I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 772

『When the fourth seal was broken, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!”

And I saw a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.』

***

Third Forward Base.

Half-frozen and collapsed into ruins, Lucas stood there, barely holding himself together, covered in blood.

“Haaah….”

As he exhaled a long breath, the white vapor instantly froze.

It wasn’t just the low temperature of winter causing this.

A cold and powerful evil, so intense it felt like it could freeze even the soul, was looming before him.

《…….》

The fourth unit of the Apocalypse Knights, and the strongest unit.

The Death Blue Knights.

These centaurs, with their blue cloaks fluttering, were clad in armor made of blue ice.

Especially the one at the front, with ice growing and amplifying all over his body, looked like a giant ice statue.

The icicles that spread out in all directions looked like the horns of a monster.

His face was also covered with a huge mass of ice, as if he were wearing a crown made of ice.

Around the monster, the corpses of Crossroads soldiers who had frozen to death just moments ago were scattered, and even now, cold air was being extracted from their bodies in real-time.

Saaah….

Drawing the coldness extracted from death into his body, a faint chuckle escaped from the ice-covered face of the Blue Knight.

《Knight, why do you remain alone instead of fleeing?》

“…….”

Lucas didn’t bother to answer, gripping the two swords in his hands.

Originally, the Third Forward Base had been holding out firmly against the Blue Knights.

However, when the enemy commander broke through a section of the front line and the first casualty occurred, it collapsed rapidly.

From the first death, the Blue Knights absorbed the cold, and based on that absorbed cold, they strengthened themselves and launched a fierce attack, causing more casualties….

In this way, the collapse of the front line happened too suddenly and explosively.

Originally, there was a method prepared to systematically retreat troops when the front line was pushed back, but with the situation as it was, a safe retreat became impossible.

In the end, Lucas chose to stay behind alone to face the Blue Knights and buy time, while all the remaining survivors retreated.

It was an action born from the confidence that his combat power and mobility would be enough to buy time and then retreat, but.

‘Tch….’

Lucas lowered his gaze to look at his legs.

They were frozen.

No, it wasn’t just his feet. The entire surrounding land was completely frozen white.

Even Lucas, the best of the best, couldn’t exert his usual mobility in this place where the entire land was frozen and the cold was vibrating.

He had succeeded in retreating all the surviving allies, but Lucas himself was in a hopeless situation, completely surrounded by the Blue Knights.

《To sacrifice your own life and send your comrades away… your spirit is admirable.》

Swoosh-

The Blue Knight commander approached, twirling a huge scythe.

《You will have to pay the price.》

Then, the corners of Lucas’s frozen mouth curled up with a smirk.

“What? Sacrificing my life?”

The Blue Knight commander showed a puzzled expression at the clear mockery.

From between Lucas’s white, frozen blonde hair, which had been lowered for a moment, cold blue eyes, colder than the surrounding ice and snow, were revealed.

“Don’t be ridiculous, monster.”

《What?》

“I’m going to live.”

Gooooo…!

Golden currents of energy began to swirl behind Lucas.

“The reason I sent my comrades away is because their survival increases the chances of winning this war. And to win this war….”

A faint warmth flickered in Lucas’s blue eyes, which had been swirling with cold hostility.

“…a world where the people precious to me can live happily will come, and I want to live and see that.”

《…….》

“So that’s why I acted like this. I never intended to sacrifice my life.”

Lucas’s gaze had long since left the dark tunnel.

He was also envisioning the blue spring sky that would unfold beyond it.

The peaceful scenery beyond the banner led by his lord.

“And there’s another thing you’re mistaken about.”

Lucas slowly overlapped the two swords in his hands.

And then, he activated the new gimmicks he had commissioned Kellybay to add to the two swords.

Click-!

The [Bestowed Swords] were special swords with only handles and no blades. They were special equipment that emitted blades of light from the guard position, and when there were no blades of light, they were just guards and handles.

These handle-only swords stuck to the bottom of the handle of [Excalibur], sparking magical lightning.

At the same time, the separated guard parts also sparked magical lightning and moved up along the handle of [Excalibur], attaching to the guard of [Excalibur].

Now, [Excalibur] had a handle twice as long and a guard twice as long as before.

And….

Thwack-!

Following the white and blue blade of the holy sword, a golden current of light surged.

As if enveloping the blade of [Excalibur], the blade of light from the [Bestowed Swords] surged out, swirling and expanding greatly.

After combining the two long swords into one greatsword, Lucas pointed the tip of the greatsword at the enemy commander.

“I’m not running away. I’m going to defeat all of you here.”

A special transformation and combination gimmick that was possible because both swords were holy and light attribute weapons.

The name of this weapon, which was too powerful for a mere human to wield, where two legendary SSR-grade [SSR-grade is a term used in games to denote the highest rarity of items] weapons synergized with each other, was – [Ad Astra (To the Stars)].

It was an EX-grade [EX-grade is a term used in games to denote a rank above SSR] weapon that could only be used for a limited time that the two long swords and Lucas himself could withstand.

“This power is too strong, so it’s hard to use if there are allies nearby.”

While deploying [Ad Astra], Lucas also activated his ultimate skill, [Divine Descent].

Saaah….

The ice around Lucas began to melt as he was enveloped in swirling light.

Surrounded by a dazzling light, Lucas gripped the huge greatsword of light.

Both the weapon and the user had undoubtedly reached divine power.

