Sixty-eight Angel Blades (I)

It was still raining heavily in the east, and countless adventurers and knights were on high alert, ready to deal with the fatal blow from the devil.

However, Emiya and his group turned west and arrived at the first node of their journey, the Claw of the Mountain Troll.

Trolls do exist here, of course. Unfortunately, they are one of the more troublesome creatures in Faerûn, but to be honest, they are neither better nor worse.

Its biggest advantage is its strong vitality, which gives it a great advantage when bullying weak teams with insufficient means.

But facing Emiya's team that is capable of going head-on with the devil, it is really not enough.

"Hoo! Hoo—?"

When the last troll arrived at the battlefield, his fellow trolls had already turned into lumps of charcoal on the ground, and even the group of adventurers present had put away their weapons.

Seeing this uninvited guest, the tin can standing at the front turned around and asked the petite girl, "Xige, are there other trolls heading this way?"

The girl's ears twitched and she replied, "No, this must be the last one."

"Then I won't be polite."

The trolls of Faerun can even be described as thin in appearance, with not much muscle visible on their tall and thin bodies - although the strength of the trolls is still far more obvious than their appearance.

The bad news is that although Mars is already a giant among humans, his strength is even more outrageous than it appears.

Mars didn't even draw his weapon immediately, but simply turned sideways and rushed towards the troll.

——Even though Mars is a full meter shorter than the troll.

Even though the troll's intelligence wasn't exceptional, it could still understand the absurdity of this scene. The troll grinned widely and simply stood there, ready to open the can and devour it.

Then, Mars' speed reached its peak when he was about to come into contact with the troll.

Metal and flesh collided.

Mars' speed dropped to zero, and the expression on the troll's face changed from confidence to fear.

——How can this human be so strong!!!

"boom!!!"

A two-meter-tall human and a three-meter-tall troll collided with each other, and the one that was knocked away was the taller one.

The tough metal trembled and dented under the extreme changes in speed and the transfer of energy. The troll's massive body was almost thrown off the ground by this blow.

The troll stumbled back a few steps, vomiting a few pieces of internal organs from his mouth, but he immediately burst into laughter.

——The key points understood by mortals and the key points understood by trolls are completely different concepts.

In reality, the troll has no vital points. Even if only a few cells remain, the creature can regenerate into a brand new troll over time.

However, at this moment, the troll caught a glimpse of a silver cylinder flying in the air from the corner of his eye. It flew past the troll's ear as lightly as a swallow.

hum.

Amidst the roar of magic, a silver beam of light gushed out from the side and rear of the troll, instantly burning the troll's throat.

Just because a troll regenerates quickly doesn't mean its organs are unnecessary.

The injured troll clutched his throat almost reflexively. The tin can in front of him had already seized this opportunity, quickly stepped forward, drew his sword, and decapitated the troll with one blow. He then stepped on the headless troll's chest, suppressing the troll's still struggling body.

Mars clenched his hands, put the Wukong Yuehui Sword in the air back to his waist, and waved to the mage behind him.

****************

Of course, even though the troll was beheaded by Mars, it was far from dead. Even the severed head was still trying to open and close its bloody mouth in mid-air.

Emiya shrugged, and several flaming arrows shot out from her fingers. They hit the troll's remains, transforming the green flesh into torches. Then she turned and said, "So, Miss Lulu, why did you bring us here? I don't think your lair is here."

"Because the sword isn't in my lair." Although Lulu had agreed to bring them here, she still felt a strong resistance in her heart, so she spoke reluctantly. "Zariel's sword is such a precious thing, how can it stay in my temporary lair?! Even if I die, even if this sword can only be reborn after tens of thousands of years, I can't let it return to Hell."

Having said this, she paused, and then hurriedly said, as if to defend herself, "—The sword itself thinks so too! Although it's not an intelligent magical weapon, it has its own tendencies!"

Lulu transformed into a mammoth, looked around to confirm the terrain, and then began her excavation work.

In a magical world, what kind of burial is hidden enough?

