339 Total Defeat
The white-scaled Monster's body froze.
'When... So fast! Dead... I just...' Its mind raced.
For a second, it had taken its focus off of the Commander.
The white-scaled Monster had been careful.
The arrival of the Commander's Soldiers, despite the fact that they had arrived from behind him, only made Mark wonder for a second.
But in front of someone as powerful and ferocious as Ani, the Orcish Fiend and Commander of Sloth, a second given is a second too much.
He could feel his stomach tear. His heart burst. His sternum being crushed. His arm being torn away.
All of these would have been possible in that second.
The sound of her foot hitting the ground by his side resonated.
"Ahhh..." Ani stretched her arms up. "I'm tired."
He had completely let his guard down.
Now, she was doing the same?
Attack!
Kill her!
Right now, your claws can definitely-
"Boa."
"Yes, Commander!"
"How many? How many did we lose?"
"Commander we..." The Soldier's eyes moved from the Commander to the white-scaled Monster's back repeatedly. "We lost Kar, Lor, Mado, Trol, Pow, and Sha."
"While crossing?"
"Yes... Commander."
Ani took a deep breath in.
Mark's eyelid wavered.
How did those Soldiers cross the Border? There was no way they could do so with their level of strength. Then... Is that the reason why it took so long for the Commander?
'Did she cross the Border while taking care of every Monster in the way so that her Soldiers could...?'
The Commander thought silently.
Mark didn't dare turn around.
Why didn't he dare turn around?
Turn around! Attack! Kill her!
'I'll attack. I'll-'
The Orcish Fiend's lips parted.
At the same time, a green Aura started oozing out of her only arm which remained complete arm.
"So tired..."
'The Commander?'
'Tired'
'That's a first, isn't it?'
'Was this Monster that strong?'
'Idiot! It's because the Commander protected us...'
The Soldiers exchanged looks and whispers.
"Six men lost... And for what?"
"Huh?"
"Six of my Soldiers are dead. What was it for? What did we come to do? Why... Did I bring them here?" The Commander whispered in a voice that only the white-scaled Monster by her side could hear.
"To... Kill me."
"Yeah... That's why." Ani let out a long yawn. "I'm so tired..."
Her words confused him.
Still, he didn't dare turn around.
"The General told me about it. About... Lin's death. It would have been simpler, were you different. Had he not... Smiled at you."
Mark was surprised by his own heart as he felt an unexpected emotion.
Guilt.
Why?
"Now, my Soldiers are here. I wouldn't have to do much to take you down. Yes, me and my Soldiers..."
Mark could imagine it.
He could imagine his chances of winning against that. Zero.
"Commander!"
"Just tell us when!"
"We'll bring his head to Sloth!"
"The Demon Lord will surely..."
Ani lowered her gaze to the ground.
Her body started shaking.
The Soldiers immediately feared that they had offended or angered their ferocious Commander.
Only Mark was close enough to realize what was really happening. And it filled him with sadness.
The Commander suddenly raised her gaze off the ground and.
"HAHAHAHA! The Demon Lord? Sloth? Hahahaha! That's so funny! I can't! I...! HAHAHHAHA!"
The Soldiers grew silent as they stared at their Commander.
The personification of strength and ferociousness smiled and struggled to stop the laughter welling from inside of it.
She laughed so hard tears started going down her face.
"You lazyfucks! I can't believe this! HAHAHAH!"
'We made...'
11:36
'We made...'
'The Commander laugh...'
'How did we...?'
'We did a good job.'
The Soldiers thought that there was nothing more beautiful than their Commander laughing out loud under rays of sunlight.
"That's right." Ani said as she wiped her tears with a hand. "A Commander of Sloth would bring his head. A Commander of Sloth would definitely punish such an offense. It's disrespectful after all. Insulting a Commander of the Army is the same as lacking respect for the Demon Lord."
"That's right..."
"We can't accept that..."
"Insulting the Commander can't be tolerated..."
"Let's kill him...!"
"Killing a Commander is even worse." Ani continued, a greenish Aura covering her arm. "It makes the whole Army and the Demon Lord look weak after all."
"Such disrespect..."
"We won't let anyone..."
"Think that we're weak."
"We'll kill him for the Command-"
"But I'm sooo tired."
"Huh?"
"Huh?
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Mark felt he still couldn't move.
His life had been hers during that second. She could have killed him, but didn't.
And so, he decided not to interfere. To let the scene play out as she wanted it to. Because she had spared his life.
He clicked his tongue. This resemblance of respect, of honor, he hated it.
