After finishing our break at the staircase plaza, we began our exploration of the 20th floor, with Mika and Saori-chan leading the way. The monsters that appeared on this floor were minotaurs. While there was a high probability of encountering them solo here, their strength easily surpassed that of orcs. It wasn't just their size; their power and speed were on another level entirely.
There were plenty of explorers on the verge of reaching mid-level status who let their guard down simply because the enemy appeared alone, only to suffer the consequences and find themselves reliant on expensive recovery potions. Because they had handled multiple monsters on previous floors, they assumed a single opponent would be a cakewalk—only to be blindsided by the unexpected speed and power of the enemy's charge.
"I’m saying this just in case, you two, but don't let your guard down," I warned.
"We won't. We're in a dungeon, you know?" Mika replied.
"I know, but there are people who do. They see a single enemy and think it'll be an easy win."
"Wait, there are actually people like that?" Saori-chan asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. It's fine to have confidence, but never let it turn into overconfidence."
Mika and Saori-chan looked at us with expressions of disbelief.
Occasionally, you would see explorer parties at the staircase plaza in a state of total panic after suffering major injuries. In a close-knit party, they would use recovery potions immediately, but in dysfunctional groups, they would spend more time loudly shifting blame than actually treating the wounded. People who happened to be at the plaza at the time would usually just watch from a distance with annoyed expressions.
"Well, just keep in mind that those kinds of parties exist. Use them as a negative example."
"Right, yeah. We’ll be careful," Mika said.
"Yes," Saori-chan added.
They both nodded firmly, though they still wore rather conflicted expressions.
As we discussed this, we made our way deeper into the dungeon.
"!"
When Mika, who was walking at the front, reached a fork in the path, she spotted something. She silently raised her arm horizontally, signaling everyone to stop. A tense atmosphere immediately radiated from Mika and Saori-chan as they began cautiously surveying the surroundings.
Mika pulled an inspection mirror from her backpack and peered around the corner, careful not to expose herself.
"...There it is."
Confirming the monster's presence through the mirror, Mika continued her observation with a sharp gaze.
"Yeah, that's definitely a minotaur."
"Mika-chan, how many?"
"Just one. It's alone, just like we thought. No other companions with it."
"I see, that's good. And traps?"
Mika spent about a minute checking the area around the minotaur with her mirror to confirm the presence of any traps.
"Seems fine. I don't see anything like a trap within view."
"Then we can focus on fighting the minotaur. We'll still need to maintain a minimum level of alertness, though."
"Yeah. Since it's our first time facing one, I'm glad we can be cautious."
"Agreed."
Having finished her scouting, Mika returned the inspection mirror to her backpack and began sharing information with Saori-chan for a final strategy check. They had already decided on their countermeasures beforehand, but it was important to double-check in case nerves caused them to forget something.
In any situation, especially the critical ones, maintaining proper communication—reporting, informing, and consulting—was essential.
"Target is a minotaur, count: one. No obvious traps in the intended combat area."
"Its weapon?"
"It’s holding a club in its right hand. It looks to be about two meters long, so we need to watch out for sweeps. It’ll have a wide reach, so I recommend focusing on spacing and dodging. With power matching that massive frame, we’ll probably get blown away even if we try to block."
"Right. With our current levels, blocking might be a bit much."
That concern was likely spot on. Once their levels increased, they would be able to block while ignoring the size difference, but Mika and Saori-chan weren't there yet. Furthermore, minotaurs were renowned for having even more power than orcs; between the size and the raw strength, a clumsy attempt at a guard would send them flying like a baseball struck by a bat. Whether they'd be seriously injured was a separate issue, but if the knockback effect forced someone out of the fight even briefly, there was a danger that the party's coordination would collapse.
If that happened and the remaining members couldn't hold the line until the displaced person returned, everything would crumble, likely leading to the worst-case scenario.
"Yeah. As long as we observe its movements carefully, we should be able to dodge. We just need to stay calm and not rush."
"I'm nervous since it's our first one, but let's do our best."
Having finished their final check, Mika and Saori-chan prepared to begin the battle. Their basic strategy was a pincer attack: the two of them would approach from the flanks, striking while the minotaur hesitated over which one to deal with.
It was a simple plan, but it made effective use of their numerical advantage.
"Well, now that we're ready... shall we start?"
"Yeah."
Mika and Saori-chan lightly slapped their cheeks to psych themselves up, took a deep breath, and slowly stepped out from around the corner.
They closed the distance with the minotaur, quickly splitting to the left and right according to the plan. The minotaur noticed them and tightened its grip on the club in its right hand.
"Let's go, Saori-chan!"
"Right!"
The moment the minotaur tried to enter a defensive stance against their slow approach, Mika and Saori-chan sprinted, closing the gap in an instant. The minotaur couldn't keep up with the sudden change in tempo. It hesitated, unsure which of the two closing in from its sides to intercept first.
That momentary hesitation left it with a fatal opening.
"Hah!"
"Yah!"
"Gumooh!?"
Mika and Saori-chan didn't miss the opening. Before the minotaur could respond, they launched their first strike. Mika, approaching from the right, thrust her spear toward its throat, while Saori-chan, approaching from the left, aimed for its right wrist.
The minotaur reflexively tilted its upper body, narrowly evading the spear Mika aimed at its neck, but Saori-chan's spear pierced its defenseless right wrist.
"Tch, it dodged the neck shot!"
"It's fine! I took out its right hand, so the club is neutralized!"
"True. No more sweeps and its reach is shorter. Let's finish this in one go, Saori-chan!"
"Got it!"
"Gugu...!"
After their initial attack, Mika and Saori-chan temporarily distanced themselves to assess the results. While they hadn't landed a lethal blow, they had succeeded in stripping the enemy of its weapon.
Unable to hold the club, the minotaur dropped it to the ground. It clutched its bleeding wrist, glaring at the two girls with bloodshot eyes.
"First, let's stop its movement."
"Roger!"
"Gumo!"
Just like the first strike, Mika and Saori-chan split left and right to close in. Perhaps having learned its lesson, the minotaur immediately took an intercepting stance, holding its mangled right arm up like a shield.
I was impressed by its willingness to instantly write off its useless limb and find a way to put it to use.
"Hah!"
"Yah!"
"Gumo!!"
The minotaur reacted immediately. It used its left hand to swat away Mika’s spear aimed at her thigh, while simultaneously charging at Saori-chan with a body slam, using its dead right arm to suppress her spear.
It seemed it had decided to definitely take one of them out, even if it meant taking more damage. With its combat power significantly reduced, being outnumbered was too disadvantageous.
"Saori-chan!"
"!?"
Surprised by the unexpected counterattack, Saori-chan instinctively leaped to the side to dodge the tackle.
However, because she dodged reflexively, she ended up putting more distance between them than necessary. For a brief moment, Mika was left alone against the minotaur.
"Gumo!"
"!?"
Seeing Saori-chan retreat, the minotaur swung its left hand at Mika with all its might, even as its posture remained broken from the charge.
Mika, startled by the attack on Saori-chan and momentarily distracted, managed to dodge by leaning backward, but she lost her balance significantly, leaving a massive opening. Taking a backstep to create distance would have been the better choice there. Now then, how would she deal with the minotaur's next move in that state?
"Gumo!"
"Ngh!"
Seeing Mika's unstable posture, the minotaur followed up immediately. Without even trying to fix its own balance, it lunged at Mika, intending to crush her under its weight.
When you don't have the luxury of a proper attack, using your mass as a weapon is the fastest way—especially for a large monster like a minotaur. Such a reckless move leaves one wide open, but it's incredibly effective against an opponent who has also lost their balance. Against an opponent who can't dodge, that is.
"Yah!"
"Gumo!?"
Just as the minotaur lunged to crush her, Saori-chan’s flying kick exploded against the side of its face, knocking it off course. It sailed past Mika, who had desperately tilted her body to avoid it, and crashed into the ground with a resounding thud.
The minotaur, unable to account for Saori-chan's unexpectedly fast return to the front line, took the hit full-on.
"Mika-chan, are you okay!?"
"Th-thanks, Saori-chan! I'm fine somehow!"
Mika hurriedly regained her footing and distanced herself from the fallen minotaur, regrouping with Saori-chan. The agitation was clear on Mika's face; she was visibly shaken.
"Gugu..."
"...This guy's tough."
"...Yeah."
Hoping to calm their nerves after the unexpected counter, the girls didn't press the attack, instead watching as the minotaur slowly tried to pick itself up. They likely judged that securing time to regain their cool was better than forcing an attack while agitated.
By the time they had recovered their composure, the minotaur had also steadied itself.
"Phew... Let's go again, Saori-chan!"
"Right!"
Renewing their resolve, they once again closed the gap to flank the minotaur. In response, the minotaur let out an intimidating roar and went on the offensive, swinging its left arm as it charged at Mika.
It had likely decided it could handle a frontal confrontation based on the previous exchange. However...
"Hah!"
"Guh!?"
Mika quickly threw a bo-shuriken she’d been hiding at the minotaur’s face. Surprised, the minotaur used its right hand as a shield to block it, but choosing to guard rather than dodge created a fatal opening.
By reflexively raising its arm in front of its eyes, it blocked its own vision. It lost sight of the two for just a moment, causing its reaction to fall a step behind.
"Yah!"
"Gumoooo!"
Saori-chan didn't miss that moment of blindness. She lunged deep and drove her spear straight through the center of the minotaur's chest. It was an unmistakable fatal blow—Mika had created the opening, and Saori-chan had finished it.
A scream escaped the minotaur's mouth as its legs gave out, and it collapsed to the ground.
"..."
"..."
Mika and Saori-chan backed away, waiting and watching to see if it would stand up again.
After a short while, they saw the minotaur begin to undergo particleization, and both girls let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Phew..."
"Good work, Mika, Saori-chan. There were some close calls, but you won without taking any injuries."
"...Yeah. We won, but we really need to reflect on this. I didn't think I was letting my guard down, but I never imagined it would fight like that."
"I should have handled things more calmly as well. Even if it was an instinctive move, I messed up my positioning and put Mika-chan in a tight spot..."
Having finished their first battle with a minotaur, Mika and Saori-chan didn’t show even a hint of joy in their victory; instead, they began reflecting on the flaws in their performance. Their initial surprise attack had been fine, but the subsequent follow-up had indeed been quite dangerous.
Fortunately, neither was hurt, but it would have been a very different story if there had been a second minotaur present. To ensure they didn't make the same mistakes twice, they would need to conduct a thorough review and come up with countermeasures.