I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 621

No matter the surrounding situation.

Whether the audience cheers or jeers, how other comrades fight, whether the weapon in hand is a real sword or not—it doesn’t matter.

Lucas and Hecate were engrossed in each other, exchanging sword blows. Neither yielded an inch, each giving their best in the exchange of swords.

Years had passed since graduation.

Both had honed their swordsmanship in their respective hells. They had trained on battlefields where they couldn’t survive without killing.

They paved the way for their respective lords, washing the paths they built with corpses in blood.

They had changed. Their swordsmanship had also changed.

But, however—

Only the core, the fundamental principle of swordsmanship, remained the same.

The basics they had built at the very foundation of their swordsmanship, the fundamentals they had trained together during their school days. Only that remained intact from those days, and so they were reassured.

Even though they had fallen into their own hells.

Lucas and Hecate were still maintaining themselves.

Thud!

The wooden sword and parasol that had clashed pushed each other away, and the two knights stood apart.

Hecate gripped the handle with both hands and slowly raised the parasol above her head.

Lucas, also gripping the handle with both hands, lowered the wooden sword and crouched down.

Hecate, taking the high ground, and Lucas, taking the low ground. The two knights, in completely opposing stances, glared fiercely at each other.

Exactly the same setup as the battle they had on graduation day.

And—

The outcome was decided in an instant.

Thwack-!

Lucas, kicking off the ground, charged at Hecate with terrifying momentum, unleashing a single strike.

Hecate, smoothly evading the charge like a matador, gently brought her parasol down.

Clang-!

The wooden sword was cut in half.

It was a reenactment of their graduation duel. Hecate thought she had won, just like that day. However.

“Hup!”

The wooden sword, now only half its length, did not stop.

Lucas’s wooden sword, smoothly continuing its trajectory, drew a graceful arc and stopped in front of Hecate’s neck the moment after she blinked.

Lucas had predicted from the start that Hecate would cut his wooden sword, and he had set the sword path so that he could subdue Hecate even with the remaining blade.

The sword was broken, but Lucas had taken the victory.

Following Lucas’s movements, a whirlwind belatedly swept through, and Hecate’s hat floated into the air before falling to the ground.

Hecate slowly lowered her parasol to the ground and then raised both hands.

“…You’ve grown, Lucas.”

“If it were our school days, your victory would have been at the point of cutting the sword.”

Lucas also slowly retrieved his wooden sword.

“But in real combat, it doesn’t end there.”

“That’s right. There’s no teacher to blow the whistle when a match is decided, no school uniform to protect us, no fence around the schoolyard… anymore.”

Hecate chuckled.

“We’ve become adults, haven’t we?”

The world outside the school was harsh, and both had adapted.

The deciding factor was just one thing: how much they had pondered over their last duel.

Lucas had constantly thought about how he needed to fight to win that day’s duel and had already derived an answer. And he had proven it like this.

“I lost!”

As Hecate conceded with a refreshing voice, Lucas slowly added.

“Next time.”

“Huh?”

“Next time, let me hear your answer.”

Lucas smiled awkwardly at Hecate, who was widening her eyes.

“How you would move to block this move.”

“…”

“I’ll be waiting for our next match, Hecate.”

The corners of Hecate’s mouth, which had been stiff, slowly formed a smile.

Because Lucas’s upright gaze was truly no different from his school days.

“I’m relieved. You’ve grown, and you’ve changed a lot… but you’re still you, Lucas.”

“You too, Hecate. And.”

Lucas slowly turned his head to the side.

“Our lord as well.”

Lucas’s gaze turned towards the fake dragon.

Damian was wildly firing rubber-tipped arrows, and the rest of the group was desperately trying to block them.

Arrows slipped through Ash’s leaping fingers. Ash screamed and rolled on the ground, and Evangeline blocked the escaped arrows with her shield.

Ash clapped his hands like a seal, as if he had never screamed.

“Our lord has lost his memories.”

Lucas, who had been quietly watching, looked back at Hecate.

