Vol.1 Ch.14 Sir Claudius, The Paladin

Vol.1 Ch.14 Sir Claudius, The Paladin

Asher stepped back and let the other two knights come in while he remained behind the door.

"It looks like we have company," Jorj said.

Ryan and Hiro were at the back of the group.

"How many?" Asher asked.

"Three Paladins, but they have twelve White Knights with them," Jorj said.

"How can that many make it to the heart of the citadel!?" Said Eliza, the female knight.

"We'll worry about that later. They need to be dealt with before they get to the Chosen Ones. Let's go." Asher said as he looked over to Ryan and Hiro.

"Where are you going?" Ryan asked.

"To head off the Paladins. We've got to stop those zealots before they reach you two." Asher said as he walked towards the door. "Stay here and protect each other. This is the only safe spot for you right now."With that Asher and the other three dark knights left to confront the knights of the Divine Three.

Ryan looked at Hiro. "Are you okay?"

Hiro for the first time was visibly frightened while nodding back. "Y-Yes, but I'm really worried, man... I don't want to die here."

This was the first time Ryan had seen Hiro not put up a facade for the entire time he'd been with him. Something has shaken him to the core.

"Don't worry, we'll make it out of here," Ryan said. Even though he felt he couldn't back that claim up. But Ryan said it to try to calm himself down as well.

"How? How can you be so sure?" Hiro asked.

Ryan smiled, "Because I'm not going to die here. And neither will you. We're here now, and nothing's going to change that. So it’s time to man up, I guess."

Ryan was lying to himself and Hiro. He knew he could die right here on the spot if he didn't do something soon. And time was running out.

"Ryan, I'm sorry about everything I put you through. When I first met you, I was jealous of you. You had everything going for you. I felt I was an imposter and acted out. I'm sorry if I ever made you uncomfortable." Hiro said as tears fell from his eyes.

Ryan felt guiltier than he thought possible. "No, Hiro... Y-You... Let's just focus right now, man. Once we get out of this mess we can make it up to each other, deal?" Ryan said as he reached out his hand toward Hiro.

Hiro grasped Ryan's hand in his own before he regained his composure. "Deal."

After they shook hands and started to move toward the door in order to hear what might be going on down the hallway from their room. Once they got to the doorway Ryan and Hiro could hear the sounds of battle echoing through the citadel as the clanging of sword fighting and the screams of pain were getting closer to them. 'God! That sounded like Asher screaming... Shit's getting real.'

Just as Ryan was about to say something to Hiro, one of their walls blew up as an elven knight came crashing through it. Causing debris to fly everywhere. The poor elf crashed on the other side of their room.

"Ah!" Screamed Hiro as he jumped.

"Shit!" Yelled Ryan as he quickly moved to the knight.

"Hey talk to me? Are you al-" Ryan couldn't finish his sentence once he saw a bloody hole in the center of the chest of the deceased elf.

'Fuck me!' Ryan was in shock upon witnessing the freshly murdered body.

"R-Ryan look!?" Hiro pointed at the hole in the wall as he could see the White Knights staring at them.

"NO, Markus! I swear I’ll send you to the Three, you heretic!" The Divine Knight screamed as he aimed for Ryan with his sword.

Ryan moved with ease as the knight's blade looked like it nearly hit Ryan's throat but missed thanks to him getting a new surge in speed. Ryan was faster now because of the new mana absorbing in his body from killing the knight.

"Y-You piece of shit!" Ryan said as he kicked the knight in the stomach and sent him flying across the room.

"I’ll be the one to deliver you to the Three! You fucking tool!" Ryan said with all the fury in his body as he prepared to use Dark Earthly Blade against this knight that wounded him while Ryan’s body began to emit the Dark Aura of the Goddess.

"You've become a monster," The knight replied as he jumped back and used his sword to block Ryan's attack.

"Sir Claudius, we underestimated their champion! I need your aid!" The knight yelled out as if he was speaking to God.

Ryan took a deep breath before he charged at the knight with his dagger in hand. And just when Ryan was about to strike the knight with his dagger. A blinding light came out of nowhere and knocked Ryan back 20 feet into the stone wall.

"Urgh! What the fuck!" Ryan groaned as he reached down to touch the spot where the Lighting struck him.

He felt a tingle and his entire body went numb then felt heat run through his veins from the first White Knight's mana being absorbed. As Ryan's body was being healed by it.

"Ryan, are you okay!?" Hiro came running up to Ryan with worry in his eyes.

Ryan noticed a small cut on the side of his own cheek that was already starting to heal as his skin started repairing itself. He also felt refreshed and energized as well. ‘Well, I guess taking in mana isn’t all bad.’ Ryan thought.

"I think I'm good?" Ryan answered as he looked to see what was the cause of that blinding light. And it didn't take too long to find out what it was or who it was.

Standing there next to the white knight was a monster of a man standing around 7 feet tall, wearing a full suit of silver plate mail, having a broadsword as big as Cloud's Buster sword, and radiating a white aura. This guy is the spitting image of a virtuous paladin. His armor was so bright it almost hurt Ryan's retinas, like staring into the sun.

"So this heretic refuses to be saved?" Sir Claudius asked with a stoic voice.

"Correct my lord, they are corrupted and refuse to be saved." Said the White Knight, whose name was Captain Sharleth.

"Well they have earned the Divine Three's full wrath now," Sir Claudius said as he turned to face Ryan and Hiro.

"Then I'll purge them both," Sir Claudius said as he looked at Ryan and Hiro with a stern look.

Ryan tried using his Dark Earthly Blade but the dagger disintegrated when it came in contact with the white aura of the paladin.

"Huh!? What the fuck!?" Ryan yelled with anger. while he cursed himself for not realizing that the paladin's aura would cause his weapon to break.

Sir Claudius readied his broadsword preparing to strike at Ryan and Hiro.

"I'm sorry Hiro..... I don't think we're getting out of this one," Ryan whispered, looking down to the ground.

"Hey, Ryan! You can still save me! Can’t... you?" Hiro yelled as if he could change the outcome by willing it, but with the last bit of strength he had he grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him close as he realized that they were going to die. And in that moment Hiro knew what he had to do.

"No!... I'll save you!" Hiro said as his eyes and orb on his necklace began to glow.

"You will not escape the Three's justice!" Sir Claudius said as he brought his sword down on them.

Ryan watched helplessly as the sword came closer to them but the strange thing was that time seemed to slow down right before the blade struck them. That's when Ryan felt his body getting pulled in a similar gravity warp. It was the same feeling Ryan had when he first came to this world.

Ryan closed his eyes as felt his body flying in the wrap tunnel and into the dark smokey void, he felt his hand get grabbed by Hiro's glowing red hand as he pulled him towards a bright light.

And then everything went black.