11 – Minotaur (4)
Something was wrong.
And it was very wrong.
I couldn’t comprehend the situation.
A sudden rampage? Wasn’t it supposed to be stopped?
Clearly, both horns were cut off. It was done very neatly without any room for doubt.
Having seen this scene dozens of times in the game, my judgment was undoubtedly accurate. Normally, there wouldn’t have been any rampaging.
But in the end, the rampage occurred and the party fell into chaos.
“Hero, what’s happening?! Didn’t they say that cutting off the horns would solve the problem without any issues?”
“Exactly, they were all lies! What are we going to do now?”
The voices of my surrounding party members arguing sounded like noise.
In the isolated feeling as if I were on a deserted island alone, a single memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Attention! Unexpected variables may interfere during gameplay!”
Those were the last words I heard before being transmigrated into this game.
As I recalled it, I could feel my anger rising.
“This damn bastard…”
So this is what they meant by variables.
I sensed malice coming from somewhere.
Pure malice that wanted to make a fool out of me.
This wasn’t just a simple variable.
It was a problem that could have a significant impact on future strategies.
It wasn’t a matter that could be solved with just a variable.
“Are you alright, Hero? Snap out of it!”
The problem wasn’t just this, but I didn’t have time to think about it now.
The minotaur was about to go on a rampage.
I turned to look at the trembling hand that was pulling me from behind.
Who the hell pulled me? It was Ulysses.
I shook my head a few times and then greeted her.
“I’m back. Thank you for saving me.”
There were a lot of things that bothered me, but for now, I had to deal with the immediate problem in front of me.
“Hero! What should we do now—”
“Damn it, let me assess the situation in peace.”
After standing up from my spot, I carefully observed the creature.
I composed my mind and forcibly calmed my confused thoughts.
I don’t know how the rampage was triggered, but I have to examine it first.
“The Demon and Hero Party” never gives you an impossible problem.
Even if the problem is incredibly difficult and exasperating, there is always a way through it.
In the end, even though the situation had reached this point, I wanted to believe that at least.
– Gwoohoo…!
With reason abandoned, the eyes of the one who was now raving madly displayed a vivid crimson.
He had always acted on instinct, but now, not a shred of reason remained.
And then, the black mist rising in real-time beside him…
…The black mist?
I instantly cocked my head.
“Wasn’t that there originally?”
When the berserk mode was triggered, the only visible effect was the shining red eyes. There was no effect like a black mist covering the entire body.
Neither the Minotaur nor any other monsters, not even the Four Heavenly Kings had such an effect.
There was only one being with such an effect.
The Demon King.
The master of the demon world.
The embodiment of the chaos of the world concentrated in one place.
“Ha.”
Once I thought that far, a hollow laugh burst out.
So, what the hell is he up to? The Demon King lent him his power.
That damn bastard played a prank.
It was an unexpected turn of events, but with the power he possessed, it was entirely achievable.
Thanks to that, I was starting to figure out what to do.
I muttered silently to myself while thinking of the game’s manual.
“…The horns.”
The horns of that guy were not just serving as a trigger to activate berserk.
To be precise, his horns were acting as a kind of energy battery.
They collected and stored the surplus energy during normal times and released it when needed in emergencies.
That was the basic principle of berserk I had learned through hundreds of tries. Therefore, the horns had to be dealt with first.
However, he had used berserk without any extra batteries, solely relying on the power the Demon King had given him.
The power used without a battery would undoubtedly not last long.
In simple terms, the current situation is a state of arousal.
As long as we hold on, the tide will eventually turn in our favor.
“···I’m changing the strategy from now on.”
So I opened my mouth, trying to maintain my composure.
Although it was an impromptu deduction based on partial clues, at least for now, this hypothesis seemed the most plausible.
Then, I must trust my judgment and move forward.
“Lady, please cast the buffs to the maximum. We don’t need offense now, so focus on defensive blessings if possible. Camilla, please help divert the enemy’s attention with me. Adel, continue with the suppressive fire. Lily, focus on using defensive and control magic rather than offensive spells.”
“······.”
“···.”
Briefing each party member as quickly and succinctly as possible.
Although everyone had an uncomfortable expression, for the time being, they seemed to follow my orders.
