Can anyone explain how the talisman mechanics work?

I'm specifically looking for help on quick-killing the Report 4 wolf boss.

In the WR, the player is able to quickly react to freeze the wolf in the perfect position, but I can't seem to get my talisman to trigger that quickly. The amount of time I spend in the start-up animation seems highly variable.

I doubt it's random, so I'm just wondering if there's some other kind of input I need to get it to trigger quickly.

Thank you!

P.S. I'm learning this game for a mystery speedrun event this week, so if any happens to have a speedy answer, that'd be amazingly helpful.

There is a slight lag between pressing the button and the stone actually stopping the enemy. If you press it while the wolf is descending, you can stop it just as it hits the ground. Also, the location and height of the enemy's descent is random.

We hope you find our strategy article helpful! ① https://note.com/samege/n/nbaa65b353b9a ② https://norishige710speedrun.hatenablog.com/entry/mikamikouryaku

This guide is very helpful, thank you.

I did not realize that there were two items to use with the X-button. I had been picking up the extra one in the river, which I think was switching me over to the slower one.

I see, you’ve been progressing with the default talisman. While this item can indeed stop the enemy's movement, it only lasts for a brief moment.

There are two types of items. The stone has the ability to stop even a boss's movement. In speedruns, it's essential to pick up the stone in Stage 1. In both the WR and my second-place run, I also collect an extra stone midway through Stage 2. The reason for this is that, if you don’t use the stone, you can carry two stones into the next stage.

The wolf boss in Stage 4 has a lot of random elements. Since it can take some time to defeat, using the stone twice ensures a more consistent time for defeating the enemy.

Please be careful, as picking up a talisman will overwrite the stone’s effect. The talisman appears when you break a pot in Stage 5. If you accidentally pick it up, it will ruin your speedrun, so make sure to avoid it.

I’ve written a detailed article about items and game mechanics in my previous post②. I hope you find it helpful!