The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 934

Chapter 934

 

"Authority, huh…"

Greed narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Demon Kings’ bracelet hanging from Raon’s wrist. His pupils thinned like gold coins.

“What are you planning to do by growing that vessel?”

His voice carried an ominous flicker, as if trying to read Wrath’s true intentions.

What nonsense! The King of Essence isn’t doing anything!

Wrath waved his hands, as if he were dumbfounded.

We’re both being played by this ghost-like brat! You and the King of Essence alike.

He shouted in desperation, trying to be heard, but of course, his words never reached Greed.

“Whether the King of Essence destroys the continent with the Demon Kings’ authority, or slaughters the gods, it's none of your concern.”

Raon lifted his chin with haughty poise, as if he truly intended to accomplish it all.

“That’s a fair point.”

Greed nodded with a thin smile.

“I still find you suspicious. I can’t tell if you’re really Wrath… or just the vessel putting on an act.”

His gaze stayed still and calm, though it gleamed with quiet suspicion.

That’s right! This guy isn’t the King of Essence! There’s no way the King of Essence would show such a disgraceful appearance!

Wrath waved his arms wildly, desperate to be heard.

‘Greed really is dangerous.’

Because Raon had borrowed Wrath’s wrath and soul, he appeared as Wrath even through Greed’s special monocle. Yet despite everything, Greed still hadn't fully dropped his suspicion, he still saw Raon as human. He was unlike any of the gullible demon kings Raon had dealt with before.

“Still, I can’t move against you now. No matter which way it goes, the losses would be too great.”

Greed snapped his fingers, and a golden light rose in the air, his authority, <Greed>.

Wooooong!

The authority of Greed traced a graceful arc through the air like a comet’s tail and descended onto Raon’s wrist.

Fwaaash!

A rich golden light flowed like water, blooming into a radiant golden flower bracelet around his wrist with a fresh, almost soothing sensation.

[A portion of <Greed>'s authority seeps into your soul and body.]

[After the adaptation period, the authority will be fully unlocked.]

‘Hm?’

Raon widened his eyes as he sensed the authority of <Greed> in the bracelet.

‘What is this amount?’

Greed had just given him the largest single transfer of authority Raon had received from any Demon King.

It was nearly equivalent to the amount of authority that Raon had accumulated over time from other Demon Kings through training and life experience, so much that he couldn’t help but exhale in disbelief.

‘He even gave more than Lust did.’

The authority of <Greed> Greed had granted him surpassed even Lust’s authority of <Lust>, which she had given generously due to her affection. It was only natural Raon would grow suspicious of Greed’s intent.

“What are you scheming, Greed?”

Raon narrowed his eyes at Greed.

If there had been other energy mixed into the authority of <Greed> he handed over, he might have been able to read his intentions. But it was pure authority, which made it harder to figure out what he was thinking.

“It’s an investment.”

Greed casually waved his hand, as if it were nothing special.

“Investment?”

“Yeah. I want to dip my toe into whatever it is you’re planning.”

He licked his lips, as if sensing he could gain a lot from it.

“You don't even know what the King of Essence plans to do.”

“To make it big, the trick is to invest in what others haven’t discovered yet. Once a place becomes well-known, it’s already dried up.”

Greed tilted his chin like a merchant making a point. But the greed in his eyes seemed to burn even more intensely.

“My instincts are telling me—I’ll get a hefty return if I bet on you. Whether you’re Wrath or just the vessel.”

“…”

Raon lowered his eyebrows as he looked at Greed’s chilly smile.

‘He’s still suspicious of me.’

Even now, Greed wasn’t fully convinced Raon was Wrath. The man refused to trust anyone, that attitude made “Monarch of Greed” a fitting title.

If Wrath had been the type to think like Greed, Raon’s body might’ve been taken over long ago.

“Then what’s with this flower shape?”

It was so uncharacteristically gentle for someone like Greed that it made Raon uncomfortable.

“Personal taste.”
Greed repeated the exact words Wrath had once said, shaking his head.

What a garbage taste.

Wrath snorted through his nose, mocking Greed, not even realizing it was his own line.

"I’ve handed over my authority like we agreed, so I’m free to go now, right?"

Greed took a step back, as if he was ready to return to the devildom.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Lust pointed her fingertip imbued with the authority of <Lust> at Greed’s neck, clearly unwilling to let him go.

"Can’t I just have one bite before you leave?"

Gluttony, seemingly hungry from using her powers, opened the jet-black mouth of <Gluttony> above Greed’s head.

“Let him go.”

Raon gestured toward Lust and Gluttony.

"Fighting any further is meaningless now."

He wasn’t the real Wrath, and trying to detain Greed would only bring more loss than gain.

If Greed truly chose to go all out, he could take the two Demon Kings in front of him down with him. It was wiser to let him go now.

“Tch…”

Lust clicked her tongue in disappointment and lowered her hand.

“I really wanted just a bite…”

Gluttony smacked her lips regretfully and closed the black mouth, looking like she was genuinely about to devour Greed whole.

