The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1131

 Chapter 1131

 

“Derus Robert.”

Glenn narrowed his eyes like a deep valley as he looked down at Derus Robert.

“You again.”

Around him, lightning imbued with fury bloomed chillingly, like blood-soaked cherry blossoms.

“What do you mean, ‘again’? It’s been quite some time since we last met.”

Derus didn’t show a hint of surprise at Glenn’s appearance, instead, he smiled leisurely.

“By the way, Destructive King of the North…”

He subtly shifted his gaze to Raon, whom Glenn was shielding with his body.

“You must cherish your grandson dearly. I didn’t expect you to rush out like a rabbit with its tail on fire just because he was in danger.”

Derus’ clear eyes flicked between Glenn and Raon, his faint smile implying that he already knew exactly what both of them were thinking.

“I’m not here because of the Light Wind Palace master.”

Glenn said coldly.

“I came to deal with you.”

He unsheathed Heavenly Tremor with the clear intent to kill. Murderous intent from the continent’s greatest swordsman burned along the blade’s icy white edge.

“Please, don’t say such things.”

Derus raised both hands as if to calm him down.

“How could I possibly stand against the Destructive King of the North, no, against the Sword God himself?”

He gave a light tilt of his chin, gesturing for Glenn to lower his sword.

“……”

Raon narrowed his eyes to slits as he watched Derus standing face to face with Glenn.

‘What is that bastard thinking?’

If it were the old Derus, he might’ve looked composed on the surface, but inside, he would have been panicking, racking his brain for a way to escape this situation.

But the current Derus was smiling, even waving his hand as if he were glad to see Glenn. It was as though he had been waiting for this very moment.

‘So his target wasn’t me?’

Until just a moment ago, I had thought Derus’ goal was to absorb my Heart Sword,  to read my mental world, thoughts, and past.

But now, seeing the look in his eyes, it seemed his true purpose lay elsewhere.

‘Right. He gave up on my Sword Heart way too easily.’

Derus had managed to absorb a part of my Heart Sword, yet the moment Glenn appeared, he withdrew without hesitation. There was no doubt now, he had another goal in mind.

“You’ve changed.”

Glenn muttered, furrowing his brow as he sensed the air around Derus was different from before.

“You’ve learned the Heart Sword?”

As a swordsman who stood at the pinnacle, Glenn immediately gauged Derus’ current realm and lowered his chin slightly.

“You noticed, as expected.”

Derus let out a soft laugh and nodded.

“Thanks to the generosity of the previous Holy Sword Alliance’s master, I was able to reach that unknown realm.”

He smiled faintly, saying that Darkan had been truly kind to him.

He smiled as if sincerely grateful to Darkan,so much that anyone listening might think Darkan had kindly taught him the Heart Sword himself.

"That vileness of yours is still the same."

Glenn bared his teeth as he glared at Derus.

"And its stench only grows stronger."

He raised Heavenly Tremor, clearly showing that he had no intention of letting Derus go this time.

“If you’re that eager to spar with me, then it can’t be helped.”

Derus chuckled faintly and reached out into the air.

Crackkk!

Space itself split open, and a sword of pure white and gold light emerged. It was a sword so divine and beautiful it could have come straight out of a myth, or from a mural painted on a cathedral wall.

“This is the Holy Sword, Sarkanta.”

Derus grasped the holy sword that rose into his hand, a sly smile curling across his lips.

“With this, I won’t be defeated as easily as before.”

He beckoned at Glenn with one finger, as if to say, Come at me.

“Head of house!”

Raon shouted toward Glenn’s back.

“Derus’ Heart Sword can absorb the opponent’s Heart Sword! Be careful!”

He shouted loudly so everyone could hear the ability of Derus' Heart Sword that he had experienced firsthand.

‘Of all abilities, he had to gain that one…’

Derus had the ability to absorb others’ might, but I never imagined that it would extend even to the Hearth Sword. He was always someone who sent chills down my spine.

“Hah…”

Derus chuckled quietly as he heard Raon’s words.

“You don’t need to worry about that. This will just be a light exchange.”

