I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 266

Dawn breaks in the distance.

But the central plaza of this city was brighter than the rising sun.

Torches were densely lit.

And citizens gathered with weapons.

The citizens had set up makeshift barricades at the main paths of the central plaza, holding their weapons in clumsy stances, and were on guard.

Seeing that, I was speechless.

They weren’t soldiers.

Just ordinary people who lived here.

“If you don’t protect yourself when needed. If you don’t step forward and seize your own life.”

A deep, old voice reached my ears as I stared blankly at the scene.

“If you don’t show the strength and will to do so, no one will protect you.”

Turning around, I saw the familiar dwarven blacksmith.

“Well, I said something like that, and everyone followed along.”

“……Kellybay.”

“I distributed the weapons left in the smithy to the citizens. I lit the fires as brightly as possible, and everyone huddled together to protect each other’s backs.”

Kellybay, holding a large war hammer in his hand, grinned, raising his beard.

“We successfully repelled a few werewolves that came this way. The citizens are safe.”

“…….”

“Hey, why such a gloomy face? You can’t even give me a compliment.”

I lowered my gaze.

If I had done a little better.

Then there wouldn’t have been any need for the citizens to step up and fight.

“This place is the front line city against the monsters. Soldiers are losing their lives fighting monsters every day.”

As if reading my thoughts, Kellybay slowly opened his mouth.

“If the citizens living in this city just hoped for peace, they would be the greedy ones.”

“…….”

“If you are protected by someone’s life, you must be prepared to give your own life. That was the way of my country.”

The way of the Dwarven Kingdom might be like that.

But…….

“It’s been decades since I’ve lived in this fortress city, Lord!”

An old woman clutching a pickaxe said with a cackle.

“Even in the time of the previous lord, those guys came inside several times and caused chaos! Even then, the citizens joined forces to beat the monsters!”

“…….”

“We’ve defeated even worse monsters! Do you think we’d be afraid of some wolves?”

“……Thank you.”

I smiled gently at the boastful old woman.

“Thank you for surviving.”

The citizens, protecting each other’s backs and holding torches high.

People, young and old, grasping weapons to protect their own lives.

That sight was admirable, grateful, and even sublime.

But as the commander-in-chief of this front line… it was also a sight I never wanted to see.

“I’m sorry.”

I clenched my fist so hard that my nails dug into my skin.

“I will do my best to ensure this never happens again.”

Little children, holding pokers tightly in their small hands, were laughing and running across the plaza.

Could this situation feel like a game to the children?

At the head of the children was Hannibal, Kellybay’s assistant. The young N-rank hero led the children and disappeared into the alley.

The laughter of children echoed in the plaza as the sun rose.

I watched the scene blankly and murmured.

“I will do everything in my power to make a world where you don’t have to hold weapons.”

Yes.

To create such a world, I will…….

***

The time when the morning sun was turning blue.

In front of the north wall.

Lunared was dead.

The silver-red-maned werewolf was cleanly dead, with a large fist mark in the center of his chest.

I stared at the monster’s corpse.

The end of the monster who had vowed to destroy the world was so quiet and futile.

Kureha had also passed away.

Although all the curses had left him, he was still in the form of a wolf monster. Small and emaciated, Kureha had closed his eyes peacefully.

And in front of him, the five members of the Punishment Unit, including Kuilan, stood.

“…….”

The curse that Kureha had held had returned to each of the Punishment Unit members.

All five had grown taller, gained muscle, and had red fur growing on their bodies.

They didn’t look like werewolves. They were closer to humans.

Perhaps it was because the blood of the wolf had been diluted through generations of interaction with humans.

But it was definitely a form mixed with that of a beast.

Beastmen.

The very form of the werebeast race that I had seen in the game.

“This is our tribe’s true form.”

Kuilan slowly opened his mouth. His voice had also become deeper.

“Wolf beastmen. The true form of the Maple Wolf Tribe.”

“…….”

“We turn into wolves when the full moon is bright, and we become human when the new moon wanes, half-human, half-beast……”

Kuilan muttered bitterly, looking down at his furry fist.

