Bruce knelt on both knees, unable to rise, because he was pinning the beast's head beneath them.
Chuan Wenwu pressed his shield against the two-headed hound's spine, leaving it unable to struggle.
The poor two-headed Demon Hound had barely shown a hint of intent to attack the group before Bruce and Chuan Wenwu joined forces and broke all four of its legs.
The corpses of countless monsters lay scattered haphazardly around them, and the Demon Hound responsible had already been subdued.
"Talia, don't just stand there. Come over and finish it off!" Chuan Wenwu called out to Raphtalia.
"Eep!"
Raphtalia jumped at his words, her round ears twitching involuntarily. She pointed at herself in disbelief. "M-me?"
Her gaze swept over the two-headed hound, which now lay like a dead dog. She knew perfectly well that it could no longer resist, but the deep scars its kind had left on her still filled her with instinctive fear.
"Of course you." Chuan Wenwu nodded at Raphtalia. "You told me what happened to your village. This monster isn't the one that killed your parents, but it still brought your fear back to the surface. Talia, you still haven't escaped the shadow of your past. As long as that's true, you can't truly move toward the future."
"Even if it's only a stand-in, you have to try confronting your fear. Face it, then overcome it. That's how you grow, so you won't repeat the same mistakes when you face a similar hardship again."
"We can't change the past, but we can do better in the future. Only by becoming strong can you protect the people and things you want to protect. You might not have that strength yet, but you can start by strengthening your heart. Come on, Talia! Grip your weapon and destroy