He rotated his wrist, saying it was just a light spar.

“It’s fine.”

Glenn gave a calm nod, as if telling him not to worry, then fixed his cold gaze upon Derus.

‘Grandfather will win… right?’

Raon bit his lower lip slightly and signaled to Wrath.

There’s no bastard on this continent who could kill that geezer Nadine Bread one-on-one.

Wrath shook his head, as if saying Raon was worrying about the wrong thing.

However, that inhuman bastard you call your sworn enemy has also clearly changed from before.

He narrowed his eyes at Derus.

‘Then… does that mean grandfather might be in danger?’

Raon tore his gaze from Glenn and looked anxiously at Wrath.

No, that’s not it…

Wrath replied after a pause.

Your grandpa can still kill that bastard even now. But…

Wrath smacked his lips and continued gravely.

Your grandpa might leave this world in the process.

He clicked his tongue, saying that if Glenn killed Derus, he might ascend, vanish from the human realm entirely.

‘Derus… is that strong now?’

Raon looked at Derus, who was still smiling faintly with his chin slightly lowered.

Indeed.

Wrath gave a short nod.

That bastard has grown beyond what you imagine. For your geezer Nadine Bread to cut him down completely, he would have to accept the price of departing from this world.

Wrath wrinkled his nose, saying that Derus Robert had achieved far more than expected.

“Then, as a junior, I’ll take the first move.”

Derus smirked and vanished on the spot. Instead of attacking from Glenn’s blind spot or from behind, he reappeared directly in front of him and brought his sword down.

Srrring!

Without the slightest change in expression, Glenn lightly raised a finger and lifted Heavenly Tremor.

Zhaaaaaang!

As Glenn’s Heavenly Tremor and Derus’ Sarkanta clashed, an overwhelming shockwave burst forth, sweeping across sky and earth.

The ground split and tore apart, and cracks of endless depth spread through the air. The battle between these two Transcenders, each at the pinnacle of their craft, was like a great war among gods.

“As expected!”

Derus murmured, saying Glenn exceeded his expectations, and thrust Sarkanta faster than light.

Fwaaaang!

Glenn effortlessly deflected the strike by rotating Heavenly Tremor, sending Derus’ body flying back.

Claaang! Claaang! Claaang!

The two men clashed again and again at such close range that they could feel each other’s breath, unleashing swordsmanship they had built over a lifetime without pause.

‘Insane.’

Raon pressed his lips tightly together as he watched the two, their swords leaving only traces of light in the air.

‘So there’s still such a gap…’

I had believed I’d closed the gap, but that had been nothing more than arrogance. Both of them, beyond even the level of the heads of the Five Kings and the Three Demons, stood in a realm far above my own.

‘Still… I can see it now.’

Thanks to my own growth, I could at least understand how they fought and what they aimed for. Just watching their clash was a priceless lesson.

‘But… something’s off.’

Raon frowned slightly as he watched Derus facing Glenn’s Heavenly Tremor.

‘Grandfather’s strikes are far stronger,so why isn’t Derus taking any damage?’

Though Derus had undeniably grown, Glenn’s swordsmanship and aura still far surpassed his. Yet the difference between them wasn’t showing in the fight.

Rumbleee!

Derus, as if to amplify my suspicion, took only two steps back while blocking one of Glenn’s high-level sword attacks.

‘That doesn’t make sense.’

Glenn had transcended to the point of being a literal god of the sword. For Derus to withstand his attacks, no matter how much divine power he had received from the archangels, this should not have been possible.

Wooooong!

Raon resonated the Ring of Fire until his chest ached and activated the Mind’s Eye of the Azure Flower.

‘There must be a reason.’

He gathered all his senses to find Derus’ secret and focused on the Transcenders battle unfolding before his eyes.

Kuhgugugugu!

Glenn must have felt something odd about Derus too, but without any visible reaction he swung his sword. It was as if he intended to smash whatever the enemy tried, no matter what.

Claaang! Claaang!

Derus was blocking Glenn's sword, but the smile fixed on his lips was becoming heavy, as if he was gradually finding it difficult to endure.

