I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 736

“Cancel the second bombing! Raise the altitude!”\n\n”Yes?!”\n\n”No more questions, up! Immediately-!”\n\nBut the airship is massive, not the kind of thing that can move instantly just because you give an order.\n\nThe pilot, hearing my command, frantically tried to move the control stick to raise La Mancha again, but.\n\nIt was a little too late.\n\nGroooaaar!\n\nGaaaaaah!\n\nThe horde of zombies, letting out a terrible roar, instantly swarmed together like ants, stacking their bodies to form a pillar.\n\nBlocks of corpses piling up voluntarily……\n\nIn real-time, a pillar of zombies was created and shot straight up, the zombies climbing over each other’s bodies, endlessly tangling towards the sky.\n\nSeveral dozen such zombie pillars rushed towards the airship in an instant. Macmillan, horrified, reached out.\n\n”Machine gun fire, commence! Shake them off-!”\n\nDududududu-!\n\nSeveral dozen rows of machine guns attached to the airship fired simultaneously.\n\nThe bullets, raining down like hail, riddled the bodies of the approaching zombie monsters.\n\nHowever, these are not just ordinary zombies. They are the monsters that lurked in the 10th district of Lake Kingdom, now turned into zombies.\n\nEven though they have lost their reason and their abilities, their bodies are still tough.\n\nEven after being hit by dozens of bullets, the zombies stubbornly continued to build their pillars, and finally climbed up……\n\nAnd clung to the bottom of the airship.\n\n”Ascend! Can’t we go any faster!”\n\n”We are doing our best, but the speed at which the monsters are building the pillars is faster……!”\n\nLa Mancha had been lowering its altitude for bombing just a moment ago.\n\nEven if they tried to raise the altitude again in a hurry, it wasn’t something that could be done immediately, and in that short moment of hesitation, the zombie pillars had already rushed in.\n\n’Even so, how can they build pillars as tall as high-rise buildings so quickly with their own bodies?!’\n\nIt feels like they’re faster than I can build an auto-turret, damn it!\n\nThere’s no way zombies could have carried out such organized and clearly purposeful actions on their own. I quickly scanned my surroundings and soon found it.\n\nIn the very center of the zombie army.\n\nA huge demonic woman, with ominous green magic swirling from the antlers that spread out in all directions, was staring intently at us.\n\n”Cromwell……!”\n\nAt the same time as I spat out the name of the enemy commander, as if she had heard my voice.\n\n《Kaaaaaaaah-!》\n\nCromwell roared back, raising both hands.\n\nFrom her huge antlers, tremendous green magic spread out in all directions, and the zombies within range all let out a shriek and began to build their pillars at an even more furious pace.\n\n”Shake them off! Ascend quickly-!”\n\nThe time La Mancha hesitated before raising its massive body again after lowering its altitude for bombing was actually very short.\n\nBut without missing that short gap, the zombies approached by stacking their bodies into pillars, and one by one, they succeeded in reaching La Mancha.\n\nWhen I came to my senses, we were stuck in the air, held by several zombie pillars.\n\n”What is this nonsense……!”\n\nThe faces of all the crew members in the cabin were filled with dismay.\n\nAs the zombies continued to cling on, red lights lit up on various sensors of the airship. Emergency warning sounds rang out deafeningly from all directions.\n\nMacmillan shouted urgently.\n\n”At this rate, we’ll crash, Your Highness-!”\n\n”Tch……!”\n\nI was dumbfounded by the situation that was far beyond common sense, and I racked my brain to find a solution.\n\nAs if I would let it crash. Deorimuidin and I are here. Then, the means we can use now are……\n\nIt was just then.\n\nMacmillan, who was looking at the radar, looked at me with a flustered face.\n\n”Your Highness, reporting!”\n\n”What is it this time?!”\n\n”We’ve detected a group of aircraft rapidly approaching from the north!”\n\nI widened my eyes at the unexpected news.\n\nNorth?\n\nSo, from the direction of Crossroads?\n\n”They are flying in a single formation! This is…… an air force!”\n\nAn air force is coming from the Crossroads side?\n\nThat can’t be, La Mancha is the only air force we have……\n\n”I’ll show the northern sky on the screen!”