Normally, this monster only inhabits the middle floors of the dungeon, yet here it is on the fifth floor - an extremely unusual occurrence.
Spotting this powerful creature in the distance:
"I'm amazing!"
"This is awesome!"
Akihiro's pupils sharply contracted as he couldn't help but complain from the depths of his heart, carefully recalling key plot points from the DanMachi world.
He soon found a clue. When the Loki Familia completed their expedition and prepared to return to Orario, they encountered a horde of minotaurs on the 17th floor.
The number of monsters was so overwhelming that even Loki's powerful members couldn't contain them all, making some minotaurs' escape inevitable.
The exact timing of this event in the original plot wasn't clear.
The crucial point was that he never expected to encounter this critical story point during his first dungeon dive.
If he didn't want to face the minotaur before him...
He'd only need to hold out until Sword Princess Ais Wallenstein arrived as reinforcement. But seeing the minotaur approaching...
"Should I try?"
Akihiro chose not to retreat. Gripping his sword hilt firmly with both hands, this bold idea emerged in his mind.
Like the Sword Soul from the game who considered swordsmanship the love of his life...
Perhaps he wouldn't go that far, but he knew that to become a true warrior, he could never flee from danger!
The minotaur was formidable.
At least average Level 2 adventurers would struggle against it. Now that he'd completely mastered the Ghostblade Technique, it was time to test his skills.
As for the outcome:
"Can we win?"
Akihiro suddenly remembered a scene from a famous anime in his past life, barely maintaining his serious expression.
Only you can answer that question.
"We'll win!"
Taking initiative meant controlling the battle's flow. Akihiro didn't think about passive defense, instead carefully examining the approaching monster.
Its size surpassed that of a normal human adult.
Its muscles were exceptionally prominent, and its scarlet eyes overflowed with brutality. Its gaze fixed on Akihiro standing a short distance away with his weapon.
The minotaur beat its chest with its fists and released a deafening roar.
"GRRRR!!"
Then it accelerated, charging rapidly toward Akihiro, intending to completely obliterate the human before it.
The minotaur moved with surprising agility.
For Akihiro, this was a double-or-nothing gamble. The minotaur's fighting style was brutal, using its fists as primary weapons.
This made its attacks slower.
If his sword energy could penetrate the monster's defenses, there was a chance of victory. He stepped forward and ran toward the minotaur.
Akihiro tightened his grip on his sword.
The pure sword intent didn't manifest on the weapon's surface but flowed through his body, emitting a natural aura.
Compared to the minotaur charging at full speed...
Akihiro still maintained an agility advantage. Noticing the minotaur raising its arms to gather strength, he executed a powerful horizontal slash.
A cutting energy erupted from his sword.
The attack instantly struck the minotaur's abdomen. Despite the level difference, his cutting power was devastating.
It directly pierced through the monster's defenses!
A deep gash appeared on its abdomen, blood gushing out.
The minotaur, feeling pain, halted its charge. Clenching its fists, it attacked Akihiro, who fully utilized the Ghostblade's capabilities.
All his skills were revealed in this moment.
He extended his range using the dagger. When the minotaur tried to strike with both arms, Akihiro simply stepped back to evade.
The attack missed, crashing into the dry ground.
The impact cracked the floor, raising a thick dust cloud that obstructed the minotaur's vision.
"This thing is really powerful."
Akihiro couldn't help but purse his lips. Had he not dodged that attack, he'd probably have needed to restart.
But that was all.
The dust obscured the minotaur's vision but couldn't hide its massive body. Akihiro seized the opportunity.
Using the Ghostblade Technique's opening move.
He attacked fiercely again, this time targeting the monster's relatively vulnerable shoulders and neck, breaching its defenses.
He pushed the blade with all his strength, slicing toward the neck.
When it collided with the minotaur's spine, the recoil sent sharp pain through Akihiro's wrists despite his force compensation.
Yet he still decapitated the minotaur.
Blood splattered the walls and his gray-brown cloak. After losing vital parts, the minotaur kept struggling uselessly.
When its massive body collapsed to the ground, it dissolved into ashes.
"EXP+327"
"The minotaur is really tough to kill."
The adrenaline effects gradually faded. After the monster's death, the magic stone fell to the ground as weakness spread through his body.
With an especially pure smile - fitting for the god of pure love that he was - Akihiro...
**Elsewhere on the Fifth Floor**
A girl in a silver breastplate also wandered the area, scanning her surroundings with an impassive expression.
She seemed to be searching for something.
Her long golden hair cascaded softly over her shoulders. Her beauty rivaled a goddess's, and her temperament resembled an immortal from heroic tales.
Ais Wallenstein.
After completing her Familia's expedition and preparing to return to Orario, they'd encountered numerous minotaurs on the 17th floor.
The other Familia members did their best to eliminate them.
Yet many monsters escaped, heading toward the dungeon's upper floors.
Having received orders from her leader and knowing this resulted from her Familia's mistake, Ais Wallenstein set out to find the fugitives.
These monsters posed a significant threat to ordinary adventurers.
Therefore, she searched extremely meticulously, overlooking no corners in the passages. However, this area's environment was particularly complex.
So far, she'd had no success.
"GRRRR!!"
Ais, who had joined the Loki Familia at a young age and reached Level 5 faster than anyone with her fragile human body...
Possessed vast combat experience.
Though the roar was muffled in the complex tunnel network, she easily pinpointed the battle's location.
An adventurer had encountered the monster.
Her agile figure moved swiftly through the intricate passages, her golden locks flowing gracefully. At that moment, Ais's thoughts were simple:
Prevent the minotaur from causing trouble for other adventurers.
"I must hurry."
Her face, cold as an iceberg, showed no change, but her soft murmur betrayed her concern.
Rounding another corner, she reached a straight passage.
The minotaur's monstrous figure appeared at the far end, and a young man's silhouette entered Ais's field of view.
He must be an adventurer operating on the upper floors.
She drew her weapon "Despair" from her waist, preparing to quickly resolve the problem her Familia hadn't contained.
But the battle she witnessed exceeded expectations.
The figure nimbly dodging the minotaur's attacks had sword energy flowing through his body, like an unpolished treasure.
A completely unfamiliar sword technique, where every movement released cutting energy.
"Eh?"
"This is..."
Witnessing the combat firsthand...
The girl's delicate face remained as impassive as a frozen photograph, but her bright golden eyes revealed a glimmer of curiosity.