The Minotaur Leader slammed his massive stone fist onto his throne, causing cracks to spiderweb through the rock—a testament to his formidable strength.
In their tribe was a scout with exceptionally sharp hearing.
If it pressed its ear to the ground, not even the sound of a caravan's wheels miles away could escape its notice. It was thanks to this scout that they managed to ambush every single merchant caravan that dared cross the pass.
"They're coming," the scout grunted. "Big wagon. Lots of meat."
...
On the Mountain Road—
"I smell something... strong."
Natsu, who had been looking green from the wagon's motion, suddenly sniffed the air twice.
His expression turned serious, and his nausea seemingly vanished in the face of danger.
He lowered his voice. "There are sounds and smells from both front and back. They've surrounded us."
Brian, the burly bodyguard, heard it too.
His muscles tensed, sweat beading on his bald head as he reached for his iron knuckles.
Raizel quietly reminded Lucy beside him, "Lucy, summon a Celestial Spirit immediately. Don't wait for them to attack."
"Right!" Lucy grabbed a golden key. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"
POOF!
"MOOOO! Miss Lucy! Your figure is as mountainous and beautiful as this scenery!"
"Save the compliments for later! We're under attack!"
As if on cue, the Minotaurs swaggered out from the treeline in both directions, massive stone weapons slung over their shoulders.
They looked confident—likely accustomed to successful raids against terrified merchants.
Raizel glanced backward, five Minotaurs behind them. He looked forward—six ahead, including the leader.
Eleven in total.
The Minotaur Leader was a giant, standing a full head taller than the others. Its muscles were knotted and well-defined, radiating raw power, and it carried a massive stone warhammer that looked like it weighed a ton.
Raizel raised his right hand, signaling Brian not to act rashly.
The Minotaur Leader stopped about ten meters in front of the caravan, slamming its hammer into the ground.
BOOM.
Raizel could feel the tremors through his boots, that hammer was clearly a real deal.
Resting both large hands on the hammer handle, the Minotaur Leader spoke in a muffled, surprisingly deep voice.
"Humans. I don't want to harm you. Leave your goods, and you may go. We only want the food."
Raizel had initially been skeptical of Brian's story, considering the possibility that the bodyguard was in cahoots with the robbers.
But seeing the sheer intimidation factor here, that suspicion diminished.
Raizel crossed his arms. "And if we refuse?"
The Minotaur Leader snorted, steam shooting from his nostrils. "Then we'll have to get rough."
"Natsu, Lucy, I'll take the leader. You handle the rest."
"Aye, sir!"
Raizel stepped forward, magic energy flaring.
"Take Over: Dynasmon!"
A blinding white light enveloped Raizel. When it faded, he was clad in the white, draconic armor of the Royal Knight and a large wyvern wings spreading from his back.
"So what if you're Mages?"
Seeing Raizel charge, the Minotaur Leader roared, swinging its stone hammer downward with both hands to crush the armored intruder.
"Too slow." Raizel sidestepped the hammer at close range.
The weapon smashed into the ground, burying itself in the dirt. Raizel capitalized instantly, swinging his right arm's jewel-encrusted palm toward the Minotaur's chest.
"Breath of Wyvern!"
A shockwave of energy blasted point-blank.
The Leader didnt expect Raizel to adjust his position so swiftly mid-charge. Caught off guard, it was struck squarely and stumbled back several steps, clutching its chest.
Even for a Minotaur with innate physical resilience, the blow was agonizing.
'Strong... but slow,' Raizel noted.
Using his superior speed, Raizel vanished, reappearing behind the beast.
He delivered a spinning whip kick to its back before it could even turn around.
WHAM!
The Minotaur Chief staggered forward, nearly falling on its face. Humiliated, it angrily pounded the ground with its fists. It was the strongest of its tribe, it had never suffered such embarrassment in single combat!
"RRRAAAAGH!"
It discarded its stuck stone hammer. Clenching its fists, it raised its arms to the sky and roared.
A red glow flashed around its body as its muscles swelled, its eyes shifting from ordinary black to a glowing, blood-red crimson.
'Berserk Mode? Is this Magic or an innate ability?' Raizel hesitated for a second, but there was no time to ponder.
The transformation was fast.