“You really are something. I didn’t think those two Demon Kings who follow their instincts would listen to you.”

Greed let out a breath of disbelief, still stunned, and walked toward the gate to the devildom.

“I’m sure we’ll meet again. I’ll collect the returns on my investment then.”

He pulled a shining white coin from his shirt pocket and tossed it.

Clink.

Raon caught the coin and looked it over. It wasn’t any currency from the current world, etched into its surface was a dragon, rendered with eerily lifelike detail.

“Looks like I’ll need to make some money for a while. Took quite a loss here.”

Greed muttered that he’d be busy for a while, and stepped into the gate to the devildom. He seemed like a different person compared to when they first met.

“Haah…”

Raon let out a murky breath and reached his hand toward the gate to the devildom. Channeling Glacier’s cold energy, he poured Wrath’s authority into it.

Kuwaaaaaaah!

The ultimate technique—Silver-White Aurora—unleashed through his hand, freezing the massive gate in an instant.

Crack-crack-crack!

The gate, choked by hellish cold, crumbled like a melting glacier, its breath utterly extinguished.

As the frozen gate collapsed from the sky, the scorched black demonic energy split apart, revealing a green-tinted sky.

He had thought it was a world of darkness from the beginning, but now it seemed like a dimension not all that different from the continent he lived in.

“To think you'd use the Silver-White Aurora with my authority… I’m so happy now…”

Lust blushed as she said she had no more regrets.

“What will you do for me next? Silver Moon Demonic Palm? If you need more authority, I’ll give it! I can even give you me!”

She flung her arms open, saying she could give herself instead of her authority.

Kyaaaagh!

Wrath screamed and backed away.

Get that thing away from me! She’s seriously scary!

He sniffled, saying it was exhausting dealing with both sides.

“…What a shame.”

Gluttony sucked on her finger as if it were truly regrettable that she didn’t get to taste Greed. Unlike Lust, she probably could be appeased with some tasty food or ice cream.

“Thanks for coming all the way here.”

Raon gave a nod to Lust and Gluttony.

“I only came because I was broke…”

Gluttony twirled her finger in her white hair, still insisting she was only here because she had no money.

“I should be the one thanking you! Call me anytime! I’m just happy you thought of me! You can have all my techniques and authority!”

Lust, as if driven mad by the word affection, dyed her eyes pink and spewed out a torrent of passionate words.

Grrrrrrk…

Wrath flopped over, biting a net to his mouth as if terrified of Lust’s passionate display.

“But why were you in devildom?”

Raon frowned slightly as he looked at Lust.

“Weren’t you supposed to be with Merlin?”

“We split up a while ago. I was looking for you on my own, and before I knew it, I was in devildom…”

Lust shook her head, saying she ended up here while searching for him.

‘…Is that even possible?’

Raon tilted his chin at Wrath.

L-like he said. That stalker is the worst at directions in all dimensions. He still doesn't get how those two traits can coexist in one body…

Wrath shook his head, saying you couldn’t try to understand Lust with logic.

“Then… you don’t know where Merlin is right now?”

Knowing Merlin, she should’ve shown up at least once during this war or the earlier battles.

Even in animal form, she hadn’t appeared. That made Raon think something might’ve happened to her.

“Yeah. It’s been a while.”

“I see…”

Raon nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Should I go look for her?”

Lust also seemed to miss Merlin and said she would try searching for her.

“No… Don’t.”

He thought it would be better to stop her for now, as Lust might end up in heaven while looking for Merlin.

“For now, you two should leave this dimension. The King of Essence will follow after cleaning things up here.”

"Ugh, I'll be waiting..."

Lust didn’t seem pleased, but furrowed her brows and turned away, as if to say she would follow his words.

"Are you going to buy me some bead ice cream?"

Gluttony waved her hand, saying she was hungry after using her authority.

“There’s an ice cream shop outside. Wait there with Lust.”

“Okay.”

She nodded happily and took Lust’s hand. The two of them vanished in a flash of white light.

H-hey?

Wrath tapped his finger nervously, glancing over to Raon.

Isn’t it about time you returned the King of Essence’s power and soul? It’s all over now!

‘……’

Raon silently stared at Wrath.

W-Why are you looking at me like that? You said you’d give it back when it was over!

Wrath trembled in fear, unsure of what Raon was thinking.

‘Yeah. I’ll return it.’

Raon placed his hand on top of Wrath’s head and returned all the authority and soul he had borrowed.

Whoooosh—

The tremendous power that had been supporting him vanished in an instant, leaving a faint sense of emptiness. Still, just experiencing it had been immensely helpful for his growth.

Strange… You’re not the kind of guy to just give it back like that…

Wrath narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

‘There’s nothing strange about it. I just returned what I borrowed.’

Normally, you’d be using this to bargain or threaten—

Just as Wrath was pointing and starting to complain, a blue message window appeared in front of Raon’s eyes.

