Chapter 53

Grr... Although I didn't take any damage, my attack was nullified.

To make matters worse, he skillfully stepped aside and delivered a wide hook.

The attacks from his massive body have a longer reach.

Using my dynamic vision, I barely dodged it and countered with a straight punch to the body.

A satisfying impact resonated through my hand.

But...

“Gaa?”

It doesn’t seem to be effective?

The boss took my blow as if it were nothing.

Is it not a decisive blow?

No, it can't be ineffective.

“Uryaa!”

I delivered a second punch and retreated, not caring.

For a moment, the boss's cheek twitched.

It’s not completely ineffective.

Now, I need to whittle down his health as much as possible and gain an advantage—

“Ugaaa!”

Faster than expected—

The impact was stronger than when I was punched by Otsuka, piercing through my half-hearted guard and hitting my torso.

I was sent flying to the corner rope, which stretched out.

Ugh... I thought I was going to lose consciousness.

The reinforced armor is slightly dented.

His attack power is incredible.

Using the rebound, I started to approach at high speed, swinging my arms slightly as if to trick him.

I also used kangaroo steps to accelerate.

“Oraa!”

I threw a straight punch with my right hand to strike the boss's face.

“Gaaaaa!”

Weak!

As if to say that, the boss took my punch, which carried my weight, and his glove slightly floated.

“I was waiting for that!”

With my left hand, I aimed for a weak spot in his defense and delivered an uppercut wrapped in wind to his chin.

“Gaaaaa!”

Just because you moved faster than expected, did you think I couldn’t keep up?

The boss was thrown back by my uppercut.

He fell and then lifted his face, wiping his chin with his glove and smiling.

These monsters really seem to enjoy the fight.

“Gau!”

The boss approached me, taking a defensive stance to protect his face.

Is his torso well-guarded?

No, it must be a tough spot that he is aware of.

“So... I can’t back down!”

If he claims to be tough, I just need to deliver a blow that he can’t withstand!

I have the healing potion provided by Hagi泽, but there are no other means of recovery.

Japanese medicine won’t work without Jitsun’s magic.

I need to minimize my damage while dealing fatal blows to the enemy.

...I want to complain about the conditions.

I need to hurry and meet up with everyone, but I don’t have time to box with a bear here!

Suppressing my anxiety, I dodged the boss’s punches.

“Gau Gau Gau!”

The boss’s fists glowed, as if he was about to do something!

I took a large step back, read his attack, and swung my arm to deliver a wind-infused punch.

The boss hit the ground with his glove, causing an earthquake.

“I saw that coming!”

I used kangaroo steps to jump and avoid the earthquake, but the boss made another move.

“Gau”

Rumble... The stones from the surrounding terrain gathered at the point where his glove hit the ground, forming a massive rock, as if to claim it was a rock fist.

“Gauuuu!”

The boss swung the rock fist at me, as if to say, “Take this!”

“Tch!”

I lowered my stance to avoid the swinging rock fist... and entered the boss’s guard as he swung it down.

“Gaaaaa!”

The boss smiled, as if he had predicted that I would dodge to the back or side, and struck my face with his remaining hand.

“Ugh...”

But it’s better than being hit by the massive rock fist.

I endured the pain and delivered a one-two punch followed by an uppercut with my wind-infused glove to the boss’s face.

“Gag—”

The one-two punch seemed to be effective, hitting the boss’s cheek and making him turn in that direction.

The final uppercut made him lean back, but he didn’t show any signs of falling.

“Gaaaaa!”

He raised the rock fist to strike me, but in close combat, it’s less effective... and it might hit him too.

I tried to create some distance, but he didn’t let me.

This boss... prefers to deliver attacks from a distance.

I decided that close combat was the best approach.

Well, if I got a bear hug from his massive body, I’d be in trouble, and sometimes unexpected counterattacks came from the close range, but thanks to the armor reinforced by Mochin, I could endure to some extent.

It wasn’t a fatal injury.

