Who is the largest man in the galaxy?

There are some really tall Astartes and Custodes and even taller Primarchs out there, with Vulkan towering over them by a meter or so. The Emperor could also shapeshift or remodell reality to become huge if he wants to, but there's a limit. Square cube law or something scientific like that.

But this guy I found in the ruins of the Eye of Terror was larger. So massive that without my dimensional vision I would have thought he was just a flesh planet or something like that. No wonder the Tyranids were happily eating his flesh and growing millions of bio-ships at a rapid pace. Oliensis was so big that corrupted Beastmen and Chaos Marines like the Corpus Brethren were only miniscule parasites on his body, fighting the extra-galactic virus infecting Oliensis and giving him a fever, by blowing up giant bleeding craters and volcanoes of puss.

'We should put him out of his misery.' The Blade AI suggested once she realized the truth as well.

'Ummm. It does seem a bit excessive, doesn't it? Like a parody of those fat Nobles infesting the Imperium. If I were a guessing man, I would guess his gluttony turned him this way, with the aid of some Warp God encouraging excess. A gravity pulse to push the fat guy into the sun?' I proposed with a visible smirk.

'And burn the feeding elements of the Tyranids at the same time? A judicious use of the Void Claw, Lord Captain.' the Blade agreed and fired our gravity weapon to change the orbit of Oliensis and make it fall into the sun.

All over the sector, battlegroups from my Crusade Fleet and elements from nearby Forge Worlds and Fortress Worlds like Cadia were fighting to secure the former Eye before either Orks or Tyranids got a foothold and gained too much biomass. We were actually running out of Exterminatus munitions, with so many Daemon Worlds that needed a radical cleansing.

It wouldn't matter too much anyways. Very soon, the galaxy will experience the promised Rapture, and the unworthy will be judged by the Divine Emperor.

Tarot decks, the traditional past-time of the faithful and psykers alike, were going nuts and cards were floating in midair for hours without any explanation. The Sisters of Battle were fighting at incredible levels of fanaticism, and winning at any or against any odds. Give a Sister any kind of extra mechanical enhancement like a Sentinel or Paragon suit, and they could easily and rapidly demolish Tyranid Tyrants or an Ork Boss in a minute or less.

Then the last month of sanity ended. It was time to regroup and enter hell, by breaking down the nine gates of Tzeentch.

"See you in hell, Oliensis..." I whispered as the fat planet burned inside the sun.

'All ships, we regroup at Cadia for a final check. Make the best speed, and spare no munitions.' I sent via the Sounding Board, as the Central Crusade Battlefleet turned around.

"The Leviathan Crusade ends today, Lord Captain?" Laur asked from the command holotable where a hundred officers were gathered.

I nodded gently as Canis blinked his loyal eyes at me. Wolftime, I know buddy.

"Sparta, the ancient Terran Kingdom some 44000 years ago, had two Kings. One of them stayed at home and managed the affairs of the kingdom, while the other king lead the army of Spartans in war." I declared while approaching the command table.

"And that worked? Sounds like a recipe for disaster..." Laur noted with a glance at our Librarians.

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"It worked well enough for 1000 years, until the Roman Imperium conquered Sparta as well as most of the known world." Custode Valerian answered for me.

"Imperare Orbi universo. The Imperium will rule the universe. It is the manifest destiny of humanity. The Emperor's Will as well. There are only a few more steps left. And we will soon take the next one. We will kill Tzeentch, and break the yoke of Chaos over the human psyche. " I continued with a large smile, while Oliensis shattered into screaming bits of fat and gore, burning inside the sun alongside his Chaos and Tyranid parasites.

The Custode glanced at the main screen, and just shook his head. "While I do know some of His Majesty's plans, I don't know if they involve transforming the Imperium of Man into a new Sparta ruled by two kings. The Aquila on our chests seems to suggest this was the long plan for millennia, but the truth remains we don't know."

I shrugged without care. "I say it is so. And my word is enough. We continue with my plan."

The Custode frowned for a second, then sighed. "Bold without limit, like any Warmaster should be. Not that you're even using all that power the Emperor entrusted you, Lord Lancefire. Frugal without motive, when you could expand your fleet and army a thousand-fold easily."

"If I wanted the useless troops and ships of the Imperial Navy and Guard, I would have summoned them already. But that would only feed more bodies to Chaos. Where we are going, numbers are not a relevant issue." I explained while my sons nodded in agreement.

An alien wolf passed through the new Neutron Shield of my battleship like it was a bubble of soap, and walked confidently next to me, while licking his necrodermis lips. Oliensis must have been quite nutritious, the fat guy.

Librarian Menelau scowled at Zath for some reason, then smiled. "At least we have a veteran from the last War in Heaven on our side." he added with a light voice.

'Last chance, Zath. You might die this time.' I sent on my implant, while Canis growled mildly.

'You think too little of me, Pef Lancefire. Some C'tan also have honor, and pay their debts. And I think the Potentate is the same. He even warned me against backstabbing you.' the C'tan wolf answered in a dignified and mind-shacking voice. Even stronger than before, as months of genocides and massacres had restored a good deal of his former strength.

'I never said you aren't honorable, Zath. I just gave you an easy way out. You're free.' I sent back as the wolf rose to observe the strategic map and our planned course towards Cadia.

'Freedom isn't free, Rogue Trader. Living with the shame of cowardice would be even harder. A bunch of children going to fight a mollusk god in his den, and this powerful Star Wolf should just stay aside and let you gain all the glory? I would think not!' Zath countered in a harsher tone, then nudged Canis lightly as he turned around and left the ship, like a phantom phasing through walls.

'See you at Cadia, Zath!' I sent after him, already guessing his destination.

'A bit better, small harmless human. You're starting to think like a god. Your Ascension must be close.' the C'tan spoke in a distant voice, already speeding away from our slow moving fleet.

"Wooolf!" Canis declared in a confident howl.

I patted his soft fur, and I sighed inward. Canis was right, but missed the point as well. Zath was not the wolf we needed to save. There was a far darker wolf living inside the Maelstrom.