I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 334

Red blood splatters across the white snowfield.

“Hah… Hah…!”

In a back alley of Crossroads.

Lucas gasped for breath, readjusting his grip on his sword.

Five special forces members lay collapsed before him. Only Mason was barely standing, his greatsword planted on the ground for support.

The special forces members were numerous and strong, but Lucas’s talent and capabilities were superior.

“Heh heh, indeed, a true McGregor is different.”

Mason muttered, pressing a hand against the long gash on his chest.

“Even though they were handpicked from the elite First Team, they can’t even beat a young master alone…”

“Just offer your neck quietly, Mason.”

Compared to the special forces members who had suffered fatal wounds and collapsed, Lucas was mostly unscathed, save for a few minor injuries.

Lucas pointed his sword forward, growling fiercely.

“I’ll finish you off.”

“…I’m sorry, young master. I don’t think that will be possible.”

With those words, Mason pulled something from his pocket.

“His Highness Fernandez has granted me power.”

“What?”

“A truly destructive power that swordsmanship training alone cannot achieve…!”

In Mason’s hand was a small syringe filled with a blue liquid.

“That, could it be…”

Lucas’s eyes widened as he recognized it.

“Beastification serum?”

“You’ve used it before, haven’t you, young master?”

Mason grinned, placing the tip of the syringe against his neck.

“This is a much-improved, completed version, far superior to the crude experimental samples from back then.”

“Completed version?”

“That’s right. It’s a completed serum, created by extracting and combining the pure bestial essence from all kinds of beastkin…! His Highness Fernandez only provided it to specially selected agents. Its effects are somewhat volatile, but it’s powerful enough.”

Lucas’s shoulders trembled as he gritted his teeth and asked,

“How many beastkin did you sacrifice to create that serum…?”

“Who knows, who cares?”

Mason grinned savagely and plunged the syringe into his neck.

“As long as it works, that’s all that matters!”

*Thwack!*

The serum in the syringe was sucked into Mason’s body.

“Haaah…”

Veins bulged from his neck, snaking across his entire body, his muscles expanded, and steam rose from his wounds as they healed.

Mason grinned, his face contorted with bulging veins. Sharp fangs, like those of a beast, were visible.

“I see. So this is what it feels like to abandon humanity.”

“…”

“The more you discard, the stronger you become. Isn’t humanity a joke?”

*Thud!*

Mason kicked off the ground and lunged toward Lucas in an instant. His speed was incomparable to before.

*Clang!*

Mason’s greatsword tore through the air, and Lucas barely managed to parry it, staggering backward.

‘What unbelievable power…!’

The force of the blow was much heavier than before.

Mason’s already massive physique had grown even larger, making him look almost like a medium-sized monster.

He was thrusting his huge greatsword as quickly as if it were a dagger.

Lucas barely managed to block Mason’s attacks, trying to regain his footing.

‘His strength and speed are far superior! At this rate…’

There was a very easy way for Lucas to catch up to Mason.

Beastification.

Lucas himself could abandon his humanity and give in to his bestial instincts.

He had overcome countless crises thanks to that beastification, hadn’t he?

This time too, he just needed to unleash it for a moment. Then he could kill this damned traitor in an instant and go save Ash…

– I told you not to use beastification.

Ash’s voice suddenly echoed in his ears.

“…!”

Lucas gritted his teeth.

That’s right, he had promised. He wouldn’t use beastification again.

He didn’t want to break his promise with Ash. He wanted to keep this promise, even if it meant sacrificing his life.

Then, the means to deal with Mason now-

‘There is one.’

[Full Body Manifestation].

Lucas’s ultimate skill, which grants a massive stat buff and enhances his other skills.

Lucas closed his eyes and then opened them wide, a golden aura exploding from his back.

*Whoosh!*

The golden aura that had spread from his back soon enveloped Lucas’s entire body.

In the falling snow, Lucas was emitting light like a lantern.

“Hoo.”

