I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

“Ahahahaha—”

Soi’s shoulders shook as she lay sprawled on the floor.

“Ehee… Ahahahahahaha… Huuhuhuhu!!!”

Her head was bowed, her laughter piercing and high-pitched.

Soi Spoon laughed for a long time before finally coming to a stop.

Haa—

A slow, seductive sigh escaped her lips.

She lifted her head and met Zeke’s gaze.

“I don’t know why the Priestess is here… but you’re in luck… aren’t you?”

Soi’s face was the same as before, but her eyes… her eyes were filled with joy, swirling strangely, as if to prove that she was no longer Soi Spoon.

“This is… This is the power I’ve been longing for… The power to rule the world! I’ve wanted this potential ever since I first laid eyes on it… Ahahaha!”

She spoke with a strange sense of delight.

Zeke couldn’t hide his look of despair.

The Demon King, now possessing Soi’s body, smirked at Zeke, enjoying his reaction.

“Hoo… Truly impressive. To think that such emotions could reside within a single human… Is that what makes you so strong?”

Surrounding Zeke was a spectacle of emotions so immense, they defied description. The overwhelming sight was reflected in the Demon King’s eyes.

“As I thought, you are not someone I can defeat.”

Even having taken over the Priestess’s body, the Demon King didn’t think it would be possible to overpower Zeke Clayman.

His power defied all logic and reason.

The Demon King couldn’t fathom a way to defeat him in a head-on confrontation.

But then, a sly grin spread across the Demon King’s face.

The Priestess’s power was incomparable to anything else.

The power to control the emotions of others.

If she wished, she could enslave Zeke, forcing him to serve her for the rest of his life.

However, the Demon King decided to eliminate any future threats.

‘If I let this human live, who knows when he’ll break free from my control and come after me again?’

Soi’s eyes narrowed.

‘But a grudge held for ten thousand years isn’t something to be taken lightly… It wouldn’t hurt to inflict a little more despair…’

“Zeke Clayman, I sense some very interesting emotions coming from you…”

Amidst the swirling maelstrom of murderous intent, the Demon King sensed new emotions arising from Zeke after taking over the Priestess’s body.

Regret, grief, despair, and hopelessness.

And the Demon King could also sense the Priestess’s feelings toward these emotions.

“Do you want to kill me…? But don’t you also not want to kill me…? Do you hate me for taking over this body…? But don’t you also not hate me…?”

A mischievous smile bloomed on Soi’s face.

She had found the perfect way to break him completely.

“Instructor.”

Her voice, clear and pure, rang out.

At that single word, Zeke’s eyes trembled.

“I… I believe in you, Instructor.”

Soi’s hand reached out towards Zeke, as if begging him to take it.

“I’m not some Demon King you need to slay. I’m just an ordinary bakery girl. Soi Spoon, your disciple, whose life you’ve saved countless times. So… you wouldn’t kill me, would you…?”

Zeke’s pupils shook violently.

His teeth dug into his lip, drawing blood.

Just when, where did it all go wrong?

That thing… he had to kill it.

He had to.

If he didn’t, it wouldn’t end.

He had to kill it.

Right here, right now, he had to cut off its head.

But Zeke desperately fought back the urge to swing his sword.

Did he have the right to kill her?

He knew beforehand that Soi had a bad history with these Lost Hope bastards.

And yet, he was the one who brought her here.

He told her she needed to get stronger.

He told her she needed to become the master of her emotions.

He was the one who put her in harm’s way for the sake of her growth.

Which meant…

He was the one who offered Soi Spoon to the Demon King on a silver platter.

‘I have to kill it.’

‘I can’t kill her.’

‘It’s the Demon King.’

‘She’s the female protagonist.’

‘If I let it live, more people will die.’

‘There’s no going back.’

‘The world will be destroyed.’

‘If I kill her, I’ll never escape this world.’

No, that wasn’t it.

He just… didn’t want to kill her.

That child.

His disciple.

‘Kill it.’

In the confines of his mind, a blind, primal urge to kill clashed violently against his conscience.

All thought turned into a blinding white noise.

So this was the meaning of [DEATH 100%] etched into her fate.

That he would be the one to kill her.

If he killed her, wouldn’t he just break even further?

Soi was looking at him with curious eyes, as if wondering what he would do.

No, that wasn’t Soi.

It was just the Demon King wearing her skin.

Zeke summoned his killing intent.

“Instructor, that’s scary. Please don’t point such dangerous emotions at me.”

He froze.

The Demon King continued to mimic Soi’s voice, taunting him to the very end.

“This is all your fault.”

“If only you hadn’t brought me here.”

“If only you hadn’t told me to become the master of my emotions.”

“If only you had just killed the Demon King sooner.”

“If you had made even one right choice.”

“None of this would have happened…”

Her eyes glowed crimson red.

“So… shouldn’t all that murderous intent be directed at yourself…?”

The power to control emotions.

An absolute command.

“No, I think this would be easier for you to understand.”

“Stab yourself in the heart.”

“Instructor.”

Slowly, the sword in Zeke’s hand began to rise.

