“Tch, ‘Blizzard’!” [Mage Leader]

” ‘Shadow Wall’ !!” [Remiri]

Shiva swung his halberd, and the man before him tottered back, forcefully casting a spell in the nick of time, which Remiri blocked.

After the raging blizzard calmed down, the two sides glared at each other.

“Sigh... I know it’s wrong to cry foul during battle, but seriously... just where the heck did they get this absurd magic tool that can absorb magic power? Our offensive magic disappears before it can hit them, our defensive magic is weaker... Man, what a pain, seriously...” [Barrack]

Barrack grumbled and the lamp-using mage that was fighting Shiva spoke.

“And yet we’ve already lost three men while only one of you is injured.” [Mage Leader]

Despite the overwhelming advantage of the enemy thanks to that lamp of theirs, the ones currently winning were none other than the rescuers. That being said, however, the situation was no less grim thanks to the enemy mage. Remiri hypothesized the source of his strength being the lamp, and so, Shiva tried to destroy it, but the mage was no slouch and was able to protect the lamp.

The chain connected to that lamp rustled as the man looked to the rescuers’ only injured member, who was taking refuge under the cover of the armadillos while the girls nursed him. It was only for a moment, however, as he was immediately forced to turn back his gaze at Shiva.

He couldn’t keep his attention away for long lest he left himself open to an attack, but what really caught his attention was Shiva talking.

“It seems you have some skill... So why? Why are you wasting your strength in a place like this?” [Shiva]

“What are you...” [Mage Leader]

“You people are soldiers, aren’t you?” [Shiva]

Those few words shocked both groups, then Shiva continued.

“To be more precise, you’re former soldiers. Former soldiers who once aspired to be knights.” [Shiva]

“Why...” [Mage Leader]

“The way you handle your sword is something I myself have been trained in when I was once a trainee; it is also the same technique I drilled into my subordinates. I may be putting on the years, but I haven’t gone senile yet to not notice that.

With skills like that there shouldn’t be any need for you to turn to banditry. If you use them properly, even riches and honor isn’t far off.” [Shiva]

“Don’t lump us in with bandits...” [Bandit 1]

“We haven’t been so sullied by money as to have ever attack a defenseless woman!” [Bandit 2]

“Stop it! The only thing that matters is our justice.” [Mage Leader]

The enemy did not take kindly to Shiva’s words; they cried out with bitterness in response, and it was the lamp-using mage who stopped them. At which point, this time Barrack cried out.

“Justice? What justice would scum like you know!?” [Barrack]

“The concept of justice might differ from person to person, but... I don’t think there’s any justice to be found in kidnapping people.” [Oslo]

“I don’t expect you to understand.” [Mage Leader]

The lamp-using mage did not bother to argue as the situation reached a boiling point, and then—

“!”

It was curious who it was that moved first. Was it Shiva, the former knight-commander, or the mage, with his seemingly twisted sense of justice... but regardless, the curtains were once again drawn, and the battle resumed.

“Ha!”

“Ra!”

The enemy attacked with a ferocity that suggested they were ready for death, while the rescuers battled them calmly. Still, the battle was no walk-in-the-park, as the enemy mages made the battle that much more difficult.

“Ugu!?” [Bandit]

“Don’t underestimate us!” [Nell]

“Ka!?” [Barrack]

Nell wrapped her whip around the neck of one of the bandits when he let his guard down, pulling him down to the ground, and allowing Barrack to finish him off.

The lamp-using mage grit his teeth when he saw that, then he yelled to the four mages supporting them from the back.

“It’s gotten to this point! Do it!!” [Mage Leader]

In that instant, two of the mages at the back unsheathed their swords and ran to the carriage.

“!! ‘Water Cutter’ !!” [Sebasu]

” ‘Fire Arrow’ !!” [Rheinbach]

When the rescue group saw what was happening, Sebasu and Rheinbach casted their magic, but it had no effect. Shiva then stepped out to try and break through, but...

“Gu!! You’re not... going anywhere!” [Mage Leader]

The lamp-using mage ran after Shiva to stop him despite the wound in his body, but then all of the sudden—

The sound of explosion resounded throughout the tunnel as the carriage was blown away, giving rise to dust and smoke.

