sitting on her throne, was a resonant and intimate experience. Genta's witch-sight turned briefly toward the high back of the throne where Lady Cavalerio's psyber-familiar perched like a patient gargoyle. Beneath its shell flickered the ember of something not yet fully real – a nascent soul in gestation. It was peculiar in shape and form, much like the one that dwelt within the Man of Iron.

Genta, wisely, held her thoughts and tongue, it was merely another mysterious wonder brought about by her Lady. The order to report to her station snapped her out of her reverie, and she moved to obey. Striding forward past her Princeps to the two seats at the fore of the cockpit. A nervously fidgeting Robin followed right behind her. Genta grabbed the MIU umbilical and lined it up with her spinal port before she sat down.

She chanted the ritual of activation, and the smaller, minor machine spirits for her station were calm and eager to respond.

"This is Genta, acting Morderatii Primus. Initiating Manifold connection. Standby." Beside her, Robin also began her own ritual, inserting the umbilical into her MIU port and sliding into her seat.

"This is Robin Olds, acting Helm. Initiating connection. Standby." The chairs were a bit large for either of them; the bucket seats were designed for larger, adult crew, though they were surprisingly comfortable. She strapped herself in and began flicking toggles on the console in front of her. Her finger hovered over the final button briefly before she depressed it. She gasped sharply as the connection snapped into place.

A barrage of sensations assaulted her at once as she felt a part of herself pulled into the digital mindscape. Genta found herself staring up at the avatar of Kiryu, the titanic metallic monster, flicked its gaze down, and the weight of Kiryu's attention nearly crushed her.

"Kiryu!" A sharp, familiar voice snapped, and the pressure suddenly abated.

"I said play nice!" The Princeps Senioris stood between them and the Engine's avatar. Despite being far smaller, her presence was no less intense than that of the Kiryu's, where it was imperious and demanding; her Princep's was soothing and calm, but somehow no less dangerous. Genta glanced to her side. Robin's avatar had collapsed on her hands and knees, having suffered under that same pressure; the girl was gasping for breath despite the futility of the action in the digital space.

The experience was a humbling one. Nothing like the simulations, only the Emperor-class spirit-simulation compared, and Genta was fairly certain only she had attempted that one.

"Sorry about that, girls. Kiryu is… intense," her Princeps said, waving a hand as she casually modulated and throttled the connection between them and the Engine. Genta was still getting her bearings when the connection to the other cadets snapped into place, and they, too, were pulled into the mindscape. Genta winced, feeling a little sorry for her peers, who did not weather the pressure from Kiryu nearly as well as she or Robin had. All four of them ended up face down in the digital dirt the moment they arrived.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Her Princeps sighed loudly and rolled her eyes up at the smug-looking Titan. She stood between them, blocking most of Kiryu's spiritual pressure to allow the other Cadets to stand. Genta noted with interest that while most of them looked like one-for-one representations, Nyanko and Yip's avatars were more… bestial, with more fur, claws, and muscle than they had in person.

None of the other Cadets noticed that her own avatar sported a wispy clockwork facsimile of a body. Her Princeps spread her arms and spoke,"Normally, only the Princeps would enter this space and only when bonding with an Engine. Naturally, I thought it best to give you the true, if throttled, experience. Kiryu's spirit is unusually potent, as you have no doubt noticed. In addition to that, he is rather picky and opinionated about who is worthy to operate him."

Behind her, the Titan snorted, kicking up a huge gust of hot air that buffeted them all.

"As you can see, I have a connection to each of your stations, and if necessary, I can operate Kiryu solely through my throne. However, doing so decreases our combat effectiveness; he operates much better with a full crew. Can any of you think of advantages as to why?" Her Princeps asked, holding up a hand as a little bolt of lightning danced along her fingers, which Genta assumed was a hint.

"Less of your neural load is spent on minor tasks. That lets you focus on the combat space," Z0-0M suggested.

"Indeed, but it's not just that, it frees me to perform other critical tasks or even utilize Technomancy while in operation. Now, I know this is all your first time operating an Engine outside of the simulations, and I cannot stress this enough. Do not hesitate to ask questions if you are unsure of something," her Princeps spoke with a gentle smile. Genta frowned as she studied her Princeps. Her radiant soul was intense and pure, as always, but something had changed.