“Many things have changed. He’s no longer the person he was in our school days. But… when he speaks of that grand and absurd goal of protecting the world.”

“…”

“The smile that appears on his face at that time is still the same as it was back then. It’s the same light of the person I vowed to follow for life.”

Suddenly, a scene from their school days flashed in Hecate’s vision.

The black-haired boy walking in front with a haggard gaze.

The blonde boy always standing firmly behind that black-haired boy.

And the beige-haired… herself, following beside them, watching the blonde boy’s mood.

When Hecate closed and opened her eyes again, the younger versions of themselves disappeared like illusions, and the adult versions of themselves appeared.

“We’ll keep changing as we graduate from school and live in this harsh world… but if there’s one thing that doesn’t change. If we protect one thing that shouldn’t change.”

“…”

“Wouldn’t that be enough? With that, we are still us.”

Lucas smiled brightly.

“I intend to protect that unchanging thing.”

Many things had changed.

He was still insensitive, still only followed his master, and still—wanted to compete with her.

Staring at the face of her first love, Hecate couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Haha. I’m glad I came to this festival. Really…”

***

…Apart from the duel between the two knights.

On this side, the situation unfolded with me, Evangeline, Junior, and the four black knights twisting our bodies to block the rubber-tipped arrows that Damian was firing.

Even while dodging the water cannons and rope whips fired by the fake dragon!

Damian & Fake Dragon (Lily) VS the other 7. You could say it was the same setup.

In the end, Damian won. Later, the arrows even reached the point of drawing spinning vortex shots in the air. Can’t stop the cheat?!

Fortunately, Lucas and Hecate’s match ended first. I’m glad we could escape this absurd situation where our team was hindering our own victory!

The two knights, with much lighter expressions, bowed to each other and turned around.

Whoaaaaa…!

Clap clap clap clap.

Applause poured from the audience for the two knights who had put on a great match. Cheers also flew towards our side, who had worked hard.

I patted the shoulders of the black knights who had worked hard with me.

The black knights were embarrassed but soon smiled and exchanged greetings with our members. How heartwarming.

‘Is it the finals now…’

The final opponents were Dusk Bringer and the Dragon Blood Knights, who had advanced through the semi-finals earlier.

The Dragon Blood Archduke, the defending champion of the last martial arts tournament, and the dragon knights, known as the berserkers of the West. A super luxurious lineup with all members being SSR grade [Super Super Rare, a term used in gacha games to denote the highest rarity].

When I turned my head, I saw Dusk Bringer standing blankly in the audience, looking at me. Her four knights were neatly lined up behind her.

“…”

“…”

We exchanged glances without a word.

Suddenly, I remembered the declaration of war she had sent me two years ago. She had also said to have a match at Crossroads back then.

Maybe we were always destined to fight like this eventually.

“…”

“…”

No, apart from that.

Suddenly, it turned into a staring contest. Dusk Bringer and I glared at each other, locking eyes. Let’s see who looks away first!

“…Ugh!”

In the end, it was Dusk Bringer who looked away first.

Dusk Bringer, unable to hold back, blinked her large eyes, her cheeks flushed with frustration, gritted her teeth, and then turned away.

“Hehe, it seems we won the psychological warfare…”

While Damian was saying ‘heal, heal’ to my bloodshot eyes from the staring contest, Lucas came and stood in front of me. He looked very cheerful after winning against Hecate.

“It’s another revenge match. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Ah, now that you mention it.”

It was Lucas who faced Dusk Bringer in the finals of the last martial arts tournament. He was utterly defeated back then…

“The martial arts tournament at that time prohibited the use of swords, and we had to fight purely with our bodies. It was impossible to win against someone who was half-human, half-dragon.”

Lucas, with a face full of confidence, drew a new wooden sword and raised it into the air.

“But this time, we have swords! And I’ve been diligently training since then. I will avenge myself this time!”

“You’re so full of confidence after beating Hecate, Lucas…”

Hecate’s expression brightened even though she lost. The way swordsmen think is difficult to understand.

