I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 424

Before the ■■■■th turn.

New Terra, the capital of the Everblack Empire.

The final defense line.

***

The world is burning.

“……Ah.”

Standing on the walls of the imperial capital, New Terra, Fernandes stared blankly down below.

The entire world—every horizon within sight—was a scene of death and flames.

A terrifying wave of monsters surged endlessly from the south. Having pierced through the southern front, the monster legions advanced north, engulfing the entire world.

Humanity struggled to resist. United under the command of the Empire’s Emperor, they fought with their lives on the line.

But they were defeated.

Fortresses fell, and massacres occurred in cities. Mountains and rivers were stained with blood, and monsters devoured human corpses.

Greenskins [a common term for orcs or goblins], endlessly multiplying, trampled human cities.

In fields and valleys, werewolves hunted people.

Those who escaped to the sea encountered ghost pirates and were shipwrecked in the vast ocean.

Those seduced by succubi [female demons who seduce men] were hung alive and drained of their essence.

On top of the high piles of corpses, the black spider queen laid new eggs.

The bloodkin [vampires or similar creatures] drank their fill of human blood and craved human flesh,

and upon the hell that had arrived, the plague spread endlessly.

Under the sky where the brilliant and ominous light of magic endlessly flickered,

the human alliance of the strongest knights and mages was defeated by the demon legions,

and the retreating alliance was burned to ashes by the black flames of the black dragons that flew in.

“Ah…….”

Watching the world’s destruction, Fernandes could only let out a hollow groan.

There were four predicted destructions of the Empire.

Among them, the Dragon Blood Front, the Shadow Front, and the Heretic Front had all been overcome. But they could not withstand the final Monster Front.

The monsters that flooded from beneath the black lake were too strong and numerous; it was something no human could possibly stop.

Now, only New Terra, humanity’s last city, remained.

However, the final defense line spread across the walls of New Terra was too easily crushed by the waves of monsters that surged from all directions.

“Fight! Fight to the last! Let it be known that we were here—!”

The Emperor was fighting.

In front of the south gate of the imperial capital, leading the last of his remaining imperial guards. He resisted to the end, swinging his sword.

Like a transcendent being who had long surpassed human limits, like the last king who had ruled the world, he fought on, unyielding and tireless.

But—defeat was clear.

The countless monsters devoured the imperial guards one by one, eventually killing them all. At some point, no living person remained around the Emperor.

“Hoo, hoo, hoo…….”

Thud-

Three monsters descended before the Emperor, who was covered in the blood of humans and monsters.

A mage wearing a wide-sleeved robe, a large ceremonial hat with small bead ornaments, and a face hidden by a large talisman attached to the hat.

The Archmage, Baekya.

Antlers as ornate as a deer’s, protruding from her cream-colored hair.

A woman with red skin, wearing a flamboyant dress and a mask that covered her eyes, as if from a masquerade ball.

The commander of the Demon Guardian Corps, Cromwell.

A being in a neat black and white suit, with long black hair casually draped, and shining golden dragon eyes.

Though taking on a human form, its essence was that of a dragon.

The Black Dragon, Night Bringer.

The three monsters glared at the Emperor, who was resisting to the end, and gathered their respective powers.

“…….”

The Emperor’s sword, which had been swung tirelessly, suddenly fell downward.

The Emperor looked at his dead subordinates, the destroyed city walls, and the tattered flags of the Empire in turn.

“I see.”

And, he muttered bitterly.

“……It seems this is the end.”

Thwack-!

The three monster commanders simultaneously attacked the Emperor.

Numerous magical light bullets fired by the Archmage struck the Emperor’s entire body.

The Demon Corps Commander jumped in front of the Emperor, who was deflecting them one by one with his sword.

The red-skinned woman’s arm and leg muscles swelled rapidly, and she flew in at a terrifying speed using the membranous wings spread on her back.

The demon’s fists, feet, and tail, which whipped around like a whip, fiercely pounded the Emperor’s sword.

The Emperor was constantly pushed back by the two monsters attacking in tandem from close and long range, and eventually exposed an opening.

And the Black Dragon did not miss that opening.

Tap!

The Black Dragon lightly flicked his finger, and an invisible, intangible force poured out—piercing the part of the Emperor that he had failed to defend with his sword.

Fwoosh……!

“…….”

The Emperor stared blankly at his chest.

Blood was gushing like a fountain from the hole in his chest.

The intangible force had pierced a small hole in the center of his chest, but as it pierced through his back, it tore the Emperor’s flesh to shreds. Like a cannonball.

The Emperor, who was spilling blood from his chest and back, slowly collapsed. The knees of a man who had never known surrender finally touched the ground.

The Emperor, who was coughing up blood from his nose and mouth, suddenly raised his head.

Thump……. Thump……. Thump…….

Beyond the horizon to the south.

A gigantic, heteromorphic monster was revealing its form.

The Archmage, the Demon Corps Commander, and the Black Dragon all knelt on one knee before the newly appeared monster and paid their respects.

-It was a woman whose face was covered by a mourning veil with burnt edges.

The dress she wore also had burnt edges on the hem and cuffs, and the tall crown on her head was also scorched and blackened.

Even her long white hair, which seemed to drag on the ground, had black burnt ends.

In her hand was a long sword made of jet-black darkness.

Facing the strongest and most terrible monster approaching, the Emperor muttered the opponent’s name with his blood-filled mouth.

