CLANG… CLANG…
The clash of swords echoed through a dense forest of unnaturally tall trees, far from the bustling city of Valirin but still within its borders.
A beast loomed in the moonlight—over ten feet tall, its entire frame covered in crimson fur. Its body was that of a man, but with claws at its fingers and toes, and the head of a bull crowned with six jagged horns. A Minotaur.
Facing it was a lone human clad in black. He pressed himself against a massive trunk to catch his breath. His outfit was simple—black shirt, black trousers, brown boots—but his appearance was striking. Hazel hair spiked upward as if defying gravity, save for a single bang draping across his left eye. His eyes themselves glowed a sharp violet, and his features were almost unnervingly handsome.
The Minotaur's blood-red eyes blazed as it dragged its massive blade across the ground, sparks flying with each step. It stopped, nostrils flaring, scenting the air. With a sudden roar, it charged forward—its speed unnatural for its large size and structure.
The human's grip tightened around his sword. He dove aside just as the Minotaur's blade cleaved through the trunk he had been hiding behind, splitting it clean in two.
"Come on… you six-horned freak," he muttered, steel flashing in his hand. "Let's end this."
The Minotaur answered with a roar so powerful it shook the branches above. It swung its blade again and again, each strike faster, heavier. The human parried and dodged, searching for an opening, but the monster's rage gave him none.
Snapping into a new plan, he leapt back, sprinted up a nearby tree, and began hacking through its branches. He jumped from trunk to trunk, slicing through wood, sending a storm of branches raining down. Hidden in the cascade of debris, he blended into the shadows, sword poised for a lethal strike at the back of the Minotaur's skull.
But then—the speed at which the beast turned its head caused his heart to skip a beat.
THUD!
BOOM!
The Minotaur's blade connected, launching him across the clearing. He slammed into a tree with bone-rattling force. Blood poured from his abdomen as he hit the ground, sword still clutched in his hand. The only reason he still breathed was because the monster's weapon was dulled with age. It was too blunt to cut through.
He staggered up, ignoring the agony tearing through his body, and stumbled forward into a desperate run. But the weakness spread quickly. His legs faltered. His vision blurred. Finally, he collapsed into the dirt, his blood soaking into the grass beneath him.
The Minotaur loomed over him, stepping slowly, its shadow stretching long. It raised its colossal blade, ready to strike.
"Damn…" the human hissed through gritted teeth.