Dominion Bond System: The Only Man Left Has A Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 84: I’m Only Here To Clear Gates

The high-pitched voice echoed across the battlefield.

The female captain’s eyes widened.

"It really is..."

"...the Night Empress."

The rumors had spread throughout Japan. A mysterious female Awakened wearing an oversized hoodie. A baseball cap. Appearing only at night.

Destroying Gates alone before vanishing without a trace.

No guild, identity or recordings. Only a blurry clip of a figure managed to be caught.

Many believed the stories were exaggerated.

Looking at the person before her... the captain realized the rumors hadn’t exaggerated anything.

They had underestimated her.

BOOM!!

The first Serpent Worm lunged.

Before anyone could even react...

[Shadow Step.]

The hooded figure disappeared.

A silver flash streaked across the battlefield.

SHING!!

The worm split cleanly into two pieces. Green blood erupted into the air.

Ding!

[Host has killed a C-Rank Serpent Worm!]

[+41 EXP.]

Before the corpse even hit the ground...

[Shadow Step.]

Another flash.

SHING!!

A second worm died. Then a third. Then a fourth. The battlefield became nothing but streaks of silver

The female adventurers could barely follow the movements.

"...Where is she?"

"I... I can’t see her!"

"That’s impossible..."

Only flashes of the bone sword appeared before another monster was cut apart.

Every slash was clean. Every movement efficient. No wasted motion. No unnecessary flourish. Only death.

BOOM!!

Another worm burst from beneath the sand directly beneath Reiji.

Instead of retreating he stepped forward. The worm opened its mouth. Its rows of rotating teeth could easily grind steel into powder.

SHING!!

One upward slash. The creature split apart from mouth to tail.

Its body crashed onto the sand in two equal halves.

The surrounding worms hesitated.

For the first time... fear appeared inside their instincts.

The captain couldn’t believe what she was witnessing.

"...She’s reading every attack."

The worms always attacked from beneath the sand. Even detecting them was difficult.

Yet every single time... the mysterious woman somehow knew exactly where they would appear.

It was almost as though she possessed eyes beneath the earth.

Of course... that was Detect Presence.

Every vibration. Every heartbeat. Every movement beneath the sand entered Reiji’s perception. Nothing could hide from him.

RUMBLE!!

The desert suddenly exploded.

Eight worms erupted simultaneously from different directions. They coordinated perfectly. Each blocked an escape route.

The captain gasped.

"They’re surrounding her!"

One of the younger adventurers covered her mouth.

"No..."

"She can’t dodge that..."

Reiji calmly looked around. "...Too slow."

[Shadow Step.]

His body blurred.

Instead of escaping he appeared directly in the center of the monsters.

The worms hadn’t expected that.

Neither had the adventurers. His bone sword spun. One complete circle.

SHIIIIIIING!!

A circular blade of silver light expanded outward.

Every Serpent Worm froze.

Then... their bodies slid apart.

Eight monsters. One attack. Green blood rained across the desert and only a deafening silence remained. The adventurers stared with wide eyes.

"...One swing..."

"She killed eight..."

The captain unconsciously swallowed.

Just how strong was the Night Empress?

Ding!

[Host has killed a C-Rank Serpent Worm!]

[+43 EXP.]

Ding!

[Host has killed a C-Rank Serpent Worm!]

[+42 EXP.]

The notifications continued ringing inside Reiji’s ears.

He ignored them. His attention remained fixed on the distant horizon.

"...Still coming."

More vibrations.

Much larger this time.

The sand began shaking again.

BOOOOOOM!!

Nearly thirty more worms erupted from underground.

The adventurers paled.

"They’re endless!"

"If this continues—"

Before panic could spread further...

Reiji moved.

[Blood Rage.]

His muscles swelled beneath the oversized hoodie.

Without waiting... he sprinted.

BOOM!!

The sand exploded beneath every step. Each movement covered dozens of meters. His sword danced.

SHING!!

SHING!!

SHING!!

Every swing claimed another life. The battlefield became a blur of movement. Bodies fell faster than anyone could count.

Some worms attempted ambushes. Others spat hardened sand projectiles.

Several tried retreating underground.

None escaped.

Whenever one burrowed beneath the sand a compressed stream of water pierced the ground.

[Water Jet.]

BOOM!!

Green blood erupted from beneath the desert before another corpse surfaced.

The captain watched in complete disbelief.

"...She’s using multiple skills..."

Movement. Swordsmanship. Water.

She had never heard of an Awakened possessing such versatility.

Could this really be one person?

Or was she witnessing a genius beyond common sense?

Within minutes the battlefield fell silent once more.

Only corpses remained.