It was for just a moment, but she swore there was a strange, semi-transparent green energy draped around her platinum-white soul like a cocoon.

"I'm going to send you back to your stations now," Lady Cavalerio informed them. Kiryu let out an eager rumble as his avatar stood and stepped forward.

"It's time for a walk." There was a brief pressure, and suddenly they were all shunted out of the space. Genta returned to her body in reality at her station, though the tentative connections through the Manifold remained.

"Reactor output stable. All stations reporting, all systems green. Kiryu is ready to walk on your mark, Princeps," Genta called out both aloud and through their network.

"Mark. Helm, ahead, one-tenth stride," her Princeps commanded. Robin hesitated for a moment, but she obeyed and called out,"Affirmative. Ahead, one-tenth stride!" Kiryu lurched under them as the left leg rose and slid forward. The massive limb came down with a crash on the metal floor. Robin yelped, not anticipating the pace as the second step came right after.

"You're throttling your link to the gyroscope, Robin. Ease up. I know the speed is a little jarring. Kiryu is far more nimble than you'd think," her Princeps spoke while gently guiding Robin as Kiryu wrenched himself free of the gantries.

"Navigation, plot our provided course up the ramps towards the surface. Weapons, arm the tri-barreled laser blaster and the power claw… How's the view up there, Baldos?"

"Excellent," Baldos rumbled back over the vox. Genta could feel her Princeps's immense amusement as the Auspex feed flickered over and showed the Mechanicus onlookers cheering. Genta blared the war horns once more as they departed the chamber and entered the exit tunnel. The route upwards was a slow, circuitous upward spiral, covering several kilometers, one cleared of all hazards, which greatly helped them settle in and get comfortable.

"Kiryu wants to stretch his legs. Increase to one-eighth stride," her Princeps called out. Genta could feel the immense predatory pressure from Kiryu's spirit that her Princeps restrained from overwhelming their senses. She barely managed to resist the urge to growl at a piece of debris that they stomped into the deck." Affirmative. Motive-systems increased to one-eighth stride!" Robin replied instantly this time.

Kiryu loped forward leisurely; the ride felt oddly smooth even up the steep inclines as they ascended further through the Forge Temple. There was a loud clang behind them after a minute, and Genta looked up sharply. Her Princeps laughed,"Oops… I forgot about Kiryu's new tail dendrite." One of the rear cameras showed a deep multi-meter gouge in one of the steel walls from the accidental impact. And that was without the power field active!

—--------------------------------------------- POV: Princeps cadet Yip Yip shuddered in his command chair. While the upper control platform was quite spacious compared to the cockpit in Kiryu's head, he felt cramped, the emotions and feelings bleeding through the Manifold from the other cadets were much more intense in person than they had been in the simulations. Nyanko's presence was familiar, faintly animalistic like his own.

William was imperious, and the boy was doing his best to appear controlled, even if they all could feel he wasn't. Z0-0M was all jittery and excited. Just connecting with the boy made him feel like he did when he had tried recaff for the first time. Robin was eager, excited, yet somehow calm. Genta was… strange. Her mind was so controlled – her most prominent emotions were reverence and awe, both directed at their Princeps. Lady Cavalerio was… Intense – there was no other way for Yip to put it.

She continued projecting confidence, amusement, and a sense of tranquility at all of them. Her presence and pressure dwarfed their own and somehow rivaled Kiryu's. The simulated Manifold had failed to truly convey it. Not everyone noticed, but Yip had. Even while controlling Kiryu and keeping the massive machine-spirit restrained, the Princeps was monitoring all of them simultaneously.

He could feel her attention moving through the Manifold in an instant – watching reactor output, tracking movement, correcting mistakes before they happened, all while performing her own duties. And she did it all so casually. Compared to her, the cadets felt insignificant. She made Yip feel like an ant. There was only one word he knew that fit." Monster," he whispered aloud, but only Nyanko picked up on it as her ear flicked towards him.

"Yip… did you say something?" She asked as she glanced up from her station.

