Blade in hand, the darkness veils my presence. The minotaurs are confused and exactly how I want them to be.

Living in the shadows for so long, my vision and touch and tempered to their max. The vibration in the ground beneath my feet and the minute sounds echoing around the Rest Point, their positions are clear to be seen.

I charge forth where the largest of the minotaur is, the minotaur leader. My blade points forward aiming for its tendons but something isn’t right.

Woosh!~

A gush of wind passes from above my back as I crouch down in time. I roll away before turning around for another pass.

Clank!

What?! How did it…

A meter from the back of its knees, the steel axe falls to the ground and intercepts the sword.

Could it be… he knows where I am?

No, his head doesn’t follow where I move so it must be the leader’s battle-hardened senses. Of course, something trivial as this wouldn’t faze soldier with long years of combat experience.

I back away from the minotaur leader. It would be unwise to focus my attention all on it so I aim for the others.

The other minotaurs stand around, their head scanning what it can see under the void of the moonless night. Some bent down to pick up the broken torch making them easy picking.

3 in a minute, they collapse to the ground. Two fall silent, the other lets out a final warning shriek.

The others panic understanding the words of the minotaur language.

“Hustle now!” the minotaur leader shouts a command.

Properly disciplined and trained by their leader, the minotaurs do not hesitate to act. One problem though, they cannot find each other.

I aim for their skin knowing that it will not hurt them one bit. The prickling pain they feel is what I try to abuse. Manipulating their heightened senses, I run around directing each individual minotaur away from each other.

“Moo?”, “MOO!?, “Moo, mooooo!”

Sensing their comrades are everywhere and nowhere at once, chaos spreads through the platoon. They swing their axes in the direction where they assume I am in. Unfortunate to some, they had hit their allies instead.

Friendly fire occurs everywhere and it is impossible to tell who friend or foe is. At least 9 were killed or severely wounded in the chaos before the minotaur leader understood what my plans are.

“Cease your attacks and feel for your enemy!”

The leader shouts but the battlefield remains unchanged.

“Minotaurs! Can you hear me?!”

None replied as they bellowed out their worry and panic.

Reason? I had already anticipated it would do such a thing.

So, I cut off the minotaurs’ ears and ruptured their ear drums. Eliminating the command’s only means of communication, the chaos further escalates.

The minotaur sets its steel axe on the dirt and smirks.

“Impressive, human… In all my experience, none has managed to outsmart me with such a tactic. As such, I shall give you the honour to see me becoming serious.”

I don’t know what it’s doing but the leader took in a deep breath. Chanting words of unknown origins, the minotaur leader’s chest begins to glow a deep red beneath its skin.

It looks suspicious, as if the leader is charging up a rail cannon before its launch.

Just as I look the other way…

“HAAAAA!!!”

?!

A bright orange hue paints the night as the leader begins to breath out something. I turn around only to be met by a stream of yellowish white-hot fluid.

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!”

Barely in time, I leapt and arched my back as far as it could bend. The stream of metal melting hot liquid streaks past my back. I curve up and around it just as the minotaur leader tilts its head up for the stream to rise as well.

Is that… lava?

Wherever the magma hits, it burns everything organic. The grass, the bushes, the flowers and even the surrounding trees. They lit up like a firecracker as the intense flame boils the water from within.

With fire comes light, the whole Rest Point area is lit up like day. The minotaurs who were in a state of confusion have gathered their bearings and now face towards me.

Now that the minotaurs can see, alongside the magma breath that follows me, the situation has taken a turn for worse… or so I thought.

With the remaining 20 or so charging me at once, it doesn’t feel as if I couldn’t win this match.

Their attacks are slower and my reaction is faster than the first battle. Even with the magma breath cornering me and reducing the foothold I can land on, it doesn’t pose an issue.

Have I gotten better in such a short time frame? That’s close to impossible. I know humans can adapt fairly quickly on the fly but not by this much.

Their coordinated attacks can be easily dodged out of the way and I feel as if I could put in some of my swings.

As if I had not lost the advantage of night in the first place, I charge in and easily pick off a few more. At some point, I drop the numbers to half their original strength. If I go on at this rate, I might win this fight…

The minotaur leader stops its breathe and picks up its steel axe once more.

“Hmm… colour me impress that a mere human can survive this long. Maybe you truly are the guardian foretold to protect the Messiah. However, you are weak. Prepare for your demise.”

