The sky above the Fire Continent could no longer be called a sky.
Volcanic ash churned overhead, forming a massive vortex.
Red, blue, golden, and white lightning tore through the clouds.
At the center of it all—
a black portal hung in the air like a wound across the face of the world.
With every passing second, the opening grew larger.
With every passing second, the light of the world's seven Cores was being pulled into it.
And with every passing second—
the Earth drew closer to destruction.
At the center of the lava crater—
Gaia Primordia stood.
The ancient dragon radiated a golden light so powerful that the sea of fire around it seemed dim.
Its wings stretched across the sky like continents.
Its eyes were calm.
But that calm was not peace.
It was the calm of a creature that had witnessed a thousand apocalypses.
Around it, the Guardians had gathered.
Solaris Lion roared, its solar mane blazing.
Ursus Glacialis planted its icy claws against the magma-blackened ground.
Himal Yaksha stood like a living mountain.
The Forest Guardian sent enormous roots bursting through the volcanic soil.
Ignivar Draco spread its fiery wings in the middle of the crater.
They all stood in a single circle.
The final circle.
But Dominion had not fallen yet.
Their reactor towers stood around the crater like iron spears piercing the heart of the Earth.
WHOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!
Blue light shot into the sky.
Energy chains wrapped around the Guardians one by one.
Solaris Lion roared in pain.
Ursus Glacialis was forced to its knees.
Ignivar Draco clenched its magma-covered jaws.
Farhan stared at his laptop, his hands trembling.
"They're draining their energy!"
The graphs on his screen shot beyond the system's limits.
Lila's face went pale.
"If this keeps going…"
"…all the Guardians will fall."
Sinta turned sharply.
"Arga!"
Arga stood at the edge of the crater.
No—
he was barely standing.
His body was covered in glowing golden cracks.
Blood ran from his ears.
His breathing came in ragged bursts.
The MBG Lunchbox in his hand was shining far too brightly.
Twenty-three glowing rice grains spun wildly inside, like galaxies spiraling out of control.
Kai grabbed his shoulder.
"Stop."
Arga shook his head.
"Not yet…"
He coughed violently.
Blood fell onto the hot stone and instantly evaporated.
"I'm not finished."
Sinta bit her lip.
For the first time since their journey began—
she was afraid she was going to lose Arga.
On the other side of the crater—
the Dominion leader watched everything with a cold smile.
"Finally."
He raised the black device in his hand.
"That little human really is the key."
The man in the hat beside him panicked.
"Sir, the reactors are overloading!"
The Dominion leader laughed softly.
"If necessary, let the entire island be destroyed."
He pressed the final button.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!
Every Dominion tower surged to full power.
Lava exploded into the sky.
The volcano split open.
Burning rocks rained down like meteors.
Bimo shouted as he shielded himself from the blast.
"THIS GUY IS INSANE!"
Dika destroyed a turret with a powerful kick.
"No."
He stared at the Dominion leader.
"He's worse."
The sky tore open.
The black portal expanded to three times its original size.
Then—
something descended.
Not a head.
Not a hand.
The entire body.
A colossal shadow emerged from the portal like night itself taking form.
Its body was made of solid darkness threaded with cracks that looked like stars.
Its eyes were two empty voids that swallowed the light around them.
Its black wings were larger than the island itself.
Even the lava dimmed as the creature emerged.
Every sound disappeared.
The wind stopped.
The flames fell still.
Farhan whispered, his voice breaking.
"No…"
Kai stared at the sky, his face pale.
"He's fully descended…"
Sinta swallowed hard.
"Who is he?"
Kai answered softly—
but his voice sounded like a sentence being passed.
"The World Eater."
The creature landed.
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The island split in two.
A wave of lava, taller than buildings, swept across the battlefield.
Dozens of Dominion soldiers vanished instantly.
Bimo was dragged across the burning ground, but Dika pulled him away at the last second.
Solaris Lion leaped forward, using its body to shield the others from the wave of fire.
Half of its mane went dark.
Ursus Glacialis froze the rushing lava, only for cracks to spread across its entire arm.
Himal Yaksha braced itself against the collapsing mountain, holding it back with its horns.
Ignivar Draco flew into the sky and unleashed a torrent of magma toward the creature's face.
The flames—
vanished.
Absorbed.
As if they had never existed.
Ignivar Draco froze in midair.
For the first time, the legendary dragon looked afraid.
Gaia Primordia raised its head.
It roared toward the sky.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!
Golden light swept across the world.
The Guardians rose again.
Five Cores responded.
The forests trembled.
The savannah blazed.
The mountains roared.
The polar ice cracked.
Fire erupted.
The entire Earth answered Gaia's call.
Then Gaia attacked.
It slammed its colossal body into the World Eater.
The sky shattered.
The planet trembled.
An explosion of gold and black hurled everyone to the ground.
Arga was thrown backward.
The MBG Lunchbox nearly slipped from his hand.
He dropped to one knee.
He couldn't breathe.
Inside the lunchbox—
the twenty-three glowing rice grains spun so fast that they became a ring of light.
Kai dropped to his knees in front of him.
"If you continue… you'll die."
Arga looked toward the sky.
Gaia was being pushed backward.
The World Eater had one hand wrapped around the ancient dragon's neck.
Solaris Lion cried out.
Ignivar Draco fell from the sky.
Ursus Glacialis dropped to one knee.
Himal Yaksha's entire body cracked.
Every Guardian was losing.
Arga tightened his grip on the lunchbox.
If the world fell now—
then everything they had gone through would have been for nothing.
He stood.
His legs trembling.
His body broken.
Blood covering his face.
Pak Rahmat stepped beside him.
The old man removed his right glove.
An ancient symbol glowed in the palm of his hand.
Everyone fell silent.
Bimo stared.
"What is that…?"
Pak Rahmat looked toward the sky.
"I was a Guardian from the previous generation."
Sinta froze.
Kai turned sharply.
"So all this time…"
Pak Rahmat nodded.
"I failed to seal him back then."
He looked at Arga.
"Now it's your turn to finish what I started."
Then he pressed his palm against the MBG Lunchbox.
The ancient symbol lit up.
Ancient golden energy flowed into the lunchbox.
The twenty-three rice grains exploded like stars.
Farhan shouted as he stared at his screen.
"A new energy signature!"
Lila trembled.
"This is… beyond anything in our data!"
The World Eater turned its head.
For the first time—
the creature saw Arga as a threat.
It opened its dark mouth.
And from within that endless void—
thousands of shadowy hands emerged, reaching toward Arga.
Sinta screamed.
"ARGA!!"
Arga raised the MBG Lunchbox toward the sky.
Golden light split through the crater.
The portal shattered.
The sky burned.
And inside the lunchbox—
a twenty-fourth rice grain began to form.
Then—
everything turned white.