The battle between Shina and Cerberus raged on. Shina didn't stop trying to freeze the creature, but each time she landed a hit, Cerberus regenerated almost instantly. It was relentless. Her mind flashed back to the time she defeated and sealed the Fox Phantom—Cerberus was far beyond that monster in both power and resilience.
As she frantically searched for a new strategy, Cerberus raised one of its massive arms to strike her. Calmly, Shina shifted into a defensive stance, ready to dodge.
But suddenly—
A hand gripped her shoulder.
Her eyes widened in shock. More than that, she felt her strength being drained, as if her power was being sucked out of her body through that touch. She spun around—
And saw him.
Satgas.
A Bloodminer operative—the same one who had once confronted Canis.
Before she could react, Cerberus's massive paw came crashing down on her. The blow launched her through the air like a ragdoll, smashing her into the ruined buildings behind her.
She crashed, hard.
Blood trickled from her head, staining the rubble beneath her. Shina lay still, her breathing shallow. Cerberus, looming above, summoned a flaming orb—hot, molten, and growing—ready to incinerate her.
Then—
A green barrier flared to life, catching the flame just in time.
The force of the blast pushed the shield back, but it held. Barely.
Easton had arrived.
He stood in front of Shina, arms extended, maintaining the barrier with gritted teeth.
"Lady Shina! Are you alright?"
She was still conscious. Barely. Blood poured from her head, and yet—her eyes were open. She was still fighting.
Easton stared in disbelief. "You're still awake? With this much blood?"
Was it adrenaline? Or was she really this tough?
He turned his attention to Cerberus. His body tensed. He thought of engaging the monster—but without Canis, their odds were slim.
Then the sky changed.
Dark clouds rolled in unnaturally fast. Thunder cracked overhead. And then—
A massive lightning bolt came down like judgment from the heavens.
It struck Cerberus dead-on.
The monster screamed once, then—nothing.
No regeneration. No counterattack.
Cerberus dissolved into the air, like a shadow being burned away by light.
Easton's eyes widened. "That's not Canis' technique…"
Shina, still weak but alert, gave a faint, knowing smile.
"There's only one person who can do that," she whispered.
From the distance, a figure emerged through smoke and broken stone. He walked calmly, hands in his pockets. His uniform was military grey, like Lucy's—but over it, he wore a long, black coat that fluttered with the wind.
He stopped several meters in front of them.
lieutenant general Guntur.
He stood, tall and silent, eyes cold and calculating. His gaze passed from Easton to Shina, lingering on the wounded captain sitting amidst the rubble.
"Captain Shina Mariposa of the Red star corps," he said at last.
His tone was flat. Not a greeting, but an interrogation.
He gave Easton a brief glance, then turned his eyes back to Shina.
"There are many things I need to ask… about what happened here."
{Chapter 34 end}