Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 295

7 PM.

As I stepped out of the hotel, I looked around.

It was late enough that the sun had already set, and the dazzling streetlights and the neon signs from the Large Hotel were illuminating the surroundings.

“Is it because of the finals? It seems like there are more people now.”

Seongsin-senpai was right. Most of the people who had come here wore expressions of anticipation as they headed towards a particular place.

The crowd was heading towards a brightly lit Gymnasium.

The gazes around felt less intense. It seemed that, being night, it was hard to distinguish the faces of people from a distance.

I strolled towards the Tournament Venue with a lighter heart.

When I arrived at the entrance of the Tournament Venue, I stood there, mouth agape.

The throngs of people filled every corner, and the guards were controlling the front.

It didn’t seem like getting inside would be an easy task.

“Hmm…”

Just as I was thinking about what to do, Sohee beside me moved forward without hesitation.

With not a hint of doubt.

I tilted my head, wondering what she was doing, as she began talking to one of the guards.

I couldn’t hear Sohee’s voice over the chatter of people around us.

About ten seconds later, she returned.

“Let’s go.”

“Is it really okay to just walk in?”

“Yeah. There’s a separate entrance for the players.”

Just like that, Sohee was the only one I could rely on at times like this.

Holding onto her hand, I followed her.

Of course, Ellie and Seongsin-senpai were with us too.

Leading the way, Sohee showed the guard a special card issued for players.

After checking the card, the guard began to guide us not to the entrance of the Gym, but to a secluded spot.

Can I truly trust this person?

With a hint of worry, I pressed closer to Sohee.

If something were to happen, it would be up to me to protect her.

Of course, she was probably stronger than me in reality…

Following the guard, we arrived at a small passageway that wasn’t the main entrance of the Gym.

A sign reading “Authorized Personnel Only” was posted there.

“You can go in this way. It leads directly to the Stadium.”

With that, the guard seemed to complete his duty and left us.

I let out a sigh of relief and walked forward.

This was a place everyone would be watching. It was a moment I had to set a good example as the leader of my team.

Unlike when I was closely following Sohee, I walked forward alone.

“Hayun. Are you nervous?”

“Nervous?” I shook my head at Sohee’s words.

Nervous? I hadn’t even quivered in front of hundreds of union members.

Deron’s Blood Demon King.

That’s right. Right now, I was not just a weak high school girl but the leader of a faction.

I was the Blood Demon King.

I wore a gaze of arrogance.

A look that seemed to overlook everything.

My head was held slightly high, in perfect posture.

“Seems like Hayun is really nervous…”

“I think so too.”

I ignored the voices of Seongsin-senpai and Ellie coming from behind.

What I needed right now was powerful self-affirmation.

—I am the Blood Demon King.

I walked for a while down the long passageway.

How much time had passed? It wasn’t long, but it felt agonizingly long to me.

[Waaaah!]

As soon as I emerged from the passage, the enormous cheer reached my ears.

The reaction was so unexpected that I nearly lost my composure.

But I barely held it together.

“W-Wow, what a reaction…”

Ellie’s voice was drowned out by the cheer.

The response was so loud that I could barely catch the voice of the person standing right next to me.

I put on the most arrogant smile I could muster and gazed at the center ceiling of the Stadium.

Sure enough, a huge screen in the middle was broadcasting my image.

“Let’s go…”

I led my team toward the Game Booth.

As our image was being projected, the screen soon switched to showcase the opposing team.

Their entrance in uniforms looked like that of warriors fully prepared for battle.

Tight-lipped and with trembling hands but eyes that shone with life.

“Phew…”

Once we entered the Game Booth, the outside scrutiny was blocked.

Of course, the interior was probably being streamed out via cameras, but I didn’t feel any pressure.

“Ha…”

Seongsin-senpai was the one who looked the most nervous here.

As soon as she stepped into the Booth, she melted down and sat abruptly.

“This is my first time seeing this many people… Why are they all here for a tournament of amateurs?”

“Hmm…”

I couldn’t grasp the situation either.

I didn’t mean to dismiss it, but isn’t this just a tournament for amateur high school students?

But that wasn’t the important issue.

I clapped my hands to refocus the attention around us.

“Let’s prepare for the match.”

I cast a worried glance at Sohee and Seongsin-senpai.

I had taught both of them swordsmanship after we returned to the hotel post-match, but whether it would be effective was uncertain.

Next was Ellie.

She had returned to her original form thanks to the medicine, but using her talent immediately would prove difficult.

“Should Ellie forfeit?”

“What are you talking about!”

“But you can’t use your abilities right now.”

“Aren’t you underestimating me too much?”

Ellie let out a small laugh in response to my words and walked ahead.