Lulu's answer was that it was buried deep under the soil and rocks.

Object detection spells couldn't penetrate thick layers of soil and rock. The five-meter burial depth also prevented accidental leaks caused by natural disasters. Even divination spells that could attempt to place sensors directly around the object were useless at this depth—no matter where it went, up, down, left, or right, the sensors only saw the same mud, making it impossible to locate it.

Moreover, a treasure cave five meters deep is already an extremely outrageous depth.

In fact, even now, Emiya began to sigh and help - God knows how long Miss Lulu herself had been struggling with this cave.

Metatron, having rushed back from the Eastern Front, naturally took a keen interest in this matter. She vigilantly observed her surroundings and the sky as she asked Lulu, "...You said you brought this sword back from Hell? How did you do it? With all due respect, while Avernus isn't a particularly dangerous place, the portals from Avernus to other planes are still guarded by demons, right? Even with the power of a single Saint Dumbo, it would be difficult to penetrate their defenses."

"Actually, I don't know the reason," Lulu muttered softly. "It was a temporary portal that appeared by chance. I didn't know the other side was the material plane until I crossed over. Anyway, there was indeed a small group of demons guarding it, and I definitely couldn't defeat them. But they were the weakest garrison I'd ever encountered. I just waited there for a while."

Lulu stopped digging and recalled the past, a look of relief on her face. "That was about... almost a month ago. Another devil team passed by the portal, and the two teams seemed to have an old grudge. What did the passing team say?"

She recalled: "My Infernal language isn't very good, it seems to be... 'You useless bastards who will always work for Mephistopheles for nothing, he can just sit on your heads and shit on the vomit he shoots on the wall, even if you become a Pit Fiend, you're still only fit to lick the ass of a retard Cambion...?'"

Then, she threw up her hands. "I don't know why those words were so devastating. Mephistopheles' men were furious after only hearing half of it. You know how mobile the demons are—there were less than ten of them on both sides, and as the battle progressed, there were no demons left near this makeshift portal. I rushed over here—I only realized a few days ago that this place was near Eltoril."

"Ha...ha..." Sig laughed dryly. "It seems the Late Summer Rebellion is quite famous in Hell."

No matter how you look at it, this devilish team is mocking the disastrous defeat of Mephistopheles' subordinates at Baldur's Gate!

At this moment, Emiya, who was performing a miraculous spell, suddenly froze and abruptly stopped the spell in her hand.

His body froze as if he had been electrocuted, then he slowly sat back and muttered softly, "...I saw...that sword."

Even though the Divine Craftsmanship has gradually evolved into an advanced construction spell, you still have to confirm what you want to modify before you can modify an item.

He subconsciously analyzed everything he touched - then, a sword suddenly appeared, instantly draining his brain power.

It was exactly the same as what happened when he tried to analyze the Confessor.

It would be better to say that even though he failed to complete the analysis successfully, he immediately confirmed one thing.

The swords of the Confessor and Zariel are definitely of the same type, or even the same thing.

However, the Confessor was completely shattered, while Zariel's sword was still intact.

Mars, who had been on guard nearby, was quick-witted and quick-handed. He rushed down the slope in one quick step and steadily grabbed Emilia who was about to fall into the pit.

"...Thank you." Emiya breathed a sigh of relief and stood firm.

Meanwhile, Emilia's work has come to an end.

At the bottom of the long pit, a pale blue light appeared.

Lulu only glanced down before rushing down to the bottom of the pit, shouting as she flew, "It's me! It's me! Miss Fearless! There's no danger here! I've found an ally I can trust!"

Zariel's sword is called the Fearless - very suitable for the style of Lathander followers.

Even though the sword was still hidden under the thick soil, its information was still being continuously analyzed by Emiya's brain.

It was a magnificent two-handed giant sword.

The moment Emiya noticed its existence with her structural senses, she realized one thing.

The fearless and the penitent are of the same kind.

The fearless and the penitent are of the same kind.

