Mistaken Match: Marrying the Enigmatic CEO; Chapter 2364

Mistaken Match: Marrying the Enigmatic CEO

Chapter 2364; Emmanuel the Commander

“Now do you understand the power of Darkanian swordsmanship?” Phineas sneered, his words dripping with arrogance.

His posture radiated pride, a reflection of a life spent mastering the blade.

Born to nobility, he’d been a prodigy from the start, his talent undeniable. And under the guidance of a master, he had cultivated not just skill, but an inner strength that few could match.

As a child, he dreamed of being the world champion of swordsmanship. By eight, he’d already defeated the national champion with ease. From that moment, he dismissed all other martial arts as beneath him.

As he grew older, he sought out the best. Challenging masters from all corners of the land. By eighteen, no one in the country could best him. He was hailed as a swordsmanship legend.

But his arrogance didn’t stop there. His sights turned to the best martial artists across the globe. He wanted to prove himself the greatest.

Then came the fateful meeting. The gods themselves had taken notice of him, giving him the title of chess Sage and tasking him with defeating Chanaea’s war god. It thrilled him to his core.

Though he disliked the Chanaean title and often thought of discarding it, it mattered little now.

What mattered was the power it promised, and the strike he’d just landed on Emmanuel. His pride surged with every drop of blood spilled.

“Pretty sneaky.” Emmanuel muttered, his gaze dropping to the tiny stain of blood on his palm. A smirk tugged at his lips, as if finding some humor in the situation.

He had only been caught off guard. A surprise attack had landed, and fact that he had no weapon to defend himself made it all the more difficult. On top of that, he had to knowledge of his opponent’s moves.

But now that the fight was even, he wasn’t worried about taking another hit.

The problem was that Phineas didn’t understand Emmanuel’s sense of humor. He misread the smirk, thinking it was a sign of respect. The arrogance in Phineas’ eyes only deepened.

“So, you’re the Chanaean war god, Emmanuel?” Phineas sneered, his voice thick with condescension.

“The title ‘war god’ is just name people gave me.” Emmanuel replied, his smile still in place.

“It doesn’t mean much. My real name is Emmanuel.”

Phineas chuckled, a smug grin spreading across his face.

“Heh, I’m Phineas Alexander! Marquis of Darkania. Remember it well. When you die, maybe your revenge will come in your next life!”

Emmaneul’s smile didn’t falter, but now there was a coldness to it. It was clear Phineas intended to kill him, and that made things simpler. There was no need to restraint now.

“Die.”

Phineas, unlike most Chanaeans, wasn’t one to hold back.

Foreigners rarely did. He knew Emmanuel likely had backup coming, so he wanted to end this quickly.

With a sharp, fluid motion, Phineas executed his signature Z Slash, a move known for its precision and subtle alterations. But Emmanuel, ever adaptable, faced it with the Art of Adoptability, his stance unshaken. Phineas’ attack didn’t’ faze him, if anything, it only confirmed what he already knew.

Emmanuel sprang back, his feet barely touching the ground before he snatched a thick branch. With a quick, ruthless thrust, he jabbed it straight into Phineas exposed armpit.

Phineas eyes winded in disbelief. His attack, his deadly, precise attack, had been broken so effortlessly. His pride couldn’t accept it.

“There’s an old saying in Chanaea,” Emmanuel smirked, his voice laced with amusement. “The longer your weapon, the stronger it is.”

He raised an eyebrow, a mockery in his voice. “No matter how good you are with a sword, if your opponent steps out of range and strikes from further away, your move become useless.”

“D*mn it! Quit lecturing me!” Phineas shouted, fury twisting his face.

He swung his sword, aiming to cleave the branch from Emmanuel’s grip.

His blade-a legendary weapon from the West, had the power to slice though almost anything, but as the edge of his sword neared, something went wrong. Phineas felt a jolt, a sharp pain in his side.

Before he could even process the shift, the branch broke off in a brutal strike. It drove deep into his armpit, the force tearing though flesh and bone.

Blood spurted from the wound, spattering the ground like spilled wine.

“Ahhh!” Phineas howled, dropping to the ground, his body convulsing in agony.

Emmanuel didn’t know who Phineas really was. To him, he was just another rare foreign fighter.