Soi’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

After ten thousand years of savoring this moment in her mind, it was finally coming to fruition.

She was finally going to witness this man’s self-destruction.

A thrill of excitement shot through her.

Shing—

Zeke’s blade gleamed coldly, imbued with deep blue mana.

His grip on the sword tightened.

Thump—!

The blade pierced a heart.

“Gah…!”

But it wasn’t his own. It was Soi’s.

Crack—

The sound of the magic stone embedded in her heart shattering echoed through the air.

“Aaaargh…!!”

Soi’s eyes flew open, staring at Zeke.

A single tear traced a path down his cheek.

“…Die. Demon King.”

“H-How…?”

Zeke channeled his mana through the sword embedded in her chest.

The power of annihilation, potent enough to erase the Demon King completely.

A wave of pure, cleansing mana erupted from the blade, beginning to devour the Demon King’s essence.

[N-No way… This can’t be… My… My… revenge… ending so pathetically…!]

The Demon King roared in defiance, but it was no use.

Soon, its spirit was completely extinguished, leaving behind only Soi’s dying body.

Zeke caught Soi as she collapsed.

Her eyes, now their normal grey, fluttered open.

She smiled weakly.

“He… Instructor… Can you… hear me…?”

“…Yes. I can hear you.”

“Then… you should have just… stabbed me back then… Why did you hesitate…?”

While Zeke was agonizing over his decision, Soi had witnessed everything, trapped within her own body, unable to move.

She poured every ounce of her remaining strength into conveying her feelings to Zeke.

To kill her.

That it was the only way.

That it was for her own good.

But Zeke wouldn’t budge.

So, she interfered with the Demon King’s final command.

[Stab yourself (me) in the heart.]

“Why… Why would you… make me do that… But… I’m glad… Instructor…”

“I’m sorry…”

Zeke’s tears fell onto Soi’s face.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Heh… To see a handsome man cry… It’s… nicer than I thought… I never knew I had this kind of preference…”

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t… be sad… Instructor… Have you… always… carried this pain…?”

“….“

“Poor thing… You poor, poor thing…”

She was the one dying, and yet, she shed tears for Zeke’s pain, bearing him no ill will.

“….“

Her frail hand reached up and gently caressed his head.

She barely had enough strength to lift a finger, let alone a sword, but Zeke leaned into her touch without resistance.

Held in Soi’s embrace.

“…Hehe… I’ve… always wanted to do this… Maybe… I liked you too, Instructor… I told Selena and Iriel that I didn’t… but… Cough! Ugh… Sorry…”

A cough racked her body, tinged with blood.

She didn’t have much time left.

Her life force was tied to her magic stone.

Even without a heart, the remaining mana in her body would buy her a little more time.

Zeke frowned down at her.

“Soi Spoon…”

“Yes, my name is Soi Spoon. Not Elise.”

“I… I’ll…”

“I’ll… take all these emotions with me, Instructor… So… you have to… be happy, okay…?”

Her trembling hand reached up to wipe away his tears.

A strange sensation washed over Zeke.

The suffocating knot of grief, regret, anger, and despair that had been festering inside him… it was unraveling.

All the madness that had tormented him was fading away, dissolving into nothingness.

He no longer felt the urge to scream.

He no longer felt the urge to kill.

He no longer wanted to lose anyone else.

“And… please… take care of… my family…”

Soi’s voice trailed off, her eyes drifting closed.

Zeke stared at her, his mind blank.

Now that his head was clear, everything was painfully obvious.

Soi couldn’t escape her fate.

She was gone.

Dead.

And he was the one who killed her.

The sword he plunged into her chest was still embedded there.

“I-I have to save her…”

Frantically, Zeke pulled the sword free and pressed his hand against the gaping wound in Soi’s chest.

“I have to save her…”

Woooong—

He poured every ounce of his own mana, every bit of ambient mana he could draw in, desperately trying to fill the void in her heart.

His body was already exhausted from overusing his mana, but he ignored the searing pain as his veins bulged and threatened to burst.

All that mattered was saving her.

Woooong—

But it was no use.

Her shattered magic stone couldn’t contain the mana he poured into her. It simply flowed through her like a sieve.

“…No.”

The color drained from her face, leaving her skin pale and lifeless, like a porcelain doll.

“No!!!!”

Her breaths grew shallow, fading into nothingness, and the flow of mana from Zeke’s hand began to sputter and wane.

“Soi Spoon!!!!”

He could no longer feel her breath.

Drip—

The last vestiges of mana faded from his fingertips.

His head dropped.

“No… No…”

An overwhelming wave of guilt and despair crashed over him.

Then, he saw it.

A small, bare foot came into view.

The foot was dirty and covered in cuts, as if she had run all the way here without stopping to put on her shoes.

Zeke knew who it belonged to.

Someone he never expected to see here.

“Gasp… Gasp… Damn it! Don’t you dare give up on her! Zeke! This isn’t like you!!!”

Slowly, Zeke lifted his head.

The golden-haired Saintess stood before him, chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.

“What are you just standing there for?! Get your mana flowing, you idiot!!!”