The wind gently carried grains of sand across the countless bodies.

Reiji slowly lowered the bone sword.

"...Done."

Behind him no one spoke or moved. The adventurers simply stared.

The captain finally gathered enough courage to step forward. "Um... Thank you for saving us."

Reiji remained facing away from them.

"...You’re welcome."

His deliberately high-pitched voice sounded calm.

"We... We would’ve died."

Reiji simply nodded. "...Probably."

The blunt answer left everyone speechless.

After several seconds he spoke again.

"You should leave."

The captain blinked. "...Leave?"

"This Gate... isn’t D-Rank anymore."

Everyone became silent. They had already realized that much.

But hearing it spoken aloud made the situation feel even heavier.

Reiji continued.

"The Boss is still alive. If you continue... you’ll die."

No one argued.

After witnessing his strength none of them believed themselves capable of challenging whatever monster ruled this Gate.

The captain lowered her head. "...We’ll withdraw."

She hesitated before asking, "May I know your name?"

Reiji became quiet.

Then he spoke again. "Names aren’t important."

He slowly rested the bone sword across his shoulder.

"I’m only here... to clear the Gate."

The captain smiled bitterly. "...I understand."

She bowed deeply. Every other adventurer followed.

"Thank you... Night Empress."

Reiji almost sighed. He had no idea where that title came from.

Still... correcting them would only create more trouble.

Without another word... he walked away.

The group silently watched his figure disappear into the desert.

Only after he vanished beyond the dunes did one girl whisper,

"...She’s amazing."

Another nodded.

"No... she’s terrifying."

The captain stared toward the horizon. "...I don’t think she was even serious."

Everyone became quiet. If that overwhelming display... hadn’t been her full strength...

Then just how powerful was the mysterious woman raiding Japan gates from the shadows?

The desert gradually grew quieter.

No more Serpent Worms burst from beneath the dunes, and no shrill screeches echoed across the endless sea of sand. Only the constant howl of the wind remained as fine grains drifted across Reiji’s boots with every step he took.

His pace remained calm and steady. There was no reason to rush anymore. Every few steps, Detect Presence spread across the surrounding landscape like invisible waves, sweeping through the dunes and rocky terrain. Nothing escaped his senses.

The countless corpses of the Serpent Worms behind him slowly dissolved into black mist as the Gate’s mana reclaimed them, leaving behind no trace of the fierce battle that had taken place only moments ago.

"...Interesting."

The farther he advanced, the fewer life signatures he detected. It wasn’t because the monsters had disappeared. Instead, they had abandoned this region entirely, as though an overwhelming terror had forced them away.

Even the aggressive Serpent Worms that attacked anything entering their territory refused to approach this place.

It was instinct.

The instinct every prey possessed when standing inside the hunting grounds of a far greater predator.

Cracks spread beneath the shifting sand, revealing enormous bones protruding from the desert floor. Some belonged to gigantic reptilian monsters while others resembled humanoid creatures several meters tall. Every skeleton had been shattered with overwhelming force, as though whatever killed them hadn’t merely defeated them, it had completely crushed them.

"So... this is its territory."

The deeper he ventured, the heavier the atmosphere became. Dense mana filled the desert, pressing against his skin with increasing intensity. The pressure would have been enough to make ordinary D-Rank Awakened struggle to breathe, yet Reiji simply continued walking without slowing down.

A faint smile appeared beneath the oversized hood.

"This is exactly what I wanted."

Ever since entering the Gate, none of the monsters had managed to challenge him. They had provided experience, but nothing more. The Gate Boss, however, felt different. Even from this distance, its presence far surpassed anything he had encountered so far.

His grip around the bone sword tightened.

The blade emitted a faint metallic hum, almost as though it sensed the powerful opponent waiting ahead.

Then the desert trembled.

Rumble...

Unlike the Serpent Worms, there were no rapid vibrations or countless movements beneath the sand. There was only one presence.

One enormous creature.

Each movement sent heavy tremors through the desert, causing entire dunes to shift.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Every step echoed like the heartbeat of a giant, carrying enough force to shake the surrounding landscape.

Reiji finally came to a stop.

His crimson eyes narrowed beneath the shadow cast by his baseball cap as Detect Presence focused entirely on the approaching aura.

Far beyond the dunes, the horizon gradually darkened as an enormous cloud of sand rose into the sky. It continued growing larger with every passing second, swallowing the distant landscape beneath a wall of swirling dust.

The true ruler of the desert had finally awakened.

Reiji slowly smiled beneath the hood. "...Finally. The Boss."

He tightened his grip around the bone sword.

Then... he disappeared into the endless sea of sand.