Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 171

A suspicious shadow quietly trailed the Blood Demon King’s party.

Jupiter stealthily followed behind that suspicious shadow.

“Hyah!”

Jupiter gazed blankly at Blood Demon King Yeo as she hunted, admiring her clean and fluid swordsmanship as she obliterated the massive bear.

Indeed, she was a rival he acknowledged.

‘If only it weren’t for this pain…’

Jupiter sighed in disappointment. If it weren’t for the white pain gnawing at his mind, he could have had a good match against the Blood Demon King.

With a bitter smile, Jupiter studied Yeo’s movements closely.

Her optimal swordsmanship was perfectly tailored to her petite frame.

Jupiter thought about what he would have done if he were in her position.

He envisioned hazy images in his mind, overlaying his form over hers and recalling his own sword techniques.

In that moment, the outline of the shadow on the hill became distinctly visible.

Dressed in blue robes, he had a dagger hanging at his waist.

A Thief User. Just as he suspected, a Thief User had been hiding in the shadows, watching the Blood Demon King’s party.

What is a thief? A profession that ambushes cowardly while hidden in the shadows.

There’s no way it’s a good intention.

Jupiter cautiously rose to his feet.

Though in this state he wouldn’t be much help, he could at least signal to the Blood Demon King’s party that there was an enemy.

Without hesitation, Jupiter drew his sword. A knight of light never forgives those he designates as foes.

“Haaah!”

Thump thump thump-!

With heavy footsteps, Jupiter charged violently at the Thief User, swinging his Holy Sword.

Swoosh-!

The golden brilliance of the Holy Sword sliced through empty air.

His powerful strike went wide, causing Jupiter to sway greatly.

“What the…?”

The Thief User avoided Jupiter’s attack, tilting his head as he looked at the staggering knight.

He moved with total ease, showing no sense of danger from Jupiter’s surprise attack.

His body felt heavy. It wasn’t obeying him properly.

At that moment, Jupiter’s large body began to tumble down the hill.

“Ughhhh!”

It was quite a height. The fall damage would be significant.

Preparing for the considerable shock that would come, Jupiter squeezed his eyes shut.

Thud!

The moment he hit the ground, it felt like a heavy object had slammed into his back.

His health plummeted to low levels.

Dazed, Jupiter blinked back his blurry vision and barely got himself up.

“B-Blood Demon King!!!”

Drip drip-

Blood seeped from beneath his helmet.

But he didn’t mind. He needed to warn the only rival he recognized about the enemy’s raid.

“Jupiter…?”

“Why are you here…?”

“Enemy raid!!!”

As soon as Jupiter finished speaking, over a hundred columns of light descended upon the pale Rock Mountain.

Boom boom boom-!

It looked like a rain of light was falling.

Jupiter stared blankly up at it.

The beams of light continued to pour down. He was certain the Thief User had used a summon order just moments ago.

“Summon Order…?”

Yeo mumbled in a daze as she stared at the columns of light, when a blue flash shot toward her.

Bang-!

A bolt of light streaking through the light columns trailed a long tail behind it.

Jupiter watched the scene in a daze. He could see it. Just by hearing the sound, he knew.

The blue flash was targeting Yeo’s head.

But-

Clang-!

The swiftly swung Demon Sword deflected the blue flash.

It was a scene he had always witnessed. Seeing the radiant girl, Jupiter felt an unknown flutter in his heart.

“Don’t let them get a chance!”

Bang! Bang!

Bang!

Amid shouts from the hill, sniping began from all directions.

Archers and wizards, and more. Thieves emerged from the columns of light, using stealth to come down the hill.

“This is bad!”

Blocking this alone wasn’t going to cut it. He needed a moment of respite. A moment to use the summon order.

Jupiter rose to his feet. Vitality began to surge in his body which had been on the verge of death.

It was thanks to the immense divinity bursting forth from within him.

“Kill the Fallen Paladins!”

“Woooah!”

But Jupiter couldn’t reach Yeo. It was because countless spells were starting to rain down upon him.

Fire, ice, and lightning rained down on his massive body.

All Jupiter could do was brace himself, holding up his shield and curling his body as much as possible.

“Grrrgh…!”

If he couldn’t approach her, he had to make them come to him.

Jupiter planted his Holy Sword into the ground and shouted.

“Blood Demon King! Come this way!”

Yeo’s gaze landed on Jupiter, then fell away.

However, she didn’t approach him.

From Yeo’s perspective, she couldn’t trust the suddenly appeared Jupiter.

Though she was grateful for him helping her guild, they were still holding blades at each other. It wasn’t something she could easily trust.

However-

Jupiter was desperate.

“Blood Demon King! I’ll buy you time!”

Yeo couldn’t understand what Jupiter was doing.

Why would he want to help her?

As she pondered that question, Helena, who had been hiding behind her, moved.

Using Blink, she positioned herself behind Jupiter.

“H-Helen!”

“Blood Demon King!”

Ultimately, Yeo had no choice but to move.

Having a big meat shield beside her was safer than trying to protect Helena alone.

Yeo nodded and dashed toward Jupiter.

The ominous Demon Sword swung swiftly, slicing through magic and blue projectiles.

For a regular user, the number of attacks would have killed her more than ten times over.

The Exorcist Guild Members, pouring out ranged fire, looked at the three below with astonished expressions.

Watching that scene, they became certain. They were no longer human.

They were definitely demons.

At that moment, the faith of the Exorcist Guild was solidified even more.

As soon as Jupiter confirmed that Yeo entered the range of his skill, he raised his shield high.

It was the strongest protection skill he could use at that moment.

[Divine Shield]

Boom!

A gigantic shield of light fell from the sky, enveloping Jupiter and blocking all incoming attacks around him.

“Now, now’s the time!”

He could block attacks for a maximum of three seconds.

Jupiter bit his lip as he looked at the dimly glinting shield of light.

Three seconds was short, but just enough time to use the summon order.

Yeo nodded and pulled out the summon order.

3.

2.

1.

The Light Shield began to dissipate.

Jupiter looked at Yeo with eyes full of expectation.

Soon, she would call forth their troops with a confident expression.

She always had, that’s who the Blood Demon King was.

But the awaited beam of light didn’t descend.

“Huh…?”

The emotion that appeared on Yeo’s face was one of panic.

The summon order in her hand was emitting unstable light.

“Yeo?”

“I can’t use it!”

Can’t use it? Could it be the summon order itself?

Jupiter bit his lip as another attack came flying at him.

Thud-! Bam bam bam-!

“Yikes!”

Just as Jupiter used his shield to block the attacks, Yeo too began to deflect attacks with her sword.

“Why, why can’t you use it?”

“I couldn’t! It said I couldn’t because of some strange magic!”

The chance to turn the tide was slipping away. Jupiter stared with a pale face at Yeo swinging her sword.

The demon wings unfurled behind her swayed precariously.

“This, this is bad!”

As he watched Yeo, Jupiter felt a strange sensation.

From the right—

Clang!

Now from the left—

Clang!

An attack flew diagonally from the center to the right.

Just as he thought that, Yeo’s Demon Sword twisted at an odd angle and deflected the magic.

Clang!

“B-Blood Demon King!”

“Don’t talk to me! I’m busy!”

No way.

No, he couldn’t be certain yet.

How could she be moving and talking like that with the white pain gnawing at her?

It was as if she was handling the white pain with complete freedom.

But…

Perhaps…

At that moment, something hazy appeared from afar.

The Thieves in stealth had begun to act.

If this continued, everyone would die. Jupiter slowly opened his mouth.

“Blood Demon King, do you know about the white pain gnawing at the mind?”

“What…?”

Why are you able to move?

How can you have a conversation with someone while maintaining that state?

“How can you…”

“What are you saying!”

Clang!

“How can I do it like that?”

If she, Yeo, was afflicted with the same illness he suffered, but could control it perfectly unlike him.

No, perhaps it wasn’t even an illness. It might be a delusion of hope.

“Blood Demon King. Just once. I can open a path. Fire Witch, you have to help me.”

“What, what…? Fire Witch…?”

“Please use Time Acceleration.”

Jupiter handed a transformation item to her GM.

She could return to her original form whenever she wanted.

Helena glanced at Yeo with a complicated expression.

In this situation, the only person who could create an opening was undoubtedly Yeo, just her.

If she wields her talent, the momentary acceleration from Time Acceleration could open a path.

However, that would leave Helena and Jupiter behind.

Not everyone could escape.

“Blood Demon King, enter that time.”

As soon as Jupiter finished speaking, his massive body began to shrink with a hazy light.

Over 180cm tall, he turned into the petite form of a girl.

“What, what is happening…?”

There was no time to answer the Blood Demon King’s confusion.

Jupiter strongly suppressed the hazy high sensation rising within him.

Thud-!

His heart thumped loudly, and the scalding blood surged to his head.

Soon, the white pain struck.

Jupiter’s gaze darted around quickly. From right to left—

The shield in his hand drooped down as his limp sword rose upward.

Boom!

The sensation in his hand felt heavy.

Jupiter frowned and threw off his helmet. His limited vision caused his attack range to skew.

The pain intensified. It felt as if his entire head was turning white, a line crossed.

The sound faded infinitely, and all his senses expanded.

One second became ten seconds, and those ten seconds extended to twenty seconds.

Time began to elongate.

Finally, he reached that moment in time.

In the frozen gap of time, Jupiter was always the only one free.

But this time was different.

The moment Jupiter’s gaze met Yeo’s, he became certain.

No doubt about it. She was sharing the same time with him.

As expected of the rival he recognized.

Slowly, oh so slowly, yet quickly, Jupiter swung his sword.

He no longer feared the white pain, for he realized he wasn’t alone.

While Jupiter felt the white pain, Yeo was also experiencing the same burning pain just as brightly as Jupiter.

Jupiter followed her. He matched her pace. No, he was even a step ahead.

Yeo stared at Jupiter in a daze, observing his actions.

In the frozen time, the two exchanged glances, and the girls wielding the Holy Sword and Demon Sword began to deflect every attack, as if they were one.

It was a fluid connection. They didn’t stop. The smooth movements allowed for a nonchalant attitude.

Now. Yeo gave a signal to Helena behind her.

In that moment, Helena’s staff struck the ground forcefully, using Time Acceleration on Jupiter.

The balance that had been teetering tilted.

The white cloak fluttered as if it were angel wings scattering around.

The words to open a path were true. Behind the quickly dashing Jupiter, a white path unfurled.

Boom boom boom!

Now’s the time.

Yeo placed her hand on Helena’s waist and sprinted forward.

There was no escape from this place through ordinary means.

Without hesitation, Yeo leaped off the Rock Mountain.

Right behind Yeo, Jupiter too threw himself forward.

With white hair scattering behind him, the white cloak spread like angel wings.