I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 649

A Dullahan is a spirit knight whose head and body are separated. These monsters, obsessively fixated on beheading their enemies, have a rather straightforward hierarchy within their legion.

Lower-ranking Dullahans are knights who have lost their heads and are left with only their bodies. Higher-ranking Dullahans are those who, even though their heads have been severed, still carry them around.

In short, whether or not they possess their ‘head’ is a pretty significant issue for them.

What happens if a higher-ranking Dullahan loses their head?

They are immediately demoted to a lower-ranking Dullahan, no exceptions.

‘So, here’s the question.’

If a higher-ranking Dullahan loses their body and is left with only their head? What happens to that Dullahan?

Since their body and head are already separated, they don’t die, but what would they try to do?

The answer is, ‘They try to behead someone else and steal their body’……

It’s gruesome, but it’s a very monster-like method. Just by touching a headless body, a Dullahan can seize control of that body. And with the stolen body, they carry their old head around and continue their merry Dullahan life.

That’s why in the game, if a higher-ranking Dullahan was left with only their head, you could often see the terrifying sight of them stealing the bodies of lower-ranking Dullahans to revive. No matter how many high-level troops you defeated, they would just steal the bodies of lower-level troops and keep getting back up, making them a very annoying legion to deal with.

“Now, let’s think about this.”

Facing the Dullahan Legion Commander (head) being loaded into the giant slingshot, I nodded, humming.

“If we cut off one of that dragon’s heads and then attach this guy’s head to it? Then… wouldn’t it be possible to steal some control over that three-headed dragon’s body?”

《That’s theoretically possible… but, wait, does that even make sense…?》

The Dullahan Legion Commander kept grumbling, seemingly unsure, but I didn’t pay it any mind. I had calculated that this would definitely work.

‘Even if we can’t completely take control, we can at least cause some confusion for Iphian!’

And even if it doesn’t work, we have nothing to lose.

At that moment, Evangeline, who was standing in front of me with her shield raised, broke out in a cold sweat.

“…Isn’t this a bit of a gruesome operation? I knew you were like this, senior, but…”

“It’s not that I’m gruesome, it’s that this guy has these gruesome special abilities! I’m just trying to make use of them!”

I said, offering a sort of excuse, and then I stretched my hand forward.

“Alright, let’s start Operation Hairstyle Change!”

Hecate touched her short-cropped hair with a sullen expression.

“So, that’s what ‘Hairstyle Change’ meant…”

《…How do you plan to cut off Iphian’s head?》

The Dullahan Legion Commander asked, still hanging from the taut slingshot string.

I grinned and looked up at the sky. Iphian’s massive form was getting closer.

“See for yourself.”

Iphian is in a frenzy. In other words, his attack power is increased, but his defense is lowered.

On top of that, in phase 3, all the scales on his head and neck have fallen off, and instead, he’s covered his face with a cloud of poison that he’s been spewing out.

And to top it off, we’ve even used [Elemental Disassembly] to lower his magic defense.

Right now, with his once-sturdy defense plummeting, is the perfect time for us to attack!

“Good work, Violet. You can end the illusion now.”

At my command, Violet, who was panting behind me, released the illusion.

Swoosh…!

Then, the stealth was lifted… revealing an elven woman riding on the back of the three-headed dragon flying towards us.

The elven princess with long, light green hair.

It was Verdandi.

She was once again riding on Iphian’s back.

Just like in the previous raid, she had used Violet’s illusion to hide, then climbed onto Iphian’s body after he landed in the fortress courtyard—she had been hiding on the back of the evil dragon all along.

“Reusing the old strategy, that’s not like you, senior?”

“If it works well, I’ll use it ten or twenty times! I’ll just keep milking it like a bone broth!”

These guys have such a cold relationship that they don’t even call or text each other. I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t even seen each other’s faces during holidays for the past five hundred years.

Even if we use the same method that was used to kill his brother, they’re just as helpless because they don’t share information!

“If there’s an awesome strategy that hasn’t been broken, is there a rule that says we can’t use it again?!”

If there’s a winning formula, there’s no need to go the long way around! I shouted, swinging my fist.

“Now, Verdandi-!”

In Verdandi’s hand, the dagger [Isageum] flashed with a dazzling green magical light.

《…?!》

Iphian, surprised, tried to dodge a beat late, but it was no use.

With green flames erupting from the tip of the dagger, Verdandi swung [Isageum] with all her might—

Clang-!

A dazzling green flash split the air.

Thud…!

And the next moment, Iphian’s massive right neck pillar was severed in one swift motion.

《Kuh… Keuh…?!》

One of the three-headed dragon’s heads was separated into the air, gushing blood like a waterfall.

《The right one?! No…!》

《W-What is this!》

The remaining two heads, which had been rushing towards us, stopped and desperately braked in mid-air. Then, they twisted their bodies wildly to shake off Verdandi.

As Verdandi was seen escaping, I waved my arms forward in succession.

“Damian, fire-!”

A white flash flickered in Damian’s brown eyes, and then,

Thwack-!

The slingshot was fired.

《How dare you do such a crazy thiiiiing…!》

With that fading cry, the Dullahan Legion Commander’s head flew away.

The Dullahan Legion Commander’s head, fired by Damian, drew a beautiful arc through the air and…

Thud-!

It stuck to Iphian’s severed right neck stump at the perfect angle. As if replacing it with a new head.

The other two heads were utterly dumbfounded.

《Who the hell is this guy-?!》

《D-Dullahan Lord’s head?! Then, could it be!》

As explained earlier.

A Dullahan can seize control of a body just by touching a headless body.

