I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 617

The original schedule for today was up to the round of 16 in the martial arts tournament. However, the Glory Knights’ matches were postponed to tomorrow, considering the special circumstances. It would be too much to ask them to compete after such an accident. So, the remaining matches proceeded as normal, but…

***

Round of 16. My main party VS the Scary Sisters.

The members of the ‘Scary Sisters’ are Elise, Rosetta, Bodybag, Violet, and Myeong.

Indeed, they were a force to be reckoned with. As heroes who displayed terrifying power on the front lines, they had a formidable squad.

Moreover, their tactics were innovative… As soon as the match started, Bodybag used telekinesis to lift me up and throw me far away.

“Whoa-ah-ah?!

“My lord-?!”

There’s no out-of-bounds penalty in this martial arts tournament, so even as I was thrown far away, I wondered what was going on.

“I was waiting for this moment!”

While I was out of the area, Violet deployed [Illusion Domain].

[Illusion Domain] is a wide-area mental status ailment. My [Unyielding Commander], which provides wide-area immunity, is the perfect counter.

But I was thrown out of range, and they took advantage of that gap. What a combination!

Kiiiiing!

[Illusion Domain] unfolded, and my main party members were immediately affected.

Evangeline, Lucas, Junior, all stared blankly into the air with drool dripping from their mouths, as if they were possessed.

Even if I’m not there, how could they be taken down so easily?!

“Damn it, I need to get back quickly… Ugh?!

I tried to rush back, but Bodybag used another telekinetic attack to bind me in the corner of the arena. I was completely caught!

“Now’s the time! Attack-!”

Then, the other Scary Sisters, except for Violet, rushed in.

They focused their attacks on Evangeline first. Did they have a lot of pent-up frustration?

“Heh heh, you traitor…! You said we’d be together until the end!”

“You showed us that dream, and then you abandoned us! This is your betrayal point settlement!”

“I don’t really know… but when else would I get to hit the chairman?”

“I-I’ll hit you gently. Tell me if it hurts!”

Elise, Rosetta, Bodybag, and even the innocent-looking Myeong, all beat up Evangeline.

“Even if I fall here…”

While being pummeled by their furious attacks, Evangeline recited solemnly.

“The dream of a handsome man’s harem… shall remain immortal…”

“Why are you making that immortal?! What kind of dream are you having!”

I shouted as I struggled to break free from the telekinesis.

Anyway, Evangeline, the front-line tank, was knocked down.

Next, the Scary Sisters’ gaze turned sharply towards Lucas. Lucas, with a blank look in his eyes, stared into the air and said:

“…It’s alright, my lord. Please go out with Serenade. I’ll watch the house today. Yes. I’ll feed the baby formula, play with them, and put them to sleep. Who am I? I’m the guardian and housekeeper of this house. So, don’t worry and go on a fun date…”

What kind of illusion are you showing him-?!

Why has he become a housekeeper and golden retriever guarding a newlywed couple’s house with a baby! What kind of dream has he fallen into!

“Hoo-hoo-hoo…”

Serenade, who was watching from the audience, made a very satisfied sound for some reason. No, no, don’t be happy about that now!

“…”

“…”

“…”

Anyway, the Scary Sisters glared fiercely at Lucas, then abruptly turned their gaze away and passed him by.

“I’m having the same dream, so I can’t bring myself to touch him.”

“Let’s pass him over.”

“I-I’ll let it slide…”

“I hope you achieve your dream. Knight.”

They’re even cheering him on! What are you guys doing!

The Scary Sisters’ next target was Junior.

Junior, a mage with maxed-out magic stats, was taken down by the illusion in one hit and was now dazed.

The Scary Sisters approached her, chuckling evilly.

That’s when Junior muttered softly.

“What… is my type…?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The Scary Sisters flinched and stopped, then exchanged serious glances.

“I don’t think we should touch this one either.”

“Hmm, this might be a very important moment for Junior.”

“I hope she comes to a good conclusion…!”

“…Type? What are you talking about?”

Myeong, who couldn’t follow the conversation, just tilted her head.

Anyway, after skipping Lucas and Junior, they turned their heads to find Damian. And.

“I found the reverse scale!”

Damian smiled calmly and shot an arrow at the fake dragon.

“…?”

The Scary Sisters were a beat late in opening their mouths, but the arrow was already flying.

Damian’s [Thousand-Mile Eyes] sees through the essence of his opponent. Even if hearing, smell, and touch are confused, Damian’s vision alone is not affected by [Illusion Domain]. What a cheat character!

So, Damian had been pretending to be affected by the illusion from the beginning, standing still in place, looking for the reverse scale point of the fake dragon… and now he shot the arrow.

Thwack!

The arrow hit the reverse scale point accurately, and the match ended immediately with the sound of the bell. Ding ding ding-!

“T-This can’t be…”

“The tactics were perfect… Hmph, we were careless.”

The Scary Sisters sat down in their seats, looking despondent. Only Myeong was clapping for Damian, saying it was a great match.

And when [Illusion Domain] was lifted, the rest of my main party members also collapsed to the floor.

Evangeline and Lucas, who regained their senses a beat late, looked around.

“…Huh, where’s my harem…?”

“Baby? Where did the baby go? It’s time for formula… and lullabies…”

Get a grip, you dreamy kids…

“Huh?!”

Then, Junior, who had fallen to the floor with her arms propped up, muttered with a cold sweat.

