I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 513

“What exactly is the operation you instructed the Gamble Club members on? Which of the two White Nights will you choose, and how will you defeat them?” Lucas asked cautiously.

“There’s a week left until the next defense battle. Shouldn’t you be giving us instructions soon? What exactly is the plan?” I grinned.

Now that the preparations were mostly complete, I was planning to share the strategy for this defense battle with all my subordinates anyway.

Before that, I whispered into Lucas’s ear, who was curious.

“Okay, I’ll tell you first, Lucas… it’s a ‘party’.”

Lucas blinked his innocent eyes like a big dog.

“……Huh?”

“A party, I said. The strategy to deal with the White Night. It’s a party.”

Lucas looked like he couldn’t understand what I was talking about.

I chuckled and announced the name of this operation.

“Operation Surprise Party! In this defense battle, instead of fighting, we’re going to throw a surprise party!”

“……Uh, so.”

Lucas, desperately trying to interpret my words, asked cautiously.

“Are you saying that the operation to ambush the monster legion is a metaphor for a surprise party…?”

“No? We’re really going to have a party?”

“……?”

Lucas looked like he was wondering if I had gone crazy, then he shuddered.

That’s right. He finally realized it.

That I’ve always been navigating this war like a madman…!

***

District 8. Magic Tower.

As I entered, the White Night of the electronic world, Ssoya, whose face appeared on the magic panel, cringed.

《What kind of favor are you here to ask this time?! There aren’t any more clearable dungeons left in the area!》

“Hey, hey, that’s harsh. Anyone would think I’ve only been asking you for unreasonable favors?”

I did work her to the bone, but it’s too much to be so disgusted the moment she sees my face. We’re still in a cooperative relationship, right?

I, now very skilled, sat on the sofa in front of the monitor and gestured with my chin.

“Ssoya… no, ahem! White Night.”

I almost called her by the name used in Crossroads [a reference to a previous event or setting], but quickly corrected myself and grinned.

“I want you to work with me on something.”

《I’ve already done plenty… What is it this time?》

“I’ve devised a plan to kill another you. A way to trap and eliminate her. All the other requirements for this operation are ready, but there’s just one thing missing.”

Ssoya frowned.

《That’s me?》

“Yes.”

I crossed my legs and smirked.

“Hey, White Night.”

《What.》

“Pretend to be dead.”

《……What?》

The skull’s face on the screen looked puzzled.

《Pretend to be dead?》

“Yeah. It’s to deceive the other you. And if you’re going to do it, it’d be better if you didn’t just pretend to be dead, but acted it out very well.”

《Act it out well, how much are we talking about?》

I told Ssoya how far she had to pretend to be dead. Then, Ssoya’s face hardened with bewilderment.

《D-don’t say such crazy things. I’ve cooperated with all your insane requests so far, but this is really absurd!》

“Why is it absurd? To deceive the enemy, you have to deceive your allies first. Let’s do some serious method acting, shall we?”

《Don’t talk nonsense, Ash! There’s a limit to my patience-》

“Hey, hey, we’ve worked so hard to kill the other you, right? Then we have to finish it properly, right?”

I started to butter her up and retorted.

“All of us on the front lines have worked hard, shedding blood and sweat to completely and cleanly eliminate the other you. All for you! But are you going to stop here because this last effort is too much trouble?”

《That’s because our interests aligned…》

“No, hey! Frankly, we could side with the other you instead of you. The benefits she can provide are huge! But the reason we’re on your side is to keep our faith with you. Faith!”

I banged on the table and argued.

“And are you going to betray your faith with me?! Were we just such a shallow relationship? I’m disappointed. Then maybe I should go over there now…”

《Wait, wait! Waaait! Okay, okay, I got it!》

Ssoya, as if fed up with my gaslighting, sighed deeply and stared at me.

《…Explain. Why do I have to pretend to be dead like this? And how will that kill the other me?》

I smiled. She’s completely on board.

With this, all the conditions are cleared.

The preparations for the activation of Operation Surprise Party are complete.

***

A few days later.

District 8. Grand Theater.

《…….》

The Jiangshi [a type of Chinese hopping vampire] wearing a crown and a robe, the legion commander White Night.

Her name in Crossroads, Black Night, was lost in thought. She was reminiscing about something from quite a while ago.

– Dream of ascension, mage! Obtain divinity and ascend to the constellations!

Divinity.

It was the name of the qualification needed to stand on the same level as those Outer Gods.

And… the current self was in a state where she could not obtain divinity.

‘To obtain divinity, you must be a unique existence.’

Otherwise, you cannot be enshrined in the seats where the gods sit, the constellations.

But White Night, a replicated being, could not obtain divinity in this state.

‘To become a unique existence, I must kill the other me.’

In any case, she and the other self were destined to fight and kill each other. One of them had to disappear from this world.

When Black Night learned this fact, she decided.

To kill the other self without fail.

And also to kill the Demon King who had taken her in. To kill the Demon King and usurp his divinity.

Because that was the easiest and surest way for her to obtain divinity.

‘Kill the other me to secure uniqueness, kill the Demon King to steal divinity. And rise to the same level as those Outer Gods.’

This became Black Night’s goal.

Black Night continued her research to reach the Outer Gods.

Because of the power of another world given by the Demon King, she was able to touch an Outer God by following that power.

The Outer God was amused by this ant’s ‘rebellion’ and willingly agreed to lend her power. This was the identity of the giant eye that Black Night borrowed power from.

