The battle raged on, growing more chaotic with every passing second.
The AIA agents threw everything they had at Canis—every move, every strike—but it was useless.
Nothing landed.
Every attack was dodged, deflected, or dismissed like it meant nothing.
And the worst part? Canis wasn't even fighting back.
"This is pointless," one agent muttered, frustration boiling. "Nothing's working."
"Quit whining," another snapped. "Keep pushing. He's not invincible. There has to be an opening eventually."
"Yeah," someone added, "he can't keep this up forever."
They said the words—but even as they spoke, doubt crept in.
Deep down, they knew. This man wasn't just strong.
He was on a whole different level.
"What's the matter?" Canis said casually, cracking his neck. "You all tired already? I'm barely warmed up."
He was enjoying this. Teasing them. Mocking them.
The Captain clenched his fists.
"There's no other choice… I'll try it."
"Try what, Captain?"
"KANURAGAN: CRYSTALLIZATION."
That name alone stunned the squad.
Eyes went wide. Breaths caught.
"Wait—seriously? You can do that?"
"What's with those faces?" the Captain snapped. "You think I'm bluffing?"
They stammered, trying to explain.
"N-No! It's just… that technique's only been mastered by the top elite in the world!"
"I trained it after I was discharged. It's brutal, yeah. But if I pull it off… we've got a shot."
Canis, who'd been casually eavesdropping, smiled.
"Crystallization, huh? Heh... sounds fun. Go ahead. Show me."
"Gladly."
The Captain spread his legs, lowering into a firm stance. His hands cupped together as if holding something invisible.
A vibrant green mist began to swirl between his palms—gathering, condensing—until it solidified into a glowing, translucent spear.
"Let's see how you handle this."
With a sharp motion, the Captain whipped the energy spear forward.
A burst of wind exploded in its wake, tearing toward Canis and Aron.
"Look out, Mister!" Aron called out. "That's not just some flashy move!"
Even if he hadn't seen it before, he'd read about it in his father's old notebooks—famous combat techniques from around the world.
Crystallization was one of the rarest.
"It turns your Kanuragan into gas, then solidifies it into a weapon, shaped by the user's affinity," Aron explained quickly.
"That's pretty technical for a kid. How do you know all this?"
"My dad wrote about it in one of his books."
"Your dad sounds like a badass."
"Of course he was!" Aron puffed up with pride, arms crossed.
'Okay... I wasn't trying to flatter you,' Canis thought, deadpan.
"Could you two stop geeking out for one second and focus?"
"Hey, don't blame me—this kid talks a lot."
"Why me?!"
But the moment didn't last. The Captain lunged.
He hurled the spear with brutal force, slicing the air in a powerful arc.
There was no time to move. Canis raised his arms in front of his face—bracing.
It should've torn right through him. But instead…
He stopped it.
Just like that.
The wind died. The energy dispersed.
And Canis stood there—untouched.
Everyone froze.
But then—yellow smoke began rising from Canis's arms.
Aron's eyes widened.
"Yellow smoke… That's Kanuragan above green level."
Canis flicked the fading remnants of the attack aside.
Then—bam.
The sword agent appeared out of nowhere, lunging with precision.
"That was just a setup," the Captain shouted from behind. "A distraction. The real hit—comes now!"
The sword agent aimed straight for Canis's chest.
But Canis, once again, dodged with ease.
"Cheap trick."
Except… something changed.
As the sword passed, it clipped the chain around Canis's neck.
The moment it touched the necklace, something inside him snapped.
---
The air grew heavy.
Suddenly, Canis was no longer playing around.
The sword agent was now in his grip—held by the throat.
He struggled, kicked, clawed—but it was useless.
His skin turned pale. His body limp.
And with a cold, merciless squeeze… Canis snapped his neck.
The silence afterward was deafening.
He dropped the corpse like garbage.
Then looked up—eyes burning—with a glare that pierced everyone around him.
"The rest of you… will die the same way."
'You didn't learn, did you?'
A voice echoed inside Canis's mind. Familiar. Unwanted.
Pain exploded in his skull. He staggered, clutching his head.
"SHUT UP!"
Aron watched in shock as Canis dropped to one knee, groaning in agony.
The Captain saw his chance. He charged.
"Die, you bastard!!"
This time, it was just a standard strike. His Crystallization was spent.
But with Canis defenseless—this should've been the end.
DOOORR!
A gunshot rang out.
The Captain screamed as his hand shattered mid-swing—blood gushing from what remained of his arm.
He stumbled back, clutching the stump.
Aron stood there, wide-eyed, gun in hand—smoke still curling from the barrel.
He had pulled the trigger.
And he had saved Canis.
{Chapter 5 End}