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Immediately after seeing a vision where my entrails were scattered and the rest of myself was thrown toward the ceiling, I found the giant Minotaur right before me.

“Master!”

“…!”

Almost at the same time as I heard Layla’s warning, my body moved mostly by instinct and rolled diagonally to the right. I felt the monster’s hoof as it passed right beside me. That sent shivers down my spine, but I still forced myself to stand and turn around to face the monster. Just then, the Minotaur had crashed head first into a wall. The impact and noise of the crash was probably on par to the naval bombardment I once saw on TV.

There was now a large crater on the sturdy stone wall, and as though that wasn’t enough, web-like cracks extended from the crater. Debris was also falling from above. Some of the debris was the size of a human, yet the Minotaur turned around unperturbed. And then, after assuming a stance where it rested its large axe on its shoulder, it began charging at me again.

“[Oh, Earth]!”

Layla struck the ground with the tail-end of the staff she held in her hand. Magic power spread forth like waves and then multiple stone pillars appeared a moment later.

I immediately understood her intention and hid myself in one of them. The Minotaur passed by as it kicked and broke a pillar next to mine. It also swung its large axe over my head, resulting in many pillars—including the I was hiding in—to be destroyed. As I felt the pillar scatter into pieces, I attacked the Minotaur’s leg.

“O, ohhhhh!!”

I managed to force my trembling arms to move, but that was pretty much it. Even I could tell it was a miserable show of swordsmanship. My attack barely cut, so it was more of a slashing attack than a stab or anything. Nevertheless…

“Bumoooooo!?”

The Minotaur screamed in pain. The wound it had was so small, it might as well be a graze. A little blood was flowing from the monster’s thigh when it began swinging its arm again.

My Magic Eye allowed me to foresee the course its arms would take and I fell back. I saw the giant axe actually pass in front of me, followed shortly after by the Minotaur itself. Its spit was flying all over the place as it did so.

There was no mistaking it now: the wound I inflicted really hurt it.

“Yes, yess!”

Right, I wounded it! It’s bleeding! Then, it can be felled!!

“[Oh, Earth]!”

Layla made new stone pillars to replace the ones that had been broken, narrowing the Minotaur’s field of vision once again. I hid among the pillars both old and new while I circled around the monster as quickly as I could.

I had learned some things from our recent exchanges. Because of the Minotaur’s large size, it was slow to turn. Moreover, since it had the head of a bull, it was tracking us with the five senses. Quite unlike the Spartois, indeed.

Still, as long as I made good use of the pillars and keep employing hit-and-run tactics…!

“Brrr…!”

Perhaps finding the protruding stone pillars to be an annoyance, the Minotaur focused its sight on Layla.

Like I’d let you!

“Haa…!”

I stifled a shout—and instead exhaled lightly—while I slashed at the back of the monster’s left knee. The cut was shallow this time as well, but the monster also bled from it.

“BoAAA!!”

The Minotaur turned and let swung its axe. I managed to evade by stepping back, but I still felt the pressure on the tip of my nose.

“Ha, hahaa”

That scared me so much, I just laughed.

Still, I just have to that over and over again. Sooner or later, that monster will fall…!

And so, I once again ran around the Minotaur.

Whenever the Minotaur’s black iron axe whizzed by me, stone pillars exploded. And as debris fell down like rain, I slashed at either the monster’s legs, sides, or back, whichever was the closest as I passed by.

Whenever the stone pillars decreased in numbers, Layla would make new ones. And whenever the Minotaur got too irritated at that, I would aim at the back of its knees again to stop its movements. At the same time, Layla would distance herself and hide among the stone pillars once again.

I had no idea how many times we repeated this dance. Maybe we did for 5 minutes, or maybe for 10, I really didn’t know.

“Haa…haa…!”

“…!”

The Minotaur was full of cuts from the chest down, and its black iron-like fur was now drenched in blood. And yet, in comparison to the Minotaur which was still walking steadily and tracking our movements, we were far more exhausted. In fact, we were nearly at our limits. Layla’s ability to concentrate and her magic power would likely soon be gone. Whereas I was worried about my state of mind.

“Aaa…aaaa…!”