And… a tedious life continued.

The two divided White Nights continued to clash to kill each other, but failed every time. They knew each other too well to kill each other.

Amidst this endless stalemate, time passed meaninglessly… and then suddenly, Ash appeared.

Ash, who had killed seven Nightmare Legion Commanders, would be able to kill the other self as well. So she approached and tried to persuade him.

‘That damn bastard… he’s just using me….’

Even though the next invasion was just around the corner, Ash had only been using Black Night as he pleased. He didn’t seem to have any intention of fulfilling the request to kill the other self.

She was foolish to even consider an alliance with Ash.

‘If that’s how you’re going to play it, I have no choice.’

Black Night bit her lower lip.

In the upcoming invasion of the human world, she would burn Ash and his forces to the ground.

She could figure out a new way to kill the other self, but she could not forgive that human who had insulted her.

It was then that Black Night was quietly burning with anger.

Kugugugugugung!

Suddenly, the entire District 8 shook violently.

She had been living here for a long time, but this was the first time such a phenomenon had occurred. Black Night was startled and jumped up from her seat.

《What?!》

Kugung, kugugugung….

The ground, which had been shaking like an earthquake, finally calmed down. Black Night wiped away the cold sweat. What on earth was that?

After the shaking completely stopped, a while later.

Bang-!

Someone burst open the door of the grand theater and entered.

“White Night!”

It was none other than Ash, who had come into the Nightmare Legion Commander’s residence without fear, smiling brightly.

Whether he knew that this great mage had been angry at him just a moment ago or not, Ash ran towards Black Night with a beaming smile.

“I did it, I did it!”

《What? What did you do?》

Ash, smiling, gestured outside to Black Night, who was clueless.

“I kept my promise!”

《Promise…?》

“As you wished! I took care of the other you!”

《……?!》

She rushed out and saw that it was true.

Thump, kugugugung….

The magic tower in the distance was collapsing, engulfed in flames.

Among all the facilities in District 8 and the depths of the Lake Kingdom dungeon, the magic tower was the strongest in terms of defense. And it had just collapsed.

《Then the shaking from earlier was…?》

“That’s right. It was the aftermath of me! Blowing up that magic tower!”

Black Night stammered as she faced Ash, who was shrugging his shoulders and showing off.

《How… how did you do that? Even I can’t break through its defenses… ?》

“Haha! Well, I gave the owner of that magic tower a good backstab. The owner of that magic tower trusted me quite a bit.”

Ash briefly explained how he had deceived the tower master, bypassed the firewall, planted bombs inside, neutralized the magic defense, and collapsed the central pillar.

Black Night could only marvel at the collapsed magic tower.

If the magic tower was damaged to this extent, the other self, who had uploaded her consciousness into the mechanical system of the magic tower, could not possibly be safe.

“I blew it clean away, but just in case. You can thoroughly search and burn it if you want.”

《I will.》

Since the external defense system, which was the core of the magic tower’s capture, had completely collapsed, even if the other self was still alive, it was enough for Black Night to take care of her.

Black Night, who had achieved one of her lifelong goals, was even moved. Ash shrugged his shoulders triumphantly.

“I told you, I’m a man of my word.”

《Ash…….》

“I couldn’t tell you because I was carrying out the operation in secret, but how about it? Do you trust me now?”

Black Night nodded her head vigorously.

《I’m sorry for doubting you.》

“So you did doubt me?”

《Honestly, it was understandable. Look back at the things you’ve done…….》

“Well, I admit it. I guess I was untrustworthy. But, in the end, I did it, right?”

Ash, chuckling, reached out his hand.

“Then, are we allies now?”

《……Of course. Ash.》

Black Night reached out and grasped Ash’s hand.

The hands of a human and a Jiangshi shook firmly up and down.

《I and the Lich Legion will become your allies and cooperate until the day we defeat the Demon King.》

“That’s really reassuring. Oh, then you won’t attack our side on the invasion day, right?”

《Of course not. There’s no reason to point our blades at our allies.》

Smirk.

A long arc formed on Ash’s lips.

“Then, instead of invading, can you come visit us for a bit?”

《……What?》

Black Night, who didn’t understand Ash’s words for a moment, blinked blankly. Ash smiled and took something out of his pocket.

“Here, take this.”

《This is…?》

“It’s an invitation!”

Smiling innocently like a child inviting someone to a birthday party, Ash handed over an invitation of luxurious material.

“The next scheduled defense battle is actually exactly two years since I was appointed to this city!”

《Uh… so?》

“In addition to that, there will be a party to welcome our new allies. Would you like to attend and grace the occasion?”

Black Night’s mouth opened slightly.

Her mind froze at the development of the situation, which was beyond common sense.

《W-wait a minute, Ash. I think you forgot, but I’m a monster.》

“Huh?”

Ash tilted his head, his innocent eyes sparkling.

“So?”

《You’re going to let someone like me into your city? Are you in your right mind?》

“What does it matter if you’re a monster? We’re allies now, aren’t we? We’re comrades of the World Guardian Front, standing shoulder to shoulder, defeating the Demon King together and saving the world!”

Ash, with a pure white smile, pushed the invitation forward again.

“So, come on! Don’t hesitate and come visit!”

《…….》

Ash’s invitation was finally placed in Black Night’s hand, who was sweating profusely.

The corners of Ash’s lips, which had been shining pure white, curled into a smirk without anyone noticing.

“Let’s be real friends, White Night!”