NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61: The Beast Within the Blade
Recap – Chapter 60: A Swordmaster's Oath
Jemil and the swordmaster entered the Hall of Blades, where countless swords forged from broken oaths resonated with the weight of the past. The tower demanded an oath strong enough to bind their souls or else their bodies would be cut down by the very steel that surrounded them.
Faced with this trial, Jemil laid his truth bare: that even if he had forgotten his past, he would not abandon her in the present. The swordmaster, torn between her fear of betrayal and her longing for trust, finally broke through her tsundere mask. She swore her blade and her heart would stand with him, no matter what awaited.
Their vows sparked light into the hall, binding their bond as the endless blades bent in acknowledgment. For the first time, the swordmaster's walls cracked fully—revealing not just a warrior, but a woman who had chosen Jemil.
Scene 1 – A New Door Opens
The hall dissolved into motes of steel, and the glowing sword at the center drifted back into silence. The path forward unfolded before them: a massive set of doors, carved with snarling beasts entwined in chains.
Jemil glanced at the swordmaster. Her hand was still on her blade, knuckles white, though her expression had softened. She noticed his gaze and scoffed, turning her head away.
"Don't look at me like that. It doesn't change anything."
But the faint color on her cheeks betrayed her words. Jemil smirked but didn't press her further. Together, they stepped toward the doors.
The Predator's Fang pulsed in his hand. Its whisper coiled around his mind again—Hunt… devour… claim her oath as mine.
He grit his teeth, forcing it back. The sword wasn't just a weapon. It was a hunger, a beast wrapped in steel.
The doors shuddered open.
Scene 2 – The Beast's Domain
Beyond the doors stretched a cavernous arena, its floor cracked stone and its walls claw-marked. A faint growl reverberated from the shadows, not of thunder this time, but of something primal and low.
At the center stood a colossal blade driven into the ground. Its hilt was wrapped in chains, and its edge glowed faintly with lightning. Around it circled a shadowy beast, its form half-wolf, half-storm, eyes burning gold.
The swordmaster's breath caught. "That's… no ordinary guardian. That's a bonded beast. A sword turned into a predator."
The beast snarled, chains rattling against its body as though the blade itself had bound it. Yet when its eyes fell on Jemil, the growl turned into a guttural laugh.
"Fang-bearer… you carry my hunger."
The Predator's Fang in Jemil's grip burned hot. His vision blurred—flashes of claws, teeth, blood. The beast's voice echoed inside him.
"Feed me, and I will make you stronger. Resist… and you will be devoured instead."
Scene 3 – The Fang Awakens
Jemil staggered, dropping to one knee as the whispers roared. The swordmaster rushed to his side, gripping his shoulder. "Don't give in! That thing is testing you—it's trying to twist your oath!"
He clenched his fist, veins glowing faintly with lightning. The Fang wasn't just a weapon anymore. It wanted him. It wanted control.
"You swore an oath," the beast hissed in his mind. "But oaths are cages. Break them. Hunt freely."
Jemil slammed the blade into the ground, sparks scattering. "No. I don't break my word." His voice shook, but his eyes burned steady.
The beast lunged from the shadows, chains snapping as it rushed forward, lightning crackling across its body. The swordmaster drew her weapon and stood beside him, blade flashing.
"Then prove it," she growled.
Scene 4 – Battle of Fang and Oath
The cavern erupted in chaos. Lightning tore across the floor as the beast lashed out with claws that could split stone. Jemil met its strike head-on, the Predator's Fang screaming in his grip. Each clash sent shockwaves through his arm, the hunger trying to twist him toward savagery.
The swordmaster moved like a storm at his side, blades crossing the beast's strikes, her precision cutting through the blur of lightning. She shouted over the roar, "Stay with me, Jemil! Don't let it take you!"
The Fang's voice clawed at his mind. "She'll betray you. Cut her down first. Hunt her—claim her power!"
Jemil snarled, forcing the voice back. "She's mine to protect!" His blade surged with light—not just hunger, but the strength of the oath he had sworn.
The beast recoiled, its golden eyes narrowing. For the first time, it looked uncertain.
Scene 5 – The Beast's Submission
With one final strike, Jemil and the swordmaster moved in unison. His Fang pierced the beast's chest while her blade severed its chains. Lightning burst outward, engulfing the cavern.
The beast let out a final roar before dissolving into motes of light. The chained sword at the center trembled, then lifted into the air. Its voice rang in Jemil's mind—not the whisper of hunger, but the deep tone of respect.
"You are not prey. You are Fangbearer. My strength is yours—so long as your oath holds."
The Predator's Fang pulsed once, its whisper quieter now, almost purring instead of demanding.
Jemil fell to one knee, panting. The swordmaster knelt beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. For once, she didn't pull away.
"You did it," she said softly. "You didn't let it consume you."
He glanced up at her with a tired grin. "Didn't do it alone."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but the warmth in her eyes betrayed her. She stood quickly, turning away before he could see her blush.
⚔️ End of Chapter 61: The Beast Within the Blade
Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 62: The Blade's Kiss
The predator subdued, the oath sealed, and the Fang tempered—but the tower is not finished with them. The next floor tests not their strength, but their closeness. Illusions of betrayal, temptation, and unspoken desire will weave between them like threads of steel.
For Jemil and the swordmaster, who have only just begun to trust, it may be the cruelest trial yet. One false step could shatter the bond they fought so hard to forge.
CTA
⚔️ The beast is bound, but can Jemil and the swordmaster survive the trial of temptation and trust? Or will the tower tear open wounds that even their oath cannot heal?
👉 Don't miss Chapter 62: The Blade's Kiss!