----
Before them, the ground split apart, and a colossal figure emerged. It was a golem, forged entirely of molten metal and black stone.
Its eyes burned with the intensity of twin suns, and in its hand, it held a massive hammer that crackled with arcs of lightning.
"I am Kael- thar, Guardian of the Forge," the golem declared. "If you seek the fragment, you must prove your worth."
Dabi groaned. "Of course, we do. Because nothing can ever be simple."
Kael- thar raised his hammer, slamming it into the ground. The shockwave sent molten debris flying, forcing Dabi and Loira to leap back.
"You will face the fire and emerge tempered," Kaelthar said. "Only then can you claim the fragment piece."
The ground around them began to shift, forming an arena enclosed by walls of flowing lava. The heat intensified, and in the center of the arena, a pedestal rose, holding the shard— a fragment that glowed with the intensity of a blazing sun.