He exhaled lightly, and Lucas shot forward like a cannonball.

*Clang! Clang! Thwack!*

With [Full Body Manifestation] activated, Lucas began to exchange blows with Mason on equal terms again. No, rather, he began to overwhelm him.

*Thwack! Thwack…!*

Blood splattered from various parts of Mason’s body where Lucas’s sword had grazed.

“Krrk…?!”

Mason frowned deeply, letting out a beast-like groan, and was taken aback.

‘I can finish him!’

A cluster of light gathered on Lucas’s sword.

[Willpower Strike], when used in [Full Body Manifestation] state, transforms into an area-of-effect attack. With a single strike, he could tear Mason’s entire body to shreds.

While exchanging blows, Mason’s lower guard momentarily opened. Lucas’s eyes widened.

‘Now!’

With tremendous power, Lucas’s longsword was swung upwards from below. Sensing that his defense was too late, Mason gritted his teeth.

That’s when it happened.

Something caught Lucas’s eye.

“…!”

Below the wall behind Mason, there was a small basement window.

And through that basement window, a child was looking this way.

It seemed to be a child living in this alley.

And if Lucas swung his sword as it was, the [Willpower Strike], which had been converted into an area attack, would surely engulf the wall, the basement room, and even that child.

For a split second, Lucas hesitated.

“…Kuh!”

And, in the next moment, he desperately twisted his sword’s trajectory.

*Thwack!*

Lucas’s longsword, which had drastically changed its course, struck the empty air.

And Mason’s lips curled up into a sinister grin as he watched this scene.

“Oh my, our dear young master Lucas…”

Mason’s greatsword was swung wildly in a horizontal slash.

“With such a soft heart, why did you even pick up a sword in the first place-!”

*Thwack!*

“Kuhk?!”

A clean hit.

The greatsword struck Lucas’s chest plate directly, bypassing his empty guard.

Fortunately, the golden aura of [Full Body Manifestation] had offset the damage of the blow, so even though the chest plate was shattered, it didn’t lead to a fatal wound.

Instead, a chunk of the golden aura was blown away, and the duration of [Full Body Manifestation] was shortened by that much.

Growing impatient, Lucas desperately took a step forward and thrust, but

“-I’ve been waiting for this.”

Mason used a secret technique he had prepared.

*Tsk-tsk!*

One side of Mason’s greatsword was serrated like a saw.

After receiving Lucas’s thrust with that side, he caught Lucas’s blade as if hooking it, and then, with a surge of magic, he spun the greatsword in a spiral.

Mason’s innate strength, his lifelong honed skills, the greatsword’s heavy weight and unique structure, and his ability to counter an opponent’s attack using its own force-

It was Mason’s ultimate weapon destruction technique, [Weapon Break].

It was a secret technique he had never shown while living in the McGregor family, so Lucas was caught off guard.

*Crack!*

[Karma Eater], its durability rapidly depleted, made an ominous sound, and then,

*Clang!*

It shattered into pieces.

The result was one of two things: either the sword was dropped the moment it was caught, or it was held onto and broken. Either way, the result was the same.

Mason had been waiting for the moment Lucas would thrust, and Lucas had been caught beautifully.

“…”

With the duration of [Full Body Manifestation] over and the golden aura gone, Lucas looked down at his empty hand.

Broken pieces of the blade were falling to the ground.

“So,”

Mason whispered softly into Lucas’s ear with a growling voice.

“This is what happens when you keep pretending to be human, young master.”

“…”

“Dogs have a way of life that suits them.”

Following that, Mason’s greatsword was thrust mercilessly.

*Thwack!*

Blood gushed like a fountain from Lucas’s chest, pierced by the sword.

***

“Hmm?”

When I opened my eyes, I felt a bit cold.

That’s strange. I had put a lot of firewood in the fireplace before going to sleep. Did I sleep for so long that the fire went out?

