The troops, who had long since completed rehearsals, marched across the plaza before the imperial palace in perfectly synchronized steps, their chants resounding like thunder. To make this military parade as grand as possible, Talulah had redeployed most of the idle forces to the capital, leaving only those units required to guard the borders.
As unit after unit of high-spirited soldiers passed before them, the expressions of many spectators gradually turned solemn.
Everything before their eyes made one fact abundantly clear:
even after a massive political upheaval, Ursus's military strength had not weakened in the slightest.
No—if anything, it had become even stronger than before.
Previously, the various army groups of Ursus had been controlled by different Grand Dukes, each acting independently. But now, Ursus spoke with a single voice. Every soldier moved for one will alone.
A united Ursus was already enough to instill fear and caution across Terra—
and what they were seeing now was still not the full picture of this reborn empire.
Because—
Thud… thud… thud…
Pebbles on the ground trembled as heavy footsteps approached from afar.
Towering figures, each radiating an aura far more oppressive than that of ordinary soldiers, slowly came into view.
Savage.
Blood-soaked.
Brutal.
Overwhelmingly powerful.
Every instinctive word that surfaced in the mind was applied to this horrifying force.
Two thousand five hundred Wendigos, arranged five to a column, advanced with a pressure as heavy as mountains, appearing before the eyes of countless guests.
"Th-this… this is the legendary trump card of Emperor Talulah—the Wendigo Legion?"
"You've got to be kidding… how can there be so many?!"
Wendigos—a race that should have been on the verge of extinction across Terra—now reappeared before the world in the form of a full-fledged army.
Facing this literally unstoppable legion, representatives from numerous nations and factions swallowed hard.
Why?
Why does such a terrifying army exist on this land?!
If Ursus possessed a force like this, then what in the world could possibly stand against it in the future?!
Inside a concealed building at a high vantage point overlooking the palace plaza, Theresis and the Blood Demon Lord stared fixedly at the Wendigo army in the distance.
"So powerful… so magnificent… this army makes me feel as if I'm witnessing the glory of the ancient Courts once more, and the screams of the weak being trampled beneath their feet!"
The Blood Demon Lord was visibly excited, his emotions surging. In his fervor, he crushed the crystal goblet of rich blood in his hand.
Theresis was hardly in better shape. His gaze burned as he carefully sensed the terrifying presence radiating from each Wendigo.
Previously, the Blood Demon Lord had claimed that every member of the Wendigo Legion under Ursus's new emperor possessed elite-level Court combat strength—but now, that assessment seemed understated.
This wasn't merely elite-level power.
With the strength these Wendigos displayed, if Theresis were alone, five of them would be enough to drag him into a bitter struggle.
And who was Theresis?
One of the Six Heroes of the Sarkaz.
Aside from godlike behemoths, he prided himself on being nearly unmatched across the land. Yet even he would have no choice but to flee if forced to face this legion head-on.
Such a force was beyond "unstoppable" on the battlefield.
Once the Wendigo Legion appeared anywhere, even a behemoth would face only one outcome—annihilation.
If such an army could be used for his own ends, then the revival of Kazdel might no longer be an unattainable dream.
This was an invincible army.
However, after the initial surge of excitement, Theresis rapidly cooled down, his fervor draining away.
Because he suddenly remembered something crucial.
According to his intelligence, the one who commanded this Wendigo Legion—Emperor Talulah—was a Draco.
A Draco by birth.
Which meant that Talulah, now seated atop the imperial dais as Empress of Ursus, also possessed a legitimate claim to the Victorian throne—and not just any claim, but one of the highest priority.
And Theresis himself currently controlled Londinium, holding Victoria's crown.
In other words, there was one good piece of news and one very bad piece of news.
The good news:
The Wendigo race had revived. Terra had gained an invincible Sarkaz army.
The bad news:
That army might one day march straight into Victoria—and beat him into the ground.
Just imagining himself surrounded by thousands of Wendigos was enough to make Theresis shudder.
"Calm down… Ursus and Victoria are still separated by Kazimierz. Even if Empress Talulah eventually sets her sights on Victoria's throne, Kazimierz would be the first to suffer!"
Theresis took several deep breaths and covered his face in agony.
No—he couldn't calm down at all.
Could Kazimierz's small fry possibly stop Talulah, who controlled every army of Ursus, could fully unleash its war machine at will, and commanded an invincible Wendigo Legion?
Kazimierz was tiny. Even with the Silverlance Pegasi, could they handle this?
How many Silverlance Pegasi were there—over a hundred?
Even if there were a hundred, once Ursus's armies advanced, each Pegasi would have to fight dozens of Wendigos.
Or put another way:
If five Wendigos could force Theresis into a hard fight, then each Kazimierz Pegasi would have to handle three to five Theresis-level opponents.
This war was unwinnable. Not even a little.
"No… Victoria is no longer safe. Once I return, I'll make one last grab for profit—then I'm getting out."
Having fully resolved to imitate a certain former Emperor of Ursus and become a cowardly fleeing lizard, Theresis decided to abandon Victoria altogether.
Meanwhile, within the crowd not far away, Kal'tsit stood frozen as she stared at the Wendigo Legion—then slowly lifted her gaze toward the platform, to the familiar figure seated beside Talulah.
"These Wendigos… the Doctor… and…"
Her eyes passed over the Doctor and landed on An Xora and Mebius.
No horns.
No tail.
No animal traits whatsoever.
They looked… human.
Purely human.
Heh… hehehe…
Kal'tsit's ears flattened backward, pressing tightly together. The fur on her ears and tail bristled uncontrollably as her emotions spiraled out of control.
The Guardian of the Land.
The Sage Who Foresees the End.
The All-Knowing Intellect.
At this very moment, Kal'tsit had begun furiously hissing.
Why—why are there two unfamiliar humans standing beside the Doctor?!
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