Terra Palace Elbow Fight

Cawl could not help raising his head, the lenses of his multiple compound optical eyes automatically adjusting their focus amid that warm golden radiance.

What he saw was Guilliman's face, close at hand.

The edges of his jet-black hair were outlined in golden light, and the glow was reflected in his azure eyes.

He looked incomparably benevolent, yet the rock-solid line of his jaw revealed an unquestionable resolve.

"No, Cawl."

Guilliman's voice was low and clear, echoing through this space, slightly warped by psychic power as though it carried a reverberation:

"I am merely a primarch of the Imperium, my father's warrior and administrator.

"I do not possess the ability to restore the glory of the 'Omnissiah, God of All Machines' to the world."

He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying the solemnity of entrusting a heavy burden to the only suitable candidate:

"The one who can truly restore this glory, spread it to every corner of the Imperium that needs technology, and lead humanity's mechanical wisdom into the future!"

"Only you, my great sage of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Belisarius Cawl."

Cawl's mechanical body suddenly trembled, and his cooling system let out an unstable hum.

"You shall be the mechanical saint of the Imperium of Man's future, the Omnissiah's purest earthly incarnation!"

Guilliman's words struck Cawl's core logic and faith modules like a heavy hammer. "This task can only be done by you!"

"W-What?! Lord Guilliman! H-How could I possibly do such a thing?!"

For the first time, Cawl's voice carried such obvious trembling from his biological components, along with distortion in his electronic tone:

"How could I possibly be worthy...

"I am merely... a servant in pursuit of knowledge...

"How could I dare hope to become the incarnation of the Omnissiah?!"

"Of course you can, Cawl."

Guilliman's voice abruptly became utterly certain, as though he were stating a fact that had long existed:

"Because you are already walking this path!

"You are simply not complete enough yet, not awakened enough!

"But your direction, your persistence, every act by which you have preserved, researched, and even innovated technology for the Imperium has already proven the correctness of this glorious path!"

Before his words had even faded, Guilliman drew upon nearly all the psychic power he could command at that moment!

The golden-blue radiance was no longer merely a backdrop. It completely boiled and condensed.

It wrapped him and Cawl within a carefully constructed psychic illusion, suspended between reality and fantasy!

Within the illusion, Guilliman remained clear, and behind him—

The fleeting phantom of the Emperor, crowned and cloaked in light, appeared once more, more solid and majestic than before!

His gaze seemed to pierce through time and space as He calmly watched Cawl before Him.

At the instant the Emperor's phantom appeared—

A warm golden radiance also emerged, faintly present within the Warp.

Like a warm current crossing dimensions, it shone precisely upon that projection!

The light was gentle yet immensely powerful, making the already solid phantom of the Emperor seem even more real.

A more dazzling halo flowed along the edges of His golden outline, while His towering presence spread outward as though tangible!

It made the entire illusion tremble faintly under its weight.

Guilliman narrowed his eyes and inwardly sighed. My bargain-bin old man really is omnipotent. He can even sense what's happening over here.

Although He could not speak directly, this substantial infusion of light had already clearly revealed the Emperor's true thoughts:

Good son. Well done!

Your old man supports you!

As expected of that trashy Emperor. Back then, He put on an act to fool Horus and Vulkan alike.

He spent all day acting magnanimous, successfully winning Horus and Vulkan's hearts.

Then, after successfully bringing them into His camp, He revealed His true twisted nature.

When it came to words, He always spoke only half of what He meant.

But when it came to deeds, He really did things to the absolute extreme.

Serves Him right for getting stabbed by His own son!

Guilliman sneered inwardly.

But suddenly, he staggered and took several steps back.

Somewhat stunned, he raised a hand to touch his forehead.

With his current physique... he had actually felt pain?

Damn Emperor, I'm your only son now!

You've been sitting on that damned throne for ten thousand years, and you still have time to flick my forehead with psychic power!

Damn it, even an uncle can endure this, but an aunt can't!

I'm going to establish the Second Imperium. I'm going to rebel!

I forgot the beginning, I forgot the end, but anyway, let the galaxy burn!

At that moment, the gentle psychic power patted Guilliman on the shoulder again.

It seemed to be urging him to hurry up and stop delaying the important business.

Fine, fine. Truly the trashy Emperor.

Actually treating His own son like manual labor!

Once I grow stronger, old man, we'll have an elbow fight in Terra Palace. Whoever wins gets to be Emperor!

Nevertheless, Guilliman chose to obey his instincts and handle the Emperor's business.

There was no other reason. He could not beat Him yet.

His voice, filled with guidance and absolute conviction, echoed directly in the depths of Cawl's consciousness, like a whisper from the soul:

"Look, Cawl.

"The Master of Mankind is watching you.

"He has seen your loyalty, your wisdom, and your devotion."

Within the illusion, space beside the Emperor's phantom began to ripple faintly.

A point of pure golden light slowly appeared from nothing, then spread and took shape like a growing crystal!

It was a phantom composed of countless golden mechanical structures, impossibly complex yet so harmonious and perfect that it was suffocating!

Gears meshed and turned soundlessly, while energy conduits flowed with the radiance of order.

It was not an inanimate thing. Instead, it exuded absolute serenity, perfect order, and limitless potential to move forward!

This was precisely the ultimate form of technology that Cawl had envisioned deep within his heart—

After countless days and nights of research.

After abandoning certain rigid doctrines of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

It was the symbol, in his ideals, of the perfect union between machinery and wisdom, order and progress!

"So long as you use your technology and wisdom without reservation upon the great path of humanity's revival."

Guilliman's voice resounded like a great bell, resonating with the gradually forming mechanical phantom:

"Then you, Belisarius Cawl, shall be the Omnissiah of the future!

"You shall transcend the shackles of mortal machinery. Your will shall become one with the truth of machines, and in the end, you shall stand at the side of the Master of Mankind and share eternity!"

"Your mechanical body is still frail."

Guilliman's words carried encouragement and expectation:

"But your soul and will should set their sights upon a higher realm!

"Become the incarnation of the galaxy's mechanical laws, Cawl!

"This mission, this glory, this future!

"Only you are qualified to bear it and bring it into reality!"

"Boom—!!"

Endless golden radiance, warm and filled with affirmation, erupted within the illusion and completely enveloped Belisarius Cawl.

Before this sacred sight and these words, his enormous mechanical body could not help slowly kneeling down.

His multiple compound eyes stared fixedly at the gradually clarifying golden mechanical phantom beside the Emperor—

As though it had been tailor-made for him. His soul and logic core trembled violently.

That... that is... what I should become... the Omnissiah... an earthly incarnation... standing beside the Emperor...

All doubt, all humility, all shackles of doctrine were shattered in that instant by the overwhelmingly magnificent vision!