There is a sea of ​​fire in Winter City.

The narrow streets leading to the gate outside the city spewed thick smoke and ash, and the smoke got into every roadside alley and every dilapidated stone house.

Roaring flames engulfed the fleeing crowd and licked the majestic city walls.

It's a **** on earth here.

The civilians who escaped ran screaming, holding onto their chests the valuables they took away when they escaped from their homes. Their stone houses had been engulfed by flames, and the things in their hands were the only property they could survive.

A woman knelt down beside the burning stone house with her child in her arms, wailing hoarsely, no one knew what happened to her, and no one would stop the footsteps of being chased by death to pay attention to her.

"It's the devil! The devil from the bottomless abyss is spreading on the streets!" The despairing civilian knelt down in the direction of the wizard's tower, desperately hitting the ground with his head, and cursing the devil incessantly.

Some people gave up their resistance, looked in the direction of the temple area, closed their eyes and said a word of prayer.

"Hahaha... Judgment is coming! Judgment is coming! You foolish and ignorant sinners! The wrath and vengeance of the gods have come at last! The demon of the abyss is the whip of the gods that beats sinners! Tremble! Welcome... "

The young man, dressed in tatters and covered in filthy blood, struggled to climb to the top of the collapsed ruins. His long messy hair fluttered in the wind like a terrifying devil, and his blood-stained face was filled with piety and madness. , shouted loudly.

"Boom!"

A violent dark red fireball fell from the sky, blowing the young man who laughed wantonly to pieces, sending the **** corpse into the dark red sky in an instant.

"Welcome to the coming of the Dark King! All who dare to stand up against the Dark King will surely be knocked down by the hand of Darkness! Let those fools who will not follow the Dark King nor receive the great power meet the fear of the Dark King! Hahaha……"

A black-robed priest holding a skull holy emblem and wearing a metallic fear mask looked at the fleeing crowd and shouted frantically. He knelt on the ground and spread his arms as if embracing something.

"Pfft!"

The giant bull demon with tangled muscles lowered its cow-like head and let out a battle cry like a savage battle. A pair of sharp and ferocious horns passed through the chest of the black-robed priest.

The strong bull demon raised his head and roared, and the fragile body of the dark priest was thrown into the sea of ​​fire.

Here, the darkness is dispelled by the raging fire, the countless streets are illuminated by the roaring flames, and the smoke and the salty sea breeze greedily encroach on every corner of the whole city.

Deafening fireballs exploded, rumbling houses collapsed, panicked screams, weird, terrifying, excited demons laughed one after another.

Winter City.

Most of this seaside port city has been turned into ruins. There are blazing fires everywhere. From time to time, there are intermittent faint cries for help from the collapsed stone houses. Unfortunately, no one can help these poor people. ordinary people.

From the center of the city near the wizard's tower, the noise of screams and fierce battles came, and the laughter of demons and the cries of warriors fighting became louder and louder.

There are too many attackers, the demons of the abyss, the devils of the Baator hell, the sahuagins of the deep sea, the fallen cultists, and even the robbers and evil organizations who took advantage of the opportunity.

The temporary defense line of a dozen soldiers, a small group of civilians armed with long guns and some guards from the noble district easily became vulnerable under the attack of demons and devils, and then the two sides fought together again.

The two dark red torrents collided together, swirling wildly, and the sharp teeth and claws collided, and the sound of golden iron was heard.

"Cough cough cough..."

A paladin crawled out of the ruins, her legs aching from the collapsed stone house, her eyes were filled with tears from the sulphur-smelling smoke, and her ribs protected by the armor were aching.

The symphony of gold and iron came again, and the screams were incessant, as well as the neighing of the horses and the roar of the demons. She clenched the fine golden broadsword exuding a faint brilliance in her hand, and stumbled away from the face that was burned with pain. A raging fire.

Suddenly, a roaring flame erupted from the window in front of her, knocking her to the ground in shock, just sitting on a **** corpse.

