I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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The Bishop of the Jeokcheon Church, known as the Sword Demon. His real name is Endo Norio.

Born as the son of a sword master, he was the heir of the Endo family before Hazuki was born.

From a young age, his brilliance stood out, paired with a gentle nature that embraced the members of his family.

These attributes led those around him to evaluate him as possessing excellent qualities for a family head.

In reality, when he began to handle the family’s external affairs on behalf of the sword master, he showcased outstanding abilities and further strengthened the family.

With striking looks and noble lineage, he possessed abilities that matched.

However, although he appeared perfect on the surface, he did have a weakness.

“No matter how good a person the heir is, it seems a bit… inadequate to represent the Endo family.”

“That’s true. How can the head of the Endo family not handle a sword better than mere trainees?”

Norio had terrible talent when it came to swordsmanship.

His skills were worse than those of the many mediocre swordsmen who surrounded him.

It was hard to believe he was related to the sword master who protected the world from tremendous disasters.

“Norio, don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone has different talents, don’t they? There’s no need to be overly obsessed with swords.”

“Thank you, but… I’ll try harder.”

“…Well, do as you wish.”

Despite the sword master’s discouragement, Norio did not put down the sword.

Even while managing his busy schedule and heavy responsibilities, he trained with the sword as if he were overexerting himself daily.

He loved the sword, and yet he also hated it.

To him, the sword was like a distant star, unattainable and beyond his reach.

Norio’s complicated feelings changed immediately after Hazuki was born.

“Oh, our beautiful Hazuki! Where did such a child come from!”

“Giggle!”

Having reaped the fruits of life, he folded the unreachable dream and buried it in his heart.

Every day was so busy savoring happiness.

The day the incident occurred was also the first day Hazuki held a sword.

“Father! How do I look? Did I do well?”

“…”

“…Father?”

“…You did great.”

“Hehe!”

A five-year-old child, a novice in sword techniques, was wielding a sword for the very first time.

Her single swing overshadowed Norio’s entire lifetime.

Norio was devastated.

He wasn’t upset about his own lack of skill; he was frustrated that he envied his daughter’s talent.

From that day onward, Norio could no longer see Hazuki solely as his daughter.

He was envious and covetous of her brilliantly shining talent.

Watching her growth was no longer enjoyable.

“Lady Hazuki shows remarkable talent.”

“Isn’t it more suitable for Lady Hazuki to be the heir than Lord Norio…?”

Seeing the negative reactions from the court, Norio fell deeper into despair.

From that period, Norio began to change.

His clear eyes became clouded, and his demeanor grew noticeably rough.

The largest change was in his swordsmanship.

Suddenly achieving significant feats, he soon grew to defeat several B-grade heroes.

Onlookers praised him, claiming that his years of training had finally paid off, and that his talents were finally breaking free from their shell to show the world.

However, only the sword master saw through how Norio achieved such growth.

The sword master sent the clan’s forces to capture him as soon as he confirmed contact with Jeokcheon Church.

But by then, the incident had already occurred.

When the troops arrived at Norio’s residence, they found only the blood-soaked interiors.

The only survivor was Hazuki, holding a note left by Norio in her tear-stained hands:

[I want to touch the end of the sword.]

Afterward, Norio appeared around the world.

And each time, he committed terrible massacres and earned the moniker ‘Sword Demon.’

*

The day Hazuki learned all of this truth was the day she ascended to the position of heir.

The one who told her the truth was the sword master.

In the sword master’s opinion, Hazuki had the right to know the truth.

He was confident that even if she heard the truth, she wouldn’t be shaken or despair.

“So that was it…”

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this now. I thought you needed time to prepare. It was a story too harsh for you as a child.”

“I understand… yes, I understand.”

After a brief silence, Hazuki spoke.

“If it happened because of me, then it’s right for me to end it.”

“What are you saying? You don’t need to think that way.”

“No, this is something I must end.”

That day, Hazuki resolved to kill the Sword Demon with her own hands.

Thus, she began her serious training, grasping the sword that had once caused her trauma, achieving remarkable successes without a moment of stagnation.

Her growth accelerated to a level that even the sword master found astonishing.