With a wound this deadly, he would succumb soon enough.

“Gautier!”

His focus was already elsewhere. He turned; eyes fixed on the direction Gautier had fled.

However, it was too late. Gautier had slipped away, vanishing into Kassango.

“Commander!” Albin’s voice broke through the air, urgency clear.

“D*mn it, Gautier got away into Kasango!” Emmanuel cursed, his hands clenched. “Take off your uniforms and follow me! We have to take that b*stard down now!

He wouldn’t let Gautier slip through his fingers. The man was a soulless predator, a force that would only bring more chaos if allowed to escape. Emmanuel couldn’t risk letting him get away.

“Commander! Please…” Albini stepped in his path, his voice shaking. “Don’t go after him!”

“We just got word from Mr. Hale.” He continued, urgency in his tone. “The national congress passed a secret resolution. You need to lead the operation against Ashdon Nation immediately. This is our chance to strike, to send a message to every hostile force in the world.”

“What?” Emmanuel brow furrowed.

He’d known about the resolution, of course, Ethan had spoken of it just days ago. But this? This quick passage through congress? It threw him off.

It seemed that world was moving faster than he’d anticipated. The old power balance, the long standing dominance of Eagle nation, was crumbling. The shift was coming sooner than anyone expected.

“Commander, you need to get back to Zovince, there might be more urgent matters waiting for you!”

Albin’s expression was odd, his eyes darting around nervously. Emmaneul caught the unease in Albin’s gaze. Something wasn’t right, but with Ethan’s summon, he had no choice but to head back to Zovince immediately.

It wasn’t until Eve had arranged the helicopter and they were already airborne that Sage finally let out a sign of relief. But it didn’t last long. “Albin you haven’t told the Commander about Mackenzie, have you?”

Albin sighed, shaking his head. “I couldn’t. I was afraid that if Emmanuel found out, he’d rush straight to Tocvale. That could ruin everything.”

Sage nodded gravely, his expression matching the weight of the situation.

As Emmanuel’s most trusted subordinate, they had received troubling news from Quintus, and it was a tangled mess. They all knew how important Mackenzie was to Emmanuel.

But right now, Emmanuel’s focus had to be on the southern campaign.

If he left now to head to Tocvale, even Ethan would have no choice but to let Dragonicus take command instead.

The thought of being blamed for it afterward made Albin shudder.

The next day, Emmanuel landed in Zovince and made his way to the national congress to meet with Ethan.

“Emmaneul, at attention!” Ethan commanded, his voice firm.

In a special session of congress, before the most important figures in the nation, Ethan officially passed the command to Emmanuel.

“Ashdon Nation has repeatedly violated Chanaea’s sovereignty, spreading lies about Chanaea’s threats on the international stage. We need to teach them a lesson! Show them the cost of their actions!

“I herby appoint you as the Grand Marshal of the Dragon Army, granting you the authority to mobilize our forces. You will have ten days to crush Ashdon Nation’s military and permanently dismantle their ability to challenge Chanaea again!”

“Yes sir!” Emmanuel stood straight, saluting Ethan as he took the command.

When the meeting broke up, Ethan motioned for Emmanuel to stay behind. “Emmanuel, defeating Ashdon nation is just the public task. They real mission, however, is far more delicate and must remain secret.”

Emmanuel’s brow furrowed. “Please. Mr. Hale, tell me more.”

Ethan leaned in, his voice lowered.

“The true force behind Ashdon Nation’s government is the Holy Fire organization. They’ve officially formed an alliance with Eagle nation. In the northern part of Ashdon, they’re secretly building a military base for future was, this is their foothold to destabilize Chanaea.”

Ethan’s expression darkened with concern. “We’ve been using Ashdon’s provocation as an excuse to move in, but the real goal is for you to secretly lead an operation to destroy the Holy Fire organization and crush their base before then can use it to challenge us.

“This operation is critical, but you have to understand the stakes, Chanaea’s relationship with Eagle Nation affects the entire global balance. The Holy Fire organization is not an official state power, it’s operating behind the scenes. This military confrontation will remain out of the public eye. Whoever wins, it will be kept secret, so your actions will be severely limited.”