I Was Reincarnated as the Weakest Monster, but I’ll Use My ‘Return from Death’ Skill to Become the Strongest! Even as the Weakest Monster, I Want to Get Stronger, Take Human Form, and Build a Harem… But Why Do Only Yandere Non-Human Girls Keep Showing Up? - Chapter 2.11

The next morning.

As soon as we woke up, Ren and I stepped out of the cave.

In the distance, where the Elven Village once stood—

There were no longer any flames rising from the ruins.

“…”

“Let’s go, Ren.”

Without mentioning that fact, I simply called out to her.

“…Yeah.”

Ren nodded and followed my lead.

Our objective hadn’t changed—we were heading toward the black shadow.

Under the stretching rays of the morning sun, we moved through the forest just as we had the night before.

“We’re getting close, aren’t we?”

“Seems like it.”

Compared to last night, the number of monsters had noticeably decreased.

The massive swarms that had forced us into a prolonged battle seemed to have dissipated.

Thanks to that, our progress was smoother.

Still, we remained cautious as we pressed forward.

“…!?”

A shadow suddenly plummeted from the sky, diving straight at us.

A bomb-carrying bird monster.

I barely had time to process the shock before I moved to intercept it with my floating swords using telekinesis.

“Leave this one to me!”

Before I could act, Ren sprang into motion.

“If it explodes, you’ll lose your swords! We need to conserve them… ‘Fura!’”

With a swift incantation, Ren unleashed a spell, cutting down the airborne monsters one by one before they could reach us.

The speed and precision of her attacks were remarkable, wiping out the incoming flock with ease.

“Thanks!”

“No problem… Looks like we handled that one.”

The immediate threat had passed.

But in the very next moment, my enhanced senses picked up something else closing in fast.

“Ren! Something’s coming!”

Just as Ren was about to let her guard down, I snapped her back to focus.

And then—

“Elves detected. Eliminating.”

Emerging from the depths of the forest was a monstrous figure—

A Minotaur.

Towering at least three meters tall, the half-bull, half-human beast charged forward, gripping a massive halberd in its muscular hands.

“Wha—!?”

It was fast.

Ren, having briefly relaxed, was a fraction too slow to react.

“Tch!”

Seeing this, I rushed forward, summoning a shield to my side with telekinesis and bracing myself.

“Buuuuuuuuhhh!!!”

With a single, devastating charge, the Minotaur shattered my shield and sent me flying.

“Gah!?”

The force of the blow rattled my bones.

But I refused to stay down.

“Damn it…”

I staggered to my feet, summoning several swords and positioning them in midair.

“Elves detected. Eliminating.”

“…What?”

The Minotaur completely ignored me.

Instead, it charged straight toward Ren.

It was as if I didn’t exist.

“Elves detected. Eliminating.”

“H-Huh!? Me?!”

Eliminating elves.

That was its directive.

Which meant… I, a monster, wasn’t even considered a target.

“…”

For a brief moment, I considered abandoning Ren and heading straight for the black shadow on my own.

But then—

“Wait—!”

“Tch.”

Ren’s panicked cry jolted me out of my thoughts.

I gritted my teeth and cast the idea aside.

“Don’t ignore me!”

I launched a flurry of swords at the Minotaur from behind, catching it off guard.

“Ren, stay back! Close combat isn’t your strength, is it?!”

Positioning myself in front of Ren, I fully engaged the Minotaur.

“Buuuuuuuuhhh!!!”

Finally, the Minotaur recognized me as a threat.

It turned, halberd raised, and locked onto me as an enemy.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

The greatest danger was its weapon—the halberd.

I hovered two swords around it, ready to intercept its swings while keeping my distance.

“Just a little resource management.”

Rather than wasting my swords, I used telekinesis to hurl the scattered stones around us at the Minotaur.

Some of my swords had dulled from prolonged use—I needed to conserve my resources.

“‘Fura!’”

Ren fired off another spell, supporting me from a distance.

“We can do this.”

The Minotaur hesitated.

Surrounded by my floating swords, it stopped moving.

Unlike before, my attacks were piercing its tough skin.

“Elves detected. Eliminating.”

Then, without warning, the Minotaur lunged straight at Ren.

“Tch!”

I immediately drove my swords into its body, impaling it over and over.

It had abandoned defense entirely to focus on its charge.

That made it easier to strike.

“…It’s not stopping!?”

Even with countless swords lodged in its body, the Minotaur didn’t falter.

Step by step, it pressed forward.

“Damn it…!?”

Its head, neck, and heart—its most vital areas—were still protected.

My attacks weren’t fatal.

“Ren!”

I was closer to her than the Minotaur was.

With the last second I had, I threw myself between them.

“Hah…”

I braced myself, waiting for the moment the Minotaur swung its halberd.

“Guh—!?”

But instead of the expected swing—

A powerful kick struck me from an angle I hadn’t accounted for.

“Gah!?”

The impact sent me staggering.

The Minotaur wasted no time, raising its halberd for the killing blow.

I couldn’t dodge.

With no way to escape, the blade slashed deep into my body.

“Hah…”

By sheer luck, I avoided a fatal wound.

But I was badly injured.

“Raaahhh!!!”

I surged forward, forcing my body into motion.

Diving into the Minotaur’s guard, I closed the distance—

“Buuuuuuuuhhh!!!”

It swung both arms, bringing the halberd down in a devastating arc.

That was exactly what I had been waiting for.

It wouldn’t be able to defend itself mid-swing.

It wouldn’t be able to dodge.

I had one chance.

“Die.”

Even if it meant taking a hit—

I was going to kill it.