“You’re... kidding...” [Kanan]

The carriage her friend was riding on just exploded. It was only natural she would be anxious, and in fact, it wasn’t just her but the whole group whose countenance had gone pale.

“They’re making a run for it!!” [Bandit]

“Damn, they saw us! Hurry!” [Male Adventurer 1]

“Tch, doing whatever he wants...!” [Marol]

“Let’s go already!” [Girl who was sitting on Elia’s Right]

One of the bandits running to the carriage was blown away, while the remaining one managed to survive. When he saw the two male adventurers running from the carriage unarmed along with the three girls, he called out in alarm. Elia was among the runaways, but the rescuers did not have the leisure to heave a sigh of relief upon seeing her safe.

With the runaways having no armor on, a single blow was all it would take to fatally injure one of them. The remaining 2 mages at the back casted strengthening magic on themselves before giving chase, while the rescuers attacked even fiercer to try and stop them, but the lamp-using mage would not let them pass.

” ‘Fire Wall’ !! ” [Elia]

” ‘Thunder Bolt’ !!” [One of the runaways]

The unarmed runaways had no choice but to run where there were no enemies. They casted a spell or two as they ran, but it had little effect past annoying the bandits.

There was not much distance between the runaways and those fighting next to the carriage to begin with, so it came as no surprise that the bandits were able to close the distance in no time at all.

The runaways prayed as they ran. Every step they took, every breath they took... echoed loudly in their ears. When they turned around to look, they saw two men bring their swords up. Elia glared at them as she inadvertently braced herself for death, then one of the men struck her with his sword—

“Huh?” [Pursuing Mage 3]

—But before he could land that blow, an arrow had suddenly found its way through his head.

As Elia saw the man tumble to the ground after losing his life, she tripped over herself and fell as well. When she turned to look at her remaining pursuer, she noted that he too had stopped. And in the next instant, a man wielding a blood-smeared katana stood between her and her pursuer.

“GYaAAAAA—-” [Pursuing Mage 4]

That man cut down her pursuer with a stroke of his blade, at which point Elia finally realized who it was that saved her.

“Ryouma... san?” [Elia]

“Looks like I made it.” [Ryouma]

Ryouma ignored the wary gazes of the female adventurers with Elia, looking instead to where the rest of the battle was unfolding. Ryouma was relieved to have finally caught up to Elia, but the lamp-using mage was not happy; he yelled as he crossed swords with Shiva.

“Don’t get in our way!!!” [Mage Leader]

Seeing the pursuing mages be defeated finally pushed the lamp-using mage past the end of his patience, as he cast another blizzard and left the frontline to rush to where Ryouma was.

“Step back!” [Ryouma]

Ryouma implored the female adventurers and Elia to move back while he fought with the lamp-using mage. He crossed swords with him once, then twice, and then thrice. When their swords locked, the lamp-using mage cursed.

“Cleaner! If it weren’t for you!!” [Mage Leader]

“Of course, I’ll get in your way. That’s the very reason why I came here, Alphodo!” [Ryouma]

The lamp-using mage did not expect Ryouma to know his name, and so for one moment, he froze. Ryouma did not let that opportunity pass, as he made full use of it to send the man flying. The lamp-using mage quickly picked himself up, but he was clearly more vigilant now than ever.

“Why... do you know that name?” [Alphodo]

“I learned a lot of things before coming here. I know that you planned all of this, and I know your goals too. Really, who would’ve thought that a member of the Dark Guild would try to crush the very organization he serves.” [Ryouma]

Ryouma knew from the kidnappers he interrogated that the tunnel had been blown up, so he took a different route and went via one of the other hideouts of the Dark Guild to meet Elia’s convoy from the other side. Thanks to that Ryouma managed to gain a lot of information after crushing said hideout.

When Alphodo heard that, his grim countenance became even grimmer.