"Our Senioris is… a monster," Yip said with more conviction. A deep rumbling laugh cut through their chatter, silencing the two of them.

"Just noticing that now, whelp?" The large blue figure of Baldos loomed on the forward balcony and stood proudly in the open doorway.

"At least her presence is gentle. Kiryu's is rough. I keep feeling like I should snarl and snap at things," William admitted with a shudder. Z0-0M narrowed his eyes as he finished a calculation he had been fussing over.

"Wait a second… this is one-eighth stride!? The Princeps lied to me!? Wait, that means… why is Kiryu so fast!?" Yip saw Z0-0M's head rock back as the Princeps gave him a mental forehead flick to chastise his yelling through the Manifold. Nyanko nodded.

"The Princeps is our monster. Hey William, you know Yip, or I can teach you how to growl properly if you want!" She told him teasingly as she made a purr-like noise. Yip gave a little growl, his tail thumping the back of his chair as his tail unconsciously wagged back and forth.

"Full stop!" The voice of their Princeps echoed in their heads. The massive Engine lurched to a halt but only tilted slightly before righting itself.

"Engine, Full stop, my Princeps!" Followed the voice of Robin." It would appear our way is barred. Truly a shame. The priests of the temple failed to clear the entire way in time." The Princeps did not sound or feel disappointed, rather, she felt amused and eager.

"The enhanced Triple-barrelled Reaver Laser Blaster is primed. Moderatii, I want a long burst – standard power, target the highlighted section, traverse the weapon upwards at a forty-five degree angle, and terminate here." The highlighted mark appeared in their heads-up display. Yip felt everyone tense and lean forward the moment the carapace-mounted weapon began to charge. A rising whine filled the chamber before the weapon discharged with a blinding flash.

He instinctively threw an arm up, his helmet lenses dimming against the unbearable brilliance as the laser carved a burning diagonal line across the far wall ahead of them. Metal and concrete did not so much resist as cease to exist beneath the destructive beam. Molten slag erupted outward in glowing sprays while the air itself seemed to scream from the heat.

The beam lingered only a heartbeat, yet it left behind a canyon of radiant ruin stretching from ceiling to floor, its edges glowing white-hot and dripping liquefied metal onto the deck below. Smoke and vaporized debris rolled back through the tunnel as the afterimage burned across Yip's vision." Second volley straight down from the current point, to the floor." The weapon roared again. Yip felt an instinctive urge to let power gather in his throat, hot and violent beneath his ribs.

The wall ahead offended something primal within him simply by existing. It was an obstruction, a challenge, and every predatory impulse screamed that it should be reduced to ash. He would allow no wall to stand in his way. He would tear through it. Reduce it to a molten ruin until nothing remained but scorched dust and dripping slag. He would destroy it…

"Kiryu! No!" Their Princeps scolded, and a heavy wave of mental pressure slapped down that urge with an iron will. Yip felt the Titan's spirit flinch back and retreat from her wrath. He and the Engine both felt firmly chastised.

"We are cutting a hole through this exterior wall, not leveling this entire forge block! No one will arm the… Extirpator Cannon … yes, definitely a normal archeotech Extirpator Cannon." Yip tilted his head, wondering why that felt like a false statement.

"Am I clear?"

"Yes, Princeps!" They echoed.

"Third volley, track left and up, forty-five degrees. Terminate when vertically parallel to our original strike. Fourth volley, track downwards and terminate at the floor." Yip watched through the Auspex as they completed the burning bowtie shape. The wall looked like someone had taken a massive plasma cutter to it, compromising its structural integrity, which he supposed wasn't far off.

"Sensori, current wall integrity?" Their Princeps inquired.

"Twenty-three percent Princeps!" Yip replied after confirming the figure with Nyanko, his fellow Sensori. They watched as the left arm rose and the claw closed into a fist, the twin mega-bolters suddenly barking as the Princeps drew a perfect line of holes between the two upper points.

"Sensori, wall integrity?"

"Nineteen percent Princeps!" Yip barked.