It chants again but this time I am ready for it. I split my concentration between the hoarde of minotaurs and the leaders.

Something green begins to form on its free hand as it shapes into a spherical floating orb. It grows to the size of a medium grapefruit before finally, “[Curse of Aergia]!”

The leader shot out its hand and the green orb flies by defying all known laws of aviation.

My eyes widen at how fast it approaches and attempt to slide past it. Unbeknownst to me, the orb has a tracking mechanism and it slams into my waist mid-air.

Thrown back slightly, I roll on the ground and got back on both feet.

Strange… Everything feels, blurred and warping. My arms feel sluggish and my legs can’t move as agile as they used to…

Did that orb slow down my movement? From what I remember, Aergia is the god of sloths-

I had no time to think, an axe zips past before my eyes as I lean back.

The attacks from the minotaurs have sped up faster than before. Their attack speed is no different from the first time I’ve fought the two back then.

Oh dear, if this keeps up, I don’t think I will make it-

Again, my thoughts are cut short.

Appearing in the corner of my eyes, I notice the leader’s massive body phasing into existence to my side.

Something metallic swoops in horizontally towards my torso and I barely place the blade of my sword between us.

PIANG!!!

“Aaaaargh!!!”

The blade explodes like glass into fragments that embed my flesh. The metallic axe head continues on its path as it slices halfway through my intestines before launching me backwards.

BOOM!

My spine collapses as it hits the trunk of a tree. I slid down and lay limp at the base unable to move. My consciousness half fading and blood starts soaking my shirt.

I can feel the air running into my abdominal cavity, it is definitely gouged open. The pain hurts but it’s not enough to knock me out. In fact, it feels more like a nuisance compared to the betrayal of my past life.

I glance up to see the minotaurs gathering behind the leader. They walk up to me in slow steps as if they’re mocking me or they’re just as severely injured as I am. The leader chants another spell and the minotaurs’ ears begin to heal.

“I gave you a choice human but you choose the hard way. No hard feelings but you reap what you sow.”

I sigh to the leader’s words.

I did reap what I sow but if this life is all it costs to keep Lusaia safe… Then, it is all worth it.

I couldn’t protect you then... Let me protect you now…

Lusaia… hopefully you can find someone trustworthy once they are all gone…

“Papa!”

No… You got to be joking…

As my eyes were soon to close, they open wide to the voice of a little shark girl. I didn’t need to look at the source to know who it could be.

Lusaia held tightly onto my body despite the blood that profusely leaks out from my exposed stomach.

“You… you idiot… Why didn’t you hide?...”

I couldn’t muster the energy to raise my voice any higher.

This girl… You compromised everything I did for you!

“Papa… Papa promised! Papa promised not to leave Lusaia alone!”

Ah… right. I did promise that didn’t I?

I had a plan if this ever happened but for me to use it… I can only admit defeat to “him”.

“Fufufu… Fuhahahaha! Messiah, you must cherish this… “Papa” of yours don’t you? Too bad, he will no longer exists because of who you are…”

With a menacing grin, the leader steps forth and reach its hand out for Lusaia.

“Let go! Let Lusaia go! Papa! Papa help!!!”

“Lu-Lusaia...” a dry croak resounds out of my throat in an attempt to get her back.

My body can’t move and I can’t feel “his” presence.

Please! I beg you! I need your help!

The minotaur steps away holding onto Lusaia by the neck as she kicks and flails.

“Kill him.”

With one phrase, the minotaurs move in unison.

“Noooo!!! Papa! Please don’t kill Papa! Papa!!!”

Lusaia…

Rias…

Rage, an emotion I haven’t felt in so long.

From the depths of my soul where all my humanity and emotions are supressed, its fiendish red tendrils crawl out from the bottomless pit. I cannot feel anything else but the insanity that begins to fill my mind.

The minotaurs begin the execution, the axes pummel my flesh and bones into mincemeat. The sounds of the world drone out as I keep my gaze on Lusaia. Her desperate begging turns into weeping…

No more…

I won’t let you take my daughter away from me…

Deep down inside, I took a deep breath…

SYMBIOTE!!! COME OUT, YOU SON OF A BITCH!...

My vision fades into a grey dimension. There is no light, there is no darkness.

I remember this world. The world within my consciousness…

I turn around, and there he stood.