The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

"Did I really break this holy sword?"

Felix's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"you--"

Jessica watched Vina in the arena with worry, pondering the possibility of forcibly stopping the trial.

Just as she was about to take action, a dignified voice suddenly rang in their minds: "Don't worry, I won't harm him."

Both of them had heard this voice before in the trial space.

It was the voice of the Holy Sword.

-----------------

Vina, whose mind and body were completely absorbed in the holy sword, was unaware of the changes in the outside world and was still looking forward to the opponent she was about to meet.

He waited for a long time, but his opponent did not appear.

"Hey—is anyone there?" Viner finally couldn't hold back and shouted loudly.

"Yes, yes!"

A crisp sound rang out, and then a petite figure appeared in front of Venus.

Judging by her appearance alone, anyone would believe she was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl.

I'm not afraid of getting old, I'm only afraid of getting young.

Knowing full well that this kind of unusually young opponent was the most troublesome, Viner immediately waved his hand and said, "My sword does not kill the old or the young. Go and get me a bigger one."

"I'm not here to fight you!" The little girl was both amused and exasperated, and took the initiative to introduce herself, "My name is Escudo."

"never heard of that."

Viner frowned and pondered, trying hard to find the name in his memory, but he really couldn't recall any sword saint with the same name as him.

“Just remember it now.” Escudo’s gaze fell on the emblem on the back of Vina’s hand, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”

“...Who exactly are you?” Viner vaguely guessed a possibility.

“Those who are not worthy of knowing my real name usually call me the Holy Sword,” Escudo said with a smile.

"So you're the one who injured Tissa, huh?!"

Upon hearing the other party claim to be the Holy Sword, Viner immediately gave him a sharp rap on the head.

Only after he finished striking it did he realize that what was in front of him was the Holy Sword, not Felix.

All I can say is that habit is just too terrible.

"Why?!"

Completely bewildered as to why he was being beaten, Escudo covered his head and looked at Vina.

Knowing he couldn't let the other person overthink things, Wiener crossed his arms and asked, "So, what do you want from me?"

Although Escudo possessed enough power to destroy the world, his mindset was similar to Felix's, only able to operate on a single thread. After hearing Vena's question, he forgot about being inexplicably beaten.

“I want you to take me away,” Escudo confessed.

"...Wait a moment."

Wiener rubbed the tip of his nose, thinking he had misheard.

Even when faced with a holy sword that doesn't show any mercy to heroes, the fact that it was offered up for free made him wonder if he was under an illusion.

"Why me?" Wiener asked, puzzled.

“Because you qualify,” Escudo replied.

"You've seen so many sword saints and heroes, isn't there even one who meets the criteria?"

"If anyone else wants to take me away, they have to follow a different set of rules."

"What's the difference?" Wiener pressed for details.

Escudo knew that Vena still had many questions, so he began to explain: "When my master created me, he specifically set up restrictions to ensure that my power would not be abused."

When the human population is less than ten million, Escudo can be drawn and used by humans.

Once the human population falls below one million, the Holy Sword can ignore all barriers and destroy the Demon Blood Soul.

If the human population were reduced to only 100,000, it could even kill a demon god.

The Holy Sword is not merely a weapon, but the ultimate guarantee for the continuation of humanity's survival.

“The one I’m using now is the same as my previous owner, Hitrie,” Escudo continued.

Hitler, a legendary woman who left behind the name of a hero.

This means that the Holy Sword has not been used since the first hero.

"For such a reason?" Viner found it absurd.

The reason the holy sword cannot be drawn is because humans are living too comfortably.

“When my master created me, he probably didn’t expect things to turn out this way,” Escudo said with emotion. “Although I love humans just like my master, I am limited by restrictions and can only provide assistance beyond what I can draw my sword from its sheath.”

Anyone who successfully completes the trial will receive a gift from the Holy Sword, which can be considered its modest contribution.

“But what does that have to do with you wanting me to take you away? Just because they can’t do it, does that mean I can be an exception?” Viner was still puzzled.

“That’s right, because you are the holder of the Gondolav.” Escudo’s reply was as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Gondoraf?” Viner looked down at the back of his hand.

This emblem has been emitting a faint light ever since it entered the Holy Sword, even though he hasn't activated it at all.

“If I use a different name, you should understand.” Escudo paused slightly. “Its other name is—God’s Left Hand.”

Chapter 562 Escudore: I'll do anything.

If the Demon Blood Soul is a power that the Demon God intentionally separated to create subordinates, then the Emblem is a gift from the Goddess to all mankind.

She shared her blood with the humans she loved, passing on the power of the emblem.

