Chapter 306: Utterly Astonished!
Xenovia was a Holy Sword Wielder.
The Holy Sword she wielded was named Durandal, and its primary abilities were related to destruction.
Previously, she couldn't fully control this Holy Sword, so she usually stored it in a separate dimension.
After transforming into a Demon God Pillar, she gained complete mastery over it.
Thus, in her battle with Griselda, who was essentially her senior, she was still at a disadvantage, mainly due to her lack of experience.
After the battle ended, Griselda took her Holy Sword away again.
So, why did she take her Holy Sword?
The answer was to purify her weapon.
As for how it was purified, Xenovia had followed along after dinner yesterday to see.
They went to a place where two whetstones were placed together, fitted against each other—not glued, but simply pressed together.
By inserting the blade between them, the two whetstones were forced apart into a V-shape.
Of course, at first, Xenovia didn't believe they were whetstones at all, since whetstones should be hard, right?
But these two were as soft as sponges, and when rubbed, they exuded holy water, making the blade gleam with moisture.
So, it looked more like wiping than sharpening.
But Griselda told her that these were indeed whetstones, and that "sharpening" the Holy Sword didn't refer to physical sharpness but conceptual sharpness.
And what about purification?
It certainly had a purifying function as well.
This process would cleanse the accumulated grudges left by the countless beings the sword had slain. So, when the blade showed an abnormal reaction, the next step was required.
The Holy Sword blade was separated from the whetstones, and its tip was moved to a position just a few centimeters away from them, where there was a hole.
The tip was aimed at the hole, and what appeared to be liquidized curses were injected into it.
Note: When injecting, the Holy Sword must not be thrust into the hole. Although it was possible to do so and widen the hole, making it easier for the curses to be injected and purified inside, this practice was not recommended.
Instead, one had to apply force to compel the curses to seep in.
The reason for not thrusting the sword directly was that this hole connected to the abyssal hell. If the sword were inserted, it could easily be swallowed and stuck, making it difficult to pull out.
And now, Xenovia's mind was experiencing a powerful shock.
The unbelievable scene she had witnessed bore an uncanny resemblance to the purification of the Holy Sword.
It was so astonishing, so impactful, that her brain nearly short-circuited.
As she gradually regained her senses, she glanced sideways at Asia, who appeared to be in a similar state.
Ah, this was a second purification taking place.
However, this purification was slightly different. If the previous one involved the Holy Sword actively touching the whetstone, this time it was the opposite.
This time, the whetstone was actively sharpening the Holy Sword, purifying it.
Wait, was she dreaming?
Xenovia suspected this might be the case—that after her confrontation with Griselda, she had been severely injured and fallen unconscious.
Therefore, the scene she was witnessing now was merely a dream.
But why would she have such a bizarre dream? It made no sense.
Then, she pinched her thigh, and the pain felt incredibly real.
They say you can't feel pain in dreams, which meant this was reality, right?
But this reality was just too absurd.
What had gone wrong?
Unable to figure it out, she and Asia remained silent, watching intently.
Under normal circumstances, they should have left immediately, but the scene before them was so mesmerizing, as if their consciousness had been manipulated, rendering them unable to control their bodies.
Huh?
Just as the purification process concluded, Xenovia, jolted to alertness, immediately pulled Asia aside and hid behind the stone pillar again.
At that moment, Xenovia's heart was pounding wildly, so fast it felt like it might leap out of her chest, and the sound of her heartbeat seemed deafeningly loud.
She felt as if she were back in a perilous mission she had once faced.
Severely injured and hiding, she had been intensely nervous about the enemy's approach.
If discovered, she would have been doomed—a situation where her nerves were stretched to the breaking point.
No, the current situation was even worse.
So, they probably hadn't been seen, right?
Was it her imagination? It felt like they had been discovered.
Hmm, Asia was struggling to pry her hand away—Xenovia had been covering her mouth too tightly, almost suffocating her...
So, Xenovia frantically signaled with her eyes for Asia to keep quiet. Only after Asia nodded did she release her grip, and Asia began breathing cautiously.
As they breathed quietly, their tension escalated because they could no longer hear any movement.
This silence was even more terrifying, more unsettling.
Asia tugged at her hand again, as if urging them to leave quickly, but how could they escape now?
If they stepped out from behind the pillar, they would easily be spotted.
Biting her lip slightly, Xenovia cautiously peeked out again, looking toward the spot where the astonishing scene had taken place.
With utmost care, her gaze gradually shifted.
Huh?
The Holy Sword was gone?
Where did it go?
"How was the view?"
As these words echoed behind them, accompanied by a tap on their shoulders, their bodies trembled, and they let out adorable, flustered sounds from their lips.
At that moment, they realized—the speaker had circled around to their backs.
Thus, startled by this, the two of them instantly lost all strength in their bodies, collapsing weakly to the ground. Their gazes darted restlessly around, not daring to meet his eyes.
Not only the awkwardness of a guilty conscience, but also the fear of seeing something inappropriate if they looked directly at him.
"So, how should I punish you?"
The owner of the voice—Renji—couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curl up slightly.
"I-I don't know."
Xenovia lowered her head.
"I-I'm willing to accept any punishment."
Asia responded with shame in her voice.
"Me too."
Xenovia added.
"Willing to accept any punishment, right?"
"Yes, let me bear it alone! It has nothing to do with Asia!"
"No, it's—!"
"Stop. Both of you must be punished. The punishment is—"
Renji deliberately drew out his words, making the two shrink back uneasily, looking pitiful, helpless, and vulnerable.
Then, he leaned in close to their ears.
"The punishment is for what you saw."
His words made their delicate bodies tremble, though it was unclear whether from fear or something else.