The savanna trembled softly.
RUMMMMMBLE...
It wasn't like an earthquake.
It was more like the heartbeat of something enormous buried beneath the earth.
The scorching wind that had been blowing moments ago suddenly stopped.
The golden grass stood perfectly still.
Birds fell silent on the branches.
Herds of zebras lowered their heads uneasily.
Antelopes ran in every direction.
The entire savanna seemed to know—
something was waking up.
Bimo swallowed hard.
"Okay..."
He took one step backward.
"I hate places where the ground can breathe."
Farhan stared at his laptop.
The energy graph had shot wildly beyond the sensor's limits.
"That's impossible..."
His hands trembled.
"The Core's energy is surpassing the Ice Core's level!"
Lila enlarged the readings on her tablet.
Her face paled.
"The heat levels are spiking!"
"If this keeps going, the entire savanna could catch fire!"
Kai stood completely still.
A faint golden glow flickered in his eyes as he stared at the distant crack in the earth.
"It's not the savanna that's waking up."
He took a slow breath.
"It's the king."
Arga opened the MBG lunchbox.
The eighteen glowing grains of rice immediately began spinning wildly.
Golden light burst through the gaps in the box.
His hands trembled.
Then—
a vision slammed into his mind.
Grasslands burning crimson.
A sky choked with smoke.
Humans carrying spears and flames.
Animals fleeing in terror.
And in the middle of it all—
a pair of golden eyes staring back with ancient fury.
"AAAGH!"
Arga dropped to one knee.
The lunchbox nearly slipped from his hands.
Kai caught him immediately.
"Arga!"
Arga gasped for breath.
"He's..."
"...angry."
Sinta stepped closer.
"Who?"
Arga slowly lifted his head.
"Not a monster."
"A Guardian."
Suddenly—
the savanna exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Red dust erupted into the sky like a volcanic eruption.
A massive crack tore across the plain for hundreds of meters.
CRAAAAAAAAACK!!
Golden light burst from beneath the earth.
A wave of scorching heat slammed into their faces like a wall of fire.
Bimo covered his face.
"This is insane!"
From within the swirling dust—
two eyes appeared.
Huge.
Blazing.
Like two living suns.
Then a colossal head rose from beneath the earth.
A blazing mane surrounded its neck.
It wasn't hair—
it was pure fire.
More of its enormous body emerged.
It towered like a multi-story building.
Its hide was black as volcanic stone.
Glowing red cracks spread across its body like living lava.
Claws the size of cars dug into the crimson earth.
The creature stepped out of the fissure.
BOOM.
The ground split.
BOOM.
The grass caught fire.
BOOM.
Even the sky seemed to recoil.
Kai whispered,
"Solaris Lion..."
The creature lifted its head toward the sun.
Then—
it roared.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!
The roar shattered the air.
The aircraft windows exploded instantly.
Dominion drones dropped from the sky in flames.
Acacia trees in the distance toppled.
Several enemy vehicles overturned from the sheer force of its voice.
Farhan stared at the readings, barely able to breathe.
"That roar..."
"...it's shutting down the electronic systems!"
Lila took a step back.
"He's not just a Guardian..."
"He's a living disaster."
Across the plain—
the Dominion fleet came to a halt.
Dozens of armored vehicles spread into formation.
Energy turrets rose.
The massive drilling machine locked onto the fissure.
The Dominion leader slowly stepped out of the command vehicle.
His black coat fluttered in the scorching wind.
Yet he was smiling.
"Beautiful."
He stared at Solaris Lion as though he were looking at a scientific miracle.
"The Guardian of the Solar Core."
The man in the hat beside him asked,
"Your orders, sir?"
The Dominion leader raised one hand.
"Test the firepower."
The turrets activated.
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!
Dozens of synthetic energy beams slammed into Solaris Lion.
Blue explosions swallowed the creature in a cloud of dust.
But when the light faded—
Solaris Lion was still standing.
Unharmed.
Unmoved.
He simply stared at them.
Then—
he took one step forward.
BOOM!
The ground cracked all the way to the Dominion vehicles.
Solaris Lion released a low growl.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR...
The sound vibrated through everyone's chest.
Then his mane expanded.
The flames around his neck transformed into a blazing solar crown.
Kai stared tensely.
"They made him angry."
Solaris Lion opened his mouth.
But no fire emerged.
Instead—
a massive burst of light exploded outward.
WHOOOOOOOM!!
A wave of heat slammed into the Dominion fleet.
Metal turned red-hot.
Tires exploded.
Drones fell from the sky, melting as they burned.
Turrets shut down one after another.
Bimo whistled in admiration.
"Okay."
"He's officially my favorite."
But then—
Solaris Lion stopped.
His enormous head slowly turned.
His golden eyes fixed on one person.
Arga.
Everyone followed his gaze.
The MBG lunchbox in Arga's hands began glowing intensely.
The eighteen grains of rice spun faster and faster.
Golden light from the lunchbox reflected against the fiery glow of Solaris Lion's mane.
The colossal creature began walking toward him.
BOOM.
The heat intensified.
BOOM.
The ground cracked.
BOOM.
Everyone held their breath.
Sinta stepped in front of Arga.
"Don't come any closer!"
Kai raised a hand.
"Wait."
"He doesn't intend to attack."
Solaris Lion stopped only a few meters from Arga.
Arga could feel enough heat to burn his skin—
yet somehow...
it didn't hurt.
The creature stared at the MBG lunchbox.
Then at Arga.
Several seconds passed.
They felt like an eternity.
Then—
Solaris Lion lowered his head.
The entire team froze.
Bimo blinked rapidly.
"...Did that giant sun lion just bow to him?"
Kai gave a faint smile.
"Not a bow."
"He recognizes another Guardian."
Pak Rahmat stood a short distance away.
His hat still shadowed his eyes.
He stared at Solaris Lion for a long moment.
Then he spoke quietly—
his voice colder than ice.
"He remembers."
Arga turned toward him.
"Remembers what?"
Pak Rahmat didn't answer.
For a brief moment—
Solaris Lion turned his gaze toward Pak Rahmat.
And the colossal creature...
took half a step backward.
Bimo immediately shivered.
"Okay."
"I'm officially more afraid of him now."
But the moment was shattered by Farhan's alarm.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Farhan stared at the screen.
The color drained from his face.
"No..."
Sinta turned sharply.
"What now?!"
Farhan turned the display toward them.
Several massive energy signatures had appeared around the savanna.
"They're not vehicles..."
Lila zoomed in on the satellite image.
Crimson dust was rising from four different directions.
The earth was cracking open simultaneously.
Her eyes widened.
"That's impossible..."
"There isn't just one Guardian."
BOOOOOOM!!
Another fissure exploded open to the north.
BOOOOOOM!!
Another in the east.
BOOOOOOM!!
Another in the south.
BOOOOOOM!!
And another in the west.
Four pairs of golden eyes ignited behind the clouds of dust.
Solaris Lion raised his head toward the sky.
Then roared.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!
Kai whispered, barely audible—
"It's not one king..."
"...it's an entire royal pack."
Pak Rahmat stared at the four fissures without expression.
Then he spoke words that froze the blood in everyone's veins.
"If the mother awakens..."
"...Africa will burn."