I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 754

While Deermudine prepared the ‘operation,’ the battle raged on.

However, the focus shifted from annihilating the monsters to suppressing them and buying time.

They would have aimed for annihilation if it were possible.

But killing Cromwell, who had devoured tens of thousands of monsters and was spewing their powers in all directions, was incredibly difficult.

《Aaaah! Aaaaaaah-!》

The output was overwhelming.

The violent currents of magical power erupting with her screams bubbled and tangled like tentacles, thrashing wildly in all directions.

The huge horns above Cromwell’s head, shining in various colors, continuously emitted magical light, repeatedly turning the surroundings into scorched earth.

Watching the horns on the enemy monster’s head flash, I shuddered.

“It looks like some kind of Christmas tree… !”

Come to think of it, it’s the end of the year! There’s no Christmas in this world, but the timing is about right!

The monster, like a Christmas tree wrapped in light bulbs, was emitting light and magic in all directions, sacrificing itself. We were doing our best to subdue it and keep it in place.

Thud! Ku-gwa-gwang!

Bundles of magical power, imbued with all sorts of abilities, smashed through roads and buildings, scattering wildly. The melee heroes there dodged by nimbly flipping through the air.

“Buying time is reaching its limit, my lord!”

Lukas, after cutting down the writhing, tentacle-like magic bundles with his light sword strikes, shouted urgently.

“The monster is gradually expanding its area! If this continues, the entire Crossroads will fall under that magic’s domain!”

Cromwell, who had devoured tens of thousands of monsters, was wielding that magic indiscriminately, and its range was gradually increasing.

Moreover, this attack was also serving as a defense.

The frantically pouring magic field was saturating and condensing around her, turning into layers of impenetrable barriers.

Our ranged attacks were being nullified, and the melee heroes were gradually being pushed back, unable to withstand the insane waves of magic.

If left unchecked, Cromwell might destroy the entire Crossroads, just as Lukas feared.

‘But her magic is extremely unstable.’

Currently, Cromwell is in a state of relentlessly spewing out the magic sources she has devoured. There is no design or strategy.

She is just reflexively, desperately, flailing around like a very angry child throwing a tantrum.

The magic waves are unstable, and the output fluctuates wildly, reaching unbelievable peaks before plummeting to lows as if it were suddenly turned off.

‘The moment her magic pattern peaks and disappears, we must seize that moment!’

It was then.

“Prince Ash!”

A voice came from above.

Looking up urgently, I saw Deermudine, who had unfolded his magic robe [Old Phoenix, a powerful artifact], and flown into the sky. And…

“Why do I always get stuck with these roles!”

Beside him, the illusionist Violet was struggling, held by his side.

Ignoring Violet, Deermudine shouted.

“We’re ready!”

The illusionist by his side didn’t seem quite ready, but I decided to trust Violet, who always did her part when it came to the real thing.

“Everyone, listen up! It’s time for the operation I instructed earlier!”

While Deermudine was preparing the operation, I had already instructed the heroes on the scene about the plan.

Now it was time to execute that plan.

“I’ll give the timing! At that moment, all at once… pour everything in!”

“Yes!”

No sooner had the words left my mouth than a terrifying torrent of magic surged from Cromwell.

《I have to win…》

Cromwell roared, tears of blood streaming down her face like a waterfall.

《I ate so much, so I have to win!》

The horns glowed a dazzling light green, and the next moment, the monster’s magic burst out indiscriminately.

The torrent of magic, with no concept of conservation or control, formed huge tentacles—no, more like rapidly growing tree branches—and poured toward the living humans around it.

As Lukas had warned earlier, it was a power capable of destroying the entire Crossroads.

“Melee unit, all-!”

Then, Evangeline leaped forward.

“Block it-!”

All the melee heroes, dozens of them, holding shields, fearlessly rushed forward. Into the torrent of magic that would surely crush their bones.

The heroes were wearing divine power armor provided by the priests, and I also created a magic fortress in real-time to support them, placing it in front.

“Huuuuh!”

Timing it perfectly, Evangeline slammed her shield into the ground, and-

Flash-!

Rectangular magic shields formed on the bodies of all the heroes who had rushed forward against the torrent of magic.

Evangeline’s ultimate skill, [The Last Fortress, a powerful defensive technique].

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!

All the shield knights, who were encircling Cromwell from a distance, shone brightly as their bodies absorbed the enemy’s attacks.

In front of their bodies, each using their defensive techniques, my magic walls evaporated and disappeared, and even the divine power armor melted away.

However, Evangeline’s [The Last Fortress] remained until the very end.

“It’s really… incredibly… painful… !”

Evangeline, who was bleeding from her nose while bearing the burden of the allied melee unit heroes with the [Last Fortress] effect, grinned.

“Your attacks… lack too much hostility… !”

That’s right.

It was different from the Lord of Flies or the Black Dragon. Those two monsters attacked us with pure hostility, determined to annihilate humanity.

