Ursa Vitalis's roar split the sky above the ancient forest.
ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!!
It was more than a roar.
It was rage.
It was agony.
It was the scream of a living being forced to endure unbearable pain.
The earth cracked in every direction.
Massive roots burst from the ground like living dragons.
Towering trees swayed violently.
Some crashed to the forest floor.
CRAAASH!
Dust and leaves filled the air, swallowing everything in sight.
Bimo was hurled into the trunk of a giant tree.
THUD!
"UGH!"
He dropped to one knee, clutching his shoulder.
"Seriously..."
he groaned through gritted teeth.
"If I survive this... I'm taking a week off."
Dika grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet.
"Survive first. Then you can retire."
Amid the destruction, the Dominion generator continued to hum.
WHOOOOOMMMMMM!!
Its cold blue light spread like poison through the forest.
Every time the synthetic energy touched the ground—
grass withered.
Flowers shrank into lifeless husks.
Tree bark blackened as if burning from the inside out.
Farhan stared at his laptop, his face turning pale.
"The synthetic energy has increased fourfold!"
Lila gripped her tablet so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"If this continues..."
Her voice trembled.
"...this forest will never recover."
Sinta scanned the battlefield.
Her team was scattered.
The ground was splitting apart.
Ursa Vitalis had gone berserk.
Dominion still stood its ground.
For the first time in a long while...
she felt afraid.
Not for herself.
For everyone.
Yet her voice remained sharp.
"EVERYONE, LISTEN!"
Every head turned.
"We end that machine. Now!"
Across the battlefield, the Dominion leader stood before the generator.
His cloak fluttered gently in the chaotic wind.
His expression remained calm.
Far too calm.
As if the devastation around him were nothing more than numbers on a screen.
The man in the hat approached him.
"Sir, this area is becoming unstable."
The Dominion leader didn't even look at him.
"Good."
His eyes remained fixed on Ursa Vitalis with unmistakable fascination.
"A creature like that is born only once in an age."
Then his gaze shifted to Arga.
"And a Guardian like him..."
"...is even rarer."
Arga still stood before Ursa Vitalis.
Alone.
The MBG lunchbox in his hands shone brilliantly.
The fifteen glowing rice grains spun rapidly like restless stars.
He could feel everything.
The forest's suffering.
His team's fear.
Ursa Vitalis's fury.
And the crushing weight pressing down on his heart.
What if I fail?
What if everything falls apart... because I wasn't strong enough?
His hands trembled.
Kai stepped beside him.
Silent.
Then he spoke softly.
"Being afraid doesn't make you weak."
Arga looked at him.
Kai kept his eyes fixed ahead.
"It means you still care."
Ursa Vitalis took another step.
BOOM.
One step.
BOOM.
A second.
Each footfall shook the earth beneath them.
The colossal Guardian now stood directly before Arga.
Its shadow swallowed the light.
Slowly, it raised one massive foreleg.
If it came down—
Arga would be crushed instantly.
"ARGA!!"
Bimo's desperate shout echoed across the battlefield.
Sinta sprinted toward him.
"GET BACK!"
But Arga didn't move.
His heart pounded wildly.
Every instinct screamed at him to run.
His body wanted to surrender.
Yet his eyes never left the giant creature.
And within those enormous golden eyes...
he saw something that stole his breath.
Not hatred.
Not the desire to kill.
Tears.
Arga whispered,
"...You're suffering."
Ursa Vitalis froze.
Its massive paw remained suspended in the air.
The entire forest fell silent.
Kai held his breath.
Farhan stared at the readings.
"The energy..."
"...it's stopped rising."
Arga slowly opened his lunchbox completely.
Golden light burst outward.
Warm.
Gentle.
Alive.
The fifteen grains of rice shimmered like a cluster of stars.
Their energy flowed into the earth.
Dead grass turned green once more.
Withered leaves unfurled again.
The cracks in the ground slowly began to close.
Arga's voice broke as he spoke.
"We didn't come here to hurt you."
"We came..."
He swallowed hard.
"...because we're trying to protect our home, too."
For the first time—
Ursa Vitalis slowly lowered its raised foreleg.
Not to strike.
But to kneel.
The entire team froze.
Even Bimo forgot to blink.
"...Okay."
"...I was not prepared to see a building-sized bear kneel."
But the moment lasted only a heartbeat.
The Dominion leader pressed a button in his hand.
CLICK.
The generator screamed louder than ever before.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A massive wave of blue energy exploded across the forest.
Trees blackened instantly.
The distant river turned murky.
Birds dropped lifeless from the sky.
Ursa Vitalis screamed in agony.
ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!!
The cry froze everyone's blood.
Arga spun toward the Dominion leader.
"STOP!"
The man merely smiled.
Then, loud enough for everyone to hear, he said,
"Look around you, Arga."
He spread his arms toward the collapsing forest.
"Everything you see..."
His gaze pierced straight through him.
"...is being destroyed because that creature chose you."
The words struck harder than any shockwave.
Arga froze.
His chest tightened.
What if... he's right?
The earth cracked again.
But this time—
it wasn't because of Ursa Vitalis.
Every gigantic root in the forest suddenly turned in the same direction.
Toward Dominion.
CRAAAAACK!!
Roots as thick as houses erupted from the earth and slammed into their armored vehicles.
BOOOOOOM!!
Metal twisted apart.
Dominion soldiers were thrown through the air.
The man in the hat was dragged several meters across the ground.
Despite the blood running from his lip, Bimo grinned.
"Now that's more like it."
"The forest finally gets who's causing the problem."
Amid the chaos—
Pak Rahmat stepped forward.
"Enough!"
His voice echoed through the entire forest.
Everyone turned toward him.
He looked directly at Ursa Vitalis.
Then he spoke.
In a language no one recognized.
Ancient.
Deep.
Rhythmic.
The golden symbols across Ursa Vitalis's chest blazed brilliantly.
The colossal Guardian stopped moving.
Completely.
Silence.
Sinta stared at Pak Rahmat, her face drained of color.
"...Pak Rahmat?"
Farhan whispered in disbelief,
"How... does he know that language?"
Instead of surprise, the Dominion leader's smile only widened.
"Finally."
He looked at Pak Rahmat like a man who had been waiting for this moment for years.
"The old Guardian..."
"...has finally spoken."
Arga felt his world collapse.
Slowly, he turned toward the man he had trusted all this time.
"Sir..."
His voice cracked.
"...who are you... really?"
Pak Rahmat didn't answer.
He simply stared toward the heart of the forest.
And for the very first time—
his eyes began to glow with golden light.