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Chapter 271: Holy Sword (1)

“You are the Holy Sword, aren\'t you?”

[Indeed. I am a tool sent by the great gods themselves to assist the earth and oppose demons. The one who wields me will gain immense power to face the demons.]

The Holy Sword\'s role was to become a sword on earth to oppose evil.

However, Ketal had a doubtful expression.

“I don’t think it’s that great.”

To be honest, the power of the Holy Sword wasn’t particularly impressive.

Of course, it wasn’t weak.

But it wasn’t exactly strong either.

Even though divinity held an advantage over demons, it wasn\'t as overwhelming as one might expect.

The Holy Sword didn’t argue and calmly responded.

[That’s fine. Because I am a mechanism.]

“A mechanism?”

[Yes. The one who wields me gains great power. But since it\'s a power even the unworthy can wield, it has its limits. By earthly standards, it\'s about the level of an entry-level hero.]

Entry-level hero.

That alone was a considerable level of power.

But on the other hand, it was below someone like Karin.

Stronger individuals than that certainly existed on the continent.

Even the Saintess of the Sun God was a hero-level figure.

There was no special reason for a hero to be a crucial card against demons.

There was a key reason for that, as the Holy Sword explained.

[The one who wields the Holy Sword acts as a kind of medium. Any being with a sufficient affinity for divinity can draw me and become my master. And they will fully accept my power into their body.]

It was akin to a form of resonance.

[The longer they wield me, the more their body transcends the realm of mortals. Their affinity for divinity rises, and they become filled with divine power. Once their body is entirely filled with divinity, the great god will take possession of that body.]

At that, Ketal froze.

“Wait. Then…”

[The hero\'s true identity is nothing more than an incarnation of the god, closer to the true form of the deity than anyone else. It’s an excellent mechanism for gods to intervene in the world freely.]

Ketal frowned.

“…What happens to the hero’s own will when they become an incarnation?”

[It disappears.]

The Holy Sword answered as if it were obvious.

Ketal chuckled in disbelief.

“So that’s what a hero is.”

A tool for the gods.

A medium to sacrifice everything to them.

That was the true nature of the hero, who was worshipped by all.

“Does anyone know about this?”

[No one, I’d imagine. Since even their memories are entirely devoured, the god can perfectly imitate the hero. After about a month, the god can fully take over the body. And when that happens, even my own consciousness will vanish.]

The Holy Sword was a tool the gods gave to guide the hero.

Once the hero became an incarnation of the god, the Holy Sword was no longer needed.

The god would take all the power contained within it.

[After spending centuries locked away in the pantheon’s vault, I came out only to face annihilation after just a month. It’s much like the short life of a cicada on earth.]

“That’s a sad existence. Or should I say... sword-existence?”

[That would have been my fate. But you broke me.]

The power of the god contained within the Holy Sword, the power that would have devoured its wielder, was gone.

The Holy Sword was broken.

But thanks to that, it gained its freedom.

The Holy Sword murmured, as if realizing it for the first time.

[So this is what freedom feels like? Not bad. No, I actually like it. Hmm. I must sincerely thank you. I never cared before, but now that I think about it, it seems I too feared annihilation.]

The Holy Sword expressed its gratitude earnestly.

Then, with a tone of uncertainty, it asked:

[…By any chance, are you thinking of abandoning me?]

“Whether I abandon you or not is not a decision I can make.”

[Hmm. Anyway, I’m already broken in half. All the power contained within me has leaked out, so even if someone else wields me now, I won’t be able to fulfill my role. Besides, if the gods see me, they might just dispose of me entirely. Now that I think about it, it might be more beneficial for me to remain in your hands and be wielded.]

“I thought you said I didn’t exist in this world, and denied me?”

[…Would you be willing to accept my apology? I think I was too rude. Please forgive me.]

The Holy Sword was genuinely anxious.

If Ketal abandoned it, it would likely be stashed away somewhere under the pretense of storage.

That would mean it would never speak to anyone again.

Having realized how enjoyable communication with others was, the Holy Sword absolutely did not want to return to the loneliness of that time.

“You said I scared you.”

[Th-that’s still true... but I think I’m getting used to it since we\'ve been together for a while. Plus, you distorted my nature, making it bearable.]

“Hmm.”

Ketal fell into thought.

What should he do?

He had pulled out the Holy Sword.

And on top of that, he had broken it in half.

He was a man who understood the concept of responsibility.

That’s why he held the chieftain position in the White Snowfields.

If he abandoned the Holy Sword now, it would be too irresponsible.

After a moment of deliberation, he asked:

“What can you do?”

[I know many things!]

The Holy Sword answered eagerly.

