Thanks for Exalted, Gallerhad and Michael Thunder for becoming as Supporters!
===BREAK===
The Salamander returned to the Cunning Hares before dawn, the night market already closed.
His bloodstained form did not attract unnecessary attention in the quiet before sunrise. He pushed open the workshop door and retrieved an entire storage container of ether fuel.
After a whole night of purging, he and Jane Doe had eliminated all the targets on the list. With Cerakos's prior help, most of the targets had been wiped out.
Yet a few were still unaccounted for—some had gone into hiding, temporarily unreachable; some had died in isolated corners after overdosing on the drug; others had fled to New Eridu's Outer Ring, beyond anyone's control.
For example, there was someone named Lucius on the list, supposedly from the Outer Ring.
And connected to Slaanesh, of all things, the name Lucius…
Honestly, when Jane Doe mentioned the name, Ignis felt a sharp pang of annoyance, a wicked grin crawling across his body as if something was about to emerge from within.
He shook his head, casting that notoriously grim face from his mind, and focused on the task at hand.
In the workshop lay a shovel he had made himself. He had intended to plant flowers or vegetables in the yard, to prevent it from being overrun. His internal gardening instincts winced at the rampant weeds, but ever since arriving here, he had little free time to attend to them.
Though the weeds were somewhat controlled now, the yard still looked messy.
Ignis dug a shallow pit and cleared the surrounding weeds, piling them neatly in a corner.
The sight was disturbing—early morning, a giant in bloodstained power armor digging in the yard, giving the impression of someone was burying bodies.
But Space Marines left few chances for foes to leave intact corpses anyway.
He drove the shovel into the ground, then carried the container of ether fuel over and unscrewed the lid. The liquid flowed into the pit, a stunning gradient from purple to yellow.
Ignis intended to create a pyre for a Fire Cremation Ceremony. By Space Marine tradition, this was usually done before a major battle. But with the Slaanesh incursion finally over and most of its remnants cleared, it was finally time to close this chapter.
The blood on his armor was the last witness to the ordeal.
Ignis decided that rather than simply washing it off, it was better to burn it away with flames.
The container of ether fuel quickly emptied. The Salamander double-checked the firebreaks around the yard but still felt uneasy, so he returned to the workshop to fetch a few fire extinguishers.
During this, he ran into Nicole.
She had clearly been awakened by his noise, hair messy over her back, rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep.
"What are you doing? You went out last night, and now you're digging in the yard this early? Don't you ever sleep?" she yawned.
"Our nervous systems have been modified," The Salamander replied, looking at her. "We can go months without sleep. Why don't you go back and catch some more rest?"
Nicole rolled her eyes at the suggestion. "I'd like to, but why are you digging? Covered in blood—are you burying a body? And what are the fire extinguishers for?"
The triple question left Ignis at a loss for words. He just shrugged, gesturing for her to see for herself.
The head of the Cunning Hares, wary of his nominal adopted son—the most dangerous employee—had to muster his courage and followed him.
They saw a pit filled with ether fuel, the surrounding weeds cleared.
"Wait! Wait!" Nicole tried to stop the Salamander, but his blood-covered form made it impossible. She could only kick him lightly.
"What are you doing? Last time, you made explosives indoors that could have leveled hundreds of meters. I didn't argue then." She blocked Ignis and the pit. "Now, are you finally going to burn the house down?"
"That won't be necessary," Ignis said, ignoring her. He arranged the fire extinguishers along the edge of the pit on the side facing the house. "I know my limits."
It was a harsh truth. The Salamander remembered that every time he said that, things tended to spiral out of control. Is this some kind of spell of words?
"So…" Ignis looked at his adoptive mother. "Keep an eye on the fire. If it spreads, use the extinguishers."
"Are you serious?" Nicole stared at the cylinders and the pit filled with ether fuel. "Are you sure these will be enough?"
Probably not…
"Better some than none," The Salamander asked tentatively.
"Tell me—what are you really planning?" Nicole had reached her limit. What was in this guy's head? Recruiting him had been a personal lapse in judgment, and making him her adopted son… a lifelong blot on her record.
Well, the rest of the Cunning Hares weren't exactly normal either… might as well roll with it.
"A Fire Cremation Ceremony," Ignis said, dropping the joking tone and becoming serious.
"Eh?" Nicole blinked but quickly realized. "Who are you cremating? You didn't bring a body, did you?"
"No, this is for myself." The Salamander stepped into the fuel pit, flamethrower in hand.
Nicole panicked. "What are you doing? If you're hurt, get treatment! The Cunning Hares are poor and in debt, sure, but I can find someone to patch you up! Money can wait! Why are you cremating yourself?"
Seeing her get agitated made Ignis feel warm, almost amused. But this was a cultural difference he needed to explain.
