Shi Ling's First Fleet had arrived not a moment too soon.
However.
Inside the flagship of Harusame's 9th Division, the invasion of claw-shaped assault pods had turned it into a battlefield littered with corpses and filled with endless cries of killing.
The thick stench of blood permeated every corner of the air.
The once orderly corridors and cabins were covered in scorch marks from energy weapons, cuts from sharp blades, and distortions left behind by explosive impacts.
Captain Bai Gu gripped a pair of bone blades polished from the skeleton of some alien behemoth, breathing heavily.
His once neat attire was now badly tattered.
Several blackened burns from electric shocks marred his exposed skin.
But Major Mitchell, his opponent, was in no better condition.
The soft, lustrous fur unique to the marmot Mink Tribe, along with his suit coat, was riddled with tears.
Yet the sharp gleam in his eyes only grew more intense.
Blue-white arcs of electricity leaped around his body like living creatures, hissing.
Each breath stirred the charged air, producing a crackling sound.
"Electric Moonstrike!"
Having caught his breath, Major Mitchell suddenly vanished.
Only a flash of light remained where he had stood before immediately fading.
Stimulated by the electric current, his speed surpassed the limits of ordinary vision.
Captain Bai Gu's pupils contracted sharply.
Relying entirely on instincts honed through countless life-and-death battles, he crossed his twin bone blades before himself and successfully blocked the incoming electrified claws.
[Clang----]
A piercing metallic crash exploded, while sparks scattered with the shockwave.
The tremendous impact also sent Captain Bai Gu staggering backward.
The numbness in his arms only grew stronger.
The two had originally been evenly matched, but as time passed, the scales of battle were tilting toward Major Mitchell.
After all.
Like most of Harusame's captains, all