This is a slum, and just a moment ago, it was just a muddy alley.

At this time, there were **** corpses and the belongings discarded by the civilians when they fled.

At this time, an adventurer with a long sword flew out of the stone house and smashed heavily on the ground, his thin chest was completely collapsed.

I saw him struggling to prop up his body with the sword, and then suddenly gasped and coughed, blood spilling down the corners of his mouth on the hands clenching the hilt of the sword.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A ferocious devil with trembling steps slowly crawled out of the room from which he flew out, and the shadow of death gradually shrouded the desperate adventurer.

Dark shadows echoed in the blazing ruins, and dark red soul fires appeared in the pale skeleton's eyes. Corpses recovered in blasphemous language. Crowds go.

More screams sounded, more fiends whizzed through the air, more sahuagins and wicked fallers roamed every corner.

The paladin, exuding an air of despair, kept walking towards the west.

In order to cover the retreat of the civilians, she resisted a lonely war demon by herself. Although she successfully killed the opponent with her own strength, the last impact made her unconscious.

Fortunately, she wasn't in a coma for long.

"Sister Paladin!!!" An eleven- or twelve-year-old girl turned out of the gap and ran over. At this moment, her expression was extremely frightened, and she said with a desperate cry:

"Dead!...They're all dead! ...all dead! ...all dead!"

"what!!!"

Not far away came the scream of a half-goat. The paladin was very familiar with this voice, because even though it was a scream, his voice was still so beautiful.

Even when he died, he never forgot that he was a prodigal son of hedonism, and vaguely, she heard the inaudible poem:

The wheel of day and night is still driven by spirit,

Thoughts for a thousand years are still clear.

Because of all kinds of indecision,

Laughing and shouting even lingering in the ears.

The moon sets and the sun rises, then the sun sets,

I have never hesitated in my time.

…………

"Meow meow..." She heard the cat scream again.

She was also familiar with this voice, the voice of the mascot called Indigo in the Half-Sheep Tavern.

It likes listening to music very much, and arrogantly, it will arch its body and let out a protest-like growl at those who try to touch it.

The crying little girl disappeared in front of her eyes, the goat man's beautiful poems disappeared, and even the little cat named Indigo disappeared.

The paladin staggered along, like a walking dead.

The dark red fireball kept venting in this bustling city, and the streets were burning like a roaring red wall of fire.

A figure stood against the fire, blocking the paladin's figure swaying towards the city gate.

It was a huge rider who was taller than the burning roof. His warhorse was burning with the pungent flames of hell, striding high, accompanied by a neigh, and two thick black smoke sprayed from the nose of the warhorse.

The rider looked down at her.

The paladin saw that his helmet was like a flapping eagle, his eyes flashing vicious fire in the cracks of his helmet.

She also saw his drooping steel gloves holding a runed broadsword, the palm-wide blade flashing with evil runes and reflecting bright fire.

The knight's vicious eyes stared at her coldly.

moment!

Fear froze the paladin's body, and the intense heart palpitations prevented her from hearing the wild laughter of demons, the roar of flames, the cries of the dying, and the cries of the city army.

For the paladin at this moment, the only thing that exists, the only thing that matters, the only thing that matters is fear.

She was a paladin, and fear rose in her heart.

This fear has turned into a death knight who rides a nightmare warhorse and wears an eagle helmet...

The death knight appeared in the raging flames.

The death knight raised the runed broadsword.

Death knights rush horses to attack.

Nightmare steeds emerge from the billowing cloud of smoke.

Its mane, tail, and hooves shrouded in roaring flames, and this dark, mysterious nightmare moved with supernatural speed, appearing suddenly and quickly disappearing in a cloud of sulphurous smoke.

The shattered scarlet cloak of the death knight was screeching, and the black wings on the helmet fluttered in the wind, like a flying eagle.

And his helpless prey was paralyzed by fear.

