Paladin of a Ruined Order - Chapter 122

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

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Chapter 122: Elbridge, Eighteen Years Old (2)

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The divine power of No Retreat had two primary effects.

It strengthened the shield and absorbed the impact suffered by the one holding it.

Simple, but it was a divine power that had saved Elbridge's life hundreds of times.

And now, it had saved him once more.

'...If the divine power hadn't manifested, I definitely would've died.'

Even with No Retreat's divine power absorbing the impact, his knees and shoulders ached as if they were about to break.

Without it, his corpse would have been too mangled to recognize.

This was already the second time today that he had been granted divine power without finishing his prayer.

There had been times when divine power came a little late, but this was the first time it had manifested before he finished praying.

'Wouldn't it have been nice if this had happened before?'

As Elbridge grumbled inwardly, the second demon rose.

Crack-

Its entire body looked as though it were made of rock. It was several times larger than Elbridge. Every time it moved, a faint tremor traveled through the ground beneath his feet.

Reto and Elbridge exchanged glances.

"What do we do?"

"...I don't know."

According to basic combat doctrine, combat had to be avoided when there were two or more demons.

The only time one did not retreat after multiple demons appeared was when retreating would cause irreversible damage, such as massive casualties or the collapse of a major city.

Reto and Elbridge both knew that retreating was the right choice.

But the problem ran deeper than that.

'Can we retreat at all?'

The Knights on the hill had volunteered as bait and were surrounded by demonic beasts. They could not retreat.

And two demons stood before Elbridge and Reto. It didn't seem likely that the demons would simply let them go.

Retreat was difficult for them as well.

"El. What should I do?"

"Keep that hunter bastard busy. I'll handle the rock one."

Elbridge chose the rock demon because it seemed more dangerous.

If Elbridge took on the hunter demon, Reto would certainly die against the rock demon.

'There isn't another option.'

Elbridge and Reto charged at the demons.

The rock demon stepped forward and swung a massive fist at Elbridge.

"Divine power of No Retreat!"

Elbridge's shield shone white and blocked the demon's attack.

The moment he stopped the blow, he rushed at the demon again and swung his sword. Yet his blade could not bite into it. At most, it left a small scratch.

As expected, that demon was far harder than ordinary rock.

'This is a bad matchup.'

To face a demon like that, he needed a Knight who could receive overwhelming strength through divine power.

Or at least a Knight who wielded a heavy weapon like a mace or war hammer.

But Elbridge was neither.

Whoosh-

The rock demon's fist came flying at him again.

Elbridge did not use divine power. Instead, he blocked the attack with his shield and jumped in the direction the demon's fist was moving.

Bang!

A sharp pain shot through Elbridge's body as he was flung away.

It was a technique that used the opponent's strength to create distance. Some dwarf had shown him that little trick on a battlefield once.

Using the brief opening he had created, Elbridge looked to the side.

The hunter demon had its bow aimed at Reto. Just as it was about to release the string, Reto shouted.

"Authority of the Disrupting Hand!"

With that cry, the arrow's path twisted.

Reto charged toward the hunter demon and shouted again.

"Authority of the Blocking Hand!"

The hunter demon tried to step back, only to hesitate as though something invisible had blocked it.

It was exactly the flow Reto wanted. His eyes filled with exhilaration.

"Got you, you bastard!"

Reto rushed at the hunter demon.

One problem remained. The hunter demon was not inferior to Reto in close combat either.

The hunter demon blocked Reto's sword several times with its large bow, then gripped it with both hands and swung it like a club.

Thud!

Reto blocked the attack with his shield, but he couldn't hold his ground and was forced back.

By then, the divine power granted by the God of the Third Hand had run out. The hunter demon stepped back and began firing arrows at Reto.

Unlike Elbridge, Reto had no guarantee that he could block those arrows with his shield.

Reto had no choice but to throw away his shield and roll about to avoid the arrows.

'...This is bad.'

It would have been close even if Elbridge and Reto had gained the upper hand, yet both had been forced onto the defensive.

Elbridge made his decision immediately.

"Reto! I'll make an opening, so run!"

"What?"

"You're the only one with a chance of surviving!"

The Knights on the hill were pinned down by the pack of demonic beasts.

No, it was more than mere restraint. Even now, nearly two hundred demonic beasts were driving the Knights toward the cliff.

He could see two or three Knights tumbling off the cliff even now. A fall like that would leave even a Knight unable to fight at best, and dead at worst.

'The Knights can't leave the battlefield.'

The rock demon kicked off the ground and accelerated at terrifying speed as it charged Elbridge.

"Divine power of No Retreat!"

Elbridge received divine power and stopped the demon's charge. If he pushed himself, he might be able to block one or two attacks from the hunter demon as well and open an escape route for Reto.

But Reto could not create an escape route for Elbridge. He wasn't skilled enough.

