I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 699

Kwa-ga-ga-gwang!

The Night Bringer unleashed a massive magical bombardment, which Ash countered with a mana barrier.

The clash of the two transcendents sent out a tremendous shockwave, along with a cloud of rising dust.

And from within that dust cloud, Ash’s clones, chaotically mixed, poured out in all directions.

Normally, the Night Bringer would have instantly discerned which was a clone and which was the real body, but…

‘Kuh…!’

His mind was a mess.

Amidst the swirling clones of Ash and the dust cloud, the illusion of a red-haired woman kept mixing in.

The Night Bringer tried to blow everything away with a single breath blast, but…

Peep-peep-peep-

Along with the sudden sound of a flute, the illusion of the red-haired woman became even more intense, obstructing the Night Bringer’s vision.

There was only one person who could shake the very foundation of a being born from nightmares with this flute sound. The Night Bringer roared fiercely and looked in that direction.

《Crown, you bastard-!》

Amidst the swirling dust cloud, Crown’s figure appeared, his right half torn away, calmly playing the flute with his left hand.

Crown chuckled from within his white mask, stained with red blood.

“If the flute sound of a lowly clown can shake the heart of a king, then that is indeed an honor.”

The Night Bringer reached out to tear apart the remaining half of Crown’s body.

“Oh, you should be more careful when rushing in.”

But Crown was relaxed.

“It’s not just you who gets excited when you hear the flute…”

From within the dust cloud, Yormungandr’s yellowish eyes, which had been closed, snapped open.

The World Serpent, who had been lying as if dead, gathering his last strength, leaped up. The serpent, clinging to the Night Bringer’s upper body, bit down on the Night Bringer’s arm with his powerful jaws, as if crushing it.

This attack would have been completely ineffective against the Night Bringer combined with the night, but under the pouring sunlight, the Night Bringer was already weakened and losing power.

Crack-!

The scales of the bitten area were destroyed, and blood splattered everywhere.

The enraged Night Bringer opened his mouth wide, preparing a breath.

《Yormungandr-!》

《…I, traverse the world.》

Within Yormungandr’s yellowish eyes, terrifying mana swirled like flames.

《I mix the world…!》

At the same time as the Night Bringer’s breath struck Yormungandr directly, the massive earthquake caused by Yormungandr struck the area.

Kwa-ga-ga-gwang-!

Along with a tremendous explosion, a cloud of dust filled the area.

The Night Bringer, having shaken off Yormungandr, frantically scanned his surroundings. The smoke and dust made his vision terribly blurry.

And from within this dust… Ash’s clones came rushing at the Night Bringer from all directions.

Kyaaaaaa!

The Night Bringer blew away the smoke with a dragon roar, and at the same time, he scattered dark magic and feather bombardments, grinding Ash’s clones to pieces.

It was then. Among the clones that were exploding, Ash was seen approaching like a shooting star.

It was Ash, wearing the Lord of the Flies armor and holding the White Night banner. It was undoubtedly Ash himself.

《Player-!》

The Night Bringer immediately charged ‘Honed Night’.

Because dawn was breaking, there wasn’t much night left to use. Moreover, ‘Honed Night’ was a technique that consumed a vast amount of power.

But it was okay. If he could just clear this place and reattach the curtain of the sky, he could complete the world covered in night again…!

‘I can completely destroy this world, this stage…!’

To do that, he had to completely eliminate that terribly tenacious adversary first.

The aim was complete, and the Night Bringer used ‘Honed Night’.

Tsuka-a-a-ak-!

The onrushing night shredded Ash’s entire body. The chain coat Ash was wearing turned to dust, and the banner was broken in two.

…But, it was a fake.

It was not Ash’s real body but a clone that was wearing that equipment. The Night Bringer was shocked.

‘A fake?! Then where’s the real one-‘

Taat-!

Right in front.

The real Ash had already arrived right in front of the Night Bringer. The Night Bringer trembled and flashed his golden eyes.

Squeezing out all the remaining night-

《I’ll tear you to pieces so you can never rise again-!》

He unleashed the night honed with hatred.