\n\nAt Macmillan’s instruction, one of the crew members operated the magic panel to show the view of the northern sky.\n\nAnd what was shown there was……\n\n”?!”\n\nCreatures with eagle heads and wings, and lion bodies.\n\n”Griffons……?!”\n\nAnd those knights riding the griffons, with silver armor and crimson capes fluttering……\n\n「Message to the flagship La Mancha.」\n\nAt that moment, a communication came through to La Mancha.\n\n「This is the Sky Knight Order of the Vermillion Kingdom.」\n\nThe leader of the knights riding the griffons.\n\nA young man with clear crimson hair, with one side of his hair braided long…… no, a man whose face had become that of a young man in the short time I hadn’t seen him, was leading the griffon.\n\nThe man, somewhere between a boy and a young man, smiled and stated his name into the communication device.\n\n「Commander Mikhail Vermillion.」\n\n”Mikhail……!”\n\n「Do you need help?」\n\nThe Crown Prince of the Vermillion Kingdom.\n\nThe commander of the Sky Knight Order.\n\nThe boy who had lost everything and was frustrated on this front, but overcame it himself and returned to change his homeland, had returned.\n\nMikhail took out two long, slender spears attached to the griffon’s saddle, holding one in each hand.\n\nAt the end of the spears, crimson jewels were embedded, emitting a dazzling magical light.\n\n「Well, it doesn’t matter if you say you don’t need it. I’m going to help you anyway.」\n\n”Haha……!”\n\nEveryone on the bridge brightened up at the appearance of this suddenly appearing support force.\n\nMikhail, thrusting his spear forward, shouted in a clear voice.\n\n「Sky Knight Order, charge-!」\n\nSwoooosh!\n\nMikhail charged at the very front with his spear forward.\n\nAnd behind him, about 50 griffon knights followed.\n\nThe Sky Knight Order, flying in at tremendous speed, each wrapped in magical light on their weapons, charged straight into the zombie pillars,\n\nKwaaang-!\n\nWith their overwhelming destructive power, they shattered the zombie pillars in an instant.\n\nGaaaaaaah!\n\nGroooaaar!\n\nThe zombies fell, letting out hideous screams from the shattered pillars.\n\nMikhail’s performance was especially terrifying, as he swung two spears like windmills, literally pulverizing the zombie pillars.\n\nThe griffons also crushed the heads of the zombies that came close with their huge feet and pecked them with their beaks.\n\nThanks to the Sky Knight Order’s efforts, the zombie pillars loosened, and La Mancha was able to shake off the zombies and gradually increase its altitude.\n\nAfter ascending to a safe altitude, Mikhail, after circling around once to confirm that the situation was safe, spoke into the communication device.\n\n「Message to the airship La Mancha.」\n\nA playful smile was on the face of the young knight.\n\n「Is there a small space inside that large assault ship where our griffons can rest? We’ve come a long way and fought a battle, so everyone seems tired.」\n\nI took the communication device myself and spoke.\n\n”Message to the Sky Knight Order. This is Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack, Commander of the World Guardian Front.”\n\nA smile also appeared on my lips.\n\n”I grant you permission to land. I will open the deck. Please, make yourselves at home.”\n\nI continued.\n\n”Welcome back to the front, Mikhail.”\n\nMikhail smiled and gestured to his knight order.\n\nThen, about 50 Sky Knights, who had been circling around the airship, began to land on the airship’s deck one after another.\n\n***\n\n”Crown Prince Mikhail!”\n\nThe first to rush out to greet Mikhail after landing was Deorimuidin.\n\nMikhail, who was taking off his helmet and hanging it on the griffon’s saddle, smiled back and greeted Deorimuidin.\n\n”Lord Deorimuidin.”\n\nDeorimuidin, who had approached, grabbed Mikhail’s hand tightly.\n\n”I am so glad you returned safely. I have been worried about you since you left……”\n\n”I was also worried about whether this front would be safe, but I am relieved to see you doing so well.”\n\nFollowing that, Mikhail extended his hand to me.\n\n”I’m relieved that you’re safe too, Prince Ash.”\n\nI grasped his hand tightly in return.\n\n”It’s really good to see you alive again, Mikhail……!”\n\nWe shook hands firmly.\n\nMikhail added.\n\n”Ah, and…… I’m no longer the Crown Prince.”\n\nDeorimuidin, as well as myself, froze in shock.\n\nNo longer the Crown Prince?