“Very well. How about a 1 vs 1 matchup? Let’s begin with one of your Royal Minotaur Knights facing off against one of our adventurers,” Zealot proposed.

Out of nowhere, Viviana interjected, “Hey, what’s going on here?! What game are you talking about?! Since when did we agree to this?!” Her voice was filled with confusion and frustration at Zealot’s unexpected proposal.

“Calm down, Viviana,” Zealot whispered urgently, his voice laced with desperation. “Leave this to me. This is our last chance to survive this raid. I don’t have the time to explain everything right now, but please, just trust me,” he pleaded.

Viviana didn’t know what to say, but sensing the desperation and insistence in Zealot’s voice, she felt he must have a plan. Although she had no idea what it might be, she knew there was no time to argue. Every fiber of her being was exhausted, and she knew she was at her limit. She had fought bravely, but deep down, she realized victory was out of reach. Trusting Zealot seemed like the only option left, even if it was a leap of faith in the dark.

‘1 vs 1 duel? Is he trying to use that as a way to buy us some time to rest?’ Viviana pondered. As she thought it through, she realized it might actually be a clever strategy. ‘Hold on a second! This is a brilliant idea! Holy shit, this guy is a genius!’ she thought, her admiration growing.

“Alright, Viviana, step back and leave this all to me,” Zealot said, his voice firm and reassuring. “Please focus on resting and regaining your strength. I’ll handle the situation from here.”

Understanding that Zealot was attempting to create an excuse to buy time for everyone to rest, Viviana decided to cooperate with him. In reality, however, Zealot's plan wasn't to buy time for rest; his true goal was to have Viviana fight one-on-one against one of the Royal Minotaur Knights. If one of the Minotaur Royal Knights were to fall, Zealot would then be able to evolve his skeleton warrior immediately, potentially turning the tide of the battle in their favor.

Without hesitation, Viviana nodded and stepped aside. At the same time, Zealot recognized that Viviana wasn't ready yet to face the Royal Minotaur Knights; she needed to rest and recharge her stamina first. With that in mind, Zealot planned to use someone else as a sacrificial pawn for the initial rounds.

Utilizing his "Eyes of Truth" skill, Zealot aimed to identify the most malevolent demon adventurers within his group. By now, he had already pinpointed a few suitable candidates to battle for the first three rounds: Andrew, James, and Clara.

‘Andrew, James, and Clara—these three have a criminal past… I suppose they’ll be perfect to fight first,’ Zealot thought.

Since the beginning of the raid, Andrew, James, and Clara had formed a strong camaraderie, often engaging in conversation. During their exchanges, they openly discussed their past crimes and shared stories about their previous exploits. It was through these conversations that Zealot was able to discover their criminal histories, revealing the extent of their past activities and providing valuable insight into their backgrounds.

As the plan began to take shape, Zealot stepped forward with a calm, confident demeanor. “Here’s how the game will go,” he announced. “We’ll have three rounds of 1 vs 1 battles. If any of our adventurers win a round, we’ll be granted some rest and the chance to continue fighting. If we lose all three rounds, we’ll surrender and accept our fate.”

The Minotaur King pondered for a moment, his eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and amusement. “Very well,” he rumbled. “I’ll accept your proposal. But remember, I don’t tolerate boredom. These fights had better be entertaining and thrilling.”

Zealot turned to his group and called out, “Andrew, James, and Clara, step forward!” The three demon adventurers hesitated for a moment, exchanging nervous glances before complying. They knew the risks were high, but they trusted Zealot’s judgment. Of course, the only reason they listened to Zealot's command was because Viviana was backing him and had temporarily granted him the authority to lead the group.

Fortunately, this was a one vs one battle for fun, not a fight to the death. However, whether or not the Royal Minotaur Knights would show mercy to their participants was a decision left to them. If the Minotaur Knights decided to go easy on Andrew, James, and Clara, then that would be fortunate for them. On the other hand, it wouldn’t make any difference to Zealot. He was fully aware that even if Andrew, James, and Clara were to die in the battle, it wouldn’t have any impact on him or weigh on his conscience, as they were criminals anyway.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“For the first round, Andrew will face one of the Royal Minotaur Knights,” Zealot declared, his voice steady. Andrew, a burly demon with a menacing presence, stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and glaring at the towering Minotaur Royal Knight before him.

