Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 86: Better Late Than Never (1)

Commander Fred and Oliver stood facing the demon general, their jaws clenched in fury, but they made no other moves. Their backs were to Commander Eric, who was putting Rudy’s remains together.

The least he could do at that moment was to allow Rudy to close his eyes with both halves of his body together, even if it was but a gesture.

’Ah... Rudy..." The commander shed tears as he watched his colleague bleed all over the floor and choke on his blood. "W-we’re so sorry we failed you..." He apologized with teary eyes, his bloody hands trembling nonstop.

Rudy tried to say something but only gurgles and blood came out. Oliver and Fred looked over their shoulders with heavy hearts. There was nothing they could do for him in that state.

"Hahaha...." Kolga laughed his heart out as he witnessed the sorry scene. "This is good, fellas. You should rejoice knowing you’ll be joining him soon." The demon raised his severed hand to the commanders.

"See this..." Kolga grinned widely. "This is but an easy fix..." The demon channeled mana into the hand and under the trembling gaze of the commanders, the arm regenerated.

In addition to that, the deep wound on his waist wobbled and twisted as it began regenerating. In just a few seconds, the demon general rendered the damages he was dealt null.

"See... Good as new."

Oliver and Fred wanted nothing more than to rip the demon apart, but they couldn’t leave their comrade open for attack. And the demon fucker had already proven he was too much for any one of them to handle.

"Rudy...Ah..."

A pained cry from Commander Eric signalled the end of one of their own. The commander had drawn his last breath in agony, unable to utter a single word.

"Hah..." Eric quickly recomposed himself as he rose to his feet. "Rest well, Rudy. Your sacrifice won’t be in vain." The commander turned around to face the grinning demon, his expression anything but calm.

"Aww~ That’s so sad..." Kolga mocked the commanders with a hand mimicking a crying child. "Are you angry...? Good... It makes for a better fight." The demon general swung his axe around.

"Let’s not waste time, shall we...?"

In an instant, all combatants disappeared with a bang, reappearing midway as they clashed in another thunderous battle. One had a mocking grin on while the rest had clenched jaws and eyes that burned with rage.

.....

BOOM...!

A high-speed projectile shot into the ground, digging a deep trench until it stopped in a crater tens of meters wide and several meters deep.

"Ugh..."

Lance groaned in agony as he lay wounded and battered in the crater of his making. The demon general was ruthless in his beatdown.

After exhausting himself in trying to bring the demon general down, Lance had done nothing but take blow after blow.

Fortunately for him, the demon general didn’t seem too interested in killing him, or at least till he was satisfied with his beatdown.

"I must say... you’re tougher than the last one." The demon general—Thorex—said as he appeared at the edge of the crater. "That is something you can at least be proud of. Unfortunately for you, playtime is over..."

Far in the distance, Captain Reeder and the others watched with solemn expressions. They had barely seen the two combatants move, but they knew their commander was done for.

And now that he lay in the crater completely helpless, it was almost certain this was the end for him.

"Captain, we have to do something." Kennedy urged desperately. "We can-we can’t just stand here and watch."

"I understand your feelings, lieutenant." Reeder turned to his trusted second. "But we have to be reasonable here. What exactly do you think we can do that the commander couldn’t?"

It pained him to say this but that was the reality. They were no match for the demon general. Going in would only mean throwing their lives away.

Sure, they could buy time by sacrificing themselves, but then, to what end? To become martyrs? There was no hope anywhere.

Kennedy clenched his teeth with so much force that his gum bled. He knew the captain was right, but still, they had to do something! But the only thing he could do was pray that reinforcement would make it in time.

’But time is running out.’ Kennedy thought grimly as he looked over to the demon pointing a hand at the commander. ’It’s now or never...’

Kennedy took deep breaths as he primed himself for what he was about to do. He subtly glanced at his captain, muttering a silent apology.

"Kennedy, no!"

Captain Reeder realized too late when his lieutenant bolted towards the demon general. While there was a lot of distance between them and where the demon general was, it wouldn’t take more than a few seconds to cover that distance.

Reeder went after Kennedy against his better judgement, his speed slightly faster than the lieutenant. However, Kennedy was already close to the demon, his sword aimed squarely at the demon’s back.

’I may not be enough, but I sure as hell won’t allow you to take another commander!’ The lieutenant refused to see another commander fall.

With a defiant roar, the lieutenant lunged forward, his blade barely a few centimetres from the demon’s back. He could see hope.

"What a fool..." The demon general muttered. "You could have lived a bit longer..."

BANG...!

It happened too fast.

Kennedy didn’t even know what happened next. One moment he was about to pierce the demon, then the next he was buried so deep into the ground he heard his own bones crack.

The lieutenant was knocked out instantly, his bones broken in several places. Wounds littered his body as he bled from his orifices. It would take a miracle to put him back together.

"No...!!!"

The captain’s heart fell to his stomach as he watched with terrified eyes his lieutenant put down like a rabid dog.

The demon general had abruptly turned and dealt a heavy slap to Kennedy’s head, bringing the attack to a painful and devastating halt. His eyes abruptly turned to Reeder, forcing the captain to come to a halt.

"A wise decision..." Thorex said, lowering his gaze to the broken lieutenant. "That was a commendable effort...Now you die."

Thorex raised his foot to stomp on the lieutenant when a sharp breeze swept past his foot, his target disappearing along with the breeze. Raising his head, he noticed the other human was gone as well.

The crater where the commander lay was also empty. All his targets were gone, stolen right under him. Not that it made a difference.

"I was wondering when more of you commanders would show up." Thorex smiled, looking at the group of six commanders who just arrived. "Better late than never, am I right?" The demon grinned.