The figure stepped into the light of the glowing runes, their features obscured by a black hood and an aura of writhing shadows. The dark flames on their blade flickered like hungry spirits.

“I won’t let you pass,” the figure said, their voice resonating unnaturally. “The relic does not belong to you.”

Kaito tightened his grip on the relic, the blade’s flames roaring to life. “Who are you? What do you want with the relic?”

The figure ignored his question, raising their weapon. “Prove yourself, or perish.”

Before Kaito could react, the figure lunged, their blade slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Kaito barely parried the strike, the clash of fire and shadow sending sparks flying.

Sayuri moved to assist, but the figure waved a hand, summoning a barrier of shadow that separated her from the fight.

“This is his battle,” the figure said coldly.

“Kaito!” Sayuri shouted, pounding against the barrier.

Kaito gritted his teeth, the weight of the relic pressing down on him. The figure’s attacks were relentless, each strike testing his strength and resolve.

“Focus,” the relic’s whisper echoed in his mind. “You are stronger than this.”

The flames around the blade intensified, and Kaito felt a surge of energy course through him. He countered the next strike, the force of his blow causing the figure to stagger.

The figure recovered quickly, their shadowy form rippling with renewed fury.

“You wield the relic, but you don’t understand it,” they said, their voice almost pitying. “Its power will consume you if you let it.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Kaito growled, the relic’s heat radiating through his hands. “Then I’ll master it.”

He closed his eyes, focusing on the relic’s whispers. The flames shifted, growing brighter and more controlled, as if responding to his determination. When he opened his eyes, the blade had transformed, its ember patterns glowing with a molten intensity.

The next clash sent a shockwave through the canyon, the force of Kaito’s strike breaking the figure’s blade in two.

The figure stepped back, shadows flickering erratically around them. “You... might be worthy after all.”

Before Kaito could press his advantage, the figure dissolved into a cloud of shadows, their final words lingering in the air: “The Forge will test more than your strength. Prepare yourself.”

The shadow barrier around Sayuri vanished, and she rushed to Kaito’s side.

“Are you alright?” she asked, concern etched across her face.

Kaito nodded, though his legs felt like they might give out. “Let’s keep moving.”

The entrance to the Ember Forge was a massive archway carved into the canyon wall, its surface covered in glowing runes. As they stepped inside, the air grew thick with heat and energy, the walls pulsing with an orange-red light.

“It’s incredible,” Kaito murmured, his voice echoing through the cavernous space.

“This is where the relic was forged,” Sayuri said, her tone reverent. “And where its true power can be unlocked.”

They walked deeper into the Forge, the path lined with statues of warriors wielding weapons similar to Kaito’s relic. Each statue bore a different expression—determination, despair, triumph.

“Those who came before you,” Sayuri said. “The relic’s previous wielders.”

Kaito paused in front of one statue, a warrior whose face was eerily similar to his own. “What happened to them?”

Sayuri hesitated. “Most succeeded in mastering the relic. Others... did not.”

Before Kaito could ask more, the ground trembled, and a deep voice echoed through the Forge:

“Who dares disturb the Forge?”

A massive figure emerged from the shadows, its body made entirely of molten rock and flame. Its eyes glowed with an intense light, and its voice rumbled like an earthquake.

“Only the worthy may proceed.”

The molten guardian raised a hand, and the room around Kaito shifted. Sayuri disappeared, and he found himself alone in a dark void.

“You must face yourself,” the guardian’s voice boomed.

The void shifted, and Kaito saw himself standing opposite him. This version of him was shadowed, his eyes glowing with the same crimson light as the Hunters.

“You’re not strong enough,” the shadow-Kaito said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’ll fail, just like the others.”

Kaito gripped the relic tightly. “You’re wrong.”

The shadow lunged, its movements mirroring Kaito’s perfectly. Each strike was a reflection of his own, forcing him to outthink and outmaneuver his dark counterpart.

As the fight continued, Kaito began to realize the truth: the shadow wasn’t just an enemy—it was his own fear.

“To master the relic, you must master yourself,” the guardian’s voice echoed.

With a deep breath, Kaito lowered his blade, allowing the shadow to strike. Instead of pain, he felt a wave of warmth as the shadow dissolved into light.

When the void cleared, Kaito stood alone in the Forge, the guardian watching him with approval.

“You have passed the first trial. The path forward is yours.”