But Cromwell… perhaps because she had become a zombie?

It was indiscriminate and reckless, but that was all.

There was no sharply honed hostility. There was a lack of murderous intent to kill at all costs.

It was as if she wasn’t sure where she should go.

“It’s bearable, you zombie bastard-!”

Thwack-!

In the end, the entire melee unit endured,

“Urya-aaaaaaa!”

Evangeline shouted her unique battle cry, raising her shield sword above her head.

[The Last Fortress] grants a wide-area [Damage Save] effect to all allies, meaning Evangeline absorbs all damage inflicted on her allies.

Thwack-!

And then, she can return it with [Damage Payback]!

Evangeline raised her shield sword, its blade almost burning with light, above her head, a determined look on her face.

At the same time, Cromwell’s magical power output plummeted. After unleashing a burst of insane power, her magic pattern had bottomed out as a result.

“Now’s our chance! Junior!”

At my shout, Junior, who had been drawing a magic circle and waiting with the mages in the rear, yelled.

“This is our last shot today!”

Magical artifacts that would aid Junior’s spellcasting lit up all at once, and the mages also gathered their magic power for Junior.

It was a desperate move, sacrificing all the mages’ subsequent magic use for this one attack. We had to finish it with this!

Junior gathered all the support and used [Elemental Disassembly].

“Eat this…!”

Zzzzzzzzzzz-!

A halo appeared in the air, space shattered, and [Elemental Disassembly] struck Cromwell.

Junior’s ultimate skill, taking advantage of the gap in power output that had momentarily dropped to its lowest point, pierced through, and the terrifyingly dense magical field around Cromwell thinned out in an instant.

“Now! Pour it all in!”

As I shouted, Evangeline threw the shield sword she was barely holding onto.

The shield sword, brimming with [Damage Payback], flew like a missile towards Cromwell, exploding like a missile the moment it touched the magical field.

Crack, crack…!

A crack appeared in one of the layers of the magical field surrounding Cromwell,

Boom!

And shattered with the explosion.

However, it was just one layer of the many magical fields surrounding the monster that had been peeled away.

There were still layers upon layers of magical fields around the monster.

‘But a crack has formed!’

And this was the only chance to break through all those magical fields!

The shield sword that Evangeline threw had made a scratch on the magical field, and once a clear point was established, it instantly became the target of attack.

“Fire!”

“Pour it all in!”

Verdandi slashed with [Isageum], and Kuilan unleashed his ultimate technique. Mikhail also continued to fire his crimson magic spears without rest.

All the heroes unleashed their signature moves.

Crack! Crack! Zzzzzzzzzzz!

The magical fields couldn’t withstand it and shattered, layer after layer, disappearing.

“Kellybay!”

Using the [Jade Seal Ring], I gathered all the ‘will’ of humanity that I could and forged it into a giant nail.

I flicked the nail of will into the air and shouted.

“Send it flying!”

“Leave it to me!”

Kellybay jumped up and invoked the power of his race’s god, and the war hammer in his hand instantly became hundreds of times larger, imbued with golden magic.

Kellybay spun like a top in the air, then swung his hammer horizontally, striking the head of the nail.

Thwack-!

The nail of will, flying like a beam of light, plunged into Cromwell’s magical field—right at the point where everyone was focusing their attacks.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

The nail crushed through the magical field, scattering dazzling sparks in all directions. With a sound like shattering glass, dozens of layers of the magical field were crushed in an instant.

“Lucas!”

I turned and shouted.

“Finish it!”

Lucas was already running.

Lucas, propelled forward, leaped into the air in an instant and powerfully slashed his twin swords in an X shape.

The ranged light slashes that were fired pushed the nail in and struck, instantly splitting the last dozens of layers of the magical field.

《Ah…》

However, by this time, Cromwell’s magic pattern was already recovering.

《Aaaaaaaaaaa-!》

The monster’s surging magic power erupted again, trying to form a new magical field—

At that moment.

“-I saw it.”

Thwack!

Damian, who had been waiting on the spire, sniped.

The moment all the magical fields disappeared, and before a new magical field could be created.

The precisely aimed shot pierced through that fleeting gap and struck Cromwell’s forehead.

Thud…!

《…?!》

It wasn’t an attack projectile.

It was the last concentrated healing potion we had, all gathered and fired as a final healing shot.

《Ah…?》

Cromwell was the main body that spread the zombie parasites. This healing shot wouldn’t be able to defeat her.

However, it could interfere with the zombification mechanism—the process that made the dead body move.

《Ah, ah, ah…?!》

The surging magic power stopped as if it were a lie, and while Cromwell was staggering…

Whoosh!

Diarmuid and Violet descended from the air.

“Please, let it work!”

Violet shouted, her eyes tightly closed.

“[Daydream]!”

And Violet’s fingertips, imbued with light purple magic, touched Cromwell’s forehead.