“W-What was that… I think I had a dream where spinach juice and tomato juice were fighting over who I should choose.”

“Ah, that’s the type you were worried about…?”

I returned to the center of the arena and first took care of my main party members, who were still out of it. I also showered Damian with praise.

Then, I nodded deeply towards the ‘Scary Sisters’.

“That was an excellent tactic, everyone. It wouldn’t have been strange if you had won.”

To devise and execute a tactic that excludes me and uses a mental status ailment.

They truly deserve praise. If Damian hadn’t held out with [Thousand-Mile Eyes], we would have lost.

I praised each member of the ‘Scary Sisters’. Elise and Rosetta were genuinely disappointed, while Bodybag and Myeong laughed, saying they had fun.

Finally… I approached Violet, who was hiding in the corner, looking for a chance to escape, and forcefully shook her hand.

“That was amazing, Violet. Your illusion skills are improving day by day.”

“N-No, well, thank you…”

“I’m looking forward to it in the Black Dragon subjugation battle as well.”

“Huh?”

I smiled brightly and left the arena, leaving her behind.

A few seconds later, Violet’s face turned pale.

She tried to run out of the city, but when I snapped my fingers, other members of the Gamble Club appeared, grabbed her, and dragged her screaming back into the city.

Where do you think you’re going? The festival is in full swing, so enjoy it a little more.

Noooooo…

Violet’s screams were drowned out by the cheers and applause from the audience.

Thus, the first match of the round of 16 ended. After leaving the arena, I looked at my main party members and announced.

“Okay, everyone, today is free time! You can watch the remaining matches, go out and play, or whatever you want. The quarterfinals are tomorrow, so gather at the lord’s mansion tomorrow morning.”

The party members all answered, “Yes!”

After saying goodbye for their hard work today, the party members dispersed, each going their own way.

As I watched the children’s backs as they headed to various parts of the city,

“My lord.”

Lucas approached me cautiously.

“Lucas. What’s wrong? If it’s an application for the future housekeeper position in our house, there’s still some time left until the announcement. Submit your application later.”

“P-Please stop teasing me about that… More importantly.”

Lucas, who had been rolling his blue eyes in thought, looked directly at me.

“I have something to say about Hecate.”

I saw Evangeline, who had been walking away, suddenly turn around and start listening.

I smiled bitterly.

“Yes. I felt that I needed to talk about it too.”

***

The Honey of Etty Inn. Second floor.

“…”

Hecate stood in front of her locked room door, staring blankly at the key in her hand.

Due to the accident, the handbag she had been carrying was ruined… and the room key inside the bag was also bent.

She could go down to the lobby on the first floor and get a new key from the staff, but she didn’t feel like it. It was also difficult to explain her blood-soaked bandages.

Hecate staggered and sat down haphazardly in the hallway.

‘How did it…’

She looked down at her body wrapped in bandages.

‘How did it come to this?’

It was the life she had chosen.

As a citizen of the Empire, she respected the Emperor, and from the moment she first picked up a sword, she had aimed to become a Glory Knight.

She willingly gave her life and fought for the Empire.

And now, she had been diagnosed with only a short time left.

The Emperor had given her free time, and Hecate had come down to the southern end of the world to find her friends from her school days.

She had dressed up and was excited for the long-awaited festival.

But in reality, she had become awkward with her old friends and couldn’t easily approach them. Her plan to show off her cool side in the martial arts tournament had been ruined by the accident.

‘With this cursed body… I can’t approach Lucas again…’

She remembered the sight of the young mercenaries who had been horrified and ran away when they saw her being reassembled.

Ash’s frozen face too.

And… Lucas’s face, who had rushed out late to protect Ash, and had also turned pale when he saw her from afar.

‘I shouldn’t have come.’

Only then did Hecate realize the reality. That she was now a being too different from ordinary people.

No matter how much she tried to sugarcoat it, she was ultimately just a monster wrapped in a curse.

‘I should have just disappeared quietly. I should have remained a beautiful memory from my school days…’

Why did she come all the way here in this ugly state, trying to tarnish even the good memories?

Hecate, squatting in the hallway, looked to the side.

She could see the plaza far away through the inn window. She could see a crowd of people laughing and chatting in the bright afternoon sunlight.

“…”

She couldn’t even go out of the shadows.

She envied those smiles that could be seen under the sunlight.

And honestly.

Just a little.

‘…I hate it.’

Hecate, gritting her teeth, covered her face with both hands, desperately trying to suppress what was rising from within.

“U-Um, excuse me!”

A nervous, stuttering voice rang out in front of her.

“…?”

Hecate, flustered, quickly wiped her face with her hands, rubbed her teary eyes with the back of her hand, and looked ahead.

“D-Door? Is it because the door won’t open? This inn is old, so the locks break down all the time! That’s why I often have trouble too!”

Junior was standing there.

She had just returned from the round of 16. She had only come to get her luggage, but she had run into Hecate, who was squatting in front of the door.

She tried hard to avoid looking at Hecate’s tear-stained face, and she was sweating profusely, probably because she was flustered.

And then, in a voice that seemed to have mustered her courage…

The hesitant young mage asked carefully.

“C-Can I… help you?!”

She bit her tongue while asking.

“…”

Junior, who had been standing still for a moment with her tongue sticking out, which had a faint trace of blood, felt somewhat awkward… and blurted out a repertoire she had used two years ago.

“…It’s a joke.”

It wasn’t funny at all.

But because it was so absurd, Hecate couldn’t help but laugh.