"Sent here? By who?" Aren asked.

"That I cannot tell," the minotaur replied.

It took a few steps back, then spoke again. "Now, you will battle me for your right to pass… or die by my blade."

"I guess there's no choice then," Aren said. "I'll give it my all."

He took a stance, lifting his hands as if he were about to box, his right leg slightly forward and resting on its toes, like someone trained in Muay Thai.

Seeing that Aren was ready, the minotaur attacked first.

It lunged forward, hooves slamming into the ground. The stone cracked as it exploded forward, its speed immense. The burst was instant. It arrived in front of Aren before his mind could even fully register the movement.

Aren's eyes widened as the minotaur appeared before him. His body reacted on instinct. He crossed his arms into a block just as the minotaur's sword came crashing down.

Boom!

The collision between blade and armor erupted with force. Aren was sent flying backward like a bullet. He slammed into the wall so hard that it cracked in the shape of his body, fractures spreading outward in a spiderweb pattern.

He slid down the wall and collapsed to his knees.

"Arrgh!" Aren groaned, coughing up blood.

He looked up slowly. "That was really something," he muttered. "I can't believe a single attack packed that much power."

The minotaur was already walking toward him, slow, heavy steps, each one radiating strength.

Aren pushed himself back to his feet. There was no fear on his face. No hesitation.

Instead, there was eagerness.

He began walking toward the minotaur.

Seeing that his opponent hadn't fallen from a single blow, the minotaur felt a spark of excitement. Perhaps this human would actually give him the battle he had been longing for.

With that thought, he launched forward again.

But this time, Aren was ready.

Shadow Sense spread outward. Swift Wind activated instantly. He sensed the attack before it arrived. Aren pulled back, dodging the blade cleanly.

The sword didn't strike the ground, but it carved deep into the earth from a distance, slicing through stone with terrifying ease.

Aren seized the opening.

He threw a punch straight toward the side of the minotaur's head.

But the minotaur was nimble. It pulled its head back, dodging the blow, then immediately countered with a powerful slash.

Aren twisted aside, narrowly avoiding it, creating distance before unleashing two claw strikes at close range.

The minotaur reacted instantly.

Despite the massive size of his sword, he blocked both attacks at the same time.

Clang. Clang.

Shockwaves rippled outward from the impact. The minotaur lifted his blade slightly, dark metal reflecting Aren's image as he stared at him.

Then he attacked again.

A diagonal slash came down with overwhelming force. Aren dodged to the side as the sword cleaved straight through a nearby pillar, slicing through stone as if it were nothing.

Unfazed, Aren retaliated with a shadow blade.

The minotaur blocked once more, skidding back several feet, but the attack ultimately did little damage.

Both of them retreated, putting distance between each other.

They understood it at the same time.

This battle was about to turn serious.

And when it did, neither of them intended to hold anything back.

Aren attacked first.

Shadow tendrils shot up from the ground, rising high into the sky before crashing down all at once toward the minotaur. The creature looked up, eyes narrowing as it saw the attack descending. The tendrils moved fast, sharp enough to pierce stone, forcing it to react immediately.

The minotaur kicked off the ground, pushing itself backward as the tendrils slammed down. They stabbed into the earth with explosive force, but not a single one touched it. It moved through the assault with surprising ease, landing several meters away and skidding to a stop.

Before it could steady itself, Aren was already there.

His hands were drawn back in a Superman punch, fists crackling with black lightning as he surged forward.

"Sneaky insect," the minotaur growled.

It bent backward just in time, dodging the punch as Aren's fists slammed into the ground instead. The impact was explosive. The earth cracked apart, debris flying in all directions, but the minotaur remained unharmed.

It planted its feet and slashed.

The sword cut through the air at terrifying speed, far too fast to dodge normally. Aren reacted instantly, summoning a shadow ant in front of him. The blade cleaved straight through it, but the brief resistance bought Aren enough time to pull back and evade the attack.

The minotaur frowned slightly at the sight, but didn't slow down.

It planted its feet again and blasted forward with a full overhead slash.

Aren raised his wolfguard and parried. The impact sent a violent shock through his arms.

Clank. Then a screeching scrape as the blade slid down the guard.

His hands went numb, but he held on, staggering sideways a few steps before forcing himself back into position.

The minotaur was already attacking again.

Another powerful slash came down. Aren dodged, but lost his footing and fell to the ground. Seeing the opening, the minotaur slashed downward, but Aren had already pushed off the floor, launching himself into the air.

He spun, delivering a kick straight toward the minotaur's head.

The sword came up just in time, blocking the strike and sending Aren flying backward. The minotaur followed up immediately, driving a punch into Aren's chest. The blow hurled him across the ground, bouncing once before skidding to a stop on his knees, one hand braced against the floor.

His breathing was heavy as he looked up.

The minotaur was already walking toward him.

This was just physical combat. Nothing more. Aren could tell. It hadn't even begun to go all out.

He pushed himself to his feet, cracking his neck and shoulders loose. His stance shifted as he bounced lightly from foot to foot, like a boxer preparing for another round.

"Fine," Aren muttered. "Let's do this."

Boom.

He blasted forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet. Aren leaped into the air, spinning as he sent a kick toward the minotaur once more. The attack was blocked again, but the collision unleashed a shockwave that rippled through the entire area.

Using the sword as a platform, Aren flipped backward and landed cleanly. He surged forward with a flurry of attacks.

The minotaur was forced on the defensive, blocking each strike in succession. Then it found an opening.

Its elbow snapped forward, parrying Aren's punch, followed instantly by a downward slash. Aren dodged to the side, kicking off the ground to widen the distance, but the minotaur closed it immediately.

They were face to face.

Another slash came down.

There was nowhere to retreat. Pushing back wouldn't be enough.

Aren summoned another shadow ant. The blade tore through it, absorbing the brunt of the attack while Aren managed to retreat just far enough to survive.

The minotaur clearly disliked this tactic, but it pressed forward regardless.

The two of them exchanged blows in rapid succession, tearing across the battlefield, from pillars to walls, from floor to ceiling. Every collision triggered explosions. Debris flew, rocks collapsed, and pillars cracked and fell, yet neither could land a decisive hit.

They clashed again at the center.

Both were forced back, Aren several meters, the minotaur only a few steps.

The difference was clear.

The minotaur wasn't even breathing hard.

Aren, on the other hand, could already feel the toll setting in. His chest rose and fell sharply, muscles burning. And this, this wasn't even the peak of the battle yet.

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