Eventually, the rock fist shattered with a “Bakin” sound, and the fragments fell to the ground.

Right after that, the bell rang, signaling the end of the round and the start of the interval.

Damn... I don’t have time to take it easy.

I tried to continue the fight, but the judge stopped me, and the gloves pressed me against the corner of the ring.

“Gau Gau”

The boss also used the interval to spit out the blood in his mouth and have his subordinates tend to his wounds.

I had to do it myself...

Someone tapped my shoulder.

“Gau”

As if to say, “Here,” a baby blue punching bear without gloves handed me the same drink that the boss was given.

Is this to ensure a fair fight?

Or is it this individual’s decision?

Which one?

“O, ou...”

I took the drink and felt the wounds in my mouth start to close.

Next, I tended to the wounds on my body.

“Gau Gau”

This bear is efficient.

He licked the bruised areas.

...This sensation is similar to when Jitsun treated my base.

The rapid recovery of the area.

When I looked, the bruises that were licked had faded.

By the time the one-minute interval ended... the bell for the second round rang from somewhere.

“...Thank you.”

“Gau!”

It’s nothing, the baby blue punching bear who tended to my wounds raised his hand in response.

He pushed me from behind, as if to say, “Go get them.”

...I thought there were only enemies here, but it seems that’s not the case.

At least, they are providing a fair and equal situation.

But, I don’t have time to fight for a long time here!

“Oryaaa!”

I quickly approached and struck his solar plexus with my glove.

“Gwo...”

Oh, it seems to have worked!

It felt like hitting a block of muscle, but he can’t have trained his internal organs as well.

“Gaaa!”

He swung his arm down, but it was deflected by something, as if there was a limit.

When we grappled, the gloves reacted and forced us apart.

How considerate...

The long exchange with the boss continued.

We used orthodox, unorthodox, and unconventional tactics, gradually wearing each other down.

“Gau... Gau...”

The boss, due to his massive body, couldn’t maintain his stamina for long. His movements became slower as the fight progressed.

And I noticed that the boss always wrapped his glove in a rock fist one minute before the round ended.

The effect lasts for one minute.

I’m not stupid.

If I keep taking the boss’s powerful blows, my body won’t hold up.

So, I took a distance and used wind-infused long-range attacks to wear him down gradually.

I tried to go for a quick finish, but I gave up halfway through the second round.

If I fall here, Meguru’s efforts will be in vain.

To finish me off, he tries to use the rock fist to strike me when I’m dodging.

I only need to take hits during the last minute of the round when I’m in close combat.

As I fought, I became completely accustomed to the boss’s movements.

Of course, he understood this too, and there were rounds where he changed his fighting style from long-range to close combat.

“Zee... Zeee...”

Both of us were battered and bruised.

“You... are too tough.”

“Zee...”

The boss, with his battered face, responded as if to say, “So are you.”

I avoided fatal injuries, but the constant exchange left me in a sorry state. Even minor injuries hurt a lot.

Damn.

Is this the end?

The bell rang for the next round.

Indeed, this boss... his body is too tough.

From the second round, I managed to land a good blow to his internal organs, but it only slowed him down a bit.

Striking his face seemed to be more effective.

Incidentally, I can’t attack from behind. The gloves react.

Still... I can’t knock him out with face punches alone. To finish him—

“Oraaaaaa!”

I used my whole body to narrowly avoid the boss’s massive punch and struck his body with my glove.

A satisfying impact resonated through my glove.

But the boss, understanding this, endured and smiled. He was about to punch me with his remaining hand.

“Unfortunately... one more time!”

I pushed forward from the glove I had just used to punch.

A wind blade... generated inside the boss’s body from my fist, causing another impact.

“G!?”

“Yeah, I didn’t wrap my fist in wind, but I made it generate inside your stomach. Can you... withstand this?”

I took a large step back.

Wind enveloped the boss’s abdomen.

The boss pressed his abdomen and glared at me.

“Gaha...”

He spat blood from his mouth and smiled at me.

Then... he knelt down... like a Chihuahua—