The death knight shrieked horribly, cruelly and triumphantly.

Nightmare warhorses, pure black plate armor that seems to have been burned by flames, flying broken cloaks, rune broadswords exuding evil aura, and brimstone flames lingering around.

The holy brilliance of the paladin was fading. She saw the death knight covered with shrunken and rotting flesh, and saw the dark red flames beating in the two eye sockets. Eyes closed.

She was alone, weak and helpless...she couldn't even move, couldn't call for help with her tight throat.

In desperation, she heard the screams of the Nightmare Warhorse and the roar of the death knight.

A young man covered in blood appeared in front of her. He was wearing a heavily damaged armor with a bloodstain on his chest and four claw marks on his arms.

Holding a blood-stained steel sword in one hand and a dull holy symbol in the other, his battered body blocked the charging Death Knight.

In a trance, the paladin could clearly see the pattern of the silver holy emblem in the hands of the young man who stood in front of her: a pair of pale hands with red rope wrapped around their wrists.

However, this holy emblem did not emit divine light, but instead became turbid and black.

In the dark, the paladin could even sense the anger and disappointment of the God of Suffering Ilmat towards those who held the holy emblem.

This is a fallen paladin.

"Go!" A roar woke the paladin.

A restless war-horse galloped with a snort.

The paladin mounts his warhorse with difficulty.

In a trance, she saw the young man bravely meet the death knight who was driving the nightmare, and she saw the holy light of the silver holy emblem shrouded in darkness.

"If I hadn't seen the light, maybe I would have endured the darkness. But now... the divine light has illuminated the despair deep within me even more."

The paladin sat in the saddle, clutched at the reins, found support for his legs, and galloped wildly, madly, on the horse that was enough to break her bones.

A dazzling fireball fell from the sky.

The frightened warhorse neighed, raised its front hooves suddenly, and the man stood up.

"boom!"

The paladin was thrown heavily onto the muddy ground in an instant, and the foul-smelling sewage and scarlet blood splashed all over her face, splashing all over her body.

"Boom!"

A loud noise as if the earth was trembling exploded not far away, and the rocks flew, and a splashed stone whistled, hitting her forehead fiercely, and blood gurgled down her cheeks.

With a 'bang', the war horse that was thrown away fell into the mud beside her, and blood splattered everywhere.

The dying warhorse made a labored murmur, like a lumberjack was sawing wood, but there was no wood here, only the wanton roar of the devil.

"Let the flames cleanse it all!"

A dark red figure with red flames burning all over appeared in the sight of the paladin.

The scorching heat exudes a rich sulphurous smell, instantly baking the muddy alley to a solid crimson.

The Balor Flame Demon from the bottomless abyss holds a storm sword that beats dark blue electric light in one hand, and drags a long whip that burns with flames in the other hand. He gently **** his dark red wings, with a hideous face of hatred and fury. , One step at a time, he slowly walked towards the paladin who had not yet got up.

Flames and fear were spreading all over her body. She felt the stinging pain of being baked by the flames, smelled the pungent smell of sulfur, and felt the fear of being unable to move.

"Pfft!"

Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky along with the sword light, and shocking bloodstains spread down from the ferocious head of the Baluo Flame Demon at an extremely fast speed.

In an instant, this desperate demon was split into two like a log split by an axe.

A hunched old man appeared in the sight of the paladin.

The weather-beaten old man had white temples, and his wrinkled face was dull.

If it weren't for the long sword in his hand that exuded a strange blue light, he had just killed a Balor Flame Demon, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was an old man who was about to twilight.

"May the eternal land of my family be evergreen." The old man sighed slightly, stretched out his palm and pushed it towards the paladin.

Immediately afterwards, the corpse of the Balor Flame Demon exploded with a 'boom' in the dazzling firelight.

"what!!!"

The violent explosion woke the paladin instantly.

She woke up, woken up by her own screams.