“The Dark Guild is a den of evildoers. An organization like that that torments the innocent without cause deserves to be destroyed.” [Alphodo]

“Which is why you targeted Elia. By kidnapping the duke’s daughter you planned to incite a calamity upon the guild, which is also why you went out of your way to contact me, so that you could leave proof that Elia was in fact kidnapped.” [Ryouma]

“It had to be done. The Dark Guild has supporters even among the nobles. The only way to call a calamity upon it is to taint its name with a sin so grave it couldn’t be pardoned.” [Alphodo]

“In other words, the bigger the issue became the better it would be for you... And you found a way to do just that. You made it so that the kidnappers that contacted me would eventually lead to the discovery of the Dark Guild’s storehouses, allowing you to push all the blame onto the kidnappers. You sure used them well, didn’t you, Alphodo? Even me... Unfortunately...” [Ryouma]

Ryouma suddenly looked toward the lamp dangling at Alphodo’s chest as Alphodo chantlessly casted an ice spear toward Ryouma. Ryouma managed to dodge by a hair’s breadth thanks to detecting the trace of magic power, but Alphodo continued with a sword strike to his neck. Again Ryouma dodged, but this time an ice arrow came flying at Ryouma, which he canceled out with his own fire arrow.

In the next instant, Alphodo lifted his sword and slashed down at Ryouma. In response, Ryouma stepped diagonally to the left as he raised his katana up vertically to meet Alphodo’s descending sword. The moment their swords clashed, Ryouma’s katana vanished from Alphodo’s sight, leaving him with nothing to hit but thin air, then the katana that vanished suddenly descended on his head.

“aA!!!” [Ryouma]

“—!!” [Alphodo]

Right before their swords clashed, Ryouma twisted his body, and as he supported his right hand that was holding his katana, he drew a circular motion with his katana as if he were rowing a boat.

The slight movement of his left hand lifting inclined the katana downwards, allowing him to hit back after shifting his stance.

Alphodo had no backups left. And with his body wounded from his battle with Shiva, though he pushed his body back as soon as he noticed Ryouma’s descending katana, he could not make it in time. As the ki-reinforced katana descended, slashing diagonally downwards until his right side, the chains holding the lamp were cut along the lamp and his armor.

“Huff, huf...! A...” [Alphodo]

Blood spurted as the chains fell down. Alphodo kept his sword facing Ryouma, but being wounded, his gait remained unsteady.

It was then that two shadows suddenly came—

“*Cough!?” [Alphodo]

—Piercing through Alphodo’s neck and heart.

“Ryouma’s not the only one you’re facing.” [Shiva]

“Surely you expected this, right? I mean you did turn your back on us.” [Oslo]

“Ah...A....” [Alphodo]

The two shadows were none other than Shiva and Oslo.

Following after them were Barrack and Nell.

In the midst of all that as the rest of the rescue group gathered their weapons and stood in row, Alphodo quietly took the last of his breath.

Tl Note: And with this we’ve finally finished the first version of TMPG.

To all my readers, thank you for your continued support, the donations, for reading, and for sticking with the series despite the translation sometimes slowing to a crawl. 😛

There are still some leftover donation in the bar, but rest assured, those donations will be carried on to the revised version of TMPG. For the record, I did post some extra chapters after receiving those, but I never counted them against the donation bar because of the lack of a regular schedule...

TMPG Revised: For those of you who don’t know, TMPG or The Man Picked up by the Gods was prematurely ended here due to writer’s block. The author has been writing a reboot, which I will be picking up. If I recall correctly there shouldn’t be a lot of changes in the reboot until Volume 3, at which point, the series will begin to branch off. As of now, there are 113 chapters, 40 of which belong to the 3rd volume. From the date of postings, the series seem to be updated monthly.

Schedule Change: Now, with TMPG finishing there will be a change in schedule. I’m going back to my old schedule of having one main project, which I will be updating frequently. TMPG will be continue to be translated along with KMF, but they’ll be both relegated to side projects until I finish with GK, at which point, I’ll be looking for a new main project.

New Schedule:

.) GK 4 chapters weekly + at least 3 extra chapters; (For GK fans more info tom. Donations are still closed, I need to fix some stuff.)

.) TMPG 1 chapter monthly (Note: the chapters are a lot longer than these last chapters. Really.)

.) KMF 1 chapter monthly + nadenadeshitai’s translations