The monstrous bear let out a bone-chilling roar and charged forward, its massive paws tearing up the forest floor as it barreled toward Rin.

Rin's eyes widened, but her body reacted on instinct.

She dove to the side, tucking into a roll as the bear's enormous jaws snapped shut where her head had been just moments before.

The hooded rider thrust his spear at her, but Rin twisted away, feeling the weapon's point whistle past her ear.

To respond, she maintained her momentum and put out a kick while crouched. Her foot struck the bear and the monster was pushed back enough for Rin to get back on her feet and put some space between them.

"Eve!" Rin shouted as she sprang to her feet. Rin's request went unspoken but it didn't matter, the girl seemed to understand that Rin meant to add, "help me out here."

The fairy drew just a bit closer before she began weaving spellsigns. She unleashed a short barrage of shimmering, magical bolts aimed at the rider.

To both their shock, the spells seemed to dissipate harmlessly against an invisible barrier surrounding their attackers. The hooded man didn't even flinch, his attention still fixed solely on Rin.

"What the-" Eve gasped, her wings fluttering in alarm. "How did they-"

Rin gritted her teeth, equally as confused but unwilling to lose focus. Her many, many failures over the last year flashed before her eyes. Not losing her focus was one of the biggest rules she'd set for herself as a fighter.

[No holding back,] Rin thought grimly. [Lisa and Jany are still out there, on their own. We don't have time for this.]

With a deep breath, Rin closed her eyes and drew the spellsign for [Spirit Flame] in her mind.

White flames erupted along her arms and legs, as per usual, and she put her fists up.

"Eve," Rin called out, her voice steady despite the crackling flames surrounding her, "I'm going in. Watch my back and be ready to run if this goes south."

Without waiting for a response, Rin charged forward.

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The bear reared up on its hind legs, but Rin was ready. She ducked under its massive paw, bringing her flame-shrouded fist up in a vicious uppercut aimed at the beast's belly.

Rin's fist connected with a satisfying thud, and to her surprise, the bear let out a pained roar. Its purple fur singed where her Spirit Flame had made contact.

[Yes!]

The hooded rider snarled, jabbing his spear at Rin with renewed fury.

She weaved to the side, the weapon grazing her arm as she spun away. The bear, recovering quickly, swiped at her with its massive claws.

Rin dropped low, feeling the rush of air above her head. She retaliated with a sweeping kick, her flame-wreathed leg catching the bear's front paws. It stumbled, giving Rin the opening she needed.

She launched herself upward, aiming a flurry of punches at the rider.

He parried a couple with his spear, but Rin managed to slip a punch past his defenses.

The bear lunged again, its jaws snapping inches from Rin's face. She jumped up, kicked the bear's head, and pushed herself up into the air to backflip away.

It reeled back, shaking its head in confusion.

Rin pressed her advantage, ducking under another spear thrust and driving her elbow into the rider's side. He grunted, nearly losing his seat atop the bear.

Rin kept that up, weaving blows between bear and rider, her Spirit Flame leaving trails of white fire in the air. She landed blow after blow, her fists slowly getting covered in red.

Finally, with a resounding crack, Rin's fist connected with the rider's chest. He flew backward, tumbling from the bear's back and crashing into a nearby tree.

He did not get back up again.

The bear, without its master's guidance, began to thrash wildly.

Rin saw her chance. Gathering all her strength, she leapt high into the air, bringing both fists down on the bear's head in a devastating hammer strike.

Boom!

The bear flinched. It twitched a couple of times. A bluer liquid trickled down the side of its head. Then, the beast crumpled to the ground.

Panting heavily, Rin straightened up, her Spirit Flame flickering out. Eve flew to her side.

"Rin! Are you okay?" the fairy asked, hovering near Rin's shoulder.

Rin nodded, still catching her breath.

"Yeah... I'm fine."

She approached the fallen bear cautiously.

[This thing...]

Rin knelt beside its massive head, studying it closely.

The bear's eyes, though closed, still emitted a faint, sickly blue glow. An aura of malevolence seemed to hang in the air around it.

"This is like those monsters we saw in the cages," Rin murmured, her brow furrowed. "Right?"

Eve flew in for a closer look, her wings humming softly.

"You're right, but... there's something different about this one. The Essence... it's deeper somehow. More intense. Like the disease has progressed further." Eve turned toward Rin. "Whatever's affecting these creatures, it's getting worse."

Rin nodded, standing up.

"We need to find Lisa and Jany. If there are more of these infected monsters out there, they could be in serious trouble."

Eve nodded, her tiny face set with determination.

"Let's go. Maybe we can follow the path the rider made through the forest. He came from that direction," she pointed, "didn't he?"

"He did," Rin nodded as well. "Come on."