The sky above the Fire Continent had finally grown calm.
The clouds of ash that had spun like hell itself slowly began to thin, carried away by the warm wind sweeping across the enormous crater. Sunlight filtered through the remaining smoke, illuminating the cracked black rocks and the sea of lava that now pulsed only faintly.
It was as if the world had just barely escaped death.
But the scars of the battle were everywhere.
The crater's cliffs had collapsed. The ground was split by long, deep chasms. The remains of Dominion machinery still burned between the rocks. The air smelled of sulfur, dust, and something harder to describe—
the scent of an ending.
In the middle of the destruction, the Nutrition Guardian Team was still standing.
Still alive.
And for a while, no one said a word.
Bimo was the first to drop onto a charred rock.
"Okay…"
He stared blankly at the blue sky.
"If anyone ever says school activities are boring…"
He pointed toward the sky.
"…they've obviously never almost been eaten by a cosmic monster."
Dika let out a short laugh—
then winced and grabbed his ribs.
"Please don't make me laugh."
Rani sat on the ground, catching her breath. Her face was covered in dust, her hair a mess, but her eyes were still sharp.
"We survived."
She looked toward the crater, which was slowly settling.
"Somehow."
Farhan was still standing, gripping his laptop with trembling hands. The screen was cracked, and half the system was nearly dead.
But the energy graphs were still running.
He swallowed hard.
"The portal really closed."
Lila approached, looking pale with exhaustion.
"Are all the Cores stable?"
Farhan nodded slowly.
"All seven are active… but balanced."
He zoomed in on the world map.
Seven points of light glowed across different parts of the Earth. The energy lines connecting them now moved steadily.
No longer wild.
No longer chaotic.
Like the heartbeat of the world had finally returned to a normal rhythm.
"It's as if they recognize each other now," Lila whispered.
In the middle of the crater—
Gaia Primordia still stood.
The ancient dragon no longer shone like a second sun. The golden light flowing across its body had softened.
Calm.
Warm.
Yet every breath it took still made the air tremble.
The creature gazed across the world it had just helped save.
Then, one by one, the Guardians began to return.
Ignivar Draco spread its fiery wings and looked at Arga one last time…
then sank into the sea of lava.
Its massive body melted into the magma, like a legend returning to sleep.
Ursus Glacialis turned away without a word.
Every step left a trail of ice across the scorching rock before the Guardian disappeared into the cold mist.
Himal Yaksha stood at the edge of the highest cliff, facing the sky.
For a moment, it looked like the mountain itself.
Then its enormous body slowly faded into the stone.
Solaris Lion let out one final roar toward the setting sun before flying toward the horizon as a streak of golden light.
Ursus Vitalis walked toward the distant forest beyond the rocky valley.
Its wooden body slowly broke apart into leaves and roots that scattered into the wind.
They had come when the world called.
Now, they were going home.
Silence returned.
Kai stood beside Arga.
"We did it."
But Arga didn't answer.
He was still standing at the edge of the crater…
his body swaying slightly.
His face was pale.
His lips were cracked.
His hand trembled around the MBG Lunchbox.
Kai immediately turned toward him.
"Arga?"
There was no answer.
Then Arga's body suddenly collapsed forward.
"ARGA!"
Sinta moved first, catching him before he hit the burning rocks.
The lunchbox slipped from his hand—
but continued to glow softly.
Twenty-five glowing rice grains slowly spun inside.
Arga coughed.
A single drop of blood fell onto the blackened ground.
Everyone froze.
Bimo jumped to his feet.
"Hey… don't joke around."
Farhan dropped to his knees beside Arga.
"His energy levels are crashing…"
Lila checked his pulse with trembling fingers.
"His body still can't handle the resonance of all seven Cores."
Sinta stared at Arga's unconscious face.
For the first time since all of this began—
she looked genuinely afraid.
Kai knelt beside them.
The light in his eyes had dimmed.
"He pushed himself too far."
Bimo clenched his fists.
"After everything we just went through…"
His voice cracked.
"…he collapses now?"
No one answered.
Because there was no answer that could make it better.
Far away—
Pak Rahmat stood alone at the edge of the crater.
His back was turned toward them.
Silent.
Still.
The wind tugged at the parts of his coat that had been burned during the battle.
Sinta looked over.
"Pak Rahmat!"
The old man didn't answer immediately.
He continued staring at the sky.
Then he spoke quietly—
in a voice none of them had ever heard from him before.
"This was only the first wave."
Everyone fell silent.
Bimo frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Pak Rahmat slowly turned around.
His face was covered with small cuts.
And his eyes…
for the first time, looked truly tired.
"The Abyss Devourer wasn't the main attacker."
The air suddenly felt cold.
Farhan slowly got to his feet.
"What?"
Pak Rahmat walked toward them.
Every step was heavy.
"Creatures like that are sent ahead."
He looked at the unconscious Arga.
"To test whether a world is worth harvesting."
No one breathed.
Lila took half a step back.
"Harvesting…?"
Pak Rahmat looked up at the darkening sky.
"And if the answer is yes…"
He pointed upward.
"…their fleet comes."
Farhan quickly turned back to his laptop.
"Wait."
He typed frantically.
The radar flickered back to life.
One energy signature appeared beyond the atmosphere.
Then two.
Then five.
Then dozens.
Then hundreds.
Farhan's face went white.
"No…"
Bimo stepped closer.
"What is it now?"
Farhan turned the screen toward everyone.
The map of the sky was filled with red points.
They were moving toward Earth.
In formation.
Like an army.
Like an invasion.
Lila covered her mouth.
"That can't be…"
Kai stared at the screen without blinking.
"Their energy…"
He swallowed.
"…it's greater than the Abyss Devourer's."
Sinta held Arga tightly against her.
For the first time, her hands were shaking.
Pak Rahmat closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he spoke softly—
as though addressing a past that had never truly ended.
"I was afraid this day would come."
Bimo stared at him.
"You know who they are?"
Pak Rahmat opened his eyes.
Deep within his gaze was something far older than this war.
"I once watched them destroy an entire world."
Silence.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Above them, the night sky began to fill with stars.
But now, every point of light felt like a threat.
Arga remained unconscious.
The seven Cores had only just returned to balance.
And beyond the atmosphere—
something far greater was approaching.
Farhan stared at the screen, his voice breaking.
"They'll be here…"
He swallowed hard.
"…in three days."
The wind stopped.
The world fell silent.
Then, far out in space—
one of the red points began to shine brighter than the others.
Far larger.
Far darker.
And slowly—
it began to open its eyes.