Chaos Minotaur.

He was practically the ancestor of all demonic beasts—an existence so elevated, he was not unlike a god.

“Grk… grrrk…”

But right now, he didn’t look the part in the slightest.

This can’t be happening…

Drooling from exhaustion, he barely managed to keep hold of the axe in his hands.

“Having trouble, are we?”

Floating in the air, the Spirit King Naiad was panting as well. But seeing her tired expression only irritated the Chaos Minotaur even more.

“You damn wench…!”

And for good reason—there wasn’t a single Devil Cow left standing around him. Naiad had wiped them all out with relentless torrents of water.

On top of that, she had continuously plunged him into water traps, exhausting his stamina. No matter how many times he climbed out, Naiad would simply summon another pool beneath him.

Now freshly escaped from yet another puddle, his drenched body sagged in fatigue as he let out a furious howl.

“You fight so damn dirty!”

“Dirty?” Naiad let out a hollow laugh, “You’re the one who came charging in with a whole herd!”

“Just hand over the one behind you!” Chaos Minotaur pointed his axe at Clay, “Give him to me, and I’ve no reason to fight you!”

“Hah!” Naiad’s eyes flared as she shouted, “You think I’d actually hand him over just because you said that?”

She stretched out her hand, forming a massive sphere of water.

“Hope you’re ready to swim. Oh wait, you can’t, can you?”

“Y-You…!”

Her taunt jabbed at the memory of him flailing helplessly in the puddles. Snorting hot air, Chaos Minotaur charged.

“Don’t you dare underestimate meeee!”

Just before Naiad’s water trap could hit him, Chaos Minotaur leaped high into the air and spun mid-flight.

Naiad was caught off guard by the unexpectedly agile movement from such a large body, and before she could react, he came crashing down directly over Clay.

“This ends now!”

The axe came hurtling toward Clay’s head—

Slide.

The blood vessels coiled around Clay’s hand vanished in an instant, as if hiding into a wall.

And then—

Clang!

The Chaos Minotaur’s axe struck Clay’s raised sword and bounced off.

“What?!”

Thrown off balance, the Minotaur staggered back in shock as Clay fluidly turned with the impact and slashed in return.

Kaang!

The Chaos Minotaur blocked with his axe.

In the same motion, Clay lunged at him.

Fool.

Reacting instantly upon waking was one thing, but charging in bare-handed, discarding his sword—surely this meant he’d be cleaved in two.

“Die—!”

That is, until the Minotaur felt a stab in his gut.

“Kh—?”

A blade that should’ve been sent flying had somehow returned to pierce his abdomen. As the pain surged through him, Clay yanked the sword free—and drove it straight into the Minotaur’s throat.

“Gkk?!”

The Minotaur dropped his axe, eyes rolling back.

Clay spoke.

“I’ve been looking for your labyrinth for a long time.”

His voice was calm, composed.

“I heard it held great things.”

Staring down at the trembling Minotaur, Clay continued.

“Unfortunately, they said you weren’t qualified to use them.”

“Grrk… grkk…”

“Draw the location.”

Clay twisted the sword in the Minotaur’s neck.

“If you’re slow, your head will roll first.”

“Kh—Kkgh!”

Feeling the blade shift, the Chaos Minotaur flailed his arms.

“Stop flailing. Touch the ground.”

At Clay’s command, the Minotaur lowered his hands. Crying from the pain, he etched a name and rough map into the dirt.

“I’ll take this as payment for aiming at my life.”

“!?”

The Chaos Minotaur’s gaze dimmed. Before he could even process the pain further, all he could see were Clay’s feet standing before him.

Crunch.

Clay raised his boot and stomped the Minotaur’s head.

“Here’s your final lesson.”

His glowing red eyes locked onto the dying beast’s.

“If you were born a warehouse keeper, you should’ve trained your eyes to recognize the rightful owner of your treasures.”

Only then did the Minotaur understand.

If only I hadn’t been so foolish…

He could’ve seen the true purpose of the relics he guarded.

He could’ve recognized their rightful master.

But it was far too late.

The Chaos Minotaur let out one last, regretful breath—and then lost all color.

♧

“Huff… huff…”

Guardian Knight Seat Three—Ravi.

“Sh-shit…”

She was completely cornered.

“Gah, khh!”

No—she was moments from falling off the edge.

“You damn traitors!”

She screamed at the line of elves standing before her.

“Ganging up on me like cowards?! Come at me one by one! I’ll slaughter every last one of you!”