Recently, Hazuki heard the news that the Sword Demon had died in battle against the White Tiger Mountain.

That was around the time she hit the wall.

But today, she saw it. The living figure of the Sword Demon.

He hadn’t stopped his evil deeds.

Hazuki realized that her unfulfilled wish had returned once more.

This time, it was time for her to sever the chains of sin her father had built with her own hands.

By doing so, she wished to escape her wish and stand once more by Kim Il-shin’s side.

‘First, I should tell Grandfather.’

It seemed she needed to meet with the sword master to discuss things immediately.

“Hazuki.”

“Yes…?”

At that moment, she instinctively turned her head in response to the voice coming from beside her.

There stood Kim Il-shin, looking at her with a worried expression.

“Are you okay? You don’t look good.”

“Oh, yes. I’m fi-fine….”

Her response didn’t come out clearly.

Seeing his face reminded her of when she escaped from the universal beast.

Before she could react, she found herself in Kim Il-shin’s arms, the overwhelming scent, and the solid muscles that wrapped around her body.

Even in a dire situation, Hazuki couldn’t help but have strange thoughts.

It was an utterly shameless and vulgar thought for her, who valued chastity.

The fact that she thought of such things when her life was in danger was extremely embarrassing for Hazuki.

So, she intentionally thought about something else. To erase that strange thought.

But seeing Kim Il-shin’s face filled her head once again with those bizarre imaginings.

‘Still, he’s sweating….’

Sweat droplets starting from Kim Il-shin’s forehead flowed down his cheeks and neck, gathering at his collarbone.

Gulp.

At the moment Hazuki swallowed at that sight, Kim Il-shin’s body drew near.

“Eek…?”

“Is it really okay?”

“I-it’s fine….”

The heat felt from the hand on her forehead made Hazuki’s head spin even more.

Her gaze, focused on his collarbone, gradually lowered. Through the gap of his open collar, Kim Il-shin’s muscles were visible.

His body was drenched in sweat.

Hazuki felt her breath quicken. It was hard to even take a single breath.

She was afraid to take a deep breath; it felt like she might go crazy.

‘Now’s not the time to ask that.’

Kim Il-shin thought. Something must surely have gone wrong.

However, seeing Hazuki’s state, he felt that a prompt response would be difficult.

“Alright, I’ll take that as a yes. If something feels wrong, just let me know right away.”

“Y-yes….”

As soon as she answered, Kim Il-shin’s body pulled away.

Finally able to breathe properly, Hazuki felt both relief and disappointment at the same time.

She was confused. She did not understand why she was acting this way.

Still, she desperately wanted to get physically closer to him once again.

‘…Calm down. This isn’t right.’

But Hazuki lacked the courage to act.

All she could do was subtly shift her backside so that her shoulder would brush against Kim Il-shin’s.

Feeling embarrassed about shamelessly making such a move behind Kim Il-shin’s back, Hazuki was, nonetheless, content.

*

As soon as she arrived at the academy, Hazuki set off for Japan, claiming she had something to discuss with the sword master.

Kim Il-shin sent her off with words of caution.

It seemed that neither Berter nor the Sword Demon recognized their identities, but it wouldn’t be long before they were exposed.

Today, if anyone who entered the universal beast were to gather information and compare appearances, narrowing down the possibilities to deduce their identities wouldn’t be difficult.

Therefore, though precautions against them had to be planned, there was something more urgent to attend to.

Returning to his dormitory, Kim Il-shin placed the book of the mad demon on the desk.

The contents of the book were invisible to the old man at the bookstore.

When he checked before coming, Hazuki couldn’t see the contents either.

‘But I can see it.’

However, Kim Il-shin was able to read the book.

There must be a reason for this phenomenon, and that reason should be contained within the book itself.

The reason Berter and the Sword Master sought this book would also be revealed by reading its contents.

Rustle.

Kim Il-shin opened the book and began to read the first page.

[I realized. This filthy and worthless human body is nothing but the waste created by a god and a dust particle that holds no meaning in the grand flow of fate. The limits imposed since creation are akin to the restrictions engraved upon the soul…]

And thus began the narrative of despair.