Chapter 24 Boss Fight, One Punch
I'm here to help my guild members in the hidden dungeon.
After finishing treating the injured person...
"Alright, now we just have to defeat that cow! What's wrong, Mercury-san?"
"...It's nothing, I just shouted too much and got a headache..."
"Are you okay? Hey,"
"I don't need an Elixir, I'll be fine... Huff."
She seems a bit tired.
It's true that we came a long way here, so she must be tired. Also, maybe she's catching her breath after helping the injured person.
"Well, we just have that high-level Minotaur left."
The S-rank party, Twilight Dragon members, are fighting a huge cow with seven massive arms.
Apparently, it's called a Minotaur.
It has a huge body, with thick arms like a big tree.
Each arm is holding a weapon, from which it's unleashing a flurry of attacks like a rain of weapons.
Guereu-san deflects the attack, and Aerial-san delivers the attack.
"Huff, huff! This should FINISH ITTTTTTTTTTTTT!"
A golden light leaks from Aerial-san's body.
"Wh-what's that?"
"Eh, it's aura, you know?"
"Aura?"
"It's the natural energy filling the air. By harnessing it, you can drastically increase your attack power. Old Man Arthur used it regularly; it's basic martial arts."
It's my first time seeing someone use aura outside the village.
I see, it's clear why they're strong. But wait? The purity of that aura seems low.
"TAKE THISSSSSSS!"
Enhanced with aura, Aerial-san swings his sword.
Slash! The air splits, cutting the Minotaur in half.
"Wow, cutting such a huge monster like that, aura is amazing..."
Wait, though, he didn't even infuse that attack with aura.
Old man and the others were focusing their fighting spirit in one point to use it more efficiently. That's strange, isn't it?
"Okayyy...! It's over..."
"""Leader!"""
Aerial-san, who had chopped down the Minotaur, fell down in a star shape.
Guereu-san also reached out while feeling dizzy.
"Nice job! That's our Divine Gemstone top attacker!"
"Thanks. But it was thanks to Guereu and the others attacking first and everyone cooperating. I couldn't have defeated it with just my one strike."
Mercury-san nodded.
"So, the case is solved. Now, let's just go back."
"Huh?"
"...I have a bad feeling. Leaf-kun, why did you say 'huh'?"
"Well, because... that thing is still alive."
I pointed at the cow that had been split in half.
Mercury-san's face goes pale.
"Everyone, run! That thing's still alive!"
"""What!?"""
The moment Mercury-san shouted, the Minotaur's eyes snapped open.
It reaches out, attempting to strike Aerial-san.
"Aerial! Arghhhhh!"
Guereu-san activates his shield skill, deflecting the Minotaur's attack. Umu.
But the shield breaks, and Guereu-san gets thrown back. Hmm.
"Guereu! How could it still be alive...!"
If Guereu-san hadn't deflected the attack with his shield, Aerial-san and the others might've been killed. Umu...
"What's with you, Leaf-kun!? You seem out of it."
"Huh, no, I'm not shocked at all..."
"Not shocked...?"
And then, it happened.
'Hahaha! Impressive, little swordsman!'
"What!? I-it talked!?"
"Why are you surprised now, Leaf-kun!? You weren't shocked during Aerial's battle just now!?"
Well, because it's a cow!
A talking cow is something I've never seen before! Amazing...
Wait, battle?
But nothing really happened...
'You've successfully slain this advanced Minotaur. I'll praise you for that... but it's unfortunate.'
The talking cow smirks. And laughs.
The cow laughed!? Incredible!!!!
'I possess seven lives!'
"""Sev... seven lives!?"""
Umu.
'And each time I'm defeated and return from death, I grow stronger!'
"""Stronger with each death!?"""
Umu.
'Hahaha! That's my ability! [Auto Reverse]! How do you humans feel, despairing! Hahahaha!'
"No, not really."
Everyone freezes.
The cow, the air, and... the adventurers too.
Hmm?
"Did I say something strange?"
'W-wait, didn't you hear it, Leaf-kun!?"
Mercury-san raised her voice.
