I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 671

The snow-covered Crossroads was in chaos. The sky was still dark, the damage from the previous breath attack remained, and the eastern plains were ablaze. Amidst this chaotic atmosphere, many people, led by the Arian Kingdom’s forces, fled the city to the north.

“……”

Bringer Duchy military camp.

Watching the city in disarray, Dusk Bringer was surrounded by priests, receiving healing magic. The priests, with sweat dripping down their faces, were applying divine power to the Dragonblood Duke’s bare back. However, the injuries did not heal easily. A high-ranking priest, personally brought by the Emperor from the capital, wiped the sweat from his brow.

“The back injury is severe.”

“……”

Dusk Bringer’s back was in a terrible state. Like a volcano with boiling lava, the cracked red wounds beneath the charred black skin were emitting heat. She had been directly hit by Iphian’s breath, the eldest son of Night Bringer. It was a miracle that she had survived with just these injuries. Furthermore, Dusk Bringer’s mental fortitude to be able to move despite such injuries was also nothing short of a miracle. And with this level of miracle, Night Bringer could not be stopped.

“It’s an injury that won’t heal easily, and you even fought the Black Dragon… The wound has worsened, and the Black Dragon’s evil energy has penetrated it.”

“Just get to the point, priest. So? What is it?”

“……”

“As your Emperor wishes, if I give my all… can I withstand the Black Dragon’s next breath?”

“…To be honest, Your Grace.”

The priest, about to explain in detail that the one he served was not the Emperor but a goddess, stopped and gave a concise diagnosis.

“If you go to the battlefield again, you will lose your life.”

“……”

“In your current condition, you won’t even be able to block the breath; you’ll be swept away with it.”

“I see.”

Dusk Bringer, who had replied just as concisely, got up from her seat, put on her shirt, and fastened the buttons.

“Thank you for the treatment. You may go.”

“Your Grace…”

“Tell Traha that I will find a way to stop the Black Dragon.”

The priest tried to say something more but simply closed his mouth, bowed, and led the other priests out of the tent.

“……”

After putting a thick shawl over her shoulders, over her shirt, bearing the burning pain in her back, Dusk Bringer left her tent. The Bringer Duchy military camp was bustling with activity. The Duchy’s forces had been transferred directly under the command of the Monster Front, so they were not mobilized for this subjugation and avoided annihilation. However, they were still like a lamp before the wind in the face of the approaching Black Dragon. Watching her soldiers, who were mobilized for the city’s internal restoration, scatter busily, Dusk Bringer entered the tent next to hers. That tent was a place used by the Dragon Knights. Dusk Bringer, who had pulled back the entrance flap and stepped inside, looked around.

“Endymion.”

“Your Grace…!”

The old knight, who had been lying on the bed with a pale face, was startled by his master’s call and jumped up. Following him, the other Dragon Knights hurriedly knelt on one knee before the Dragon Lady and bowed their heads. All of them were injured, their bodies wrapped in bandages. Dusk Bringer called out the names of the other Dragon Knights in turn.

“Berlin. Sian. Zett.”

“You called, Your Grace!”

After looking at the faces of the knights who had served her all her life with loyalty, one by one, Dusk Bringer closed her eyes tightly.

“…I’m sorry.”

It was a sudden apology, but the four Dragon Knights immediately understood their master’s intention.

“So, this time has finally come.”

“We have been waiting for it, Your Grace.”

The eldest and leader of the Dragon Knights, the old knight Endymion, smiled at the front.

“It is the power and life that Your Grace has given us. Take it back as you wish.”

“……”

“Only, victory.”

Endymion pressed his forehead to the ground. His gray hair scattered on the floor.

“Please… achieve the great work you desire.”

“…I will.”

Dusk Bringer slowly extended her hand forward.

“So… rest for a little while.”

