I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 631

The Black Dragon’s fang, Tustibean.

The massive evil dragon fell sideways, dead. His face was a gruesome mess, mostly obliterated.

“……”

Standing before the corpse of the fallen beast, Dusk Bringer remained expressionless.

The wind from his breath had left her covered in soot. Her armor was intact but damaged, her clothes were tattered and torn, and her once-lustrous black hair was a mess.

Standing beside her, I murmured,

“Come to think of it, this is the first time you’ve directly defeated a Black Dragon Legion member, isn’t it?”

There were seven dragons in the Black Dragon Legion.

Of those, we’ve taken down three so far.

I killed one in the Colosseum during my first year, we captured another a few days ago… This is the first one we’ve properly defeated in a raid.

“How do you feel, having defeated your nemesis?”

A past conversation with Dusk Bringer came to mind.

I had told her that the Black Dragons were ‘born to be evil’.

Because of the feud passed down from their ancestors, and because of the difference in values regarding the world’s existence… Dusk Bringer hated the Black Dragons from the depths of her soul.

“……I don’t really know. It feels strange.”

However, Dusk Bringer’s voice lacked the venom it once had.

“The moment I faced him, I knew. That this creature and I were destined to fight and kill each other.”

“……”

“Even now, my thoughts haven’t changed. The Black Dragons are evil by their very existence, and we cannot let these creatures who seek to destroy the world live… That is my belief, and I believe it is the natural order.”

Dusk Bringer stared down at Tustibean’s wide, lifeless eyes, and bit her lip.

“But, why is it… when I met his eyes. I thought, maybe it would have been okay to talk a little more before we killed each other.”

Immediately after, Dusk Bringer let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“It seems I’ve become weak being around you.”

“……”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. The Black Dragons are ultimately beings who seek to destroy the world, and we must kill them to survive. What I said was, just.”

Dusk Bringer hesitated before blurting out,

“It’s because of nostalgia.”

“Nostalgia?”

“Yes, nostalgia. They are our destined enemies, whom we must fight and kill, but they are also of the same dragon species. A species that is now extinct, and can only be reunited in this form… a race with the same origin. It’s just a fleeting longing for the past.”

Dusk Bringer, having snapped, glared at me.

“Forget these useless sentiments and pointless worries. We must become iron-willed and fight. You understand, Ash?”

She brushed the soot off her body and trudged away. Her tangled hair bobbed as she walked.

“……”

Turning my gaze away from her retreating figure, I looked around the warehouse where our allied heroes were beginning to clean up.

Inside the military warehouse, various valuable items were piled up. Not only were there treasures collected by the dragon in its dragon lair, but also various military supplies stockpiled from the Lake Kingdom era.

‘Of course, these are also great spoils, but the biggest prize is.’

Tustibean himself.

Tustibean was the first complete dragon corpse we had obtained. In other words, it meant that we could begin producing full-fledged dragon slayer equipment.

The equipment that could be made with Parekian’s claws was limited. The grade was also limited to SR [Super Rare]. But now, we could make equipment from bones, skin, scales, heart… various parts.

Through the activated teleport gate, all the items inside the warehouse were being transported to Crossroads. Watching this, Evangeline grinned.

“At this rate, we’ll be able to catch the rest of the dragons easily, won’t we?”

“Uh-uh.”

I told you not to jinx it!

I tapped my index finger on Evangeline’s lips, and she pouted in dissatisfaction.

Lukas, who had come up beside me, seemed amused and placed his own index finger on Evangeline’s lips. Evangeline’s eyes widened, and she bit Lukas’s finger.

As I listened to Lukas’s scream, I spoke to the main party members who had gathered around me.

“The next dragons will be a real ‘Dragon Raid’. It will be a battle far more difficult than anything we’ve faced so far.”

Kilitian, Parekian, and Tustibean.

Each of them had a clear weakness (or several) compared to other dragons.

But the ones we’ll face next are different.

They are dragons who can use all their powers as dragons, and each has their own unique strengths. It won’t be an easy fight.

‘Full-fledged dragon slayer production, and after thorough preparation… we’ll take them down one by one.’

I took a deep breath. And glanced at the system window.

[STAGE 40]

– Time until start: 25 days

Stage 40… There were less than four weeks left until Night Bringer invaded Crossroads.

The thorny path ahead of us was becoming narrower and rougher.

There was no more room for idle worries.

***

District 10 of the Lake Kingdom.

The fountain plaza in front of the royal palace.

Since it wasn’t the time of the flood, clear purified water was gushing from the massive fountain.

The demon guard corps that originally guarded the royal palace had all fled, leaving this place deserted.

Whoosh-

Thud…!

A massive dragon spread its wings and landed.

The dragon’s body, covered entirely in black scales, looked as if it were wearing well-forged armor. Its body, with its elegant curves, had three necks, and each neck had a head with fiercely gleaming eyes.

A three-headed dragon.

‘The Black Dragon’s Eye’, Ipian.

《This was the meeting place, right?》

When the middle head spoke in a solemn voice, the left head snorted.

《Who cares, you moron. You made the appointment without even talking to us.》

《…….》

Following that, the right head mumbled, nodding.

《Sleepy… I want to sleep…》

《…….》

The middle head of Ipian, having seen the foul-mouthed left head spewing curses and the right head actually falling asleep and snoring, let out a long sigh. He had been with these two for an immeasurable amount of time, but he was truly fed up.

