Back with the Hobgoblins, they watched with smirks on their faces, as Tsukuru killed their comrade.
"Well, well, well." One of them replied in an amused tone. "Now we're getting somewhere."
However, they then saw Tsukuru staring down at the spear in his hands.
It was like his full attention was on the spear, and the entire fight had become an afterthought.
"Or…maybe not." Another Hobgoblin replied.
It was at this point that the Hobgoblin on the far right's eyes began to twitch in annoyance.
An evil smile crept across her face.
"I'll show him not to take his eyes off of his opponents!" She replied.
She threw her spear behind her, it clattering on the floor, and dashed forward.
"Wait!" One of the Hobgoblins yelled, her eyes widened, and her hand outstretched. "Don't do anything rash!"
Back with Tsukuru, he was still examining the spear.
'Wait, could it be…' He thought.
It was at that point that the rushing Hobgoblin had appeared in front of him and had violently driven her fist into his gut, the force of the impact lifting Tsukuru slightly off the ground.
As the Hobgoblin saw Tsukuru look up at her, she smiled.
"Ah, ah, ah." She replied, ticking her index finger back and forth like a metronome, as if disciplining a child. "You should know that you can't lose your focus on the battlefield!"
Tsukuru let out a pained cough, causing the Hobgoblin's smirk to widen.
'This is for your own good, my liege.' She thought.
She lifted her other hand high into the air, before swinging it back down in a "chopping motion" on Tsukuru's head.
Tsukuru instantly felt a sharp stinging sensation on the top of his head, and found his body being forced downwards.
He landed on the ground, splayed out on his stomach with a splat.
"Ugh…" Tsukuru let out a groan of pain, as he lifted his head up, his right eye wincing in pain.
Tsukuru saw the Hobgoblin reach down, and pick up the spear.
He looked up in front of him.
The Hobgoblin had the spear stabbed into the ground by its tip, and was resting her clasped hands on top of the shaft's end, resting her chin on top of her clasped hands as she looked down at him, an amused look on her face.
'So what will you do NOW, my liege?' She thought.
When she saw Tsukuru look up at her, his eye twitching, her smirk widened.
'That's it, my liege.' She thought in triumph. 'Get angry. Unleash that wonderful little temper of yours!'
Tsukuru reached out his hand, and activated his Video Stasis Skill.
The aura of glitching pixels enveloped both his hand, as well as the spear the Hobgoblin was using for support.
The Hobgoblin looked down at it, confused.
Tsukuru pulled his arm back.
Suddenly, the spear was wrenched out from under the Hobgoblin.
As it did, there was nothing left to keep up standing, and gravity took hold.
"Ahh!" The Hobgoblin screamed, waving her arms frantically as she fell.
The Hobgoblin landed on her stomach.
"Ow…" She let out a pained mutter.
As she looked up, she saw the same spear floating in the air above her, spear tip pointed downward towards her head.
'Hehe…I might have overdone it a little…' She thought to herself.
Tsukuru gritted his teeth, and swung his hand down.
The spear slammed downwards, the stone tip piercing the Hobgoblin's skull.
Her eyes went wide, and her head dropped and limbs drooped down to the floor.
A moment later, she exploded into pixels.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, the remaining three Hobgoblins exchanged…concerned looks.
"Well, that backfired spectacularly." One of two Hobgoblins still sitting on the ground muttered, as she pulled a dagger out of her leg.
Instantly, the skin began to heal, closing up the wound.
A few seconds later, there was no sign that there had ever been a wound at all.
She heard an amused snort from her left.
The Hobgoblin to her left turned to her.
"What are you talking about?" She asked. "The plan worked! We provoked him into killing us!"
The Hobgoblin on the far right narrowed her eyes.
"Considering how violent that last kill was, I'd say those two did more than just 'provoke' him." She replied, looking straight forward at Tsukuru.
He looked up from the spear, to the three of them, a look of intense irritation in his eyes.
"They pissed him off!"
The Hobgoblin on her left rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please." She snorted. "You're exaggerating it."
However, as soon as she turned back, she saw the spear that Tsukuru had just been holding flying right towards her, aimed right between her eyes.
There wasn't any time for the Hobgoblin to react.
With the "+7" Strength boost Tsukuru got from wearing the Intermediate-Tier Knight Gauntlets, plus the "+3" Strength boost he got from wielding the Basic-Tier Hobgoblin Spear, Tsukuru had an amazing"21" in Strength the second he threw the spear, causing it to shoot through the air like a rocket.
It impaled the Hobgoblin through the eyes, piercing her brain.
Her eyes went wide, and her whole body locked up.
The remaining two Hobgoblins watched, as the Hobgoblin fell backwards, landing flat on her back on the concrete floor.
A second later, she exploded into pixels.
Back on the other side of the concrete platform with Tsukuru, another System message appeared.
[You have killed a Hobgoblin. 50 XP has been awarded. XP: 662/800]
The two remaining Hobgoblins exchanged looks.
The one on the left smirked.
"Now, things are getting interesting!" She said, an excited look appearing on her face, as he tightened her grip on her spear.
The other Hobgoblin hardened her face, and tightened her grip around her spear, as well.
Tsukuru gritted his teeth, and began running full speed towards the two Hobgoblins.
Despite him moving at such impressive speeds, the Hobgoblins could still see him clearly.
As Tsukuru ran, he held his right arm straight out at his side.
The sound of electronic interference could be heard, as Tsukuru activated his Ability.
Two sets of groups of pixels appeared under his arm.
Like usual, the pixels clustered together into the shape of his Black Obsidian Daggers.
There was a bright flash of light, and the daggers fully manifested.
Tsukuru then grabbed the daggers with his Video Stasis Skill, causing the aura of glitching pixels to envelop them.
Seeing this, the Hobgoblin on the left snorted.
"Does he really think that's gonna work on us?" She asked, rolling her eyes. "We've already shown that we can dodge his little toys!"
However, as Tsukuru came into close range of the Hobgoblins.
Something began to happen.
His entire body, as well as the two daggers held out at his side began to glitch.
They became translucent, light-blue masses of glitching pixels.
A moment later, he vanished, as if glitching out of existence.
As they stared at the now empty space in front of them, both of the Hobgoblin's eyes widened.
"What?!" The one on the left replied in surprise.
She glanced from side to side.
"Where'd he go?!"
A moment later, the sound of electronic interference could be heard directly behind them.
However, before either of them could turn to see what it was, they both felt a sharp pain in the back of their heads.
Their eyes widened, and their bodies stiffened.
Instantly, they both fell forward, frozen as statues.
As they did, the two replica daggers could be seen piercing the back of their heads at an upwards angle, as if they had been thrown from a lower elevation.
Behind them, Tsukuru could be seen, his hand still outstretched.
Almost simultaneously, the two Hobgoblins exploded into pixels, as a System message appeared in front of Tsukuru.
[You have killed two Hobgoblins. 100 XP has been awarded. XP: 762/800]