Picking up the sword, I feel a change in myself… No, this feeling has always been there. An irksome euphoria that engulfs me, it mixes with the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Hahaha…

How long has it been since I felt this way? From a prey to a predator, the hunt feels so good…

The smell of blood stained upon the blade… The meal that comes afterwards is most delectable…

Well then… Shall we begin?

---

The minotaurs flinch back, their axes on guard and held up their chest.

What just happened?

In their years of experience through countless battles, they have never felt this way… What is this feeling? Could it be… Fear?

The two minotaurs looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

What is before them cannot be human. It has the appearance but the aura it exudes is deadly enough to trigger their natural instincts of fight or flight.

Crrrk-

They almost let out a yelp in fright.

The human’s head glitched and his face… Oh Lords… save us…

A grin so wide that even the devils will fear him. His eyes devoid of humanity and in its place are the eyes of a true monster.

The minotaurs slowly back off but the human approaches them slowly.

“Hahahaha! What’s wrong? You two were so eager to kill me and the girl a while ago. Now, you’re going to run away?”

The human brandishes his sword, swiping it left and right to test its balance.

Satisfied, his smile deepens further as if the cards have all fallen into his hands. Now, the human picks up the pace.

Seeing this, the minotaurs retreat back frantically. In a tight narrow space like this, their large bodies only hinders their movements. They bump and shove at each other.

“Hey, hey! Now that I’m up close, you do look kind of ugly.”

A smile of friendliness, the eyes of a predator. At an unexpected rate, the human is right before them.

“Mooooo!”

As if to tell the human to get away from it, the minotaur bellowed and swung its axe rapidly.

It was no different from the barrage of attacks from before. However, the human is moving slightly side to side to evade the blade by a hair’s length.

Impossible… The anxiety builds up in the minotaur. The minotaur’s attack become sporadic as it impacts the ground with each swing.

A cloud of dust begins to build up, it creates a smoke screen that slowly hides the human’s presence

Before the minotaur behind could stop its comrade from making it worse, it is too late.

“Moo-garg!”

The first minotaur let out a shriek as it collapse into the smoke cloud.

“Mooo! MOOO!”

In the dust cloud, the fallen minotaur struggles desperately as if something is hacking away at it.

“MOOOooo…”

Silence.

The minotaur behind desperately uses its large hands to swipe away the smoke screen. However, it is futile.

Its warrior training kicks in and the minotaur dashes out of the smoke cloud. If it remains in there any longer, it too would be next.

The minotaur readies its axe and steel its nerves. The human is still a human if it resorts to such underhanded tactics.

So long as the minotaur can remain level-headed…

The smoke screen clears, the body of its comrade is there. Its skull has been torn apart but the human isn’t there!

Where could he be?!

As it thought that, the minotaur wasted precious seconds for it to react.

Something lands on the minotaur’s shoulder and before it can look up, its right eye has been stabbed.

“MOOOO!!!”

It cries in pain before the other one is gouged out as well.

The minotaur raises its arms up but like before, the human twist the blade and they fall limp.

“Fufufu… How does it feel becoming the hunted? Frightening, isn’t it? Why don’t you try fighting back? Maybe then our roles will reverse once more.”

The minotaur flails its torso rapidly pleading for its arms to move. Unfortunately, they are done for.

“Ahahaha! How unfortunate! You two had eyes so ready to play with your prey but now I’m doing one doing it to you… I’ve been told countless times not to play with food but how could I not when it keeps my sanity in check?”

The minotaur’s lips are pried open and something cold pokes at the soft flesh of its inner cheeks.

“Well… the girl takes priority over my satisfaction. I’ll end it fast enough that I can still savour the delight.”

The minotaur didn’t need to have eyes to see that its life is in the hands of the humans.

“Mogargorg…”

It lets out a gargled voice pleading for the human to spare it but the sword pierces through the flesh. The human repeats as he spins the blade, cutting the next piece of tissue around the sword.

“AHAHAHA!!!”

Maniacal laughter erupts from the human as the minotaur stands there helplessly feeling every bit of nerve and muscle severed from its skull...

---

“Argggh!!!”

Grabbing both horns, I pulled hard. Its skull severed from the top and bottom, only its spine continues its resistance to keep the two pieces connected.

Snap! Spiak!

A snap followed by the grotesque sponginess of torn flesh comes out as the skull is finally removed.

The body collapses backwards and I hop off before it can crush me.

The sensation of the hunt lingers on the tip of my “tongue”. The flavours coursing through as I bask under the warmth of the sun…

With the hunt finish, the euphoria is washed away and all that remains is me again…

No, that’s not right.

Looking ahead, the unconscious Lusaia is lying on the floor. In the aftermath of the state of mind that defines who I am, there is still company.

Brushing the dust and dry blood off of myself, I walk towards Lusaia.

Lusaia slept soundly throughout that whole ordeal and even as I pick up, she does not wake up.

How fortunate… Had you caught a glimpse of who I really am, would you still call me your “Papa”?

A wry smile floats weakly on my lips as I carry the girl back into the woods.