Jjeo-eo-eo-eok-!

Ash couldn’t avoid it. He couldn’t withstand the night’s barrage, which was denser and filled with more intense hatred than ever before, and he was shattered into pieces from head to toe.

The Night Bringer definitely confirmed that his adversary had died without leaving a trace.

《…….》

Suddenly, silence fell.

The Night Bringer slowly looked around in the middle of the quiet battlefield.

After a moment of silence, the Black Dragon muttered hollowly.

《Is it really over now, Player?》

The answer came from behind.

“How many times do I have to say it?”

When the Night Bringer, with wide eyes, turned his long neck back.

“From the beginning, I was…”

On the Night Bringer’s back.

Ash, who had finished his resurrection, was smiling wearily, his whole body wrapped in bandages inscribed with ancient curses.

“…in pieces.”

《You… !》

Currently, Ash had no equipment left. But Ash calmly stretched out his right hand to the side.

At that moment.

Through the gap in the sky where the curtain of darkness had been lifted, the sun that had risen from the east showed its full form,

Flash-!

A pillar of light descended from the dazzling dawn sun into Ash’s hand.

No, it wasn’t just a simple pillar.

It was a banner.

Kwaaaaaaa…!

The banner of light was grasped in Ash’s hand. Gripping the hot and heavy banner, Ash slowly lowered his gaze.

Only then did the Night Bringer realize where Ash was standing.

It was the point where the Black Dragon’s back and neck connected.

Because the Night Bringer had grown larger by combining with the night, a gap had formed between the protruding spine and the scarred scales…

And after 30,000 members of the suicide squad had rushed into that gap, all dying and being killed.

– I won’t tell you my name, you salamander bastard…

It was the very place where an unnamed human soldier had barely managed to inflict a wound.

That tenacious wound still remained as a scar, unable to heal,

And there… Scayrian was collapsing, being absorbed, and dying.

《Here, Ash.》

Covered in blood and dying, Scayrian smiled faintly.

《Stab here.》

Ash nodded silently and raised the banner high.

And, with all his might, he slammed it down.

The descending banner of light pierced Scayrian’s heart and reached the Black Dragon’s scale that the unnamed soldier had broken.

With his heart pierced, Scayrian smiled.

***

問世間 理爲何物 直敎正逆相許

I ask the world, what is reason, that it distinguishes between right and wrong?

***

In a world made of reverse scales, Scayrian was cast out for being born with normal scales.

Conversely, if he had been born in a world made of normal scales, how would he have lived? Would he have watched other reverse scales being rejected and cast out without a second thought?

Scayrian had always pondered. He had pondered throughout his long life.

What is normal, and what is reverse? Who decided the criteria for distinguishing them from the moment of birth?

– But… just because I was born this way, it doesn’t mean I have to live this way, right?

So, she, who was born as a petty thief, the least heroic of all the people on this front line.

If she were to succumb to the reason of the world. If she were to yield to her predetermined fate.

He had also tried to accept the reason of the world as it was and give up fighting any further.

– Even if all I can show this world is an illusion, my life isn’t all a lie.

She did not give up fighting.

– I… want to become great.

No, it wasn’t just her.

– I want to save the world again…!

All the people on this front line were, in fact, ordinary beings with unremarkable qualities.

Then what on earth was making them continue to fight?

What makes a person great?

《Just because you were born that way doesn’t mean you have to live that way… Just because you have fallen once, doesn’t mean you can’t become great again…》

Scayrian muttered weakly, spitting blood.

He realized.

Whether it was normal or reverse, those were just the standards of others.

The reason set by his father, the reason forced by the eyes of the world, he didn’t need to use them as his own standards.

Because what was more important than anything else was his own heart.

《I will decide my own fate…》

He decided not to care about the standards that divided normal and reverse based on the direction they were born in.

Instead, he would live purely as he wanted, heading in the direction he wanted to point.

That was how he decided to become a true normal scale.

《Now, can I say that I’ve walked a path a little bit like yours…?》

“…”

With the banner still piercing Scayrian’s heart, Ash smiled bitterly.

