The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 879

 Chapter 879

 

“O-One strike?”

Borgos trembled as he looked at the headless Balrog, his bloodstained lips quivering.

‘That monster… taken down in a single sword strike?’

He had personally experienced the demon’s strength, wreathed in flames. That monster had crushed the legendary-grade Thunderclap Hammer with a mere flick of his finger and reduced everything the Gray Hammer Guild had built to ashes with a single ember. And yet, his head had been severed with a single strike? It was beyond belief.

‘Calling him the new Sword God wouldn't be strange.’

He had heard the rumors that Raon had reached Transcendence, but he hadn’t expected him to have already stabilized beyond its initial stage. His talent was terrifying, an overwhelming growth that could overturn the history of the continent.

“That’s right!”

Martha clapped her palm against the hilt of her sword, nodding.

"That’s what you’d expect from the Light Wind Division leader!"

She stomped her foot in exhilaration.

"Now he’s using lightning too?"

Burren shook his head, as if at a loss for words.

"Fire, frost, wind, earth… and now lightning…."

He shrugged, wondering what Raon would wield next.

“Today, Raon is super-duper handsome.”

Despite being busy tending to the burned dwarves and blacksmiths, Runaan couldn’t take her purple eyes off Raon’s back.

"Hah…"

Having just cut down the last remaining demon, Sheryl let out a hollow laugh.

‘That sword technique, didn’t he just learn it from the head of house recently?’

Was this even possible?

She recalled Glenn’s happy face when he said that he had taught Raon the Heavenly Lightning Cultivation. Using it in actual combat after only one night of learning? And against a Transcender monster, no less, even severing its head? It was so unbelievable that she was left speechless.

“I-Is it over now?”

Dorian gasped for breath, lowering his sword.

“Then let’s hurry back! It’s way too hot here, and it’s bad for—”

“No.”

Raon interrupted him, shaking his head.

“This is just the beginning.”

As soon as he finished saying, It’s just the beginning, a red flame rose over the Balrog’s neck, where its head had been severed. The dense flames smoothly took shape, as if molded by a craftsman’s hands, and regenerated the Balrog’s head, complete with five horns.

"I didn’t expect you to attack right away… and with a strike that even slipped past my perception."

Balrog murmured in admiration, rubbing the back of his newly formed neck.

"Kuuuaaaagh!"

Dorian, who had never imagined the Balrog could come back to life, screamed and collapsed to the ground.

"H-How is he still alive after getting his head chopped off?!"

"What the hell?! Is he some kind of lizard that regrows its tail?!"

"The uglier they are, the harder they are to kill…"

Burren, Martha, and Runaan also paled, their lips trembling at the unbelievable sight.

"It would be stranger if a demon died just from losing its head."

Raon remained completely unfazed, casually rolling his fingers to loosen them.

You knew he would regenerate his head?

Wrath whistled, seemingly surprised.

‘I’ve seen it before.’

The Demonic Monarch of Azure Flame, the Transcender of the Black Tower, hadn’t died even when Wrath tore his head off. If a mere half-demon like him could survive such a wound, a true demon like Balrog dying from a beheading would be more absurd. It was only natural to expect him to regenerate his head.

"This prey is seasoned even better than I thought."

Balrog licked his lips, seemingly pleased.

“Don’t pretend to be so confident.”

Raon tilted his chin slightly as he gazed up at Balrog.

"You may not be dead, but you’ve lost a significant amount of strength."

Balrog had consumed a great deal of energy to regenerate his head. His current strength wasn’t far from Raon’s own, it had fallen significantly.

“Pretending? Hardly.”

Spreading his arms wide, the Balrog’s lips curled into a sinister smile.

"I am simply excited to face a strong warrior like you! Whether I die, you die, or we both perish, it does not matter! Come at me with all your strength!"

With a thunderous stomp, he unleashed a surge of combative energy so intense it stung the skin. The cracked ground burst apart, and molten lava and flames erupted in every direction.