"This is an old tradition of our chapter. Before every great battle, each warrior builds their own pyre," Ignis said, stepping into the fuel pit. "Wood is hard to come by here, so ether fuel substitutes. We step into our pyre to pray, reflect, and seek blessings. Spiritually, we die before battle, so we cannot die again in combat. Afterward, we are reborn from the ashes."
"Consider it a superstitious ritual of blessing," he continued. "If a comrade truly falls in battle, we build a pyre for them too—a true Fire Cremation Ceremony."
"May their soul return to the Golden Throne."
"So… you're really okay?" Nicole looked doubtful. "You won't… get cooked?"
"Relax." Ignis turned to show the dragon emblem on his pauldron. "I am a Salamander Space Marine, Son of Vulkan, child of the Eternal Nocturne. Flames cannot harm me. If it spreads, use the extinguishers."
"Alright…" Nicole reluctantly accepted this explanation. She barely understood his background, so she took it at face value.
Son of Vulkan? And I'm supposed to be his… guardian? She shook her head to banish the thought.
As Nicole lost herself in absurd thoughts, Ignis pulled the trigger on his flamethrower. The ether fuel ignited instantly, flames shooting high.
The Salamander stood amidst the blaze, flames licking his armor, burning away the bloodstains.
Nicole's fear spiked; the flames seemed alive, coiling around him like a deadly serpent. She reached for a fire extinguisher, but Ignis waved her off, signaling he was fine.
Yes, the flames burned his enemies but protected these battle-forged warriors. The armor's heat resistance was strong, and New Eridu fuel's energy output was far below a star—no risk of incinerating the wearer.
Ignis closed his eyes, praying silently. Even in his past Warhammer world, he rarely prayed—not knowing if the Emperor would answer this foreign son.
Now, he knew the Emperor not only listened but watched over him.
Master of Humanity on the Golden Throne, greatest psyker in human history, guide me. Protect this small world from Chaos. Witness the faint spark of my soul, let me bring more victories for you and this world. Let the minions of the Dark Gods howl; let them crash into my fists. May my punches shatter their faces, my warhammer destroy their schemes. I will be their nightmare. Bless me, Master of Humanity. I will deliver victory upon victory until my soul dissipates and my body falls. Guide me, Emperor.
Rarely had Ignis been this devout. Nicole and the others had told him: after Sinera's death, when he collapsed from the portal, a squad of black-armored, flame-engulfed Space Marines had destroyed the portal with melta bombs.
That was undoubtedly the Emperor's hand, sending the Legion of the Damned. Most of the Slaanesh army on the other side of the portal had been intercepted; otherwise, three of them could never have survived.
The Emperor still cared for this world. He would not allow it to fall as a feeding ground for daemons.
Though… did I just call someone "Yellow Skin" in that twisted mirror vision…
Hope that was an illusion… If not, forgive me, Emperor.
As his prayers wove with strange thoughts, Ignis drew back his focus and noticed the other four Cunning Hares staring at him.
Something had clearly awakened them.
"What's the big guy doing?" Billy Kid scratched his head. "This guy is weirder than me."
"Is he okay?" Nekomata was tense. "He hasn't moved for minutes. Is he—?"
"Nicole, call the fire department," Anby said, staring at their head of household. "We won't have time otherwise."
Nicole tried to explain, but she couldn't recall Ignis's precise words. Just waking up left her muddled.
"Don't panic. He said this is their tradition—a Fire Cremation Ceremony. It's a pre-battle ritual," Nicole quickly explained. "See? He's even waving."
"So, this is like… an advanced self-braising in a pot?" Billy grinned. "Roasting yourself with high flames!"
"Really okay, nya?" Nekomata still worried. "Are you sure he's fine? I smell something burning."
"Ah?" Nicole sniffed and realized she could indeed smell the flames.
"Nicole, look up." Anby raised her eyes toward the garage door.
"Oh no! I forgot he's so tall—the flames are hitting the ceiling!" Nicole grabbed a fire extinguisher. "Put it out, quick!"
Ignis heard, too, and wanted to help, but moving amidst the flames would scatter them dangerously.
"Don't move!" Nicole yelled. "Right now it's only the garage door—move and the whole house could go up!"
So, until the ether fuel in the pit finished burning, Ignis could only watch the four Hares manage the fire. Luckily, it wasn't too large, and the extinguishers sufficed.
A small miscalculation…
After completing the Fire Cremation Ceremony, Ignis emerged to reassure the soot-covered group.
"Believe me, I had no intention of burning this place down…"
Nicole sighed, resigned, looking up at the sky.
"The Cunning Hares tradition is truly intact—small things become big, big things become explosive. The industry reviews weren't kidding…"
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa