"Sanguinius?!" Magnus' voice stretched out, looking in disbelief at the Archangel suspended in the Empyrean.
Fiery feathers vibrated in the Sea of Souls, and Sanguinius' figure, like a dazzling stellar halo, illuminated Magnus' flagship, the Vengeful Spirit.
This grand pyramid, resembling the lingering shadow of Prospero, seemed to dissolve like dirty dewdrops in the sunlight under his radiance.
The daemons and other blasphemous entities hidden within the pyramid wailed, and the translucent scarabs that emerged from Magnus' mouth dissolved and vanished.
Magnus let out an angry growl, and a torrent from the Empyrean erupted from the Crimson King.
The crimson Magnus almost transformed into a giant composed of fire, lightning, and crystal, standing at the apex of the pyramid, his body entwined with colorful, bizarre runes.
"How did you find me?! How did you break through the fog of fate, the enigmatic puzzle created by the Lord of Change?"
The magnificent form Magnus had become stared at Sanguinius' projection across the torrent of the Empyrean.
The immense power of the Sea of Souls burned in his gold and silver armor and upward-swept red hair, and constantly shifting Psyker lightning sparkled in his single eye.
The Empyrean allowed two colossal beings to unleash their full power, enabling them to reveal their true essence.
Magnus and Sanguinius, their forms were like those described in legends on the most remote planets.
Ahriman had once witnessed a similar confrontation, on the night Prospero burned, between Magnus and Leman Russ.
"All thanks to numerology!"
A clear laugh echoed in the Empyrean. Sanguinius' voice carried no hint of mockery or sarcasm, stating it plainly as if narrating a fact.
But Magnus roared, and Ahriman gritted his teeth, both feeling humiliated.
"How dare you insult me like this, Sanguinius!"
"After ten thousand years, have your words become so sharp? You're as annoying as that wolf!"
Magnus roared and bellowed, and the Sea of Veils shook. Countless Warp torrents, like meteors, fell towards Sanguinius.
But ten thousand years of human prayers resonated around Sanguinius, forming a barrier that blocked Magnus' attack.
Sanguinius chuckled a few times, and light continuously burst forth from the void.
He had indeed used the power of numerology, but not exclusively.
The Divining Rod flashed in his hand.
This item from Alexander was so miraculous; not only could it track anyone in the material universe, but it could also achieve the same effect in the Warp, a metaphysical world.
It was with this tool that Sanguinius discovered Magnus' whereabouts and projected his will here.
"Let me see what you intend to do!"
Sanguinius whispered softly, his eyes shimmering like golden pools, looking at Magnus' fate within the torrent of destiny.
He wanted to predict all of Magnus' future actions, to pave the way for his side to reach Terra.
"Never!" Magnus' growl was like ninety-nine thunderclaps exploding, and the light of destiny began to flicker in his single eye.
The two clashed on the level of prophecy and destiny, predicting each other's actions and interfering with each other's predictions, constantly stirring the swirling timelines.
The Empyrean began to change with the clash of their wills, and past and future were reflected in the void.
The hot sands of Baal swirled from nowhere, and the Warp mirrored Sanguinius' birth on Baal.
Magnus extended his crimson claws, reaching across the long expanse of time to stab at young Sanguinius' neck.
But the hot sand vanished in an instant, followed by a heavy rain. The pyramids of Prospero flickered in and out of view, and fierce flames raged across the entire planet.
Ahriman recognized it as the Burning of Prospero from ten thousand years ago.
Sanguinius abruptly extended his leg, attempting to trip Magnus, who was clashing with Leman Russ.
Magnus raised his staff, and time in the Empyrean abruptly shifted.
In an instant, the two stood again on the plains of Dawn Star, and Magnus' staff and Sanguinius' spear collided for a moment.
Time, destiny, will, Warp—the two engaged in a brief clash on all levels.
Everything vibrated with it, and Ahriman could only do his best to mitigate the aftershocks of their collision.
As for participating? Ahriman couldn't even imagine it. Without sufficient preparation, Ahriman had no place in a battle of this caliber.
Even though he knew that the two couldn't even be considered truly fighting at this moment; they were merely peering into each other's past and future.
But even that was enough to cause tremors in the Warp.
Sanguinius' eyes once again reflected the long river where past, future, and present intertwined.
Magnus' single eye also flickered with the river of destiny. He wanted to pursue, but only let out a frustrated growl of exasperation.
In Sanguinius' eyes, the scene of the Vengeful Spirit was reflected. His will entered the fate where he met his death on the Vengeful Spirit, and Magnus dared not follow closely to peek at that past, forced to avert his gaze from the past.
Magnus' prophecy was thus a step slower and could no longer interfere with Sanguinius' prophecy.
Sanguinius seized this momentary opportunity and quickly began to predict Magnus' future actions.
Twisting stars, shattered Webway, Magnus' book...
Sanguinius' gaze lingered slightly on Magnus' book, and he showed a surprised expression:
"So Magnus' book is your—"
Before Sanguinius could investigate further, he heard a cawing sound.
A blue, constantly shifting, kaleidoscopic figure suddenly pressed down on Magnus' fate.
All the destinies before Sanguinius became blurred, obscured by ninety-nine thousand riddles, reflections, and changes.
Magnus' master had entered the fray!
The Lord of Change used Magnus' book as an anchor, covering all of Magnus' future and changes.
He even extended twisting destinies as tentacles, attempting to reach for Sanguinius' existence.
Sanguinius remained unhurried, his finger moving slightly.
A red cloak suddenly flashed in his hand, and the Lord of Change's tentacles uncontrollably deflected.
Sanguinius seized this momentary opportunity to withdraw his consciousness.
He slowly opened his eyes, returning to the summit of Macragge in Hera Fortress.
"Cough, cough, cough—"
Sanguinius let out an unpleasant growl, clutching the rift in his chest.
The brief clash with Magnus and the Lord of Change made the wound, left when Horus tore his body with the great power of the Four Gods, ache.
That wound transcended time and space, directly etched onto Sanguinius' very existence, making it difficult to remove.
"My Lord!" "Father!" Tigurius and Mephiston eagerly stepped forward.
Sanguinius waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.
"Go find Alexander and Guilliman."
"I've discovered something, something about Magnus."