I just saw a vision of my head flying. Next, I saw myself, armless, being blown away. My Magic Eye showed me so many of my own deaths. My skull got bashed in; my torso got pierced; my body was cut in half by the axe; I was even crushed to death by being trampled on by the monster’s hooves.

If I survived in one instance, I would be killed in the next. Just death after death.

My heart was so gripped by fear that my feet were trying to move on its own and flee. Each time the thought of running entered my mind, I saw a vision of the Minotaur’s axe hacking me from behind. In other words, if I followed my instinct, only death awaited me.

Seeing myself die over and over sent my head spinning. The only thing keeping me from going totally insane was the threat posed by an even more insane being.

In one attempt to cut the Minotaur from behind, it lashed its tail at me like a whip. To overturn the vision my Magic Eye showed me, I pulled back my sword and held it diagonally. I wasn’t able to deflect the blow though and my sword was even pushed back to hit my helmet. Nevertheless, I managed to take on the attack.

The left side of my helm was probably dented. Thankfully, my helmet seemed to be the kind that was stuffed with cushioning material inside. If not for that, my skull would have probably been cracked open by now.

If I were to lose focus even for the blink of an eye, there was a good chance I could wind up dead. Worse yet, little by little, it was getting harder to tell if I was seeing a vision or what was actually happening.

“Boo, boo, booooooo!”

“!?”

And then, I saw myself die again. This time, I was burnt black.

I immediately stopped myself from moving, but my momentum was just too much. As I slid along the ground with my body bent backward, I drew my dagger with my left hand and threw it upward. Meanwhile, electricity was being discharged through the Minotaur’s fur and there was even an intense light twinkling between its horns.

In the next moment, the dagger I threw was swallowed up by the lightning from between the monster’s horns. Before the sound of it reached me, my dagger was destroyed. Afterwards though, the rest of that attack was split in all directions. Lightning bolts rained down around me and destroyed the stone pillars.

The heck, it can even use lightning attacks!?

With nothing to hide me, the Minotaur was able to lock eyes with me.

“Crap”

“BumoooooooooooooooooooooOOOooo!!!!!”

The Minotaur let loose a roar that I thought would have burst my eardrums. Having set its mark, the raging bull charged straight at me. With each of its step crushing the very ground and sent stone pillars scattering about.

I gulped. I didn’t have enough time to dodge. I didn’t even have enough time to put up a guard. At this rate, I was…

“[Flash Legion]!!”

A number of firefly-like lights suddenly lit up around me. My Magic Eyes showed me another vision, and it was about everything turning blindingly white.

“[Burst!]”

I caught sight of Layla holding up her wand-type staff. I immediately closed my eyes. In the next moment, there was a light so bright I could see it through my closed eyelids. That was followed by a noise that actually burst my eardrums this time.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAA!?!!?”

I felt the Minotaur’s scream not just with my ears but with my whole body.

I had wondered why an otherwise pitch-black dungeon had torches installed given that Spartois likely didn’t need any light source at all. But if there was only one reason why, it had to be because this monster relied heavily on its eyesight.

“O, oooooooooo!”

I opened my eyes and saw the Minotaur covering its face with its left hand as it stumbled a step or two forward. It was also swinging its axe wildly with its right hand.

The pain in my ears was rapidly subsiding. Even if some pain remained, I doubt it would have mattered to me at the moment. After seeing myself die so many times, my brain was just pumping out chemicals and whatnot like crazy that a little pain was nothing.

More importantly, this was a great, no, the best chance we had!

Time to go all out!!

I blasted off like a rocket with my first step. In my second step, I dispersed some of my magic power and accelerated myself further. And in my third step, I was already in my top speed.

Making use of my Magic Eye, I continued at that speed and ducked before the axe could hit me. I planted a foot on the monster’s right knee. With my left hand at my sword’s ricasso and my right hand in my sword’s hilt, I plunged the weapon into the pit of the Minotaur’s stomach with all my might.

“GaAaa…!?”

The blade sunk deep and even made it through out of the monster’s back. And yet, that wasn’t enough. For this monster, even this attack wasn’t enough to kill it.

The Minotaur stretched out its left hand toward me while its axe-wielding right hand was raised up high.

Fine! I’ll stop being stingy then!

“Go, blow its guts out!”

