Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Show Me What a Commander Can Do
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“Then act like a commander and show me what you can do.”
“Commander! Commander! Please respond!”
All that came through the communicator was an ominous crackle of static, endless and unrelenting.
The small shuttle had been shot down in a surprise attack from an unknown enemy.
They hadn't even figured out who the attackers were or where the strike had come from.
Black smoke billowed from the shuttle.
At least it hadn't exploded—a lucky scrap heap.
The engine seemed completely fried.
The real problem was that one person was missing.
Rustle!
“Reina, found the Commander yet?”
The bushes parted, and Janet emerged.
Her short black hair was dyed yellow at the tips.
A few yellow hairpins were neatly pinned to one side of her bangs.
Her golden eyes resembled a feral cat's—sharp enough to make most people avert their gaze after a single glare.
A black choker clung tightly to her neck, sharpening her overall impression.
Her black crop sleeveless top cut off below her chest, exposing a slim waist.
Gray cargo joggers hung loose, the untied drawstrings dangling from the front.
In any other situation, she'd look like just another troubled street punk.
“Reina. Please, for the love of—tell me you found him.”
Reina bit her lip hard, then slowly shook her head.
“......I haven't.”
“What the hell is going on hereee!”
Janet bellowed toward the forest.
The surrounding leaves shivered.
“Aaaahhh, we're screwed, this is really the end......”
Janet gasped for breath, raking her hands through her hair frantically.
Strands slipped between her fingers, tousled and wild.
A moment later, Reina approached cautiously after catching her breath.
“Looks like the Commander got thrown farther away.”
Reina peered deep into the forest.
“No signal around here. He might be deeper in.”
“He'll be okay, right?”
Reina closed her eyes briefly before opening them and speaking.
“He's not the type to go down easy. Even with his... pervy side.”
“Yeah, true.”
“He's probably catching his breath somewhere, waiting for us.”
Life returned to Janet's face in an instant.
“Right! Exactly! We gotta go find him quick!”
She seemed to regain her usual energy, pumping her fist high.
“He can't just sit there moping 'cause we're not there!”
“Heehee, yeah. Let's find him before he even thinks of shedding a tear.”
“Okay, it's settled.”
Janet whipped around, glaring into the forest depths.
“Commander, wherever you are, stay put. We're coming to get you—no, to rescue you!”
Running into the Abyss and fleeing wasn't the end of it.
It kept showing up whenever there was a chance.
Relentlessly, obsessively.
What did this tentacle blob want if it caught me?
Naturally, I spent more time outside alone.
To keep Esira out of it.
The thought of her getting hurt in front of me twisted my gut.
At first, I worried it'd follow me all the way home.
Opening the door to find tentacles waving in the yard like a greeting...
That would be a nightmare.
Fortunately, the Abyss hadn't crawled that close to the house yet.
The real issue was elsewhere.
Whenever I stepped outside, there was a chance it'd pop up.
Not like I'm playing a gacha game.
It felt more like it was lurking nearby, pouncing only when I appeared.
A total stalker.
If there was any silver lining...
Compared to our first encounter at the lake, the number showing up now was definitely down.
Might be my imagination.
But it didn't charge blindly anymore—it kept its distance, sizing me up.
Hovering just out of reach, peeking before darting away.
What the hell is its goal?
If I'd dropped into this world after the original game got more updates, I wouldn't have to wonder.
That was a bit of a shame.
The spot I was standing now...
It was near the village where Esira and the kids had lived before she met me.
After I saved them back then, they'd gathered here to form a proper village.
Was there a village like this in the original game?
It felt familiar, but maybe not.
A little while ago, I'd sensed Abyss energy nearby and come to check.
I'd wiped out a group and was heading back.
That's when something odd caught my eye.
“What the...?”
An adult man lay sprawled on the ground.
A corpse?
He was so still, it seemed like he might be dead.
His face was hidden against the dirt.
Abyss victim?
Having just sliced through some Abyss, that was my first thought.
Was it targeting people besides me now?
Why was he down?
Did it try to swallow him, find him distasteful, and spit him out?
Ridiculous as it sounded, that's what popped into my head.
I stood over the fallen man, staring down for a while.
