Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 182

The outcome of this match no longer holds any significance. Everyone must have seen it.

The ugly actions of the Exorcist Guild.

They proposed a tournament format and lured their opponent into a trap.

If they had set it up after the duel began, it might have been different, but Silver Bullet never once attempted to place a magic engineering mine during the contest.

I smiled, recalling the now-vanished figure of Silver Bullet.

Did Andersen take my smile as provocation? He stepped forward, drawing a cross with his twin swords.

There was a subtle weight to his steps. Having faced me directly before, he seemed determined to clash with all his might from the start.

“King of wicked demons…!”

It’s fine to be absorbed in the role-playing he’s set up, but I wish he would stick to the lines.

After all, this is just a game. Just a game.

There was no signal to start. Andersen, who had been walking slowly, suddenly dashed forward, and the duel began.

Perhaps it was because he had already shown his ugly side to everyone? He seemed entirely unconcerned with the gazes of others.

“Kahhhk!”

Caw-!

I realized with the first strike.

Andersen was using Acceleration.

His frantic gaze watched my movements intently.

The cold stare followed the movements of my muscles and the tip of my sword.

Then, I too would simply react accordingly.

My head began to heat up, and a white pain came over me.

Just as I felt the rapidly spreading pain, the scenery around me began to slow down, and voices from afar slowly faded away.

I focused only on the target before me, responding to each of Andersen’s movements and blocking every attack.

Ka-kang!

The swiftly swung sword pressed forward like a white serpent, putting the squeeze on Andersen.

I forced two choices on him at once. Neck or leg.

Which one he would give up was up to him.

I knew without fighting. Having clashed many times before, Andersen must have sensed his own defeat as well.

But he was desperate. He fought with an intensity completely different from before.

What could his purpose be?

I thought while swinging my sword.

Swish!

Thigh, wrist, shoulder, head, then back to thigh.

The snake-like strikes of my sword grazed Andersen’s body.

The lightly swung blade cut into his skin.

“Kugh!”

I was already warmed up from my battle with Silver Bullet. I felt fantastic.

10 seconds passed.

Now there were just 5 seconds left.

It seemed Andersen realized the time remaining for him, swinging his sword even more desperately.

“Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“A grown man, tormenting a minor.”

“T-that’s…!”

As our swords clashed, maintaining a brief stalemate, I whispered softly to Andersen.

Everyone is watching. The ugly face of the guild called Exorcists.

But Andersen stood firm. He swung his sword with even greater zeal.

Kaang!

The chaos of his twin swords dancing before my eyes approached threateningly.

An attack that would make an ordinary person retreat.

But I advanced instead.

As I leaned forward, my upper body bent slightly, slipping out of the range of his attack.

Andersen hastily adjusted the path of his sword, but my blade struck even faster.

Swish-!

It seemed as if a serpent was darting forth for its prey.

The blood-red snake shot straight and pierced Andersen’s shoulder.

Crack!

“Ugh!”

The sensation of piercing through the plate armor reached my hand, cutting through the skin underneath.

Even as Andersen staggered wildly, he swung his sword at me.

As if he had to succeed in an attack at least once.

But that attack lacked the sharpness it had before.

“15 seconds passed.”

Andersen had barely 15 seconds left of the time he could maintain Acceleration.

He was worse than a sparrow squawking, Jupiter.

I smiled coldly and twisted my sword.

Crack!

The demon sword, having pierced his shoulder, shot into the sky.

Andersen’s stance fell apart. He looked up at me in disbelief.

As he stumbled, his sword barely grazed my forehead.

Though a few strands of my hair were cut, my body did not evade.

After all, I knew there was no way his sword could touch me.

The transformation effect of my Awakening Skill had yet to wear off.

I aimed the sword that had risen into the air downwards.

The blade swaying in two directions once again forced a choice.

Choose one: head or heart.

But Andersen could not make a choice.

Swish!

The swiftly shot blade struck down.

The moment after, the time that had been paused began to flow slowly.

“Wha… What… a demon…”

The demon sword that pierced Andersen’s heart lodged deep into the ground below.

It was as if a nail was being hammered into his heart, and he began to die, sprawled flat on the floor.

Even to the end, he did not let go of his concept.

That point was commendable, but the accumulated ill feelings made even that appearance look repulsive.

“Oh God…”

Crack!

As I pulled out the lodged sword, Andersen’s body collapsed helplessly.

His previously flushed skin turned gray.

Death notification.

My health showed no change. I had never allowed a single hit while fighting Andersen.

A strange silence descended. In that moment, both arms and legs began returning to a human form.

The horns sprouting from my head also shrank.

At last, the duration of my awakening had ended.

“Next.”

I said, once again aiming my demon sword.

My confidence surged. I felt I could take on everyone from the Exorcist Guild present here all by myself.

“Ugh…”

“A demon… a true demon…”

The expressions of the Exorcist Guild members began to crumble. The firm belief that had been in their eyes dimmed, and those looking around cautiously began to turn their bodies.

At that moment, a man stepped forth, cutting through their ranks.

[Exorcist]

[The Faithful]

[Yuda]

With a calm expression and sharp gaze, the red eyes within sparkled with strange light.

He was someone I had never seen before. Despite facing the Exorcist Guild several times, I had never encountered a user with such a nickname.

“Yuda…”

“Yuda has arrived!”

“If it’s that guy…!”

“He finally logged in…!”

