The knowledge Holly possesses is something no other human has.
Probably, the owners of the saintly swords don't know the abilities of the other swords either.
In fact, looking at how Instructor Cattleya and Saffron act, they don't even fully grasp the capabilities of their own saintly swords.
This means that the privilege of understanding all twelve saintly swords' abilities is exclusive to me and Shion, who can communicate with Holly.
I can't just easily pass this information to others.
I don't mind telling the saintly sword users who are my allies about the swords' capabilities, but I can't afford to give this information to those who might become enemies.
If I keep notes, there's no telling how the information might spread.
It's better to gather information verbally, and if I forget, I can always ask again.
Besides,
"I've already got half of the saintly swords figured out."
Iris's Ice Sword, Arondight.
Instructor Cattleya's Explosive Sword, Galatine.
Saffron's Vacuum Sword, Curtana.
Prince Heathbaka's Thunder Sword, Rhongomyniad.
A woman named Cineraria had the Underworld Sword, Adamas.
The autonomous Pegasus Sword, Sleipnir.
I've already identified six of the saintly swords.
Moreover, five of them are in the hands of my close associates.
Well, Saffron is monitoring me on someone's orders, so I can't definitively say he's an ally.
"…"
Telling Saffron, whose allegiance is unclear, about the true power of the Vacuum Sword Curtana might have been a mistake.
However, Saffron did help rescue Iris when she was captured by Cineraria."It's debatable whether I'd risk my life for these experiences.
While moving a chess piece, I gaze at Holly sitting across from me.
"Speaking of which, I was supposed to learn about the remaining six saintly swords, but I kept putting it off. Can you tell me about them now?"
"Wouldn't it be more interesting if I explained their abilities as you discover them?"
"That's not fun at all. I'm always shocked and nearly killed every time."
"Well, alright then."
Holly pauses the chess game, crossing her arms and pondering.
She must be considering in what order to tell me about the remaining six saintly swords.
"...First, there's the Demon Sword Gram."
"Ah, I think I've heard that before. Demon Sword and Rakshasa Sword, right? They have quite intimidating names."
"Yes. Those two are the highest-ranked saintly swords with the strongest powers, but they were clearly failures."
"What?"
The highest rank but a failure.
That doesn't make sense.
"The Demon Sword Gram can manipulate black lightning. It's a two-handed greatsword. Essentially, it's a superior vershion of Prince Heath's Thunder Sword Rhongomyniad."
"How is that a failure? Sounds powerful."
"It is powerful. In terms of destructive power, it might even rival the Holy Light Divine Sword."
"What!?"
Rivaling the Holy Light Divine Sword.
That means,
"Is it as strong as when Shion wields you?"
"It depends on the wielder."
On par with a hero who can half-destroy a town and even surpass the Demon Lord.
But that's strange.
The power of the saintly swords, all twelve combined, shouldn't match a single Holy Light Sword.
"Is it really a failure?"
"Yes. Its balance is too poor."
"Balance?"
"A single use exhausts the wielder's entire magical power. So, unlike Shion, you can't recklessly use destructive magic."
"I see. So, it's equal but only for a single use per day."
"Moreover, it doesn't enhance the wielder's physical abilities at all. It's purely specialized for destructive output. So, in close combat, it's far inferior to other saintly swords."
"Huh, that is indeed poor balance."
"The power is so great that using it could kill the wielder or their allies immediately."
"That's terrible!"
"If the wielder's allies are saintly sword users and have enhanced physical abilities through possesshion, they might survive. But since the Demon Sword Gram doesn't enhance physical abilities, the wielder is in the most danger."
"Sounds more like a fundamental problem than just bad balance. As a weapon, it's a complete failure."
"That's why I said it's a failure from the start. It was the first saintly sword ever made, so it's more of a prototype than a failure."
The first saintly sword ever made had poor balance.Reflecting on the problematic balance of that saintly sword, easier-to-handle saintly swords like the ones Iris and Instructor Cattleya use were created, with significantly lower performance compared to the Holy Light Sword.
That makes sense when you think about it.
Indeed, while the saintly sword's destructive power approaches that of the Holy Light Sword, its terrible efficiency is fitting for a prototype.
But then, I suddenly realize a fundamental question.
Before even considering their completeness or balance, how were the saintly swords of the divine sword even made?
Shion's Holy Light Sword, as its name suggests, has capabilities that can only be interpreted as being crafted by a god to protect humans.
However, the abilities of the saintly swords are also extraordinarily exceptional.
I had always assumed that the saintly swords were made by gods or non-human entities, but listening to Holly, something seems off.
If it's poorly balanced because it was the first one made, that seems rather unsophisticated for a god.
It's as if humans were experimenting and developing the saintly swords.
If that's the case, were the Holy Light Sword and the saintly swords created by humans?
It seems improbable, but I have a way to solve this mystery.
I can just ask Holly, right in front of me.
Admittedly, I feel a certain tenshion in uncovering such fundamental and unknown information,
But I couldn't suppress my curiosity.
The mystery of the divine sword, used to defeat the endlessly resurrecting Demon Lord.
I'm going to delve into it.
"Hey Holly,"
"What is it? You're making a strange face."
"Who made the divine Holy Light Sword and the saintly swords?"
"You said the Demon Sword was the first saintly sword to be made, right? So, you've witnessed the process of the saintly swords being created."
"Who created the saintly swords? No, who actually created you?"
Perhaps because of my probing into the core secrets of this world, Holly just stares at me silently.
Could it be that this is information humans are not supposed to know?
What could it be...?
"Well,"
"Huh?"
"Who made me and who made the saintly swords? Who knows?"
"Huh? Wait, you don't know who created you?"
"I don't. How could I know something from before I was born?"
"Uh..."
I couldn't help but feel deflated."The moment I was created, I had the purpose for which I was made and the necessary information in my head, but I don't remember anything about my creator. Since it's called a divine sword, maybe some god-like being created it to protect humans?"
"…Holly, haven't you ever wondered who created you? Aren't you curious about who your creator is?"
"Not really. Speaking of which, you've been an orphan since you were very young, right? Have you ever been curious about who your parents are and where they're from?"
"Not really, I don't care."
"It's the same, isn't it?"
Indeed, it is.
As a human, it might be strange, but I couldn't care less about parents who never raised me.
Holly probably feels the same.
"Let's get back to the saintly swords. We still have five more to talk about."
"Alright, tell me about the other failure, the Rakshasa Sword."
"The Rakshasa Sword, huh? That was a true failure. The Rakshasa Sword Talunkappe. Its nature is the exact opposite of the Demon Sword Gram. Instead of using any magic or special abilities, it's a saintly sword that enhances physical abilities to the extreme."
"…Enhancing physical abilities to the extreme doesn't sound like bad balance. It seems like it would be strong enough to compensate for not being able to use magic."
"Indeed, in terms of simple combat strength, it might be the strongest of all saintly swords. Though called a sword, it's in the form of armor, and its physical and defensive capabilities are unmatched by other saintly swords. Even if Cattleya and Iris teamed up, they probably couldn't even scratch it."
"So then…"
"On the other hand, the user dies."
"…What?"