Reto understood Elbridge's judgment and clenched his teeth.

"No, we still have a chance!"

At that moment, the hunter demon aimed its bow at Reto. Reto lowered his stance and prepared to dodge the arrow.

Twang-

This time, though, the arrow's path was not especially threatening.

Reto lightly dodged it without using divine power.

At that moment, a chill ran down his spine.

There was no way a demon that had shown such incredible archery until now would suddenly make such a sloppy attack.

'It doesn't look like that was aimed at me...'

Then who had it been targeting? The Knights above the cliff? Elbridge?

Neither.

The hunter demon's target was someone nobody had paid attention to until now.

The mage Elbridge had held onto as he jumped off the cliff.

"...!"

The mage's eyes widened. They extended their staff toward the arrow.

True to an experienced mage, they completed the spell almost instantly. A translucent barrier formed in front of them.

It had certainly been quick.

It just wasn't enough to stop a demon's attack.

The arrow fired by the demon pierced the translucent barrier and struck the mage.

Splurt!

The mage's body burst apart.

A red flower bloomed on the cliff behind them.

Without the mage, they could not seal the demons even if they subdued them.

It would have been nice if they had a sealing tool, but sealing tools were not common items.

"...There is no victory on this battlefield."

Elbridge said that and looked at Reto.

"You're the only one who can get off this battlefield. You have to pass the information on to the next expedition, Reto."

Reto could not answer easily.

Was it right for him to survive by sacrificing Elbridge, who was years younger than him?

He didn't know.

But it was clear that this was the best answer.

"Damn it, damn it."

Muttering to himself, Reto backed away.

Then he turned and began to run. The hunter demon raised its bow and aimed at Reto.

At the same time, Elbridge ran toward the hunter demon.

The hunter demon turned its bowstring away from Reto and targeted Elbridge instead. The rock demon was charging toward Elbridge as well.

The hunter demon released the bowstring aimed at Elbridge.

Twang-

Elbridge murmured.

"Divine power of No Retreat."

Elbridge swung his glowing shield and knocked away the black arrow, then closed in further on the hunter demon. The rock demon looked ready to grab him at any moment.

The hunter demon stood in front of him, the rock demon behind him. The distance between them rapidly narrowed.

The moment the hunter demon and rock demon drew close enough, Elbridge shouted.

"Sealing authority!"

Rumble-

Massive pillars fell from the air, trapping Elbridge and the two demons within.

Until Elbridge died, the demons would not be able to escape the sealing authority either.

Even as he ran, Reto looked back.

He had barely escaped death through Elbridge's sacrifice. Yet he didn't feel happy at all. Guilt and regret made his heart sink.

How had things ended up like this?

This wasn't why he'd left Hebron Fortress.

He had wanted to take Elbridge back to the Order.

He had wanted to earn some accomplishments and live comfortably.

He had only wanted Elbridge to live like everyone else...

* * *

Within the sealing authority, Elbridge hunched low and focused entirely on defense.

The hunter demon's attacks were not too difficult to withstand, but even Elbridge struggled to endure the rock demon's attacks. There was even less room to dodge inside the sealing authority.

Bang!

His entire body shook as he blocked an attack carrying immense force.

'Did my shoulder dislocate?'

Elbridge reset the left shoulder that had been holding his shield, then held the shield with his right arm.

He had already thrown away his sword. His goal was to buy Reto time to escape and die, so he didn't need it.

Bang!

Elbridge blocked another attack and gasped for breath.

'I shouldn't have come here.'

He should have gone to another Order in the east or west, as Reto had said, or taken a long detour.

'...It's too late now, so what does it matter?'

Oddly enough, giving up made him feel more at ease.

Maybe an end like this wouldn't be so bad.

If he could hold on as long as possible, then die cleanly without pain...

"...I've done all I can."

Then a voice reached Elbridge's ears.

- There will be no victory, but there will be no defeat either.

It was a voice he had never heard before. Yet Elbridge instinctively understood.

This was an oracle. It was not a voice an ordinary human body could produce.

Still, Elbridge didn't understand what the oracle meant.

Just before he could ask about its meaning, the sealing authority surrounding Elbridge and the two demons, the enormous pillars, crumbled into dust and scattered away.

Elbridge, Reto as he fled, and even several Knights still holding on atop the hill felt a massive presence appear out of nowhere.

Everyone looked up at the sky.

A figure descended through the ominous purple cloud.

It was a small figure. The distance was immense as well. Yet the figure appeared strangely clear.

A blonde woman with eyes as blue as ice.

It was the first time he had seen her in person, but he knew who she was.

"Goddess of the Rusted Shield..."

The goddess's voice echoed from the sky.

- I have made up my mind. Since you have staked everything, I too will stake my divine throne.

Elbridge thought.

'...Stake what?'

At that moment, a beam of pure white light pierced the purple cloud and crashed down upon the ground.