The solemn, rousing music of the military parade was still echoing across the plaza—
yet within the crowd, Kal'tsit's body was trembling like a leaf in a storm.
Two unfamiliar humans.
Why were there two unfamiliar humans standing beside the Doctor?
On this land, weren't pure-blooded humans supposed to be extinct—
with the sole exception of the Doctor?
Why had they released the Doctor from the sarcophagus?
What were they planning to do?!
Don't tell me they intended to—
At that moment, terror became plainly visible in Kal'tsit's eyes.
Her mind went blank under the violent surge of emotions, her strength draining away as if she might collapse at any second.
Up on the imperial dais, perhaps because a certain green-haired Feline's gaze was far too intense, An Xora turned his head in that direction.
At a glance, he spotted Kal'tsit, hidden among the crowd.
"Oh? Well I'll be damned—never thought I'd see that old lynx showing up for Ursus's coronation ceremony."
"Old lynx?"
Talulah, seated on the throne, turned her head in curiosity.
"A green-haired Feline who's lived for who knows how many years. Claims her life's mission is to protect modern civilization from extinction—calls herself the Guardian of the Land."
"That impressive, huh?"
Talulah looked genuinely surprised.
"So where is she?"
"Right there."
Following An Xora's gaze, Talulah immediately spotted Kal'tsit—
standing stiffly in the crowd, eyes vacant, body shaking like a sieve.
…No, seriously.
You hyped her up as some grand 'Guardian of the Land,' and this is what we get?
Talulah felt sincerely disappointed.
"Doesn't really match the description."
"Kal'tsit's like that. If you feel the mismatch, that means your instincts are working."
Her gravitas, much like certain corporate lore outlines, always seemed enormous at first glance—
until you realized it was mostly imaginary.
"Gipril, go bring her to the palace. I'll meet her in a bit."
"Leave it to me."
High above, far beyond the range of ordinary sight, Gipril, who had not joined the others on the dais and had been idly hovering in the sky, nodded.
Her figure vanished in an instant.
Within the crowd, Kal'tsit suddenly felt a sharp sense of danger.
She had barely regained her composure when—
Her vision blurred.
The next moment, she found herself standing inside a completely unfamiliar room.
What…?
Wasn't she just in the crowd outside?
"By my master's order, Kal'tsit, please remain in this room for a short while. After some time, my master will come to see you."
A voice sounded from behind her.
Kal'tsit turned around—and froze.
Someone had appeared behind her without her noticing at all.
A halo floated behind the woman's head.
A Sankta…?
No—since when did Sankta have wings growing from their backs?
"Who are you? And this place is—wait… this is the Ursus imperial palace?!"
After a quick glance at Gipril, Kal'tsit scanned the architecture and immediately recognized the emblems of the Ursus royal family.
She had been transported instantly—straight into the palace?!
Then the 'master' she mentioned must be—
Kal'tsit's pupils shrank.
The fear she had only just managed to suppress surged back in full force.
She'd been captured by the subordinates of those two humans?!
"Mon3tr!"
The dark green, grotesque entity manifested at her side and attacked Gipril without hesitation.
Clang.
Mon3tr's sharp limb was stopped dead—
held immobile by a single, slender finger.
It was clearly flesh and blood, yet the impact rang out like metal.
Gipril didn't even bother looking at Mon3tr.
She casually flicked her hand—
—and the massive Mon3tr was sent flying, crashing violently into the side of the room.
"Resistance is meaningless. If my master did not wish to see you, you would already be dead."
Kal'tsit fell silent.
A monster.
This woman—this Sankta-like being—was terrifyingly strong.
Not because she had blocked Mon3tr with a finger and swatted it aside,
but because of the trace amount of aura she had leaked in the process.
Just that sliver of presence made every hair on Kal'tsit's body stand on end, freezing her in place.
In her estimation, that aura alone was more than ten times more dangerous than a Court Lord.
A humanoid catastrophe?
No… perhaps something even worse than a colossus.
Such an existence should never have appeared quietly on this land—
unless those two unfamiliar humans beside the Doctor were involved.
This woman was almost certainly connected to them.
Not merely a subordinate, either.
Master—
Did that mean she was something they had created?
Realizing escape was impossible, Kal'tsit decisively abandoned resistance and focused on thinking.
Why did those two humans want to see her?
What were they planning?
Before she could reach any conclusion, footsteps sounded outside the room—unhurried, steady.
About ten minutes had passed.
Kal'tsit forced herself to look up.
The door opened.
One of the two unfamiliar humans from the dais—the male—walked in.
"Let me take a look. So you're the one who froze the Oracle—the Doctor—and caused her amnesia?"
With a casual wave of his hand, the terrifying woman named Gipril bowed respectfully and left the room.
Then the man walked toward her.
Kal'tsit didn't dare move.
She knew perfectly well that, fragile as human bodies might be, that monstrous woman was likely right outside.
If she made even the slightest hostile move, she'd be subdued instantly.
So she could only watch as An Xora stopped in front of her, bent down, and slowly leaned toward her ear.
"AMA-10," he whispered,
"you've got a lot of nerve. Did you really think freezing her like that would stop the Originium Project?"
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 70 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/BlackDevil808