I’m weak.
I have no talent.
With so many misdeeds behind me, there’s no way I can hide. So, until the day I step down as Commander, I must never run away from my enemies.
That was the promise I made to myself. I’m scared of fighting. I just want to run away. But if I flee now… everything I’ve achieved so far will come to an end.
If I lack talent, then I just have to use what I have on hand. I possess the incredibly broken weapon known as Time Stop. But I can’t survive on this alone.
So, I focused on the basics. I worked hard to gain real battle experience through sparring. Of course, I tried as hard as I could to learn the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique like Helia, but it still wasn’t enough.
My opponent is Zinjo. A top-tier demon who ranks among the strongest of its race. In the game, facing it would usually lead to cursing because of its difficulty. Yet, this is the first time I’ve encountered it today.
There were hints that the name Blood Demon had other meanings, which were laid out back in the game and the lore book. But I never imagined I would find out like this.
Stay calm.
Somehow, I must resolve this myself.
Thanks to Time Stop, I’ve been able to hold on this far. If I use all the cards I have left, I’ll have a chance to kill that thing. My mind raced as I desperately thought of a method.
First, in the game, Zinjo typically had three phases. Phase 1 is its disguised form, Phase 2 is full power, and Phase 3 is desperation. While the patterns may vary, the phases were similar.
I took a quick glance at its movements. With its neck cut, a torrent of blood poured from its human-shaped body that still maintained its form. Judging from its reactions, it seems to be in Phase 2.
And then, it revealed itself. A monster that looked as if it shed all its human skin stood before me. Its muscles were covered not in skin, but in flowing blood. I opened my mouth.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to hear a story?”
“Yes, that hasn’t changed. But…”
“But?”
“You seem different from the others I’ve fought so far.”
Just a while ago, that Blood Demon had barely moved its finger. Now it was dedicated to moving its whole body, closing the distance, and swinging its fist towards me.
Its fist didn’t reach me. Yet, the colors around me turned gray. I almost died just from the shockwave? I quickly dodged.
At the same time, I released Time Stop. As expected, just the shockwave obliterated everything around and left only dust behind. I seized the opportunity and swung my sword at the demon.
Thud!
However, my sword merely bounced off without power. It was already tough attacking with two hands, so attacking with just one was to be expected. But I had no time to waste feeling disappointed.
It had noticed my position. Time Stop activated again. The fact that I nearly died sent chills down my spine, but there was no time to stop my legs.
Moreover, evading attacks wasn’t easy. With one eye gone, there were too many blind spots, allowing deadly attacks. That’s why Time Stop kept activating.
In other words, using Time Stop offensively was impossible for me right now. There were far too many unnecessary blind spots, and just a moment of inattention could result in a fatal wound.
Then my remaining options are Time Acceleration and Time Deceleration.
But I couldn’t just use Time Acceleration recklessly. It inflicted heavy internal damage, and yet the only effective method to land a hit on that demon was through Time Acceleration.
There’s no other choice. I’ll utilize Time Deceleration, which has the least penalty, to create openings as much as possible. In that opening, I’ll deal a critical hit using Time Acceleration…!!
I quickly made my decision from past experiences and moved my body. I had used Time Stop just now to avoid a fatal blow, and it was still in cooldown. So for now, I’ll use Deceleration!
“…”
“Oh dear.”
In the meantime, it seemed to have adjusted to my slowed movements. It swiftly prepared its defense stance. But due to the time deceleration, its movements were slow.
I managed to seize a considerable opening. I dashed towards the Blood Demon. But then, once again time froze. Why this time?! I even used Time Deceleration!
But I soon realized why. The clue was beneath my feet—blood. I thought it was just a puddle of blood, but the moment I stepped on it, it attacked me like a trap.
What the hell… I never thought it would lay such traps. What should I do? Should I keep attacking? No, I can’t. I can’t figure out what tricks that demon is hiding right now.
Since Time Stop is on cooldown, I could only attack if I was absolutely sure of the situation. Making a quick judgment, I retreated and released Time Stop. I shouted.
“Laying traps, huh? You’re more cunning than I expected.”
“How did you know?”
“It’s obvious just by looking.”
“Ah, you have a lot of experience!”
“I have no more stories to tell.”
As Time Deceleration ended, a splitting headache hit me. It seemed the penalty for Time Deceleration was a headache. Compared to Time Acceleration, this penalty could be considered cute.
But the penalty from Time Deceleration still significantly hindered my fighting. I couldn’t help but frown from the headache. But the Blood Demon took that in a different way.
“You don’t seem to be feeling very well?”
“How could I feel good fighting someone like you?”
“That’s too harsh! I’m serious!”
Its facial skin was completely melted away, showcasing its eyes and facial muscles moving grotesquely. For someone with a weak stomach like me, I immediately wanted to look away.
But if I looked away, I might die at any moment. At that moment, Time Stop activated again. This time, blood-red spears and axes were coming for my neck from behind. Damn it.
This is no ordinary opponent.
Just a little inattention could mean death.
*
Every single movement is extraordinary.
First of all, it consciously limits its movements to the extreme. It deftly avoids critical attacks. Especially when it dodged my decisive blows, the Blood Demon couldn’t help but click its tongue.
However, it was soon shocked by its own change. Up until now, it had never felt anxious in any situation. Its overwhelming strength meant it always had absolute dominance.
But why? The more it fought against the Commander in front of it, the more anxious its heart became. Yet the Blood Demon didn’t see this change as a bad thing. On the contrary, it welcomed it.
It craved new stories, new sensations. And the Commander before its eyes provided a fresh experience. That’s why the Blood Demon smiled.
More stories.
More experiences.
To become my nourishment.
With countless blood spills, the Blood Demon charged forward. In response, the Commander did likewise. Their fists collided, sending a tremendous shockwave that swept everything away.
That attack was on par with my own strike. It felt as if the Commander had drawn me to this point. An overwhelming force that could not be resisted. This attack, if landed, would put me in danger as well.
But even in a situation where I should be creating distance, the Blood Demon was instead excited and stayed close. Utilizing its above-average physical abilities from Zinjo, it slowly wore down the Commander.
I thought I might die at any moment, and so I had been holding back my strength, yet it had been a long time since I faced an opponent who wouldn’t die even under my full power. Was that the reason? The Blood Demon got carried away and ended up using too much power while fighting.
With great power comes greater openings; it’s only natural. However, this was a trap. Intentionally revealing weaknesses, leading the opponent to attack. To put it simply, sacrifice the flesh to obtain the bone.
Did I fall for the bait? The Commander immediately moved. The way it moved so predictably made the Blood Demon feel disappointment. Should I just kill it like this? But that thought vanished.
My opponent is a Commander of the Royal Knights. A strong individual capable of drawing out all my power. Among the people of the continent, I doubt there are many as strong as this.
Believing in that, the Blood Demon raised its power. The many traps laid underfoot, along with the secret weapons concealed in its poor appearance. How will you break through this?
The Blood Demon looked forward to it even more.
And the Commander met that expectation. The massive wave of blood released from its hands swept everything away. However, the Blood Demon knew. The Commander would not be swept away by that crimson flood.
Stepping carefully, avoiding all traps laid around, it faced the Blood Demon head-on. With its sole remaining eye and arm, it fought on without retreating. That sight was indeed close to that of a god.
With a flash, the Commander’s sword swung once more, severing the Blood Demon’s neck.
Yet, even in that moment of decapitation, the Blood Demon smiled.
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