Even though it was only an extremely brief analysis, even though he hadn't even had the chance to see the Fearless's true appearance with his own eyes, he was absolutely certain of this.

Even though there were countless details about the Fearless that he had not had time to understand, he was able to draw this conclusion based on the vague framework.

Clear as the sky, with shining light reflecting within. These two swords will be created to be used by a specific creature!

Emilia took a breath, not caring about the sand on the ground, and sat down somewhat heavily.

At this moment, Lulu had already laboriously carried the Fearless out.

The blue light just now seemed like an illusion.

The Dreadnought's blade was sheathed in a thick leather scabbard. The craftsmanship seemed somewhat similar to that of Eltoril—however, when Zariel entered Hell, Eltoril had not yet been illuminated by the Sun. Therefore, the Sun's insignia used on it was not the most popular Sun's insignia.

As a result, from the outside, there is nothing special about this sword.

"Don't look at me like that!" Lulu hugged the giant sword with her legs and flew up from the bottom of the pit. "If I don't use the scabbard, even if all of Baator goes to fight the demons to the death, I can't bring it back to the material plane! Do you know how dazzling this sword is in its prime?"

She carried the Fearless on her head, spread her wings, and gestured with all her might: "I tell you, back when Zariel was still young, if she wanted to, she could have radiated a brilliance far more powerful than that Companion!"

Sig curled his lips and said, "Ms. Lulu, a man never brags about his past achievements. No matter how powerful Zariel was back then, she is no longer a follower of Lathander."

"nonsense!!!!"

This was the only topic Lulu absolutely refused to admit defeat on. She was so enraged she leaped several meters into the air, yelling, "That was all Asmodeus's scheme! She still had any hope of returning to our Lord's kingdom!"

The Holy Dumbo lifted the Fearless high and shouted, "This sword... still holds the echoes of Zariel's former soul! If she can touch this sword again and remember her past passion and kindness, she can return from Baator!"

"...Echo of the Soul?" Emiya was stunned for a moment. "What is that?"

"You can think of it as a trace." Metatron sighed, silently gazing at the longsword hidden in its scabbard. "In short, when you become powerful enough, your actions will gradually leave deeper and deeper traces in the world, leaving behind more and more information. For example, when the gods descend, the paths they travel and the instruments they use will truly harbor a certain power. If the power is stimulated to an even greater degree, these traces will directly host fragments of the original owner's power, permanently affecting them."

Elastrid clasped her hands across her chest and whispered, "Of course, there's even more direct evidence—if a priest of the Church of Fortune is fortunate enough to be descended upon by our Lord Tymora, all her body hair will turn an elegant blue, and her pupils will glow a faint silver."

"That's right!" Lulu nodded like raindrops. "I can give you this sword, but there is a condition——"

"Stop." Mars extended his hand unceremoniously. "I don't think this condition is acceptable to us. I don't want to agree to it."

Lulu was stunned for a moment, then her hair stood on end in anger: "I haven't said anything yet!!!"

"There's no need to guess." Sig yawned. "It's nothing more than using this sword to try to redeem Zariel or something... No, Miss Saint Dumbo, you think too highly of us. You're hiding a lot of things in your words."

The bard raised a finger. "First, answer us a few questions: Is it true that this sword can redeem Zariel and transform her back into a Serpent Servant?"

This question excited even the Fearless, and Lulu even replied, "Of course it's true! One hundred percent true?"

"Really?" the poet said unhappily. "Then the second question is, what is the probability of success? You're not going to say it's 100%?"

"Uh..." Lulu suddenly wilted.

There was no need to answer, Emiya knew the answer.

——Hope must be extremely slim.

Given Lulu's usual radical style of doing things, if the probability of success was even 20%, she would have already tried it.

The fact that she chose to keep the sword honestly shows one thing: she herself knew that the sword could only offer a slim hope.

"It's possible, but it has little to do with the sword," Metatron said calmly but firmly. "The sword's true purpose, in common parlance, is to evoke emotion. If Zariel's mental state is poor and she, as a demon, feels lost, placing this sword in her hands might lead her to regret her actions and return to the upper planes. Sword?"

