Chapter 308: The Holy Communion

Grelinna walked through the temple of Magna Maculag, her robe brushing against her as ancient trees in the forest trembled gently in the night wind, the marble temple flickering in and out of view within.

Also revealed in the forest was a round, blue-painted holy statue.

The statue stood tall in the woods, twenty-two meters high, its head perfectly spherical as if a divine geometry made manifest in the mortal world, its similarly rounded body carved with pouch-like shapes, its circular hands reaching toward the heavens.

What a towering, majestic form it was—compared to it, even the sevenfold mountains behind Magna Maculag City, bearing the Fortress-Monastery of the Ultramarines, seemed small.

Grelinna was moved by this sacred moment, her eyes filled with tears as she devoutly knelt before the statue.

"Holy Doraemon, I offer you my humble thanks for saving me."

"I pray to you, that your deep blue radiance may grant us hope."

She had once been a minor noble of Maculag, living a life of luxury that now filled her with shame.

But even nobles could not resist the tide of darkness; as the Black Legion invaded, Maculag became a hell, and she was captured by cultists, nearly sacrificed to the Dark Gods.

Fortunately, the Holy Archangel descended upon the bloody altar, leading the Holy Doraemon Corps and the Cadia 184th Regiment.

Their radiance vaporized the blasphemous cultists, slaughtered the enemies of the Emperor and the Holy Doraemon, and saved Grelinna's life.

Grelinna was awestruck by this moment, weeping loudly as she praised the Great Emperor for saving her.

But the Archangel lifted her up, speaking in a gentle, calm voice:

"Beyond the Emperor, you must also devoutly thank another holy, gentle, and kind being—the Primordial Force, the God of Death and Eternal Dragon, the Great Holy Doraemon."

Later, warriors of the Cadia 184th Regiment, who had once walked with the Holy Doraemon, shared with her the faith of the Holy Doraemon.

"He awoke from the hive-city, and thus most pities the poor."

"He says all things have value, and thus most opposes extravagance."

Grelinna remembered these words, and after the war on Maculag ended, she donated all her wealth to help build this temple—the First Temple of Doraemon.

There are twenty-two such temples across all of Maculag, all built from the donations of devout believers.

Of course, they encountered many difficulties in building the temple; the followers of the Imperial Cult always viewed them with suspicion, and some even reported them to the Inquisition.

Fortunately, the Inquisitor Lady Grephax, who came to investigate, was reasonable and gentle, and troubled them not at all.

Later, the Archangel himself descended amid his many duties, examined their faith, and declared to the Imperial Cult their devotion to the Holy Doraemon sect.

For this, Grelinna could only praise the Archangel and the Holy Doraemon in every grateful day and night.

The only thing that saddened Grelinna was that she had never seen the Holy Doraemon's form.

It was said that the Holy Doraemon, like the Emperor during the Great Crusade, walked among the stars in a physical, human form.

People from nearby star systems often claimed they had seen the Holy Doraemon walking among mortals, his sacred pouch devouring all corrupted things.

When He descended, countless machine-spirits would chant in unison—even the blasphemous machines of the Black Legion would be moved.

He brought death to all enemies of humanity, and in death, He did not die.

His circular hands held artifacts capable of granting any wish; all miracles were born from them.

But He did not often appear upon Maculag; Grelinna had never seen Him with her own eyes.

She felt only regret—if her body had not grown weak from past luxuries, she might have strived to join the Auspex Auxiliary, journey to the front lines, and perhaps glimpse the Holy Doraemon's form.

Grelinna sighed sadly, whispered her prayer, and rose to return to her room for rest.

But then, Grelinna saw—

Beneath the twenty-two-meter-tall towering statue stood a figure draped in a robe.

The figure's robe was stretched taut, as if he were very fat, his head appearing perfectly round.

Grelinna rose quietly, brushed the dust from her robe, and approached the plump figure.

"Sir," Grelinna bowed devoutly, clasping her hands into a circle and raising them diagonally upward.

This was the newest greeting of the Doraemon faith, imitating the Holy Doraemon's outstretched circular hand.

Grelinna noticed the robed, round figure seemed to twitch.

"Sir, the Cadia 184th, who once walked with the Divine, taught us that the Holy Doraemon cares for both the spirit and all worldly things."

