In that garden, those present began to thaw slowly, though they did not lose consciousness. They had been trapped in an invisible prison of ice that allowed them to observe everything happening around them but prevented them from moving or intervening. Not only were Podbe's companions there, but also other people who had been captured by the same spell. As they felt the cold dissipate from their bodies, everyone collapsed to their knees on the ground, breathing heavily, finally freed from the frozen cage that had immobilized their hands and feet. The initial joy of being free quickly turned into terror when a metallic roar echoed through the air. Before them emerged a gigantic steel bird, with enormous wings gleaming under the dim light, legs armed with blade-like claws, a tail ending in an intimidating spiked ball, and red eyes that seemed to pierce the souls of anyone daring enough to look at it. Instead of a brain, inside the central cabin was Dior, watching them with a mocking smile.
"So, all of you managed to escape my charm," said Dior, his voice dripping with arrogance as he stared intently at the small canine leading the group. Then he added, "It seems you want to advance to this floor, but that won't be possible while I have this." From his pocket, he pulled out an access card and inserted it into a slot on the colossal mechanical bird. With an ear-splitting roar, the creature came to life. It measured approximately six meters tall and emanated an oppressive presence that left the twenty individuals still remaining in the area paralyzed. Chaos erupted as the beast began to move, mercilessly crushing anyone who crossed its path.
Meanwhile, Maria and Billy ran toward their original group, those they had arrived with, eager to reunite after so much time apart. However, before they could even exchange greetings, one of the bird's legs descended forcefully toward them. Eduard, along with Adia and her magic, intervene just in time to save them from certain death.
Chaos reigned over the place. Dior had already eliminated more than half of those present. "There's no time for greetings!" shouted Eduard as he scooped up Maria and Billy in his arms. "We need to get the children to safety." Gat did the same with Elena, and the rest of the group—Ezequiel, Lidia, Rino, and the others—quickly followed suit. Adia pointed to a path behind a wall where some boxes offered temporary shelter. Everyone began running toward her, trusting in her ability to teleport them away without being detected by the monstrous metal bird.
Gin and Dani joined the sprint as well, but Don Richi, who was still tied up, decided to try escaping on his own. It was a fatal decision. Before taking more than three steps, the bird crushed him along with other survivors who remained in the area. Meanwhile, Adia used her magic to transport the group to the safe point she had indicated, hiding them from the reach of the colossal bird.
Once they were gathered, the children asked about the dog. No one knew where he was. The last time they had seen him was when he freed everyone by destroying the ice machine and eliminating the toy robots. Since then, chaos had consumed the area, and his whereabouts were uncertain.
"Look, there he is," pointed out Ezequiel, whose sharp eyes spotted the small canine peeking out from behind a wall, out of the bird's line of sight. "He's facing that thing. What a brave dog," remarked Gat with admiration. "He's strong, but I think he'll need our help," replied Eduard, assessing the situation with concern.
"The children will stay here with me," ordered Marie, who already knew the place and had arrived before the others. "You too, cadets," she added, gesturing toward Lidia and Rino. Gin and Dani, visibly frightened, decide to stay as well.
While they discussed how to prepare to face the bird, Podbe stood in front of the gigantic bird, which had just eliminated the last person remaining in the room. Reia, his artificial intelligence, informed him that the additional quest showed ten people still needed to be saved. "I suppose they must be everyone who came with us," she reflected, mentally counting the survivors and the two floor guardians. "Wow, they've become your friends now," she thought, mistakenly believing Don Richi was still alive.
The dog positioned himself firmly in front of the bird and began running toward it. Just before activating his "Firehead" ability, the spiked ball at the end of the bird's tail struck him with great force, throwing him against a nearby wall. "Minus twenty Health Points," announced Reia. "Ouch!" exclaimed the dog, shaking off the dust. "Too bad I couldn't use my other ability, right?" he asked. "No, you still have five minutes left," she replied. Despite the pain, Podbe got up, ready to continue the fight. "Be careful," Reia warned him. "I don't know what will happen if you lose all your Health Points."
The bird advanced toward him while Dior laughed from the cockpit, covering his mouth with his forearm. His wicked laughter echoed through the air, filled with hatred and disdain. Podbe returned to the attack, dodging the tail, but a blow from one of the wings sent him crashing into a column with such force that it seemed impossible for him to get up again. "Minus thirty Health Points," Reia reported. "I told you, be careful," she reminded him, her tone full of concern. "You only have half of your bar left."
The little dog rose once more, ignoring the cuts on his body and the half-closed eye that could barely open. "I'm fine. How's the mana situation? It's only enough for one attack, right?" he asked. "Yes, that's correct. It's still increasing, but very slowly," Reia replied. "It doesn't matter. As long as I can stand, I can still attack," he affirmed, shaking the debris from his fur.
From his privileged position, Dior watched with disdain. "This time I won't show you any mercy, dog. You're like a cockroach that keeps getting back up. You must pay for everything you've destroyed, everything that was valuable to me," he shouted, watching as his dream turned into ashes before his eyes. "I won't forgive you, damn animal."
With a swift motion, the bird's tail swung toward Podbe, but before it could strike, Gat appeared on the scene, using his ability to divert its trajectory. "Who are these people? Stay out of my fight with this dog!" Dior screamed furiously as he saw Gat and Eduard arrive at the battlefield thanks to Adia's magic.
Eduard approached Podbe and said, "We'll take care of protecting you from that tail while you focus on finishing off the bird with a direct hit." "And I'll handle the wings," interrupted Adia, summoning glowing chains that immobilized the bird. Meanwhile, Ezequiel prepared to face the bird's sharp beak. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" everyone exclaimed, and Podbe managed to draw a smile despite his injuries.
Gat wrestled with the bird's tail, using his massive arms to pin it to the ground. Adia tightened her chains, ensuring the creature couldn't move. The bird attempted to use its beak like a drill, but Ezequiel launched his Moon Fist to stop it. With one hand, he grabbed the dog and hurled him toward the cabin atop the bird's head. "It's your turn, little buddy," he shouted.
Podbe, exhausted but determined, reached the side of the cabin and activated his Firehead ability. A brilliant flash illuminated the area as flames pierced through the metallic structure. The cabin where Dior was seated began to heat up, and the internal controls exploded one after another. A sharp, powerful noise echoed through the air before a massive explosion engulfed the area in thick smoke.
From their hiding place behind the wall, Lidia, Elena, Maria, Billy, Rino, and the two scientists watched anxiously, wondering if the others had survived the shockwave that had thrown them against the wall.