The Soundwave Pest Eliminator, as the name suggests, is a device designed to eliminate pests through noise.
Its mechanism amplifies the destructive power of sound, effectively eradicating pests when used with a specially designed audio tape. If such a tape is unavailable, the device requires sufficiently lethal noise input through a microphone as its ammunition.
Coincidentally, Doraemon's pocket happened to contain a recording of Gian's singing—a tape he had been coerced into purchasing months ago after Gian's concert. Who would have thought it could actually come in handy?
"But before that, we need these."
Doraemon pulled out a pair of earplugs from his pocket and affixed them to his round head. Taking a deep breath, he gritted his teeth and pressed the button, unleashing the apocalyptic song.
In an instant, a terrifying force began to spread.
It's hard to describe the scene that followed. If one were to attempt an explanation, the sound was akin to an accompaniment for Shiva's Tandava, the cosmic dance of destruction in Indian mythology, possessing an overwhelming power to annihilate everything.
As the device activated, the entire building trembled. Every Gene Thief, including their chieftain, collapsed to the ground, clutching their ears in agony. Their anguished screams, however, couldn't ripple through the overwhelming noise; they merely trembled alongside the structure. Seconds later, one Gene Thief's hybrid form exploded under the relentless sonic bombardment, followed by others, including their leader.
Then, as if unable to withstand its own destructive output, the Sonic Wave Insect Exterminator suddenly exploded, leaving behind a profound silence.
"Phew, you've really outdone yourself, Gian," Doraemon muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. Relieved, he removed the earplugs and began reviving his injured companions using the Time Furoshiki. "I'm sorry about the collateral damage. It wasn't intentional."
"...It's fine." Roy lay amidst the carnage, watching in disbelief as Doraemon revived each fallen ally by draping the cloth over them. Once removed, they stood up alive and well.
It was surreal.
Roy covered his face with his hand, suddenly questioning his own purpose. Even if Doraemon had come alone with his gadgets, the outcome wouldn't have been much different.
"Well, I guess this takes care of these creatures, right?" Doraemon asked as he began putting his tools back into his pocket. "What are you planning to do next?"
"I suppose I have some plans." Roy wiped his face and used Doraemon's small, round hand for support as he stood. "What about you?"
"I need to figure out how to deal with the plague. If left unchecked, the consequences will be catastrophic," Doraemon replied, vividly recalling the futures he had glimpsed through his gadgets.
"Alright. We'll help you resolve this issue later," Roy nodded. "And deal with the heretics who unleashed the plague. But we'll need time to reorganize our faction."
"Then it's settled. Once you're ready, meet me in the alley next to Isa's house," Doraemon said, waving before opening the Anywhere Door and disappearing into the wallpapered room.
Roy waved back with a tired smile, not questioning how Doraemon knew where Isa lived. Instead, he sat wearily on the ground, joined by his companions who formed a quiet circle around him.
"Roy," Putana asked, "What do you plan to do next? Turn yourself into the Department of Justice or...?"
"Surrender? You can't even make it to the Central Hive now," someone interjected. "I say we stay alive and atone for our heretical sins against the Emperor."
"Atonement?"
"Yes. The underhive is crawling with heretics. Slaughtering them should atone for our sins, shouldn't it?" The speaker's tone was venomous. "Offer their blood and heads to the Golden Throne—ten, a hundred, a thousand. Stack the skulls into a monument to prove our loyalty to the Emperor!"
"Think of your families. We can't selfishly decide their future, even if we are…" Roy sighed. "There are many ways to prove our devotion. Don't be so extreme."
"What's your plan, then?"
Roy nodded, dipping his hand into a nearby pool of blood and drawing three concentric circles on the ground.
"First, our true identities must remain hidden, even from most of our faction. No one should know the full truth. If we're careless, the fallen angels will rise again, cursing our lineage. We need to classify these secrets, so different ranks know only what they need to."
Putana scratched his head in confusion. "For example?"
"For instance, those in the outer circle should remain entirely ignorant, continuing to worship the Emperor devoutly," Roy explained. "Our malformed kin should be kept hidden, confined to factories where they can labor for the Emperor's cause. Only trusted individuals may interact with them—this is the middle circle."
"And the innermost circle?" someone asked. "What about the angels of corruption?"
"That's our responsibility," Roy said grimly. "As the innermost circle, we must ensure these entities never rise to control our minds, even if it means eliminating them in secret."
---
And so, with the Gene Thieves' pact, a world's destiny shifted.
This small change would cascade into greater upheavals. In the Warp, where time held no meaning, past and future coexisted. Before an event began, its end was already known to the Dark Gods. Yet this time, the ripples of change grew too vast.
Centered on a single planet, the fate of the human empire—and even the entire galaxy—would inevitably be drawn into the vortex of destiny, steering toward an unknowable future, beyond even the grasp of the Chaos Gods.
In the surreal sea of souls and the bizarre heights of the Empyrean, the will of the Changer of Ways reveled in ecstasy.
Thus, amidst the topmost spires of the hive city, a web of conspiracy and betrayal began to weave itself.