"Major!" A stranger's voice called out. Jensen turned around, only to see a Chaser standing behind him. However, he wasn't wearing a Shelling Bubble. The other Chasers were still alive as well, somewhere not far behind. There laid another Star Creature as well.

Good job.

Jensen thought, but he couldn't manage to form the words. He took off his mask, panting drastically. Dealing with the emergency as well as wielding the shells in full concentration had deranged his breathing pattern. He stood there for a while, waiting for the Shell Lance to peek out the enemy's body before flying back to him. He reorganized the shells, putting them together back on his back.

"Major!" The Chaser yelled again, at the same time pointing at the hill far away.

Jensen's eyes followed the direction he was pointing at.

What the hell.

The scene further away was unbelievable to him. The Star Creature that had landed not long ago was still on the hill and did not march over.

No wonder why something felt off.

Jensen stared at it. That Star Creature was clearly facing the direction of the outpost, yet it did not act at all. It was like it was only observing the fight.

No way.

Jensen squinted. Although the Star Creatures are not gregarious, it is still impossible for it to not react to the commotion around him. Besides, it originally looked like it was going to rush over anyway.

He took another look, suddenly realizing that there was a small black dot next to the Star Creature. Like a...

Person?

"Major! Major Cavil!" Another voice called out. Jensen turned, thinking that it would be another Chaser.

However, the comer wasn't wearing the standard tights of the Chasers. Instead, he was wearing the typical S.D.A uniform. The man ran towards Jensen with a pair of binoculars. He saluted "I’m Frost, the communications officer of the outpost." The man reported.

"What's the issue, Corporal?" Jensen took off his mask and asked. He glanced at the commission printed on Frost's brassard.

"Someone's with the Star Creature," Frost said, pointing at the giant figure on the hill.

"I know. I saw them."

"Sir, I believe they're the ones that damaged the electromagnetic waves emitters."

"You're saying that he damaged all the emitters alone?"

"Um, I'm not sure how many of them there were."

"Them?"

"The Wasteland Shepherd, at least that's what they call themselves," Frost quickly explained. "A scavenging group that normally appears in the Death Rim." He paused, handing out what he had in his hand. "Sir."

Jensen took over the binoculars. He used it to look towards where he was staring at before. It was indeed a person standing next to the Star Creature, just that...

"Why isn't he being attacked?" Jensen asked with his eyes still glued on the binoculars.

"I..."

"I don't know, sir," Frost responded. "It's the first time I've seen something like this too."

"They can't be Shell Wielders, right?" Jensen asked again, but the answer was obvious.

The person he was seeing through the binoculars wasn't covered by black shells. His upper body was covered by a cloak, but there wasn't a breathing mask on his face, meaning that he wasn't using a Shelling Bubble.

"Are you sure he's from the scavenging group?" Jensen dropped the binoculars and returned it to Frost.

"I'm certain." The communications officer nodded.

"Perhaps he's not the enemy," Jensen said after thinking for a moment. "Stay here and stand by." He looked towards Frost and the Chaser that still hadn't left. "Do not move." Once he had finished speaking, he put his mask back on.

Jensen awoke the shells. He formed a Shell Board and headed straight for the hill. He swept along with low altitude, the other half of his shells were still on his back.

He thought while he was traversing. And the more he thought, the more confused he got. He had never felt anything on the two Star Creatures that he killed. He thought that they would at least be like the ones he had fought before, they would have the urge to go somewhere.

But he couldn't sense anything, like there was something blocking the connection. Undoubtedly, it was still possible that they did not develop similar emotions. After all, it was quite unordinary that the Star Creatures attacked the outpost, since they rarely siege a place in a swarm. It was as if it wasn't their will, that they were carrying out someone else's order.

The order to kill on sight.

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Jensen gulped. The thought in his mind sent chills down his spine.

Could it really be?

He asked himself, looking at the hill that he was nearing. If it really were the scavengers who were ordering the Star Creature, he might have just put himself in grave danger. However, if he didn't take action, he might never know the answer.

Jensen continued ahead.

He adjusted the angle of the Shell Board, flying upwards in correspondence to the slope of the hill. At last, he reached the top. He hopped off the Shell Board, sizing up the stranger not too far away. The man was standing right at the edge of the giant hole that was created by the Star Creature's impact.

Jensen tried to move forward, but his eyes couldn't leave the ginormous creature lurking next to the stranger. The Star Creature wriggled its six arms, but it did not attack; nor did it make any noise.

If the Star Creatures that attacked the outpost were considered too hostile, then this one certainly looked the complete opposite. Whichever kind, it didn't belong to the reaction they would have that normal people would reckon.

