Chapter 86

"Roar!"

Kumako transformed into a glove.

...It must mean I have to wear it and challenge the fight.

I feel like I’m being manipulated, but if I’m going to use Kumako as a combat asset, I have no choice.

“Yeah, I’ll take on the challenge.”

If I lose, the glove will be confiscated and Kumako’s combat ability will be locked, right?

That would be inconvenient.

I absolutely can’t lose.

With that thought, I put on the glove and stepped into the ring.

“Hey, you won’t be able to act so smug for long.”

I provocatively returned a scornful look.

The boss of the Orange Glove Knight Walrus, with an irritated expression, spat and got into position.

He was a giant, comparable to the boss of the Punching Bear.

Do these kinds of monsters only have bosses that tower over you?

“Wow... This boss seems to be quite a large one, doesn’t he?”

Ramures-san was analyzing.

Wait a minute! So, there are individual differences among bosses?

“Wouldn’t a weaker unique weapon monster of the same level be better?”

“No, I thought this monster would be good for Hasegawa, considering the future, so I guided you here.”

Hey, Ito!

So, you chose one of the stronger unique weapon monsters in the glove category and guided me here!

“Hasegawa can win with his current strength!”

It’s good to have high expectations, but you guys, don’t matchmake based on combat standards!

I’ll definitely point that out later.

“Then, let’s start the match between Kosei-kun and the boss of the Orange Glove Knight Walrus.”

Shi-san was judging again.

Why can’t you let that go?

“Kumako, do your best!”

“Roar!”

The boss’s subordinates and classmates all turned their eyes to the ring and started watching the match.

Ah, food! Where did they get popcorn?

Hagizawa is completely in spectator mode, eating popcorn!

For some reason, I feel more murderous towards my allies than the enemy.

“Roar!”

“Ready... Fight!”

The gong sounded, a bit lower than usual.

I took my familiar fighting stance and tried to close in using the unique steps of boxing.

Fortunately, thanks to the level-up and Kumako’s ability, the boss of the Orange Glove Knight Walrus moved slowly.

It would be unreasonable to avoid it.

I dodged a big punch and quickly jabbed at the body.

But—

The punch was bounced off.

The thick skin felt like it absorbed my punch without any effect.

It was incomparable to the body of the boss of the Punching Bear.

The shock was definitely dispersed throughout the body.

I tried a normal glove mode, but it seemed quite tough.

“Hmph!”

I delivered a punch wrapped in a wind fist, making it explode inside.

But, the thick skin seemed to disperse the shock from the wind fist.

“Roar, roar, roar!”

Don’t smirk.

I’ll attack in Bear Claw mode.

It’s standard and expected to have high attack power.

It doesn’t go well with the wind fist.

I quickly stepped back to maintain distance before the counterattack.

...Yeah.

The opponent isn’t so strong that I can’t fight.

“Roar, roar!”

The boss of the Orange Glove Knight Walrus... or just the boss of the Orange Walrus, seemed frustrated that his attacks weren’t landing... and wrapped his lower body in seawater!?

“What, what! The boss of the Orange Glove Knight Walrus is covered in water and floating!”

Shi-san, are you judging or commentating?

The boss of the Orange Walrus, covered in seawater, floated up and quickly swam through the air, trying to punch me with his large fist.

It’s surprisingly fast!

I thought sea creatures would be slow on land, but this is almost the same as moving in water, isn’t it?

“Ooh!”

“Roar, roar!”

The audience is noisy!

He approached me with a slippery movement and tried to punch me with an ice-covered fist.

“Whoa! Not gonna hit me!”

I quickly stepped back, and as the big punch missed, I tried to punch the boss’s stomach with a Bear Claw.

But, the boss’s long tusks intersected with my punch.

“Roar”

Thinking he saw through it, my punch hit the tusk... and sparks flew between the claw and the tusk.

“Whoa!”

“Roar, roar, roar”

The boss of the Orange Walrus laughed.

Damn... Only because I’m wearing armor can I point out the boss of the Orange Walrus’s defensive method.

I thought the Bear Claw could cut through that thick skin... but using tusks as armor.

Rather, the main weapon of the walrus is the tusks.

The rest would be a body press using weight, but unfortunately, the boss is bound by the rules of boxing, a unique sport.

The Orange Walrus took a big step back, wrapped his fist in ice, and got into a charge position.

Is that a legal attack in boxing?

“Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar!”

I could see the boss’s movements with my dynamic vision, and he was aiming a punch at me while maintaining a spinning charge position.

He’s doing a tricky move.

But, a different idea suddenly came to mind.

If I defeat this boss, will I have to mimic this attack?

...That’s really unpleasant.

I got seriously sidetracked.

“Whoa!”

Just as I tried to dodge, the glove took a defensive stance on its own.

“Roar!”

Kumako! Are you trying to control me with that stance!?

But when the boss’s fist hit the glove, it just passed through my body without any significant effect.

The boss grimaced and stepped back.

It seems like a flashy attack, but if you guard properly, you might not take as much damage as it looks.

“Whoa! Kosei-kun managed to block the big move of the boss of the Orange Glove Knight Walrus! That’s impressive!”

Somehow, my wild instincts gave me a premonition.

