Battle Against the Minotaur

The axe came swinging down right for Yusato’s head as he swerved out of the way. Blades of grass scattered in front of Yusato’s face.

“Be careful!” Azalea shot out several needles at the minotaur, sticking into its shoulders. It flexed its arms and the needles littered the ground.

“Shit.” Azalea took out some daggers from her pockets and fastened them in between her fingers. She bolted off the ground and and started punching away at the beast.

Vines slashed away and whipped at the minotaur as it shielded itself. Chunks of wood fell on top of its head and roared in anger. It swung its axe through the wood and vines. Kicking up dirt, it charged forward. Right for Mira.

Mira gulped before raising her shield up high. The shield met the minotaur’s axe with a thundering clang.

Her feet skidding across the ground, Mira clenched her teeth. She held the shield tight as the minotaur continued to push her back.

“Hang on Mira!” Yusato shouted out. “I’m coming!”

He drew his sword and burst forward. Yusato swung his sword down at the minotaur’s back and it let out a massive roar that shook the mountain.

It turned around, kicking Mira in the gut as it did so, sending her tumbling backwards. The axe met with Yusato’s blade. Immense weight and pressure welled up in Yusato’s arms.

A heavy axe and a giant minotaur. Just how powerful was this creature? Using all his muscles, Yusato swung his sword forward again as it struck the axe. And again. And again.

He kept his assault on the creature without restraint. His veins throbbed and pulsed all the while. His blood flow heightened.

Digging his heels into the ground, Yusato slashed his sword once more. It grazed the beasts arm. And in response, it squinted its eyes at him.

It was looking at him like a fly on the wall.

Yusato’s jaw went slack. And then, a powerful fist drove right into his gut. He spat out blood along with some mucus as he was blown clear across the mountain. His back collided with a rock formation and exploded with pain.

“Yusato! Look out!”

Azalea flipped through the air and landed in front of him just as the minotaur as running up. Magic daggers formed in her hand and expanded in size. She launched them at the beast while summoning more at the same time.

The minotaur axe sliced through each one of the magic daggers. Azalea grunted in frustration, biting the inside of her jaw. She stroked her pendant. “This thing is just as strong as I’ve heard.”

Yusato got up and dusted off his pants. “You’ve heard about it?”

“The minotaur that lives on the fourth floor. Sealed away on this floor for having slaughtered the rest of its species. Its punishment is to eternally live its live in this mountain prison. As prey for the adventurers.”

“Prey?” He scrubbed the blood off his cheek with his sleeve. “Looks way more like a predator to me.”

“That’s how it should’ve gone at least.” More magical daggers protruded from Azalea’s fingers. “But obviously, it doesn’t want things to go that smoothly.”

Vines reached up and tangled around the minotaur’s body squeezed it tight. Saria stood behind the creature with a closed fist. “I can use the other spell if I need to.”

“No, Saria.” Yusato shook his head and gripped his sword. “It’s way too risky. We’ll just have to figure something else out.”

“That’s all well and good,” Azalea said. “But what exactly are we going to do?”

As the minotaur struggled against its constraints, Yusato tried to think about it. This creature was so powerful, there wasn’t much he could think to do. Azalea and Saria were both strong, but their attacks weren’t do much against this minotaur. Neither were his own.

Though there was one option. He always had at least one option.

The Spirit Call. If he used that, he should be able to gain enough strength to overcome the minotaur. But it was a risky gambit. He’d already given up so much and if were to ask for that much power, he was afraid to know what he’d lose next.

“Yusato,” Azalea spoke to him in a calm voice. “Don’t use that power. We’ve got this.”

“Azalea…”

The vines split apart as the minotaur lifted its arm and smashed its axe down onto the ground. Cracks formed in the ground as it split apart and rocks and stones went flying everywhere.

Azalea leaped into the air and shot more daggers, pins, and needles at the monster. A quick fist to the stomach sent her spinning through the air. She crashed into the ground and she screamed out in pain.

“Azalea! No!” As Yusato notched his head towards her, through the corner of his eye, he saw the minotaur’s fist.

Thorny vines wrapped around its wrist, digging into its skin. A low growl escaped from its throat and it yanked its fist forward, tossing and slamming Saria into the ground over and over again.

“Saria!” Mira got up from the ground and ran over to help, raising her shield high.

“No, Mira!” Yusato screamed at the top of his lungs. “Stay away!”

Mira ignored him, bashing her shield against the monster’s back. Its eyes landed on her and it brought its foot up ready to crush her.

The foot slammed onto the shield just as spikes formed on top of it. The minotaur winced in pain. Steam blew out of its snout and it brought its axe up high, the sung gleaming off of the tip.

Mira rolled out of the way just as the axe hit the ground. Rocks sliced apart from the impact of the axe.

Yusato breathed a sigh of relief, then ran straight for Mira.

The minotaur kept up its assault, swinging its axe. Each time it met with Mira’s shield. It snarled at her and then inhaled deeply.

“What’s it doing…?” Yusato strained all of his muscles to run faster.

As the minotaur exhaled, a massive blast of sizzling blue energy erupted from its mouth, blowing Mira away as she cried out in agony.

“MIRA!”

Mira, Azalea, and Saria all lied wounded on the ground around him. Their bodies bruised and battered. Blood tainted the ground.

Yusato’s breath quickened. His heart raced. Pulsating veins. He could feel the heat of the sun on his back. The jagged, cut-up rocks beneath his feet. He saw his reflection in the minotaur’s axe and steeled his eyes.

Blood dripped from his chin down onto the floor. He was heavily wounded as well. Was this it? Were they all going to die here?

Gripping his sword even more tightly, Yusato clenched his jaw.

There was no other choice. He had to do it now. Otherwise, he would lose everyone. Mira had told him some things, but she still clearly wasn’t telling the whole truth. Azalea was as secretive as ever. The day he was betrayed was still fresh in his mind.

But he didn’t want anyone to die.

Blood pooled out at his feet. Thanks to the minotaur’s overwhelming strength, everything was already set up perfectly. All he had to do was use it.

The axe came swinging down overhead as Yusato knelt down. He slammed his hand into the ground and a burst of magic energy erupted from the blood.

“Give me the power…to defeat this beast!”

A strand of brown hair fell to the floor. Barely above his head was the monster’s axe, held up by his left hand. And in his right hand was his very own giant axe.

“The power of the Spirit of War.”