Minotaurs are scary, and they even fit this environment.

They're a Greek invention after all. But I doubt Odysseus ever met one.

I should have read into him more to find out.

Or not. Reading the Iliad got me here in the first place.

That double axe is huge and breaks the spear in one swing.

Aratsuki threw it in the way as a last resort, and now it's gone.

The monster grunts, raising his massive weapon for another strike. But he's not getting a second chance, the Princess Knight steps between us, grabbing the shaft of his axe.

The scene is so terrifying that my stupid brain can only spend a second on the sexual implications.

Yeah, I wish she grabbed my shaft instead, but not here and now.

"Run, damn it." She turns back to yell at me, and I realize that's an option.

No longer standing there with my feet rooted into the ground, I dash for the other end of the square.

It's risky, the distance between the warrior waifus and me will increase, but that side looks safer.

It doesn't have a Minotaur, or assaulting Trojans, so I take my chances.

The battle is brutal.

Warriors fight in a closed formation to defend each other and keep the enemy at bay.

Once their lines break, or they're flanked, they become vulnerable.

While the Trojan soldiers emerge one by one from the buildings, they're in a good position to cause chaos. This is a genius plan.

Wait. Is it Odysseus' strategic thinking, or am I getting hot for Greed?

The demoness is gone.

Once her ambush distracted our heroes, she retreated, leaving her henchman behind.

The Minotaur is still after me, but Aratsuki keeps it in place.

"Fall back, close your formations." The Captain — Agamemnon — screams through the chaos.

It's a good thing she's so loud, the warriors adjust, closing around the Trojan infiltrators.

"Where did she go?" Achilleus yells next, she's about to lose her mind, rampaging through the battlefield. She's looking for Greed, the crimson-skinned sorceress playing her mind games on us.

"Help me with her henchman instead." The Princess Knight's voice sounds strained as she's wrestling the monster's huge weapon.

Now that I'm further away, I wish she had wrestled something else.

It's still strange how weak she is. She should be the strongest among the manga characters.

The only one who can rival her is the Captain, others can only hope they might reach her level.

Well, she's still stronger than me, but something feels off.

She'd never ask for help, even if she were in trouble. This world has strange effects on everyone and her rival shows the most obvious signs.

But she helps Aratsuki, and the Minotaur has no choice but to retreat. Typical manga trope where the important characters always get away, damn it. We're making slow progress.

At least the Greek formation remains, forming a circle centered around the square.

The losses are heavy, but the failed Trojan ambush and assault are even costlier.

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"Anyone breaking the formation again, I'll kill them myself." The Captain shouts, losing her voice already, and it's still only the morning. "Advance on the palace, and secure the flanks."

When the rival rushes to take point she gets another round of yelling.

It was her hot-headed assault that put me and the entire army at risk.

She's damned to guard me with Aratsuki now.

"You're an idiot." She greets her, out of breath after exchanging blows with the bullhead.

"I told you, if Odysseus dies, we're all stuck here forever. And she almost killed him because of you."

"Hah, it's your job to protect your boyfriend."

The rival scoffs, shaking from the pent-up anger and looking for anything to kill.

"Why would she target him anyway? She would be stuck in here too."

"W-well, that's—" This is as far as Aratsuki gets.

The Achilleus impersonator is right, why would Greed want to stay in a world where she can't use magic? But she aimed for me, no doubt.

"She could have thought I'm your leader because the formation centers around me." It's a wild guess, but it's the only thing I can think of. "She might also have inherited some memories."

"We have to end this." The Princess Knight nods, pointing at the palace as she's catching her breath.

"Are you sure the battle will be over if we take that place?"

"That's what my strategist side suggests. If we capture the center of this city with the leading elite, the war should end, and everyone can go home. That's the trigger, so what happens after that?"

"We'll be home before you realize. It might be so sudden, you'll fall over your chair and feel dizzy for a while. Beyond that, I don't care what happens to this world." She notes, looking around.

It's harsh, but I must agree.

It's enough of the killing, whether it's a dream or a Dive. Picking the easier option and retreating right at the start seems tempting now.

But we came so far, the palace gate is a dozen yards from the leading formation. Did we change history, thanks to a strange artifact from the manga? I'm almost tempted to believe Aratsuki.

"No matter what happens, protect his life." She shoots a strict glance at Achilleus, and she folds, still shaking a little. The Greek warriors finally storm the gates when she adds. "He's our ticket home."

The goal is a few steps away. Trojans throw their weapons in droves as the leading elements flood the Palace. Is this it? Compared to the earlier ambush it's underwhelming.

But only until a crimson flash grabs my attention. Another sneak attack? I turn and yell out Greed's name, and Aratsuki jumps in to block the Minotaur's first strike. Is that all?

This is weaker than her previous attempt, but Achilleus doesn't join the fight. What the hell? She was so eager to kill someone moments ago. Now she's stiff, standing ahead of me, blocking my view.

That's why I only spot the cloud of arrows diving towards us too late.