"Good enough. Now, let's see what they loaded us with. We do have the Multiple Warhead Launcher system upgrade after all. Priming the Apocalypse Launcher… Morderatii, make a note for me to message Forge Master Gerontius Zulu-9… His obvious attempt to bribe me with sacred atomics has been noted… and accepted. Fire control, arm one standard bunker-buster. Set a delayed fuse for thirty seconds. Target dead center in the X-pattern we have made in the wall. Helm, reverse us five steps," she ordered calmly.

"Missile armed and programmed, Princeps!" William called out, transferring fire control down to Genta.

"Hold. Full power to void shields. Full power to the power claw. Helm, the moment I order that missile. Dead ahead at half stride. Close all forward and upper exterior hatches." Then, over the loudhailer: "All crew brace for impact." Baldos stepped back inside as the shield closed, his magnetic feet anchoring him to the floor. Yip watched through his viewport as the void shield crackled and flickered briefly as power surged into it.

The Princeps raised the claw, flexing the digits individually as the massive blue power field extended from each digit. She angled Kiryu's torso to the right and raised the clawed left arm to maximum extension." Fire!" She ordered. The missile leapt from their left shoulder, slamming the x-mark dead center and burying itself to the rear fins. Kiryu purred beneath them, the promise of violence ahead, and the Engine lurched as it broke into a run and closed rapidly.

Twenty seconds, fifteen, ten, with just five seconds left, they had entered melee range, and the claw slashed across the upper portion of the wall, leaving five clean lines as Kiryu leaned forward. The missile detonated, and the blast made the void shield flare moments before Kiryu's head struck the damaged wall. The Titan's immense mass carried it straight through in an explosion of steel and ferrocrete, followed by a massive dust cloud.

Kiryu blared his war horn as he emerged from the cloud, leaving the Warlord Titan-sized hole behind them in the Forge's exterior. His cry pitched slightly higher than it had previously.

"SKRRRREEEEONK!"

"Well done! Crew, set our course for Legio Orbitalis primary fortress. Along the parade route. It's a long walk, half-stride at most. Don't step on the locals," the Princeps teased them, but even that gentle tone made it clear such a thing was not acceptable as she uploaded their destination. —--------------------------------- POV: Nicole As I let the cadets guide Kiryu away from the Forge Temple, I find myself appreciating the sheer scope and intentionality behind the construction of Cypra Mundi.

Aptimos's efficient touch can be felt everywhere. The immense forge-sprawl has not simply grown outward like most hive-industrial complexes; it has been engineered with purpose from the ground up. Reinforced roadways broad enough for entire armored columns to pass through stretch between manufactoria, while the vast thoroughfares curved through the city with the gentle gradients required for the passage of titanic war-engines.

The raised bridgeways loom overhead, giving the impression of artificial canyons, their immense supports capable of bearing weights that would collapse ordinary hive-infrastructure in moments. Every meter of the forge world speaks of thorough engineering and forethought, of members of the Mechanicus who understood that god-machines would walk these streets. Even the spacing between structures feels deliberate.

Factory stacks and cathedral-like foundries stand far enough apart to allow the movement of even the largest Titan maniples, yet close enough that the city retains its crushing industrial density. Transit rails disappear beneath defensible armored arches large enough to swallow a Baneblade whole, while immense service gantries hang overhead like skeletal fingers in constant motion, while others remain still and waiting to cradle wounded Engines returning from war.

Cypra Mundi was made by the Mechanicus for the Mechanicus. Unaugmented humans merely inhabited the spaces left behind between the arteries of the Machine God's true children. The route we have been assigned is not a subtle one. Tens of thousands of red-robed individuals pause in their comings and goings to watch Kiryu proudly lumber down the thoroughfare. Some bow their heads in prayer, some cheer, and others merely enjoy the magnificent, wondrous, and rare sight of an unfamiliar Engine on the move.

I allow a trickle of Kiryu's innate pride to leak through to the cadets as we act as a one-Engine parade. The long walk is just what they need to build some confidence and settle into their respective roles. We leave the city behind and make our way towards the Legion Fortress of Legio Orbitalis. Adjacent to the fortress is a macro-hangar where our coffin ships are already unloading the Tempestus Engines from Cry Havoc. What I do not anticipate is the reception Legio Orbitalis has prepared.