And my captured monster is the strongest of those Dullahans, the Dullahan Lord.

《…It’s working.》

The two eyes inside the Dullahan Legion Commander’s helmet flashed with a terrifying murderous intent, and then Iphian’s right half of his body began to flail stiffly like a wooden puppet.

《It’s working, it’s really working! I’ve taken over this damned evil dragon’s body-!》

《What is this crazy, low-level spirit knight doing?!》

《You are not worthy! If you don’t want to be burned to ashes, get off now…!》

In mid-air, Iphian and the Dullahan Legion Commander began a fierce battle for control of the body.

Evangeline, who had been staring blankly at this scene, chirped.

“…A Dullahan head attached to a dragon’s severed neck. I’m starting to get a little scared.”

“It’s quite bizarre, but…”

I chuckled, preparing for the next stage of the operation.

“Still, isn’t this better than the ‘really scary scene’?”

“…!”

The scene of Crossroads collapsing in ruins, which she had witnessed not long ago.

Evangeline’s shoulders trembled as if she had recalled the same scene.

“…You’re right. Compared to that scene, this level of bizarreness is nothing.”

Evangeline took a small breath and gestured to me.

“What’s the next step, senior?”

“If the cards in our hand are useful, we should use them all, shouldn’t we?”

I turned my head to the side.

There, the Banshee Legion Commander, whom I had also captured before, was staring up at Iphian with her mouth wide open.

***

The Weeping Fairy, Banshee.

This monster inflicts a unique status ailment called ‘Depression’ on its victims, and while the victim is in a state of depression, it can possess their body.

And by borrowing the voice of the possessed, it emits a chilling wail, which again inflicts the ‘Depression’ status ailment on those nearby… It’s a mental status ailment monster.

In the game, they were really troublesome enemies. The possessed allied hero would keep wailing until the Banshee’s main body was defeated, and this ‘Depression’ debuff would spread everywhere.

Do you risk the ‘Depression’ spreading and try to find and defeat the Banshee?

Or do you kill your own allied hero with your own hands to prevent the ‘Depression’ from spreading?

It was a terrible dilemma that this annoying monster forced upon you. This time, I have [Indomitable Commander], so I don’t have to worry much, but in the game, it was one of the monsters I hated the most.

But now, she’s on my side. My captured monster.

Which means I can use her very effectively!

“When was the last time you cried your heart out, Fairy of Sorrow?”

I pointed to Iphian’s left head and commanded the Banshee Legion Commander.

“Hey, cry-!”

The left head of Iphian’s three heads, the one with the foulest mouth, is the most emotional one.

In the game, its sentimentality was reflected by the fact that its mental status ailment resistance would plummet every time a head other than itself died.

In other words…

《Ooh-hoo-hoo, heuh-heuh-heup…》

At this moment, with the right head dead, the Banshee’s ‘Depression’ will work!

As the Banshee Legion Commander wailed mournfully and inflicted a mental status ailment on the left head, the left head’s eyes soon filled with sadness.

《Ah, my sister… I’ve never been good to her… and the other siblings… they’re all dead. Even that guy on the right, he wasn’t supposed to die like this…》

The left head, which had fallen into a state of depression in an instant, drooped down.

《…It worked?》

The Banshee Legion Commander, who had muttered in a daze, immediately possessed Iphian’s left head.

The possession was successful, and the left head—no, the Banshee Legion Commander—raised her head as if to show off, and smiled brightly.

《It worked!》

And with the left head’s original, enormous volume, she began to wail.

《Hic hic hic, you black dragon bastard, hic hic hic, eat dirt…!》

Only the wailing sound had changed, but this violent wailing was no different from a dragon roar itself.

《Hey, left! Get a grip! If you fall too…!》

The middle head desperately shouted, being battered by the dragon roar pouring out from right next to it.

But for Iphian, the situation was already spiraling out of control.

The right half of his body, which had been taken over by the Dullahan, was tearing itself apart with its own limbs, and the left half of his body, which had been taken over by the Banshee, was self-harming by firing dragon roars at itself.

Kugwagwagwang-!

In the end, Iphian couldn’t even maintain flight and crashed down into the fortress courtyard.

And, in the thick dust…

《I’ve spent countless ages with you, but I’m truly sick of it.》

The middle head looked at its left and right necks with cold golden eyes.

《My patience has reached its limit.》

The next moment, the middle head unleashed a breath.

Towards its own left head.

Fwoosh-!

The fiercely fired black flame breath accurately penetrated the left head’s mouth, which was wide open from roaring.

The left head tried to endure it by using its roar, but soon, the entire head was horribly burned and melted by the intense power of the breath.

《Haa…》

After confirming the death of the left head, which had been completely burned and crushed.

The middle head stopped breathing and turned its head sharply to the right.

Then, it bit off the remaining neck where the Dullahan Legion Commander’s head was hanging, and pulled it off with a single, powerful motion.

Fwoosh…!

Blood splattered everywhere.

As if to never allow a Dullahan to invade again, it had torn off the neck itself.

《M-Middle, you…》

At that moment, the right head, which had fallen to the ground, opened its mouth.

Even though it had been severed, it was still surviving thanks to the dragon’s tenacious life force. The right head muttered, spitting out blood.

《Even so, how could you… kill them yourself…》

Crunch!

The right head, which was about to say more, was crushed by Iphian’s massive hind foot.

Burst brain matter and blood splattered messily on the fortress’s dirt floor.

《…How long has it been since my head was this quiet?》

Soaked in the blood of his brothers—and his own.

The last head, which had finally taken complete control of the body, curled up its blood-soaked massive mouth into a smile.

《I should have killed them both a long time ago.》