(o▽)o Widening Rift
"..."
"..."
On the command deck of the Vengeful Spirit, inside the office of Loken, commander of the Tenth Company and one of the members of the "Four Kings' Council," Annie stared wide-eyed at the battle-recording projection playing on one of the office's metal walls. Her beautiful black eyes were filled with surprise and curiosity as she silently watched it with Loken.
According to Loken, the recording seemed to show a battle from decades ago, during a certain day of the assault and defense of Canopy Star's Ruins Market. It had been recorded by some concealed battlefield-observation machine, and depicted an evenly matched engagement led and commanded by Sejanus, commander of the Fourth Company of the XVI Legion's Shadowmoon Wolves.
Unfortunately, Commander Sejanus later went to scout the enemy's movements while negotiating with them during a temporary ceasefire, and never returned. He even missed the retreat of the main forces. Soon afterward, the opposing side disappeared together with the planet's surviving troops—and Canopy Star itself.
Besides, there was no longer any so-called "Shadowmoon Wolves." After Horus was appointed Warmaster by the Emperor of Mankind and given command of the entire Great Crusade fleet, the XVI Legion had been renamed the Sons of Horus long ago.
Of course!
All of that was ancient history from decades ago. Such minor matters were unimportant. What mattered was that Loken had called up the recording of that battle and considerately invited Annie to watch it with him. As for what he was really up to, that remained unknown.
In any case!
Annie clearly did not want to know what he was really up to, because she had already been completely drawn into the battle on the screen.
"..."
Annie stared intently at the footage. In one area of the ruins of