"Princeps, we have multiple Engine contacts. They're marked as friendly, Legio Orbitalis… By the Om-nya-ssiah," Nyanko calls out in awe. Kiryu and I already logged and cleared the friendly engines, but it's good to know she's paying attention. It's hard to say whether the prepared reception is excessive or minimal. Flanking the main entry corridor are two near-identical rows of Engines.

A Warhound, a Reaver, a Warbringer Nemesis, a Warlord, and a Warmaster stand parallel with their matching counterparts – all proudly clad in the white, blue, and gold of Legio Orbitalis. At the terminus of the two rows of God Engines looms the massive object that has inspired awe from Nyanko. The Imperator-class Titan, Magna Mundi, stands guard over the hangar, ready to receive us.

"Greetings, Senioris Khouri of Orbitalis. I was not expecting a reception as grand as that of the Magna Mundi," I say politely over the Vox.

"I greet your Engine, Kiryu, and you, Senioris Cavalerio of Tempestus," comes the aged voice of the Orbitalis Princeps Senioris moments before a secure data-feed snaps into place between our Engines. The shriveled but imperious form of the old man submerged in his amniotic casket appears on screen, while we transmit my image as I sit poised on my Throne.

"We see you," he rasps, studying us more with the Magna Mundi's sensors than his own milky eyes. Within the depths of the manifold, the Imperator's spirit does not appear as a machine. It appears as a king. A colossal figure sits upon a throne of ruined iron deep within a darkness lit only by the dull glow of dying embers and reactor-fire. Vast shoulders rise like fortress walls beneath a ragged cloak woven from smoke, ash, and trailing strips of parchment scripture.

Its form is humanoid only in the broadest sense; proportions stretched into something ancient and titanic, as though an entire cathedral-city has been forced into the shape of a slumped giant. Its head hangs low at first, crowned not with gold but with crumbling battlements and broken spires fused into its metal flesh like a crown. Furnace-light leaks through cracks in blackened armor plates resembling scorched stone more than metal.

Every movement comes with the sound of grinding tectonic plates and distant tolling bells. When it breathes, entire clouds of ash roll from its chest. I could feel the weight of unimaginable age pressing from the spirit. Not merely centuries, but millennia of war, of standing vigil beneath poisoned skies while empires burned around it. The spirit radiates exhaustion so profound it borders upon sorrow.

This is not a creature made for peace; it is like an executioner forced to outlive every kingdom it has ever protected. Then the giant raises its head. Its face was hollowed and corpse-like, somewhere between a death mask and a weathered statue eroded by time. Deep within sunken eye-sockets burned immense coals of mournful orange-red light. Eyes that held the memories of exterminated civilizations, the deaths of comrades, and battlefields reduced to radioactive glass.

Around the throne stretched a deep darkness filled with indistinct silhouettes. Smaller giants kneeling in ruin beyond sight, the ghosts of fallen Titans entombed within the Imperator's memory. Other figures with actual color representing the active engines present stood nearby. And beneath it all, buried under layers of unbreakable discipline and unyielding restraint, something stirred. A deep, relentless hunger for war. The kind only possessed by siege weapons and old monsters.

Kiryu's spirit reaches out, growling in challenge to the row of Engines before him. All but the mighty spirit of Magna Mundi flinch away from his presence and inherent challenge as we walk up the line. Kiryu's form, the mechanical reptile, massive as it is, is dwarfed by the Imperator's. Despite this, Kiryu does not back down, forcing an exchange between them. Their spirits clash briefly, and I do not attempt to restrain Kiryu for this brief bout.

I can feel the faint trickle of surprise from the spirit of Magna Mundi as it gives Kiryu a small nod of acknowledgement. Only once given does Kiryu pull back and give a deep huff of respect towards the other Titan in reply, baring his throat.

"I remember that spirit. So you are Kiryu. Impressive," Senioris Khouri whispers fondly, briefly recalling his trials and tribulations from when he was but a cadet, before chuckling wryly.

"Now, Senioris Cavalerio, I have been told that you might have a lovely new arm for me?" He and Magna Mundi purr in tandem, and only now do I notice that the aged Princeps's spirit is nearly fully fused with Magna Mundi's.