《Fine, you keep cursing, and you keep sleeping. I’ll lead the meeting.》

《Huh?! You’re trying to take the lead again, you! All three of us are the ‘Black Dragon’s Eye’. Don’t act like you’re so great, it’s annoying!》

《……Zzzzz…….》

While the three heads were bickering, fighting, and dozing off, another dragon cut through the sky and approached the plaza.

It was an Ying Dragon [a dragon with feathered wings], with large wings spread left and right. Unlike typical dragons, its wings were covered in abundant feathers.

The dragon gracefully circled in the air before folding its wings and landing softly in the plaza.

‘The Black Dragon’s Wing’, Winged Hwan.

《It’s been a while, eldest brothers…》

Winged Hwan trailed off. The three heads of Ipian were too busy fighting among themselves to notice whether he had arrived or not.

《It’s only natural that I should lead the meeting, rather than you, you ignorant fool!》

《You always act like you’re so great, but whose judgment was it that led to our deaths in our past lives? Huh?!》

《Snore…》

Winged Hwan, having glanced at the bickering three heads of Ipian, sighed, thinking, ‘They’re at it again.’

Behind Winged Hwan, the monsters he had taken as his subordinates—the so-called ‘Guardians’—swarmed in and formed a perimeter, as if on guard.

Unlike other dragons, Winged Hwan actively enjoyed forming groups, and had conquered and subjugated several monster legions. Winged Hwan watched the eldest brother’s heads fighting while being attended to by his subordinates.

And, at that moment.

《Whoa! Brothers, I’m sorry! I’m late!》

Finally, another dragon appeared, cutting through the sky.

It was a dragon with a long, serpentine body and four legs. It looked like a divine beast that would be revered in the east across the sea, rather than on this continent.

The dragon, with its long catfish whiskers fluttering, had a strange pair of large glasses on its eyes.

The Black Dragon’s Pure Scale, Scalerian.

Scalerian, who floated in the air as if buoyed, landed in the plaza. Finally, all three dragons who were supposed to gather for this meeting were assembled.

The middle head of Ipian smiled happily and turned to his two younger brothers.

《Yes, it’s been a while. Winged Hwan. Scalerian. How have you all been…》

《Damn it! Every time I see you, your names are so damn hard to remember!》

The left head interrupted, getting angry.

《It’s so damn confusing, so I’ll just call you Wing and Scale from now on. Okay?》

《…….》

《You can call me Eye, it’s fine, right?!》

Not only the middle head of Ipian, but also Winged Hwan and Scalerian were all taken aback.

Clearing his throat, Winged Hwan suggested,

《……It’s hard to have a conversation like this, so how about we polymorph first?》

It was awkward to be making such a fuss in dragon size. Above all, the left head of Ipian had a terrifying volume, making it painful to listen to his voice.

The three dragons agreed and simultaneously used the dragon’s power—polymorph magic—to transform into human forms. It was a power that their younger siblings below them could not use, but it was an easy task for these ‘complete dragons’.

The first to finish transforming was the eldest brother, Ipian.

A man with short-cropped black hair, wearing elegant black armor. And wearing long earrings as decoration, he had three eyes.

With a third eye that was vertically long between his eyebrows—a being with a total of three golden eyes.

The dragon who had finished polymorphing looked normal on the outside, but,

《I’ll take the lead!》

《Shut up, you always get all the fun! It’s my turn today!》

《It’s noisy. Let me sleep, seriously…》

The three eyes rolled around, glaring at each other, and words came out of one mouth in turns.

Winged Hwan and Scalerian, watching the eldest brother who had become a triple personality as soon as he polymorphed into a human, thought at the same time.

‘It’s a mess……’

Winged Hwan transformed into a handsome man with a ponytail and a feathered coat, and Scalerian transformed into a scholar with a timid impression, wearing glasses and a robe.

《Ugh, ugh…》

After a brief internal power struggle.

Ipian’s right and middle eyes closed tightly, and only the left eye remained wide open.

《Alright, brothers! This body is now mine!》

It seemed that the left head had won.

In front of the two younger brothers, who thought it was a mental illness every time they saw it, Ipian scratched his ear and asked.

《So, what was it? Why did we gather today? Wing, Scale, tell me.》

《……Eye brother gathered us.》

《Huh?! Did I?!》

The reason was obvious.

It was because of the recent series of incidents in the Black Dragon Legion.

《Parekian has gone missing, and Tustibean died recently. It seems that the Guardian of the Mortal Realm has brought an army and caused this.》

As Winged Hwan calmly explained, Ipian burst into anger.

《Damn it, it’s so hard to remember the names of these dragon bastards! Which parts are they?!》

……The reason for his anger was a bit different.

Winged Hwan, or rather, Wing, sighed. He decided to just go along with the current Ipian, or rather, Eye.

《Claw and Fang. They went missing and died.》

《Damn it, those weaklings, they’re getting their asses kicked in both their past and present lives!》

Eye, who was grumbling, asked in confusion.

《But, didn’t we have one more sibling?》

《Kilitian… are you talking about Blood Drop? She died two years ago.》

《Oh, my poor, weak little sister! She’s gone and died again!》

Eye, who had lamented, then asked.

《Who killed her?》

《She was killed by the Guardian of the Mortal Realm.》

《That bastard! How dare he kill my precious little sister! I will definitely kill him!》

His reaction was about two years late, but anyway, Eye cherished his younger sister. Although, it seemed like he didn’t care much whether his younger brothers lived or died…

《How about we have a meeting about that today?》

Wing, after calmly looking at Eye and Scale, whispered.

《The Guardian of the Mortal Realm. He is leading an army and attacking us directly. We must decide what punishment to inflict on this arrogant human.》