Chapter 13: Boss Fight (2)
With both shortswords firmly gripped, Anderson surged forward in a determined charge toward the wounded minotaur. His objective was clear: to thwart the creature's attempts to cancel Elise's magic and recuperate its strength.
The injured minotaur remained engrossed in its efforts to remove the impaled ice lance, oblivious to Anderson's swift approach.
Seizing this opportune moment, Anderson didn't hesitate. He swiftly maneuvered one of his shortswords toward the minotaur's exposed arm.
*Slash*
The sword connected with its target, the sound of steel against flesh punctuating the intense atmosphere. Anderson's attack found its mark.
Although the minotaur's thick hide prevented the slash from cutting too deeply, it was not without effect. The creature emitted a pained groan, its efforts to extract the ice lance stymied as its focus shifted to the sudden assault.
Summoning the last reserve of its strength, the wounded minotaur swung its arm in a powerful punch aimed at Anderson. The impact reverberated with a resounding "bam," causing the ground to fracture under the force. Yet, to the minotaur's sorrow, its intended target had vanished.
In a split-second shift, Anderson had maneuvered behind the minotaur. Before the creature could react, he executed a precise slash across the minotaur's thigh to incapacitate the beast and render it immobile.
Anderson's move appeared to yield results, as the wounded minotaur now braced itself using both hands, emitting further pained groans. With a careful step backward, Anderson took a moment to survey the evolving situation. His attention shifted towards where Elise's ice lance had impaled the creature. An icy aura enveloped the wounded minotaur, steadily encroaching upon its body, freezing it in place. Observing Elise's strategy proved effective, Anderson closed the distance again, ensuring the wounded minotaur remained immobilized.
Unfortunately, this choice would prove to be a grave mistake. As Anderson approached, the wounded minotaur rose with a furious bellow, propelled by an intense surge of anger.
Caught off guard by the sudden resurgence, Anderson found himself momentarily immobilized. Shaking off his stupor and attempting to regain his bearings, he was met with the startling sight of the wounded minotaur standing directly before him.
Fuelled by the desire for revenge against Anderson's prior actions, the minotaur unleashed a powerful punch with a force so immense that it launched Anderson through the air. His body then crashed into a nearby rocky wall.
The wounded minotaur unleashed a furious roar of triumph upon successfully landing its blow. Its wrath fueled its actions as it abruptly shifted its target towards Elise, determination etched across its enraged countenance. Charging forward with unwavering intensity, the half-bull creature sprinted toward Elise with all its might.
In stark contrast, Elise remained stationary, an air of nonchalance about her. Raising her hand deliberately, a magical circle materialized at her palm's center. Simultaneously, the ground not far from her underwent a transformation, shaping itself into a boulder-like formation.
The charging minotaur, taken off guard by the unexpected obstacle, failed to react in time. Colliding with the newly formed boulder, its leg impacted with force, causing the creature to stumble and tumble across the ground.
Capitalizing on the opportunity, Elise channeled her magic further. She strengthened the ice spell that had pierced the wounded minotaur and propelled it deeper into the creature's body. The minotaur groaned in agony, its movements now restricted as its strength waned. It seemed that the charging assault had been the monster's final desperate attempt to eliminate its foe.
Having successfully ended the wounded minotaur's life, Elise shifted her attention to the ongoing struggle with the remaining enemy. This second minotaur remained fiercely eager to combat both Lack and Gil simultaneously, though its opponents' conditions were far from identical. While the minotaur displayed relentless ferocity, its foes struggled to maintain their resolve. Lack found himself weathering a barrage of blows. At the same time, Gil appeared to be teetering on the brink of exhaustion, perhaps due to his dwindling mana.
Elise's disappointment was a palpable sigh, though she had anticipated this challenging turn of events. Without any further delay, she poised her hands above her, giving rise to the manifestation of a new magic circle. In response, another big ice lance materialized before her.
"Ice Lance!"
With a determined gesture, Elise propelled the freshly conjured ice lance towards the minotaur that remained locked in battle with both Lack and Gil. The minotaur's preoccupation with managing Lack's tenacious defense left it ill-equipped to perceive the imminent danger – a massive ice lance hurtling directly toward its position.
The sharp ice lance punctured the minotaur's body, sending the monster hurtling toward a nearby rock wall. The ice bore deep into the wall upon impact, effectively pinning the half-bull monster in place. Groans of agony resonated from the minotaur as it strained to dislodge the icy intrusion from its body. Despite its valiant efforts, the struggle proved futile; the ice steadily encroached upon the minotaur's body, gradually freezing the creature in its tracks.
In a matter of moments, approximately half of the minotaur's body became ensnared in the grip of freezing ice. Simultaneously, the icy encroachment likely extended to the minotaur's internal organs, as evidenced by the creature's contorted movements of distress. Its futile wriggling spoke to its helplessness in the face of the relentless freezing.
The passage of time was brief before the half-bull's struggles ceased altogether. Its movements stilled, and the once formidable minotaur succumbed to the icy grip, its life extinguished.
Lack found himself taken aback by the sudden shift in events, yet a sense of unease didn't wash over him. What unfolded before his eyes mirrored the previous instance when Elise had saved him. Instead of surprise, he felt a sense of amazement at witnessing this remarkable side of Elise once again.
"Ms. Elise, you are amazing!" he exclaimed, punctuating his words with an enthusiastic thumbs-up and a beaming smile.
Meanwhile, Gil was panting hard. When he saw the minotaur was dead, he fell forward and barely holding his body with his gun. The reason was his mana almost got depleted, and it took a toll on his body.
Meanwhile, Gil's labored breathing echoed in the aftermath of the battle. As his gaze settled upon the lifeless minotaur, his strength waned. He slouched forward, his grip on his gun the only thing preventing his collapse. The near-depletion of his mana had taken a toll on his body, leaving him panting and fatigued.
However, the truly astonishing part unfolded when, from the very spot Anderson had been sent hurtling, the injured man's body abruptly rose. The same man who had been motionless after colliding with the wall now appeared to be very much alive. And the thing was, he looked really, really angry.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone