Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 181

I have no idea how strong my opponent is.

I could very well lose here today.

But, isn’t the picture looking nice?

All the users present here are watching me. Even the Exorcist Guild members, who are supposed to be my enemies.

One of them is probably recording this. They might even be streaming it live.

So, I step out alone.

With the most nonchalant attitude possible, I act like you guys are nothing at all.

“When this coin falls to the ground, it’ll begin.”

Silver Bullet said as he pulled a small coin from his pocket.

A shiny silver coin worth 1 silver.

Bing-!

The coin bounced off Silver Bullet’s hand and began spinning rapidly.

The moment all eyes were on it, Silver Bullet’s body slowly started to move.

Just as the coin was about to hit the floor, he surely intended to unleash a barrage of bullets at me.

I reacted to his movement as well. I was not slow to respond, being fully prepared for this situation.

My senses were as sharp as a blade.

Ping-

The moment the coin hit the ground, Silver Bullet’s gaze locked onto my head and chest.

Right after that, a blue flash was shot.

Facing the long trail of bullets, I swung my sword.

As I stepped forward, my sword’s trajectory rose quickly to match.

Taaang-!

The moment the gunshots of both feet overlapped, my sword perfectly deflected his two bullets.

Clang-! Chaing!

The shock transmitted through my sword was considerable. That meant he had also enhanced his weapon through considerable effort or spending.

As proof of that, a faint wind swirled around the revolver held in Silver Bullet’s hands.

Silver Bullet’s attack didn’t end there. Like most archer users, when the distance opens up, they unleash all their attacks.

Silver Bullet was no different.

Bang-! Taaang-! Bang-!

Faster than the gunshots, an overwhelming white pain filled my head, sketching the direction of the attacks beyond my sight.

It felt like a form of precognition. The sounds faded away.

I swung my sword along the trajectory drawn before me.

Clang! Chaing-!

I was used to fighting against an archer user, specifically one with a pistol.

Thanks to dual practice sessions with Hwarang.

In fact, it felt lighter than back then. His attacks weren’t as sharp as Hwarang’s, nor as fast.

He didn’t scatter bullets to block my path either.

One step, one step.

I put power into my stepping legs. The speed of my advance only accelerated as time went by.

I read all of Silver Bullet’s attacks. He would never land a bullet in me.

But—

For some reason, it felt ominous. Silver Bullet’s expression, looking at me, showed no change.

It was as if he had anticipated this situation.

Why is he so calm when he’s being pushed back?

I furrowed my brow. If his skills were below Hwarang’s, if he were stuck at a level not worth noting.

There was no reason to drag this fight on.

I bent my extended leg slightly, lowering my sword-bearing upper body.

Aiming straight ahead, I took a pose like I was going to stab downward.

[Charge]

Just after that, a blue mana enveloped my body and surged forward at incredible speed.

Users in the long-range position begin to move to widen the distance against their opponents as it closes in.

However, Silver Bullet did not move.

In the slowness of time, I captured all his movements.

A slightly tense body, a strangely moving gaze, just after that, his gun barrel slightly lifted above my head and pointed toward the air.

Is he shooting at nothing?

I know there’s a specific skill among archer users that allows them to fire into the sky, raining down bullets like a shower.

But this wasn’t a preparatory stance for that skill.

Thoughts accelerated. Faster, faster. To the point where time seemed to stop.

Then I realized where Silver Bullet was looking.

Right in front of me.

An empty, flat ground.

He was waiting for something there.

In that moment, a chill ran down my entire body.

In a brief instant, fragmented thoughts flashed through my mind.

Trap, mana engineering mine, will explode the moment you step on it.

I can’t go forward.

Using the Charge skill, my body was locked into a forward rush.

I could stab my sword into the ground to forcibly change direction, but I couldn’t stop the very force pushing me forward.

Could it be that there are mana engineering mines laid all over ahead?

If so—

I’ll take to the skies.

The moment time, which had been halted, slowly began to flow again, I drove the sword I held into the ground.

With a downward thrust, I immediately let go of the sword and stepped on its hilt to climb up.

The effect of the Charge skill wasn’t over yet. My body soared into the sky like a springboard from the sword’s hilt.

“Wh-What the—?!”

A look of panic finally appeared on Silver Bullet’s face.

Right after that, the spot where I had stabbed my sword erupted with a huge bang.

Kwahhh!

Just as I expected, Silver Bullet must have planted a mana engineering mine there and provoked me.

Bang-! Bang-! Taaang-!

Silver Bullet’s shots followed my body floating in the air.

Bullets whizzed past my arms, legs, and cheeks as they quickly receded.

Maybe due to the sun behind me, Silver Bullet’s accuracy was pathetic.

He aimed his revolver at me with a distorted face full of anxiety.

The revolver in his hand shook violently.

Right after that, the blue mana covering my body vanished. The effect of my Charge skill disappeared.

As my hovering body began to fall towards the ground, the speed felt incredibly slow.

[Awakening]

Kaboom!

A black lightning bolt falling from the sky transformed my body.

My arms and legs turned black, and sharp claws sprouted.

The horns that grew above my head also became larger.

Finally, black demonic wings spread wide from my back.

Shwaaaaa-!

With the use of the Awakening skill, the Demon Lord can now utilize the Flight skill.

Without a weapon equipped, my available skills are limited.

I can’t use powerful Charge abilities or dealing skills.

[Flight]

The demonic wings spreading from my back flapped wide, as I charged towards the ground.

Dodging the blue flashes aimed at me like rapidly fired bullets, I reached out towards Silver Bullet.

“Ugh, ughhh!”

Silver Bullet staggered back, panicking.

His movement path was bending in a very strange direction.

He must have been maneuvering to avoid the mana engineering mines he laid.

But—

A black shadow erupted from my extending hand.

Extending greatly, the shadow took the form of a massive demon hand.

[Hand of Death]

“This hand is…!”

The elongated demonic hand grasped Silver Bullet’s body.

He began to be drawn to me while maintaining his posture of trying to escape.

What did he say when he saw me?

That one should have skills worthy of such confidence?

I gripped the ogre hand tightly.

In the position of rapidly descending toward the ground, I swung my fist at the approaching Silver Bullet.

Kwahhh!

A powerful strike echoed.

A potent blow thrust itself right through the middle of his face.

“Gughh…!”

A muffled groan escaped Silver Bullet’s lips, sounding like something was being crushed.

I didn’t stop. Following the momentum, I pounded his head into the ground.

Bam-!

Re-establishing my balance as he staggered, I swung my fist downward as if crashing onto him.

Kwahhh!

Silver Bullet, an archer class with low stamina and defense, would not withstand my attack for long.

I lifted the head of the sprawled Silver Bullet.

With shaky health and the stun mark floating above his head, he could do nothing but look at me with hazy eyes.

“Is this all you prepared?”

“Ugh, ughhhh…!”

“Disappear.”

One last time.

As if deciding his final fate, I swung my fist.

What a pathetic guy. To lay traps and wait. Did he suggest a tournament style?

Boom-!

Silver Bullet’s body limply flew away, directly struck in the face by my fist.

As he fell and rolled on the ground, clouds of dust were kicked up.

Just after that— a massive explosion erupted from the spot where Silver Bullet had fallen.

Kwahhh!

Silver Bullet transformed into a gray corpse and vanished.

Was it because the target who had planted the mana engineering mine died? Or maybe it was simply the end of the duration?

Centered around the location where I stood, a series of massive explosions occurred in a defined radius.

Kwahgahgahgahgahk-!

Dusty clouds obscured my vision.

At that moment, something whizzed down from the sky and struck the ground in front of me.

A large cross guard resembling a demonic horn.

The crimson blade that trailed below exuded a gloomy aura.

The weapon had returned to its owner.

I reached out and drew the Demon Sword.

“Next.”

The Demon Sword pointed toward the direction of the Exorcist Guild faction.

Since I suggested a tournament style, it was now time for the next opponent to step forward.

“Ughhh…!”

The next to step up was a familiar opponent.

Dressed in blue robes, holding twin short swords in each hand.

That would be Andersen, the dual sword warrior.

True to his mental tree that doesn’t even receive mastery effects for his weapon, there was a strange madness in his eyes.

“Is the next one a 15-second match?”

Provocation proved effective.


Andersen’s face flushed bright red.