The Royal Minotaur Knight, clad in gleaming armor and brandishing a massive hammer, stepped into the center of the grand throne room. The atmosphere was charged with tension as the two combatants faced off, each sizing up their opponent.

“Begin!” the Minotaur King bellowed, his voice echoing through the vast throne room.

Andrew wasted no time, charging at the Minotaur Royal Knight with a roar. His fists, imbued with demonic energy, struck out with ferocious speed. The Minotaur Knight responded with equal ferocity, swinging its colossal hammer with bone-crushing force. The clash of metal and the thud of impacts reverberated through the throne room as the two fighters engaged in a brutal, no-holds-barred battle.

CLANG!

RUMBLE!

Despite his initial bravado, Andrew found himself outmatched. The Royal Minotaur Knight’s strength and enormous size gave it a significant advantage, and it soon became clear that Andrew was struggling to keep up. Every blow he landed seemed to be absorbed by the Minotaur Knight’s thick armor, while each strike from the Minotaur Knight left him reeling.

After a few minutes of intense combat, the inevitable happened. With a devastating swing of its massive hammer, the Royal Minotaur Knight sent Andrew flying across the throne room, his body crashing against the stone walls with a sickening thud. Unfortunately, he didn’t get up after that.

THUD!

“The first round goes to the Minotaur Royal Knight!” the Minotaur King announced, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. “Now, who will be the next challenger?”

James, a lean muscular and agile demon assassin with a reputation for his speed and cunning, stepped forward. “I’m next!” he exclaimed, his voice tinged with a mix of fear and determination. He knew the odds were against him, but he also knew his pride wouldn’t allow him to back down so easily.

The second round began with a flurry of movement. James darted around the Minotaur Knight, using his agility to avoid its powerful strikes. He landed several quick, precise blows, aiming for the gaps in the Minotaur Knight’s armor. However, despite his best efforts, the Minotaur Knight’s endurance and sheer power proved too much. With a swift, brutal strike, the Minotaur Knight brought James to his knees, ending the second round in another decisive victory.

ROAAAARRRR!

Clara, the last of the trio, stepped forward with a resigned look in her eyes. She knew that the chances of winning were slim, but she also knew that she had to try at least. “I’m ready!” she exclaimed, her voice a blend of confidence and nervousness.

As the third round began, Zealot watched with a mixture of hope and despair. He knew that Clara’s chances were slim, but he also knew that this was their last opportunity to buy a bit of time for Sasha to recover. Clara fought bravely, using her magic and agility to keep the Minotaur Knight at bay. She landed several impressive hits, but in the end, the Minotaur Knight’s overwhelming strength and endurance proved too much. With a final, devastating blow, the Minotaur Knight brought Clara down.

“The third round goes to my Minotaur Royal Knight yet again!” the Minotaur King declared, his voice brimming with satisfaction. “Well, I’m growing bored. It seems your little game is over, demon adventurers.”

Zealot’s heart sank as he watched Clara fall. He had hoped that one of them would at least buy plenty of time for Viviana to rest and recover. Now, it seemed that all was lost. However, he wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

“Wait!” Zealot called out, stepping forward once more. “You’ve won the rounds, but let me offer you one final challenge. A duel between your strongest Minotaur Royal Knight and our strongest warrior, Viviana Scarlet. If she wins, you must grant us thirty minutes of peace to rest. If she loses, we’ll surrender and gladly accept our fate.”

The Minotaur King’s eyes narrowed as he considered the proposal. “A final duel, you say?” he mused. “Very well. I accept. But be warned, this time if your strongest adventurer fails, the game will end immediately, and there will be no more mercy.”

Viviana, having regained some of her strength, stepped forward with a determined look. “I’ll take this challenge,” she said, her voice unwavering. “Let’s finish this!”

The stage was set for the ultimate showdown. The fate of the demon adventurers hung in the balance as Viviana faced off against the strongest Minotaur Royal Knight. The air was thick with tension as the two warriors squared off, Viviana and her group fully aware that the outcome of this battle would determine their survival.

ROAAAARRRR!

“Begin!” the Minotaur King roared, and just like that, the final battle commenced.