The inferno raged around them, choking the air with heat and smoke. Kael clung to the pedestal, his body shielded by the faint glow of the fragment. Mareth, silhouetted against the flames, darted left and right, dodging the fiery guardian's relentless attacks.
"This isn't sustainable!" Mareth yelled, sweat dripping from his face as he swung his blade at the molten creature. His strikes barely left scratches on its molten form, the heat sapping his strength with every movement.
Kael's mind raced. The fragment pulsed beneath his fingers, feeding energy into the pedestal, but the process was agonizingly slow. He glanced at Mareth, who was barely holding his own.
"Mareth, fall back! I'll draw it away!" Kael shouted.
Mareth gritted his teeth and shot him a furious glare. "Don't be stupid! I've got this!"
The guardian roared, its molten body blazing even brighter. It slammed its fists into the ground, creating shockwaves that fractured the earth beneath their feet.
Kael staggered, barely managing to keep his balance. His hands remained firmly on the pedestal, channeling the fragment's energy. The runes glowed brighter, and the hum of power grew louder.
But it wasn't enough.
The guardian turned its blazing eyes toward Kael and charged, molten footsteps leaving fiery craters in its wake.
"No, you don't!" Mareth bellowed, throwing himself in front of the beast. He struck at its legs, his blade flashing as it bit into a glowing joint. The guardian stumbled, roaring in fury as it swiped at Mareth with a flaming arm.
Mareth barely dodged the blow, but the heat singed his cloak, and he staggered back, coughing.
"Kael, whatever you're doing, do it faster!" Mareth growled.
Kael's focus narrowed to the pedestal. The fragment's energy surged, but the process still wasn't complete. The air around him crackled with power, the runes burning brighter with each passing second.
"I just need a little more time!" Kael shouted.
The guardian, undeterred, rose to its full height. Flames coiled around its massive fists as it prepared to deliver a devastating blow.
Kael's heart pounded. If the attack connected, it would destroy everything the pedestal, the fragment, and their chance to restore Shroud's Divide.
"Mareth, get clear!" Kael yelled.
"No way!" Mareth shot back, charging the guardian again. "I'm not leaving you to deal with this alone!"
The creature swung down with both arms, aiming to crush them both. Mareth braced himself, raising his sword, while Kael instinctively ducked behind the pedestal.
The ground shook as the guardian's fists smashed into the earth, sending a wave of fire and debris in every direction.
Kael coughed, his vision blurred by heat and smoke. He saw Mareth, battered but still standing, his sword glowing faintly from the heat of the battle.
"I've had enough of this overgrown bonfire!" Mareth snarled. He lunged at the guardian, aiming for its molten core. His blade pierced through, and the creature let out an earth-shaking roar.
The guardian staggered back, clutching its chest as fiery cracks spread across its body. But instead of collapsing, it seemed to grow angrier. Flames erupted from its body, and the ground around it began to melt.
Kael's hands trembled on the pedestal. The fragment burned hot in his grasp, its energy reaching a fever pitch. The runes were almost fully activated, their light cutting through the haze of the battlefield.
But the guardian wasn't done. It turned its blazing eyes toward Kael, raising one fiery arm for a final, catastrophic attack.
"Mareth!" Kael shouted, desperation in his voice.
"I'm on it!" Mareth yelled back, his voice raw. He charged the creature again, leaping onto its arm and climbing toward its head.
The guardian roared, thrashing wildly, but Mareth held on, using his sword to anchor himself. He reached its head and plunged his blade into the glowing core between its eyes.
The guardian let out a deafening scream as molten cracks spread across its body. Flames erupted in all directions, and the ground beneath them buckled.
Kael seized the moment. He channeled the fragment's power into the pedestal with all his strength. The runes flared to life, and a shockwave of energy radiated outward, pushing back the heat and flames.
The guardian staggered, its molten body collapsing in on itself. But it wasn't defeated yet. Its blazing eyes locked onto Kael one final time, filled with rage and defiance.
The battle wasn't over. Not yet.