Left, right, front and back, I leapt out of the way of the minotaur’s barrage of swings. In this tight corridor, they can only make vertical swings but still that is not enough of an advantage for me.

I have overestimated this new body of mind as it struggles to keep up with the demand of battle. Had it been in my prime days, such large creatures would have been a breeze to clear through.

It doesn’t help that Lusaia is in my arms either. Her face plants tightly into my chest and her small fingers clench onto the fabric of my shirt. Barely dodging each attack, the gush of wind that flows past us makes her shriek in fright.

With a rigid body and an imbalance hanging off my front, the margin of errors begin to go from centimetres to millitmetres. At this rate, the both of us will get hit.

I need to get the kid out of here but how?

An opportunity, I need just a single opening in their attacks.

My eyes flutter about the open space available searching for a gap. Then, I notice it. The minotaur’s footwork, it’s unstable.

In a narrow space like this, the minotaurs can’t efficiently move to counteract the rotational force with each swing.

The flurry of attacks the minotaurs generate cause the loose leaves of surrounding trees to float down towards the dry dirt road.

Placing a foot on one of many leaves, I hold for that one instance where the minotaur shifts its weight…

Now!

I swipe the leaf as it frisbees towards where I predicted the minotaur’s foot will land next. Bullseye, it steps on the leaf.

The minotaur notices its hooved feet slipping and the inertia of its axe throws it off balance. A gap in their attacks open and I waste no time at all.

Ripping Lusaia off of me, she doesn’t have time to make any confused expression before I toss her out of the encirclement.

Lusaia tumbles on the rough ground but she seems fine. I don’t know what happens to her next as my focus shifts towards the blade inches form my face. The battle continues.

With my body free of the burdening weight, it moves a lot faster now. The agility is enough to evade the minotaur’s swing without worrying about how close they are from my skin.

Every few seconds or so, I glance towards Lusaia. Lusaia takes her time but is gradually getting up on her feet. That’s good. At least, she can make it out of here alive… Yet, why is she just standing there?

In my mind, I screamed for her to run away.

Lusaia stands feebly on both her injured legs. Her eyes gaze at me unsteadily with tears swelling on both sides.

I cannot comprehend what this child is currently thinking but to my horror, Lusaia started walking towards me.

“What are you doing, kid!” Flabbergasted by her actions, I couldn’t help but blurt out my thoughts.

Are you insane? I gave you a chance to run and even holding them off. I’m putting my life on the line for you even but you choose to come back.

With an arm outstretched towards me, I notice her lips moving slightly as if to whisper something.

It doesn’t take long for the minotaur closest to Lusaia to flicker its attention towards her. The minotaur turns around ignoring my presence entirely.

For a creature to turn its back so easily to one prey that can fight back, are the minotaurs’ original target this girl? That’s absurd but it seems to be the case.

There’s no time to think about the reasons as it begins to charge towards her. Lusaia snaps back to reality and freezes in fear seeing the minotaur coming to kill her.

“Oi! Your target is me, asshole!”

With the full force of my legs, I launch myself towards the minotaur.

Instinctively sensing my killing intent, the minotaur spins around. It couldn’t lift its axe up in time to block and my fists strike true on the minotaurs cheek.

Lusaia falls backward and backs away realising her stupidity.

That punch I gave to the minotaur isn’t the strongest one I can muster. However, I can say for certain that the force behind it would deform 25 mm of armoured steel. Yet, the minotaur comes out unfazed.

This is not good. I can’t kill them. If this drags any longer, not only will I die but Lusaia as well. If I can’t even protect this child, I am truly the weakest being in the world. I would be agreeing to the words of… an old nemesis.

But if I had that sword… Yes, this might work out.

“Papa… Don’t leave Lusaia…”

Conveniently, Lusaia finally comes back to her senses. She holds tightly to the hem of my shirt looking up at me with pleading eyes.

From what I can infer, her actual father had sacrificed himself in order to protect her. Seeing me sacrificing myself so that she can run away, it’s like recounting the events leading up to the trauma that’s still fresh in her mind.

The minotaurs stand before me and the sword in minotaur corpse is far behind my back. From what I can observe in the battle that has elapsed, these minotaurs are fast despite having such burly bodies. The moment I rush to pick up the sword, either me or Lusaia will get hit. However, if one of us were to get the sword…

As heinous of a thought it is, this is the only plan that will ensure our survival.

“Lusaia…” I finally spoke. “I need you to do something for me. Whether you can do it or not will decide whether I live or die.”

“Eh? No… No! Lusaia don’t want Papa to die!”

Lusaia wraps her arms tightly around my thigh desperate as to not let me go. Seeing her like this, I can only see my daughter in her…

“Then, listen carefully. I know you’re not in the right condition but I need you to get that sword for me.” I point towards the sword’s handle protruding out of the minotaur corpse eye.

At this point, the minotaur regain their composure and begin their advance.

“If you want me to live so badly, can I trust you to get me that sword?”

Lusaia looks hesitant, just standing up is taking all of her willpower to endure. She might collapse before reaching the sword but Lusaia don’t want her Papa to leave her anymore.

“Lusaia will do it.”

“Go.”

Right as I finish my sentence, the axe head falls upon me. The battle has restarted.