Dulles stretched out his hands and assume a stance. 

"You've done well, kid. Now, leave it to me, Dulles." Dulles charged at Norjin. 

His broadsword was glowing it seems he coated it with magic the same as, "Ablaze," although his enchantment is more refine and concentrated.

The minotaur swept his giant axe vertically crushing the floor. The sudden burst of force pushed me back a little. However, Dulles didn't falter he took it head-on and received the blow and pushed the giant axe upwards. 

Norjin lost a bit of balance. Yet...

"Hey, watch out...!" sudden energy blasted towards Dulles. Causing a small tremor. I was pushed back.

I stood up and looked for Dulles. 

Right before Dulles pushed the giant axe of Norjin. Norjin was charging a condensed ball of dark energy and blasted it towards Dulles completely unaware.

"What the heck is that... I've never seen a minotaur blasting that kind of attack. Even if it's you a catastrophe monster, Norjin!" Dulles stood up but clearly he suffered damage. 

Dulles continued to charge blindly at Norjin. 

This is bad if they kept fighting; Dulles will be at a disadvantage. I need to help him somehow. 

I looked at my current state, I could only fight for a minute left until the effects of the "Paria," wears off.

I checked my bag for other things to use. I saw another Paria bottle. Although it clearly was different than the crimson-colored one. This cerise-colored Paria bottle was used in the Crownless War, six years ago. It was still a prototype back then. 

"Why do I still kept this thing. Is it for this moment?" I chuckled.

I knew the effects of using the prototype Paria bottle and if it was the only way. I gritted my teeth and dran—

"Stop! Why do you have a prototype Paria bottle? Do you even know the effects of it?" Dulles for a few seconds looked at me. 

Dulles was blown away from the force of Norjin's strike. 

I resolved myself and drank the Paria bottle. "Stop! Why did you"— "Aaarrggghhh...!" I screamed in pain. 

An enormous amount of bloodthirst let out. I couldn't control it.

'I'm sorry, Sir Dulles. This is the only way I can think of.' I fell to the abyss.

 

                                                                                             —————————————————————

 

"Hey, kid! Snap out of it!" Dulles couldn't stop Astralish. 

"Grooaaaah..." Astralish was oozing bloodthirst. He looked at the gigantic minotaur Norjin. 

Norjin was charging another condensed ball of dark energy. He aimed at Astralish.

"What the hell is with this, adventurer?" Dulles was shocked. 

Carrying a prototype Paria bottle in this day and era is unheard of. It was used by soldiers from the demon race as a means for destruction. Drinking one would result in an uncontrollable surge of power and an intense bloodthirst. It would cause you to kill an ally or foe without distinguishing the other. Truly, a weapon of destruction.

Astralish stopped the blast of dark energy and pounced at Norjin. He coated his hand with dark energy and forcefully shoved it to Norjin's face. 

Norjin flew off from the wall. His face was distorted. Broken teeth, fractured bones, and his right eye were bleeding out. Norjin let out a war cry.

"Ooaaawaargh...!" 

Astralish shots intense glares at Norjin. 

Norjin stood up and charged another dark ball of energy; instead between his horns. Dulles felt the sense of danger.

"Hey, stop Norjin! He's firing someth"—

Before anyone realized. Astralish was already at Norjin's face. He tore off the left horn of Norjin. The gigantic minotaur shrieked in pain.

"Monster..."

Astralish forcefully shoved the horn where it once was. Pushing it towards its skull. It went on for a few seconds.

The minotaur couldn't tolerate the pain any longer. Norjin shrugged of Astralish from his head.

The minotaur stopped shrieking from pain... Astralish takes out his hand from Norjin's body. The minotaur's body is more stronger than metal but Astralish easily thrusted Norjin's body leaving a hole through it.

'This is truly a monster...' Dulles was aware that he shouldn't move from his spot. 

The effects of the prototype Paria is still in effect. 

Astralish stared blankly at the Minotaur that stopped moving. He looked back and watched his surroundings until he saw Dulles. 

Astralish pressed his stare at Dulles's eyes.

Dulles knew— he couldn't escape.

Astralish bolted towards Dulles. 

...!

"Groaaggh..." Astralish collapsed.

An arrow from the dark pathway jolted Astralish. 

"Sir Dulles are you okay?" At his surprise — it was the young soldier. 

"What're you doing here?" Dulles stood up and the other soldiers helped him.

"You said to go to the Thermite Cave after I've gathered five soldiers?" Dulles looked at the soldier.

"I said go wait at the entrance not go inside. Well, I guess I should overlook it for now. You helped us." Dulles thanked the young soldier.

"Houraah...!" A soldier walked towards Astralish and started kicking him. 

"Hey, you stop! Stay away from the adventurer!' Dulles warned.

"Adventurer? We saw this monster killed the minotaur and tried to kill you, Sir Dulles. Besides, we added a sleeping drug in the arrow. Why should I"—

"Yaaahh...!" 

The soldier who kept kicking shrieked.

Astralish's right arm gripped the leg of the soldier. Cuts from soldier's legs started going upwards. Astralish fires off glares at the soldier with bloodthirsty eyes. 

The soldier falls down on his butt; pissing his pants.

"Nooo...! You monster...!" The soldier cried in fear.

One of the soldiers shot another arrow at Astralish. Before he started rampaging again he had stopped moving.

"Sir, is that the Rank-B Adventurer: Astralish Zeckonia?"

The young soldier was trembling.

"Yeah, he is..." Dulles's hand was also shaking; he couldn't stop it. "I can now stand on my own. Go look if the adventurer is unconscious."

" You, deliver a message back to the General's Office that we stopped the monster raid and subjugated the Minotaur Norjin," Dulles ordered the soldiers. 

The soldiers were still hesitant to come closer to Astralish. 

'I thought he would kill all of us in here.' Dulles feared.

'Perhaps even if I was using my original equipment. I wouldn't stand a chance. Who are you really, adventurer Astralish?'' Dulles looked at Astralish and still, his hands were shaking. 

 

No one would have ever known how far the news would spread about the events of today. And how this moment in time later would change the course of history. 

 

Every powerful being across the whole world will surely hear his name and remember him.

 

"The Boy Who Survived The Great Crownless War."