Chapter 53

Ku… I didn’t take any damage, but my opening to attack was crushed.

Afterwards, the Baby Blue Punching Bear boss approaches me with skillful footwork and delivers a wide hook. The attack released from the large body has a long reach.

By making full use of dynamic vision, I dodge by a paper thin margin and counter with a direct strike on the boss. With a bashin, I feel my fist land a solid punch against his body.

Except…

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAA?”

It had no effect?

The boss is acting is if my strike never even happened. That wasn’t a decisive blow? No, it shouldn’t have been ineffective.

Yukinari: “Uryaa!”

Not sure, I drop down a second strike.

For an instant, his expression shifts. Looks like my hit wasn’t totally ineffective. Now, even if just a bit, I will wear him down and get even the smallest advanta—

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “UGAAA!”

Faster than I expe—

A hit harder than the one Otsuka gave me slips past by weak guard and enters my body. I am sent flying to my corner post with the rope greatly stretching as it catches me.

Ugu… I think I almost fainted. My reinforced armor was dented, too. What a terrifying attack.

I take advantage of the repulsion from the rope and charge the boss at a high speed while readying my arm. Furthermore, I accelerate using kangaroo step.

Yukinari: “Oraa!”

I throw a straight at his face with my right.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAAAAA!”

As if saying, “Soft!” the boss catches the fist with all my weight behind it and holds my glove.

Yukinari: “I was waiting for that!”

I clad my left with wind and slip it past the weak defense of the boss and uppercut him across the chin.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAAAA!”

Did you think I wouldn’t be able to land a hit just cause you were faster than me!?

The boss takes my uppercut and greatly leans back. Just like this, he’ll fall and… just like that, his face recovers. He rubs his chin with his glove and grins. Yep, these mamono enjoy fighting.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAU!”

Then, as if to keep his face well protected, the boss approaches me while taking a defensive posture. How’s the protection of his torso? No, maybe that’s his way of telling me he’s tough?

Yukinari: “Like I said… I’m not holding back!”

If he’s going to be obstinate about being sturdy, then I’ll just hit him harder than he can take!

I have medicine given to me by Hagisawa, but they’re all I have for healing. Japanese medicine is useless without Minori-san filling it with mana first. I need to take the least amount of damage possible while delivering a fatal wound.

…I want to complain, “What kind of conditions are these?”

I’m in a hurry! I need to quickly meet back up with everyone! I don’t have time to be boxing against a bear in a place like this!

Unable to endure the impatience, I deal with the boss’s punch.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAUGAUGAU!”

His fist shines. Is he plotting something?!?

I put in a lot of distance between us. The same time I see his attack, I wrap wind around my fists with a small shake of my arms.

The boss brings his glove to the ground and creates an earthquake.

Yukinari: “Saw that coming!”

I leap using kangaroo step and avoid the earthquake, but the boss adds a follow up.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAU.”

His glove shines… stones gather around it from the ground and form a giant rock. The way he raises it, he seems to be insisting it’s a rock fist.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAUUUU!”

The boss swings his rock fist at me.

Yukinari: “Che!”

I duck down underneath the rock fist… and spring back up towards the boss’s chest.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAAAA!”

The boss, as if having predicted my avoiding his attacks by moving back and leaning to the side, grins and smacks me in the face with his other hand.

Yukinari: “Gu…”

Still, better than getting hit by that giant rock fist.

I put up with the stinging pain, take my wind clad gloves, and deliver a one-two uppercut on his face.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAGU— —”

Whether my one-two punch had any effect on the boss or not, his face turns in the direction of the strike. I was able to bend his head back hard with this, but he still isn’t showing any signs of weakening.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAAAA!”

The boss raises his rock fist and swings it at me, but it isn’t effective in close combat… He might even hit him himself.

He’s trying to take some distance, but I won’t allow it.

This boss… prefers attacks that hit from a distance. Looks like fighting up close was a good idea. Well, if I get a bear hug from that huge body, there won’t be anything left of me.

Counter attacks from up close land on me every now and then. They’re dangerous, but thanks to the armor reinforced by Shigenobu, I can manage somewhat.

I can’t land a fatal injury.

Before long, the rock fist breaks with a bakin sound and the pieces scatter over the ground.

Then, immediately after that…

Ka—n, the bell signaling the end of the round goes off.

Damn it… even though I don’t have time to be taking things slow like this.

