Chapter 79: Hero vs Sage
Translator: Tseirp
We ventured deep into the ruins.
Although Ruti had never explored deep into the ruins as well, the defensive clockwork golems had all stopped functioning so we were not hindered.
Only an eerie silence hung in the ruins.
“He-hey, small girl.”
Godwin called out to Tise with a pathetic voice.
Tise glanced back at Godwin.
“Aren’t I a total deadweight? Wouldn’t it be better if you protect me as we wait outside the ruin?”
“And I have to wait outside as well?”
“I can’t protect myself after all … Hey, I’m begging you, I can’t feel safe here with you all.”
“There is no place safer than here.”
Tise said expressionlessly.
Godwin hung his head dejectedly but he had no intention of escaping from the depths of the Ancient-Elf ruin on his own so he obediently followed us.
While that conversation went on as we moved forward, we eventually reached a large hall-like room.
There were magical eternal lanterns hanging from the ceiling along with three lift devices which led to the lower floor lined next to each other in front of us.
There seemed to used to be some kind of a sign above them but only traces remained of somebody forcibly peeling them off.
I wondered if it was done in a fit of anger by the Wood-Elves that reached this point as the tables and chairs placed in the hall were all destroyed. Ancient-Elf furniture is extremely sturdy so they can’t be destroyed completely unless by magic or skill but did the Wood-Elves see something that caused them to fail to control their anger?
We suddenly heard a clank.
It was the sound of the lift device moving. The force field made through Ancient-Elf magic that still remained since ancient times activated and we could hear the lift device approach by sliding on the rail.
“Is it Ares?”
As I was about to draw my copper sword, a shining silver long sword was passed to me from the side.
Ruti held out my favorite sword from the past, Thunder Waker.
“So you held onto it for me? I was sure it would have been sold.”
“There’s no way I would sell it. It is Onii-chan’s sword.”
I hesitated slightly to grip the sword.
That was a symbol of when I was in the Hero party. It was a complete opposite to my current life.
However, I firmly gripped the handle of Thunder Waker. If Lit was returning as an Adventurer temporarily to seek vengeance, I shall also return as Gideon temporarily.
“Thank you.”
I thanked her briskly and swung the sword once to ascertain my ability to wield it.
It felt completely different from the copper sword I used in Zoltan. My skill ‘Weapon Focus 【Long Sword】’, which was not activated by the copper sword, was activated and I remembered the feeling of becoming one with the sword.
“Now then.”
The lift device would reach us soon.
The brakes engage with a clang and the solid door began to open by itself.
But it wasn’t Ares.
“It’s been a long time, my beloved pupil.”
It was a person with the appearance of Logavia’s Royal Guard Captain, Gaius, Lit’s mentor, who spoke with a voice that Lit knew very well.
“You will not defile that appearanceee!!!!!”
Lit screamed and charged forward swinging her shotel.
“Wait! That’s not it!!”
Ruti warned her sharply.
But by that time, Lit had already cut Shisandan who was inside the lift device.
“!?”
Shisandan who took on Gaius’ form did not shake at all upon receiving Lit’s attack. Lit did not feel any feedback from her sword as if having cut through the air.
“It’s an Illusion Decoy! The real body …”
Shisandan, in his invisible state, swung his sword down at Lit’s back.
However, Lit quickly turned around and parried the sword which she shouldn’t have been able to see. After all, Lit also boasts the ability to be called Hero Lit.
The collision between the swords dispelled Shisandan’s invisibility and he came into view.
“Tch.”
Shisandan clicked his tongue and rotated two of his six arms to his back.
He crossed his two swords and defended against my slash directed at his back.
“What will you do Asura Demon? You planned to trap Lit but now you are pincered.”
Lit had nowhere to escape to because she was within the lift device.
However, Shisandan who was blocking the entrance to the lift device was also in a disadvantageous position sandwiched between me and Lit.
(Leaving that aside, is that an Elvish sword? That is an unusual choice for demons. Furthermore, I’m worried about the other four sheathed swords on his waist.)
After having my blow defended against, I took half a step back and swung my sword once again.
The Asura Demon opened both its feet and defended against Lit and my sword blows with all six of its arms.
Suddenly, I felt a tinge of discomfort coming from the back of my head.
“Magic!?”
I quickly took on a defensive posture.
“Paralyze Flame!”
The room wall on one side disappeared and there was a wall directly behind it.
It looked like he made an illusionary wall in front of the wall’s original position and created a space to hide.
Toxic flames danced across the floor aiming for me and Lit.
That was an attack magic which would paralyze the victim once touched. Lit and I both do not possess paralysis resistance. Lit could attempt to resist it using her Spirit Magic but I could only rely on my high Divine Protection level to endure it.
However, that was only if the opponent was somebody of about the same ability. Against humanity’s strongest spell-user, the possibility of resisting was virtually none.
“Ares!!”
It was Sage Ares who released the spell, wearing a foreign sword on his waist. That guy, did he lose his mind and pair up with Shisandan!?
“Die! Gideon!”
The flames approached. But a shining white film wrapped around us.
“Sacred Magic Shield.”
Ruti’s left hand was formed into a seal.
Ruti, as a veteran in the fight against the Demon Lord Army, had likely anticipated and prepared for the possibility of Ares’ betrayed and was not fazed by it.
“Ares, I will still forgive you if you stand down now. Surrender.”
“Ruti, it is still not too late. Please say that you will resume the Hero journey with me.”
The two of them formed seals once again at the same time.
“Gargantua Storm Javelin!”
“Thunder of Justice!”
A storm javelin and a thunder of justice.
The aftermath from the collision between the Sage and Hero, two of the strongest spell-users, forced Shisandan and me to halt our battle for a short moment.
The fierce impact caused cracks to run through the Ancient-Elf structure which was supposed to possess incomparable toughness.
“We are equals in terms of magic.”
Ruti muttered. At the same time, their magic struggled to overpower one another and dispersed.
In that case, I wondered if I should be impressed with Ares who could use magic at the same level as the Hero or be amazed by Ruti who could use magic that could oppose humanity’s strongest spell-user despite being a vanguard.
The spell-users of the world would probably mourn their Divine Protection if existences like Ruti were commonplace in the world.