I’m Not Thinking Anything That Weird.

“Kikori! For now, knock the one in the tree down!”

“Got it!”

The goblin up in the tree didn’t seem to have a bow, but it was clearly acting as a lookout.

If it called for reinforcements, things would get worse for them fast.

That was why Kikori answered Kuon and sprinted toward the tree.

“GAAAAAAAH!”

“Oops—sorry! I’m your opponent!”

As the gauntlet hobgoblin roared at Kikori, Kuon closed the distance in a single leap and swung his iron staff.

With a clang, the strike aimed at its arm made the gauntlet hobgoblin pull back warily.

“Chest, belly, arms, head—and… the waist too. You’re armored to the teeth… That groin shot must’ve really hurt, huh.”

Getting hit where there was no armor hurt, and a groin shot was… really, really painful.

If you put it that way, it was probably furious that it had lost to that pain.

Seeing how heavily armed it was for something that didn’t look like a brawler, Kuon couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

“ORAAAAAAAH!”

Clang. At the ringing sound, the gauntlet hobgoblin twitched and turned pigeon-toed toward where Kikori was.

There was Kikori, slamming his axe into the tree and knocking the goblin down along with it…

And that was a perfect opening.

Thud. Kuon drove a thrust with the iron staff into the gap of the helmet, aiming for the gauntlet hobgoblin’s nose.

“Bugeh—”

“Here—HYAaaaaaaaah!”

A flurry of Kuon’s thrusts, precisely targeting its face.

It was a chain attack made possible because the first hit had landed, but with its face swelling up badly, the gauntlet hobgoblin staggered while guarding its face with its gauntlet.

But Kuon didn’t let the opening go. He kept driving strikes into areas not protected by armor… then suddenly noticed something and sprang hard to the side.

There was Kikori, who had circled behind the gauntlet hobgoblin.

Even though it was big, a hobgoblin was only about the size of an adult human.

And so… Kikori’s full-swing axe blow sent it flying and rolling, the impact transmitting even through the armor.

“Uwaa…”

As the hobgoblin hurried to get back up, Kikori swung full force again at its neck.

There was no way it could take the head off in a single blow…

Even so, that strike became the blow that sealed Kikori and Kuon’s victory.

Then, as they stripped the fallen gauntlet goblin’s gear and collected the mana stone, Kuon laughed and said, “As expected.”

“I figured that might be the case since you use an axe, but still. You’re amazing—do you treat monsters like they’re trees?”

“No, I’m not thinking anything that weird…”

“Really?”

“Really. What do you mean, treating monsters like trees? That’s creepy.”

“Yeah. That’s why I was kind of put off.”

“I’m gonna get mad…”

“Hahaha.”

Kuon laughed, but from Kikori’s point of view, Kuon was way more impressive.