The screams were still in the air, shaking in her body, setting her parched throat on fire.

Her throbbing fingers clenched the blanket against her body, her whole body aching.

"Nolan, calm down." A voice familiar to her sounded.

The night was dark, the wind was blowing, the surrounding trees rustled peacefully and the branches creaked.

The paladin looked around blankly.

There were no terrifying seas of fire, no screeching of demons, no cries of the dying and no cries of the city army, just a calm and comfortable night, only a gentle breeze brushed across the cheeks.

The bonfire beside him glowed warmly and brightly, a sharp sword emitting pale blue light was inserted beside a figure, and the hilt wrapped in cloth strips and metal straps was reddened by the firelight.

There were no other flames here, nor was the flame a pungent sulphurous smell, nor was the hand on her forehead the smell of blood.

"Thorn...why are you here?" Paladin Nolan raised his head slightly, surprised.

"You had a dream just now, and it was a nightmare." Thorne retracted his hand on her forehead and did not answer her question.

"Hmm..." The paladin nodded numbly, wrapped himself in a blanket, curled up his limbs tightly, and two lines of clear tears rolled down his cheeks, but he still couldn't wash away the dried blood on her face.

"I was about to go to Winter City, and accidentally found you lying unconscious on the road." Thorne was silent for a while, looking at the lonely and helpless paladin and said, "You can tell me about Winter City. Did something happen?"

He looked at Nolan with a slightly uneasy expression. Although he had guessed the approximate result, he still didn't want the result to be confirmed.

"Winter City...has...become a ruin." The paladin hesitated for a while, but finally said.

In a trance, scenes from the nightmare reappeared in her mind.

She saw screeching demons and demons, a fallen paladin daring to the death knight, and even a group of unarmed refugees drowned in a roaring sea of ​​fire under her wrong guidance.

"May the eternal land of my clan... Konoha grow green..."

In the end, the sigh left by the old man who killed the Barrow Flames kept lingering in her heart.

"I see." Thorne's movement of throwing firewood stopped for a while, looking in the direction of Winter City, he sighed helplessly.

An unknown bitterness flowed down the Ranger's eyes into the depths of his heart.

"It's just a dream, sleep well, it won't bother you again, I just gave you a bottle of healing potion, so what you need most now is a good rest." Thorne put the slipped blanket back on the on her.

"Thorn..." The paladin didn't obey the ranger's arrangement, but supported the heavy body with both hands, sat up from the animal hide, and put down the blanket wrapped around her. , staring blankly at the ranger beside him:

"I want to know why Winter City has become like this? Do you know? I am a paladin who upholds justice, but I just watched those unarmed refugees die at my feet and couldn't save them. A horde of evil lingered before my eyes but could do nothing.

Even in the face of a death knight's charge, I was even worse than a fallen paladin. In this way, I don't even have the courage to face evil, and what qualifications do I have to defend justice and repel evil. "

As the paladin spoke, tears fell drop by drop, and she cried like a child with broken hopes.

The wind suddenly picked up, the dark clouds obscured the dim moonlight, and the howling wind blew the reeds and rustled the bushes around the campfire.

"You've worked hard, it's not your fault at all. As a paladin who guards justice, you've done nothing wrong. Remember, when you withdraw your fist, it's just for the sake of being more powerful in the future. Fight back. As long as you are still alive, the determination to protect justice will always exist deep in your heart and will never be shaken!"

Thorne gently wiped her tears and comforted her very patiently.

He noticed that the radiance on her body was beginning to dim.

That is to say, she is about to lose the power brought by her faith, and the power of the paladin is moving away from this girl who seems lonely and helpless, because in addition to tears, her eyes are full of confusion and despair...

The bonfire was fading, the dead branches burned red, crackling from time to time, and blooming gold and red flames.

"But I have retreated, facing the abyss demons, **** demons, fallen cultists, the charge of the death knight, the roar of the Balor, I don't even have the courage to lift a sword, I am a trivial in front of them. Ant.

