I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 557

Ash’s entire body was pierced by the Fallen Knights’ weapons and teeth.

But immediately after, the Fallen Knights noticed something was off.

《The flesh… it’s not chewing.》

《This is…?!》

The next moment, Ash scattered and disappeared like a shadow.

Then, a single footstep was heard from behind the bewildered Fallen Knights, and Ash reappeared.

He was unharmed, and this time, instead of a sword and shield, he held a long staff in his hand.

“Where are you looking? That was a fake.”

《You… !》

《A cheap trick!》

Various dark magic spells fired by the Fallen Knights tore Ash to shreds.

However, this Ash also scattered like a shadow. And then, another new voice was heard.

“That was also a fake.”

Again, they killed him,

“That was also a fake.”

Again, they killed him.

“That too, is a fake.”

Ash reappeared calmly, covering his mouth and laughing.

Only then did Pendragon realize. The Ashes that had appeared so far were all covering their mouths or had their faces hidden in shadows.

The voice was coming from further away. More to the south…

Pendragon gritted his teeth.

《A clone… is that it?》

“Yes. They are my afterimages.”

All of them were illusions.

They were Ash’s clones, summoned using his ultimate skill, [The Foremost Banner]. They had substance and could even fight, but they were completely independent of the main body.

The Fallen Knights, not tiring, tried to attack the newly appeared clones, but Pendragon stopped them.

They were already severely depleted due to hunger, and there was no reason to be toyed with by the enemy commander’s tricks.

Ash’s voice chuckled as it faded away.

“Well, I’ll be waiting. Try to crawl to my fortress. You cannibals.”

《…….》

“Well, if you have the mind to, that is.”

Another clone of Ash, who had been covering his mouth and laughing, also disappeared into the shadows.

The Fallen Knights glanced at Pendragon as if asking why they weren’t chasing the voice to the south, but Pendragon thought that was also a trap set by Ash.

They needed to reach the north as soon as possible, and there was no need to wander south, falling for the enemy commander’s schemes.

Encouraging his disgruntled subordinates, Pendragon shouted.

《Alright, everyone, pack your things! We’re heading north immediately.》

And Pendragon led his knights.

In the opposite direction from where Ash had appeared.

《We won’t rest from now on. We’ll eat while walking. Let’s get to the human world as quickly as possible…!》

***

The monotonous wasteland continued.

How long had they walked along the desolate fields?

The Fallen Knights, once again overcome with hunger, began to glare at each other with bloodshot eyes.

Who would they kill and eat next?

Who would taste better?

《……!》

It was then. A Fallen Knight walking at the front flinched and pointed ahead.

《I see it!》

《What?!》

《It’s a wall! Finally, the human world…!》

They all rushed forward, and it was true.

A gray fortress wall stood shimmering on the desolate land. And on top of the gray fortress wall, troops wearing robes were waiting.

《It’s smaller than I thought.》

The fortress and the stationed troops were all smaller than Pendragon had expected, but it didn’t matter.

Finally – an opponent they could kill and eat had appeared.

Without Pendragon’s command, the Fallen Knights drew their weapons as if they had agreed on it. Pendragon roared.

《Let’s go! Let’s have a feast with their corpses-!》

The seven Fallen Knights kicked off the ground with terrifying momentum.

Thud-!

The ground they kicked exploded, and the seven Fallen Knights shot forward like lightning.

Even though their long-distance movement was slow, their ability to explosively sprint short distances was comparable to any monster.

The Fallen Knights charged towards the fortress like angry rhinos.

Thududududung!

The defensive turrets installed on the wall spewed fire. At the same time, the troops standing on the wall fired various magic spells, arrows, and bullets fiercely.

《Hahahaha!》

Pendragon laughed as he took the attacks head-on.

As the man-eating sword Excarnival in his hand slashed through the air, the attacks that had been pouring towards him were all ‘swallowed’ at once.

The other Fallen Knights also deflected arrows with their tentacles and swallowed bullets with their slimy skin as they continued their charge.

The crossfire unleashed by the fortress was fierce, but it could not stop the Fallen Knights at all.

Eventually, the Fallen Knights easily reached the gate,

《The King is coming! Open the way-!》

Pendragon roared and plunged his greatsword into the gate.

Clang-!

Dark magic surged, and the thick gate was easily split open, revealing the inside. It was not a power that a human could produce with a sword.

The seven Fallen Knights entered the fortress with a hearty laugh.

They were already thrilled at the thought of slaughtering and devouring the terrified soldiers to their heart’s content.

However,

《……?》

Something was strange.

Inside the wall, there was no city, no buildings of the fortress, nothing. Only the same wasteland as outside continued.

It was as if only a single wall had been erected on an empty wasteland…

《Huh?》

As Pendragon and the Fallen Knights looked around, confused by the incomprehensible situation, a familiar voice was heard.

“Sorry, but.”

Looking in that direction, the soldiers on the wall all took off their robes.

“This is also a fake.”

There, all the same faces were present.

Ash’s clones were standing there.

The clones all covered their mouths and laughed at the same time.

“Do you know exactly where you are right now? You don’t, do you?”

《…….》

“You’ve never been to this southern edge before, and you’ve already been misjudging your direction and wandering around for days. Do you think Crossroad [a major strategic location] will appear if you just blindly go north from there?”

Pendragon gritted his teeth.

