In the era when the Dead Dragon appeared, the existence of Demons known to emerge was often highlighted as more threatening than the Dead Dragon itself.
No matter how strong they were, didn’t they end up dead against just one Demon?
Even those called Master used to die easily in the battlefields of that time.
“I haven’t seen a human wielding a sword in a while. This place only sees prey coming down, you know.”
Boom—
The sound that a human couldn’t make echoed as the Minotaurus lifted its head, and the massive figure, towering nearly to the ceiling of this underground space, frowned uncomfortably.
Dusty winds swirled around.
The wind felt as if it would freeze your lungs just by breathing it, and Adrian summoned Divine Power to dispel the wind.
Even that was understandably a challenge.
The Demon standing before him was a substitute for violence during the era when the Dead Dragon existed.
As the red light in its eyes narrowed, he gathered his Magic Power and took a bold step toward that presence.
Thoughts piled up. Was it possible to kill? — Yes, it was possible.
His skills had nearly returned to the point of reaching the tip of the sword; once his body was completed, he could use it perfectly.
However, if the power from the time when they were called Demons was indeed intact, it wouldn’t be wrong to judge that they possessed power similar to that of the Dead Dragon.
Could he catch it even with the support of the Saint and Paladin? The answer to that came swiftly.
He’d only know by striking. He had to gauge the strength by clashing swords; only then could he be sure he could eventually slay that colossal monster.
With each step taken, the pressure increased, and he gritted his teeth, but the spreading Magic Power gradually turned it into comfort.
It was a different dimension compared to facing dozens of knights.
A monster that could toy with humans like dolls. Just its existence evoked the word “overpower.”
“You’re a little different. You remind me of the guys I used to fight. Maybe… even better.”
He met the gaze that looked at him with interest. It felt mysterious, unlike when they first met.
He wasn’t afraid; he was merely contemplating how to face it.
As he thought of how to catch that giant, which was much bigger than him, that could easily stomp him down as if he were a toy, only a chuckle escaped.
“Better, you say?”
In response to his question, the monster gazed quietly at the chains wrapping around its wrist.
“Maybe I feel this way because I’ve gotten weaker.”
Thud. The chains binding the monster soon snapped weakly.
Rather than breaking, it was as if he was momentarily staring at the torn chains.
Can steel of that size really be torn? It was an extraordinary power.
One thing was certain: if he took a hit, he’d be in serious trouble.
Was there a possibility to move quietly without fighting?
When his gaze met Adrian’s for a moment, he realized she would rather hope he would run away.
I realized that it exists.
If it flees, there is a chance to survive. If this monster has judged to stay here, then no one in the North will be in danger.
Is there a reason why it has finally broken the chains it could have cut itself free from? Why hasn’t it come out of this underground prison?
Just as I briefly pondered that reason, I felt the Minotaurus silently gazing at me after completely removing the chains that were clinging to its wrists.
“Curious? About why I was here.”
“…Are you going to tell me?”
“I am. It’s been a long time since I faced a human.”
“But everything here is probably human.”
“Wrong.”
Huff. As I exhaled, my hair blew wildly.
Laughing at the sensation of strong wind blowing from the pressure, the monster smiled pleasantly and licked its lips.
“Eating isn’t something I would call humans. They come here and get themselves eaten in a bid to save me; why would I consider that human?”
“So right now, does that mean you’re not alive?”
“Not completely. I haven’t even recovered half of the power I had before I died; I don’t even know if this can be called being alive.”
If half, or even less, of that power is at this level… How am I supposed to fight the Dead Dragon later? At this moment, I couldn’t even grasp it.
But it was certain that there was a chance of winning. There was no way to avoid the fight.
It was clear that unchaining itself was to fight me.
“Is it necromancy?”
“Something like that. It’s probably at a lower level than what I know, but humans have always been like that.”
Bringing back the dead.
I already knew that there were forbidden magics and sorcerers who specialized in such spells.
If that monster came back to life through such magic, then its body must be in a significantly weaker state compared to when it was alive.
Gripping my sword, I assessed the situation.
The distance between the monster and me, enough space for Berod to escape with Adrian.
And the time left until the battle begins. In my daze, the Minotaurus asked me.
Red blood flowed from its twisted lips.
What was visible in between were the remnants of half-chewed humans, likely parts of ‘prey’ it had just eaten.
“You’re not running away; I thought this was enough time to escape.”
“If we had fled, we would have come outside. Given your character, that would be more than possible.”
From the moment our eyes met, the fight was unavoidable.
The instant the Minotaurus decided it wanted to fight, the only way to prevent it was by killing one of us.
Its eyes, focused solely on me and not on Berod or Adrian, soon revealed deep delight.