However, Lucas’s bright blue eyes still hadn’t lost their human warmth.

And that gaze, which no longer contained any bestiality, darkness, or regret, stared straight at the enemy commander.

The Blue Knight commander, who was facing that gaze, muttered in a chilling voice.

《……For a human in this twilight era where everything is decaying, you are quite something.》

Dark blue ice cracked and stuck to the Blue Knight commander’s scythe, making the already long blade even more enormous.

《All that resistance is futile. In the end, destruction will come soon, and everything in this world will turn to dust and disappear beyond time.》

“That’s a story I’ve heard enough of.”

Lucas smirked and slowly pulled the greatsword back.

“I’ve already realized that every moment that has passed is precious.”

The past three years flashed through his mind.

All those days of pain, sorrow, regret, and forgiveness.

Looking back, there was no moment in this long journey that wasn’t precious. Even if they had turned to dust and flowed away, they were all beautiful.

And the end of this journey was now just around the corner.

“The days to come will also eventually pass by in vain and turn to dust in my memory. But I will cherish them as well.”

So, he would live.

He would definitely live to see it.

The end of the great battle led by his lord.

And….

“I’m going to see the second child born after my lord marries Lady Serenade call me Uncle Lucas…!”

《……?》

The bewildered Blue Knight commander paused for a moment. What was that?

But without paying attention, Lucas muttered his next wish.

“……And, my own happiness too.”

The happiness of Lucas as an individual, which he had neglected until now.

He would obtain it.

Lucas, having made up his mind, gripped the greatsword.

“Then, I’m going.”

《……!》

The next moment.

Flash-!

Lucas swung the greatsword of light fiercely, and all the Blue Knights who rushed towards Lucas simultaneously plunged their ice scythes.

Dazzling light and bone-chilling cold erupted simultaneously from the Third Forward Base.

***

The moment we arrived at the Third Forward Base, tremendous light and cold erupted simultaneously from inside the base.

“Whoa?!”

“Everyone, hold on tight!”

Evangeline, who had jumped to the front of the train, raised her shield and protected the magic train.

Kugwagwagwang!

As we rushed into the base, what we saw was… the scene of all the Blue Knights who had surrounded and rushed at Lucas being cut in half by Lucas’s light slash.

The sight of the ancient ice knights being torn apart amidst the swirling particles of light, and the ice that covered the area melting away, was truly mythical. Everyone was speechless.

But I knew. Now was not the time to let our guard down!

“Lucas!”

I shouted with all my might.

“Get out of there-!”

“……?!”

Lucas seemed to be convinced that he had defeated all the enemies with his single strike, but at my words, his eyes widened and he quickly moved away.

And my instruction was accurate.

《Aaaaaaaah-!》

The commander of the Blue Knights.

This centaur, whose entire body was covered in ice like an ice lord, had the ability to extract cold from death.

In other words,

He could extract cold even from the deaths of his subordinates…!

Crack! Crrrack!

The Blue Knight commander, whose entire body was covered in white ice, swung his scythe, which was now almost the size of a house, but Lucas had already moved away after hearing my instructions.

Craaaack!

Winter bloomed where the scythe had struck. A terrifying cold shook the area.

“Finish it!”

Lucas, who had moved back a distance, tried to rush at the enemy commander again, but.

“Okay, that’s enough!”

Taat!

Driving the magic train next to Lucas, I snatched Lucas and put him on the train, then turned the course north.

“Let’s retreat! To the Crossroads main fortress!”

“Huh?!”

“You defeated all of his subordinates, that’s enough! Now, let’s defeat their final phase with the method we prepared at the main fortress!”

Lucas tried to offer a different opinion, but.

“Ugh….”

Perhaps due to the aftermath of unleashing a light attack of such terrifying power, his ultimate skill, [Divine Descent], was forcibly deactivated, and the two long swords that had been combined also separated from each other as if they had been repelled.

《Aaaaaaaah-!》

The Blue Knight commander, who had turned into a giant ice monster, tried to chase us, but his speed was slow because too much ice was stuck to his body.

We left him behind and were able to safely leave the Third Forward Base and head north.

I patted Lucas’s back as he was breathing heavily.

“You did well.”

“……We lost soldiers.”

“That’s my responsibility as the commander-in-chief. You did your best as the field commander. Thanks to you buying time, all the remaining personnel retreated safely.”

The deaths of our allies were heartbreaking, but there would be enough time to dwell on the sadness after the defense battle was over.

As a result, all four forward bases succeeded in breaking the enemy’s vanguard. This defense battle is proceeding according to plan.

Now, as I was thinking about the remaining enemy’s behavior patterns and how to deal with them, Lucas suddenly spoke.

“……My lord.”

“Yeah?”

“When this war is all over.”

“Yeah.”

“You must become happy.”

I blinked.

What was he suddenly talking about?

Lucas gave a faint, mysterious smile.

“Because I’m going to be happy too.”

Then, Lucas glanced at Evangeline next to him.

Evangeline, who was patting off the frost on Lucas’s armor, blushed in embarrassment and said something.

“Mister! I have a question too!”

“What is it.”

“Do you like a belly or no belly?!”

“I like both.”

“That’s the right answer-!”

Evangeline was delighted and patted Lucas’s armor even harder. Lucas smiled wryly and left Evangeline alone.

“…….”

Listening to the two knights’ incomprehensible conversation, I just stood there with my mouth open.

I can’t follow what the kids are talking about since last time.

Is this a generation gap…?