I poured as much magic power around my blade. With the blade—which was still stabbing the monster—as the origin point, wind began to surge. The rampaging wind gouged the monster’s flesh and bones from the inside until a hole large enough to fit multiple arms.

A large amount of blood gushed out of the Minotaur’s back. The arm it stretched toward me stopped and I could feel the monster itself growing weaker.

We won. We…

“—Not yet! Master, fall back!”

My hearing restored, I heard Layla shout so. Almost at the same time, my Magic Eye showed me a vision of me dying again. I tried to back away immediately, but the Minotaur grabbed hold of my right arm before I could. It then flung me.

As I felt myself floating, I met the monster’s gaze. Its golden pupils was burning bright; the fire of life was still burning within it.

…finally, I understood why people said monsters were monsters because they were beyond the realms of our world’s common sense. Even when there was a huge hole in their bodies or when their hearts have been ground to dust, as long as the monsters could move, they weren’t dead yet.

Once again, my Magic Eye activated and this time, it reported that the Minotaur was going to swing its axe at me. I knew the trajectory the swing would take. There was one problem though: I couldn’t move. Unable to guard or evade, I was pretty much just a doll that was defenselessly suspended in the air.

The Minotaur’s eyes bore could bore a hole into me with how intense it was. This was the first time in my life that murderous intent this strong was ever directed at me. I didn’t think emotions such as hostility, malice, resentment, and loathing could be concentrated this much.

That murderous intent paralyzed me. It made me unable to move.

Crap, I’m going to die.

“Master!!”

“!!”

The moment the axe was swung, I immediately moved my arm. I positioned my sword’s hilt into the course of the axe and they collided against each other. Against that blow which a tank probably wouldn’t have been able to withstand, the hilt was destroyed and the axe’s black blade bit into my side.

I felt my flesh ripping apart and my bones breaking. I lost consciousness for a moment, but it returned right away when I slammed into a wall. In the corner of my vision, I could see scratches on the floor and the traces of blood, likely the places were my body had bounced.

“Ga, gahh…!?”

I could taste iron in my mouth. With tears falling from my eyes, I could see something flickering intensely in front.

I continued to watch the monster with my distorted vision as I felt my destroyed flesh being formed anew.

I saw stone chains coil around it and a flash in front of its nose. Whether its displeasure had just reached the limit or it just decided that I would die even when left alone, the Minotaur changed targets. To the staff-wielding, silver-haired girl.

For just one brief moment, our eyes met. And without any doubt, I saw her move her lips.

<<Escape>>

She intended to be a decoy. Since I could heal myself quickly with my Distinctive Superpower, I could escape if given an opening big enough. Even her death could serve as an opening. It was an enticing and kind offer.

She was a Guardian Spirit, after all. Even if she died, she would revive soon enough. As long as I lived, she could die and come back an infinite number of times. So, surely, sacrificing her here was the right choice. I couldn’t die here for both our sakes, so I should just believe in her resolve and make my escape. Parting here wasn’t permanent.

And so, my legs moved almost by themselves. My vision was still unsteady and my legs were still shaking, but even so, I used my sword as a cane and stood up. Holding the shortened hilt in my right hand, I ran. As I ran, I used my left hand to take out a fruit from the bag Layla had made.

I would say this now and however many times it needed to be said: I am a fool.

“Look at this, you monster!”

Before any of the blood spilling from my wounds got on the fruit, I threw it.

For this entire fight, the monster was focused solely at killing us, the swordsman it thought it already killed and the mage that had gotten in its way so many times. But then, that fierce murderous intent was replaced by something else. Even in this dark labyrinth illuminated only by torches, the fruit’s “silver radiance” managed to steal the monster’s attention.

The Minotaur stopped breaking stone pillars with its feet. Its mouth, which had been roaring ferociously, was now wide open. Even the arms swinging the axe stopped.

And with the monster’s defenseless back turned toward her, Layla ran toward it as fast as she could.

“Layla!”

“[Oh, Earth]!!”

The monster stopped moving for barely 2 seconds. And yet, in that short time, Layla had managed to make multiple chains made of stone. She launched the chains at the monster and they wrapped themselves around the monster’s large body. Some of the chains also landed toward the Minotaur’s feet, so when the monster took a step with an all-of-sudden unsteady footing, it lost its balance.