She seemed to be getting hoarse from shouting too much. I wonder if she's okay.
"We have to kill it six more times, even though it's so strong! And its gets stronger every time it dies!"
"Huh. But if we kill it six times, it should be easy, right?"
The cow shivered.
'Hahaha! Don't spout nonsense, young man! Is killing me six times really so easy? You, a small fry like you? Hah! I'm laughing so hard, I'm brewing tea with my belly button!'
"Really!? City bulls brew tea with their belly buttons!? N-no way!"
'ARE YOU MOCKING MEEEEE!?'
I'm not mocking you, but I really think it's amazing that you can do something like that.
City bulls are amazing...
"Alright! Leaf-kun! Finish it off! Kill that cow!"
"Uh, I can't do that."
"What!? Because it's too strong!?"
"No, it's because it's someone's livestock. Granny wouldn't approve."
Pop! The cow's forehead vein bulges.
'You dare call me livestock?'
"Yeah, because you're a cow, right? Bulls are animals people raise. Even a country bumpkin like me knows that much."
Zzzzz! A black aura erupts from the cow's body. Umu.
Aerial-san and the others crouch down, their faces filled with dread.
"What pressure! Is it true it gets stronger when it comes back to life!?"
"Huh."
"Why aren't you surprised at that, Leaf-kun!?"
"It's because it's not that impressive of an aura."
Old Man Arthur had emitted a much more impressive aura.
Compared to that, both the cow and Aerial-san fall short in both intensity and usage.
"TAKE THISSSSS!"
The cow's fist swung down towards me.
Thud!
BOOOOOMMMM!
"Leaf-kun!!!"
"Hahaha! You dared to challenge me, so now you must die!"
"No, I'm still alive?"
""WHAAAAAAT!?""
Mercury-san was surprised along with the cow.
Well, well, the city's bulls are amazing. Not only can they talk, but they are also surprisingly skilled! Wow, impressive.
'What, no way!? That was a serious blow! Why are you still alive?! Do you have some special defense skill?! Or did you use the same fighting spirit as me to guard!?'
"Huh, nothing special."
'Nothing!?'
"Yeah. With just this level of attack, I don't need to defend."
Everyone had a horrified expression.
What are you all so surprised about?
"You don't need defense...what do you mean, Leaf-kun?"
Mercury-san asked timidly.
"No, literally. I've been training with Old Man Arthur since a long time ago. At that time, my bones were quite broken."
"Oh, I see..."
"Every time I took medicine to repair my bones and muscles, I got stronger. I think they call it super recovery. That's why my body is quite sturdy."
Even a cow's attack is inferior to a restrained attack by Old Man Arthur.
It's so weak that it doesn't even need defense.
"I can't believe how sturdy you are... You're even sturdier than my defense skill...
The shield user, Guereu-san, seems surprised.
Huh? I wonder what's surprising about it.
"N-Never mind it! Leaf-kun, go for it!"
"But..."
"I'll apologize to the owner later! After all, cows are meant to be slaughtered and eaten, right!?"
Well, that's true.
Or rather, if they're causing harm to people, they're disqualified as livestock.
"Alright, sorry farmer. Let me handle this for a bit."
I made a fist and stared at the cow.
'Grrr!'
"In my hometown, this is how we deal with naughty cows!"
I jumped up and punched the cow in the face from the side, using my fist as a weapon.
POWWWWWWW!
'Hidebu!!!!!!!!!!!!'
The cow was hit by my punch and... it disappeared easily.
All that was left was dust, completely vanished.
"What, it was too weak. Wasn't I supposed to have to kill it six more times? Huh?"
In the midst of that, Mercury-san said tremblingly,
"Th-that was a punch with the power to kill six times. That's why it died in one attack..."
"I-I had struggled even just to kill that monster once..."
"And it was supposed to get stronger every time we killed it..."
Mercury-san, Aerial-san, Guereu-san widens their eyes and their voice is shaking.
"W-why you all angry? A-after all, I killed it without asking the farmer...?"
Then all three get angry and shout,
"""It's because you're too strong!!!"""
Why am I being yelled at for being strong?
The city... I don't understand!
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