“We can no longer stay on this front line, Your Highness.”

“Why is that?”

“Look at our appearance. We’re half wolf.”

Kuilan shook his head.

“I don’t think we can be called human anymore.”

“What you decide to be is not determined by your birth, race, or appearance.”

I said the same thing to them that I had said to the monsters a little while ago.

“What you decide to be… is determined by what thoughts you hold and what actions you take.”

“…….”

“You are human.”

I nodded.

“If you want to be human, you will surely be human.”

What makes a person human,

What makes a monster a monster.

The criteria will be different for everyone. But here on this front line, that definition is me.

To me, the five members of the Punishment Unit are ‘people’ to protect.

If they want to be.

“……Then, Your Highness. I have one request.”

Kuilan slowly picked up Kureha’s corpse, which was lying on the ground, and held it in his arms.

“May I bury my brother… Kureha, in the cemetery of this city?”

“…….”

“Someday, when we reclaim our homeland, I will bury him there. But until then… I want to bury him here. This cemetery is a place of honor.”

“Of course.”

I quietly looked down at the small wolf monster’s corpse in Kuilan’s arms.

There was no trace of his human form, but why? He still seemed to be smiling softly and peacefully.

“He is a warrior who gave his life to protect this front line. We will hold a funeral with the highest respect.”

“……Thank you.”

Kuilan, who bowed his head to me, slowly moved towards the cemetery in the west of the city.

“Then, I’ll go bury my brother.”

Kuilan led the way, holding Kureha in his arms, and the rest of the Punishment Unit members slowly followed behind him.

The red-furred beastmen quietly walked away, with the pale morning sun rising from the east behind them.

It was the back view of ordinary people who had lost their brother and were immersed in sorrow.

At least, that’s how it looked to me.

***

Crossroad. Back alley.

Here, where the morning sun slowly chases away the darkness that had fallen on the city.

“…….”

“…….”

Junior, Reina, and Camus were still on guard, protecting the citizens.

The four citizens had grown to dozens.

As they blocked as many werewolf attacks as possible throughout the night, the number of citizens who had fled under their protection had rapidly increased.

Soldiers who had joined in between also swallowed hard, scanning their surroundings.

Everyone was on edge, worried about possible additional attacks.

And, at the same time as the sun rose.

Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!

A slow bell rang from the center of the city.

It was the bell signaling the end of the emergency. All the monsters had been defeated. Cheers erupted from the citizens all at once.

“Hooray!”

“We survived!”

“Thank you, mercenaries! Thank you so much!”

“We owe you our lives!”

The citizens rushed to greet the heroes and soldiers.

Junior smiled bitterly as he received the greetings. He couldn’t shake the thought that he was the cause of the fall of the west gate.

‘Still, it seems there were no more casualties in this area.’

Thanks to the desperate protection of the trio of Junior, Reina, and Camus, all the citizens were safe.

Under the guidance of the soldiers, the citizens returned to their homes one by one.

Looking at their bright faces, relieved to have survived, Junior bit his lip.

It was then.

Swish…….

The sound of a blade cutting through the air.

Whoosh-

The sound of the dry, cold wind responding to magic and swirling.

And, the killing intent that fell like frost…….

Sensing these, Junior turned around in surprise.

“?!”

And he found it.

In the alley where all the citizens had left. Where the morning sun was rising, but still, deep shadows were creating darkness.

Camus and Reina, who were facing each other, were quietly pointing their swords and magic at each other.

Junior, flustered, quickly stepped between them.

“What are you doing?!”

“…….”

“…….”

“The fight is over! All the monsters have been defeated! There’s no need to fight anymore!”

But it seemed like they couldn’t hear Junior’s words. Camus and Reina were glaring at each other, coldly sharpening their killing intent.

Junior couldn’t understand.

“We’re human! We’re the same humans who have monsters as a common enemy!”

Just a little while ago, they had fought shoulder to shoulder against the monsters.

“We’re on the same side! We’re beings who can understand each other!”

To protect people, they had put aside their past grudges and protected each other’s backs.

