A flash of crimson erupted, and from the center of the light, Yugo leaped forth, clad in his Blaster armor.
Carrying the momentum of his sprint and leap, he threw a heavy punch to open the engagement. But as his fist connected with the Bull Golem, a dull sensation traveled up his arm, making him grimace beneath his helmet.
"Damn! You're a tough one!"
A thick layer of golem rock reinforced its massive, two-meter frame. Between the stone and its dense musculature, the Bull Golem’s defensive power was formidable. Yugo’s full-strength blow didn't even seem to faze it.
He vigilantly assessed the Bull Golem’s movements, noting that his opponent was, in a sense, wearing armor just like him. As he watched, the Magic Armor Beast let out a roar and launched its counterattack.
"Bumooooooooo!"
"Hmph! Ha!"
The beast swung its clasped hands down from overhead in a Hammer Swing—a heavy, telegraphed strike.
Yugo dodged the attack with ease, driving an elbow into the beast’s flank before launching a front kick. He used the recoil of the kick to spring backward, putting some distance between them.
Targeting the areas not covered by stone seemed to deal some damage, but the monster’s sheer physical mass provided enough protection to prevent the blows from being decisive. He couldn't afford to waste time on a minion when the leader was still waiting in the wings.
As Yugo searched for a way to crack the Bull Golem's iron-clad defense, Anhel, who was busy fighting another Magic Armor Beast, shouted over to him.
"Yugo! It was a rush job, but I got that function installed! This is the perfect chance to test it out!"
"Oh...!? That's right! All right!"
Recalling a part of the Blaster enhancement plan he had discussed with Anhel recently, Yugo nodded firmly. He extended his right arm to eye level and lightly stroked it with his left hand. As he concentrated his magic power into the limb—
"Hell yeah! Completion: Drill Arm!"
The armor from his elbow down expanded, and the tip of his hand reshaped itself into a sharp cone.
This was a new Blaster function that utilized micro-particle metal, spinning it at high speeds with magic power to serve as a drill. With the Drill Arm whining at a high pitch, Yugo drove it straight into the Bull Golem’s torso.
"Bugumoo!?"
"Heh, what do you think? Hits a little different now, doesn't it?"
No matter how thick the rock armor was, it was no match for a tool designed specifically to shatter stone. The Bull Golem let out a strangled groan as its prized defense crumbled, feeling a piercing pain that threatened to reach the flesh beneath.
The Magic Armor Beast swung its arms wildly, trying to mount a desperate counterattack. However, since it relied entirely on muscle-brained tactics and its natural defense, its swings were clumsy and riddled with openings.
Yugo read the beast's movements perfectly. He dodged every swing with precision, counter-attacking with the drill to systematically pulverize the Bull Golem’s stone plating.
"Bumo! Mo!! Mouooooooo!"
"You look pissed that your ‘prey’ is fighting back... but let me tell you, my rage makes yours look like nothing. You think you can just slaughter whatever you want for sport? Fine. Experience the pain of being hunted yourself!"
With its armor shattered and its body being pierced repeatedly, the Bull Golem was driven into a corner and lost its composure completely. Being dominated by a creature it perceived as smaller and weaker clearly wounded its pride, but that wounded ego was nothing compared to the fury of Skull, whose companions had been slaughtered by these beasts.
In its rage, the Bull Golem’s attacks became even more reckless. Conversely, Yugo remained calm, keeping his anger simmered beneath the surface as he dictated the flow of the battle. The difference in their skill was night and day, and Yugo’s advantage soon became insurmountable.
"Go, buooo...!! Oooooooo!"
The armor that had once covered the Bull Golem was gone, leaving it entirely exposed. Glaring resentfully at the whining drill on Yugo’s arm, the Magic Armor Beast let out one last roar of resistance and swung its fist down with everything it had left.
"Bumooooooooooo!"
The blow was powerful enough to rattle the air, and it certainly would have crushed human bone had it connected. However, Yugo had no intention of letting such a predictable attack land.
He stepped inside the beast’s reach, dodging the strike by a hair’s breadth. Channeled magic power surged into the drill on his right arm as he prepared to end the fight with a finishing blow.
"This is it! My Style Special Move: Drilling Crimson Crimson Punch!"
"Bugumoooooooo!?"
He bolstered his physical strength with magic power while pushing the drill’s rotation to its limit. Yugo drove his right arm—wreathed in a crimson radiance—straight into the Bull Golem's abdomen, unleashing a devastating Drill Straight into the monster's core.
The Bull Golem’s death rattle echoed through the night. Having taken a direct hit to its vitals while unprotected, the Magic Armor Beast’s body flashed with light as magic power surged into the wound. An instant later, it vanished in a violent explosion.
"That's one! How are Melt and the others doing?"
Having neutralized the Magic Armor Beast with his new upgrade, Yugo turned to check on his companions. He looked back to see how the girls were faring against their own Bull Golems, and...?