After kicking its hooves backward like a charging bull, the Chief Minotaur rushed at Raizel with full force.
It fired a beam of energy from its palms.
Raizel deflected it, but the Minotaur was already on him. Having abandoned the heavy hammer, its speed had doubled.
As it closed in, it stomped hard with its right leg.
CRACK!
A shockwave ripped through the ground. Raizel lost his footing for a split second.
Clever beast.
Raizel flapped his wings, launching himself into the air to avoid the tremors.
"Whirling Dance of Blades!"
Four ribbons of energy extended from Raizel's armor, slashing repeatedly like whips.
The Minotaur Chief blocked two with its forearms but couldn't defend against all four. Cuts appeared all over its body, blood spraying.
Raizel dove and he planted his hands on the ground in a handstand, spinning like a top while delivering repeated, heavy kicks to the Chief's neck and head.
"Wyvern Kick!"
With a final, accelerated blow to the temple, Raizel sent the massive beast flying into a nearby pine tree.
With a final accelerated heavy kick to its temple, Raizel sent it flying into a nearby tree, where it lay unconscious.
....
Meanwhile—
"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
Natsu brought his hands together, creating a massive fireball and hurling it at three Minotaurs rushing him.
BOOM!
"Lucy Kick!"
Lucy delivered a flying kick to a Minotaur's face.
"Taurus Punch!"
Taurus punched another one in the gut. "MOOO! How dare you possess such muscular bodies! Only I am allowed to be the beefcake around Miss Lucy!"
"Less talking, more fighting, Taurus!"
Raizel scanned the surroundings from the air.
A few Minotaurs remained. Choosing not to intervene since Natsu and Lucy had the situation under control, Raizel observed.
These Minotaurs were remarkably durable but slow, making Natsu look like a speedster by comparison.
Lucy drew the whip from her waist.
"Take this!"
She swung it forcefully, wrapping it around a Minotaur's leg. "Now, fall!"
She pulled.
Nothing happened.
She pulled again, gritting her teeth, veins popping on her forehead. "Hrrgggh!"
The Minotaur stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
It looked down at the rope on its leg, then back at Lucy, looking confused.
"This is awkward..." Cold sweat beaded on Lucy's forehead. "Um... nice cow?"
"Lucy! I'll help you!"
"Aye!"
Happy flew circles around the Minotaur's head, slapping it with a fish. "Catch me if you can, slowpoke!"
"Annoying bug!" The Minotaur grew frustrated, spinning around in circles trying to swat the blue cat.
"Now!"
Seizing the moment the beast crossed its own legs in confusion, Lucy yanked the whip with all her strength.
THUD!
The giant crashed to the ground.
"Yay!" Lucy and Happy high-fived.
Without further complications, the remaining Minotaurs were defeated by Natsu and Taurus's combined brute force.
"Man, they're tough!" Natsu wiped sweat from his brow, panting heavily.
The Minotaurs' endurance was incredible—some had stood back up even after taking a direct Fire Dragon's roar.
...
Raizel hadn't been idle. He used the magic-restraining shackles brought by Brian to secure all the defeated Minotaurs in a line.
The Minotaur Chief, having regained consciousness, sat silently.
He watched his companions fall one by one, but Raizel didn't detect any anger in his expression.
Just resignation.
Curious, Raizel asked, "Aren't you angry? We beat you up pretty bad."
The Minotaur Chief raised its head proudly, blood trickling down its nose. "You are stronger. Defeat is defeat. The strong rule. We have no complaints."
'Goodness, you don't look like someone who just lost a raid...' Raizel was almost amused by its utterly arrogant demeanor.
After all the Minotaurs were restrained and sitting cross-legged on the ground like scolded children, Raizel stood before the Chief.
"Tell me, what's your name? And why are you here? I heard you suddenly showed up in these mountains six months ago. You aren't native to this region."
"My name is Cain Hammerfall," the Chief grunted. "Hammerfall is the name of our tribe. We originally lived in the Northern Mountains far from here, but we lost a tribal war against the Centaurs."
Cain looked at the ground, clenching his fist. "Unwilling to surrender and become slaves, we seized the chance to escape. We walked for months until we found this place."
"Since you lost, why were you unwilling to surrender?" Natsu asked, tilting his head.
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