The four Dragon Knights placed their hands in front of their chests and pulled out red magic channels from their chests. Those magic channels were connected to Dusk Bringer. Soon, through those magic channels, red, jewel-like magic sources escaped from the Dragon Knights’ bodies and were recovered by Dusk Bringer. It was the Dragonblood that Dusk Bringer had bestowed upon them. The source of power that made them Dragon Knights, giving them several times the lifespan of ordinary humans and allowing them to exert superhuman strength. They returned that Dragonblood without hesitation. As she received the Dragonblood back, tears flowed uncontrollably from Dusk Bringer’s large amber eyes.

Saaa….

The recovery process was over. As the life force provided by the Dragonblood disappeared, Sian and Zett, who had the appearance of young men, turned into middle-aged men, and Berlin, who had the appearance of a middle-aged man, turned into an old man. And Endymion, who was already old… breathed his last, still kneeling and bowing his head to his master. Dusk Bringer, kneeling in front of the old knight, wiped her tear-stained face with the back of her hand and hugged the old knight’s cold, stiff shoulder tightly.

“I will not forget your loyalty.”

The three knights, except for the deceased Endymion, bowed their heads in unison and whispered.

“May there be infinite luck on Your Grace’s path.”

After hugging and stroking the heads of those knights once each, Dusk Bringer, staggering, got up and left the tent, exiting the Bringer Duchy military camp. Her eyes were still full of sadness, but there was no hesitation in her steps.

“Not yet… not yet, this is not enough.”

Even with the Dragonblood recovered from her beloved subordinates, her power had noticeably recovered…. She knew that this was far from enough to face the Black Dragon. Dusk Bringer gritted her teeth and glared ahead. There was no chance of winning in a direct power confrontation anyway. Then, she had no choice but to mix in even the unorthodox ways.

“…It’s time to reclaim it.”

She staggered into the city of Crossroads.

“The curse I sowed long ago…”

***

During Night Bringer’s first breath attack, the inn ‘Etty’s Honey’ was completely destroyed by the range of the breath. The inn’s residents, who had lost their lodgings, moved to the barracks together. The Glory Knights, who were in the temple at the time of the inn’s collapse, and the mage Junior also had to move their lodgings.

“……”

Junior’s room.

Junior, who had collapsed with a feverish face, was panting and groaning. And Hecate was sitting next to Junior’s bed, changing the wet towel on her head. During the last battle, Junior had not only fired magic until her mana was depleted but had also used the equipment [Past Future] to borrow mana from the future. After the battle, she collapsed due to severe mana depletion and was now groaning like this. Hecate was in a position where she had to rest anyway, and since they were using the same lodgings, she took on the task of nursing Junior.

“……”

Through Junior’s sweat-soaked, disheveled hair, the burn scar on her left face was visible. Hecate, staring down at the scar, murmured softly.

“…I didn’t intend to take a room in front of yours for this.”

How did it come to this…? Hecate rested her chin on her hand and sighed. It was then. A knock sounded on the door, and another Glory Knight’s voice was heard.

“Sir Hecate, you have a visitor.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Grand Duke Dusk Bringer.”

Surprised, Hecate stood up from her seat, and at the same time, the door swung open, and Dusk Bringer entered with a stiff gait. Surprised by the sudden visit of the Grand Duke, the other Glory Knights also rushed in behind her. Dusk Bringer looked around at the collapsed Junior and the exhausted-looking knights, then smiled bitterly.

“You’ve all been through a lot.”

“Your Grace. What brings you here….”

Hecate asked cautiously, though she had an idea. Dusk Bringer nodded.

“Let’s cut to the chase. Have you thought about the proposal I made back then?”

“…Yes.”

Before the battle with Iphian, Dusk Bringer had visited Hecate and made a proposal. The predetermined end for the Glory Knights—to be buried alive or to be beheaded after becoming monsters. Instead of this, wouldn’t they walk a third path? That third path was—

“Then, have you made a decision? To return your ‘curse’ to me, and you will live as ordinary humans from now on.”

