After the casting finishes and the transfer completes, I check the area by pushing my way through the forest on the other shore.
âŚI donât see any footprints. Looking around, there seems to be a rocky area. Maybe I should head there?
So, I continue by following the river. Due to my Lv, I can chase after everyone without falling short of breath, but I canât catch them regardless of how much I runâŚ
Shit! Did I make the same mistake again?
When I think of anything happening to Shigenobu and the others after I took my eyes off them, a chill runs down my back.
Yukinari: âYouâre in my way! Moveeee!â
Mamono are blocking me⌠itâs a nest of large snakes called Amber Vipers. They rush towards me.
Yukinari: âI donât have time for this!â
Even though I can defeat them when I hit them thanks to the metal turtle sword, theyâre numerous. If 6 come at me at once, fighting them off will take some time! I could ignore them and chase after Shigenobu and the others, but then theyâll just continue to chase after me and that would end up bringing trouble to everyone.
That, I need to avoid. Itâs troublesome⌠but Iâll have to defeat them here!
I defeated all of the amber vipers and then quickly resumed tracking but⌠in the end, I lose track of Shigenobu and the others.
Yukinari: âHaa⌠haaâŚâ
I apply the medicine I received from Hagisawa onto my wounds. Iâve been chasing after Shigenobu and the others for a few hours. Iâve been defeating the mamono I encounter to the best of my ability, but my fatigue accumulates the more I press froward.
Itâs thanks to Shigenobu reinforcing my armor that most mamono attacks have been manageable, but thatâs not to say I havenât been wounded. If Minori-san were here, I would have been quickly healed, but she isnât, so I have no choice but to use the emergency salves that Hagisawa entrusted to me.
If it was going to turn out like this, I shouldâve bought more!
As I mumble my complaints, I battle some Baby Blue Punching Bears wearing punching gloves⌠like the wallaby, this mamono uses a unique weapon. It doesnât seem to be a boss, so there wonât be a special battle.
If itâs the metal turtle sword, it should be able to cut through even their tough fur. Yet their movements are sharp, and they avoid my attacks by paper-thin margins before striking back full-force. That said, theyâre not at a Lv where I wouldnât be able to take three of them at once.
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âUgu-â
I cut one down with the metal turtle sword, and then immediately get tackled and sent flying. Crashing into a tree with my back, I wince from the sharp pain. If Shigenobu hadnât reinforced my armor, I might have died.
Shaking my dizzy head, I hurriedly reorganize my posture and slash at the remaining two baby blue punching bears. I donât have a combat-oriented ability like the swordsmanship specialist from the battle group. But even so, I have to do it!
Yukinari: âOutta my way!â
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âGA-â
I stab the metal turtle sword through the chest of a baby blue punching bear and then send the last one flying. I then overtake it with a jump, position my sword with a reverse grip, and stab the bear through the forehead.
The metal turtle sword pierces through the forehead of the last one and it drops to the ground.
Yukinari: âHaa⌠haaâŚâ
I get my rough breathing under control and check my surroundings for a second time. Did I make a mistake somewhere?
No matter how much I think about it, itâs odd. The number of people is what it is. If I look for them, I should find them. Seeing as I canât find even a trace of them, I get the feeling I must have made a mistake somewhere.
âŚJust in case, I peek at the place where Shigenobu and the others were earlier using visual transfer. Itâs possible that they might remember me and go back but⌠that doesnât seem to be the case.
My spine and lungs hurt. However, right now, finding everyone else takes priority. Suddenly, the medal Shigenobu was holding shines and emerges.1
Poles spring up from the ground on all four sides as if to surround me! Three rows of vines⌠form a square boxing ring. At the same time, over ten chattering baby blue punching bears gather.
Yukinari: âAre you kidding me!?â
Then, a baby blue punching bear about two times larger than normal descends from above⌠glaring at me with disdain, it beckons me provocatively. The biggest difference from the others is that its fur stands on end around its shoulders. It has the same feeling of a martial artist who tore off his sleeves. Is it chewing gum? Where the heck did it get chewing gum? Quit screwing around! Choke on it and die!
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âGAAAAAA-â
Itâs a match! As if saying that, the Baby Blue Punching Bear boss raises a war cry.
Should I consider retreating using transfer? I can go back for a bit, butâŚ
In the first place, that river is suspicious. Thinking about it, I wasnât able to follow the movements of Shigenobu and the others after crossing it. There might be clues around there.
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âââGAUGAUGAU!âââ
Should I accept or refuse?
The bears cry out and pressure me to make a choice. Even if I try to escape, itâll take five minutes to cast⌠If I retreat during the battle⌠no, who knows what this boss will do if I run away. The kangaroos from before laughed at me and treated me like an idiot, but these bears give a sense of being more hot-blooded.
The Baby Blue Punching Bear boss hurls away others of its species that I defeated out of the ring. Its expression doesnât seem very kingly. More like, it seems unruly, as if it looks down on its subordinates.
The other bears donât even spare a single glance for the corpses. Like with the kangaroos, they seem focused on having a fun fight. With such a large number of bears here, getting through them on my own will be impossible.
While Iâm at a loss over how to reply, a number appears in my field of view. Maybe I have a 3 minute grace period to respond? If I use my transfer, I can escape.
However⌠itâs not unlikely that Shigenobu and the others might come to harm if I escape.
âŚWhile Iâm searching for them, they might be searching for me as well. In this situation, if they come to a place with so many mamono gathered, even against just five of them, itâs possible casualties will occur. I absolutely cannot let something like that happen!
I put away the metal turtle sword and switch to my kangaroo gloves. Iâm not sure if Iâm at the required Lv for this, but the medal is shining. That the conditions have been met are high.
Yukinari: âAlright then. Iâll have a match with you! If I win, disappear quickly!â
I have no intention of competing on equal terms with them like with the kangaroos. I have to win no matter what. If I do that, Iâll be able to reduce the danger to Shigenobu and the others as much as possible.
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âGAAAAAA-â
The Baby Blue Punching Bear boss grins and clenches its gloves tightly. Those gloves⌠it seems like claws are sticking out of them. Are claws attached to their tips? Either way, that doesnât seem to follow proper boxing regulations. Its attack power looks highâŚ
The judge goes to the corner and raises a hand.
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âGAUGAUGAU!â
Hm? Thereâs a baby blue punching bear not wearing gloves and with a towel-like leaf around its neck in my corner cheering. Since Shigenobu and the others arenât here, is it going to support me between rounds?
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âGAUAAAAAUGAU?â
The judge bear waits for both the boss and I to prepare.
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âGAU!â
Fight! As if saying that, the judge baby blue punching bear swings down its hand. A bell rings from somewhere with a clang.
Baby Blue Punching Bear: âGAAAAAAAAAAAAA!â
The Baby Blue Punching Bear boss lets loose a big blow as soon as the fight starts. Itâs a powerful punch that slams into the ground from above. I make use of my footwork to take some distance and avoid the punch.
While the boss is striking the ground with its right, I deliver a cautious strike to its face with my left. At that moment, the ground sways and I almost fall. At the same time, a shock wave is generated and passes through my body.