Chapter 104: Legion Reform

Saisake's fury surged, transforming into a shoulder charge.

Thierry twisted his body violently, dodging the impact.

The First Captain did not view the new Order Shadow as a threat, but as an experienced Reaper, he knew he had to win, so he used his full strength the moment the honor duel began.

His Chainsword let out a shrill roar, hacking against his opponent's blade,

Amidst the splashing sparks, Samir and Robin exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's dark pupils.

Saisake's physical strength was the greatest in the Eleventh Legion; this newly modified Warrior was actually able to rival him in this regard.

At this very moment, Thierry caught the fleeting opportunity; he shifted his blade, utilizing the 8th form of "Osberh-Waya" to leverage Saisake's charge and throw him off balance.

Most Beyonders had undergone mental strengthening, and the few who, like Thierry, focused on physical enhancement also relied on the power Ninglu had left in their minds to successfully retain their memories during the Gaizao Shouhu.

Thierry had utilized his time on the Star Dome Deck to practice diligently, having long since become familiar with his own body.

The "Osberh-Waya" he had trained in bitterly before his modification was still inherited, and he had even mastered the extended sword stances he had once seen the Primarch use but had been unable to perform himself due to physical limitations.

Thierry moved in rapidly, seizing the opportunity to launch a thrust with the 1st form, attempting to draw blood from the First Captain and end the duel.

In the moment of danger, Saisake turned his blade to parry the strike, followed by another fierce shoulder charge.

Bang!

The First Captain hit his opponent as he had intended, but he was stunned to find that, despite being stronger than an average Astartes, he had not gained the upper hand in the collision.

The two Astartes bounced apart amidst a loud crash like a car wreck, and they swung their Chainswords simultaneously.

The blades collided, the chain-teeth clashing and locking together.

They both pulled with all their might, using the force to lunge forward.

Ninglu, watching the battle, had already discerned the outcome and formed a preliminary judgment on the combat effectiveness boost that Beyonder modification provided to Astartes.

【They are both Astartes, but there is a gap in talent and experience.

Thierry was already skilled in close-quarters combat, and the additional boosts from the Sequence 9 "Warrior" and Sequence 8 "Fighter" allowed him to match Saisake's advantages in strength and other talents.

If the First Captain had employed more seasoned tactics, he would have had a chance to win through experience; the intensity of Thierry's previous battles was quite different from that of an Astartes, but Saisake's fighting style was simply straightforward.】

A smile curled at the corner of Ninglu's mouth; this was what he had always emphasized—the importance of using one's senses to discover an enemy's weaknesses. Saisake relied too much on intuition in this regard.

【"Fighter" gives him a slight edge in melee ability over the First Captain; Thierry will win.

This battle will allow the Vostonians to temporarily overshadow the Terra-born, and as the Gaizao Shouhu continues, their proportion in the Legion will grow higher and higher.

I can carry out even more extensive reforms!】

Just as Ninglu made his decision, the First Captain threw a violent uppercut at Thierry's chin; just as he was about to hit his target, his wrist was grabbed by the "Fighter."

Saisake was startled, and just as he wanted to struggle free, it was already too late.

The "Fighter" stepped in and turned his body, using a non-standard yet swift shoulder throw to slam the First Captain heavily onto the ground.

With a loud boom, the floor of the training ground was smashed, and stone fragments splashed up.

The shockwave simultaneously cast a heavy stone into the hearts of the Terra-born; they stared silently at the training ground.

Just as Saisake tried to flip over and stand up, he felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him; the "Fighter" was kneeling on his body, his knees pinning him down firmly.

Subsequently, the First Captain's neck was locked by Thierry.

Saisake, his power hindered, struggled frantically with both hands and feet, but was held down tightly by the "Fighter."

"Thierry wins!"

The Primarch Attendant's voice rang out, and all the Astartes realized that the First Captain had lost.

Ten work cycles later, Ninglu summoned all Company Captains and the twenty-eight original Vostonian Leaders; they had all completed their Ascension and were wearing their power armor.

Saisake's face was ashen; he looked at the opposite side with anger and fighting spirit, but the contempt was gone.

Ninglu's gaze swept over his many sons, and he voiced the Legion reform plan he had been brewing.

