I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 802

Crossroad Main Castle.

Here, too, a fierce battle was raging.

Against the monsters that had already reached the castle walls, humanity’s last line of defense was preparing to deploy melee units.

“Melee units, prepare-!”

Evangeline, standing at the edge of the wall, commanded. At her words, the soldiers of the melee units to her left and right all focused their gazes.

They had been mobilized to create a fire net to hold back the monsters with bows and crossbows, but the original purpose of the melee units was not to create a fire net.

It was to block the monsters with their bodies.

Trusting that the others in the rear would take care of the monsters, they would throw themselves forward to hold the line.

“The situation is urgent! Deploy Squads 1 and 2 simultaneously!”

The melee units were currently operating in three squads.

Squad 1 was led by Evangeline, and Squad 2 was led by Torkel. The reserve squad, Squad 3, was deployed or rotated as needed.

“Squad 1 to the east, Squad 2 to the west! Squad 3 will replace the injured when I give the order!”

Evangeline commanded again.

“Deploy!”

“Deploy-!”

“Smash the monsters-!”

The melee unit members ran to the edge of the wall and prepared for battle. Evangeline also adjusted her cavalry spear, placed one leg on the wall, and looked down.

“……”

For a moment, she was breathless.

Black-.

It felt like an endless black wave was surging, filling the horizon.

Below the wall, a veritable sea of monsters was crashing. The raging torrent had risen to just below Crossroad’s neck [referring to the castle’s position].

Even though Crossroad was the one that had called itself a ‘tidal wave,’ Crossroad was too shallow a harbor to withstand the real tidal wave of monsters.

In that moment, Evangeline felt small and insignificant.

How could she, such a small human, possibly stand against such a vast sea?

“……!”

At that moment.

Evangeline suddenly looked to her side.

In her eyes, she saw the karma of the Cross family. All the ‘paths’ of the family, who had made killing monsters their livelihood, were reflected in her eyes.

Was that why?

In a fleeting moment, Evangeline saw phantoms standing against the wall.

From the distant ancestors to her own father.

They were the figures of all the lords who had lived and fought monsters on the walls of Crossroad.

All of them wore fearful expressions.

From the first Margrave of Cross, who started the family business in a small wooden fortress, to the previous Margraves who led the iron fortresses of the empire at its peak, to her father who desperately held on in the declining fortress.

All of them were terrified. In their eyes, as they looked at the approaching horde of monsters, fear was evident.

“……”

Evangeline didn’t know. She truly didn’t know.

She had never imagined that her father, who always stood on the wall with a firm back, actually wore such an expression.

And……

The first Margrave, who had struggled to catch his breath, adjusted his helmet and put his shield on his arm.

Following him, all the Margraves, regardless of gender or age, all those who had continued the lineage of the Cross family, covered their fear-stiffened faces with helmets and tightened the shield straps on their arms.

Her father, who had let out a long sigh, also bit his lip and steadied his mind before grasping his spear and shield.

‘Ah……’

Only then did Evangeline understand.

The reason why her family, who had been ridiculed as country bumpkins in the capital, was great.

Where is there a fisherman who is not afraid of the sea?

Where is there a human who is not afraid of the world?

The moment they become great is not when they no longer feel fear.

It is the moment they fear the sea but still dare to face the waves.

‘Father.’

To protect his daughter, his wife,

His city, and the world beyond……

To overcome his daily fear and silently set out to the sea of monsters, that was her father’s heart.

A smile formed on Evangeline’s lips as she finally understood.

Was it an illusion?

It seemed that a faint smile was also on the faces of all the Margraves of Cross as they glared at the sea of monsters.

“……”

When she closed and opened her eyes, the phantoms were gone without a trace.

But Evangeline Cross was no longer trembling with fear. She acknowledged and accepted her fear.

‘I am a small human.’

The shield in her hand is even smaller.

But the future of the people she will protect with this shield, this ‘connection’ that has continued from the distant past and will continue to spread in the future-

It is definitely not small.

This is why the Cross family, and all those who stand against the world, raise their small shields in front of the sea, risking their lives.

“Prepare for battle-!”

Looking at the monsters climbing up the wall, Evangeline commanded in a steady voice.

“Let’s do what we always do!”