A thousand years.
The time it took for the Minotaurus, which died before the Dead Dragon was sealed, to survive here again.
The thirst for battle of one who hadn’t fought even once during that time is something I couldn’t even imagine.
“Isn’t breaking the chains done to fight? It would be a hindrance to move.”
“You know well. Not bad. For a human… you’re better than the ones I’ve met before. Are you the strongest of humans?”
He didn’t hesitate in answering that question. With the sword in hand, he took his stance.
If he swung his arm, he could strike in any direction, ready to spring forward with a kick to the ground.
He settled into his stance and quietly parted his lips.
“…Maybe, no. Definitely.”
“Good.”
The eyes, filled with excitement, began to reflect madness once more.
In the crimson light, redder than blood, a monster that picked up its spear let out a small breath.
Each of those breaths sent a shiver through his body.
Taking a single step here would instantly begin the battle, just realizing that drained his stamina.
If he couldn’t catch that Minotaurus here, the North would face annihilation.
As for the reason he hadn’t found this monster until now… he’d have to think it over slowly.
Thud—
As the Minotaurus stomped the ground, vibrations surged around it, and shattered earth began to rise with massive fragments.
Despite the shaking, his body did not lose balance.
Wasn’t the sword he had honed for decades the weapon that could easily overcome any situation?
It was time to believe in himself.
If he couldn’t trust the memories of those years, culminated in the single heart dedicated to protecting Miragen while holding the sword, then the odds of winning this fight would be bleak.
He recalled the first time he held the sword.
It wasn’t a sword lifted to cut someone.
Though he had said he would protect Miragen, he ultimately failed to do so, and the sword had been held with that regret.
Both Miragen, Adele who would be at her nature, and Adrian here.
He had lifted the sword for that purpose, and he had no intention of regretting it any longer.
Even if what stood before him was a monster.
Cutting it down would be the purpose of his sword.
#
“Robert!”
“It’s better to avoid this. Getting directly involved in the fight might become a hindrance.”
Though he wanted to rush over immediately, Berod held Adrian back as he stepped away.
He shouldn’t interfere in that fight. His duty was solely to protect the Saint.
Fighting a monster shouldn’t involve his protection, as when he fought, someone else could harm the Saint.
Moreover… he himself did not wish to intervene.
The thoughts read from the gaze they had just met were simple.
Don’t interfere—his role ended with protecting Adrian.
I was born.
The gaze of the Saintess, filled with resentment towards me, hurt my heart, but it was beyond my control.
If I created any variables against a being called the Minotaurus, everything could plunge into chaos.
My mission is to protect the Saintess.
As he recalled this once more, Berod softly whispered to Adrian.
“I’m not saying I’ll just watch the fight. The Saintess can help in ways other than joining the battle, you know. The Moon God is always benevolent.”
“…What on earth—”
To Adrian, who felt like his heart would explode just watching Robert face off, it was an absurd statement.
Yet, perhaps that was the right thought.
Wouldn’t it be that participating in battle wouldn’t change anything dramatically?
If so, then he could apply the methods he used in the South.
Carefully kneeling, Adrian grasped Rosario, and the divine power that flowed from him quietly radiated light.
Just as he infused divine power into Robert, perhaps he could use his divine power to transfer strength.
After all, didn’t they share the same divine power now?
As the thread-like light flowed towards Robert’s body, the Minotaurus grinned slightly upon discovering him.
It was a similar method to what the humans had done before.
Some fought, while others supported from the back.
It was just like how the Goddess who had opposed him fought, so one couldn’t help but revive memories from a thousand years ago.
There was no thought of retreat. The Minotaurus lived in a battlefield that spattered blood and devoured its own flesh.
Wasn’t survival in that battlefield always about oneself?
As he gazed at Robert wielding the sword, his focus narrowed, and he gently bent it as he assessed the situation.
“Extreme.”
He was different from the humans often called masters.
Unlike the crude knights who swung their swords like children based on their overflowing magic power,
he was someone who could handle the sword as if it were a part of his own body.
Every part of him had grown in accordance with the sword as a weapon, and his muscles flowed like water.
Simply watching this scene made his eyes joyful, and he couldn’t help but smile.
This would, for the first time in a thousand years, be a battle worthy of such a title.
If that human survived this battle, he thought he might cheer up and spout some useless words.
For example, about the reincarnation that human might be going through.
“Well then, shall we start moving soon?”
The bulging muscles shook the ground.
Those fists swung were truly capable of shattering mountains and rivers;
the body of the monster that once represented violence began to thrash and destroy the surroundings.
“Come at me.”
As the corners of the monster’s mouth twisted strangely, it wondered what level the millennium of its slumber had reached.
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