I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 456

Boom! Thud, thud, thud…!

Engulfed in flames, Anchor 1 and Anchor 2 plummeted, trailing long plumes of smoke.

Anchor 1 exploded spectacularly in mid-air before crashing far away, while Anchor 2, though not completely destroyed, spun wildly as it attempted an emergency landing in a nearby field.

Two of the Empire’s proud main force airships, though not flagship-class, were instantly wrecked.

Reina, standing at the hatch of the Alcatraz, stared at the scene with her mouth agape.

“Geronimo, how…?! When did it hide there?”

When, you ask?

Why, from the very beginning, of course.

Ever since we departed from Crossroads, my flagship, the Geronimo, had been escorting us from above… all while cloaked by a magical veil!

‘The effect is amazing.’

I looked up at the Geronimo’s hull, or more precisely, at the Siren statue newly installed on the massive airship’s bow.

Artifact, [Iron Myth].

A Nightmare Slayer forged from the magic core of the ghost admiral, Bernard Fokker, who was once a commander of the Nightmare Legion.

It wasn’t made as personal equipment, but as an artifact, a ship-specific artifact.

After all, they were pirates who sailed ghost ships. They were capable of creating artifacts that granted various beneficial effects to their ships.

‘This Nightmare Slayer has two main effects.’

The first is the stealth function.

In stormy seas, pirates believed they were invisible to the enemy as they launched surprise attacks. That’s why they were able to engage in reckless close-quarters combat as if they were throwing their lives away.

This myth was realized as a special effect, allowing for a complete stealth state once a day.

However, in this state, it’s impossible to attack, so the stealth must be deactivated right before an attack.

‘It’s an insane effect even for a ship on the sea, but it’s even more so for an airship!’

Unlike ordinary ships that are restricted by the surface of the water, airships move in the air. In other words, they can utilize not only the X and Y axes but also the Z axis.

This means that stealth and surprise attacks can be used in a much more three-dimensional and creative way.

‘The first stealth effect is great, but the second effect is just as good.’

The second effect provided by this artifact is that the bow is ‘Unbreakable’!

The ghost pirates were obsessed with ramming tactics, charging headfirst into enemy ships.

And they firmly believed that even if their ship was destroyed in the process, the bow would never break.

This foolish myth was realized as an effect.

In fact, the bow made of this Siren statue is absolutely indestructible.

Therefore, it can be used as a shield to withstand all enemy attacks, and at the same time-

Thud-!

Just like those pirates, it’s effective for ramming tactics!

With fierce flames erupting from its thrusters, the Geronimo charged towards the Alcatraz.

The terrified Alcatraz frantically deployed a barrage of fire, but the Geronimo stubbornly absorbed the attacks and continued its charge.

From the Geronimo’s cockpit, a gruff, excited shout from a dwarf could be heard.

“Gotcha-!”

It was Kellybay shouting from the cockpit.

“I’ll avenge the grudge from a hundred years ago! Alcatraz-!”

It was said that a hundred years ago, during the Race Wars, it was the Empire’s flagship, the Alcatraz, that shot down the interspecies alliance’s flagship, the Geronimo.

Now, the situation was completely reversed—it was the Alcatraz that was in danger of being shot down.

“You ghost of the past, daring to challenge the symbol of the Empire again…!”

Reina gritted her teeth fiercely and shouted inside.

“Evasive maneuvers! Get out of the way-!”

Whoosh!

Immediately, the Alcatraz’s thrusters fired blue flames in reverse, and with an elegant movement like a ballet dancer, it spun and soared into the sky.

Clang, clang, clang!

The Geronimo’s ramming attack narrowly missed, and the two airships grazed each other’s armor as they crossed paths in the air.

Fragments of scraped armor broke off and scattered, sending sparks flying in all directions.

“Ugh?!”

Kellybay groaned as he stabilized the Geronimo’s hull.

But by the time the Geronimo barely regained its posture, the Alcatraz had already soared high into the sky.

If the Geronimo moved like an enraged bull, the Alcatraz was as graceful as a ballerina.

“Come down here, ‘World’s Strongest Ship’! It’s not like a hundred years ago! Let’s have a proper match!”

Kellybay, completely enraged, yelled at the top of his lungs, but Reina, who currently controlled the Alcatraz, showed no intention of responding.

“…We’re retreating. Let’s return to New Terra.”

“Are you running away, you bastard!”

“War is for winning. We’re just fighting battles where victory is certain.”

Reina coldly dismissed Kellybay’s provocation, glanced at me and then at Junior, before slowly entering the hatch.

Whirr-

The Alcatraz’s hatch closed, and it quickly moved away from our airspace at an unbelievable speed.

Its agility and speed were superior to the Geronimo’s. Chasing after it to finish it off was impossible from the start.

“Still, it’s a significant victory.”

I looked at Anchor 1 and Anchor 2, which were still burning after crashing, and then turned to our army camp.

The kings and soldiers were all staring at me with dumbfounded expressions.

They probably never imagined that we could achieve such a great victory against the world’s strongest imperial air force.

“Did you see that?”

I grinned and shrugged.

“I have a plan for everything.”

Woahhhhh!

The kings and soldiers cheered in unison.

Seeing our army’s morale soaring, I thought to myself.

‘…I used up my trump card way too early.’

The Geronimo’s stealth and surprise attack are still effective, but it will be difficult to perfectly strike the enemy’s rear like this time. They’ll be on guard now.

I used up one of my sure-win cards earlier than expected, but well, we did achieve a victory. There’s no need to say anything about it.