\n\nThen…… as he had said before, was he deposed from the position of Crown Prince for taking responsibility for the defeat?\n\nAs we looked at him with concern, Mikhail awkwardly took out a small golden crown instead of the helmet he had just taken off and put it on his head.\n\n”I’m the King now.”\n\n”What?!”\n\nDeorimuidin and I were shocked at the same time.\n\nMikhail briefly explained what had happened after he left this front.\n\nHe had faked his death and secretly returned to the Vermillion Kingdom, and succeeded in gathering a force that followed him.\n\nHe had rebelled against the ‘Mage Council’, the de facto ruling power of the Vermillion Kingdom, which had been continuing homunculus genetic experiments to create the ‘perfect king’, but the rebellion itself had failed.\n\n”I was captured along with my people and imprisoned. But……”\n\n”But, but?”\n\n”Suddenly, the day disappeared from the world, and it started snowing like crazy.”\n\n”Ah……!”\n\nThe Vermillion Kingdom is located at the far northwestern end of the continent.\n\nWhen the Night Bringer had eliminated the day from the world, the northern part of the continent was particularly engulfed in heavy snow.\n\n”Thanks to being covered in night and snow, the country’s security system was completely neutralized…… and in that gap, I was able to gather people again and launch a counterattack against the Council.”\n\n”I never thought it would lead to this……”\n\nThat terrible disaster caused by that damned black dragon had worked as an opportunity for Mikhail. It seems that the world is full of surprises.\n\n”So, I succeeded in the rebellion, and the Council completely collapsed. Now, our Vermillion Kingdom no longer does things like human breeding.”\n\nMikhail turned around.\n\nThe griffons, who had taken over the hangar inside La Mancha, were lying down comfortably, making rumbling sounds.\n\n”After inheriting the throne and roughly organizing the inside of the country…… I brought all the griffons and trained knights that could go to the front right away.”\n\n”So that’s what happened.”\n\nThis young Crown Prince…… no, King, had also gone on a grand adventure while away from this front.\n\nAt that moment, the knights of the Sky Knight Order rushed towards Mikhail. Mikhail smiled brightly and gestured to them.\n\n”Let me introduce you. This is the new Sky Knight Order. They are all reliable people who have followed me since the rebellion. They are all homunculi and enhanced humans like me.”\n\nThe Sky Knight Order knights all bowed to me. I and Deorimuidin also bowed in return.\n\nAmong them, five male knights gave me a subtle look. Mikhail carefully introduced them.\n\n”These are, my sister’s husbands.”\n\n”Ah.”\n\nThat sister who was originally engaged to me and then immediately broke off the engagement, I see.\n\nAfter that, I heard that she had taken five husbands due to the shock of the broken engagement, and these must be them. I can understand why they are looking at me with subtle gazes……\n\nFollowing that, Mikhail pointed to the five female knights standing behind him.\n\n”And these are my fiancees I mentioned before…… no, not that.”\n\nMikhail’s face turned dark for some reason.\n\n”My wives…… that is, my queens.”\n\n”……”\n\nThe female knights, who had taken off their helmets one after another, all looked at Mikhail with fierce and sharp eyes.\n\nThe air in the hangar instantly turned cold. I, who was sweating cold, cautiously asked in a low voice.\n\n”……Um, but why is the air like this?”\n\n”……Actually, we came right after the wedding. I told them it was a honeymoon.”\n\nWhat?!?\n\n”The condition these kids set for joining the rebellion was to have a formal marriage with me.”\n\n”So……?”\n\n”So, as soon as the rebellion succeeded, I organized the inside of the country, held the coronation ceremony and wedding ceremony as quickly as possible, and then…… now they were saying let’s go on our honeymoon. But I was worried about the situation at the World Guardian Front.”\n\n”……”\n\n”So, I said let’s go on our honeymoon to the south~ and we all…… came here, cough.”\n\nThe gazes of the five Vermillion Queens became even colder. Mikhail desperately avoided their gazes.\n\nI cautiously asked.\n\n”Um, but are you happy……?”\n\nThen, Mikhail smiled brightly.\n\nFor some reason, there were tears slightly welling up in his eyes, but……\n\nHe gave a thumbs up and said this.\n\n”Ash, you have to get married too. You absolutely have to……!”