The three-headed red minotaur let out a deep, guttural growl, its massive frame towering over Ryu and Shiromoto. Its eyes burned with a crimson fury, scanning them as if determining their worth as opponents. The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly as the beast exhaled, its hot breath filling the air with the scent of burning embers.
Ryu smirked, gripping his donut tightly. "You ready, Fire Demon?" he asked, his voice filled with excitement.
Shiromoto clenched his fists, flames flickering around his fingertips. "I was born ready."
Without hesitation, the minotaur charged forward, its hooves smashing into the stone floor with explosive force. Ryu reacted instantly, tossing his donut into the air and catching it again as golden energy surged through his hands. With a swift motion, he dashed to the side, narrowly dodging the beast's enormous fist.
Shiromoto stood his ground, fire engulfing his right arm as he extended his palm toward the monster. "Infernal Strike!" he shouted, launching a blazing projectile at the minotaur's chest. The flames erupted on impact, causing the beast to stagger back momentarily.
"Not bad," Ryu commented, flipping over the minotaur's shoulder and delivering a spinning kick to one of its heads. The head barely flinched, growling as it turned toward him. "Okay, maybe that was a bad idea."
The minotaur roared again, swinging its powerful arm toward Ryu, but Shiromoto intercepted with a fiery punch, the impact creating a shockwave of heat. "Stay focused!" he shouted.
Ryu chuckled. "I am focused. Focused on winning!" He jumped onto the beast's back, channeling his donut ability. His hands glowed as he slammed his palms down, sending a concussive blast of energy through the minotaur's body. The monster howled in pain, shaking violently in an attempt to throw him off.
Shiromoto saw an opening. He stepped forward, flames consuming his entire arm as he prepared his finishing move. "Blazing Demon Fist!" He lunged forward, his flaming fist colliding with the minotaur's chest. The fire exploded outward, engulfing the monster in a storm of flames.
The minotaur screeched, its three heads flailing in agony. Its movements slowed, its massive frame collapsing onto its knees. Ryu leaped off just in time, landing gracefully beside Shiromoto.
As the flames died down, the minotaur fell to the ground with a heavy thud, motionless.
"We did it," Shiromoto said, breathing heavily.
Ryu patted him on the back with a grin. "See? We're not weak. Low rank or not, we just took down a three-headed minotaur."
Shiromoto smirked. "Maybe ranking doesn't mean everything after all."
They stood there for a moment, catching their breath. But before they could celebrate further, a deep rumbling echoed from the depths of the dungeon.
Ryu's eyes widened. "Uh... please tell me that was just the dungeon collapsing and not something worse."
Shiromoto tensed. "No. Something else is coming."
The air grew heavy with tension as another roar—much louder than before—shook the entire dungeon.
The battle wasn't over yet.