You Really Are Beautiful
The sword was slender and long, with a silver blade and only the hilt being gold.
The blade was engraved with golden inscriptions that glittered in the sunlight.
The inscription was in ancient Terra script, reading "Messenger of Heaven".
A ruby was set in the hilt of the sword, and it seemed as if blood was flowing within the gem.
That was a sacred relic of the Blood Angels, the sword of the Archangel, a gift bestowed by the Emperor himself.
The Star Phaeron raised his head.
She saw a pair of wings.
Pure white, enormous, angelic wings fluttered slowly behind the sword's owner.
The wings shimmered with a soft golden light in the sunlight, each feather like a meticulously crafted work of art.
Her gaze continued upwards, landing on golden hair cascading over her shoulders, swaying gently in the breeze.
I saw blood-red eyes, deep and bright, like two burning rubies.
I saw exquisite gold and red armor, tailored and magnificent, every pattern like a work of art.
Sanguinius.
Archangel.
Primarch the Ninth Legion.
The Emperor's most perfect creation.
The Star Phaeron's finger stopped.
Her processor was working frantically, trying to analyze the data of the entity before her.
The intensity of that energy far exceeded that of any enemy she had encountered before.
The Psionic Energy fluctuations were so complex that even her logical array couldn't decipher them.
That aura, that posture, that perfect face—it gave even this emotionless machine of 65 million years an indescribable sense of awe.
"A god among men," she spoke, her voice carrying a rare hint of reverence, "You are more beautiful than the legends describe."
Sanguinius bowed slightly, the movement elegant and humble. "Thank you for your praise, Stellar Phaeron."
Your elegance is equally impressive.
The Star Phaeron awaits.
Reciprocity is the most basic etiquette in the universe.
She complimented the other person, so they should compliment her in return.
She looked forward to it, hoping that this beautiful being would praise her appearance, her scepter, and her starlight with equally beautiful words.
She waited and waited.
Sanguinius simply smiled and looked at her.
That smile was flawless, like a Michelangelo sculpture, a Raphael painting, a work of art created by God himself.
There was no flaw in that smile, no perfunctory attitude, no falsehood.
It is sincere, it is warm, it makes people feel warm inside.
But what about the praise from the Star Phaeron? None.
She waited for a full three seconds, but Sanguinius didn't say a word.
He just laughed, laughed, and laughed.
The Star Phaeron's processor began to heat up.
Her emotional simulation system started to alarm.
Her logic array began to malfunction.
She's stalling for time! This seemingly harmless and beautiful deity is actually stalling for time!
Her gaze passed over Sanguinius's shoulder and fell upon the Space Marines still desperately chiseling at the Necrons Titans.
One Titans has fallen, another is groaning, and the third has begun to tilt.
They were chiseling so happily, so intently, so—damn!
"You!" The Star Phaeron's scepter pointed at Sanguinius, his voice filled with rage unseen in sixty-five million years, "You're stalling for time!"
Sanguinius tilted his head, a gesture that was both innocent and endearing. "I don't know, I don't know."
Star Phaeron gazed at that handsome face, the anger in his heart melted away like cream.
She wanted to stay angry, but that face made her unable to stay angry.
She wanted to curse at him, but the profanities stuck in her throat.
She wanted to hit him, but she just couldn't bring herself to throw a punch.
Damn it! I have to defeat him, then stuff him into Stasis Field and enjoy watching him for centuries!
"Come on!" The Star Phaeron raised his scepter, and the crystal of the C'tan Shard burst forth with dazzling light. "Let me see what skills you have besides your beauty!"
Sanguinius' smile vanished, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in his blood-red eyes.
His sword spun in his hand, and the golden inscriptions began to glow.
His wings suddenly spread out, and his pure white feathers shimmered with a golden light in the sunlight.
"As you wish."
The Star Phaeron launched the first attack.
With a wave of her scepter, the starlight transformed into countless beams of eerie green light, shooting towards Sanguinius.
Each beam of light was powerful enough to tear apart the warship's shields; each beam carried the power of C'tan Shard; each beam was precisely aimed at Sanguinius ' vital points.
Sanguinius did not dodge.
His wings snapped shut, and the pure white feathers formed a shield in front of him.
The beam of light struck the shield, bursting forth with blinding light.
The light was so intense that the Space Marines around them all closed their eyes.
But the shield did not break.
The feathers flowed with golden Psionic Energy, the power Sanguinius had honed in the Warp for ten thousand years—holy light strong enough to withstand any attack.
The beam of light dissipated.
Sanguinius ' wings unfolded again, and there wasn't a single scratch on his feathers.
His sword twirled in his hand, and then he moved.
His speed was so fast that even the Star Phaeron's sensors couldn't detect it.
His figure left golden afterimages in the void, like an angel soaring in the sky.
The Star Phaeron held his scepter horizontally in front of him, attempting to block.
Sanguinius ' sword struck the scepter, producing a piercing metallic clang.
The force was so great that it sent the Star Phaeron's body sliding backward dozens of meters.
Her processor was working at full speed, analyzing the data from the attack.
Strength, speed, Psionic Energy fluctuations—everything far exceeded her expectations.
"Your power," she exclaimed in surprise, "Is far greater than anything recorded."
Sanguinius ' lips curled into a slight smile, brimming with confidence. "Ten thousand years have passed; people always progress."
What he didn't say was that Guilliman's Law of Eternity made his physical body ten times stronger than it was ten thousand years ago.
Sanguinius was already capable of tearing apart Titans single-handedly, now possessed combat power that was outrageously inflated.
Even with the Star Phaeron's C'tan energy, Sanguinius, in his normal state, could still fight her to a standstill with his physical body.
Not to mention that he spent ten thousand years in the Warp, and his control over Psionic Energy has become incredibly powerful.
He is even comparable to Magnus.
After all, Sanguinius is able to directly create the Psionic Energy "The Sanguinor" from the Blood Angels.
That incarnation carries the will of the angels and possesses their power; it is the last hope of the Blood Angels in dire straits.
The beings capable of creating such avatars possess a level of understanding of Psionic Energy that far surpasses the limits of mortals.