The voice of the next Margrave of Cross was filled with unwavering confidence, and that alone gave the soldiers a sense of stability. All of the melee units prepared for battle in response to Evangeline’s command.

Commanding the soldiers at the front line with the charisma of a city’s lord, Evangeline smiled.

She was the daughter of a country bumpkin who had made a life by the sea of monsters. And.

She was now truly proud of that fact.

“Begin the battle-!”

The monsters climbed up the wall, and the humans swung their weapons at them.

The final defense line of Crossroad Main Castle, the desperate struggle, had begun.

***

Crossroad Main Castle.

Above.

The airship, Blue Pearl.

Ten minutes before the crash.

“Sir Lucas!”

One of Lucas’s adjutants shouted like a scream.

“We no longer have any means to delay the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’-!”

“……!”

Lucas, who was standing on the deck of the airship, cutting down the flying monster horde, groaned.

All the delay tactics prepared by the assault unit had run out.

They had been holding onto the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ with all sorts of special equipment and tactics, but now they had reached their limit.

Even the attacks of the ordinary monsters were intensifying. Monsters were pouring in from the ground and the air, and the Blue Pearl was also dealing with the flying monsters while carrying out the operation to stop the Lake Princess.

But there was no other way.

Even in the midst of all this, the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ was walking lightly, slowly getting closer to Crossroad Main Castle.

In the midst of the countless monsters, the monsters were now clearing a path for her.

It was as if she was walking alone, creating a white path through the black waves.

“……It’s not like there’s no way.”

At that moment, the Rompeller siblings, who were dealing with the flying monsters alongside Lucas, approached with a smirk.

“We still have special equipment we haven’t used, don’t we, knight?”

Lucas frowned.

“……Using that on the Lake Princess is too risky.”

“But there’s no other way, is there? And the fall of Crossroad is a bigger problem than the risk we’re taking.”

The Rompeller siblings took out the equipment they were carrying on their backs.

The female Rompeller had a huge anchor, and the male Rompeller had a multi-barreled harpoon gun.

“We’re already in the water, so what else can we do but grab at straws? Right?”

“……”

They were right.

There was no time to hesitate. Lucas closed and opened his eyes once and immediately ordered.

“Operation ‘Weight of Obsession,’ begin.”

As Lucas spoke the bizarre operation name they had given it, the Rompeller siblings high-fived each other, excited.

There was no time, so the operation began immediately. The details of the operation were also known to all the crew in advance.

Everyone knew that this was, in fact, a suicide mission.

“Blue Pearl, launch! Target is the enemy commander…… the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’!”

The Blue Pearl, which had been hovering in the sky, accelerated rapidly and descended to the ground.

Until now, the Blue Pearl had been maintaining a certain distance from the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess.’ This was to use delay tactics without being caught in the Lake Princess’s attacks.

But this operation, ‘Weight of Obsession,’ necessarily required approach.

So, the Blue Pearl, with its sails fully unfurled, charged towards the enemy commander, scattering a trail of blue magic.

《…….》

Hanging like a string from the black gazes of the Outer Gods [powerful, ancient beings], the gaze of the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess,’ who was moving forward creaking like a wooden doll, slowly moved. It was towards the Blue Pearl, which was charging towards her.

Saaaah……!

Darkness gathered in the hands of the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ and transformed into a long sword, which was then lightly swung towards the Blue Pearl.

Crack-!

The dark sword, shot with a chilling sound that tore through space, flew straight towards the Blue Pearl.

And the Blue Pearl did not avoid it.

Thud……!

The dark sword pierced the bow of the Blue Pearl exactly.

But the Blue Pearl endured.

Rather, it shattered the dark sword and continued to charge. The mermaid pirates on board cheered in unison.

“That’s it-!”

“As expected of Siren-nim!”

On the bow of the Blue Pearl, there was a Siren statue fixed in place.

The Nightmare Slayer, [Steadfast Superstition], which had been moved from La Mancha to the Blue Pearl.

This special artifact, made from the magic core of the Ghost Privateer Captain, unleashed its special ability without any reduction.

‘Unbreakable’!

Even if the attack was the most evil blow shot by the incarnation of a nightmare, it was completely nullified!

‘No, not completely.’