Her twin blades, infused with holy power, carved the air with every swing.

“…How pitiful.”

Yelena gazed at her with eyes deep as the abyss.

“Is this what people do when they’re about to die? Flail and thrash?”

“I’m not dying, damn you!”

Ravi ground her teeth.

“You traitorous bitch! I’m not going to die to the likes of you!”

Mana Surge.

Her twin swords crackled with even greater force as she straightened her posture.

“Let’s see you try!”

But instead of charging at Yelena—

“Kh?!”

“Gah!”

—Ravi dashed toward a thinner part of the encirclement and began cutting down elves left and right.

“Out of the way!”

Arrows pierced and popped out of her body, but she was a Guardian Knight—her martial prowess alone was carving her a path to escape.

“She’ll be fine.”

Yelena stopped the surrounding elves from retaliating too quickly.

“Let’s fight even dirtier.”

Creak…!

Yelena pulled back her bowstring—far harder than any of the others.

One arrow was nocked.

Fwoosh!

Light gathered around it.

And just as the glow converged at the tip—

She released it.

“…Huh?”

Ravi stumbled.

She didn’t even understand what had happened.

Her leg suddenly burned—and there was a hole.

“You…”

Before she could even curse, her body collapsed.

Elves encircled her instantly, drawing bows at close range.

“Yelenaaa!”

She shrieked—just as the elves sprang high and loosed their arrows, like petals blooming around a flower.

“Ggh?! Kh…!”

Arrows rained down in diagonal lines, piercing her body.

“Aaaaagh!”

But she was still a Guardian Knight.

She slashed desperately, shattering many of the arrows.

“I’ll kill you all! I’ll—”

And then—

The moment the arrowstorm stopped, a monstrous pressure loomed above her.

She looked up—just in time to see a massive arrow falling straight down.

“…Ah.”

KWA-BOOOOM!

Gigantic Arrow.

She instinctively crossed her swords to block—but her body was already on the brink of collapse.

Blood spilled from her eyes, nose, and mouth. Her body trembled with pain.

“D-damn it… save… save me…”

She didn’t even realize she was whispering it.

Crack!

Losing her balance, the Gigantic Arrow slipped between her blades—and tore through one of her arms.

KWA-BAAAAAANG!

An explosion followed.

Even her scream was swallowed by the blast as she was hurled across the ground.

The sky echoed with the aftershock—but everything was already over.

Ravi, missing an arm and covered in tears, twitched helplessly as Yelena approached.

“Does it feel unfair?”

Yelena asked, but Ravi couldn’t answer. She just trembled, eyes filled with surrender.

“What do you think Clay felt?”

The so-called heroes of this world had stood by and watched him die.

No one saved him.

His fame and legacy had been tarnished—his name reduced to filth by imposters.

“I honestly don’t know.”

Whether Clay felt injustice, or an unspeakable despair, Yelena couldn’t say.

But one thing she did know:

“We should’ve chosen him.”

She glanced around. Elves watched her in silence.

“That was the ending we all wanted. But I was the only one who didn’t see it.”

Ravi’s eyes rolled in disbelief.

“So now… I’ll write a new ending.”

Yelena gently took Ravi’s face in her hands.

“I’ll let you live.”

“Agh…”

“Go back and tell them. Tell them what happens to spies who hover near Clay.”

She released her—and Ravi collapsed like a loosened bowstring.

While Ravi groaned and crawled along the dirt, the elves vanished.

Ravi barely managed to sit up, clutching her shredded form.

“I… I need to report this…”

She lowered her head and fell silent.

Stillness.

No sound disturbed the silence.

Only a single crow, which had been silently watching the scene, belatedly took to the air with a flutter.

♧

“You’re back.”

Barungenia.

Beatrice sighed in relief as Clay returned.

“Are you hurt?”

“Thankfully not.”

Clay replied softly as he sank into a chair.

“I am tired, though.”

“Did you achieve what you wanted?”

“I did.”

“Good.”

Beatrice sat beside him and gently caressed his face.

“Next time, I think I should go with you. I worry when I send you off alone.”

“…”

As Clay fell quiet at her direct words, a blue shimmer peeked out from his shoulder.

“I was there, you know!”

“Little spirit, shouldn’t you be in your cage now that you’re back?”

“What?!”

The bickering began immediately, and Clay let out a faint breath—

“My Lord.”

Cardin appeared and knelt before him.

“The mark of Elhaen has appeared.”

(End of Chapter)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.