I reached out to check the fireplace, but my arms were tied up and wouldn’t move. My face was also covered with something, so I couldn’t see even when I blinked. What is this, a bag?

As I woke up a bit more, it became clear. I was sitting on a chair in a cold room, with a bag over my face and my arms tied behind my back. What is this?

‘It’s too real to be a dream.’

I pinched my cheek, and felt a sharp pain. There’s no way I could have such a realistic dream, so it must be reality.

‘I woke up to find myself kidnapped…’

I was amazed at my own obliviousness, or perhaps my ability to sleep so soundly. How deeply was I sleeping?

“Hey~ kidnapper friends, I’m awake~?”

After a moment of just twitching, I was frustrated by not being able to see, so I just shouted out loud.

“It’s stuffy, so take this bread bag off my face. And give me a blanket, it’s cold. Why don’t you turn on the fireplace? It would be nice if you could explain why you’re doing this? Hello? Can you hear me?”

I acted calmly because I had a hunch that the guys who kidnapped me didn’t intend to kill me.

If they were going to kill me, they would have done it already, not gone through the trouble of bringing me here and tying me up.

*Thud. Thud.*

As expected, my hunch was right. Someone’s footsteps approached, and then a polite voice spoke.

“Prince Ash, please remain calm for a moment.”

“Who is it?”

“…We are the Aegis Special Forces.”

I clicked my tongue inwardly. Are these the same annoying bastards again?

Judging by the situation, it seems they kidnapped me while our forces were all pulled south during the defense battle.

My head was fuzzy from the pain, so I didn’t think about this…

“We are only carrying out the mission we were given. If you cooperate, you will not be harmed.”

“How can I believe that?”

“…Our leader will be back soon. He will explain everything.”

If they’re talking about the leader, are they referring to Mason, whom I threw in jail a few days ago? If that bastard is coming here, does that mean he escaped?

I clicked my tongue. I have a bad feeling about this…

The footsteps moved away again. I sighed and leaned back against the chair.

‘Let’s see, how’s my condition…’

Still not good. Sleepy and fuzzy. I can’t use my magic, probably because I’m bound by some special equipment.

‘What items and means can I use?’

With both hands tied, my inventory is sealed. My magic is completely blocked, so I can’t summon captured monsters either.

Moreover, the opponents are trained agents. If I attack carelessly, I’ll be subdued quickly.

It’s a checkmate situation. What should I do…?

“…Your Highness.”

Then, a small whisper came from behind me.

“Are you alright?”

It was a familiar voice. I flinched and turned my head in that direction.

“…Godhand?”

“Shhh. You shouldn’t look this way.”

Oops. I fixed my gaze forward again.

Godhand continued in a low voice.

“Since you can’t see, I’ll explain the current situation.”

“…”

“This is a shack in the abandoned village north of Crossroads. You are tied up in the north end room on the first floor, and I am hiding outside the window, speaking to you through the window gap.”

The three members of the Shadow Unit were assigned to the counterintelligence unit and were being operated separately.

So they didn’t participate in this defense battle, and were on guard separately in case the Aegis Special Forces attacked additionally.

Thanks to that, they were able to respond to my kidnapping.

“They disguised themselves as merchants, citizens, and refugees, then suddenly gathered and attacked the mansion, kidnapping you and bringing you here.”

“…”

“There are too many of them, and there are only three of us, so we couldn’t subdue them rashly and were just assessing the situation. Please forgive us.”

No, man. You did well. Do you know how relieved I am that at least you’re here?

“We’ve identified the location and confirmed their numbers, so we’ll bring reinforcements soon. Please wait a little more calmly…”

He stopped speaking there, and then suddenly,

“Kuhk?!”

*Thud! Crash!*

Along with Godhand’s short scream, I heard the sound of weapons being swung, something breaking, and someone falling to the ground.

“…Godhand?”

I whispered softly, but there was no answer.

“Hey, Godhand. Are you okay?”

Still, no answer.

“Godhand…?”

Are you okay? Huh?