Thank goodness. I wondered what would happen if there was resistance up to this point.
Nevertheless, Camilla, with a sharp look, asked what the plan was.
“What do you plan to do?”
“Well, this isn’t a normal state. There’s no way the frenzy can last long without its horn.”
“So, you’re saying we’ll hold on until that bastard tires out.”
She had definitely been involved in various missions during her knight career. She was very professional.
I nodded lightly and adjusted my sword again.
Now, it was time for that guy to come charging.
“Agility has increased due to the blessing!”
“Reaction speed has improved thanks to the blessing!”
Thump, thump.
I could hear my heartbeat pounding strongly in my body.
I had mentally prepared myself, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous.
When he first activated the frenzy and swung his axe, he was completely invisible.
Even if it was an unexpected strike, it was too fast to see.
So how would it be now, after receiving the buffs and being ready?
“Here he comes!”
Fortunately, I was able to react.
As soon as Camilla screamed, the guy stepped forward gravely.
Thunk!
In an instant, the guy’s figure drew closer with a single shake of the ground.
Whether it was due to frenzy or increased speed, it was truly a crazy speed. It felt like watching a runaway locomotive.
However, it was a level of speed that was enough to react to.
Eventually, when the guy reached close range to the two warriors, he swung an axe.
Swiiiing!
With an immense mass, the axe descended rapidly from above to below.
I instinctively knew.
“If I block, I’ll be done for.”
Considering the guy’s overwhelming power, it was not a type of attack that could be blocked.
The Holy Maiden must have known that, so she focused on agility and reflex buffs.
I immediately twisted my body and rolled to the side.
Clang!
And at the same time, I heard the sound of the ground shattering.
The fragmented pieces of the ground, shattered by the double-edged axe, came clearly into my eyes.
I was relieved that the guy lost his rationality.
If such an outrageous attack had come at a strange angle, I was certain I wouldn’t have been able to dodge it.
I thought it was fortunate, but I didn’t have the luxury to openly sigh in relief.
Even though his attack pattern was predictable, the guy’s physicality was still overpowering.
That’s when it happened.
Thwack!
An arrow that had flown from somewhere penetrated the guy’s eyeball.
In an instant, the guy lost his left eye and let out a painful howl.
-Gugghhhhh!!
Naturally, it was Adele’s doing.
It’s alright, now the guy’s field of vision should have decreased a bit. If we endure like this and gradually wear him down, it’ll be over.
······Luckily, the subsequent battle was easier.
Camilla and I somehow managed to dodge the guy’s rampage and draw aggro.
From Noble mtl dot com
In the meantime, Adele continuously shot suppressive fire and gnawed at the guy’s body.
“Bind it!!”
Combining Lily’s use of the Level 3 circle magic, ‘Mana Bind,’ it was relatively easy to deal with the creature.
As we continued the battle for about 10 minutes in this manner, the creature’s frenzy gradually subsided.
-Growl…
The creature, exhausted, collapsed to the ground.
The sight of a muscle monster, twice the size of me, falling was quite impressive.
I wasted no time and immediately severed its neck.
I seem to have won, but for any potential variables, I should confirm the kill.
Swish!
Only after completely severing the creature’s tough neck could I finally heave a sigh of relief.
“Haah…”
Despite having only engaged in a single battle, it felt like ten years had passed.
I had nearly lost my life, and on top of that, an unexpected variable had emerged.
I was drained.
Slllurp.
Perhaps it was the release of tension, but as the tension left my body, my legs gradually gave way, and I sank slowly to the ground.
The Minotaur’s blood spilled on the floor, but… Who cares.
Should I ask or not?
For someone who nearly crossed the River Styx, this was nothing.
[Quest Clear!]
[Please check your rewards.]
As I sat on the floor, a system window appeared in front of me. A blue window delivering good news.
Come to think of it, just before the battle, I had received a quest. It only just occurred to me, given the continuous shocks.
If this were an ordinary game, I would have eagerly checked the rewards with high expectations.
However, I didn’t feel like doing that now.
“Let’s check it later.”
After all, the rewards wouldn’t disappear if I checked them a little later.
As I pushed the system window aside, a shadow loomed over my head.
Suddenly, I raised my head to see my party members, including Camilla, looking at me with displeasure.