His chest rose ever so faintly.
Still breathing.
I narrowed my eyes further.
Bloodstains soaked patches of his clothes, with tears and rips here and there.
Dragging him home risked bringing Abyss along.
Too much risk.
Not that I particularly wanted to help.
......Should I just leave him?
About three minutes passed, and he hadn't twitched a toe.
To be sure, I gave him one last look before walking away.
Stranger.
No obligation to save him.
I stood rooted, staring at his sprawled back.
“Whatever.”
I turned my back on him without a second thought.
About four steps in...
A faint rustle from behind.
My feet stopped.
Turning, I saw the man's fingers twitch slowly on the ground.
He's coming to.
I headed back to him.
Moments later, a low groan escaped his lips.
“Ugh...... ughh......”
His head turned slowly toward the sky.
Now I could see his face properly.
Wait. Hold on. That face...
The man's facial muscles twitched faintly.
His tightly shut eyelids quivered, then slowly lifted.
It took a moment for his eyes to focus.
The hazy gaze locked onto me.
“......Who are you?”
He asked in a weak voice.
Ah.
Refined features.
Too familiar for a random passerby.
A face I'd stared at for dozens—no, hundreds—of hours on my smartphone screen.
Always at the center of countless stages and story branches.
The Commander.
This game's protagonist.
Later, far in the future...
Esira would serve under him.
There was a line symbolizing their bond.
“You're like a father to me. My one reliable person.”
Father.
A father figure...
A bit awkward now, but...
For Esira's sake.
For the future I knew.
It wouldn't hurt to make a good impression.
No downside to befriending the protagonist.
“Asrania.”
I gave my name.
The Commander blinked a few times, tilting his head slightly.
“Ah......”
No wide-eyed shock, no screams, no bolting for the hills.
A refreshingly novel reaction.
Everyone else who'd heard my name fell into one of two camps.
Pale-faced terror or fleeing without a sound.
Has the Commander been in this world for only a short time?
The thought crossed my mind naturally.
“Just someone who saw you collapsed while passing by.”
I summed it up simply, and he drew a sharp breath.
“I see......”
He propped himself up slightly, scanning the surroundings.
“Was there anyone else? Besides me?”
“Just you.”
I nodded once.
“Why are you collapsed out here?”
“......I was attacked out of nowhere. Next thing I knew, I was here.”
I narrowed my eyes briefly.
Was there a scene like this in the original?
A limited event? Some side story?
It felt familiar, but I couldn't pin it down.
The thought flashed by, but I shook my head.
This was before the main story timeline I knew.
The plot had already diverged from the game.
Best not to rely on game knowledge now.
“Can you move?”
The Abyss energy hadn't fully dissipated yet.
Not close by, but it could return anytime.
“Unless you want to get jumped again wandering alone.”
I rested my hand lightly on the greatsword's hilt.
“Better stick with me.”
“......You're helping me?”
He sounded surprised.
“Don't make me say it twice.”
Don't stare. Just shut up and follow.
“Ah, got it.”
The Commander complied readily.
“......Being alone is dangerous.”
The words slipped out in a lower tone than intended.
The protagonist couldn't die pointlessly here.
For the original story's sake.
Especially for Esira's.
I stood facing him squarely, staring without blinking.
Blatantly.
His gaze lingered on my thigh once, my calf once, brushed my ankle, and paused near my toes again.
Outright ogling.
His tension easing, true colors showing?
The protagonist's always been this type.
Sharp as anyone when serious, but otherwise hides nothing about his desires.
Pretty— no, very pervy.
And this guy gets called 'father' by Esira?
I furrowed my brow just a touch, then glared openly.
“......”
Only then did his eyes snap upward like startled arrows.
“N-No, I mean, it wasn't anything! Really!”
Snap out of it late, huh?
The Commander scrambled to his feet.
Injured for real?
He lurched up, but his wounded leg buckled.
He nearly toppled, staggering but catching his balance.
Yeah, definitely hurt.
“L-Let's go. Staying here's dangerous, right? I swear, no weird thoughts.”
Desperate excuses poured out, making him suddenly chatty.
I let out a long sigh.