She was headed toward the spot where the Large Capsule was placed.

As she approached the Capsule, Ellie hopped in with a leap.

Can she really pull it off?

I looked at Ellie with concern.

If our opponent were an ordinary high school student, I wouldn’t have worried at all.

But the opposing team wasn’t ordinary by any means.

I had seen their training videos registered on the tournament website.

Every single one of them had professional-level swordsmanship training with no exceptions.

They tried to hide it, but my eyes could not be deceived.

The foundation of my swordsmanship was built on the amalgamation of many professional teams.

Of course, I had to be familiar with it. From how I handled gazes to how I wielded my sword, to my breathing and the timing of attacks.

[Hmph…]

With my worries lingering, the match began.

Ellie’s choice was naturally the Knight.

And her opponent was another Knight, just like Ellie.

Their gear was identical.

Seeing such a rival, Ellie smiled with satisfaction.

[Come. The Knight of Light, Jupiter, shall face you!]

Ellie declared as she extended her sword.

In that moment, her opponent charged at her.

Swords clashed in the air.

The exchange of offense and defense ensued.

Ellie and her opponent’s health rapidly dwindled.

About a minute into the match,

Ellie’s remaining health was at 70%

While her opponent was at 50%.

Ellie’s expression was relaxed.

In contrast, her opponent had a tense look on their face.

Ellie was winning.

Just as I thought that, her opponent started to move.

Of course, Ellie reacted as well.

But…

There was something strange about the opponent’s movements.

It was as if they already knew Ellie’s attacks in advance, moving ahead of them.

Ellie’s sword grazed past her opponent’s head as if it were half a beat too slow.

No way.

Crash!

A chilling, ominous sound resonated.

A fleeting blue flash brushed past Ellie’s body.

But Ellie didn’t go down.

Thud—

Ellie’s left arm got severed.

She hurriedly evaded the attack, but couldn’t completely dodge it.

But it wasn’t over yet. Though she had lost an arm, Ellie had the opportunity for a counterattack.

In an instant, the screen shifted to focus on Ellie’s face.

With an intense gaze burning brightly.

Her pupils rapidly contracted and expanded.

A desperate move to catch up to her opponent in that brief moment.

Ellie’s counterattack began.

The Claymore in her right hand swung mightily, beginning to pressure her opponent.

Two seconds.

No, three seconds?

That was the time when the opposing player could match Ellie evenly.

Once that time passed, her opponent could only manage a frantic defense against Ellie’s oncoming strikes.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Five strikes in total.

That was the number of attacks Ellie used to finish off her opponent.

Swoosh!

With a sweeping motion, Ellie’s blade cleaved her opponent’s neck, ending the match.

I hurriedly dashed toward the Capsule.

Today, Ellie had utilized her abilities beyond the time she was allowed.

Inside the Capsule, Ellie wore a blank expression, drooling as I had predicted.

“Ugh…”

I told you not to overdo it.

I sighed as I pulled Ellie out of the Capsule.

I had gotten used to managing Ellie in this depleted state.

I took out a pill from Ellie’s pocket and popped it into her mouth.

Then, I grabbed a water bottle and poured it into her mouth.

If I left her like this for about five minutes, Ellie would regain her senses.

“Should I go next?” I shook my head at Sohee’s question.

Had the opponent not shown their hand moments ago, I would have sent Sohee in.

“Just keep an eye on Ellie.”

“Are you really going out, Hayun?”

“Yeah.”

Ellie had overexerted herself.

I intended to end the match as quickly as possible.

Of course, the opposing team would need to agree to a consecutive match.

If they refused, I’d make them accept.

Provoking an opponent was something I was accustomed to.

I am the Blood Demon King.

Deron’s Demon.

As the Blood Demon King, I ponder.

What should I do to incite my opponent’s anger?

“Hayun, aren’t you going into the Capsule?”

“Nah. I’ll use the entire waiting time.”

Most Koreans have a motto of fast and quick.

Which means they dislike waiting.

I took my time, not entering the Capsule as long as I could.

The waiting time allotted was five minutes.

I stepped into the Capsule and logged into the game at the four-minute mark.

In that state, I adjusted my gear.

I discarded all my armor and selected the Katana as my weapon.

All of this information would have reached my opponent.

Revealing themselves across from me was a Samurai.

With a setup almost identical to mine, save for the absence of armor.

His weapon was also a Katana.

From the start, I planned to fight seriously.

The moment the white pain began to seep into my mind, the match commenced.

I stayed still.

I waited for my opponent to come, taking long breaths.

Finally, my opponent began to move.

Time flowed slowly.

In a world where sounds faded away, the movements of my opponent began to materialize.