"Ruger will draw his sword and fail."

"So do you, Theresia."

"You can't draw your sword, you can't draw it anyway, because of your empty and inflated pride, because you can't recognize yourself."

"You don't have the consciousness to take on that mission."

"Xia Ming, you...... What are you talking about? ”

In the wind-swept square, the silent crowd, Luger stood in the center of the square, becoming everyone's last hope.

Theresia looked at Xia Ming in shock and trembling, her pupils twitching slightly, rippling with sadness.

Xia Ming ignored it, and continued as if he was prophecing:

"Your so-called self-confidence and firmness are nothing but false and inflated confidence from me, and I have given you the illusion that you are omnipotent, and that you have overcome yourself."

"You want to stand up like the Valkyries of the past, in the midst of despair, to give hope to everyone, and to enjoy everyone's gaze and worship. However, you will fail, and you will finally realize your arrogance and insignificance, but at the same time, the evil dragon will come with an army of ice and snow monsters, kill Ruger, kill everyone, kill Terred, kill me. ”

"Xia Ming, you...... What are you talking about? ”

Theresia's body shook widely, and her voice trembled violently, revealing a weak weakness.

Xia Ming spoke to her heart word by word, piercing her weakness and piercing the mask of arrogance.

"You...... You're kidding me, aren't you? Her hands folded involuntarily, and she looked him in the eye as if in prayer.

"I'm talking about our future, our tragic end. Theresia, I'm not kidding you. ”

His expression became so cold, his voice so calm, he seemed to be telling a cold and undeniable truth, a future that terrified her and yet seemed to be predestined.

The eyes that looked at her calmly lost the tenderness and warmth of the past, and they were so deep and calm that they scared her and made her timid.

"Not ...... Come? Finale? Her pupils trembled violently, her teeth chattering.

"So Theresia, you're scared? Scared? ”

Xia Ming quietly watched her wavering expression.

"You seem to have recognized the fact that you are weak and weak."

Such a strange Xia Ming, such a cold and ruthless Xia Ming, but in his own perception, Xia Ming's kindness to himself is burning like fire.

Why?

Why is this happening all of a sudden?

"Theresia, now, do you still have the courage to draw your sword knowing defeat?"

Xia Ming shoved her, pushing her from the edge of the crowd to the center of the square.

Theresia stumbled over the surprised gazes of everyone present, those eyes that had refocused on her.

It is clear that he should have stood up at this time, boosted everyone's hope and morale, and enjoyed everyone's eagerness and worship, but at this moment, these eyes were as dazzling as pinpricks.

Because her balloon-like inflated self-confidence has been punctured by Xia Ming first.

Hesitation, hesitation, hesitation, wandering.

Xia Ming was right, her self-confidence was based on his support and encouragement, and when she lost this dependence, she suddenly found that she was not as confident and brave as she imagined.

Can self-confidence built by relying on others be considered self-confidence?

She lowered her head and looked at the cold snow beneath her feet, she didn't dare to look into the eyes of everyone around her.

Xia Ming continued to push her, pushing her in front of the Red Flame Sword.

"Theresia, draw your sword, isn't that what you've been expecting?"

Xia Ming...... I ......"

Theresia trembled and grabbed the corner of his coat, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw.

Her voice trembled and drifted to almost nothing, full of pity for her weak grievances, she raised her head tremblingly, and her pupils that rippled with water waves and mist were so distressing and pitying.

Please.

Comfort me.

Encourage me.

Her delicate eyes were filled with such supplication.

Xia Ming grabbed her hand, pulled the corner of her clothes out of her hand, and then pressed her hand against the hilt of the Red Flame Sword.

"Draw your sword, you're not in a position to run away, Theresia."

The howling wind and snow blurred and lengthened Xia Ming's voice, and a black shadow covering the sky descended with a terrifying and cold might.

The earth rumbled and roared, and the army of demonic beasts violently smashed into one house after another, surrounding everyone.

Everything was as Xia Ming predicted.

Theresia looked up at Xia Ming in a panic.

Xia Ming just looked at her, looking at her calmly.

"Theresia, draw your sword."

"Or, watch me and Terred die in front of you."

The unprecedented pressure made the girl's heart tremble, and her fingers clutching the hilt of her sword twisted.

It was a far greater pressure and fear than all the dangerous disasters she had ever experienced, all the things that disturbed her.

She saw Ruger organize the crowd in a futile resistance.

She saw her familiar companions, the members of the Ember Formation, dying one by one under the claws of the beasts, the blood reflecting red on the pale earth.

She saw two cold stares falling from the sky, playfully and cold, as innocent and cruel as a child pouring boiling water into an ant's nest.

If you can't draw your sword......

Brother...... will die.

Xia Ming...... will die.

Everyone...... will all die.

She clenched the cold hilt of her sword hard, but her body trembled so violently.

She tried to muster courage, but all that was left in her heart was a humble prayer for the sword of the Red Flame to answer.

She exerted her strength upwards and exerted force, but found that the Red Flame Sword did not move at all, and she couldn't pull it out.

Even if she used her psionic energy, even if she used all her strength.

Can't do it.

She really couldn't do it.

She raised her head and saw that Xia Ming was still looking at her calmly, not disappointed, but also without warm encouragement.

"I'm sorry, Xia Ming......" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.

The confident and heroic girl, the radiant girl, knelt in front of him like this at the moment, her beautiful long fiery red hair covered with snow, and her pale cheeks were only filled with regretful pity.

It's me...... Pushed too far?

Or am I not using the right method?

"Theresia, stand up, you have many more chances to try, a chance to muster courage, before the dragon gets tired of this game and the monsters under its command kill everyone."

Wait a minute...... Game?

Xia Ming suddenly grasped that spiritual light in his mind.

But we can only wait until next week to verify it.

In the end, the evil dragon didn't even make a move, and the rampaging monster killed Treed in front of Trathea and killed Xia Ming.

The girl still didn't draw her sword.

Because the Sword of Red Flame doesn't need a master who has lost all self-confidence and has a broken heart.

【Ding! Mission Failed! 】

[A save point has been detected, do you want to start the trial from the save point?] 】

[Yes/No?] 】

Be!

(End of chapter)