However, the Minotaur did away all the chains by cutting them with the axe on its right hand. It then supported its body by extending its empty left hand on the ground.

“Bumooooooooooooooo!!”

The golden eyes were trained on the one who tried to make it kneel. The insolent being who tried to bring low the master of the labyrinth. Yes, its intense murderous intent was once again directed at Layla. In contrast, she wasn’t even looking at the Minotaur. Her gaze was beyond it. She was looking at me who was rushing toward the Minotaur’s defenseless, crouched back.

“Haaa…!”

In a tight backhand grip, I held my sword’s shortened hilt with my right hand and its ricasso with my left. I was aiming for the spot behind the Minotaur’s neck—its foramen magnum.

This monstrosity had a different internal anatomy than most living creatures. Even so, if its skeletal structure was anything similar to humans and bulls…!

My sword went through the monster’s thick hide and flesh. The tip of my blade hit the bone beyond. I cut into the hollow portion deep inside the bone as I continued to slide the blade in.

“Ggg”

A strange sound escaped from the Minotaur’s mouth. I just ignored that though and did a back hip circle, with my sword as the bar. I brought my whole body upward and ended the spin with a kick to the back of the Minotaur’s head. I proceeded to take out the sword, forming an arc of red in the air.

On landing, I was unable to stand firmly with both my legs and instead had to take a knee. With my zweihander serving as a cane, I saw that there was a small pool of blood from my open wound. Worse yet, my back was also exposed to the monster.

But the only sound I heard from behind was that of a heavy thud. And my Magic Eye did not inform me of my death. Or anything at all for that matter.

“Haaa…”

All the strength I had instantly left me and I collapse there and then.

“Master!”

Layla tried to hold me up, but perhaps because she was at her limits as well, she ended up sitting herself. It was an unexpected lap pillow moment. I wish I didn’t have my helmet on right now.

“Why…why did you do such a reckless thing? You should have left me behind and escaped by yourself”

With her chest in the way, I wasn’t able to see her expression. But based on the sound of her voice, I assumed she was troubled by my decision. I thought about it for a moment then gave her my answer.

“Honestly, I wasn’t really thinking back then…I just didn’t want you to be killed…”

I wasn’t making excuses. It was the truth. To begin with, I wasn’t smart enough to think of a good one that quickly.

I still couldn’t see her face, but a few silent seconds later, I felt her brushing my head through my helm.

…yeah, I should take my helmet off now.

“I’ll save your scolding for later, master. Just remember, there is no need for you to express such sentiments toward me, alright?”

“Err…I’ll reflect on it, so before you scold me, I’d like you to hug and kiss me.”

In the corner of my vision, I could see the dungeon slowly breaking down into particles. Much like how the Minotaur—which had dropped a horn, by the way—vanished, it felt like the dungeon was going to shrink soon.

Slowly but surely, our surroundings was returning to its original form as an underground shopping center.

“I don’t mind, but may I ask why?”

“I mean…”

I remembered an ad I saw for the movie we were supposed to see today.

“I mean, isn’t it only natural to get a kiss from the princess after vanquishing the evil monster and returning home safely?”

I wanted a kiss like those I had seen in movies. I think I had earned that much of a reward. I had worked myself to the bone, if I may say so myself.

She brushed her hand on my head again, so, with all the haste I could muster, I undid my Magical Attire and relished the sensation of her hand and thighs.

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Taroppe-sensei(author)’s Q&A corner

Thank you for reading!

Also, please consider leaving some of your thoughts, a review, and bookmark the title over at the narou site (https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7336ie/)

Your support is appreciated and I hope you continue doing so.

Q: Was that fallen person that female police officer in a suit?

A: No, it’s a different police officer. That one was a male cop. He doesn’t really have anything to do with the main story so I’ll only write about him here. He’s a newbie cop that was under that female cop’s command.

Q: How come the Minotaur can do electric attacks?

A: The Minotaur’s name as a human can apparently means “lightning”. In some legends though, his name can mean “stars”.

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TL note: I can’t find any myths about the minotaur’s human name (Asterius by most accounts) meaning lightning. It’s not like there has to be a deeper meaning anyway.

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