Suddenly, the Scarred Doll froze mid-swing. It snapped around and slashed behind itself.
Sure enough, two Bangboos were rolling a massive orb of pure plasma straight toward it. Had the Scarred Doll not changed its move halfway through, it would have been reduced to ashes by the raging lightning in an instant.
It pressed down with its scythe, its single leg scraping harshly against the ground with a grating creak, creak, barely holding back the orb's advance.
Dozens of steps away, a slender lady in a maid's gown drifted out from the shadows, her graceful steps light and unhurried.
She tilted her head slightly and covered her mouth with a mischievous smile. "I've never seen Lord Lycaon in such a sorry state before… Corin, did you bring your phone? Why don't we take a photo for the memories?"
Not long after, a small girl and a shyly fidgeting Bangboo followed her out of the shadows.
The little girl clutched her chainsaw tightly, taking hesitant, careful steps as her eyes darted around the area, searching for any other Ethereal presence.
Only after scanning the surroundings several times and confirming they were alone did Corin finally exhale, relaxing enough to respond to Rina.
She flinched slightly, her voice small and startled. "Eh? Isn't that… a bit improper?"
But after a moment of thought, even little Corin realized that such a scene was rare indeed. She nodded obediently, her soft voice as sweet as honey. "But… if Miss Rina asks me to, I'll do it!"
The moment she said that, Corin ducked her head and started searching for her phone.
But before she could even pull it out—
Lycaon suddenly leapt up from the ground and kicked the Scarred Doll away with a powerful back kick.
Brushing the dust from his uniform, he straightened up and struck a proud, stoic pose. "Well, it's not every day we get to face such a strong opponent. A commemorative photo wouldn't be out of the question."
By now, Rina had floated over to stand beside him. Hands folded neatly in front of her, she said with a gentle smile, "But the one we want to capture is the disheveled Lord Lycaon. We see this version of you too often—it's almost boring."
She clasped her hands together and leaned closer, her eyes shining playfully. "Why not lie down again, Lord Lycaon? Just one photo—just one!"
Her voice carried a teasing lilt, her breath brushing against his ear.
But there was no way Lycaon could give in to her. The mere thought of Phaga and Ellen's looks if they ever saw such a photo made his fur stand on end. Even with the thick white fur covering his face, the warmth rising beneath it was impossible to hide.
Still, Rina's rare bit of mischief had an uncanny effect.
Even without turning around, Lycaon could feel her gaze burning into his back. He dared not continue the conversation, quickly clearing his throat. "Rina, mind your manners in front of the children and our guests."
"And besides," he added firmly, "we still have enemies to deal with. Show some proper respect."
Rina blinked, her long lashes brushing against her cheek as she gave him one last glance before finally stepping back with a faint pout. "Mmh… fine."
"Corin," Lycaon ordered, "stay put and protect Miss Proxy."
"Okay!" Corin answered brightly, nodding with crisp obedience.
With everything settled, Rina turned her attention back to the battle, her voice calm and composed. "Lord Lycaon, earlier, Corin managed to speak with another doll and extract information about the Scarred Doll."
Lycaon was already back in motion, his stance shifting mid-attack from brute aggression to strategic control. He drove his knee upward, kicking the Ethereal backward, and finally managed a brief pause to glance back. "What kind of information? How reliable?"
"From what I've gathered," Rina said, looking up toward the gaping hole in the ceiling above, "it's highly credible. The intel claims: 'The Scar Doll we're fighting isn't its true body, but a manifestation of its ability.'"
"As for its real form—it's said to be a plush toy only forty centimeters tall."
She met his eyes. "Lord Lycaon, have you seen such a toy?"
At her words, the Scarred Doll's attacks grew more frantic.
Lycaon's eyes sharpened. The moment he realized they had discovered its weakness, he gritted his teeth and kicked harder.
His prosthetic leg flared with an intense icy-blue glow as he unleashed a storm of rapid strikes, his body almost lifting from the ground as he stomped relentlessly upon the doll's head.
"Haah!"