“We’re the same humans! So why are you fighting each other?! Why?!”

But they were trying to kill each other again as if nothing had happened.

Junior couldn’t understand. So he tried to stop them. But.

“Don’t ask the obvious, kid.”

Neither of them had any intention of backing down.

Camus gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. His eyes, filled with revenge, flickered eerily through his disheveled hair.

“Why do we try to kill each other?”

Reina, aiming at Camus with magic charged at her fingertips, coldly spat out.

“……Because we are human.”

Thud-!

Camus, kicking off the ground, rushed in instantly. Reina calmly fired a wind magic bullet from her fingertips.

Camus grabbed Junior, who was trying to block them with his body, and pushed him aside. At the same time, Camus advanced, splitting the flying magic bullet with his sword.

Thwack! Thwack-!

Camus cut down all the wind magic bullets with the edge of his sword and reached Reina’s face.

However, his sword was not the Spell Drinker [a sword that absorbs magic] he originally used. It was an ordinary sword that could not absorb magic.

Clang……!

When he reached right in front of Reina, the long sword that had blocked the last wind magic bullet shattered into pieces, scattering metal fragments in all directions.

Camus smiled bitterly, holding his empty hand forward.

“……I always fail to take the last step.”

Thwack!

The wind bullet fired from Reina’s fingertips pierced Camus’s chest.

Reina mercilessly shot three more magic bullets into Camus’s body as he fell, spitting blood.

Camus fell backward without even screaming.

“Camus!”

Junior rushed over in a hurry.

Camus, with holes in his chest and abdomen, stared blankly at the sky and muttered softly to Junior.

“Don’t, forget.”

“…….”

“Don’t forget me.”

Camus, who had grasped Junior’s hand with his bloodied hand, said his last words.

“Don’t forget the Camilla Kingdom.”

Camus’s breath stopped as he stared blankly with his eyes wide open.

Junior was dumbfounded in the sea of blood of his fellow countryman.

“…….”

Reina, who had been quietly watching the scene, slowly turned around.

She took out a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth. But she couldn’t find the match she had dropped.

“Ha.”

Blood was seeping from the bandage wrapped around her stomach. It seemed that the injury she had sustained from Camus last time had not yet healed.

“It hurts, damn it……”

With a hollow laugh, chewing on the unlit cigarette, Reina staggered into the darkness of the back alley.

***

[STAGE 10 – CLEAR!]

[STAGE MVP – Lucas(SSR)]

[Level Up Characters]

>Main Party

– Ash(EX) Lv.48 (↑1)

– Lucas(SSR) Lv.51 (↑1)

– Evangeline(SSR) Lv.51 (↑1)

– Jupiter Junior(SSR) Lv.57 (↑1)

– Damian(EX) Lv.51 (↑1)

>Sub Party 1

– Kuilan(SR) Lv.50 (↑1) (3rd job change available!)

– Tuesday(R) Lv.43 (↑1)

– Wednesday(R) Lv.43 (↑1)

– Becky(R) Lv.43 (↑2)

– Ontherock(R) Lv.41 (↑2)

>Sub Party 2

– God Hand(SR) Lv.45 (↑1)

– Bodybag(R) Lv.40 (↑1)

– Burnout(SR) Lv.39 (↑1)

>Others

– Lily(R) Lv.32 (↑2)

– Margherita(R) Lv.36 (↑1)

[Deceased and Injured Characters]

– Camus(SR) : Deceased

– Evangeline(SSR) : Seriously Injured

– Damian(EX) : Minor Injury

[Deceased and Injured Captured Monsters]

– Kureha(SSR) : Deceased

– Tricolor Slime(R) : Deceased

[Acquired Items]

– Werewolf Legion Magic Stone : 274

– White Werewolf Magic Core(SR) : 4

– Werewolf Legion Commander Magic Core(SSR) : 1

[Stage clear reward has been paid. Please check your inventory.]

– SR Grade Reward Box : 2

– SSR Grade Reward Box : 1

>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE

>> [STAGE 11 : Enemy of an Enemy]