12 Admittance (3)

Arrogance... That's what the Minotaur believed the foolish human who challenged him conveyed. For what else was it but suicide to fight against the incarnation of violence with such a 'small' body.

With the difference in their stature being one between an adult and a child, there was was only one reason why the man bull deemed its opponent worthy of getting into a stance. It had everything to do with the 'white sword' Alex held in his hands.

It didn't radiate supreme power nor an indomitable might, yet the sword was definitely one of the only things that could pierce the Outcast of Heaven and Earth's skin. Fortunately for the demon, the fallen hero before him was nowhere close to rational.

His body swayed and scrambled his own clarity of mind as he was doing so, as Ginga Scream also had the affects of putting the user in a state close to intoxication. It watched the 'drunken' man with squinted eyes without missing a single movement.

Normally, this would be the time his opponent would be disoriented by his 'sways', but Alex failed in confusing the enemy and watched as a head with two terrifying horns charged forward, ramming into his body forcefully. The elder of a hundred masteries was thrown down after being collided into, his chest felt an bewildering pain which was shocking when considering he was in a dream.

If he wasn't for him jumping back while making his whole body limp, a rib would have been broken...!

Ariadne watched in interest as he stopped rolling backwards using a strange turning motion. He lay on the floor for a moment, then charged at the man bull ferociously without giving thoughts to defence.

Chaos...! This was the only word that was stuck at the back of her throat, her eyes watched the unthinking drunkard execute many techniques that belonged to different forms of martial arts. Though the girl facepalmed upon realising he had forgotten his sword in the mess of attacks. It seemed he was not able to capitalise on his strengths like a warrior should be able to after gaining great experience...

This was like a battle between a raging bull and a violent but tricky stream of rivers...! The more she watched, the more the beautiful hanged nymph was certain of one thing about Alex's fighting style.

He wasn't a 'Dabbler'!

The elbows of Muay Thai, the fists of Boxing, the boots of Savate, the feet of Tae Kwon Do... It was like he had an entire armoury of completely mastered techniques he had truly made his own!

Even though the Minotaur couldn't be killed by mere physical attacks, it started to learn true pain once it fought against a being that was beyond its comprehension. No matter how monstrous the Kung Fu used by the man bull, Alex destroyed it with pure incomprehensible 'power' that came from knowing which technique worked best.

"So he's a 'Collector'..." Ariadne mumbled while actually feeling pity for this 'half-brother' of hers...

The man bull moo'd horror, feeling like it was facing multiple masters of martial arts wrapped into one unpredictable package. It's arm came down on the old man who was as small as a child before it's great stature, only to be countered immediately...!

A fantastical fight that no one would ever see in real life took place as though Alex couldn't capitalise on his strength in terms of strategy. He was much more of an instinctual infighter anyway.

Alex used the lack of walls around him to his advantage as he swung himself off the Minotaur's arm and continued to fight while twisting and turning in midair. His figure acrobatically kicked and used the large beast as leverage as he fought.

A normal person would've been thrown to the floor and had his shoulder bitten off already, but the old drunkard was so whimsical in his attack patterns that he mixed the simplicity of his drunken sways with the complexity of orthodox battle techniques.

At time he was vicious and cruel, while at other times he was righteously doing as he saw fit. He unconsciously showed the chaotic temperament he had been trying to hide from those he knew...

[Monstrous Art- Windmill Breaker!]

Finally unable to take any more of the sharp strikes Alex had thrown, the man bull rotated its arms and tried to destroy the mere human before it using the martial arts most fit for its large stature to wield.

Unlike humans, who focused their strength so they could defeat larger foes, the Minotaur used martial arts to properly utilise its size and body type for hunting, as a predator didn't need human 'Arts'.

'Heh, I remember doing that as a kid~' Alex mused inwardly as the rotating arms blew up a storm while approaching him. The image of his younger self doing the same motions but with less intensity made him chuckle as he used his own 'Art'.

This was his response:

[April Style- Pinpoint Kick!]

A roundhouse kick started from behind him before entering the gap between the two 'windmills'. His foot was like a stream of water that easily twisted through the gaps in the monster's defences like a Brazilian Kick and lifted him up like a Front Kick.

*Crack* The Minotaur's jaw broke as his head recoiled back and got brain damage in the process.

Ariadne could finally see some 'order' in the chaotic maelstrom of strikes as that last attack had wasted such little movements that she might never have have thought the strike came from a drunk.

[April Style- Spear Kick!]

His body was like water, which she now admired as the true form of 'Martial Arts'. If the first move was elusive like mist, then this move was as 'hard' as ice! He seemed to incorporate spearmanship into his foot technique, turning his body into a weapon.

While others were described as 'human weapons' for exaggerations, Alex showed that this was no mere metaphor as he strike the moment her brother knelt to the floor from having his brain shook. It was thanks to the earlier attack working so well that the drunkard managed to drive his big toe into the softer flesh on the monster's throat.

An impact resounded as the toe truly pierced a hole in the voice box of the horned man bull, which gave it no other choice but to hold its neck in silence, screaming in agony within its heart, and unable to do anything at all as Alex stood firm.

