Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 294

Current state of the match.

1 win, 2 losses.

If I win here, the score will be tied at 2 to 2.

In a tie situation where neither team has a player available, a final round will commence to determine the ultimate victor.

The final round consists of a match where both team leaders participate, with a fixed initial health of 10%.

I absolutely must reach the final round.

No, I will reach it. I have no choice.

I took a breath and stared down my opponent across from me.

Nickname: Arachi.

There was only one video of the match featuring the opposing team’s leader.

This meant they had only participated once all the way to this point.

Thus, the information I could gather was limited.

All I knew was that Arachi was female and preferred the knight class.

To gather more details, I needed to confront her directly.

Before the waiting time ended.

I closed my eyes and began self-suggestion.

I would discard the thought of taking it lightly.

Just like when I played Deron, I started the process of immersing myself in this world.

[Match Start!]

The waiting period ended, signaling the start of the match.

Right after, I opened my eyes and dashed forward.

I didn’t relax my tension while running.

Just like when I played Deron, I kept a lookout in all directions.

I started observing the enemy right in front of me closely, ready for any possible ambush.

A small extension from my left foot, with my waist moving accordingly.

The sword in my hand was slightly pulled back.

A ready stance for a thrust.

Before I knew it, the intense pain flaring up was slowing down my perception of the world.

One second seemed to stretch on. It split and split, diving into a fleeting moment.

I reached the enemy’s proximity.

“Ugh!”

My opponent hurriedly retreated with a panicked gaze.

The sword I had prepared for a thrust redirected to defend its owner.

This was my chance.

The leg I stepped forward with became my support, holding my strength steady.

Boom!

Firmly-stanced legs and a tightened waist.

Every condition was perfect.

I drew the nodachi that was hanging at my back.

An attack propelled by a shoulder-first charge.

The long blade of the nodachi emitted a blue flash as it tore through the air.

But it was shallow.

I frowned and gripped the nodachi with one hand.

When swinging a sword, one hand is often longer in reach than two.

Swoosh!

The distance that seemed like it could touch my opponent suddenly expanded.

Clang!

A strong recoil transmitted to my fingertips.

The tip of the nodachi’s blade scraped across the enemy’s body but the damage was minimal.

Reason told me to recover my posture and retreat immediately.

But instinct urged me to push forward and cut the enemy’s neck.

Which voice should I follow?

My ponderings didn’t last long. No, they felt lengthy.

I had been given plenty of time.

The sound faded away. The opponent’s gaze gradually scattered, and everything around me seemed to come to a halt.

A dilemma, a deep dilemma.

Even if my attack succeeded, the damage I caused was minimal. The enemy’s stance remained intact, so if I pressed on, I would definitely face a counterattack.

I should pull back. Regain my stance, catch my breath, and wait for the next opportunity.

But.

I can do it.

That conviction.

Thud!

The moment time, which had stopped, began to flow again, I took a large step forward.

Through the helmet’s visor, emotions surged toward me.

Desire for victory, tenacity toward me, and enjoyment.

Swoosh!

From below, upwards.

A light upward slash.

It was an attack from my opponent.

With a significant move, I couldn’t possibly avoid it.

I didn’t dodge. Instead, I boldly leaned forward, twisting my posture slightly to protect my head.

Slashing sound!

An attack that climbed my thigh tore through my torso, unleashing a fountain of rich blood.

My vision reddened in an instant.

With that one strike, I lost 75% of my health.

Due to wearing minimal armor for ease of movement, the health drained significantly.

My vision trembled as my health plummeted, but I held on with strong will.

My gaze remained fixed on the opponent.

Her sword, now aloft in the air, wobbled significantly as it adjusted its trajectory.

It seemed to want to finish me off.

Given my low health, if she merely brought it down, my defeat would be assured.

But.

By letting this one attack slip, I could seize my own opportunity for an attack.

Ssss!

The nodachi in my hand extended straight out.

My body that had been pulled back leapt forward as if propelled, striking the ground.

I poured everything into that single blow. Not caring if my stance collapsed.

Conviction.

I was confident that my attack would succeed.

And that conviction returned with the expected result.

Crash!

The sound fades away.

The warmth of my body gradually cools down.

The only noise in this space becomes the wind blowing in from all directions.

Dazed.

As time passed by lethargically in this state,

Finally, the opponent’s body began to collapse.

The blade of the nodachi slipped through the gap in the helmet, penetrating the space to secure a view.

As I gripped the nodachi tightly and pulled it out, a torrent of red blood gushed forth.

The gaze toward victory could no longer be seen.

[Victory!]

Match score: 2 to 2

Neither team has players available.

Thus the final round will proceed.

With my eyes closed, I awaited the arena to be cleared.

As our team leader, I did not exit the capsule to swap players.