"Therefore, our temple closes precisely at twenty-two hundred. The opening hours have now passed."

Grelinna gently advised:

"If you truly wish to pray all night, you may register and pray inside the hall."

"The night air is cold; you may catch a chill."

"That is good," the plump figure said after a silence, speaking slowly.

He turned his head toward Grelinna.

Grelinna gasped, her vision spinning, her knees buckling as she fell to the ground.

The face beneath the hood. The face beneath the hood.

The plump figure raised his head and slowly removed his hood, revealing his holy visage.

His head was perfectly spherical, as if the perfection of geometry made manifest; his red nose blazed like a star; his vast mouth seemed ready to swallow all blasphemous things; his eyes burned bright, his gaze radiant—all combined into a face resembling the ancient Terran creature known as the raccoon.

This face was identical to the twenty-two-meter statue behind him.

"Lord! My Lord!" Grelinna pressed her forehead to the grass, tears streaming from her eyes in overwhelming emotion.

"You know disease is bad—that is good."

"I warn you, and you must remember: disease is not the only thing that is bad."

"You must know: love and art are good, but indulgence and extravagance are bad."

"You must know: wisdom and knowledge are good, but deceit and secrecy are bad."

"You must know: courage and decisiveness are good, but anger and slaughter are bad."

"You must know: health and life are good, but disease and corruption are bad."

"Therefore, remember: Do not love those who are proud, gluttonous, and lustful. Do not trust those who speak lies. Do not draw near those who are angry and murderous. Do not touch those who are corrupted and diseased."

"Praise the Holy Doraemon!" Grelinna cried out hoarsely: "Praise Your teachings!"

Grelinna's voice shattered the quiet around the temple; many believers turned their gaze toward her.

They held their breath, seeing the holy figure standing beneath the statue.

Instantly, voices of kneeling and prayer rose throughout the temple.

"No praise is needed. I have come to teach you, to reveal to you the true law of this world."

"My name is Doraemon, born in the pure and noble twenty-second century of humanity; thus, twenty-two is My sacred number."

"I am the Master of All Machines, creating miracles through artifacts; thus, I am the Primordial Force, one of the Threefold Divinities of All Machines."

"I am the Eater of All Things—demons and swarms alike are devoured by My pouch; thus, I am the Eternal Dragon."

I am the Master of Death, wielding the Emperor's authority as the God of Death; I am immortal through death; thus, I am the Chosen of Death.

"You may praise My name only in the threefold aspects of Machines, Consumption, and Death. Do not rashly praise other gods, nor rashly speak their names."

"Who praises desire is not Me, but the Serpent."

"Who praises change is not Me, but the Bird."

"Who praises slaughter is not Me, but the Dog."

"Who praises plague is not Me, but the Fly."

Grelinna buried her head deep in the grass, listening to these holy teachings.

"You must also remember: I have only three Living Saints beneath Me; no others serve as My agents."

"The first is Saint Gileas. He was My first Saint, awakening with Me in the hive-city. Once the Emperor's ninth son, I resurrected him through time reversal on Baal to walk among mortals for Me."

"The second is Guilliman. He is Lord of Ultramar and the Ultramarines. Once corrupted by the Poison of the Hungering Lord, he was later clad in the Armor of Fate by the Great Sage Belisarius Cawl, and I brought him back from death. Once the Emperor's thirteenth son, he became My second Living Saint."

"The third is Pangu. He is My extension, My incarnation—the Lord of Plunder, War, Friendship, and Song. He is Me, and I am He—My wrath made manifest in the material and warp realms. You may praise his name as you praise Me."

"You may devoutly worship only these three Living Saints. Worship no others."

"Lift your head, true believer," the figure called to Grelinna.

Grelinna trembled, lifting her head in confusion—she was unsure if the holy figure was speaking to her.

"Saint Gileas has examined you. He told Me your heart holds true devotion, untouched by corruption. Therefore, I grant you the Holy Communion."

Grelinna saw only a tablecloth flash through the air, landing before her on the grass.

Then, a sweet aroma of food filled her nostrils.

Upon the tablecloth, a mountain of pastries instantly appeared—each made of two round cakes pressed together.

"This is Dorayaki, My favorite food, My flesh. I give it to you so you may share in My blessing."

(End of Chapter)