In the face of the desperate and wailing civilians, I have nothing to do. I can only watch them die at my feet, engulfed by the roaring flames. I can't do anything to help, I can't save anyone, I What kind of paladin..."

The paladin's hands were deeply trapped in the messy hair, she recalled the tragic scenes of Winter City, a deep sense of powerlessness and despair spread at an extremely fast speed, mercilessly devoured her Holy radiance.

"Snapped!"

Thorne waved and slapped the sobbing paladin in the face, knocking her directly onto the grass, and a trace of blood slowly seeping down the corner of her mouth.

"That's because you're not strong enough!" Thorne stared at her expressionlessly, and said coldly, "Don't you know what kind of world this is?! This is a world dominated by gods. A world where gods divide their beliefs.

And what about Winterfell? Winter City is a city abandoned by the good gods, a place where even the good gods don't ask, what will you, a little paladin, do to save them? .

Count on your slogan? If you don't have the power to destroy evil, your so-called justice is just a joke. Do you think that as long as you believe in justice, you can save the world? Only an idiot would believe it. "

Thorne shook the paladin's numb shoulders: "Wake up quickly! If the slogan really works, what should our compatriots who died in the emerald field say? Who has rescued them? Who has pitied them? ?"

Looking at the pitch-black sky and feeling the oppressive darkness, he continued: "So I only believe in my own power, and only in powerful power. This is a world dominated by gods, and it is also a combination of great powers. The world. Only when we have the power to crush everything, when we face the abyss demons, **** devils, cultists, and even various races in the wilderness, will we not be as desperate and helpless as tonight or in the past. With the power to crush everything Only with the power of your own strength can you keep the justice in your heart."

"With the power to crush everything, you can keep the justice in your heart." The paladin, who was struggling in pain, trembled, and gradually woke up in silence. She seemed to understand what true justice was.

"That's right!" Thorne met her gradually sober eyes, nodded heavily, and sarcastically said: "The real strong dare to face the bleak life and the dripping blood. And you? You are not qualified. You are an idiot who only shouts justice and makes people look ridiculous, and you don't understand what true justice is and what is the purest justice."

"True justice! The purest justice!"

The cold mockery of the ranger made her last doubts clear, and the paladin Nolan clenched his fists, the dim divine radiance completely dissipated, and a strange aura gradually emerged, she slowly straightened up, and her firm eyes met the bleak. night sky.

I do not know how long it has been……

Nolan took out the turbid and black sacred emblem of suffering, her most precious symbol, and threw it into the oppressive darkness and disappeared into the wilderness, saying firmly:

"Look for a strong enemy, with no distractions. For the villains, there is absolutely no mercy. For justice, use any means. If you encounter evil consequences, try your best to make up for it."

After the awakened paladin finished speaking, a mysterious dark energy suddenly erupted from his whole body, and his originally extremely weak body was instantly restored to its original state.

"Heroic level! Pledge of vengeance!" Thorne finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the changes in the paladin.

Holy Avenger!

A group of lawful and absolutely neutral paladins.

In order to maintain the justice in their hearts, the Holy Avenger will even go to any lengths.

This is a paladin who masters dark power, but a paladin who masters this power is most likely to degenerate into an evil dark guard.

They guard what is right in their hearts, not the beliefs of the gods.

For them, this is a battle of their own beliefs and will.

Victory or defeat is only a matter of thought.

Thorne came to the paladin, reached out and brushed away the hair covering her cheeks, caressed her cheeks gently, and said earnestly:

"Don't let your own path change, each of us must make an unswerving choice for our own path. No matter what happens in the future, for yourself and for the justice that needs to be guarded in your heart, I hope you will not lose Self, able to make every choice in life carefully and carefully, goodbye."

The ranger picked up the sharp sword stuck on the ground and disappeared in the direction of Winter City without looking back.

…………

A note about the Holy Avengers below: