The minotaur collapsed under the weight of Mika’s final strike. Although she had been flustered during their first encounter with an unarmed minotaur, she had handled this one with perfect composure. There hadn't been a single dangerous moment, and neither Mika nor Saori-chan had sustained so much as a scratch.
Yeah, it looked like they were ready to handle them solo—assuming they were up for it.
“...Phew.”
As the minotaur began its particleization, Mika and Saori-chan both thrust their skinning knives into it, letting out small sighs as they finally relaxed. It seemed their psychological block had made them even more tense than I’d realized.
By achieving a decisive victory over an unarmed minotaur—an opponent that had caused them some trepidation just a battle ago—they seemed to have finally dispelled that lingering unease. The expressions on both their faces were noticeably brighter now.
“Good work. Looks like you took it down without any trouble.”
“Yeah, somehow,” Mika replied.
“Yes. I was a little nervous, but we managed,” Saori-chan added.
Seeing that the battle was over, I spoke to them as they set about gathering the dropped minotaur meat. I’d lent a hand at the very beginning of the fight, but since that was only to establish the parameters for our little experiment, I decided not to dwell on it.
“So, how was it? What are your thoughts after fighting an unarmed minotaur?”
“Since the opponent didn't have a weapon, I could keep more distance, which made managing the reach a lot easier,” Mika said. “I could just keep poking at it from outside its range. Right, Saori-chan?”
“Mm. Being able to attack from a safe zone is a huge advantage as long as you can manage the distance created by the difference in weapons. But if the opponent's range changes suddenly, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to switch my mindset and react instantly...”
Mika and Saori-chan seemed struck by how clearly their advantage manifested when using long-reach weapons like spears. Given the size difference between the girls and the minotaur, even an unarmed monster had a decent reach, but that slight margin in the girls' favor was a massive tactical advantage. When the minotaur was armed with its usual club, that reach advantage belonged entirely to the monster.
At the same time, they both seemed acutely aware that failing to adapt to a shift in reach would create a fatal opening.
“That’s true. If you can disarm them right at the start, the reach advantage is yours. But if the reach changes in the middle of a fight, you need a sharp eye and experience to handle the transition. If you lack either, you’re going to leave yourself wide open.”
“I definitely felt that,” Mika agreed. “Now that we’ve fought one that stayed unarmed the whole time, I see how big the difference is. If I can back off and reset the moment they lose their weapon, that’s one thing, but if they keep swinging, I might not react in time. In that first battle, I couldn't make the mental switch fast enough, and things got pretty dicey.”
“I think sudden changes in reach are dangerous, too,” Saori-chan said. “If possible, I think it’s much safer to finish the fight without letting their weapon status change at all.”
Mika and Saori-chan both spoke with conviction, their expressions making it clear they truly loathed the idea of reach shifting mid-combat. Their conclusion was sound: while disarming an enemy early grants a reach advantage, the risk of a mid-fight transition was simply too high. Enemies with versatile attack patterns were always a headache to deal with.
“Well, you're right about that. But through this test, you've at least gained a decent understanding of the difference in reach between an armed and unarmed minotaur, haven't you?”
“Yeah. It's only a general grasp, but I've got the hang of it,” Mika said with a confident smile. “I think I can stay calm and react now, even if the reach changes mid-fight.”
“I’ve also grasped the difference, more or less,” Saori-chan added.
Though they hadn't mastered it completely, they both looked reasonably sure of themselves. A bit of anxiety remained, but if they felt they were ready, I was inclined to believe them.
“I see. In that case, do you want to try a one-on-one for the next fight? You've gotten used to the minotaurs themselves, and it sounds like you can handle the reach transitions. Once you can fight them solo, the two of you can start taking on multiple minotaurs at once. That would skyrocket our efficiency for collecting drop items.”
“True... What do you think, Saori-chan? I think I can probably do it...”
“Yeah. Based on how I feel right now, I think I’ll be okay, too, but...”
At my suggestion, Mika and Saori-chan looked at each other hesitantly. After a long, silent exchange of glances, they both gave a small, simultaneous nod.
“I’ll give it a try.”
“I’d like to try, too.”
With determined expressions and clear voices, they committed to taking on the minotaurs one-on-one.
“Alright. Then let’s try one bout each for now.”
“Okay.”
“Yes.”
Since the foundation was finally in place, we moved to the next phase. Both of them had the raw ability to solo a minotaur; all they lacked was the experience that comes from repeated combat.
“Now then, let’s find a target.”
We proceeded deeper into the dungeon, and after a few minutes of walking, a large humanoid shadow appeared at the end of the corridor.
“! That shadow... it’s a minotaur, right?”
“Yeah. Based on the presence and the silhouette, there’s no doubt.”
Mika and Saori-chan narrowed their eyes, observing the figure. We hadn't entered the minotaur's enemy search range yet, so it hadn't noticed us. A few more steps and we’d definitely cross its alert line.
“Alright, here we go.”
“Yeah. One-on-one... I can do this.”
Mika and Saori-chan took several deep breaths to steady their nerves. They had the strength, but the first solo attempt is always the hardest.
“I’ll go first, just like we planned, okay?” Mika said.
“Okay. Be careful, Mika-chan. If it looks like it’s too much, just say the word. I’ll jump in to help immediately.”
“Thanks. I’ll do my best so it doesn't come to that, but keep an eye on me just in case.”
Mika spoke brightly, shaking off the last of her nerves, before setting her cooler box down by the wall to prepare for combat. Spear in hand, she took a few more slow, deep breaths, sharpening her focus and calming her mind. Once she was ready, she stepped forward toward the minotaur with a measured pace.
“...”
As Mika closed the distance, the minotaur at the end of the passage finally registered her presence. It raised its club and let out a deafening, intimidating Roar.
“Gmoooo!”
Mika didn't flinch. She didn't break her stride or even react to the noise, continuing her steady approach. It didn't look like she was planning to rush in and disarm it immediately. Was she going for a straight-up brawl?
Well, if we were testing whether she could truly handle it alone, facing the monster without any underhanded tricks wasn't a bad idea—provided it wasn't born out of overconfidence.
“Gmoooo!”
As soon as Mika stepped into the club's range, the minotaur brought its weapon whistling down. The strike was a straightforward overhead swing, aimed directly at her. Mika watched the club descend with an icy calm, drawing the attack in until the very last possible second...
“Hup!”
With an explosive burst of speed, Mika stepped inside the club’s arc. She ducked slightly, slipping beneath the weapon just as it was about to make contact. It was a perfect evasion, utilizing the monster's own momentum and the difference in their heights.
“Yah!”
While the monster was committed to its heavy swing, Mika thrust her spear into its wide-open armpit.
“Gmo!?”
The spear sank deep. The minotaur let out a pained shriek and dropped its club, flailing its arms wildly to shake her off. But Mika was already gone, having sprinted past its side and out of its reach the moment the blow landed. It was a textbook hit-and-run maneuver.
“Gmoooo...”
The minotaur slumped to one knee, clutching its wound and groaning as it tried to find the girl who had vanished from its sight. But it was already too late. Before the monster could relocate its target, Mika was already launching her next move.
“Yah!”
Seeing that her opponent's height advantage had vanished now that it was kneeling, Mika pivoted instantly. Having stayed in the monster's blind spot for a crucial second, she delivered the finishing blow before it could turn around. She drove her spear straight into the back of its neck.
“G-mo!?”
The spear transfixed the monster’s throat before it could even attempt to dodge. The minotaur let out a choked, gurgling roar as blood sprayed from its mouth, and then it slowly toppled forward.
“...”
Mika remained on guard for several seconds until the minotaur finally began to dissolve into particles.
“...Phew.”
She thrust her skinning knife into the fading remains and finally let out a long breath, the tension leaving her body. Her first solo battle against a minotaur had been nothing short of a complete victory.
“Good work, Mika-chan! How was it?” Saori-chan asked, rushing over.
“Yeah... I won, somehow. I was so nervous!”
“Really? From where we were standing, you looked totally calm. You handled it perfectly!”
“No way! My heart was pounding the whole time!”
Mika gave a relieved smile, her shoulders sagging as the adrenaline wore off. It seemed she was more exhausted by the mental strain of the duel than the physical combat itself.
“Nice work, Mika. What did you think of the solo experience? You fought well, especially since you didn't use any tricks. How did it feel from your perspective?”
“It was okay, I think. I wanted to see how far I could go on my own, so I went at it head-on. It turns out to be surprisingly manageable.”
“I understand the intent, and you did fine. But if you’re going to keep doing this solo, you really should prioritize safety measures. Use throwing weapons, use blinding techniques—whatever it takes to tip the scales in your favor.”
I pressed her on why she’d skipped the safety protocols, and Mika looked a bit sheepish as she answered.
“Yeah, I know. I thought about it, but I really needed to see my own limits. When I’m with Saori-chan, we have plenty of breathing room. If we’re going to start facing groups of minotaurs, I wanted the absolute certainty that I could hold my own if things got separated.”
“I get it. Just don't let your safety margins get too thin. There are plenty of explorers who ended up in the hospital because they underestimated a situation just a tiny bit.”
“I’ll be careful, I promise.”
I didn't think she was being reckless, but head-on brawling is always risky. Piling up advantages to ensure a win is the secret to a long career as an explorer.
“Alright. Saori-chan, you’re up next. Ready?”
“Yes! After watching Mika-chan, I feel like I can definitely do this!”
“Good. Just don't get careless, okay?”
The anxiety that had clouded Saori-chan’s face earlier was gone, replaced by a confident smile. Though their personalities differed, their combat abilities were nearly identical. If Mika could do it, Saori-chan could, too.
“Let’s grab the loot and find the next one.”
“Yes!”
We collected the minotaur meat and began scouting the area. A few minutes later, we found another target. As planned, we left this one entirely to Saori-chan.
“Yah!”
“Gmoooo!?”
True to form, Saori-chan dismantled the minotaur with the same efficiency Mika had shown.
“I did it!”
“You did indeed. Good job, Saori-chan.”
As she gathered the dropped minotaur meat, Saori-chan’s smile was radiant. She now had the personal proof she needed that her strength was more than enough for this floor.
“It looks like you two can handle minotaurs one-on-one just fine.”
“Yeah. I’m still getting used to it, but I can do this,” Mika said.
“I think once we get the hang of it, we’ll be able to handle multiple enemies at once!” Saori-chan added.
The hesitation they’d carried at the start of the day was gone, replaced by the kind of confidence that only comes from earned success. Their raw power had always been sufficient; they just needed the conviction to use it. It was time to see what else they could do.