How many strikes had they exchanged by now? Bell, breathing heavily through his shoulders, suddenly wondered.
Despite his labored breath, his mind remained clear, and his body still felt light.
His opponent, the Minotaur, was also out of breath. Despite its overwhelming physical advantage, it couldn't finish the fight. That frustration was slowly building inside the beast.
And finally, it broke free.
"VROOOOOOOOARRR!"
A desperate, full-force swing.
Here it comes!
Bell deliberately deflected it with his Bazelard dagger. The impact shattered the blade. With his hair trimmed short, Bell closed the distance between them.
His shimmering Hestia Knife gleamed in the light. The Minotaur eyed the weapon warily, as if it sensed the lethal threat it posed. It shook its head violently, trying to knock the knife away.
Gotcha!
Bell shifted the knife's point from the Minotaur toward the arm gripping the greatsword.
"Ha!"
He drove the blade deep into the wrist and twisted, severing it cleanly.
"GROOOOOAAARRR!?"
Ignoring the creature's roar, Bell used its body to vault into the air and snatch the spinning greatsword.
"If you take an opponent's weapon, they lose their armament, and you gain it. It can be a useful way to turn the tide, remember that."
The Minotaur bellowed, trying to reclaim its sword.
Bell, holding the unfamiliar weapon, felt a flicker of doubt. Still a rookie, he hesitated for a moment, then quickly launched a spell:
"Firebolt!"
A streak of fiery lightning shot from his hand toward his foe.
Magic doesn't inherently have a fixed point of origin. Bell's Firebolt seemed to come from his hand simply because he had unconsciously developed that habit, ever since he first cast magic with an outstretched arm, the image stuck.
Toki had noticed and trained him to break the habit, so Bell could cast spells even with both hands occupied. It still felt strange, but was effective.
The Minotaur staggered back from the magical assault as it tried to close in for its greatsword.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Bell struck again with the greatsword.
"GROOAAARR!"
Blood streaked across the Minotaur's muscular hide. The momentum clearly swung in Bell's favor.
"YAHHHH!"
Bell swung the sword fiercely, though his technique was crude. The heavy weapon almost controlled his body. Still, he seized the chance.
The Minotaur, shaken by the sudden shift, struggled to keep up. Its mind raced but it couldn't mount an effective defense. Its limited intelligence screamed that victory was slipping away.
"VROOOOARRRR!"
That primal instinct awoke inside the beast.
Planting its feet, it refused to retreat and raised its mighty arms.
"ARRRGHHH!!"
A deafening roar echoed through the room.
Beast instincts met human skill head-on. Each blow was met and returned, muscles and steel clashing violently. Both fought as if their lives depended on it, draining every last drop of strength.
Everyone could sense the end was near.
"AAARRRRGHHH!"
Bell's spinning slash struck the Minotaur's abdomen. The blade stopped partway and the creature was knocked sideways.
Bell distinctly heard the greatsword scream under the strain.
"Huff… huff… GRROOAARRR!"
Seven meters apart, the Minotaur ignored its many wounds, stamping the ground hard with both hands. It lowered its head and raised its massive rump.
This was the Minotaur's last desperate stance, its ultimate trump card. Using its powerful horns and muscular legs, it charged with a devastating tackle that could fell even a level 3 or higher foe in one blow.
Though the run-up was short, at this distance it could still deliver two-thirds of its full power.
Bell quietly braced his greatsword, sensing the beast's final assault.
"When an opponent unleashes a big move, it's proof they're cornered."
He inwardly chuckled at the words of his best friend, who had drilled every possible scenario into him, and gathered his strength.
Bell and the Minotaur locked eyes.
Then,
"ARRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"VROOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRRR!!"
They charged headlong at each other.
"Idiot!"
"No, Bell-sama, stop!"
Bete shouted insults, and Lili screamed warnings. At that moment,
"Firebolt!"
Flames and lightning erupted from Bell's hand.
"That's when you strike from an unexpected angle."
The fiery bolt struck the Minotaur's face, slowing its charge just slightly. Smoke billowed, briefly clouding the beast's vision.
Shaking off the smoke with contempt, the Minotaur's eyes widened as it saw the greatsword blade flashing toward its horn.