The judge stops me from trying to continue the fight. Then, my gloves, on their own accord, keep me pinned down in my corner.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAU GAU.”

The boss, also at his corner during the interval, rinses his mouth and spits out blood that had accumulated. Afterwards, a subordinate gives him treatment.

I can only take care of myself on my own…

Chon chon, someone pokes my shoulder.

Bear: “Gau.”

Right, handing me a drink like the one given to the boss is the gloveless baby blue punching bear. Is this so we can have a fair fight? Or is this bear acting on his own judgement? Which is it?

Yukinari: “Th- thanks…”

I feel the wounds in my mouth close upon putting it in my mouth. Looks like it’s a wound treatment this time.

Bear: “Gau gau.”

This bear, he’s good. He is now licking my bruises.

…This feeling, it’s like when Minori-san uses her recovery? The licked areas feel like they’re quickly healing.

When I check, I see that the bruises are getting smaller.

Then, at the end of the one minute interval… saying I’m fully restored is impossible, but the second round begins at the chime of a bell from somewhere.

Yukinari: “…Thanks.”

Bear: “Gau!”

There’s nothing wrong with it.

The baby blue punching bear raises a paw and answers back. Then, as I’m walking, he pushes me from behind.

…I thought there were only enemies here, but it looks like I was wrong. At least everyone with the boss is offering a fair and equal match. Either way, I still don’t have the time be fighting here!

Yukinari: “Oryaaaa!”

I dash forward and drive my glove into the pit of his stomach.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “Gau…”

Ohh, I actually got a hit!

Even if he’s a lump of muscle, it’s not like he can train his internal organs.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GAAA!”

I landed a punch on him, but something seems to be restricting him. Then, during the following scuffle, my gloves react so I put in some distance between us.

That was a close one…

A long back and forth with the boss continues. It’s a repetition of simplicity, deceit, and bizarre. Bit by bit, I’m shaving away his stamina.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “Gau… gau…”

The boss doesn’t have much stamina due to his huge, lumbering body. His movements in the second half of our rounds become sluggish. Also, I noticed that one minute before each round ends, he always clads his glove with a rock fist.

The skill probably has a one minute time limit.

I’m not stupid. There’s no way my body would last taking blows like that from a boss this strong. That’s why I take distance, clad my fists with wind, and also use long ranged attacks. Like this, I can steadily shave away at his stamina.

I did get flustered and tried closing the distance for quick decisive battles, but I stopped after half a minute in the second round. Dying here would make Meguru-san’s feelings meaningless.

The boss swings his rock fist for the sake of defeating me who moves with the intention of evading. All he needs is to hit me and then fight me from up close in the last minute of the round. When I think like that, I can perfectly adapt to how the boss will move. Naturally, he also seems to have understood that. There was a round where he changed his fighting style and moved in to fight from up close.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “Zee… Zeee…”

We both end up covered in wounds.

Yukinari: “You tough… bastard”

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “Zee…”

The boss, with his beaten face, looks at me as if to say, “Same to you.”

While I’ve been able to avoid a fatal blow, I’ve been battered by the steady exchange of offense and defense. Even something like a graze is quite painful.

Damn it.

Is this the end?

The next round begins at the bell.

No doubt, this boss… has a tough body. He only slowed down in the second round after I got a good blow on his internal organs. Moderately striking at his face seems to be more effective.

Incidentally, I can’t hit him from behind. The gloves won’t let me. Still… I somehow or another realize that I won’t win just by hitting his face. To take this guy down…

Yukinari: “Oraaaaaaa!”

I use my entire body to dodge the giant fist by a paper thin margin and thrust my glove at his body. A firm, paan, rings out as it connects.

Except, having probably seen through me, the boss endures it with a grin.

He’s going to attack with his other hand again.

Yukinari: “Sorry, but…again!”

I take the glove I nailed the boss with a level further. Then, blades of wind that normally flow around my fist… form and bursts within his body.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “GA!?”

Yukinari: “Yeah, my fist… wasn’t clad with wind, I formed it in your gut. I wonder, can you… tough this out?”

I break away and put in a large amount of distance between us.

The wind seems to be swallowing the abdomen of the boss. He glares are me as he holds it down.

Baby Blue Punching Bear: “Gaha…”

He spits out blood, and as he stares at me, smiles.

Then… falling to his knees… like a chihuahua—

******