The snowstorm still raged above the frozen valley.
But now, the center of the entire world had narrowed to a single point—
the Dominion Generator.
The colossal machine stood in the middle of the fractured ice like a steel heart stealing the life from the earth itself.
WHOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!
Energy cables pulsed violently.
Blue light was being drawn from the enormous fissure beneath the ice.
Every pulse sent tremors through the valley.
Deep below the crack—
something moved.
Something enormous.
Far too enormous.
Standing before the generator—
Bimo gripped a bent steel bar.
His face was covered in cuts.
Frozen blood stained his temple.
His breathing was heavy.
Yet he still managed to grin.
"Alright."
He rolled one shoulder.
"If you're going to be evil..."
He rested the steel bar across it.
"...at least try to be entertaining."
Standing opposite him—
the Dominion Commander remained perfectly calm.
His black coat fluttered in the blizzard.
His eyes were cold.
Emotionless.
"You have no idea what you're fighting."
His voice was flat.
Bimo spat into the snow.
"Good."
"I've never liked long explanations anyway."
He charged.
WHOOOSH!
The steel bar sliced through the air like a war hammer.
CRAAAAASH!!
The Dominion's energy shield flared to life.
The shockwave blasted snow in every direction.
But Bimo refused to retreat.
He swung again.
And again.
And again.
CRASH!!
CRASH!!
CRASH!!
The bones in his arms trembled violently.
Blood streamed between his fingers.
Yet he laughed.
"What?"
"Your shield getting tired?"
The Commander slowly raised one hand.
ZAAAP!
An energy whip slammed into Bimo's chest.
His body flew backward, crashing into a massive block of ice.
BOOOOM!!
"BIMO!"
Dika shouted.
From the shattered ice—
Bimo stood again.
He coughed up blood.
One knee shook uncontrollably.
Yet he still smiled.
"If you want to get through..."
His voice was rough.
He raised the nearly broken steel bar once more.
"...you'll have to get past the clown first."
For a brief moment—
everyone fell silent.
Even the Dominion Commander looked at him longer than before.
On the other side of the valley—
Arga still stood before the Ice Core Manifestation.
The towering crystal being screamed in agony.
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!
Cracks of brilliant blue light spread across its crystalline body.
Every scream made the surrounding mountains tremble.
The Ice Guardian stood before it like the last fortress protecting the world.
Its white fur was scorched by synthetic energy.
Its breathing was labored.
Yet it refused to abandon the Core.
Arga slowly raised his MBG lunchbox.
Inside—
eighteen glowing grains of rice spun wildly.
Golden light blazed from within.
But his body had already begun to freeze.
Thin layers of ice crawled across his fingertips...
slowly creeping toward his wrist.
Kai stared at him.
"Arga..."
"Stop."
Arga shook his head.
"If I stop..."
He drew a painful breath.
"...everyone dies."
He forced more energy from the lunchbox.
WHOOOOOOM!!
A golden wave swept across the valley.
The blizzard split apart.
The Core's screams weakened.
The cracks across the Manifestation slowly began to close.
Then—
Arga dropped to one knee.
Blood dripped from his nose onto the snow.
His vision blurred.
The voices around him became distant.
For a moment...
he almost forgot where he was.
Farhan stared at his laptop.
His face drained of color.
"No..."
Lila looked at him.
"What is it now?!"
Farhan's hands trembled.
"Arga's body..."
"...can't withstand the resonance of the eighteenth grain."
Sinta froze.
"What does that mean?"
Farhan looked toward Arga.
"If he keeps forcing it..."
"...his heart will stop."
The Dominion Commander glanced toward Arga.
A faint smile appeared.
"Interesting."
Then he looked back at Bimo.
"You people are willing to die..."
"...for something you'll never truly possess."
Bimo limped toward him.
"And you..."
He wiped the blood from his lips.
"...are willing to become a monster..."
"...for a lifeless machine."
Then he shouted at the top of his lungs—
"NOW!!"
Dika rushed in from the left.
Tono dropped from the cliff above.
Rani, Nisa, and Andra charged toward the energy cables.
CRASH!!
BOOM!!
ZAAK!!
The generator shook violently.
One of its side panels exploded apart.
Red warning lights flashed wildly.
WHOOOM—WHOOOM—
The machine began to lose stability.
But at that very moment—
the crack beneath the ice split wide open.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!
The entire valley shook violently.
Everyone froze.
From the endless black abyss beneath the fissure—
two eyes slowly opened.
Enormous eyes.
Deep sapphire blue.
As bright as the polar night.
Then—
a hand emerged.
Not a human hand.
Not the paw of a beast.
A hand forged from ancient ice and crystalline bone.
Its massive fingers gripped the edge of the chasm.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The mountains trembled.
For the first time—
the Ice Guardian took a step back.
For the first time—
the legendary guardian looked afraid.
Kai whispered, his face drained of color.
"No..."
"...the Ice Guardian isn't the Core's guardian."
His eyes remained fixed on the creature climbing out of the abyss.
"...He's the jailer."
The words echoed across the frozen valley.
Behind them—
the curtain of snow slowly parted.
A lone figure stepped forward.
Pak Rahmat.
His coat fluttered violently in the storm.
His face remained expressionless.
He stared at the rising monster...
as though looking at someone he had once known.
Then he spoke quietly.
"The seal..."
"...has finally broken."
Sinta turned sharply.
"Pak Rahmat..."
"...who is that?"
He didn't answer.
Instead—
he slowly removed the glove from his right hand.
Ancient glowing symbols covered his entire palm.
For the first time—
his voice no longer sounded like the Pak Rahmat they knew.
"Everyone..."
"Fall back."
His eyes shone with golden light.
"If it awakens completely..."
The ancient creature pulled itself farther out of the abyss.
It towered over even the Ice Guardian.
Crystal horns pierced the blizzard.
Its frozen breath turned the surrounding air into ice.
Pak Rahmat never looked away.
"...Even I..."
"...may not be able to stop it."
Behind them—
the Dominion Generator let out a deafening scream.
WHIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!
Every warning light turned crimson.
Farhan looked at the screen—
then shouted at the top of his lungs.
"RUN!"
"THE GENERATOR IS GOING TO EXPLODE!"
The Dominion Commander merely smiled.
"Excellent."
Arga remained on one knee.
Half of his body was already frozen.
His lunchbox pulsed with uncontrollable golden light.
The ancient creature slowly lifted its head.
Pak Rahmat stepped forward—
alone.
Bimo tightened his grip on the broken steel bar despite his injuries.
Sinta held her breath.
Kai stood frozen.
And just as the generator reached its critical limit—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion swallowed the valley.