"No, you’re the only one who will die here."

Raon clicked his tongue briefly and slashed with Crimson Slash. The frost-coated blade flickered as it descended upon the Balrog’s head.

“I’ll crush it!”

As the Balrog thrust his hand into the flames, a massive greatsword, glowing like molten lava, its heat thick and sticky, formed within his grasp.

Fwoooosh!

The Balrog’s greatsword blazed with an intense radiance and pressed down on the freezing energy of Crimson Slash, crushing it completely.

KWA-BOOOOM!

Two swords, wreathed in fire and frost, collided violently, unleashing immense shockwaves in all directions. The frozen ground shattered into countless shards, and the hardened lava erupted again, covering the land.

"You don’t even try to evade?"

The Balrog nodded his head in surprise.

“For a human, your fighting stance is quite something. But this wasn’t a wise choice.”

Narrowing his eyes, the Balrog smirked, as if Raon had made a grave mistake.

"With that fragile body of yours, you won’t be able to withstand my strength."

Balrog tightened his grip, attempting to push Raon down with sheer force. But no matter how much weight he added, Raon’s arms and legs didn’t waver.

"You're holding out? How is this possible…?"

Balrog’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Now it’s your turn to endure."

Raon smirked coldly as he tightened his grip. The blade of Heavenly Drive began pushing back the Balrog’s massive, flaming greatsword.

RUMBLE!

Raon, despite his smaller stature, was overpowering the towering Balrog with sheer physical strength alone. Both humans and demons watched in shock.

"This… this is human strength?"

The Balrog, flustered by the realization that he was losing in raw power, gripped his greatsword with both hands. Yet, he couldn’t regain control, all he could do was struggle against Raon’s overwhelming pressure.

"If you’re already this shocked, you’re in trouble."

Raon tilted his chin, looking into Balrog’s bewildered eyes.

"Because this is only the beginning."

Tch. You’ve been greedily sucking the King of Essence bones and flesh all this time, it’s only natural that you can easily crush such a weakling.

Wrath snorted, as if it would be absurd for Raon to lose.

‘That’s right.’

Thanks to Wrath, Raon’s physical abilities had already reached the level of a Transcender when he was still a peak Grandmaster level. Now that he had reached Transcendence, his stats and traits had increased tremendously. His physical abilities were no weaker than the Balrog’s.

“Fine! Let’s settle this with strength!”

The Balrog, his pride hurt by not being able to overwhelm Raon with strength, stomped down, unleashing his demonic energy at full intensity. The ground beneath him melted into white-hot liquid, while the flames bursting from his greatsword flashed an eerie blue.

Cheeeeeing!

Raon unleashed Frost Pond towards the Balrog’s incoming fire sword, which was like a tidal wave. The two streaks of silver light cut through the flames and parried Balrog’s greatsword, which was approaching from behind.

Jjeojeojeojeong!

Heavenly Drive and the Balrog’s thrusting flaming greatsword collided repeatedly, creating a blackened crack and shaking the entire underground. The lava that filled the ground surged up and down as if it were about to explode, scattering sparks.

Kugugugugu!

Raon and the Balrog walked on the crimson lava, exchanging sword strikes aimed at each other’s vital points. A clash of pure power and speed, without any tricks. Tremendous power collided endlessly, obliterating everything around the two Transcenders.

‘He’s charging in like a wild boar, without caring if he gets hurt…’

Raon deflected Balrog’s blade, observing his movements.

‘Similar to a warrior… but different.’

Even warriors who focused entirely on strength and speed would still instinctively evade fatal wounds.

But the Balrog showed no such hesitation, he charged forward without guarding his weak points, as if he were willing to die just to take his opponent down with him. His swordsmanship was crude, but his movements carried an unshakable will and conviction, making him a difficult opponent.

“Looks like you’re getting tired!”