...I see, it’s better to guard against this kind of attack rather than dodge.

If I dodge, I’ll be tracked and have to keep avoiding attacks.

To create an opening for a counterattack, guarding is important.

“This time, I’ll take the initiative!”

I quickly stepped in and aimed for the face, not the well-guarded body.

The walrus has a big face.

I aimed a punch at his forehead.

“Take this!”

To avoid the slippery movement, I used a kangaroo step from a distance, but if I missed, I’d be hit as I landed.

So, I aimed for the face.

The boss tried to punch me with his tusks, but I took advantage of the opening and hit his face.

The Bear Claw sank into and cut the boss’s face, and I pulled back and disengaged.

“Roar?”

But, due to the thick skin, it didn’t seem to be a decisive blow.

Still, blood dripped from the skin.

It seems the basic attack is to use the Bear Claw to cut the skin and wear down the opponent’s stamina.

“Roar, roar, roar, roar!”

The boss, enraged by the pain, approached me with smoke coming from his head.

Using my dynamic vision, I dodged the big punch and hit the side of his body where the tusks couldn’t reach.

“Roar, roar, roar, roar! Roar, roar!”

The boss’s big fist was covered in ice.

It’s a similar attack to the boss of the Punching Bear!

I jumped back to avoid the punch... the boss is big, so it’s a wide-range attack.

If I get hit, it’ll be bad.

In any case, if he wraps his fist in something, the attack will be big...

But just as he threw a punch, the ice shattered.

“Roar”

“Just one hit to avoid reducing movement performance”

“Roar...”

The boss smirked at my words.

That’s one way to use it.

Of course, I have a similar technique where I wrap my fist in rock for a Big Rock Punch.

The rock-wrapped punch is powerful, but it makes me move slowly.

It’s natural to cancel it after one hit.

It takes some time to wrap it again.

“Don’t think that attack is only yours!”

This is a technique that requires good timing.

Kumako showed an application when breaking the beehive.

There are infinite applications.

If I stay calm, I can do it.

What, even if he’s fast, there are many openings due to his size.

I can handle the speed, so I can do it.

After all, I’m wearing the Full Metal Turtle chest plate.

A little recklessness is no problem.

“Roar!”

I blocked the boss’s quick hook with the chest plate and countered with a punch to the chest.

Yeah, the Full Metal Turtle chest plate made by Shigenobu can withstand the boss’s attack.

I feel a shock to my internal organs, but I can endure it, unlike when I fought the boss of the Punching Bear.

That’s proof of its high defense.

The boss’s skin is thick, and I haven’t found a decisive blow... but, there’s a way to attack like this!

“Try this!”

A big hook to the body, the boss seemed to see through it and defended with his tusks.

“I was waiting for that.”

Just before my fist hit the tusk, I wrapped it in a Big Rock Punch.

What happens?

The rock fist gathers nearby rocks and wraps around the tusk.

If the target is solid, it gets wrapped in.

“Roar?”

I pulled back my fist, and the boss’s head was pulled by the tusk.

Of course, the boss is stronger, but it’s clear he’s disoriented by the unexpected attack.

“Hey! My attack isn’t over yet!”

The boss’s vision was blocked by the rocks, and he destroyed the rock fist.

Of course, he thinks I’m behind the rock fist, but I’m not.

I used an application of Earth Crush to separate the glove from the rock.

“Hey!”

I hid behind the rocks and continued to punch with the Bear Claw without being noticed.

“Roar, roar, roar!”

The boss, unable to hit me, swung his tusks in anger and attacked the rocks where I was supposed to be.

“Not yet!”

But, the boss, realizing I wasn’t there, tried to hit me with his tusks still wrapped in rock.

This time, I crouched to avoid the attack, which blocked his vision.

“Take this!”

Just as he hit, the water covering the boss scattered, and he fell to the ground with a splash.

“Roar—”

Oh? Is this a chance to attack?

“Stop, stop!”

“Roar! Roar!”

Shi-san and the walrus judge intervened and started counting to the boss.

At the same time, the glove felt numb, as if it had an electric shock.

Attacking a downed opponent is prohibited...?

Eventually, the boss took a fighting stance around the count of five.

“Roar!”

The rock fist shattered as its effect time ran out.

Damn! It was a perfect opportunity to attack.

“Fight!”

Now, how to attack.

As I was thinking, the boss didn’t wrap himself in water.

The attack opportunity is still there.

There’s no need to hold back against the slow-moving boss.

“What? Not going to swim with seawater?”

I taunted, and the boss just glared and raised his fist.

But, he’s in range.

However, the boss has other attack methods.

He raised his arm... yeah, he has it.

Ice flew at me at incredible speed.

It’s not an unavoidable range.

“I’ll go big too!”

The Screw Punch is just a punch with a twist, right?

I thought as I punched the boss’s face.

“Roar—”

The boss’s face turned in the direction I hit.

But... this guy’s jaw can’t be targeted due to his body structure.

But, it’s more powerful than I thought!

Still, the thick skin seems to dampen the impact.

Just then, a bell rang.

The first round ended.

I returned to the corner for the interval.

Hmm? The boss’s subordinates are treating him.

Well, they’ll at least stop the bleeding.