Dyralfa's body tipped backward. But before she could crash into the Gym floor, Maddy stepped forward and caught her. The divine light around the mother dimmed as she steadied the towering girl in her arms.
"No… you were amazing, daughter."
Maddy smiled softly, brushing the scorched scales on Dyralfa's shoulder.
"You didn't fight like a brute anymore. You thought. You adapted. Using your severed tail as a distraction, that kind of tactic never existed in your base form."
Her voice carried quiet pride.
"You've surpassed your origin, Dyralfa."
She looked down at the exhausted chimera resting against her.
"You're not a monster I have to control… you're a daughter I can rely on."
The chimera daughter rested in her mother's embrace for a moment. Cracks along her body slowly closed as Mineral Regeneration stitched the shattered plates back together. She lifted her head and looked at Maddy.
"I am glad I satisfied you, Mother. And I'm glad you let me face you as an equal."
