The sky above the Fire Continent shattered.
Not metaphorically.
Not as a feeling.
It was literally breaking apart.
Cracks split the red clouds from horizon to horizon.
Fragments of light fell like shattered pieces of the sky.
The massive portal above the crater no longer emitted any color.
There was only one thing inside it.
Darkness.
Not the darkness of night.
Not the darkness of a world without light.
A darkness that was hungry.
A darkness that stared back.
The lava beneath the crater erupted into the air.
BOOOOM!
The smaller mountains surrounding the island collapsed.
The ocean boiled.
The air grew heavy, as if it were filled with stone.
Then—
something began pulling itself out of the portal.
Two enormous claws gripped the edge of the sky.
CRAAAAACK!
The portal tore open even wider.
Bimo took three steps backward.
"Okay…"
His voice cracked.
"…I officially regret getting out of bed this morning."
No one laughed.
The creature's head emerged.
It was larger than Gaia Primordia.
Longer than an aircraft carrier.
Taller than the volcano beneath their feet.
Its skin was black, like the remains of a world that had already burned.
Glowing red cracks spread across its body like cosmic wounds.
Its horns were broken and jagged, resembling the ruins of shattered planets.
Then its eyes opened.
Two red eyes.
Not angry.
Not savage.
Empty.
Farhan dropped his laptop.
"That's not a predator…"
He staggered backward, struggling to breathe.
"…that's a catastrophe."
Kai stared at the sky, his face pale.
"The World Eater."
As the creature's full body emerged—
the Earth screamed.
DOOOOOOOOM!
The entire island split apart.
Lava erupted hundreds of meters into the air.
Waves crashed against the shore and instantly evaporated.
The portal behind the creature remained open like a wound that refused to stop bleeding.
The World Eater looked down at the world.
As if deciding which part it wanted to devour first.
The Guardians moved as one.
Gaia Primordia took flight first, its golden body cutting through the clouds like a falling sun.
ROOOOOOOAR!!
It slammed into the World Eater's chest.
The sky exploded.
Solaris Lion leaped forward and sank its teeth into the creature's black wing.
Ignivar Draco unleashed a torrent of magma.
Ursus Glacialis summoned an ice storm that froze the air itself.
Himal Yaksha hurled a mountain of stone from the depths of the earth.
The Forest Guardian drove thousands of energy-infused roots into the creature.
The entire world seemed to attack as one.
Dust and light swallowed the sky.
Bimo watched, trembling.
"He's finished…"
The dust cleared.
The World Eater was still standing.
Unharmed.
Unmoved.
Then it opened its mouth.
There was no tongue inside.
Only a swirling void.
It roared.
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
A wave of darkness exploded in every direction.
Gaia Primordia was hurled into the crater.
Solaris Lion crashed onto the burning stone, blood pouring from its body.
Ignivar Draco was thrown into the lava.
Cracks spread from Ursus Glacialis's shoulder all the way across its chest.
Himal Yaksha dropped to one knee.
The Forest Guardian's roots burned to ash.
One roar.
Six Guardians fell.
Dominion finally panicked.
Their reactor towers shook violently.
Drones began crashing one after another.
Soldiers ran in every direction.
The man in the hat screamed.
"We have to retreat!"
The Dominion leader stared at the screen of his device.
For the first time—
his smile disappeared.
"No…"
he whispered.
"It can still be used."
But his hand was trembling.
Arga stood unsteadily at the edge of the crater.
Or, more accurately—
his last bit of determination was forcing him to remain standing.
His skin was covered in glowing cracks.
Blood ran from his nose and eyes.
Every breath sounded like his lungs were being torn apart.
The MBG Lunchbox in his hand shook violently.
Twenty-three glowing rice grains spun like stars that had lost their orbits.
Sinta grabbed his arm.
"Stop!"
Arga nearly collapsed.
"I… can't yet."
Bimo turned toward him angrily.
"You'll die if you keep going!"
Arga gave a faint smile.
"If I stop…"
He looked at the fallen Guardians.
"…everyone dies."
Pak Rahmat stepped forward.
The hot wind blew through his old coat.
He stared at the World Eater without blinking.
Then he opened his palm.
The ancient symbol on his hand began to glow.
Not gold.
Brilliant white.
Kai's eyes widened.
"That's…"
His voice trembled.
"The seal of the first generation."
Pak Rahmat spoke quietly.
His voice was unlike anything they had ever heard from him before.
Firm.
Ancient.
Filled with old wounds.
"I once watched the world nearly get devoured."
He looked at Arga.
"And I failed to save my companions."
His eyes glistened.
"Not this time."
The World Eater turned toward them.
It saw the white light in Pak Rahmat's hand.
For the first time—
the creature stopped.
Then it let out a low growl.
As if it recognized an old enemy.
Pak Rahmat gave a bitter smile.
"You still remember me."
He drove his hand into the ground.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire island lit up with ancient lines of sealing energy.
A massive circle spread from the crater all the way to the shoreline.
The sky trembled.
Farhan stared at what remained of his laptop screen.
"An ancient prison network…"
Lila trembled.
"This entire island…"
She looked around in disbelief.
"…is a seal?"
Pak Rahmat nodded without turning.
"The Fire Continent was never the birthplace of the final Core."
He stared at the portal.
"It's a prison."
The World Eater went berserk.
It slashed at the ancient seal with its claws.
The island began collapsing even faster.
Lava swallowed the land.
The sky burned.
Pak Rahmat coughed up blood.
But he remained standing.
Arga shouted.
"PAK!"
The old man smiled.
"Now it's your turn."
The MBG Lunchbox erupted with light.
The twenty-three rice grains stopped spinning.
They converged at the center.
A new pulse echoed through the crater.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Farhan stared wide-eyed.
"No way…"
Lila whispered.
"The twenty-fourth grain…"
It had not been born yet.
But its shell had already begun to form.
The World Eater opened its mouth toward Arga.
A massive vortex of darkness formed inside.
Kai screamed.
"ARGA, RUN!"
Arga didn't move.
His body was too broken.
Sinta ran toward him.
Bimo charged after her.
Gaia Primordia struggled to rise.
Too late.
The World Eater unleashed the void toward Arga.
Pak Rahmat leaped in front of him.
White light collided with darkness.
The sky exploded.
And just before everything turned white—
from inside the MBG Lunchbox…
something opened its golden eyes.