Believing he had gained the upper hand, the Balrog twisted his lips into a grin and shifting his flaming greatsword into a whip of fire and striking downward. The overlapping layers of flames lashed out like a dragon breathing endless fire.

Sssssssss!

The more they fought, the stronger the Balrog became, his combative energy only intensified. The flames of his whip began to burn a deep blue, pushing back Glacier’s cold energy.

"That pathetic frost won’t stop my fire!"

The Balrog mocked Glacier’s coldness as he transformed his whip back into a greatsword and brought it crashing down.

Kuuuuuung!

Raon managed to block the Balrog’s greatsword, but the heat was so intense that the frost surrounding Heavenly Drive began to melt away.

How dare that bastard?!

Wrath ground his teeth, lifting his head haughtily.

What are you doing! How dare he disregard the King of Essence!

His voice trembled with indignation.

Crush with strength!

‘That was already my plan.’

Raon gave a small nod. He had already analyzed the Balrog’s fighting style and abilities, it was time to end this.

"I’ll finish this!"

The Balrog swung the greatsword he held with both hands horizontally. A wave of fire mixed with wind surged forward with a deafening roar that seemed to tear the world apart. The entire underground was engulfed in the storm of flames Balrog had created.

Step.

Raon took a step forward with his left foot and thrust Heavenly Drive’s blade toward Balrog's greatsword. The coldness that erupted from the blade bloomed into frost flowers, spreading throughout the underground.

The Monarch of Wrath’s ultimate technique.

Silver-White Aurora.

The Silver-White Aurora drawn with swordsmanship bloomed as a brilliant flower within the realm of Transcendence.

Kwaaaaaaa!

Intense heat and chilling cold energy clashed, sending steam rising in all directions.

But the result was decided within mere seconds. Glacier’s cold energy devoured Balrog’s flames and heat, dyeing the entire underground in silvery light.

Kwadudududuk!

Even the storm of flames froze into a shining silver, creating a shape reminiscent of Wrath’s Frost World Tree.

"W-Wait! This cold is!"

Balrog tried to raise his flames to push back the Silver-White Aurora, but the silver world had already bound his limbs and engulfed his torso and neck.

"You, you and the Monarch of Wrath, what kind of…."

Balrog couldn’t finish his last words as his mouth and head froze solid.

"You talk too much."

Raon twisted his lips and swung Heavenly Drive.

Kwaaaaaa!

Balrog’s frozen body exploded, and the raging lava and flames subsided. Unlike before, not even the slightest trace of life remained in his body.

"Hoo…"

Raon let out a short breath as he lowered Heavenly Drive.

'That wasn’t easy at all.'

It seemed like a simple victory, but it was actually a close call. If he hadn't drawn out all of Glacier’s energy, he might have been burned alive instead.

Well done!

Wrath spread his hands wide.

He dared to look down on the King of Essence’s power, he got what he deserved!

He wagged his tail while looking at the shattered remains of the Balrog.

‘Oh, you’re even giving me praise now. That’s new.’

Raon chuckled as he lowered Heavenly Drive.

Praise? When did he ever do that?

'You just said well done.'

T-That was just a slip of the tongue! Don’t get cocky just because you took down a brute who doesn’t even know how to use his strength properly!

Since it was a Balrog whose name even Wrath didn’t know, he shook his head as if it were only natural.

'I won’t get cocky. But Transcendence really is something else.'

A realm where the sword moves as one desires and even the surrounding power can be controlled. Having taken down ancient dragons and now a Balrog, he finally felt like he had truly reached Transcendence.

'Hm?'

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ground where Balrog had stood.

'This isn’t Balrog’s coenergy.'

The Balrog’s energy had been clean and sharp, yet the traces of demonic energy lingering in the ground where he had been summoned reeked of something vile.

'Just as I thought…'

Someone else had summoned him.

The Balrog he fought was undoubtedly strong, but he wasn’t at the level of a Demon King, capable of tearing through dimensions at will. It was clear that someone had summoned him through a lot of preparation.

