560 Fullpower Strike
"I've never seen an existence like you. Not once in thousands combats, truly, I doubted my eyes for a moment there. There's nothing particularly conspicuous about you yet I can't look away from you. That intense aura of a strong man. I can't contain my curiosity. The clincher is how you saw through that mantle, a feat nobody ever replicated."
Balgaranda put his fists forward. His stance is similar to boxing's peek-a-boo but he's not stepping forward and instead rooting himself firmly on the ground.
He's shrinking his bulking muscles which makes it look all the more intense.
His figure looks like a megalith to me.
"I'd like to start with boxing. Come, let's do this."
I recalled something. Sword, spear, first and magic.
(Err? What was the last one again?)
Looks like he won't be satisfied until we fight in all five styles of combat in this coliseum city.
Him saying 'start with' is all the proof I need.
"Should I... hold back? Or maybe, hm? Can't say how much strength should I use to satisfy this guy."
I took a stance too. Then I stepped forward to let out a straight punch but Balgaranda took his step ahead of me.
"Cheeeeeeesto!"
Having my first strike stolen when he was still far away, I got cold feet for a moment there.
But since it was a straight punch with a long sweeping motion, I managed to easily dodge it by lightly parried his fist sideways.
"Sorry. Dunno why but I feel like I cannot not go all out against you for some reason. The alarm in my head is ringing the loudest in my life so far."
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"I let my guard down too. Well, that's an amateur for you. Gotta learn from this."
Getting ambushed by a surprise attack is the mark of rookie-ness to those who walk the path of martial arts.
I got drunk on my 'power' and forgot about all that.
"You being the strongest among all combatants I met in my life would be the understatement of a lifetime. Nobody has ever perfectly guarded against this fist of mine. I'm getting pumped up. What fun. I will get stronger. I have something to aim above me. I haven't feel this exhilarated for a long time."
Balgaranda had been unleashing an incessant barrage of punches while he was yapping.
Jab, jab, jab. Jab, jab, jab.
Left, then right as he switches leg. He's punching from all directions.
Meanwhile, I used boxing technique, parrying, to dodge his assault while gauging the length of his arms.
I've been dodging without Acceleration. Hence, there was an attack I barely avoided by a hair's breadth to which Balgaranda exploited by unleashing a fullpowered straight punch.
(Ah, crap.)
The intense pressure coming off the incoming fist was so tremendous, I reflexively put my hand forward to stop it seriously.
I got the jitters. I don't wanna get hurt from eating that directly, and I'm focusing just enough not to enter Acceleration.
I bet Balgaranda won't accept the result if I use Acceleration. If I'm not wrong, I believe this guy is looking for an opponent he can go all out on.
I successfully blocked his punch aimed at my face. But he immediately pulled his fist back.
Yep, it was a feint, the instant my view was blocked by his fist, he immediately shifted to striking my torso.
It's a common combination. I knew from the training I did in my past life.
But I didn't dodge this strike. I didn't stop it with my hand. The fist hitting my abdomen didn't sink.
Yup, it won't sink into my flesh.
The impact I received wasn't weak. In fact, that was the first critical hit I ever got in this world.
Yet, how come the damage is only at the level of a child's punch?
(I mean, I did tense my abdomen and all. I also planted my feet hard on the ground. There was enough time to brace for impact. I didn't enter Accelerated Mode either. Yet, what's up with this end result?)
I was confused. This body of mine is indeed monstrous. But a fullpowered strike from the top gladiator of this coliseum can't be this weak. It was even a direct critical hit.
I thought he was holding back but I immediately erased that possibility when I saw Balgaranda's face and his twitching mouth.
Looks like he's also shaken to witness how easily I brushed over that surefire strike of his.
(What is this body... invincible? I don't want this... I'm getting less and less human... Gimme a break.)
Yet another veil dropped from the mystery behind this body's ability, but the only thing that did was dampen my spirit.
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