With one final strike, he stepped down on its scythe. The Scarred Doll was sent staggering backward, reeling from the impact.
"It's upstairs!" Lycaon shouted. "That toy—it's up there! I threw it away!"
At once, Rina's eyes lit up. Lightning burst around her, wrapping her in crackling arcs of electricity as she shot upward toward the floor above.
Seeing this, the Scarred Doll panicked. Its single leg bent sharply before springing like a coiled spring, launching its body after her.
But before it could reach her, it felt something grip its thigh—something cold as death.
It looked down—an ice pillar had erupted from the ground, freezing its leg solid.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind tore through the air beside it. The Scarred Doll turned its head stiffly—
—and saw Lycaon soaring upward, his powerful right leg raised high. The glint in his crimson eyes was razor-sharp.
"You're in the middle of a fight with me. Running off mid-battle isn't a habit I tolerate!"
With that, his metal leg came crashing down like a whip. The impact split the air with a sharp crack as it connected squarely with the doll's face, slamming it brutally into the ground.
Boom!
The frozen pillar shattered. The Scarred Doll shot through the air like a meteor, slamming into the floor below with a thunderous crash, sending clouds of dust billowing.
But in the next second, something burst through that cloud—like a rocket blasting upward toward the ceiling.
Lycaon's heart lurched.
He had just landed, with no means of a second leap so soon—and chasing the doll with his ice abilities was impossible.
The Scarred Doll's speed and momentum were simply too great.
Then—
"Mr. Lycaon, catch this!"
Lycaon turned instinctively and caught the object Corin had thrown toward him. It was the blade from her chainsaw!
Not far away, Eous wobbled beside Corin's leg, holding up the chainsaw while Corin cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting, "Mr. Lycaon! Throw it up there!"
"Well done, Corin!"
Lycaon's grin flashed, eyes soft with pride—but his expression quickly hardened, focus sharpening like steel.
He took a deep breath, lowering his stance. Frost began to gather around his fingers as he gripped the edge of the saw blade.
Then—
"Haaah!"
With a fierce shout, Lycaon spun once and hurled the blade skyward.
The spinning blade sliced through the air, trailing a ribbon of glacial light behind it.
A distant wolf's howl echoed faintly through the mist. From within the frozen aura, an ice wolf materialized atop the whirling blade, bounding forward as it lunged toward the fleeing Scarred Doll—fangs bared and eyes blazing.
Awooo!
Closer… closer!
At last, just as the Scarred Doll reached the ceiling's gaping hole, the ice wolf pounced, the blade's freezing aura engulfing it completely.
The spinning frost shredded through its body, the numbing chill devouring its very senses.
No... I can't... let this happen!
Its eyes flared with resolve. In one desperate act, it let its body turn ethereal and severed its own lower half, abandoning it as the upper body stubbornly soared upward through the opening.
Crash!
The frozen remains fell, landing before Lycaon.
Corin rushed over, her voice tight with concern. "We didn't stop it... Miss Rina, will she be—"
Before she could finish, she felt a large, warm hand ruffle her hair. Looking up, she met Lycaon's reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Corin," he said softly.
Lycaon raised his gaze toward the ceiling. "Rina will be fine."
...
Above the ceiling.
Just as Lycaon had said, Rina was completely unharmed. She still held a plush doll delicately in her hands.
Then—she heard a heavy thud behind her, like something crashing onto the floor.
Turning around, she saw the Scarred Doll—crippled from the waist down, yet still clawing forward with desperate determination, dragging itself toward her feet as if to shield its true form even now.
But... it could no longer protect it.
Rina's fingers tightened around the soft doll. Lightning crackled across her hand, its glow reflecting off her calm, flawless face.
Sensing danger, the Scarred Doll's body tensed. Its right arm—thick and grotesque—dug into the floor and flung its body forward with one last, feral leap.
But before it could reach her—
A glowing sphere of electricity formed before its eyes.
Two Bangboos looked down, chuckling in unison.
"Heh heh—"
"You're too late!"