The massive fissure in the middle of the valley remained open.
Deep within it—
two red eyes glowed.
Silent.
Unblinking.
Unmoving.
Yet the entire mountain trembled every time the creature below breathed.
RUMMMMMBLE.
Snow cascaded down the slopes.
Massive rocks rolled into the abyss.
White mist rose from the black fissure like the breath of a dying world.
No one spoke.
Bimo swallowed hard.
"…I liked the fire lion better."
Titan Yakhorn stood at the edge of the fissure.
For the first time since they had seen it—
the giant no longer looked like the ruler of the mountains.
It looked like a guardian who had failed.
The ancient chains around its body tightened.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
Its blue eyes remained fixed on the abyss, filled with absolute vigilance.
Kai stepped forward.
"Now I understand."
Arga turned toward him.
"Understand what?"
Kai looked at the chains wrapped around Titan Yakhorn.
"He's not guarding the Core."
"He's keeping something down there buried."
The air suddenly felt much colder.
The Dominion leader smiled with satisfaction.
For the first time, his expression looked exactly like that of a man who had finally achieved his goal.
"You're only realizing that now?"
He raised the control device in his hand.
"We didn't come for the mountain's Core."
He pointed toward the massive fissure.
"We came to awaken what was sealed."
Farhan's face went pale.
"You're insane."
The man slowly shook his head.
"No."
"We're visionaries."
Several of the metal spear-machines began spinning faster.
WHOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!
Blue energy slammed deep into the mountain.
The fissure widened.
The red eyes below rose higher.
Sinta moved immediately.
"Everyone, take out those machines!"
Bimo ran first.
"My favorite part."
Dika followed from the left.
Tono leaped down from a high rock.
Rani and Nisa circled around the side of the valley.
The Dominion soldiers opened fire.
BLAST! BLAST! BLAST!
Snow exploded around them.
Bimo charged forward without slowing.
His metal staff smashed into the first soldier.
CRASH!
The soldier was sent flying into a pile of broken ice.
Dika swept the legs out from under two more soldiers.
Tono slammed his body into a turret, destroying it.
Blue sparks flashed through the white storm.
But the main machine remained active.
Titan Yakhorn roared.
It wasn't the roar of an animal.
It was the sound of a mountain refusing to be opened.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The clouds above split apart.
Avalanches thundered down from three sides at once.
The giant slammed its forelegs into the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A massive stone wall erupted from the earth and crashed into two Dominion machines.
Metal twisted.
Energy exploded.
But the final machine continued to hum.
The Dominion leader chuckled.
"Good."
"Get angry."
"The angrier you become, the weaker your seal gets."
Arga dropped to one knee in the snow.
The MBG lunchbox trembled violently in his hand.
Nineteen glowing grains of rice spun uncontrollably inside.
His chest felt as though something were tearing it apart from within.
He coughed.
A drop of blood fell onto the white snow.
Kai immediately grabbed his shoulder.
"Stop."
"Your body can't handle this yet."
Arga forced himself to stand.
"If I stop…"
He stared at the red eyes in the abyss.
"…everyone dies."
Kai stared at him for a long moment.
There was something like fear in his eyes.
Fear of losing Arga.
Arga opened the lunchbox fully.
Golden light exploded outward.
WHOOOOM!
The snow around him melted for a moment.
The nineteen glowing grains spun faster and faster.
Then—
a new light was born in the center of the vortex.
Brighter.
Heavier.
More painful.
The twentieth grain.
Arga screamed as the light surged into his body.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Cracks of light spread across his arm.
His veins began glowing gold.
His eyes reflected a light that did not belong to any ordinary human.
Farhan stared at the screen, trembling.
"Guardian energy… it's spiking beyond anything we've seen!"
Lila whispered,
"Arga's body won't survive…"
A wave of golden energy swept across the entire valley.
Titan Yakhorn turned.
Its blue eyes met Arga's.
Then—
the giant lowered its head.
Not to Pak Rahmat.
To Arga.
Bimo watched while gasping for breath.
"…Okay."
"That was awesome."
Kai spoke quietly.
"Now it recognizes you."
But the price of that recognition was immense.
Arga dropped to one knee.
Blood ran from his nose.
His hand trembled violently.
The Dominion leader watched with fascination.
"Incredible."
He pressed the final control device.
The last machine glowed red.
WHOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
The mountain fissure split even wider.
Titan Yakhorn charged immediately.
It slammed its entire body into the machine.
KRAAAAAAAAAASH!
The machine shattered.
A blue explosion tore into the sky.
But—
it was too late.
The ancient chains around Titan Yakhorn's body began to break.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Bimo froze.
"Why are its chains breaking?!"
Kai answered quietly,
"Because the seal is already broken."
The ground lifted.
The entire valley shifted.
The surrounding mountains cracked like glass.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
Titan Yakhorn took a step backward.
The creature as massive as a cliff—
stepped backward.
The red eyes in the abyss rose to the surface.
Then a gigantic head emerged from the darkness.
Jagged black horns.
Skin like ancient volcanic rock.
A mouth filled with fangs as large as spears.
Black mist poured from between its teeth.
Larger than Titan Yakhorn.
Older than the snow.
More savage than the storm.
Farhan dropped his laptop.
"No…"
Lila stumbled backward, trembling.
"The legendary records… they're real…"
Pak Rahmat finally spoke.
His calm voice sent a chill through everyone.
"Mahakala Ram."
The monster stopped.
Its glowing red eyes fixed on Pak Rahmat.
Then—
it smiled.