[The gods entrusted me with nearly all the knowledge of the world to assist the hero! That includes knowledge about demons. …Though much of that knowledge has been lost now that I’m broken in half. But still, what remains is not insignificant. It will be of great help.]

“Oh?”

Ketal stroked his chin.

He was essentially a foreigner in this world.

Because of that, he didn’t even possess basic knowledge that others took for granted.

In that sense, the Holy Sword’s knowledge would certainly be useful to him.

Seeing Ketal’s interest, the Holy Sword hastily emphasized its usefulness.

[And I was forged directly by the god of blacksmiths in the Pantheon. That means my blade itself contains divinity. You can deal with most evil beings without having to resort to mystic arts.]

“Oh, that’s certainly convenient.”

He still wasn’t very proficient at handling the mystery itself.

There was a delay of a few seconds.

Against minor demons, there was no need to bring out the mystery.

Just swinging the Holy Sword would suffice.

It was indeed convenient.

The Holy Sword, excited, continued speaking.

[And I am incredibly durable. Most weapons wouldn’t be able to withstand your strength. But I’m different. Although I broke in your hands, I possess unbreakable durability under normal circumstances. Even in pieces, I could still be of use.]

“You want me to use a broken sword as a weapon?”

[…If you use it well, it might still be effective?]

“That’s fine. I have this.”

Ketal waved a jet-black axe.

The Holy Sword froze.

[…What? What is that?]

“My weapon.”

It was a weapon he had acquired in the White Snowfields and had been using ever since.

It boasted incredible durability, never chipping under any circumstances.

It was Ketal’s favorite weapon.

[…Huh? That thing seems… similar to me at a fundamental level.]

“What do you mean by that?”

[I am a holy sword. A tool sent to the mortal world by a great god. It\'s not an exaggeration to call me a kind of sacred relic. But I sense a similar feeling from the axe you carry.]

The axe was something akin to a sacred relic.

However, even the holy sword did not know whose relic it was.

Despite being lost, a vast amount of knowledge still remained, yet there was no information about it.

[And… there\'s something in there?]

"Something?"

[Something massive is inside it. …What is that?]

It was something the holy sword could neither understand nor accept.

There was something incredibly large within the axe.

A spark of interest lit up on Ketal\'s face.

"Can it move?"

[No. It seems to be in a near-dormant state. It doesn\'t seem like it will awaken unless it\'s provoked in some special way. But… what is it? Honestly, I recommend you burn and melt it down immediately.]

"I have no intention of doing that. This is my weapon."

Ketal didn’t really care.

Whether it was a sacred relic or something inhabited by a mysterious presence, that wasn’t important to him.

What mattered was that it was his possession, and it was extremely useful.

‘It’s curious that something is inside it, though.’

Given the axe’s peculiarities, this wasn’t entirely unexpected.

He had used the axe for an incredibly long time without any changes, so he thought it wasn’t something worth worrying about.

Right now, there was something more important.

"You said you know a lot. So, let me ask you one question. What is this?"

Ketal pulled out a shard of divinity from his pocket.

The shard he had obtained from his battle with Federica.

"Why did it absorb the power that surged out of you?"

The holy sword answered.

[That is a vessel of sorts.]

"A vessel?"

[Yes. I don\'t know how you obtained it, but it seems to be a fragment of the great god. Though it’s just a sliver, it\'s still a piece of a great god. And the power within me is divine power.]

“…Ah.”

Ketal nodded in understanding.

"So, it\'s the perfect vessel to hold the power of the holy sword."

[Exactly. Like how water fills a hole or iron is drawn to a magnet, the force that attacked you was entirely absorbed into that fragment.]

Originally, it was an empty vessel.

But now, it had been filled with the power of the holy sword.

"How can I use this?"

[Hmm… Although it contains a tremendous amount of power, honestly, I don\'t know how it could be used. Though it’s been filled with the power of divinity, if the vessel were to break, the force would burst out and rampage again. It\'s in a very dangerous state.]

"Hmm."

Ketal quietly stared at the shard of divinity.

"So, what’s stored inside is the power of the holy sword."

A powerful force capable of raising an ordinary person to the level of a hero in an instant.

"Could it be considered a catalyst?"

[In terms of form, yes.]

"I see."

A look of interest spread across Ketal\'s face.

His instincts—instincts that had never betrayed him—were giving him a strong premonition. Without seeing his expression, the holy sword spoke again.

[However, you can\'t handle it carelessly since it’s a force I’m not controlling. If a mortal tries to wield this power, it will break free and devour them entirely. After all, it’s the power of a god. Unless you possess a comparable level of strength or something even greater, you won’t be able to control it… Wait a moment!]

The holy sword was in shock, for a simple reason.

Ketal had just tossed the shard of divinity into his mouth.

[TL/N: Bro does not care]