“Of course, my friend.”

《…….》

“Whether you’re a normal scale, a reverse scale, a human, or a dragon… it’s you who chooses. It’s you who becomes. It’s you who lives.”

A satisfied smile appeared on Scayrian’s lips.

“Because we are all the masters of our own fate. Not pieces, but players.”

《Hehe. It was fun being able to join your adventure, Ash…》

Scayrian’s body began to glow white.

《I said I liked bad endings back then, but actually… I like predictable happy endings much more.》

“…”

《So, Ash. Please… show me an ending that is more wonderful than anything else in this world.》

“Of course, I will, Scayrian.”

Ash nodded with conviction.

“Because I am a player. If there is a true ending, I will reach it, the one who conquers this world…!”

After letting out a laugh that seemed relieved by that determination,

Scayrian’s long body flashed dazzlingly and began to condense in an instant.

Soon, the thing that had gathered into one had transformed into a small, tiny scale.

The only weakness of the reverse scale dragon.

That was how Scayrian decided to become a normal scale, and it became the weakness that the Night Bringer did not have.

The normal scale was already assimilated with the Night Bringer’s body. Ash’s banner of light pierced that scale precisely and penetrated inside.

Flash-!

The banner of light that pierced the normal scale indiscriminately burned the inside of the Black Dragon’s body.

Since the Night Bringer was essentially a being born from the night, he could not withstand the morning sunlight that had penetrated his body.

《…!》

Faced with unimaginable pain, the Night Bringer did not scream.

Even in the flames of light that were turning the inside of his body to ashes, he gritted his teeth and held back his screams.

Even at this moment, he was looking for a chance to counterattack. The curtain of darkness covering the sky rippled, responding to his will.

However-

– If you are going to destroy everything to the end of the world.

Again.

Her illusion confused his eyes and his mind…

– Me and my descendants… will start over again and again on those ruins.

The Night Bringer missed his last chance to counterattack.

Flash! Flash! Flash-!

The curtain of darkness covering the sky split open one after another, and dozens, hundreds of rays of light poured down through the gaps.

Taking the banner of light that Ash had planted as a sign, the dawn light fell like a bombardment, as if filled with will. The flames of dawn poured down like a whirlwind, striking, piercing, and burning the Night Bringer’s entire body.

《Player-!》

Now, under the sky that was completely clearing, the Black Dragon was spitting blood miserably, trying to pull out the banner of light by any means.

But Ash held on to that banner, which was as hot as fire and as heavy as a thousand pounds, as much as he could. Even amidst the pain of his palms burning and his shoulders collapsing, he held on without batting an eye.

Because it was the pain he had endured in his first battle in this world.

Because it was the pain he had always carried since that day.

Ash focused his consciousness, holding the pillar of light with his hands that smelled of burning flesh. Then, the light burned even more fiercely, scattering dazzling flashes of light in all directions.

It was as if a giant banner was fluttering.

Finally, the curtain of darkness covering the sky was shattered, and now, in the world that was brightly dawning…

Thud…!

The tip of the banner that had penetrated and burned the inside of the Black Dragon’s body finally reached his heart.

The Night Bringer’s dragon heart was protected by the dark blood magic of the Black Dragon Legion and the primordial darkness. No matter how much it was pierced by the essence of dawn light, it was too deep of a darkness to penetrate.

But, it was not a problem for Ash.

“That’s why I put your blood in my body.”

Ash was also a being with the blood of the Black Dragon.

Ash’s consciousness, transmitted through the banner, dismantled all the magic and darkness in an instant, simultaneously and precisely.

And Ash thrust a ray of light with all his might into the wide-open gap of the seal.

Poo-ook-!

The ray of light that penetrated like a spear pierced the Night Bringer’s heart and shot forward.

To the Black Dragon, who was looking back with disbelief, Ash smiled wearily with his bloodied and haggard face.

“Good morning.”

The banner of light that had pierced the Black Dragon’s heart touched the light wound on his chest that the nameless one had previously inflicted.

Immediately after, a tremendous pillar of light exploded and spread in all directions, engulfing everything in the southern field.