“……’The Sleepless Lake Princess’.”

The walking nightmare that had single-handedly annihilated the southern front.

The worst monster, in which all the curses of the Lake Kingdom were concentrated, had finally descended upon humanity’s last land.

‘The Sleepless Lake Princess’, who had arrived before the Emperor, stared at him indifferently, then flicked her sword-wielding hand up—

Clang…….

She beheaded the Emperor in one swift motion.

The Emperor’s body, having lost its head, fell powerlessly to the side.

The last leader of humanity had died like that.

“Father……!”

Watching this scene from the wall, Fernandes shed tears of blood.

“Ah, ah, ah……!”

He was powerless.

He was too powerless.

As a guardian of the Empire. As the last mage left in this world.

There was nothing he could do.

‘The Sleepless Lake Princess’, who had killed the Emperor, raised her non-sword-wielding hand and pointed it at the south gate of New Terra, then twisted it.

Crack!

Then, the gate was instantly twisted and torn off by the jet-black magic.

“Cough!”

Fernandes, who had been casting a defensive spell on the wall, was unable to resist the enormous power and coughed up blood as he fell backward.

‘The Sleepless Lake Princess’ lightly shook her hand to the side, and the torn-off gate rolled uselessly on the ground.

Humanity’s last line of defense had crumbled so futilely.

“……Is it my turn.”

And from inside the gate, Lark, who had been waiting with one arm and leg lost, staggered to his feet, using his long sword as a cane.

Fernandes shouted from the wall towards Lark.

“Brother! No, Brother! Fall back! That monster cannot be stopped!”

“Fernandes…… I’m sorry. It’s because this older brother was incompetent that things have turned out this way.”

Although Fernandes called out desperately, Lark only gave a faint smile towards the wall.

“Let’s meet again in the afterlife.”

And then Lark roared and charged towards the monsters,

Boom-!

The next moment, he was shattered into pieces by a single gesture from ‘The Sleepless Lake Princess’. Blood droplets poured down like a shower in all directions.

“Brother! Ah, ah, ah, ah! Brother!”

Fernandes screamed, shedding tears of blood.

In his ear,

“……It seems we’re the only ones left.”

He heard his younger brother’s voice.

Turning around, the youngest of the Empire’s guardians, the third prince, was climbing onto the wall with a haggard expression. Fernandes blankly called out his younger brother’s name.

“Ash…….”

“…….”

Ash was glaring at the monsters passing through the gate with eyes that had sunk like dust.

“Ash, listen carefully.”

Fernandes wiped the blood from his mouth and gathered his magic power.

“I will hide you with my last strength. You must survive and plan for the future.”

“……The world is destroyed, brother. There’s nowhere to hide or run.”

“But you must live!”

Even though they had different mothers. They were brothers.

In the final battle to save the world, the guardians had become true comrades, and finally, they had become a family.

That was why Fernandes was trying to use his last strength for his younger brother.

But.

“I’m sorry, brother. But in the next turn.”

Click!

Ash had already taken out a magic gun in the form of a pistol and was pointing it at his own temple.

“In the next ‘game’…… I will definitely save this world.”

“What?”

“This world is repeating infinitely. And it always meets the same end.”

As he said that, Ash silently looked down at New Terra being swallowed by the monsters.

“I’ve only participated in this ‘game’ a few times as a player, but no matter what I do…… I can’t change this ending where the monsters destroy the world.”

“Stop talking nonsense and put the gun down! It’s dangerous!”

Fernandes desperately reached out his hand. But without listening, Ash gave a faint smile.

“But, I’ll try to change it. If the world repeats infinitely, then we have that many chances.”

Click.

The safety of the pistol was released, and Ash’s hand holding the trigger tightened.

“D-don’t do it, Ash.”

Fernandes shook his head, trembling. Tears were welling up in his eyes.

“Don’t leave me here alone.”

“…….”

“Please, Ash! If even you die, then it can’t be. We brothers, the guardians, we have to fight together……!”

“You know what, brother?”

Ash chuckled and laughed.

“You were a conceited, annoying, and irritating pretty boy…… but while fighting together, it was kind of fun.”

“Ash! Don’-”

“Well then, see you again, brother.”

At the same time as Fernandes ran towards Ash, Ash quietly closed his eyes.

“I’ll definitely protect you next time.”

Bang-!

Blood splattered everywhere.

Ash’s body, who had committed suicide with the pistol, fell forward.

Fernandes staggered a few steps before kneeling on the spot, covering his mouth.

In the end.

All that fighting. All that struggle. All that sacrifice. It was useless.

The guardians fell, and the world was destroyed.

That was the ending.

Then-

“Oh, dear.”

Suddenly, a voice was heard from the side.

“I’m a step late.”

Surprised, Fernandes looked over and saw a gray-haired man wearing a worn robe flying down and landing on the wall.

The Empire’s prophet—Aider.

He examined Ash’s corpse and let out a deep sigh.

“It seems Player Ash has admitted defeat and committed suicide…… It seems the outcome of this turn has been decided.”

Then,

《Then, so shall we.》

A wicked voice echoed in the air, and black shadows gathered in the empty sky—and soon changed into human forms.

The evil lord who created and ruled all monsters.

The Demon King grinned, creating a white crack on his black face.

《Shall we move on to the next turn of the game?》

And.

All of this scene.

“…….”

Fernandes could only watch, dumbfounded.