Fantasy Library.

Chapter 479 "Drawing the Sword"

"Aze?"

“Aze…!”

"elder brother!"

Where are you going?

I could almost hear the surprised voices of Kurama Genjuro and his friends, and even the tourists in the queue seemed to be exclaiming in astonishment.

Unfortunately, Aize could no longer hear clearly.

The only sound he could hear was the powerful pounding of his heart, which drowned out all other noises. A strange impulse drove him away from the crowd and onto the platform.

By the time Aize realized what was happening, he was already standing in front of the knife stuck in the rock.

"Zheng..."

The faint light emanating from the blade seemed to have become even brighter, and the rhythm of its flashing even matched Aize's heartbeat, as if urging something on or anticipating something.

"------"

Aize stared at the sword before him, his mind filled with the rumors about this divine sword.

Azer certainly couldn't verify the truth or falsehood of those rumors that were more like myths and legends than history.

Let alone his foreign relative who only stayed in Suizhi for two or three months in the past year, even the locals who were born and raised here just regarded those rumors as stories. Apart from the older generation who still believed in them, the younger generation had long regarded them as superstition.

Including Aize in the past, this was also regarded as a kind of superstition, or a bait commonly used by tourist attractions to increase their attractiveness.

Tourist destinations in most countries have something like this: they connect local features with myths and legends to increase mystery and appeal, attracting foreign tourists with interest and encouraging them to spend money.

If hot springs like those in Suizhi could truly cure all diseases and make skin white and smooth, with effects like a panacea, then these hot springs wouldn't be a paid service for tourists; instead, they would be subject to unilateral and mandatory taxation by the government.

In addition to the abnormalities he experienced when he visited the shrine in the past, Aize, though aware of the existence of Murasame, had never been interested in it until today when he had this strange experience, which made him realize the extraordinary nature of this sword and this town.

Whether the myths and legends are true or not, Aize is not sure.

But one thing Azer is certain of.

That is, the divine sword in front of him is definitely not an ordinary tourist attraction prop.

Like the sword in the stone in the legend of King Arthur, it was never able to be pulled out before the chosen king appeared.

There might be some kind of mechanism inside... This was Aize's previous thought.

But now, he is able to deny that.

Indeed, no one can draw this divine sword.

Because it is waiting for the person it has chosen to arrive.

"Crackling—"

When Aize reached out and grasped the hilt of Murasame's sword, it was as if he had been struck by an invisible electric current, and a numbing sensation spread through his palm.

Immediately, a distinct feeling of joy, goodwill, and friendliness was transmitted to him through the knife in his hand.

Without hesitation, Aize exerted a gentle force.

"Zhi!"

With a crisp grinding sound, the Divine Sword, which had never been drawn before, was easily pulled out by Aize.

The cool, gleaming light flashed briefly on the blade before slowly receding, making the originally somewhat mystical Divine Blade appear more understated, ancient, and ordinary.

Holding the knife, Aize felt as if his arm had been extended, creating a sense of perfect harmony and unity between himself and the knife.

This feeling is something I've never experienced before when holding any other tool.

Aize, who has been able to wield various weapons and tools like art since childhood as if divinely inspired, has held real swords before, but holding those swords is no different from holding ordinary sticks and branches. He is just able to use them well, but there is nothing extraordinary about it.

But this moment was different. Holding Congyu Maru felt like merging with an incredible soul, creating a resonance, which made Aize instantly fall in love with the feeling.

At the same time, the divine sword in my hand seemed to have the same feeling, constantly emanating a joyful, jubilant, and cheerful emotion through its hilt, as if saying "I've finally waited for you," lively and mysterious.

When Aize finished experiencing this incredible feeling and shifted his gaze from the sword in his hand to the people below the platform, he immediately saw that everyone in the audience had fallen silent, staring at him in a daze.

Kurama Genjuro and the others, in particular, looked at Aize with utter shock.

"Aze! You...you drew the Divine Sword?!"

Ma Tinglu was utterly astonished.

"Really? Is it true?"

Kurama Rentaro also looked astonished.

"elder brother……"

Koharu Kurama covered her mouth and stared at him with wide eyes.

All three of them were native locals, and they were not only well aware of the rumors about Congyu Maru, but they had also tried to draw their swords in the past, and all of them had failed.

They had witnessed countless failures and had lived on this land for over a decade, yet they had never heard of anyone being able to pull out the Divine Blade. As a result, they had suspected that there might be some tampering behind the scenes in this event, but when they asked their elders, they were scolded and received one denial after another.

Over time, they became accustomed to the failure of the sword-drawing ceremony and grew even more used to seeing Murasame standing firmly on the rock.

But today, their conventional thinking has been shattered.

They pulled out the sacred sword, Muramasa, which had never been drawn before, from their childhood sweetheart (cousins) who had grown up with them.

“Aze, you…”

After his initial surprise, Kurama Genjuro adopted a serious expression upon seeing this scene.

"Mr. Genjuro!"

"Mr. Genjuro, this..."

Inside the shrine, some priests and staff rushed to Kurama Genjuro, looking bewildered.

Without hesitation, Kurama Genjuro immediately gave instructions to those around him.

"First, arrange for the tourists to leave, publicly announce the cancellation of the event, and immediately notify the shrine... Mr. An Qing."

Hearing Kurama Genjuro's instructions, everyone calmed down a bit and began to make arrangements.

Although Kurama Genjuro is not affiliated with the shrine, he is a highly respected elder in Suiori. The Kurama family is a very ancient family in Suiori, with members holding important positions or status in Suiori for generations, making them very famous.