She shook her head. "Ms. Lulu, the Seraphim's weapon is hers. She could destroy it in an instant if she so desired. If you truly wish to preserve the remnants of the Seraphim's former glory, you should demand that the sword's next bearer never meet Zariel."

"How could this be!!!" Such speculation was too far-fetched for a naive Saint Dumbo. She clung to the holy sword in her hand and said, "Then I don't care!!! If you don't agree, I can't entrust the Fearless to you!"

Yin was now carefully observing the magic on the Fearless, muttering softly, "Hmm, the power is perfectly preserved... Although the original owner has fallen, the sword itself is unaffected."

"That's right!" Lulu's voice suddenly rose again after receiving support. "This is the sword of the Seraphim! Do you know how powerful Zariel was in her prime? She can solve the difficulties Elturgard is facing now by herself! If you want to take her sword, you have to pay a price!"

However, Yin then ruthlessly said the second half of his sentence: "But why is this sword stuffed with forced physical and mental transformation...? Is this sword really not a cursed item..."

"Gah." Lulu, who had just been shouting loudly, suddenly fell silent. After a long while, she murmured softly, "This is just the normal effect of the power of the heavens..."

She thought for a moment and argued, "After all, the most suitable person for this sword is a paladin! The ideas of a paladin are most compatible with those of the heavens! Besides, even if you were invited by the gods to study in the divine kingdom, you would be spiritually affected after living there for a few years. Is this also a curse?"

"I think so," Metatron said calmly, glancing at Emiya subconsciously. "Change and growth in thought can be achieved through words and deeds, and by learning from past generations—how can we rely on brainwashing through the power of the world? The devil does this because only fools and the unfortunate who have nowhere else to turn to evil. If we are confident that we are on the right path, there is no need to use such coercive methods to guide others towards good! I... I mean, if it were me, I would not only oppose influencing others in this way, but would also do my utmost to prevent such influence!"

Blades of Sixty-Nine Angels (Part 2)

"Why are you talking so much?"

Lulu faced the rebuke with a look of injustice and indignation on her face. "The Fearless can indeed be handed over to others. But as I said, there are unavoidable side effects! Resistance to Radiance and Dark Devouring, wings growing on one's back, the ability to speak with angels, and the ability to see through transformations and illusions! As long as one is recognized by the Fearless, one can gain such powerful powers! And these powers naturally come entirely from the upper planes. How can one not be affected mentally by having these powers infused into one's body?"

Perhaps realizing that this debate involved the reputation and ideals of the Church of Lathander, Lulu spoke with spit flying. "Besides, originally, only those whose beliefs closely resemble the sword's can receive its infusion of power! Don't make it sound like it's cleansing one's original personality! Its power can help one progress towards an ideal, perfect self!"

She hugged her sword in anger, unsheathed the Fearless, and glanced at everyone present one by one: "Hey! First of all, Miss Poet, don't even need to be looked at, just eliminate her directly. The Smile Lady's priest is also a little lacking. She cares too much about the adventure itself, and lacks a bit of concern for the innocent and the weak..."

Elaster, who was named, sighed and gripped the mace at her waist. "I have my own weapon, and I have no intention of changing it."

"That's perfect. As for Miss Yin, there's nothing to say about her!"

When Lulu was judging these team members, the Fearless's brilliance was quite dim, and it was obvious that she was indeed not satisfied with them.

When he saw Emiya, the Fearless suddenly brightened and shone slightly. Lulu's eyes lit up, and then she snorted, "So, Mr. Emiya, you have made the Fearless very satisfied... But you are a mage, right? Do you need this sword?"

"Of course not." Emilia said coldly, "Besides, I am very satisfied with my own style of doing things and have no interest in asking the power of the heavens to reshape me again."

This answer was not unexpected for Lulu. She said sullenly, "Well, of course, there are also paladins. Paladins naturally meet the requirements..."

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