“It seems the training camp is over.”

He appeared to be a rather famous figure within the Exorcist Guild, but others seemed unaware of Yuda’s identity.

Yuda stepped forward, tying back his thin, flowing, murky blonde hair.

“… I’m the last one.”

His softly spoken words slowly spread through the air.

I frowned at this sight.

“Stop posturing and come at me.”

“Don’t rush me. The fact that you’re going to die hasn’t changed.”

Saying that, Yuda drew out his weapon.

What came out from behind him was a massive Claymore.

The cross guard was marked with silver crosses in an X shape, and a thin chain wrapped around it.

No words were needed between us. What was required at this moment was only a sharp strike to take the opponent’s head.

Yuda and I lunged at each other without any semblance of “who goes first.”

The swiftly swung blades collided in the air.

Kaang!

My strength was slightly superior. But as soon as Yuda realized this, he deflected my attack to the side.

The blade that was engaged in a test of strength slid along the side of his sword.

Immediately after, Yuda’s wrist snapped back strongly, forcibly twisting the trajectory of his blade.

Kaang!

We both stepped back, swords at the ready.

And I realized. This guy isn’t an ordinary opponent. He felt similar to the VRS-pro players I could occasionally face in past Arena tournaments.

“Hmm…”

Yuda, too, seemed to have sensed a similar vibe, furrowing his brows.

In that instant, I instinctively understood. I must not give Yuda any time.

The moment his eyes shimmered oddly, I kicked the ground and swung my sword.

It felt as if I was being chased by time. Whenever his gaze studied my body, an inexplicable chill ran down my spine.

White pain surged to its peak.

I omitted my defense. Allowing the sword that skimmed my arms and legs, I struck at Yuda’s body.

Offering up flesh to seize bone.

My health dwindled significantly, but I didn’t care. My job passive skill allowed me to siphon health when attacking the opponent.

The dwindled health quickly surged up, and Yuda’s face began to pale.

I didn’t know what his true identity was. It wasn’t important what his other self was.

This is Deron.

“Kugh!”

Yuda’s sword was fast and sharp. Using a bizarre swordsmanship that followed Acceleration, he plunged his blade into my body.

But I didn’t care. With a reckless movement aimed solely at the opponent’s death, I thrust my blade into Yuda’s body.

Crack!

Crack!

Our swords pierced through each other’s bodies.

Hot, blood spilled from the swords protruding from our backs.

“Barbaric…!”

White breaths flowed from my mouth, chilling as they dispersed.

Our health continued to decline rapidly.

I fueled my pained blade, shaking it here and there, but it seemed our swords had caught onto each other’s solid muscles and wouldn’t come out.

I prepared to endure.

Yuda leaned forward with a heavily contorted face and spoke to me.

“Are you really going to die like this?”

“The only one dying is you.”

“…”

Upon hearing my response, Yuda fell silent.

Time flowed again.

My health, which had been at 50%, dropped significantly to 20%.

Yuda was the same.

I had been waiting for this situation.

Letting go of the grip on my sword, I moved forward.

Yuda’s sword sank deeper into my body, but my hand successfully reached Yuda’s body.

“What are you…”

[Life Absorption]

A skill held by the Death Knight that can activate when the opponent’s health is low.

It absorbs 50% of the opponent’s remaining health and instantly kills them, a type of execution skill.

The moment the skill activated, Yuda’s body turned gray and slowly shrunk.

Immediately after, red blood began gushing out from his body and started being absorbed into me.

The special effect of the execution skill was triggered.

The gray corpse that became Yuda collapsed on the cold ground like a shriveled mummy.

I staggered back.

Pulling out the blade lodged deeply in my chest, I flung it to the ground.

Caw-!

The cross-decorated claymore fell to the floor, and silence descended upon the arena.

*

Guide of Light – [Soft & Chewy Raccoon, did you see that video?]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [What video?]

Guide of Light – [The video of the Blood Demon King battling the heads of the Exorcists.]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [Ah…]

Guide of Light – [He fought splendidly, just like a rival recognized by Jupiter.]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [I see. Do you like the Blood Demon King, Guide of Light?]

Guide of Light – [I’m not particularly opposed to him.]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [Hmm… That’s nice. Then today, let’s use that video to influence public opinion.]

Guide of Light – [Sounds good. How should I write it?]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [First, the theme of the gallery is focused on that video and the Exorcists, right? Analyze the pattern of posts coming in and write as similarly as possible while mentioning Jupiter’s skills.]

Guide of Light – [Oh… I understand. Let me write it for a moment.]

Guide of Light – [Here’s the post I’m writing. Please check it.]

[Is the Blood Demon King really this skilled? LOL, that’s crazy!]

Three Exorcists taken down in just 3 minutes LOLOL

I put hot water in a cup noodle and it was already done LOLOL

Jupiter held out longer than these guys; could it be that he had been hiding his skills?

Guide of Light – [What do you think? Is this how it should be written?]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [It’s great! You’ve improved a lot. But I think it would be better to use the nickname “Sparrow” instead of Jupiter.]

Guide of Light – [Thanks for the advice.]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [Let me know when you finish your writing. I’ll upvote it with my sub-account.]

Guide of Light – [About that upvote thing… Why can I only make one recommendation? Even if I change my ID, it shows as a post I’ve already recommended…]

Soft & Chewy Raccoon – [Oh, you can use something called a VPN…]