At that moment, Junior cautiously asked me.

“By the way, Your Highness, are you going to be okay? The Archduke seems to be very fired up.”

“Hmph. I’m fired up too.”

I raised the corners of my mouth menacingly and cracked my knuckles.

The 5v5 PVP [Player versus Player] tactic against the Dragon Blood Knights had been established a long time ago.

Ever since Dusk Bringer sent her declaration of war two years ago, I had prepared it in great detail in case of an emergency.

In this martial arts tournament as well, I had trained our party members very hard to master this tactic from the beginning to defeat Dusk Bringer.

We spent almost half of the special training period preparing for this.

‘Berserkers of the West? Dragon Blood Knights? All SSR? Who cares! Bring it on!’

They are well within the range of my ‘strategy’. I’ll use all the dirty tricks I’ve prepared to take them down.

“Like a villain! I’ll drag the previous champion down from the ring! And take the belt and wrap it around my waist!”

I covered my face with my hand and laughed wickedly, “Hehehehehe.”

Then, the main party members exchanged glances with each other… and smiled kindly at me. It was like a ‘let him enjoy it’ expression.

What, you guys! If you have something to say, say it!

***

And so. About an hour later.

The main event of this festival, the martial arts tournament. The final match, which would decorate the finale of the martial arts tournament, finally began.

The weight of the name ‘final match’, the fame of the two parties who had come forward to fight each other, and finally, the regret for the festival coming to an end…

For various reasons, the audience was packed with people, and everyone waited for the match with expectant faces.

…Until about 5 minutes ago, that is.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

“Uwaaaaaaak!”

“Run, everyone, run!”

“If you get caught, you’ll die-!”

Most of the people sitting in the audience were screaming and running away.

Dark clouds were swirling in the sky, and suffocating magic was vibrating in the air. Not only the people but even the animals in the area were running away with terrified faces.

Dragon Fear.

A wide-area fear technique of the dragon species that suppresses the surroundings with its mere presence.

No, it’s not just Dragon Fear… A clearly murderous magic is violently swirling in the area.

I wiped away the cold sweat and stared straight at the opponent who had brought the situation to this point.

Goooooo-

Dusk Bringer.

She was walking slowly towards us, and her appearance was quite different from usual.

On both sides of her small forehead were a pair of red horns, below the shoulder blades on both sides of her back were a pair of red wings made of membranes, and below her lower back was a red tail.

When the eyes that had been closed over her red-scaled cheeks opened, the whites of her amber dragon eyes were completely dyed black.

‘Dragon Blood Rampage?!’

She’s using this crazy risk technique, here and now?!

I muttered awkwardly.

“Um… Archduke? I’m sorry, but this isn’t a battlefield, it’s a martial arts tournament…”

“What warms the world may be warmth.”

Dusk Bringer gave an irrelevant answer.

“But what kills and saves people is ultimately the blade. Therefore.”

Gooooooo-!

A dazzling sunset-colored magic swirled and gathered, then solidified into the form of a huge greatsword in Dusk Bringer’s hand.

Whoosh!

The martial arts tournament restraint that had been on her wrist, limiting her magic, couldn’t withstand it and evaporated into the air.

We were all gaping at this unbelievable power.

This person, no, this dragon, is serious…!

“I will become the blade. To protect you, I will defeat you, Ash.”

Dusk Bringer, pointing the greatsword forward, calmly glared at me.

“If you cannot even defeat me, there is no chance against the Black Dragon.”

“…!”

“If you truly intend to defeat the evil dragon, overcome this trial…!”

Thwack-!

Dusk Bringer, kicking off the ground, flapped her wings and soared into the air—then charged straight at me in the blink of an eye.

My main party members looked at me with pale faces. This situation had never happened in the anti-Dragon Blood Knight tactics we had been training for.

“My lord?! What do we do in this case?!”

“First…”

I turned around and yelled.

“Run awaaaaay-!”

Kwaaaang!

At the same time, magic exploded from the greatsword that Dusk Bringer had slammed down, blowing away the floor of the arena.