'It must be the Black Tower.'

There was no need to investigate further. Only the Black Tower’s demonized humans would use such filthy demonic energy. (Black Tower's mage/magician changed to demonized human)

‘Did they intend to let him grow stronger in this space before dragging it out?’

It was not certain, but it seemed that they had summoned the Balrog in this underground area to subdue the dwarves and make them part of their forces.

‘I’m not sure whether to call this fortunate….’

The Gray Hammer Guild and the dwarves had suffered great losses, but dealing with the Balrog here had prevented a disaster that could have claimed thousands, if not tens of thousands, of lives.

However, since many had also died or been injured here, he could not simply be happy.

Feeling bitterness on the tip of his tongue, Raon turned his body. He smiled and nodded to the people looking at him with tense faces.

"It’s over. You can relax now."

He brushed away the lingering heat of the Balrog from his hand, then nodded.

"I-Is it really not going to come back to life again?"

Dorian, trembling, pointed at the frozen remains of the Balrog.

"I’m not sure if he will revive again or not, but even if he does, it won’t be a threat anymore."

Raon lightly shook his head. Beings that have transcended humanity usually consume a significant amount of energy when resurrecting. If it were to revive now, it would end in Sheryl’s hands without him needing to step in.

"Earlier, you called him Balrog. What exactly is he?"

Martha narrowed her eyes as if recalling the word she had heard for the first time.

"A demon."

Raon clicked his tongue as he looked at the Balrog’s remains.

"A particularly powerful species even among demons."

He briefly repeated the explanation Wrath had given him.

"Balrog? N-Now that you mention it…."

Borgos trembled as he raised his head.

"I remember my father mentioning such monsters. He said they had a strong greed for flames, battle, and weapons…."

He exhaled a shaky breath, as if the memory had only now resurfaced.

"He said that among all the species, few could stand against them. And yet, you…"

Borgos, his bloodied knees hardened into scabs, struggled to his feet and approached Raon.

"Thank you. No, I am truly grateful. There are no words to express my gratitude."

He thanked him for saving the dwarves and the people and knelt on the hot ground. Despite his flesh being burned, he lowered his head without a groan.

"Thank you."

"Truly, thank you…."

The dwarves and blacksmiths of the Gray Hammer Guild followed suit, ignoring their injuries as they pounded their fists against the ground and knelt behind Borgos.

"Please, don’t do this."

Raon gestured for them to rise.

"I only helped because I could."

He shook his head, saying it wasn’t such a great deed.

"No, it was a great deed. If you hadn’t come, we would have died, hammering away until our last breath in these flames."

Borgos insisted that Raon fully deserved their gratitude.

"Then at least get treated first before giving your thanks. This is too much…."

Raon!

Raon was mid-sentence when he instinctively turned around. Wrath also shouted his name urgently, sensing the same thing.

Kwaaaargh!

The space where the Balrog died began to crack. No, the space itself was violently torn apart, and a pitch-black wave like an abyss surged forth.

Kwoooooom!

The space, unable to withstand the overwhelming force of the opening dimension, violently burst apart.

Zzzzeooong!

Raon drew Heavenly Drive in a flash, trying to block the shockwave, but the force was so overwhelming that he was blasted backward. The others had no chance at all, they slammed into the walls behind them.

"Ugh…."

Raon wiped the blood trickling from his lips and forced his gaze upward.

Kuuung!

From the pitch-black rift in the space, two blazing red eyes emerged. Though similar to the Balrog he had just slain, the presence it exuded was on an entirely different level. Just looking at it made his eyes feel like they were burning.

Damn it! Why is that bastard here?!

Wrath screamed in disbelief.

'No way….'

The King of Essence told you earlier, didn’t he? That there was a battle-mad demon who kicked away and abandoned the devildom’s throne.

Wrath swallowed hard and continued.

That guy is the leader of the Balrogs, Ascara.

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