Spin and Spin

——— Minho ———

My back was burning like hell. 

Like literal hell. 

I couldn't put out the fire even with my usual gimmick of shooting the water out of my mouth. My head in this Ankylo form simply couldn't turn in a way that it could shoot water onto my back. Adding to that, the T-Rex was constantly shooting fire balls. Even if I put out the fire, it would just shoot another one and it would just start all over again. 

It seemed Mira was lost. We thought we had the ultimate trump card when we found that MIra's illusion would endow physical properties when cast upon me, it was an automatic I-win-card that we arrogantly thought it would be. 

The T-Rex was also keeping its distance from me and there was no way for me to catch up with it even if I could bear the pain of the burning back. It did not penetrate or dissolve the armor yet, but the heat suddenly transferred and it was feeling increasingly hotter every second. 

"Mira, I'm going to do something stupid."

"What is it now?"

"Unless you have a better idea, I think the only way to land a hit on that monster is to bait it to come to me."

"Why would it do that when it can just watch you burn from the distance?"

"Ella's not looking to burn me to death, and I don't think she'd have significantly more mana than you especially when she's using it for offensive magic. Would that be correct?"

"O.. Of course! My mana reserve isn't easily matched!"

"I can pull off a breakdance move that could work."

"What the heck is a breakdance?"

"No time to explain now."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Get rid of the spikes on my armor as soon as I flip over."

"That's not a good idea. Not to mention the fact that your tummy has no armor. If anything, I should place armor on your tummy as soon as you flip over."

"That's precisely the point. To make myself vulnerable."

"I can't have you die…"

"Thanks."

"Yet."

"Well, me neither. Not yet."

It was funny that I only got here because I killed myself, but somehow in this world, I didn't feel like dying anymore. Not that there was anything much I could love or enjoy in this place so far. Yet, my will to live was stronger than it had been for the past years. 

Just after T-Rex hit me once again with its fireball powered by Ella, I used all my strength on the legs to flip myself. It wasn't easy with this physique, but it was manageable. 

As I showed my unarmored belly, Ella must have thought I couldn't bear the fire anymore and I was trying to put it out by rolling on the ground. 

"Go!"

She ordered the T-Rex, and now glad that it did not need to bite through my armor, the monstrous creature rushed toward me. 

At this point, I was actually spinning slightly like a breakdancer spinning on his back called 'the Turtle'. It was just a silly move I learned off YouTube for God knows what reasons, but it came in handy in this situation. It also helped greatly that I had a tail with a big weight at the end of it that I could swing around to speed up my spin. 

As the T-Rex was approaching, I summoned and spewed out… er… particular lubricant people used for particular purposes. Not that I was used to using it a lot, but… I just knew such a thing existed. 

So I spun and spun, with lubricant spraying out of my mouth.

And bingo. 

The T-Rex slipped and landed on its side with a massive thud sound. 

I used the momentum of spin and my long tail to guide my spin toward the dinosaur that was now lying on the ground, and before it could get up I landed a perfect whack on the bottom of its jaws with my heavy tail club. 

The monster didn't even welp. I felt and heard bones cracking and it went straight to sleep. I wasn't sure if it died, but it was clear as day that it wasn't getting up any time soon. 

"Yippee!! Finish it, Minho!!"

Mira jumped joyously in victory and encouraged me but I stopped myself from spinning by braking with the tail end. 

"Huh? Finish it, now. What's wrong?"

She was confused, and probably rightly so. 

This was no monkey or a tiger that I fought before, no matter how fierce. This was a predator that wasn't from my era, almost at the status of being a 'monster'.

Yet, when I saw its vacant eyes and moaning sound as it was still reeling in pain on the ground, I just couldn't do it. I felt pity and sympathy, although it was trying to kill me just before and almost burnt me to death. 

"Change me back, Mira."

"No!"

"Change me back!"

Mira was taken aback a little by my sudden outburst, but then she sighed, shook her head from side to side, and within seconds I was back into my human form. 

I still felt stinging pain on my back but it wasn't so bad. I don't think the burn caused any serious permanent damage to my skin. I slowly and carefully moved toward the T-Rex to avoid slipping myself - although that would have been kinda hilarious death after all that had happened and I had to put up with, only to slip up now and crack my head open. 

As I finally arrived where the T-Rex was, I placed my palm on its head and gently stroked it. 

"Sir Odobert?"

I called out to the referee and he understood the situation. I didn't necessarily 'tame' the monster, but it was clearly in no position to resist me in any sense. 

"Ella's monster has been defeated. The victory is Mira's!"

The spectators erupted into loud applause for another round of victory for this unlikely team of a silly girl and a human demon. 

I looked over to Mira and gave a thumbs up, which she only replied to with a smile.

"You are hopeless, Minho, hopeless."

I don't think she was unhappy.