"GROOARR?"
The sword clashed against the horn, shattering its blade. But the wielder, Bell, had vanished from sight.
"Larger beings have a higher vantage point, but that also means more blind spots. Even disappearing for an instant can create a critical opening."
Using the greatsword as a decoy, Bell slipped into the Minotaur's guard, suddenly slamming on the brakes with his feet and gouging at the wound caused by the sword with the Hestia Knife.
"Vwoah!?"
The Minotaur, grimacing in pain from its abdomen, looked down and spotted his nemesis. He swung his powerful arm to strike.
But before his blow could land, Bell's fiery shot rang out.
"Firebolt!"
Flames and lightning surged through the Hestia Knife into the Minotaur's body. His chest swelled unnaturally, and smoke leaked from his mouth like fiery blood.
"Firebolt!"
Another blast followed. The Minotaur's upper body ballooned like a bursting balloon.
"Guh… Wooooaaah!?"
Still, he brought his fist crashing down. That blow would've easily shattered Bell's skull, if the Minotaur had been even a moment faster. But Bell was quicker.
"Fiiirebooooolt!!"
The upper body exploded. The Minotaur's dying roar echoed as his body disintegrated.
His flesh charred and blackened like falling snow. The lower half crumbled into ash. Amid the settling black flakes, a large object, a magic stone, plunged into the ground.
"...We won…"
Bete muttered in disbelief, his body heating up with awe at the sight before him.
"...My mind is completely drained to zero."
"He's fainted standing up..."
The Amazon sisters stared dumbfounded at Bell, who had collapsed still gripping the Hestia Knife.
Everyone was frozen as if witnessing a scene from a story. The first to move was Toki, who slowly approached Bell.
"Bell-sama... Bell-sama!"
Lili hurried over with steady steps and clung to Bell.
While Lili held him, Toki pulled a cloak from the shadows and draped it over Bell's back, covering his exposed [Status].
"...Good work."
Toki whispered, draping an arm over Bell's shoulder. But realizing it would be hard to move like that, he crouched down.
"Lili, help me carry Bell on my back."
"Y-yes!"
With Lili's help, Toki lifted Bell up.
"Lili, can you move on your own?"
"I'm okay. But Toki-sama, what about Bell-sama?"
"Surprisingly few external injuries. Let's get him to Babel and have him rest."
"Wait."
Bete stopped Toki as he began to walk away.
"Show me his [Status]."
"I refuse."
Toki answered curtly, as if expecting the sudden command.
"Hey, Bete."
"Don't you want to see it? His [Status]?"
Riveria's reproach made some members of the Loki Familia inside tense.
"We are curious, but I won't show it. Because I'm... his party member."
A brief pause followed before Toki composed himself and passed by Bete and the others.
"What's his name?"
This time, Finn stopped him, eyes half-closed but serious.
"His name?"
With a hint of pride, Toki answered.
"Bell Cranel of the Hestia Familia."
With that, Toki took Lili and walked away.
𓂀═════════════𓂀
After sending Bell to the guild and explaining things to Hestia, Toki left the medical facility.
But once outside, he stopped and looked up at Babel.
If I were in Bell's position, could I have fought back like that?
Shaking his head in answer to his own question.
No. I'd give up too easily.
Toki had never fought with everything he had for himself. He always gave his all for others. In other words, he always needed a reason that involved someone else.
"You really are amazing."
He whispered to his absent partner.
Just as he was about to leave,
"Ah! There you are, Toki-kun!"
Misha, Toki's guild assistant, approached him.
Lost in thought, Toki didn't want to talk to anyone.
"Misha-san, sorry, but today, "
"Please help me with work!"
Ignoring his reluctance, Misha grabbed his hand.
"Huh?"
"I'm in charge of preparing the materials for the 'Divine Assembly Denatus'! Please, I need your help!"
Misha demanded as she dragged him off while running. The 'Divine Assembly Denatus' was in three days. Toki had planned to help at the guild after returning from the dungeon.
"Um, Misha-san, today, "
"Just come!"
Without any room to argue, Toki was pulled along to the guild.
𓂀═════════════𓂀
Note: That concludes the story from Volume 3 of the original.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 269+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 221
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 136
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 69
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 67
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 50