Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat-Chapter 375: The Sword That Grants Wishes

The Sword That Grants Wishes

Upon hearing from Lucy about the power of the Holy Sword of Desire, Yoon Si-woo felt a flicker of hope at the thought of being able to revive Scarlet.

“...The price for granting a wish is the user’s life?”

However, the moment he learned that the cost of using the Holy Sword of Desire was his own life, the excitement vanished, replaced by a deep, pensive murmur. Yoon Si-woo instinctively shut his eyes tightly.

He thought carefully with his eyes closed.

Could he sacrifice his life to bring Scarlet back?

As he pondered, images of Scarlet flashed through his mind like a panorama.

She, who always tried to save others, even when she was in danger.

She, who didn’t care what happened to her as long as she could help someone else.

She, who sacrificed her body to save everyone, even in her final moments.

If it were Scarlet standing here instead of him, what would she do?

If it were him who had died and Scarlet holding the Holy Sword of Desire, would she have sacrificed her life to save him?

Even without asking, Yoon Si-woo felt he already knew the answer.

That’s why,

“...It doesn’t matter.”

The decision to use the Holy Sword of Desire had never been a difficult one for him.

“...Even if it means my death, it doesn’t matter.”

Because she would have made the same choice.

“If I can bring Scarlet back... if I can revive her.”

With unwavering eyes, Yoon Si-woo looked at Lucy and said those words.

“......”

Lucy, seeing the resolve in his eyes, could feel his heart.

Yoon Si-woo truly believed that Scarlet wasn’t someone who deserved to die like that.

Someone as pure as her should be alive, experiencing more happiness.

Even though it would mean he could no longer live in the same world as her, he sincerely wished it.

Lucy, connected to Yoon Si-woo’s soul, knew the depth of his feelings for Scarlet.

That’s why she understood the gravity of his decision.

This emotion had long transcended mere love.

Lucy finally understood, even if only slightly, why Yoon Si-woo had grown so strong.

Perhaps it began as affection, but Yoon Si-woo had found something in Scarlet.

A driving force that made people constantly strive to become stronger, something that could be called an ideal.

Lucy remembered the moment Yoon Si-woo became aware of this.

It was when Scarlet had her arm severed while fighting a demonic beast and was hospitalized. Yoon Si-woo had asked her if she would continue attending the academy. Her reply was that she would keep going because she wanted to protect people.

That idealistic answer, one fitting of a hero, had stirred Yoon Si-woo deeply, leading him to tell Lucy that he wanted to become stronger.

It must have been then.

That’s when a flame ignited in Yoon Si-woo’s heart.

Scarlet wished for a world where good people could find happiness.

And Yoon Si-woo wished for the happiness of Scarlet, who was the purest ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ of all.

Though they were different, their flames shared the same light.

It was only natural, then, that they shared the same willingness to sacrifice themselves for the happiness of others.

Lucy, gazing at Yoon Si-woo with an expression she couldn’t quite describe, asked,

“...So, you’re really willing to give your life to bring her back?”

At Lucy’s question, Yoon Si-woo showed a faint expression of guilt.

He understood now why Lucy had never mentioned the Holy Sword of Desire before.

But, despite that, Yoon Si-woo had already made up his mind and nodded to Lucy.

“...I see where you stand.”

Lucy sighed softly in response to his answer.

“But I cannot allow you to die like this.”

“...What? What do you mean—”

With a determined expression, Lucy interrupted him.

The sudden shift in atmosphere confused Yoon Si-woo, and he asked Lucy what she meant.

“Si-woo, do you remember the first contract we made?”

Lucy cut him off and posed a question instead.

Yoon Si-woo hesitated, trying to recall the memory of their first meeting.

But before he could fully remember, Lucy continued,

“On that day, I promised to become the family you wanted me to be.”

“......”

“And in return, I asked you to grant me one favor in the future.”

Yoon Si-woo vividly remembered that day.

It was the day he asked Lucy to be his family. And yes, she had requested that he fulfill one favor in return, though she had never asked for anything until now.

Why bring that up after all this time?

“...!”

