Between Life and Death

"What are you doing?!" 

"Theres another person. The Minotaur is about to eat someone!"

With his Ki Sense, Reiji was able to sense another living thing further in the cavern. He didn't care if others lived or died. It was the law of the jungle. 

Yet, something inside him told him that he would regret walking away. 

With subtlety out the window, Reiji dashed forward, his feet propelling him through the pulsing cavern, the sound of his boots echoing down the throat.

The Minotaur let loose a deafening blast, it's roar reverberated throughout the cavern. Stones cracked under it's hooves, it's horns tearing gouges in the cieling, as it turned to see who dared interrupted it's meal.   

Reiji flew through the air, his body twisting, as his new skill Beast Fang was unleashed. Striking first, a ki shape of a wolf's head blasted into the Minotaur, raw crushing power, staggering it, abruptly endings it's roar.

The Corrupted Minotaur retaliated, swinging it's giant cleaver - not with precision, but brute strength. It's tree trunk arm came down like a falling tree.

Reiji twisted, snapping out of reach, the impact shaking the cavern floor, blasting dust and stone shards into the air.  

Landing, Reiji uses Blitz, appearing next to it, Rending Strike slams into it's ribs, with a loud crack, staggering it. Followed by a Stunning Blow, his heel pounding it's snout, smacking its horns into the cavern floor. 

"Damn it's huge!"

Pulling back it's head, the horns gouge through the floor, shards of rocks blast at Reiji, pushing him back. It's free hand came sweeping, a wide backhand smashing through bones and rocks. Ducking under it, Reiji drives an elbow into it's liver, spinning into a kick, slicing it's knee.

The monster roared, stumbling back - but instead of retreating, it lunged with renewed fury. It's horn clipped his shoulder. Pain exploded white-hot, searing through him, as he was hurled across the cavern, smashing into the wall, cracking it.

He spat blood, wiped his mouth, and laugh hoarsely.

"Damn, you're a monster!"

Elnyra shimmered at his side, her voice cold and urgent. "The Minotaur is tough. The only way is to deal a lot of damage in one go."

Rolling his neck and shoulder, he cracks his knuckles, accepting the advice. "Right time for round two."

Charging his ki, Reiji unleashes a barrage of Ki Bullets. Multiple orange burst, slams into the monster, staggering it. Seizing the opportunity, he charged. 

A flurry of ki powered strikes trading against brutish slashes. Stone shattered under their feet, the air alive with the force of their exchange. The Minotaur fought as a mindless beast, pure rage and hunger, but Reiji's defiance burned brighter, every blow carrying the weight of his refusal to kneel.

Weaving between the strikes, Reiji dodges each blow by the skins of his teeth. Striking back, each attack growing faster, stronger, his ki burning brightly against the corruption, running on pure determination.

The minotaur slashed down, shattering stone beneath it's impact, the shockwave forcing Reiji skidding backwards. Stomping it's hooves against the floor, it's purple eyes fueled with fury, it charged again, skewering Reiji into the wall.

Slipping out of his jacket before impact, Reiji slipped to it's side, unleashing a flash of kicks, carving into it's leg. Jumping up, he grabs the horns, driving his knee between it's eyes, caving it's skull with Stunning Blow.

"Eat this!"

Landing, he once again used Rending Strike, drilling through it's jaw, causing it to fall to it's knee.

"Heh, hard to stand straight with a concussed brain huh?"

Compressing his Ki into his two fist, Reiji unleashes Beast Fang, the impact to it's body, lodges it's horn further into the cavern walls.

Soaring into the air, Reiji lands a big finisher, slashing down with a axe kick. A loud crack reverberate outs, followed by a roar of pain, it's right horn snapping in half. 

The monster falls backwards, swiping madly in all directions. Catching Reiji midair, he flies across the room, crashing through a bone pile. 

Coughing blood, chest heaving, Reiji leaps out of the pile, his knucles split, cuts all over his sleeveless arms. A bright orange light pulses gently from him, as his Ki Heal skill activates, knitting up his wounds.

"Heh, sorry but I heal fast."

The minotaur lunged again, it's remaining horn tearing trenches through the stone. This time Reiji didn't dodge. He surged forward, meeting the monster head on. His fist cocked back, ki swirling wildly around his arm, like a almighty storm.

The minotaur's horn came down -
- Reiji's fist met it with a roar.

The impact split the air like thunder. The horn clashing against the ki storm. Small cracks formed at the tip, fissures snaking it's way along the horn. Then purple energy burst free with jagged sparks, the horn shattering completely, unable to withstand the storm. 

The monster bellowed in agony, reeling from pain, but Reiji wasn't done. The ki flared stronger, brighter, two streams of force spiraling around his fists, one hot and furious, the other cold and heavy - a unique flow of Yin-Yang energy.

With a loud bang, the storm drilled into the monsters head, burning and freezing simultaneously, like a localized explosion, half of the monsters head disappeared, viscera flying everywhere. 

Like a puppet with it's string cut, the Minotaur sagged down to it's knee, it's monstrously huge form semi propping itself from falling completely.

With a roar of victory Reiji fell to one knee, exhausted, his ki completely drained from the fight.

Using the cleaver as a walking stick, Reiji limps over to the unconscious body in the back of the cavern. The reason for this fight. He didn't know why, but his instincts told him to save this random person.   

Elnyra shimmered alongside him, dumbstruck at his latent combat abilities. "What a guy. Pulling out such outrageous moves during life or death."

"Heh, what can I say? I enjoy subverting people's expectations"

Approaching, he finally saw who it was that he had just rescued.

She was the most beautiful person Reiji had ever seen. She had light olive skin, lustrious black hair that curled around her neck, complementing her dark rabbit ears, and a tall hourglass figure. Even Elnyra paled in comparison.

"Woah..."