The sky above the Fire Continent was no longer red.
Now—
it was black.
Not night.
Not ash clouds.
A darkness that swallowed light itself.
Red lightning tore through the darkness like wounds that refused to close.
Beneath that sky, the volcanoes roared without end.
RUMMMMMBLE.
Lava erupted from the slopes.
The ground split apart.
Massive rocks collapsed into the fiery chasms below.
The entire island seemed to be dying.
At the center of the crater—
the Fire Core floated in the air.
But its light was no longer steady.
It was fading.
Flickering.
Like a heart struggling to beat.
And above it—
the black crack in the sky continued to widen.
CRAAAAACK.
Something moved behind it.
Slowly.
Heavily.
As though another world were forcing its way into Earth.
Arga dropped to his knees.
THUD.
His hands clawed into the scorching ground.
His breathing came in broken gasps.
The MBG lunchbox in his hand trembled violently.
Inside—
twenty-three glowing rice grains no longer spun in perfect formation.
They flickered chaotically.
Some had even begun to fade.
As if they were dying along with him.
Sinta rushed toward him.
"ARGA!"
She caught him before he collapsed onto the cracked lava beside them.
His skin was burning hot.
Far too hot.
Yet his face was pale, as though every drop of blood had been drained from his body.
Bimo came from the other side, breathing hard.
"What happened to him?!"
Farhan stared at the sensors on his laptop—
and his face went white.
"His body is being forced to contain the resonance of all seven cores at once…"
His hands trembled.
"This is impossible…"
Lila stared at the data, which was rapidly breaking apart.
"The energies inside Arga are colliding."
Kai stood motionless.
For the first time—
his eyes showed something none of them had ever seen before.
Fear.
"If this continues…"
He looked at Arga.
"…he'll die."
Arga heard their voices as though they were coming from somewhere far away.
His body felt like it was splitting apart from within.
Heat.
Cold.
Darkness.
Light.
Everything was colliding inside him.
He tried to breathe—
but his lungs felt like they were burning.
Images flashed through his mind:
the frozen sea,
the ice storm,
the burning savanna,
the ancient mountains,
the old forest,
the Southern Island—
and now—
black eyes.
Massive eyes staring down at him from the sky.
Hating him.
Recognizing him.
Arga coughed up blood.
Bimo took half a step back.
"No…"
Sinta clenched her jaw.
"Don't you dare die on us now."
In the middle of the crater—
Ignivar Draco still stood.
The magma dragon's body was cracked in countless places.
Lava dripped between its scales like blood.
Its left wing was torn.
Its breathing was heavy.
But its eyes still burned.
It stared into the black sky.
Then it let out a low growl.
Not fear.
Anger.
Kai whispered,
"It knows what's coming."
The Dominion leader stood atop the ruins of the metal platform.
For the first time—
the smile disappeared from his face.
He stared at the crack in the sky, his jaw tightening.
The man in the hat beside him was trembling.
"S-Sir…"
"That wasn't part of our plan…"
The Dominion leader answered quietly,
"I know."
He stared at those black eyes.
"The seal broke too soon."
Bimo turned sharply.
"The seal?"
But before anyone could answer—
the sky tore open even wider.
CRAAAAAAAAAACK!
From inside the black rift—
a hand emerged.
Not a human hand.
Far too long.
Far too thin.
Made of pure shadow.
Its fingers were like claws carved from the night.
It reached out from the sky.
Everyone froze.
Farhan dropped his laptop.
"What… is that…?"
Then—
Pak Rahmat stepped forward.
Alone.
The hot wind whipped around his old jacket.
His eyes remained fixed on the black hand without a trace of hesitation.
His voice was calm.
Far too calm.
"So you've finally awakened."
Everyone turned.
Sinta stared at him in shock.
"Pak Rahmat…?"
The Dominion leader's eyes widened.
His expression changed instantly.
"No…"
He took a step back.
"You're still alive?"
Bimo turned toward him.
"What?"
Pak Rahmat didn't look at anyone.
His gaze remained fixed on the sky.
Then he spoke—
his low voice making the entire crater feel cold.
"His name is Umbra Rex."
"The Devourer of the World's Cores."