What stance was the old hippie using? It became clearer the moment he retrieved his foot back...

[February Style- Assault Stance!]

Despite him only standing there, she could feel an icy whirlpool rotating around him as he gave up on everything but to attack, Attack, ATTACK!!! His muscles contracted like an explosion as he switched from kicking to hitting the face that had finally got to his level once the monstrous creature knelt down. A fist tore through the air sharply...

[July Style- Basic Punch!]

A punch smashed into the face of the Minotaur try was unable to make the beast back down. Its neck had already healed as it recovered from the fist that cracked its skull to tackle the strong opponent standing firmly rooted into the ground before it.

[July Style- Straight Gatling!]

Many more fists tore into the air and crashed into its body, causing bone breaking sounds to be heard. The beast's eyes started glowing red, and Alex didn't notice that his legs were coiled by the long tail of the man bull. It grew using magic...

[Monstrous Art- Demonic Tail!]

'His legs are sealed...!' Ariadne realised, fearing for his safety as he responded almost immediately.

[July Style- Zero Pulse!]

Rooting himself into the ground, a shockwave that sounded exactly like an explosion resounded as Alex tore through the sound barrier! He fist travelled at Mach speeds towards its nostrils.

The red-eyed man bull also seemed to copy his speed- No, it surpassed him using the fantastical amount of strength that could be exerted using his giant body's muscles. Five finger talons also broke the sound barrier at the same time as Alex.

The battle of speed was over in an instant...!

[Monstrous Art- Heaven and Earth...]

"Oh no you don't!" The old man sobered not to the sound of a girl's exclamation, but pain in his waist.

[...Piercer!]

As Alex's body was being pulled away from the bull by strings, he noticed a gaping hole leaking blood everywhere as was being dragged off. The holiest energy he had ever come across instantly covered that injured area and healed it almost immediately.

'Woah...!' The sobered up old fighter was amazed as this was the first time he had experienced a power that seemed to have boundless healing potential. Even the most luminous magic he had experienced as a Hero couldn't match this speed.

*Bang!* He slammed into the ground where he had been sitting before in front of the beautiful hanged nymph. There was an embarrassed expression on his face after realising Ariadne had set up a barrier so that the Minotaur could give him room to breath.

The large bullish figure snorted before heading back to where it rested, going back to sleep...

It seemed to want to rest for a bit as well.

"You lost." Her words landed on his ears and became the most mocking fact of the day.

"I don't need you to tell me that... What the heck happened?!" Alex pointed at the statue-like figure.

"That wine you drank improved your connection to this world." She shook her bottle in response. This was planned beforehand, but she didn't expect him to put up such a fight without using her sword.

"So I die in real life if I die here?"

"Pretty much."

"That's insane...!"

"That doesn't mean much when coming from someone trying to die. Anyway, why not fight sober against my little 'half-brother'?" She tilted her head as his refusal to fight properly made her confused.

"I can't." He shook his head in response.

"Can't, or you yourself WON'T?"

"I seriously can't do it..."

"Fine, but at least use the sword I gave you."

"...And why should I?"

"There are no strings attached~"

"There are ALWAYS strings attached." He said while pointing at the 'bungee strings' on his body.

"...Sorry if I was supposed to laugh." Her eyes rolled over to the white blade in her hands. The holy maiden's fragile-looking hand traced her fingers around the sword's two edges, all while speaking a piece about the history behind it:

"I once gifted this sword to a man without asking for anything in return, and in the end, that's what I got: Nothing. My heart became a tool in another's legend, making me into a foolish woman in love..."

"And yet you give it to a stranger 'with no strings attached'." Alex clicked his tongue in wonder of her intentions. Most who were betrayed before would not trust others, yet here she was being kind to him without asking anything back despite her past.

How was she still able to have compassion...?

"It's the thought that counts." The old hippie didn't know what she was getting at by saying this.

His eyes travelled to the sword and realised something he had ignored since he arrived back to Earth. With a coldness in his heart, his head turned to look at the statue of the opponent behind him.

'I just have to stab that guy. Easy...' He told himself but was unable to stop sweating the more he looked. Being sober made him realise how truly horrifying his opponent was from head to toe.

The head of a bull, five finger claws on arms as thick as his waist, a tail that made approaching for break its spine miserably hopeless, and legs that seemed even more muscle bound than his arms...!

What was even scarier about the Minotaur was the lack of injuries on its body despite all his attacks.

There was a great chance that he'd eventually be overwhelmed as time went on, causing his arms to tremble as he thought about the pain he had felt on his chest. He wasn't scared of death, but pain was something he hated experiencing in all situations.

"Do you want my help?" A sweet voice touched him. He turned his head to look at the nymph.

"...I'm not shameless enough to ask for it."

"That's fine." Her meaning: Even if the old man doesn't ask, she'd still help him regardless.

"Why are you helping me...?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"If you want me to be less suspicious, then 'yes'."

"If you want one..." She thought for a moment before speaking: "...my name means 'Utterly Pure'."

Her giggles resounded in the infinite dreamworld...