They forged their own bones into a holy sword, making it the last line of defense for the survival of humanity.

When the demon god ravaged the land and the world was on the verge of collapse, she used her soul and body to fill the broken mountains and rivers until she exhausted her last bit of strength and completely disappeared into the world.

Among the many emblems passed down by the goddess, Gondorav is the most unique.

In order to allow humanity to inherit the power of the emblem gently, the goddess did not hesitate to experiment on her own body, creating an emblem called "Gondoraf" on her left arm.

It is the origin of all heraldry; all subsequent heraldry are derived from Gondoraf.

After thousands of years of development and expansion, most coats of arms have lost their original purity.

Even those known as "Great Emblems" may not be their original versions.

Escudo didn't have much affection for these new generation of heraldsmen, because their heraldic power was nothing more than a diluted gift, like how humans would view distant, unrelated relatives.

But the coat of arms of Gondorav is different.

Even the slightest imperfection will cause it to resemble another emblem.

The previous holder of the Gondorav emblem was the goddess herself.

Vena is not only one of the few beings in the world who can resonate with Escdo, but also one of the few of its kind.

That's why Escudo urged the Black Tortoise to approach after sensing the presence of Gondoraf.

Only then did Wiener realize the origin of the emblem on his left hand.

"Luckily, I usually use my right hand."

"what?"

A question mark appeared above the Holy Sword.

“It’s nothing,” Viner quickly changed the subject. “So what do you mean by wanting me to take you away?”

“The restriction my master placed on me was to test ordinary Emblem users. Since you have Gondorav, you can ignore this restriction and take me away,” Escudo replied.

“That sounds pretty good, so do you now have the ability to kill the demon god?” Vena asked, stroking his chin.

“No.” Escudo shook his head.

"What about destroying the Demon Blood Soul?" Vina asked again.

“...That won’t work either,” Escudo said hesitantly.

"You didn't even meet the requirement of drawing your sword, did you?"

The thought that Felix had failed to draw the holy sword filled Venerer with doubt.

"There are now thirty million humans on the continent of Fodora." Escudo's voice grew weaker and weaker.

The appearance of the hero greatly relieved the pressure of fighting against the demons, giving humanity time to recuperate.

Under the pressure of extinction, humanity has demonstrated unprecedented reproductive potential.

"Then what use are you?!" Viner couldn't help but exclaim.

Even though the holy sword doesn't meet the most basic requirements, its power in the hands of a swordsman is at most only slightly better than the heroic legacies of Admira.

This is not a case of one plus one being less than two. Can the combined power of the two be stronger than its self-protection while it is sheathed?

Seeing that Vena was angry, Escudo rushed forward and hugged Vena's leg, saying with a sob in his voice, "I didn't want to either, but humans are too powerful now. They can defeat the demon god even without my help."

"I don't want to stay in jail like this anymore. I'll do anything as long as you take me out!"

It had been lonely for too long, and when it finally met Vener, the holder of the Gondorav, it naturally regarded it as a lifeline.

The holy sword, which was extremely proud in the eyes of outsiders, was now pleading like a child, which made Vena feel a little sorry for it.

"Get up first." Vena patted Escudo's back gently, her tone tinged with helplessness.

“If you promise, I’ll get up.” Escudo stubbornly clung to his leg.

"Then don't act like Lady Hitrie and do such a shameful thing!"

Wiener still held considerable respect for this original hero.

"Hmm... how about this?"

With a thought, Escudo transformed into Jessica's appearance.

Jessica's naturally aloof and elegant demeanor, combined with Escudé's tearful and menacing expression, created a striking contrast.

Coupled with the superior vantage point and Escudo's already thin clothing, Vena hurriedly covered her nose.

A strong psychological attack.

“Why don’t you go back to using Felix’s appearance?” Wiener suggested.

"Oh," Escudo nodded foolishly in agreement.

But the moment it took shape, it was met with another sharp rap on the head from Wiener.

He still looks the same, so there's no psychological burden when bullying him.

"I changed according to your request!"

Escudo said, feeling wronged.

“Yes, that’s why I agreed.” Vena comforted Escudo as she lifted him up from the ground.

“Look, Felix used to be just a sword, like you. Now he can eat, drink, and live like a human. I made you like this so that you could be like him.”

Wiener's eyes were full of "sincerity".

"Really...really?" Escudo immediately forgot about the pain.

“It’s true,” Viner continued with certainty.

This holy sword is, in some ways, even easier to deceive than Felix.

"Since you requested it yourself, taking you away is no problem. But what about the trial?"

Wiener has not forgotten his original purpose for coming here.

“Shall I save you the trouble?” Escudo suggested.