Lucas sharply examined the condition of the Blue Pearl.

Certainly, [Steadfast Superstition] had endured even in the face of that terrible attack. However, the bow around the statue was battered by the impact.

Even though the direct hit was nullified, the shockwaves scattered around it had shattered the airship’s bow durability.

‘It can’t withstand a second one!’

But it was true that it had withstood the first blow.

And while the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ was preparing for a second attack after her first attack had been in vain, the Blue Pearl succeeded in approaching within the target distance.

“Harpoons, fire all-!”

“Fireeee!”

With the male Rompeller’s shout, all the harpoon guns prepared on the Blue Pearl were fired at once. The male Rompeller also poured out all the multi-barreled harpoon guns he was holding.

The multi-barreled harpoon gun, [Obsession of the Sea].

A weapon given by Ash, the special effect of this equipment was…… forced binding.

Once connected to this harpoon, the target cannot escape from it until the user retrieves the harpoon.

In addition to the harpoons fired by the male Rompeller, dozens of harpoons fired by the Blue Pearl wrapped around the body of the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess.’

“We did it!”

“Eject-!”

The Blue Pearl immediately turned around and fled.

To the south.

And when he judged that the distance was sufficient, the male Rompeller shouted to the female Rompeller.

“Anchor it!”

“Okay-!”

The female Rompeller threw the huge anchor in her hand outside the ship.

The name of this anchor was [Weight of the Sea].

Also equipment given by Ash, its special ability was that the moment the anchor touched the ground, it would immediately allow the user’s ship to ‘anchor’.

Kugugung……!

The moment [Weight of the Sea] fell to the ground.

Kigigigigik……!

Suddenly, the Blue Pearl stopped as if it were fixed in the air.

And the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess,’ who was entangled with harpoons from the Blue Pearl, also had to stop in place, unable to advance further north.

It was as if the Blue Pearl, fixed in the southern sky, had used harpoon guns to hold the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess,’ who was trying to walk towards Crossroad, the north where the mortal realm was.

《…….》

Tudok, tudududuk!

All the other harpoon guns that the Blue Pearl had prepared were using magically enhanced ropes, but they all rotted and broke as soon as the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ touched them.

However, the rope connected to the special harpoon fired by [Obsession of the Sea] held on.

The ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ tried to pull the Blue Pearl back by pulling on the rope that was tied to her. However, the Blue Pearl, anchored by [Weight of the Sea], did not budge.

In the end, the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ had to stop there, unable to advance further north.

“Where are you going in such a hurry? Did you have a party appointment or something?”

“I don’t think you understand the situation, but if you want to pass this way, you have to pay a hefty toll, you know?!”

“Oh, a toll! You should call it a friendship fee.”

“That’s right, a friendship fee! Pay the friendship fee and let’s be friends, friend!”

The two excited Rompellers cheered.

But the joy was short-lived.

Taat-!

The ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ turned her body, lightly kicked off the ground, and shot towards the southern sky.

It was a speed that was on a different level from her slow movements until now. The terrified Rompellers hurriedly retrieved their equipment.

“Release the harpoons, retrieve the anchor!”

“Evasive maneuvers immediately……!”

Originally, the plan was to retrieve the harpoons and anchor, then escape and continue to stop and lure the Lake Princess in the same way.

But the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess’ moved at an unexpectedly fast speed. Everyone on the Blue Pearl was taken aback by the unprecedented movement.

Before they could retrieve the harpoons and anchor, before they could even carry out evasive maneuvers.

The ‘Sleepless Lake Princess,’ who had penetrated within range, threw a dark sword.

Even in this situation, the skilled helmsman managed to turn the ship’s direction accurately, and [Steadfast Superstition] took the direct hit-

But it was only [Steadfast Superstition] that endured.

Kwadudududuk!

The front of the Blue Pearl was crushed.

The tremendous power of the dark sword tore off [Steadfast Superstition] on the bow and pushed it into the ship.

The already battered bow was crushed, and the airship collapsed, passing through the bow and into the hull. The masts broke one after another and scattered chaotically.

The Blue Pearl, unable to withstand it, immediately lost its lift,

Kugwagwagwang!

It crashed into the middle of the battlefield, which was bubbling with monsters.