Raising the Sword

"Fake?"

The Hero of the South blinked, somewhat incredulous. The very sword that had captured the hearts of every Warrior, the Holy Sword that had remained undrawn for centuries, was actually a fake?

Li Yan nodded and took out the real Holy Sword from her Storage Alternate Space, placing it on the ground.

"This is the real one. I pulled it out about a thousand years ago. I was afraid of being hunted down by the Demons, so I put a fake one in the Sword Village. I probably reinforced it with more than a dozen special effects seals."

Li Yan scratched his head. Sometimes when he was bored, he was afraid that the Bootleg Holy Swords that those heroes had made for him would be pulled out, so he would deepen the seal on the Holy Swords whenever he had free time.

These include Magic Beast enticement, a strong, super-adhesive grip, impossible for anyone but a loli to pull out, impossible for anyone but someone with powerful Mana to pull out, impossible for anyone but someone very young to pull out, and impossible for anyone but someone with an ugly appearance to pull out.

If this can still be uncovered, then he has nothing more to say, since these factors are very difficult to achieve, unless one is destined for greatness.

"The true Holy Sword!"

The Hero of the South stared in disbelief at the magnificent yet somewhat ordinary Holy Sword before him. Perhaps having seen too many heroes wielding Bootleg Holy Swords in the Hero Tournament, he found it hard to believe that the Holy Sword before him was actually the real Holy Sword.

Thinking back to how he pulled out the Holy Sword in the Sword Village, how solemn the guardians of the Sword Village were, and how he was pulling it out with such seriousness and effort, he couldn't help but feel that he had been such an idiot.

Seeing the Hero of the South try to touch it but then pull back, Li Yan smiled. "Try it. The result will be the same anyway; you won't be able to pull it out."

Frieren blinked, and only then did she realize that her senior brother had always used the Holy Sword that heroes longed for. She remembered trying to pull it out when she was a child, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull it out. At that time, she had to rely on external force.

Frieren stole a glance at Li Yan's arm; it was large, white, and warm. Without thinking, she gently took it. Li Yan was slightly surprised by Frieren's sudden hand-holding, but gently responded by intertwining their fingers.

Feeling the full power of her senior brother, Frieren blushed and dared not look at Li Yan's face anymore. Her gaze remained fixed on the Hero of the South, and she was also curious whether the Hero of the South could actually pull out the Holy Sword.

Not only was Frieren expectant, but Macht also looked with some interest at the Hero of the South was preparing to try to draw the Holy Sword. If it really was the Holy Sword, then he wanted to see Holy Sword power.

"The legendary Holy Sword?"

Draht and Lugner stared in disbelief, never expecting their lord to possess such a weapon. Of course, a lord who dared to openly and legitimately grant them status in the human world would not be so crude in his weaponry.

Aura took a deep breath. Sometimes, being Demons made her feel inferior. She thought back to the time when she fought Li Yan. She was defeated by her master without even having to draw his sword. She was too weak.

A hint of interest appeared on Line's face; in fact, she was also somewhat interested in trying to pull out the Holy Sword.

Solitär tilted her head. She didn't care whether the sword was a real Holy Sword or whether it could be drawn near the Hero of the South. All she cared about was Li Yan's hand. Frieren was secretly holding the young master's hand. With a hint of jealousy, Solitär quietly reached out her small hand and secretly grasped Li Yan's free hand.

Li Yan glanced sideways and, upon recognizing Solitär, smiled slightly. Seeing that Li Yan noticed her, Solitär chuckled and took Li Yan's hands in her own.

At this moment, the Hero of the South suppressed his excitement and solemnly grasped the fist. Although he could see the future, he decided to use it sparingly in ordinary times and only in battle, following the advice of his master, Li Yan.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the Hero of the South exuded a powerful aura. As the wind and waves gradually rose, the Hero of the South, who had stretched out his hand to grip the Holy Sword all his might, suddenly let go the next second.

"Um?"

Li Yan was slightly surprised and doubtful, and everyone else also cast curious glances at her. Why did the Hero of the South, who had clearly gone all out, suddenly let go the moment he grabbed the Holy Sword?

"It is indeed the true Holy Sword."

The Hero of the South wore a complex expression. The moment he touched the Holy Sword, he tried to conquer Holy Sword with his ambition, the future of humanity, his passionate heart, and his powerful strength, but all he received was a response from the Holy Sword.

Young hero, you are a good person, but I already have a suitable swordsman. We are not a good match, so don't force it.

This was a gentler version of the Holy Sword's rejection, but the Hero of the South harbored another, wilder feeling within his heart.

If you're bad at the game, practice more. If you can't handle it, don't play. If you don't have the ability, what use are you if you keep thinking about Holy Sword? Defeating the Demon King and conquering the world still depends on this Holy Sword.

In short, these sensations were all internal feelings; how could a person translate the sword's sensations? But overall, the Hero of the South understood that he had been rejected.

What's going on?

Macht was losing patience, looking at the somewhat distraught Hero of the South with intense curiosity in his heart.

"Can't pull it out?"

Aura asked curiously.

"Hehehe, I knew it."

Frieren covered her mouth and chuckled. It wasn't like she hadn't tried to lift it before; she knew the feeling of it being as heavy as a mountain or as if she were holding a boundless ocean. But the feeling of lifting the Holy Sword was exhilarating. She had lifted it once with the help of her senior brother. It was exhilarating and exciting, like conquering a difficult problem, a world-class problem at that.

"The Holy Sword rejected me. I am truly unworthy of it; it deserves better."

The Hero of the South gently shook his head and spoke his heart. As the Kingdom's strongest hero, he was unable to lift the true Holy Sword. He didn't know if he was worthy of the title of hero.

Looking at the dejected Hero of the South, Li Yan sighed softly. She wanted to reach out and pat the Hero of the South's shoulder to comfort him, but seeing her own hands being tightly held, Li Yan had no choice but to give up the idea and instead try to move the Hero of the South with words.

"There's no such thing as being unworthy or rejected. This sword may already belong to someone, and it simply doesn't want anyone other than its owner to touch it. Perhaps if you had met it a thousand years ago, it might have truly accepted you."

Li Yan spoke gently, and the Hero of the South felt a little comforted. Indeed, he had been possessed by the idea of saving the world and defeating the Demon King. He had drawn the Holy Sword only to satisfy his own selfish desires, but he had forgotten that the Holy Sword now belonged to someone else.

"I can lift the Holy Sword too, don't be sad."

Frieren tilted her head and whispered.