In that moment, Yoon Si-woo recalled Lucy’s earlier words and shuddered.

She had said she wouldn’t let him die.

Could it be...?

“Lucy, don’t tell me...!”

Yoon Si-woo cried out, gripped by fear.

And then he saw it.

“...Si-woo, I can’t let you die. You are my only family, my master. You are more important to me than anyone else in this world.”

With tender yet sorrowful eyes, Lucy gazed at him and spoke.

Yoon Si-woo could feel the depths of her heart, her refusal to accept his death.

“Lucy!!”

“...I’m sorry, Si-woo. Please understand why I have no choice but to make this request.”

Her words only heightened Yoon Si-woo’s dread, and he pleaded with her not to do it.

But despite his desperate cries, Lucy continued with a bitter smile.

“...Si-woo, that Holy Sword of Desire you hold.”

Yoon Si-woo braced himself for Lucy to ask him not to use the sword, for that would make it impossible to revive Scarlet. Resigned to this outcome, he closed his eyes tightly.

However,

“—I ask you to give its ownership to me.”

The words that followed were entirely unexpected.

“......”

Yoon Si-woo, stunned, opened his eyes to see the Holy Sword of Desire, glowing with a soft blue light like a star at dawn, floating into Lucy’s hand from its dimensional space.

The sword’s ownership had transferred to Lucy as per their contract.

Yoon Si-woo stared in shock, his expression blank, as Lucy let out a small chuckle and murmured,

“Why so surprised? I suppose it’s understandable. Holy swords are known to be picky about their owners, and yet it just handed itself over so easily. Seems like you weren’t such a great master after all.”

But Yoon Si-woo didn’t respond—he wasn’t surprised for that reason.

Seeing his silence, Lucy smiled and reassured him,

“I was just joking. This sword likes you a lot, don’t worry. That’s why it came to me without any resistance.”

With a sympathetic expression, Lucy gently stroked the Holy Sword of Desire, murmuring softly.

“...This sword, due to its immense power, has a consciousness. It dislikes its own ability. And that’s only natural. How could a sword like its power, when it takes the life of the master it loves?”

As if to confirm her words, the Holy Sword of Desire shimmered faintly in Lucy’s hand.

Yoon Si-woo silently watched Lucy and the sword.

The expression of shock that had once covered his face was now replaced with a hardened resolve.

It wasn’t fear of Lucy taking the sword from him.

Lucy noticed the change in Yoon Si-woo’s expression and realized that he was starting to grasp what she intended to do next.

Slowly, she spoke.

“...Si-woo, there’s something I didn’t explain earlier about the Holy Sword of Desire. Its power may seem like a miracle, but it’s not omnipotent. After all, if it could grant any wish in exchange for a life, it wouldn’t be a holy sword—it would be called a god.”

She raised her hands like a scale, continuing her explanation.

“Think of it as a scale. The life you offer on one side determines the limit of the wish granted on the other. And since it creates miracles in reality, it doesn’t even reach the level of equal exchange. No matter how powerful you are, Si-woo, one human life isn’t enough to bring back a dead witch. It’s simply impossible. However...”

Lucy looked at Yoon Si-woo, who was too shocked to speak.

“...However, the life of a witch, one who can live nearly forever, may not be enough to fully restore a witch, but it could bring her back as an ordinary human.”

As those words left Lucy’s lips, Yoon Si-woo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Her words implied that from the very moment she mentioned the Holy Sword, Lucy had intended to sacrifice herself.

An overwhelming surge of emotions swept through Yoon Si-woo as he gazed at Lucy with trembling eyes. Finally, all he could utter was a single question.

“Why...?”

Of all the emotions he felt, confusion overshadowed them all.

Why?

Why was she doing this?

Reviving Scarlet mattered to him, not to her. She had no reason to go this far.

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His one-word question held all that uncertainty.

Hearing it, Lucy gave him a troubled smile and murmured,

Why... Indeed, why?

Even she didn’t have a clear answer.

Lucy asked herself that very question.

And to find the answer, she once again delved into the past, into memories that only she knew.