"I believe you all know that the Legion has just received reinforcements of new recruits from Terra."

"At the same time, the Gaizao Shouhu is proceeding smoothly, and a large number of new Astartes will be born in the coming period; the scale of the Legion will grow significantly."

"The past organizational structure is no longer suitable for the current Legion, so I have decided to carry out reforms."

The Third Company Captain and the Eighth Company Captain exchanged a glance, exchanging the same meaning in each other's eyes.

【If the numbers increase, simply increasing the number of companies like the "Luna Wolves" would suffice, but the Primarch is clearly intending to carry out large-scale reforms; the goal is not as simple as just letting the new sons integrate into the Legion.】

They listened with concern to the orders issued by their Gene-Father.

"I have decided to add a new layer of command structure to the Legion; above the companies and squads, I am establishing an organizational structure called the Chapter."

"The Chapter Master of a Chapter is also called a Lord."

Samir and Robin's mouths twitched, and their peripheral vision collided once more, their gazes revealing a "just as expected" look; the key then was the appointment of the Chapter Masters.

"The Lord of the First Chapter will be Howard Fender, who will oversee the original First Company and subsequently select and expand from the new recruits."

Saisake's ashen complexion grew even darker, and his emotions were complex.

There was both a sense of relief at no longer being under the Primarch's gaze and the anger of losing his position as the second-in-command of the Legion.

He ultimately did not speak, listening quietly as the Gene-Father continued to issue orders.

"Second Company Captain James will serve as the Lord of the Second Chapter, and the original Second Company will be converted into the First Company."

Ninglu decided to give those Terra-born Leaders who might change a chance, but he would show no mercy to those who were stubborn and unyielding.

Thierry's performance gave him the confidence to complete a smooth transition, and he would also arrange the three most capable Beyonders, including Bukayo, into the positions of Chapter Masters.

"The Lord of the Third Chapter will be Bukayo Arshavin, and the original Third Company will be converted into the First Company."

Samir's face turned gray; sure enough, they had not followed the Gene-Father's orders to accept the new philosophy, and now they were being replaced.

Although they were still Company Captains and still managed their own men, their status in the Legion had plummeted, and a gap had been opened between them and their colleagues who had been promoted.

"Adams will serve as the Lord of the Fourth Chapter."

Hearing that the Primarch had not appointed all Vostonian confidants as Chapter Masters, Robin and the other two Astartes who followed the Reaper philosophy felt they had no reason to question the Primarch's authority; this was the consequence of their failure to practice their father's will.

"……"

Ninglu issued orders in succession; besides Thierry Vieira, who had previously won the honor duel, serving as Lord of the Eighth Legion, and Robin serving as First Captain, all other Company Captains were promoted to Chapter Masters.

After the new recruits from Terra were selected by the twelve Chapter Masters, they joined the Eleventh Legion.

At the same time, those of Vostonian descent also began to join the "Order Shadow" on a large scale.

On this day, while Ninglu was handling official business, he received an urgent report from Arsena.

The 22nd Fleet of the Second Legion arrived at Vostonia.

"Order the Commander to come and see me."

After Ninglu issued the order, he tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop.

Ever since he received the order from the Emperor to lead the Second Legion, he realized that this was an opportunity.

There are three main reasons why the "Ultramarines" were able to become the most numerous Legion in the later stages of the "Great Crusade".

The internal reason is that the Thirteenth Legion governed an entire Sector and managed it well, so the number of candidates available for selection far exceeded that of other Legions.

The external reason is that the "Dark Angels" lost nearly 150,000 Warriors in the three Rangdan Xenocides, causing the First Legion, which was originally the most numerous, to suffer significant attrition.

Another reason is that some members of the Second and Eleventh Legions were not purged; after their Legions were erased, they were reassigned by the Emperor into the Thirteenth Legion.

In his memory, Angel Ta had pointed out that the number of "Ultramarines" suddenly surged at a certain point in time.

Ninglu judged that at least tens of thousands of Astartes would join the Thirteenth Legion, and it was very likely that this was the source of those culturally distinct Chapters among the old Thirteenth's successor Chapters.

He now had his sights set on the Second Legion; he did not mind having more men.

(End of this chapter)