At least his eyes stayed off my legs now.
Fine. Whatever.
Not a bad first meeting with the protagonist.
He had to survive for the story to progress, and for Esira's brighter future.
I securely slung the greatsword onto my back and started walking slowly.
The Commander followed a beat behind.
His footsteps were limping slightly, but he was trying to match my stride.
“By the way.”
I spoke without turning.
“What's your name?”
I knew he was the protagonist, the Commander.
But his actual name? No clue.
His steps paused briefly, then resumed cautiously.
“Commander.”
“......That's your title.”
I asked again without looking back.
“I asked your name.”
As gently as possible.
No need to clash with the protagonist right away.
A brief silence.
Then a more serious tone returned.
“Commander. For real.”
I stopped.
He halted abruptly behind, kicking up a loud rustle in the dirt.
I turned slowly.
Facing him head-on.
I hadn't planned to go this far, but my patience was wearing thin.
“Say 'Commander' one more time.”
My hand went to the greatsword hilt behind me.
“And I'll plant my blade in your chest.”
“......”
“I asked your name.”
His throat twitched, swallow audible.
His eyes shook fiercely.
Why's he so tense over a name?
Like it's classified or something.
Never saw that in any setting.
“W-Well......”
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
“My name is Commander.”
Emphasizing each syllable.
“Name's Commander. Commander. Commander......”
Repeating it three times.
Commander.
I closed my eyes once, then opened them slowly.
“Your name's Commander?”
“Yes.”
I'd suspected, but damn, it was true.
He nodded, shoulders hunched.
“Kinda funny, right?”
“......”
Name's Commander?
So damn lazy.
Usually, players name him, or there's a canon name tucked in some artbook corner.
I spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.
“Your parents were bold.”
His lips twisted ambiguously.
“Now it's just convenient for me.”
Half-joking, half-serious.
A face long resigned to it.
No reason for me to comment.
“Got it, Commander.”
I nodded and slung the greatsword back onto my back.
“I'll remember the name.”
“Honored.”
“Keep up. Don't drag me down.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Some time passed like that.
The damp scent of earth tickled my nose.
A familiar chill trickled down my spine.
“Hey, stop.”
The Commander's footsteps behind halted too.
“What's—”
“Shh.”
Questions later.
A presence rising slowly from deep in my chest.
A sensation I could now clearly distinguish.
Abyss.
I inhaled sharply, gripping the greatsword hilt tight.
My knuckles whitened.
From the layered shadows ahead in the forest, black energy welled up.
Not spreading like mist—something alive stirring to life.
“......!”
The Commander gasped audibly behind me.
Black stains seeped into the ground, tentacles crawling out one by one.
Here we go again.
“......What is that?”
Tension laced his voice.
“Abyss.”
“......Abyss? What's that?”
I glanced back just enough to roll my eyes sideways.
“Ask your comrades.”
They'd explain better.
The Abyss tentacles ahead rose fully.
“Step back.”
I advanced another step.
The Commander retreated before I finished, four or five paces—just within my protection range.
......One more thing to protect now.
Abyss alone was annoying enough; now a ward too?
Protagonist privileges, I guess.
I didn't say it aloud, but my feet positioned naturally between him and the Abyss.
“I......”
A hesitant presence behind me.
“......Can I help?”
“How?”
He seemed thoughtful.
Not like his earlier leg-staring glances.
This was a battlefield gaze.
His voice grew firmer.
“I'm the Commander.”
“......”
My brow twitched faintly.
“Reading the field and carving paths—that's my job.”
Command.
I rolled the word in my mouth.
Ahead, an Abyss tendril suddenly veered, whipping toward my torso like a lash.
Shwick—!
Fast enough to slice the air.
Truth was, I could handle this solo.
Had so far, and confident I would going forward.
I twisted sideways, channeling full power into a massive upward greatsword swing.
Slash!
The weighted strike cleaved the tendril clean in two.
The severed end writhed.
Another mass bubbled up inside, the Abyss trying to reform stickily.
“Fine.”
What abilities did the Commander have? How well could he read the field?
Just talk, or a real commander?
“Then act like a commander and show me what you can do.”
I'll check for myself right now.