Upon hearing Rem's tender voice, Ron, who was sipping his drink and observing the situation, almost spat it out. There was an unmistakable feeling that something was off. The atmosphere seemed strangely charged.
To break the tension, Lucoa offered a smile and said, "I once saw an advertisement in the world for a socket that, once plugged in, refused to come out. When you finally manage to pull it out, you never want to let it go."
Touching Tohru, Lucoa asked, "Do you find that sensible?" Tohru nodded with a slightly awkward expression, clearly unfamiliar with this aspect of knowledge.
In an attempt to contribute humor, Ron casually remarked, "But seeing the jade dragon rush into the valley, Dai Mei frowned slightly and groaned softly."
Lucoa was momentarily surprised. Despite being a god of spreading culture, she was unfamiliar with oriental culture. However, she quickly caught on and squinted at Ron, saying, "So wet, so wet. Would you like to experiment tonight?"
Ron couldn't help but give a wry smile, changing the subject promptly. " Tohru, I can give it a try. But if I manage to pull it out, this sword belongs to me."
Understanding the significance of such a feat, Tohru remained composed. "Anything you want."
She was convinced he would fail. For Tohru, dying was a certainty, and a human succeeding was an impossibility. Similarly, Tohru couldn't fathom a human devoid of awe for God.
Ron at the bar smiled, then appeared next to Rem and Ram. "Leave it to me," he reassured them.
Rem and Ram nodded obediently, stating in unison, "The master will definitely be able to pull it out."
After Ron gently stroked their hair, his hands that now gripped the sword's hilt suddenly exerted force.
In the next moment, Tohru felt a sharp pain in her back as Excalibur slowly pulled away. The blade, piercing through the hard bones, emitted a distinct crunching sound.
Crunch...
Finally, the veins on Ron's arm bulged, and he shouted, "Get up!"
With the command, Excalibur fell to the ground with a resounding bang, revealing its true appearance to everyone.
"Huh..." Tohru took a deep breath, surprise filling her eyes. She hadn't expected anyone in this world to be capable of pulling out Excalibur.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I might not have lived for a few days," Tohru expressed her gratitude, turning her head to look at Ron.
"You're welcome. According to the agreement, this sword is mine," Ron said, smiling and waving his hand. He bent down to pick up Excalibur from the floor.
However, just as he was about to grab it, the surface of Excalibur glowed with light. A special god-imposed restriction was in place; if Tohru died or the sword was pulled out, it would be sent back to the gods immediately.
As it was about to disappear, Lucoa smiled and snapped his fingers, saying, "Since you've come to this world, don't go back."
With those words, the light on Excalibur dissipated, and the restriction was lifted.
"If it weren't for me, this sword would be gone. How do you plan to thank me?" Lucoa handed Excalibur to Ron, looking expectant.
Ron, adopting a righteous expression, responded, "Do you really have to ask for a reward?"
Lucoa's eyes lit up at the prospect.
Taking Excalibur, Ron returned to the bar and hung it next to "Ace."
For a moment, the supreme sword with twelve gongs seemed overshadowed by this divine sword. The supreme sword, renowned for its sharpness and toughness, was considered the best among all swords in the world. Of course, prolonged Haki application could enhance the big fast sword. However, Excalibur was different.
Not only was the divine sword several times larger than the supreme sword, but its aura was even more awe-inspiring. However, Ron found it inconvenient to use due to its size.
Ron asked the system in his mind, "How many points can I exchange for this sword?"
[Ding, the divine sword can be exchanged for five thousand points! ]
Ron was immediately pleased. The transaction with Doflamingo would yield up to a thousand points in profit, making this a significant gain.
With a surplus of points, Ron considered various items in the points mall that he wanted, such as the Time Stone, ancient giant bloodline, Hōgyoku, and the Four Souls Jade, all priced at over 10,000 points.
" Tohru, do you plan to stay like this forever?" Lucoa asked in a gentle tone.
After a moment of hesitation, Tohru nodded.
In the next instant, a red magic circle engraved with countless spells lit up at Tohru feet. Under the dazzling light, the giant green dragon with horns transformed into a blonde girl. Despite the transformation, Tohru retained her tail, horns, and wings. Although cute , her expressionless face and red-gold eyes revealed a hint of melancholy.
Draped in a large black cloak, Tohru's proud figure was still evident. Rem and Ram, glancing at her, felt frustrated at the sheer size of dragons.
"The wine here is good. Let's have another bottle," Tohru said, slowly placing the bottle down. Her arm, emerging from under the cloak, was white and tender, resembling a piece of flexible jasper.
Ron nodded, turned around, took out another bottle, and handed it to her.
Lucoa touched Tohru hair gently and asked, "Do you still hate humans?"
"Father once said that humans are just a scourge and should be eliminated," Tohru responded calmly. Contempt for humans seemed to be ingrained in the dragon's blood. However, when Tohru looked at Rem, Ram, and Ron, her eyes softened slightly. After all, they had saved her life.
"Sigh... The reason you say that is because you have to bear the burden of being the daughter of Damocles," Lucoa sighed, speaking softly. "He gave you the freedom to choose your own way of living. At the same time, you also saw and experienced countless things. But in the end, you lost control."
Tohru didn't respond, simply nodding silently as she continued to drink.
Damocles had granted Tohru the freedom to choose her own path, allowing her to travel the world. However, witnessing the wars and intrigues among humans and harboring a deep-rooted resistance to war, Tohru chose a direct and extreme approach—killing gods—to end the conflicts. Yet, she ultimately failed and faced the brink of death.
"Do you like freedom?" Ron, who had remained silent, asked softly.
Tohru hesitated for a moment and shook her head slightly. "I don't like it."
Although her father, Damocles, had granted her freedom, it came at the cost of being alone throughout her journey. Reflecting on this, Tohru's expression softened, tears welling up in her eyes. "The moment I was truly alone, I realized I couldn't change anything. I don't like freedom. When I am alone, I find that I have nothing to do. Being alone and free is quite scary."
Big tears rolled down her fair cheeks.
Tohru's revelation about her solitude struck a chord within her, especially during the moment when the divine sword was pulled out of her body.
It turned out...
From the beginning to the end, she was alone.
Lucoa gently stroked Tohru's long hair, whispering, "You can choose to stay here temporarily, like me. This tavern is very interesting, and you get to see different people and things. Trust me, you will grow."
Ron, taken aback, could only mutter to himself, "God assists!"