Warhammer: Start with a dog.

Chapter 712 (13) You said she was a living saint, but why do I see her as...

"Living saint?"

Sigismund repeated it once more.

The word brought a bitter taste of static electricity to his metal mouth, and at the same time he seemed to taste the sweat and fear of the pilgrims on Terra.

The last time he knew a woman with that title, her words ultimately led him and many of the people he knew into a future he was now unsure he wanted again.

Above the clouds, Saint Celestine was still gracefully descending toward the ground, her metal wings wrapped around her, her long, smooth hair framing her rosy face, her gleaming armor bearing no resemblance to the faded linen robes of the ascetic.

In the vision of Sigismund's metal eye, it can be clearly seen that the curtain separating reality and the warp is cascading and separating around her like petals. This material form composed of non-matter is being shaped and lifted up from the depths of the warp by some force.

A memory scene was retrieved from the depths of the Matrix: he was on the wall of Saturn, fighting alongside Dorn, hitting the Phoenix incarnated as a demon lord, and he saw the Phoenix and his offspring parting the black rose-like veil to disappear or emerge from the warp.

Lorian, who knew nothing of what Sigismund had seen, nodded at his question, evidently having some intelligence to offer, and Pavas looked at the sergeant with interest, hoping that he would continue.

Apparently, as a Primaris Space Marine, Lorien had some different sources of information than the Firstborn Warriors of the Imperial Fists.

Although the Primaris were regarded as untrustworthy or blue-painted Ultramarines by many chapters, especially some of the founding chapters, and therefore had many reservations about intelligence about them, cats have their ways, and mice have their ways.

The Primaris often forged deep bonds aboard their ships when they were once Greyshields and traveled across the galaxy to their own destinies, and some of these bonds never fade after they are painted in the colors of their own Chapters.

"Yes, Celestine, the Living Saint of the Emperor. It is said that she came when Cadia fell, fought desperately until the last moment, and even almost killed the Chaos Warmaster Abaddon."

"...From the feel of the hit, I doubt it's a question of whether I can kill him in combat."

Before he could react, Sigismund's metallic vocal cords very honestly muttered out what he was thinking, and the moment he realized that these words had come out, he turned the volume of the loudspeaker down to the lowest setting.

Oh Dorne! What is happening? I seem to be becoming less and less like... the blade I was reforged into.

"what did you say?"

"Nothing, just keep talking about what you know."

Lorian glanced at the technical sergeant, and Pavas nodded at him.

"Don't worry. Although Brother Volpes is a veteran of the First Company, I don't think he cares as much about your rules as Desorian does."

So the facial muscles of the young Primaris Sergeant, who had been expressionless like a stone sculpture in front of Captain Desorian, suddenly became more lively, and he looked very lively. "It's like this... It is said that she was also at the scene where the Great Sage Belisarius Cawl and his allies awakened the Primarch. There are reports that she blessed and protected the Primarch's resurrection. As the Great Rift continues to obscure the light of the Astronomican, except for a few relatively stable navigation channels, many worlds on the non-Terra side of the rift can no longer see the light of the Astronomican, which has caused people to fall into inevitable panic. But Celestine's arrival does not seem to be affected by the Great Rift, because on the way here, we received more than one report about her active appearance in various worlds on the dark side to fight against the invasion of Chaos."

“My throne.” Sigismund sighed, half-truthfully, “So many great things have happened during the years I was lost in the world on the other side. Did you also come here through a certain passage? If there are only a few passages that can cross it, then the strategic significance and intensity of the battles through these passages will probably be unprecedentedly tragic.”

"Don't worry too much about this... Regarding this issue. Because of Lord Lysander... the Chapter has its own response now." Pavas suddenly said, "I will tell you later on the way. Let's continue talking about the living saint."

Lorian looked at the technical sergeant with a bit of surprise, but continued speaking.

"...As far as I know, there is another rumor about living saints that is rarely mentioned, although the State Church and the Sisters often believe that this is a supreme honor and a manifestation of being chosen to sacrifice for the Emperor," Lorian said, "that is, the battlefield where Saint Celestine appears means high-intensity wars, the most brutal and bloody battles, and battlefields of natural disaster level."

The Primaris Astartes whispered over the whistling wind and the sound of the waves thousands of feet below the hive platform, "She is indeed a glorious angel, bringing the Emperor's blessing to everyone and inspiring the courage of the soldiers. But her appearance also means that the battle on our planet may not be as quick as we hoped, and we may not be able to win a beautiful and clean victory as a gift for us to return to the mountain. If she descends here, it means that our actual enemies must be more numerous and powerful than those we can see."

It sounded like she had a strong connection with war, blood, and death. Sigismund frowned slightly.

"However, Sister Rivinia has already conducted global reconnaissance and scanning, and our strategic deployment all depends on the intelligence she provides. Judging from the current number and actions of the enemy, we can fully cope with it. Desorian has also made a counterattack plan. Therefore, there is probably a large part here..."

"...enemies we don't know about yet." Pavas continued. "It's surprising that you accepted this statement immediately. From your expression, I thought you didn't like living saints."

"Was there? I was just amazed at what I saw."

"When you saw her emerge through the clouds just now, you were like..." The Techsergeant chose his words, "like you thought she was some kind of illusion of the enemy or a conspiracy of Chaos. Fortunately, your misunderstanding did not last long."

"I was just surprised by the movement when the living saint came. This misunderstanding cannot be mentioned in front of the elder nun," Sigismund glanced at Pavas, "otherwise I will have to subdue her first."

Lorien began to smile at the joke.

As if she heard their name mentioned from a distance, the communication rosary rang. It was Sister Rivinia, and her voice was now filled with rising enthusiasm and joy.

"Today is a blessed day! Brothers Astartes! Saint Celestine has come to our temple and will choose her twin maidens from among our sisters. I will need to preside over this sacrament myself, so you will not be able to contact me for a while before the ceremony is over... Wait, ah, yes, Saint Celestine, what do you want? What? You want to see them?"

After a burst of noise, the voice of Sister Rivinia sounded again, and this time there seemed to be some hidden doubts.

"The Living Saint said she wanted to meet the Emperor's Champion."

(End of this chapter)