Therefore, Kurama Genjuro became the executive committee member for the Kasuga Festival, the most important festival in Hoori Town, otherwise he would have been in charge of all sorts of miscellaneous matters during the festival.

Under such circumstances, even the priests at Kensuke Shrine would obey Kurama Genjuro's orders. However…

"I never imagined that such a day would actually come..."

Kurama Genjuro looked at his grandson, who stood on the rock, seemingly uncomfortable despite being pointed at and talked about, but remained completely calm.

In his eyes, there was both sorrow and relief.

…………

This day was undoubtedly an eventful one for Suizhi Town.

Because no one was able to stop the news from spreading, and because there were so many witnesses at the time, it was impossible to stop the rumors from spreading. As a result, in less than half a day, everyone in Suizhi Town knew about it.

"The Divine Sword has been drawn?"

"really?"

"Wow, someone actually managed to pull out the Divine Blade?"

"And he's Mr. Kurama Genjuro's grandson?"

"This is truly incredible!"

People were surprised, bewildered, and noisy, making the entire town of Suizhi even more lively than during the festival in less than half a day.

Whether on the street, in shops, or in every household, people were discussing this matter, making the rumors spread like wildfire.

While outsiders might only be surprised and astonished, for the people of Kenji Shrine, this was a major event that was enough to shake them.

"What did you say?"

A man dressed in priestly robes, with a somewhat kind face, widened his usually squinty eyes in astonishment.

"The divine sword... Muramasa has been pulled out?"

It is clear that the deity himself was very surprised by this matter, and even somewhat dazed and shaken.

“Yes, Mr. Anqing.” A clergyman said truthfully, “This is a scene witnessed by many people, including myself, so Mr. Genjuro immediately took action, stopped the sword-drawing ceremony, and asked me to inform you.”

"This is really..." The God pursed his lips, his expression shifting.

After a long while, the deity sighed and said something.

"Do we already know who pulled out the Murasame?"

"Yes," the clergyman reported with his head bowed, "the other party seems to be Mr. Genjuro's grandson."

"Mr. Genjuro's grandson?" The shrine maiden's heart stirred. "So, the other party is a local from Suiori?"

“Half of it, right?” The clergyman seemed to have really found out Aize’s basic identity information. “The child’s father seems to be from that big country in the East, and the mother is Mr. Genjuro’s daughter. She is a local from Suiori, so the child has half of Suiori’s blood.”

"I heard that the other person used to spend a lot of time here since childhood, but has come less often in recent years. He only came back today to help out at the inn run by Mr. Genjuro, and ended up accidentally entering the shrine and drawing the sacred sword..."

As the clergy kept reporting the information, the priest's expression became uncertain once again.

After a long pause, the deity seemed to have made a major decision.

"Where is that child now?" the priest asked. "Is he still at the shrine?"

"Yes." The clergyman replied immediately, "Mr. Genjuro asked his grandson to stay here for the time being, saying that he would come back to talk to you, Mr. Anqing, later."

"That's good." The shrine master relaxed his expression and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Please work with the others to arrange the aftermath of the event's cancellation. Once Mr. Genjuro has finished his work, please have him come over to my place."

The clergyman nodded and then withdrew.

The deity watched the other person leave, then got up and went to a room.

That was the room where his daughter, Hoori, the shrine maiden, resided.

She needs to know about this.

And he also had to get her to cooperate with him and do that thing well...

"I hope Yoshino won't throw a tantrum..."

…………

Gradually, it started to get dark.

The lively festival has ended, and the crowds on the streets are beginning to thin out, allowing each household to turn on their lights, illuminating the streets filled with Japanese and Kyoto-style charm.

At this time of year, Suizhi feels like the countryside. There are few nighttime activities, and unlike big cities, it is not filled with neon lights, creating a tranquil, peaceful, and serene atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Aize remained in the shrine, not having left.

"...By the way, how much longer do I have to wait here?"

Aize, who was sitting on the floor, was starting to get a little impatient.

After he drew Muramasa and the Sacred Blade, all the bystanders were asked to leave. Even Maba Roka and the Kurama siblings were called away by Kurama Genjuro, leaving him alone without even a chance to say goodbye.

"Just stay here for a while, and don't go anywhere."

Kurama Genjuro himself simply tossed Aize that sentence before hurriedly leaving.

Aize didn't complain about this.

After all, having realized that the divine sword he had drawn was no ordinary event prop, and that there were some incredible secrets hidden in this town, Aize naturally understood that drawing Murasame was probably no small matter.

In addition, he was very curious and interested in the secrets behind it, so Aize readily stayed to see how things would develop.

Even he didn't expect that his wait would last from day to night.

He set off in the morning, flew to Japan, took a two-hour tram ride to the station closest to Hoori, and then took a half-hour taxi ride to Hoori. He didn't eat a single grain of rice the entire time, only drank a little water.

Now, he has been waiting from day to night without even a sip of water. He has been starving all day, and his stomach is starting to rumble.

After waiting for so long, being so hungry and dizzy, and having traveled all this way, it would be a miracle if Aize could still sit still.

"Are they planning to imprison me and let me starve to death here?"

Aize raised the Muramasa he had been holding and said something jokingly.

"You wouldn't actually be some kind of cursed demonic sword, sealed here, and then accidentally unsealed by me, which is why the people here treat me like some kind of menace, would you?"

Upon hearing this, a disgruntled voice responded to him in the quiet, deserted shrine.

"Muramasa is not some cursed demon sword!"

(End of this chapter)