“Ah…”
By the way, the plan I organized and guaranteed turned out to be a complete failure.
I had cut off the horns with the assumption that the frenzy wouldn’t break out, but eventually the frenzy did break out.
From their perspective, it wouldn’t be strange for them to blame me.
I chuckled bitterly. Am I destined to never rest?
“Just wait a moment.”
It was at that moment when I was thinking like that.
Suddenly, the saint stepped forward and stood between me and the party members.
Her tired eyes scanned both sides of the field.
And then, exhaling a sigh, she opened her mouth towards the party members.
“I know you all have a lot to say to the hero. But in the end, he was the one who stepped forward and fought. And in the end, didn’t he win? So let’s put off assigning blame for now.”
I was momentarily touched.
It was only for a moment, but tears almost burst out.
No matter how much she dislikes me, she is still the saint. She must have known to comfort the pitiful with a compassionate gaze.
I wonder if she didn’t know that she would be the first to step forward and mediate the situation.
“······Even though there’s a lot to say.”
In the end, Camilla took a step back first.
“Let’s talk about it later for now.”
I was also surprised by this.
Regardless of everything that happened, I thought she would stubbornly confront me. Because I didn’t expect her to willingly step back like this.
It must have been unusual even for them to experience this incident.
The black smoke emanating from the Minotaur was certainly an alien power.
After seeing them walking away into the distance, I expressed my gratitude to Ulysses.
“Thank you, Saint. I keep receiving help from you.”
“Oh, no. We’re in the same party, so it’s only natural.”
As I lowered my head, she waved her hand desperately.
I pondered her words in my mind.
‘As fellow teammates…’
Well, can I really call it that?
An open betrayer, a villain.
Am I worthy of hearing those words as someone who receives such treatment?
Did she really utter those words without a second thought, or were they carefully chosen words calculated in advance?
Numerous negative thoughts momentarily floated up, only to sink back down below.
Even in this moment of receiving help, I couldn’t help but speculate about her true intentions.
At least, for me, the phrase “pure kindness” was completely unfitting.
Thinking about my current situation for a moment, I felt a sense of misery···.
‘······.’
Gratitude was gratitude; this was a matter I had to figure out on my own.
“Well then, I’ll go in first. I am quite tired after all.”
“Ah, yes.”
Of course, I didn’t show it. I simply smiled and bid her farewell.
Fortunately, I was not inexperienced enough to reveal my true feelings in front of others.
And so, I continued to smile behind my mask until the end, shaking her hand.
Then suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
‘Oh, I forgot to ask about that.’
How exactly did she save me earlier? The battle might have ended, but there were still a few unanswered questions lingering.
One of them was her actions from earlier.
I clearly didn’t react to the axe. Not me, nor the sensitive Adele, or even Camilla, the knight who was closest to the enemy.
It was a strike that had perfectly exploited the chinks in our consciousness, something no one had anticipated.
But how did she perceive it?
She wasn’t particularly sharp-sensed, nor did she possess exceptional physical abilities, nor was she as close to the Minotaur as we were.
Could it be an incredibly sharp reflex, even beyond my own comprehension?
With my limited intellect, I couldn’t fathom it.
Thanks to that, my curiosity soared, but···.
‘Ah, forget it.’
In the end, I let it go.
I was too exhausted to think about such trivial and secondary matters.
Let’s leave everything, the questions, the compensations, and the problems, for later.
Right now, I just··· wanted to rest.
I’m tired.
And so, I fell asleep as if collapsing onto the bloody ground.
“···Phew.”
Meanwhile, in a forest a little distance away from the lodging of the warrior party.
A blond, wall-eyed woman, Saint Yuris von Ugracia, stood alone there, letting out a sigh of relief.
“I managed to block it somehow.”
She had been worried about what to do when the real operation would proceed as it did in the past.
Fortunately, she was able to intervene in time. This prevented one tragedy from happening again.
No, to be more precise, it was the past from Yuris’s perspective.
Yuris, she was a returnee who had experienced defeat in a battle against the Demon King’s army and returned.
For a brief moment, her impression of the “past” warrior she had thought about wrinkled.
“…Poor person.”
It was definitely not a good memory.
She briefly recalled.
Days of the past soaked in blood, bugs, misunderstandings, and despair…