The same went for the opponent.

When I opened my eyes, I found the opposing leader standing there, looking dazed.

Unlike before, she appeared blank, taken aback, as if she just realized she was still alive and was hastily checking herself.

[Hayun, can you continue?]

It was Sohee’s voice.

She seemed to have spoken to me via headset while watching the match.

I nodded and replied.

“No problem.”

[Don’t push yourself.]

“Push myself? Absolutely not.”

Do they think this is too much? The person saying this is none other than Hayun, who usually pulls off 20 hours of nonstop farming.

This kind of match doesn’t even rank as arduous for me.

Of course, that said, I’m still giving it my all.

I confirmed my gear while waiting for the next round.

The reason I had chosen the nodachi was to capture the sturdy pig-like opponents and to compensate for my lacking attack power.

The enemy is a knight. While their armor might be a bit tougher, it doesn’t mean I can’t slice through them with a katana.

So, I will switch weapons.

The massive tachi that was poked into my back disappears, and a long katana appears at my waist.

The sudden change of armament.

This information is directly transmitted to the opposing team.

How much time has passed since then?

As the waiting time dwindled, the opponent also changed weapons.

From a claymore to a longsword and round shield.

Single-handed sword blocking.

It was evidently a defensive choice to maintain low health.

[Match Start!]

The moment the waiting time ended and the match commenced, my remaining health decreased to 10%.

*

“Hyung, did you really need to come all the way here for the kids’ tournament? You could just contact the ones doing well individually…”

“That’s why your salary is still at that level.”

Seong-Jun shut his mouth at his senior’s words.

What era is it that you need to physically show up like this?

He turned away with a sigh, doing his best not to let his senior notice.

It was very early in the morning.

At a time still considered dawn, his senior Park Min-Seok had arrived, an unwelcome guest.

While having a senior who takes care of everything is nice, sometimes he felt like there was an excessive interference in his personal life.

Seong-Jun stood among the audience, blankly looking around.

How could so many people come out to watch a school tournament?

For Seong-Jun, it was hard to understand this excitement today.

“Hey, they’re coming.”

“Who?”

“Our team’s future.”

The future of the team?

Seong-Jun couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as he looked where Park Min-Seok pointed.

At that moment, he couldn’t help but hold his breath.

“The future… Yes, that’s the future.”

Seong-Jun was so captivated by a single girl that he didn’t even realize what words were slipping from his mouth.

She was a girl with an uncanny charm that drew in people’s attention just by standing still.

There was no way he could look away.

“Wait, Hyung…”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Are you seriously going to recruit her as the team’s mascot…?”

Only then did Seong-Jun grasp his senior’s excitement.

If a girl that pretty was brought into the team, just having her as a face would certainly yield immense profit.

“What…?”

Park Min-Seok looked taken aback at Seong-Jun’s words.

Mascot? What was this kid talking about?

“You don’t get it. What have you been up to lately?”

“Huh…? What do you mean? I’ve just been watching online broadcasts, scouting promising players…”

“Hah…”

Park Min-Seok sighed, groaning at Seong-Jun’s dull response.

How did such a foolish guy end up under him?

Park Min-Seok pictured the face of the director who was sneering at him, and it made him want to cry.

“Just watch the match. Then you’ll realize how foolish your thoughts were.”

“Foolish? Me?”

“Shut up and watch.”

Seong-Jun frowned as he complied, annoyed.

If he was wrong, he should just tell him. But in these moments, he was no different from those stuffy old-timers who block everything.

Seong-Jun sighed and plopped down in his seat.

He munched on the popcorn beside him.

For now, since it’s his senior’s suggestion, he planned to watch the match.

How much time passed like that?

Seong-Jun’s hand dropped the popcorn, scattering it all over the floor.

But no one pointed it out.

Everyone in the arena was fixated on one spot.

“Hyung…”

“Have you realized yet?”

“Yes… There it is… Our team’s future.”

“Right. Now prepare.”

The match had concluded. Given that the competition was a deathmatch, the match duration was not lengthy.

As soon as Park Min-Seok rose from his seat, Seong-Jun followed suit.

“Ah, no, Hyung. That girl didn’t just appear out of nowhere, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Then, she must have already received tons of recruitment offers, hasn’t she? Isn’t it too late?”

“Not late.”

“What…?”

“Those who made recruitment offers… They were all rejected. They’re just trying to raise their price.”

“Ah, ahhhh!”

Seong-Jun nodded as if realizing something upon hearing Park Min-Seok’s words.

As they left the arena, the two stumbled upon the group they were searching for.

It’s not common to find a team made up entirely of women.

Besides, they were all strikingly beautiful, so it was natural for the attention to gather.

The two cautiously, yet swiftly approached Hayun’s group.