This was it. Instead of the curse placed on the Glory Knights, the caster of the curse, Dusk Bringer, would take it back… the Glory Knights would never be able to live as knights again. For Dusk Bringer, it was a very reasonable proposal. But Hecate,

“…I’m afraid not.”

She refused. Dusk Bringer’s eyes narrowed. Hecate placed her hand in front of her chest and said.

“The Glory Knights are a knight order created to protect the Emperor… and now, they are a knight order to protect Crown Prince Ash.”

“Ash has gone missing.”

“That is precisely why we cannot lay down our swords here. Since we failed to protect the Crown Prince, we must at least take revenge.”

Hecate declared her firm resolve, and the other Glory Knights nodded in agreement.

“If we wield our swords against the Black Dragon and die on the spot, and the curse goes berserk and we become evil spirits… that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

“……”

“If we become undying monsters, wouldn’t that be of some help in defeating the Black Dragon?”

Hecate smiled gently at Dusk Bringer.

“Dying with a sword in our hands is fitting for the end of knights like us. So, Your Grace, we are grateful for your offer to let us live as humans… but we refuse.”

“……”

“Rather than running away and surviving by laying down our swords, we will fight and die with our swords in our hands. This is our will.”

“…No.”

Dusk Bringer shook her head slightly, then sharply opened her closed amber eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here to hear a refusal.”

“Huh? What do you-”

“I will take it back.”

The next moment.

Thud-!

Suddenly, an enormous amount of magic poured out around Dusk Bringer. Hecate and the Glory Knights tried to respond urgently, but they had not anticipated that Dusk Bringer would suddenly resort to force in the first place, and— Dusk Bringer’s power, having recovered all the Dragonblood she had distributed to her Dragon Knights, was much stronger than expected.

Thud! Thwack! Crash-!

The bedroom was smashed by the surging magic, and the furniture fell to the floor.

“Huh? Huh? Wh-what’s going on?!”

Junior was in pain and had collapsed, but she couldn’t help but wake up at this level of intense magic movement. Confused, Junior fumbled to get up, opened her swollen eyes, and looked around when….

“Kuh, krr… krrhk…!”

The Glory Knights were all being held by the neck by the materialized magic emanating from Dusk Bringer’s body. Among them, Hecate was being held directly by the neck by Dusk Bringer’s hand and lifted high into the air. Completely subdued, Hecate struggled, flailing her arms and legs.

“Y-Your Grace…! Please don’t do this. We are on the same side…!”

“……”

“We are the knight order you created, created to fight until we die as you made us…! At least until the very end together-”

“No.”

Dusk Bringer muttered coldly.

“Your fight ends here.”

Thud-!

Immediately after, the materialized magic of Dusk Bringer, which was holding the Glory Knights, emitted a dazzling red light. The bodies of the five Glory Knights twisted in pain. The knights let out terrifying screams as if their souls were being torn apart, but Dusk Bringer was cold.

“I will take it back.”

At the same time as the red magic sources were being pulled out from the chests of the five knights—

“The ‘curse’ I bestowed upon you, inherited by you.”

The old bandages, densely covered with ancient characters, that had been wrapped around the bodies of the five knights, unraveled. The bandages, unraveling and filling the air, burrowed like snakes under Dusk Bringer’s clothes and wrapped around her body. The bandages covered Dusk Bringer’s entire body, from the tips of her small fingers to her injured back, without a gap.

Whirr!

At the same time as the bandages completely integrated with Dusk Bringer’s body, the red magic sources that had been pulled out from the bodies of the five knights were also absorbed into Dusk Bringer’s chest.

“No…”

Hecate murmured in despair, and

“…Hoo.”

Dusk Bringer let out a long sigh.

“If it is necessary to protect the world….”

With the curse she had created herself long ago reversed upon herself, she lowered her amber eyes mixed with red… and the Dragon Lady smiled.

“I will fall into hell.”