The wind stopped.
No one spoke.
Farhan whispered,
"The… Devourer?"
Pak Rahmat slowly nodded.
"Long ago, the first seven Guardians sealed him away."
He looked at Arga.
"And that seal was bound to the bloodline of the Guardians who came after them."
Arga raised his head with great effort.
Blood stained his lips.
"What… do you mean…?"
Pak Rahmat looked directly at him.
His eyes were sharp.
"You are the key, Arga."
BOOOOOOOM!
The black hand slammed against the edge of the crater.
The ground shattered.
Lava erupted hundreds of meters into the air.
From the rift in the sky—
a figure began to descend.
Tall.
Thin.
Wrapped in living shadows.
A dark, bottomless hole spiraled in the center of its chest.
And glowing red eyes stared from its face.
Umbra Rex.
It had entered their world.
Every step it took extinguished the lava beneath its feet.
Fire died wherever its shadow touched.
Ignivar Draco let out a thunderous roar.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!
The dragon leaped.
Its wings spread to their full span.
Its massive magma-covered body slammed into Umbra Rex like a living meteor.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire island shook.
A cloud of volcanic dust filled the sky.
Bimo stared in disbelief.
"He's attacking it…"
Kai whispered,
"The last Guardian… is fighting alone."
As the dust began to clear—
Ignivar Draco had its jaws clamped around Umbra Rex's shoulder.
Fire poured from its mouth.
Lava flooded across the ground.
But Umbra Rex merely turned its head.
Then it drove one hand into the dragon's chest.
CRAAAAASH!
The stone-like body of Ignivar Draco cracked.
Its roar turned into a scream.
ROOOOAAAAAARGH!
Arga cried out,
"NO!"
Ignivar Draco was hurled backward, crashing into the mountainside.
Part of the mountain collapsed.
Lava poured into the sea.
Yet the dragon rose again.
Bleeding magma.
One wing broken.
Its body covered in cracks.
Still standing.
A legend does not kneel.
Pak Rahmat turned toward the team.
"Listen carefully."
His voice was firm.
"If Umbra Rex devours the final core…"
He pointed toward the sky.
"…every core in the world will die."
Farhan went pale.
"That means Earth—"
"Yes."
Pak Rahmat cut him off.
"Life itself will go out."
Sinta stood.
"Then what are we supposed to do?!"
Pak Rahmat looked at Arga.
"There is only one way."
Arga fought through the pain and met his gaze.
Pak Rahmat spoke quietly—
yet his words carried more weight than the mountains.
"Awaken the Seventh Guardian."
Kai froze.
"That's impossible…"
Pak Rahmat answered,
"Not anymore."
Arga trembled.
His body was barely holding together.
Yet he tightened his grip around the MBG lunchbox.
The twenty-three rice grains began to glow wildly.
One after another.
He stood.
His legs shook.
Blood dripped onto the scorching rock.
But he remained standing.
Bimo stared at him.
"Hey… don't do anything crazy."
Arga gave him a weak smile.
"Too late."
He stepped toward the crater.
With every step, cracks of golden light spread across his body.
Kai shouted,
"If you force it now, your body will break apart!"
Arga didn't stop.
Ahead—
Ignivar Draco charged Umbra Rex again.
Above—
the black sky continued to tear open.
Behind—
everyone held their breath.
Arga raised the MBG lunchbox toward the sky.
Golden light exploded outward.
WHOOOOOOOOOM!
The twenty-three rice grains shot into the air and began circling him like a galaxy.
The entire world trembled.
On Farhan's map—
the other six cores began glowing again.
One after another.
The Southern Island.
The Ancient Forest.
The Northern Ice.
The Savanna.
The Mountains.
The North Pole.
All of them connected.
And from inside the lunchbox—
something new began to take shape.
Not a rice grain.
Not ordinary light.
An ancient symbol.
Pulsing.
Alive.
Pak Rahmat stared at it—
and for the first time since this all began—
his expression tightened.
"No…"
Farhan turned toward him.
"What now?!"
Pak Rahmat whispered,
"That isn't the Seventh Guardian…"
The sky shattered completely.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
And from beyond the裂 rift—
another colossal figure opened its eyes.