No need to spoil the good mood.

***

“Hahaha! We finally got one over on the Alcatraz! Did you see that ship running away?”

Kellybay, staggering out of the landed Geronimo, laughed heartily.

“Just you wait! Next time, I’ll make sure it can’t even run away and crawls on the ground… Whoa!”

I silently approached Kellybay and grabbed the back of his collar, lifting him straight up. Kellybay struggled as his top was pulled up.

“Kehek! What are you doing, Ash! Instead of praising a pilot who returned after hard work!”

Well, yes. He did a good job. He did very well until he shot down Anchor One and Anchor Two.

The problem is what happened after that!

“I told you, Kellybay. Don’t use ramming tactics!”

Ramming is a crazy tactic that only ghost pirates use!

And for ghost pirates, ramming was more about enabling close-quarters combat than the ramming itself.

On the other hand, what’s the point of ramming airships into each other? No matter how sturdy the bow is, the airship’s hull will still take damage.

Is there any reason to scrap this expensive airship… no, to decommission it?

“You idiot! Do you really not understand?!”

Then Kellybay shouted with a face full of injustice.

“A super awesome ship doing a body slam… is just super awesome and cool!”

“…”

What the heck is he talking about?

I was speechless, but the dwarves who were in the airship’s cockpit with Kellybay all nodded in agreement.

“A ship that has immense value, the culmination of all the wisdom and effort of the engineers… and yet, it sacrifices itself to ram the enemy ship.”

“It’s the very essence of a sweaty romance.”

“To not understand that, it seems our commander is more of a romance-illiterate than we thought… tsk tsk.”

“…”

I, who had suddenly become a romance-illiterate, opened my mouth slightly.

Kellybay grinned and said, ‘Enough joking around,’ and continued.

“At that time, the Alcatraz was already covered in a magic barrier. In that state, the Alcatraz is virtually impenetrable by any attack.”

That was true.

I had ordered Damian to snipe it, but even Damian’s magic bullets couldn’t penetrate it.

The defensive power of the Alcatraz with the barrier activated was insane.

“But the statue on the Geronimo’s bow… [Iron Myth], I thought it might be able to break through that barrier.”

“…Indeed.”

Magic has a system where a more solid formula or a more established concept takes precedence.

If it’s a Nightmare Slayer that embodies the myth of ‘succeeding in ramming,’ it certainly has the potential to conceptually nullify the Alcatraz’s barrier.

“From that perspective, it wasn’t a completely reckless act, but…”

“More than anything, I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t confident in repairing it.”

As soon as Kellybay finished speaking.

Dozens of dwarves appeared from the army camp, each carrying tools, and rushed towards the Geronimo.

“Kya~ I’m so glad to see this ship alive again!”

“Good thing it didn’t die and stubbornly survived.”

“I’ll take care of the side armor.”

“I’m on engine maintenance!”

“No, I called dibs on that!”

The dwarves bickered as they worked on repairing the ship.

“You have hundreds of dwarves in your ‘World Guardian Front’. A little damage to an airship is something we can fix with a smile.”

Kellybay said proudly, but I shook my head slightly.

“Still, don’t push yourself too hard next time.”

The ship can be repaired.

But the people on board.

Kellybay, who volunteered to be a pilot… I can’t afford to lose him.

Then Kellybay grinned, flicked my back, and ran towards the Geronimo.

I watched the airship being repaired, then turned around.

There’s another person I’m worried about.

“…”

Junior was standing alone on a nearby hill.

I quietly went to her side. I spoke to her carefully as she coughed, holding a blood-stained handkerchief to her mouth.

“How are you feeling?”

“…I’m fine, Your Highness. I can still fight more than enough.”

I looked at Junior with concern.

Junior has a limited lifespan.

She should have died a few months ago. But while Reina was staying in Crossroads, she treated Junior’s body.

I was happy thinking she was completely cured at that time… but she still coughed up blood on days like this when she overexerted herself.

“…That’s how illnesses are, right? Even if you think you’re fully recovered, they can relapse.”

Junior removed the handkerchief from her mouth. Her lips, stained with blood, were red.

“The last remaining element is still eating away at my magic core. It puts a little strain on my body, but I can still use magic.”

“Junior. Even now, you can go back to Crossroads-”

“I have to settle things.”

Junior looked at me with determined eyes.

“I have to… end things with that person.”

“…”

“This is the ending that a mage named Jupiter Junior… no. A human being must reach.”

And.

It would also be the ending that a mage named Reina Windwell, a human being, must reach.

“I will go to the end. Please allow me.”

“…I understand.”

Instead of stopping her, I quietly took out a potion set from my pocket and handed it to Junior. This is all I can do for her.

“As I have always done, I will support you. Live as you have decided, Junior. But remember one thing until the end.”

Junior, who received the potion, pressed her lips together at my words.

“What your mother wanted you to live like. Don’t forget that.”

“…”

Junior, who had been silent for a moment at Jupiter’s story, smiled at me.

“Yes. I will never forget it, Your Highness.”

It was her unique, fox-like smile.

I smiled back bitterly.

Jupiter, Reina, Junior.

I felt that the story of these three unfortunate and sorrowful mages… was truly reaching its end.

‘Whatever ending they face, I hope they don’t regret it.’

That was all I could wish for Junior.

***

And the next day.

Our World Guardian Front forces continued north.

At noon, when the sun was in the middle of the sky, we reached the walls of the Imperial Capital, New Terra.

The center of the world, a city that had never allowed an invasion… an invincible city.

We began to move to attempt a siege.