《Then the reason you bothered to appear last night and provoke us was…》

“Yes. To twist things once more, to make you lose your way even more.”

Immediately after, Ash’s clones turned into shadows one by one and disappeared, and even the wall began to scatter, turning into particles of magic.

“Pendragon. If you had hidden in that hellish darkness, receiving unlimited supplies and tormenting me, you and your knights would have been one of the most fearsome enemies. Because there are no monsters as specialized in killing ‘humans’ as you.”

《…….》

“But you didn’t even properly grasp the strengths and weaknesses of your army and just blindly set out. You didn’t even properly solve the logistics, which is the most basic of basics for an army, and you don’t even know exactly where the enemy’s castle is.”

Ash’s voice was filled with mockery.

“Well, I guess that’s why you went to war in the winter in your past life and ended up eating your subordinates when you ran out of food.”

《…….》

“You may be powerful as a warrior, but you are disqualified as a commander. Not to mention your subordinates, who have fallen into darkness and gone mad.”

Ash’s voice slowly faded away.

“Now, open your eyes wide again and look at the sky. Can you be sure which way is north and which way is south?”

《…….》

“Try to get out of this endless mire and come to my city. With that cursed hunger in tow.”

Soon, Ash’s voice and the wall completely disappeared. Only the desolate wind swirled in the wasteland.

《…Where is this.》

Pendragon muttered blankly.

《Where exactly are we?》

Pendragon belatedly tried to find a subordinate who knew how to read the terrain – a long-haired Fallen Knight, but immediately realized.

He had eaten him.

On the first day of their march.

《…Puh.》

Unknowingly, a laugh escaped from his lips.

《Kuh, puhehe, puahahahahaha!》

Pendragon covered his face with his hands and burst into maniacal laughter. His subordinates looked at him, bewildered, but he couldn’t stop laughing.

In his mind, the advice that his human subordinates had given him, risking their lives, suddenly surfaced.

Do not go to war in the winter.

Bring enough food. Value those who are knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. Cherish the lives of your soldiers…

…Above all, do not take war lightly. Rule the country with peace…

The old man who had nagged him the most from the front was the first to have his head eaten by the monster he had become.

《Ah-ah.》

Looking back.

He hadn’t kept a single one of those pieces of advice.

Neither in his past life nor now…

《…Let’s go.》

Nevertheless, in the end, he had no choice but to go north. Pendragon staggered forward.

《Let’s go to the human world.》

《…….》

The gazes of the Fallen Knights looking at Pendragon had changed.

Not with fear and loyalty, but with resentment and reproach.

And with hunger.

***

They crossed the wasteland, passed through the swamp, and then another forest, and then night came again.

The time had come to decide on today’s meal – today’s sacrifice.

But today, the atmosphere was different from before.

《My loyal knights who will willingly be eaten by their comrades, step forward.》

As Pendragon spoke indifferently with his back turned,

Swish! Clang!

Swords, spears, scythes, and tentacles were aimed at him.

《…What are you doing?》

Pendragon turned his bloodshot eyes from inside his helmet and looked back at his subordinates. The Fallen Knights were also glaring at Pendragon with bloodshot eyes.

《Great King. Isn’t it all your fault that the situation has come to this?》

《What?》

《It’s just like that enemy commander said. In our past life, you ordered us to go to war in the winter, and that’s why we all ended up like this.》

In front of Pendragon, who was speechless, the other knights wiped the saliva from their mouths.

《So you must apologize, you must apologize, Great King.》

《Keehee, keeheehee… I wonder what the Great King’s flesh will taste like…》

《Since you’re so big, we could probably eat for two days…》

Swish! Swish!

Everyone drew their weapons.

Pendragon and the Fallen Knights who followed Pendragon, three in total.

And four Fallen Knights who were hostile to Pendragon.

The Fallen Knights, divided into two sides, aimed their weapons at each other. Pendragon fiercely curled his lips.

《My knights. Put down your weapons now. Then I will forgive you with just the loss of one arm each.》

《Keehee, keeheehee.》

《You should put down your weapons, Great King… Then at least we’ll take your head with us…》

Pendragon shook his head and raised his greatsword high into the air.

《You ungrateful lot.》

《You’re the one who made us like this… You shouldn’t say that!》

The next moment.

Thud-!

The seven Fallen Knights rushed at each other.

And, letting out roars and screams, they began to fight, biting and devouring each other.

***

……

Pendragon stopped thinking about how much more time had passed since then.

Sitting on a corpse horse that had half its flesh torn off and could barely run, Pendragon staggered north, north.

Bathing in the hot southern sun, he walked and walked, and finally…

《Ah.》

Finally, a huge wall came into view.

This time, it was definitely Crossroad.

《We finally made it. Over that winter mountain…》

Pendragon smiled brightly and turned around.

《Look, my knights! We have finally arrived!》

But there was no one there.

Only the corpse of a subordinate, tied and dragged behind the corpse horse, remained.

Even that was just bones.

《Oh.》

Pendragon, who had been blank, muttered in a daze.

《Where have all the many people, soldiers, and knights who followed me gone?》

Immediately after, a hollow smile appeared on the face of the Fallen King.

《Oh, right. I ate them all…》

Pendragon chuckled and grabbed the reins of the corpse horse.

And, alone, he began to run towards the walls of Crossroad.