Shina, pale and bleeding from her temple, asked weakly, "Did you defeat Cerberus…?"
Guntur stared down at her, expression unreadable. "You still don't know when to keep quiet, do you, Captain Mariposa?"
A faint smile touched Shina's lips. "So that's a no…"
Behind Guntur, several soldiers approached with swift, disciplined steps.
"Take her to the hospital," Guntur ordered. "If she stays here, she'll bleed out."
"I can still stand," Shina protested, attempting to rise—but her body betrayed her.
"You can also die on your feet," Guntur replied coldly, "but that wouldn't make you any more useful to the Empire."
The soldiers didn't hesitate. A medical team was called, and Shina was quickly taken away. Before vanishing behind the line of men, her eyes briefly locked with Easton's.
Now alone with him, Guntur shifted his attention.
"You're not military. But you fought like one. Are you a Warrior?"
Easton replied calmly, "Not anymore."
Guntur pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly irritated. "Fantastic… Another shitty warriors appear from knowhere. I'll have to apologize, but you'll be detained temporarily. Military protocol."
"What?" Easton's voice hardened.
"With this level of destruction and the appearance of Cerberus in the capital, I can't allow a suspicious figure like you to walk away unexamined."
Easton clenched his fists. "I was following my boss's orders."
"And who is your boss?" Guntur stepped closer, his tone cold, threatening. "We'll find out. And if he poses a threat to national stability, we'll handle him accordingly."
The air shifted—cool, heavy, like a silent warning.
Footsteps approached.
A man emerged calmly from the side street, his eyes lazy but piercing, his presence unshakable. Dressed plainly, but with an aura that demanded attention.
"No need," he said simply.
Guntur turned sharply. "...Canis Majoris."
"Easton is under my command," Canis said, voice even. "I won't allow his arrest."
Guntur was quiet for a moment, then sighed through his nose. "You were supposed to be in the North. What are you doing in the capital?"
"Walking," Canis replied flatly.
"Walking your way into a national crisis," Guntur snapped. "Do you realize the consequences if word gets out that Cerberus appeared here?"
"I do," Canis said. "Just as I knew what would happen if I hadn't shown up."
The two men locked eyes. There was tension—old, familiar, and dangerous.
Guntur spoke again. "You're not Imperial. No rank, no license. And yet every time you show up, the ground shifts beneath us."
"I've never come to create chaos," Canis said simply.
"But chaos always finds you."
A long silence passed between them.
At last, Guntur exhaled. "I don't want to fight you. Not in the capital. Come with me. We'll speak somewhere proper."
Canis nodded. "As long as Easton doesn't get shackled, I'll come."
Guntur gestured for the soldiers to stand down. "A fair request… for someone who refuses to kneel."
Side by side, they began walking toward military command. Their silhouettes stretched side by side through the broken streets—two powers from different worlds, knowing when to fight… and when to talk.
{Chapter 35}