"Who are you?" Jensen decided to keep a distance from the stranger at last.

The cloak on the man was considerably shabby. He wore a round, funnel shaped hat, and his eyes were covered by goggles. "We are the Wasteland Shepherd."

"You did this?" Jensen looked at the stranger, pointing at the Star Creature next to him.

The stranger nodded.

"You set the order for them to attack the outpost?" Jensen questioned further, but the stranger did not answer.

"Are you the S.D.A's enemy?"

The strange scavenger remained silent. The wind swept up some sand, blowing past the two. Aside from that, only the terrifying noise of the monster waving its tentacles around could be heard.

Moments later, the stranger finally spoke.

"You are not one of us."

"What do you—" Jensen frowned, but he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. He immediately spotted that the stranger had pulled out a gun from underneath his cloak.

Instantly, shots rang on the hill, but the bullets did not hit anything.

Jensen maintained his Shell Wall until the ringing was over. Metal bullets can't penetrate through the Star Creature's shells. Hence that they were useless against Jensen's Shell Wall too, since they technically are the same things.

"Why did you fire!" Jensen shouted at the front over his Shell Wall. "State your purpose here at once, or else—" His words were cut off once again, but not by gunshots this time.

In a split second, Jensen's Shell Wall dispersed like there was some force tearing it open from the middle.

What?

His eyes widened, landing on the man who shot through the split of the Wall. He thought that this was the man's doling, but he never moved.

But what happened next proved Jensen's suspicion to be correct. The dispersed shells did not land immediately. Instead, it flew forward, back to the stranger's sides.

"You are an imposter." His tone was as unenthusiastic as it could ever be. At the same time he raised his hand and welcomed the incoming shells. The shells gathered to his raised palm obediently. Then, it backtracked at an incredible speed, smashing towards Jensen.

Jensen swiftly pulled out the other half of his shells, forming a new Shell Wall. However, the ball of shells that were stolen then used against Jensen by the stranger was nothing like bullets. They were never small in size to begin with, also that there was an impressive amount of them.

Two bunches of shells collided. The force it created knocked Jensen off the hill. He dropped down heavily, landing somewhere at the foot of the hill.

How is that possible?

He tried to get up, but the pain coming from all over his body was protesting. The tights that Chasers wear were not designed with beat resistance, it was to let the shells stick closer to the body with better ease.

Jensen realized that he was failing to get up. Not only because of his injury, but also of his perplexion, of his startle. These were all emotions he rarely experiences in battles.

What has he done?

He asked himself. Jensen had never heard of anyone that could command shells without using the Shelling Bubble, even himself needs them.

A roar coming from the hill pierced the air. Jensen lifted his head, and the stranger was long gone. All that was left was the monster originally next to the man. Once he had left, the Star Creature seemed to have immediately switched back to how it was supposed to behave; like a hound off its leash.

Shit.

Jensen tried to push himself up from the ground with his hand.

The fight was not over yet.

He gritted his teeth, but was slowly losing his consciousness. He pushed his mask back on to his face and tried breathing, feeling the location of the shells. The black shells that flew down the hill with him were scattered around. They wiggled a little, responding to his call.

However, even if the lungs are still functioning, it would still be hard to wield the shells freely when one's nearly unconscious.

Jensen tried for a while, but at last he sighed and gave up on trying. It was over for him. Also, the heavy exhaustion started to crush upon him, like a creditor who's asking for his life.

He just wanted a good rest.

He lied flat on the floor, watching the furious enemy sprinting down the hill and feeling the vibration coming from the ground.

Hah...

He watched as the shadow got closer and closer, and he couldn't but laugh bitterly in his head. He wasn't sure how much of its kind he had killed, but he was certain that it was too late for any apology.

The giant beast did not stop, and the hanging dusk sun was right behind it. The reddish, tangerine light shone on the Star Creature's black shells. As Jensen watched, a creepy smile crept upon his face. Having the chance to witness something like an apocalyptic scene on the last day of his service might not have been that bad at all.

He closed his eyes, welcoming his nearing end with open arms.

Surprisingly, the end of life seemed a bit grander than he thought. Because he heard the calls. The calls of someone shouting his name, and more noises followed. Gradually getting closer, it was a mix of shouts, paces, engines and...

Jensen opened his eyes, just in time to see dozens of Shell Walls fly across the sky above him to the direction of where the Star Creature was sprinting from. The shells locked together one by one, forming a levitating black fence. It successfully blocked the enemy's charge.

Sorry.

Jensen glanced at the Star Creature, then at the S.D.A Chasers that were running past him.

I forgot to remind you that I have teammates too.

He smiled then shut his eyes, relieved.