Having successfully used 'Flash Steps', though the movement was slightly off, leaving her legs sore, Rin was nonetheless overjoyed and exhilarated.
The fruits of her tireless training had finally paid off, filling her with pride.
More than that, her joy came not only from mastering a difficult technique.
Not far away, the Magical Beast, enraged at losing its prey just as it was about to seize it, grew even more furious and frenzied.
Its wings beat violently, whipping up gusts of wind. Its hind claws raked the ground, carving deep grooves into the earth. From its maw came guttural growls, baring rows of jagged, revolting fangs.
Yet, standing before the bloodthirsty beast, Rin remained calm, watching it intently.
And then, what she had been waiting for finally happened.
Suddenly, the Magical Beast convulsed, writhing in agony.
Purple smoke, mingled with blood, bile, and saliva, poured from its mouth. Soon, it collapsed, thrashing helplessly on the ground.
Seeing this, Rin smiled, clenching her fist in triumph.
Moments later, the Magical Beast's movements weakened until it lay nearly motionless.
Then Rin noticed its body slowly turning pale gray. In no time, the creature stiffened completely, transformed into a true statue, frozen in place.
Rin whispered, bewildered:
"What in the world just happened?"
She knew well why the beast had first reacted in pain, but the petrification that followed was beyond her understanding.
Back when the Magical Beast had charged to attack, Rin had done more than simply use 'Flash Steps'.
Rin had secretly taken from her spatial ring a toxin‑filled orb that Tris had gifted her not long ago, concealing it in her hand.
At the very moment the Magical Beast lunged, she hurled the orb straight into its gaping maw before executing her evasive move.
The potent poison quickly took effect, its power evident as the beast writhed in agony, just as witnessed moments before. Yet Rin was uncertain whether the toxin had anything to do with the creature later turning into stone.
Recalling how the Magical Beast had hardened part of its head to stop the bleeding earlier, Rin feared this petrification might be another special method it used to resist the poison within.
While she hesitated, wondering whether to strike and shatter the statue's head, a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind her.
"Well done."
Turning, Rin saw a towering figure, 2.5 meters tall, its muscular body scorched, bearing only one arm, and a face so fearsome it could make any child cry in terror.
Yet Rin's face lit up with a radiant smile at the familiar sight, and she greeted warmly:
"Master, you're back."
All her tension seemed to melt away, leaving her body light and relieved.
Tris, within the puppet 'Berserker,' guided it forward toward the stone statue. As he walked, he explained:
"This is a Gargoyle. They can turn their bodies into stone to defend themselves, and also to heal quickly. When they petrify like this, the right move is to smash them immediately. Otherwise, given time, they'll recover and regain their strength."
Stopping beside the Gargoyle, Tris continued:
"In this state, it becomes extremely tough. I don't think you're yet strong enough to break it on your own."
Then, raising the massive hammer‑like fist of the 'Berserker', he brought it crashing down upon the statue.
A deep, resounding thud echoed, and Rin saw the Gargoyle's head crushed beneath the enormous blow.
Moments later, the rest of the statue shattered, crumbling into dust‑like fragments that scattered into the wind and vanished.
Tris: "It's done. Now we must leave this city at once."
Rin: "Is the city still under threat?"
Tris: "The enemy's core forces are surely still alive. This city will almost certainly be destroyed. For now, the only option is to evacuate the people elsewhere."
The blaze Nyxar had unleashed was already sweeping across the city, and it would not be long before it reached their current location.
The Berserker puppet stepped closer to Rin and turned its back to her. Its back opened, revealing Tris crouched inside the hollow chamber.
He extended his hand, pulling Rin in with him. The back closed once more, sealing them both safely within.
Fortunately, the small bodies of the two children did not take up much space, so the Berserker's inner chamber could carry them comfortably. Had it been two adults, even with the chamber designed spaciously, it would have been unbearably cramped.
With everything secured, the puppet strode forward, carrying them away from the ruined, desolate city of Aldor.
. . .
* * * * * * * * * *
"Sir, these are all the people we've managed to bring out."
Just outside Aldor, not far from the city, a soldier with a face blackened by soot and ash stepped forward to report the situation to Guildmaster John.
John looked toward the group of evacuees they had successfully led out of the city, his brow furrowing slightly.
In truth, many civilians were still trapped inside. But the spreading fires made it impossible for soldiers and adventurers to go further in search of more survivors. Not to mention the presence of Undead, Magical Beasts, and other deadly foes.
Thanking the soldier for his report, John quickly moved on to check other matters, especially those who had participated in the infiltration mission earlier.
At that moment, Leon and Amy were commanding the adventurers to protect the civilians nearby, preventing Magical Beasts from the forest from approaching the group.
Orson returned severely wounded and is now receiving treatment. It seems that both of his remaining companions have already died.
In fact, according to reports, nearly the entire party of adventurers who had fought to hold back the Magical Beasts had fallen, never leaving that battlefield.
Neither Bishop Peter nor Captain Marcus had returned.
Finally, John recalled the small yet courageous figure who had held off the enemy, giving them the chance to destroy the tower and break open the sealed gates of the city.
Even now, no one had seen or reported the boy's whereabouts. John feared something terrible had happened to him.
Sighing in sorrow, John suddenly heard commotion nearby.
Looking toward the noise, he quickly saw the cause: a towering figure with only one arm, a massive body, and a fearsome face, enough to make any child scream in terror, was approaching the group.
Because of his menacing appearance, many people immediately raised their weapons, ready to fight.
Yet upon seeing the figure, John was instantly filled with joy, for he easily recognized it as a magical puppet through the wounds covering its body. And when it came to magical puppets, in this city up to now, there was only one person he knew who wielded such creations.