Ursus.
A vast empire.
Under the previous emperor, they waged war after war. Their power and victories fueled explosive growth.
But that was the past.
After a disastrous defeat, the army and nobles split irreparably, and Ursus underwent a violent upheaval.
Now three factions ruled the nation:
The Emperor's loyalists.
The reformists.
And the old-noble warmongers.
A massive army marched across the land, footsteps so synchronized the pebbles trembled.
They were Ursus' Third Army Group—the warmongers' force.
Their goal was simple:
Claim Lungmen had invaded Ursus territory—then strike, sparking a war between Ursus and Yan.
For the warmongers, who rose on war, peace was poison.
War would make Ursus great again—and let them tower over the other two factions.
"This is a perfect chance." Leon, a young noble of the warmonger faction, watched the halted moving city in the distance.
"Uncle couldn't find an excuse to start a war… and now the excuse delivered itself."
"Even the Emperor and reformists can't object now."
Leon envisioned storming Lungmen, capturing its governor, firing the opening shot of a grand war. His name would enter history.
Then—
"Report! Baron Leon, situation discovered." A soldier rushed in and saluted.
Leon's face tightened. "Speak."
"There are two people standing in front of the army."
…Two people?
That sounded trivial, but Leon's expression went icy.
"Yan's envoys?" he thought.
No sane person stood before an Ursus army.
"Can we confirm who they are? Are they doing anything?"
"No. They're just standing there."
"Just standing there…" Leon's thoughts raced.
Then his gaze hardened.
"Doesn't matter who they are. Roll over them."
"Yes!"
Leon raised his hand.
"For the honor of Ursus!"
War would not stop for anyone.
Even if a beast blocked them, they'd charge it.
All for Ursus' honor.
—
"Did we ever have to deal with this before?" the Doctor asked, hands in pockets, eyeing the unstoppable tide ahead.
Priestess shook her head.
"In our era, our civilization was the sturdiest tree in the universe. Other trees lived in our shade."
"So we were unbeatable?"
"If that were true, we wouldn't have been felled."
"Uh… sorry." The Doctor wanted to slap himself. Why did I say that?
Priestess chuckled.
"Between you and me, Doctor, there is no need for apologies."
"I accepted the outcome long ago. At first I wept alone in the night."
She looked at him.
"It was you who pulled me out. From that moment, we became each other's only ones."
That's a lot of pressure…
The Doctor scratched his head.
"…It still doesn't feel real. Was I really that amazing?"
"Without question."
"The more you insist, the stranger it feels." The Doctor sighed and pointed ahead.
"It's embarrassing, but I've been talking because I'm scared."
"In your eyes I may be exceptional, but in mine I'm just… ordinary."
"I get scared by small things. I'm happy when I'm with friends."
"Am I really the same person you knew? Or… did those three change me?"
He laughed softly.
"I forgot my past… but I truly like who I am now."
Priestess saw that genuine smile—and smiled too.
"I like you now as well. I'm ever more curious about what you've experienced."
"But for now…"
"Let's end this war."
The Doctor nodded solemnly.
"I'm counting on you, Priestess."
She shook her head.
"Not on me. On us."
"Huh? I can't fight!" he blurted.
"This isn't fighting." Priestess tilted her head. "We're researchers. We're not athletes."
"We're just… writing code."
"Then we…" The Doctor pointed at himself, then her.
Priestess extended her hand.
The Doctor felt something lift his own hand.
A kind of authority returned to him.
White light and black stone manifested in their palms at the same time.
The Doctor stared in shock at the black stone.
What was it? Why could he use it?
Priestess explained:
"Doctor, on this Originium-saturated world, whatever I can do, you can do as well."
"Follow my guidance, and let us… end this war."
No more words were needed.
Together they poured their power out.
White light stretched.
Black stone wrapped.
Before the Third Army Group's horrified eyes—
the two gods of Terra, permissions restored—
descended.
Stopping them? Negotiating? Threatening?
Unnecessary.
As Priestess said, this wasn't a brawl.
It was editing code.
Disobedient code? Rewrite it.
That was absolute authority.
That was why they were gods.
—
Behind them, Rhodes Island watched, mouths agape.
That Doctor—the one who got winded running, who couldn't beat a child in arm-wrestling—was that being?
So his earlier words were true.
This civilization truly faced destruction.
Amiya stared at him, engraving the image in her heart.
Far above Lungmen's tallest building, a certain lynx who knew nothing about any of this saw the scene—
and her heart nearly stopped.
....
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