"A good Commander would kill him. A good Commander would cut his head off and take it. A good Commander would show that severed head to all. This, is what happens when you mess with Sloth. Something like that, right?"
The hesitant Soldiers remained silent.
"I'm..." She raised her gaze to the bright sky above. "Too tired for that. I lost sight... Of what I came to do." She whispered.
Ani slightly turned her neck to gaze at the white-scaled Monster.
"Staying with your back turned. I'm glad... I'm glad you were the one that fought him. The one that made him smile."
"What's-"
A yawn interrupted Mark's words.
Ani took a step forward. A step closer to her Soldiers, a step away from the white-scaled Monster.
Only then did Mark slowly and carefully turn around.
The next second, Ani turned to face him. Hurriedly as if she had forgotten something important.
Perhaps she had.
"How was your fight with him?" She asked. Ani wasn't shouting, but she wasn't talking in a low voice either.
"He was strong. Too strong for me to beat alone."
"Mm!" She nodded. "Somehow you got his eye, didn't you? How does it feel? Having the same eye as him?"
Mark felt a shiver go down his spine.
"I can't... Use it like he did. I can't use it at all, to be honest."
"Ah! That's because you're a weakfuck!"
"Huh?"
"Listen here!" Ani shouted. She raised her arm and extended her index finger. "His Name was Lin! Lin! You better remember it! He was an Orcish Fiend. He decided to enter the Demon Lord of Sloth's Army where he rose to the Rank of Commander! He was strong! Really really strong! He never gave in! He never screamed! He never begged for anything! He was strong! Stronger than you! Wayyy stronger than you! No matter how beat up he got, he never bent to them. He never apologized to them for his snarky remarks! Do you understand? Even when they beat him up, he never apologized! Even when he was getting beat up, he looked at them with disdain and boredom! He was strong! He always knew where he was going! He was never confused! He always knew where he was going! He knew who he was, and he never bent to those who abused him! He was strong! Stronger than you! He was... Way stronger than me..." The Commander shouted in a voice that broke at certain points. "His Name was Lin. Remember it. And use that Eye well."
Ani turned around and walked away, leaving the white-scaled Monster behind her. n/(o(.V(-E--l()b.)1-(n
Mark remained silent. He did his best to stop the shaking of his hands.
Ani stopped once she was about seven steps away from her Soldiers.
"We lost six men today. And it's my fault. I won't be able to slap Kar for staring at me too long. I won't be able to choke Lor and Mado for encouraging Trol to try something. I won't be able to punch Pow and Sha for being lazy fucks making lewd jokes on the sideline. At first, I hated you all. But now..."
The Soldiers, confused, listened with all their intent.
"A good Commander would make sure their deaths weren't in vain. A good Commander would kill that white-scaled Monster in their name. Problem is..."
[Your Title "Commander of Sloth" is shaking!]
"I never liked being a Commander that much. Didn't really want to be one to begin with. I'm sorry for being a bad Commander, for dragging you all here, and for letting your comrades' death go unpunished. I won't be able to show my face in Sloth anymore. I'll be labeled a traitor, that's probable. It's fine though. The four of you are fine Soldiers. You might hate me, but I will help you get back to Sloth. After that, I'll-"
"HAHAHAHHA!"
"BAHAHAHA! HATE THE COMMANDER?"
"HAHAHAHAHHAHA!"
"DID YOU HEAR THAT? HAHAHAHA!"
Ani's eyebrow twitched, obviously annoyed by their outburst.
"As I was saying, you-"
The Soldiers interrupted.
They talked.
They explained.
"Are you sure?"
The Soldiers laughed.
"I can't ask that of you."
The Soldiers laughed even harder.
Mark watched silently from afar.
Commander and Soldiers laughed.
Ani thought they were as stupid as the next.
She raised her arm, and the green Aura around it disappeared with the wind.
[You have Relinquished your Title "Commander of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
"Umm, before we uhh..."
"What is it?"
"Can we, uhhh..." Boa whispered as he pointed.
Ani chuckled and nodded.
A second later,
"HEY, MONSTER!"
Mark was startled by the sudden shout.
The Kobold pulled something out of its Inventory and threw it his way.
It slowly fell onto the white-scaled Monster's hands.
"PUT SOME PANTS ON! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE YOUR D..."
Mark lowered his gaze towards the dark pants he had been handed.
He could've been killed.
He wasn't.
The expression on her face.
Her peaceful smile.
Their laughter.
Mark tightened his grip around the pants he had been given.
He wasn't angry. He wasn't mad.
He couldn't exactly tell the reason.
Still, Mark had never felt more defeated.