[You have accomplished a feat that will go down in the continent’s history.]

[You have defeated the master of the Black Tower.]

[You have been acknowledged by the Monarch of <Greed>.]

[All stats have….]

[New trait….]

[Trait….]

A flood of messages filled his vision, listing the rewards from the recent battle.

What, what is all this?!

Wrath shrieked at the overwhelming number of messages.

He knows you did something amazing, sure, but come on, this is way too much! It’s not even a status window, he can’t take it all in at a glance!

He shook his head violently, saying it made no sense.

‘……’

But Raon didn’t even bother to read the messages. He simply closed them.

Huh? Why aren’t you reading them?

Wrath furrowed his brow, confused.

Returning the King of Essence’s power… not reading the messages… What the hell is going on in that head of yours?

‘Now that the fight’s over, reality is starting to sink in. This isn’t the time to be looking at those messages.’

Raon ran a hand through his blood-soaked hair and bit his lip.

Reality, huh… Ah…

Wrath let out a low groan, as if he understood what Raon meant.

‘It’s time to take responsibility now.’

Raon let out a heavy sigh and descended toward the dimensional exit where everyone was waiting.

*   *   *

“Hmm…”

Karoon finally lowered the sword he had been gripping tightly.

‘I don’t even know what I just witnessed.’

He had thought everything was over with the appearance of a Demon King, but then two more Demon Kings suddenly showed up and clashed with the golden one.

Amidst the fierce battle, the golden Demon King had gained the upper hand and went after Raon. But then Raon suddenly unleashed a wave of energy that overwhelmed all three Demon Kings and ended the fight in an instant.

Even now, despite having seen it with his own eyes, it was hard to believe. His mind was blank, and his heart pounded like it was going to burst.

“…Is it really over now?”

Burren approached from behind and swallowed dryly.

“Why are you still here?”

Karoon frowned, questioning why they hadn’t retreated like he had ordered.

“Our palace master is over there, how could we run away? If we’re dying, we die together!”

Martha shook her head firmly, as if running wasn’t even an option.

“Yeah. One body…”

Runaan raised a finger, as if to say that the Light Wind was one body, united.

“…I see.”

Under normal circumstances, he would’ve scolded them, but seeing the looks in Burren, Martha, and Runaan’s eyes, no, seeing the way they looked at their family, he kept his mouth shut. Raon had already brought everything to an end, after all.

Whoooosh.

Raon landed softly on the ground, his gaze faintly empty.

He glanced over the dead and the demons, then began walking toward the dimensional exit.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Burren simply bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

“What was that at the end? You looked just like the head of house!”

Martha raised her hand, still in awe of the overwhelming wave of energy and presence he had released.

“Today you are ultra-mega-handsome”

Runaan gave a simple but heartfelt thumbs-up, saying he was amazing.

“You all did well.”

Raon smiled faintly, his face tired despite all the praise.

“What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”

Martha tilted her head, concerned by his heavy expression.

“…It’s not over yet.”

Raon looked outside the dimension, lowering his eyes slightly.

“Not over? What do you mean?”

"Is another one coming?"

Burren and Martha flinched, their lips trembling in alarm.

“Hmm…”

“……”

But Karoon, as if he had already read Raon’s thoughts, stayed silent, and Runaan quietly lowered her gaze.

“No. It’s just… reality is starting to set in.”

Raon lowered his head, staring at his blood-soaked right hand.

“We have to think about all the people who died in this war, and also…”

As he tried to say the name of the child lingering in his thoughts, his lips began to tremble on their own.

“Rensia.”

She was born chained to the Black Tower, yet never fell into darkness, an extraordinary child who helped those even worse off than herself. The one who made the greatest contribution to bringing down the Black Tower and its master. And even as she was dying, she had thought of her younger siblings before herself.

He had promised to help her live a life filled with happiness, but she left before he could fulfill that vow. Just thinking about it made his chest ache like it was being torn apart.

“…Yeah.”

“Rensia. Right… that child.”

“……”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan all lowered their eyes and bit their lips, the memory of Rensia clearly surfacing in their minds too.

……

Even Wrath had no words for this, falling silent.

Rensia’s injuries were not something that could be healed without someone who had mastered both holy power and advanced medical arts.

If she had even trained a little in aura, she might have survived. But she had been physically weaker than most children, so they couldn’t help but conclude she hadn’t survived.

‘Rensia… thank you.’

If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have won today.

Raon offered his silent thanks to Rencia as he stepped out of the Black Tower’s dimension.

And the first thing that met his eyes was the fountain where he had once sat with her.

It was there that he’d told her that only happiness awaited her in the future. It was also where, as she lay dying, he had promised to look after her younger siblings. The memory of that moment twisted in his stomach like nausea.

‘I didn’t want… anyone to die anymore.’

Even though we won… it doesn’t feel like a victory.

As Raon bit his lip and lowered his head—

“Sir Raon!”

From behind the fountain came a voice, the voice he wanted to hear more than anything else in the world right now.

 

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