He was using special means to keep the fight going, but it seemed he was finally reaching his limit.

‘Still, I need to find out.’

Raon didn’t blink even once, burning every motion of Derus into his mind.

‘His aura and swordsmanship are both lacking, so how is he managing to block the might of a stronger opponent… huh?’

While watching Derus, he noticed something strange, the mana of nature was being drawn into his sword. It was very subtle, but clearly the natural mana was moving toward Derus.

‘Stone, trees, earth, space… ah!’

Raon felt the surrounding flow change, moving along with Derus' sword, and clenched his fist.

‘I get it!’

*   *   *

Zhaaaaang!

Derus Robert barely managed to block Glenn’s Azure Sky Sword and stepped back.

“As I thought, it’s still impossible for now.”

He muttered that it wasn’t easy and looked at Sarkanta, the holy sword, its blade trembling as if about to snap.

"The reputation of the Sword God, Glenn Zieghart, seems to remain immovable."

Derus bowed politely, his voice filled with genuine admiration. Even after abandoning House Robert, his aristocratic demeanor seemed even stronger than before.

Zziiiizzz!

Glenn ignored him and brought Heavenly Tremor down. The red lightning called by his blade struck above Derus’ head.

Kuwaaaang!

Derus twisted his holy sword Sarkanta upward, clashing it against the lightning. Blue light flashed wildly as the two powers collided, unleashing an enormous wave of force that sent bursts of lightning and aura scattering in every direction.

“A great shadow has fallen.”

Derus, hiding within the fissure that erupted from the collision of lightning and aura, summoned his Heart Sword and thrust it toward Glenn’s neck.

“Hmph!”

As if he could see straight through Derus’ intent, Glenn summoned his own Heart Sword, forged from his very soul.

Crackkk!

Derus’s sword-principle didn’t cut Glenn’s; it stuck like glue, trying to suck in its power.

"Crude."

As Glenn frowned, his Heart Sword, imbued with his enraged will, roughly tore apart Derus's Heart Sword.

“Guhk!”

Derus coughed blood for the first time and stepped back.

“You truly are different.”

Wiping the blood at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, he smiled thinly.

“Let’s end it here for today.”

Derus lowered the holy sword and waved his hand lightly.

“There aren’t any dead on your side, after all.”

He pointed to the corpse of the archangel Ramiel.

“I’m the only one who’s lost something.”

“No. I won’t let you go this time.”

Glenn growled. His cold eyes burned with killing intent as he raised his Heart Sword again.

“I’m afraid that won’t happen.”

When Derus snapped his fingers, a pure white light descended around him, wrapped in divine energy like the pillars of a holy temple. It was the divine power of the archangel Raphael.

“If you try to kill me, you too will no longer remain in this world.”

He smiled softly, as if asking whether Glenn was prepared for that.

“In the land where you are gone, who will stop the Heavenly Demons? Who will break the wings of the archangels?”

He lowered his hand, telling him to think not of now but of the future.

“Still, if you truly wish to fight, swing your sword as much as you like. I will accept whatever choice you make.”

Derus spread both arms wide, as if to provoke Glenn.

“You wretch…”

Glenn glared at him coldly, irritation seeping into his tone.

“Of course I’m not simply running away. The reason I came all the way here today is…”

Derus smiled and raised a finger, aiming at Glenn.

“To declare war on the Five Kings.”

With the words "declare war," he proudly raised his chin

“Declare war?”

Glenn frowned at Derus.

“One year and one month from now, in the trading city of Cameloon, I intend to witness the end of the long war of the Five Kings and Three Demons. No, the Five Kings and the Two Demons.”

Derus curled his lips into a smile as he proposed beginning a war in Cameloon, the trading city at the heart of the continent, to decide the ruler of this world.

“You mean that seriously?”

Glenn’s eyes flickered sharply, as if trying to gauge his true intent.

“Of course I mean it. Everything will be decided that day.”

As if he could read the heaven’s flow itself, Derus looked up at the split sky and gave a slight nod.

"Since it is a declaration of war, I will not listen to your opinions."

He clenched his fist, saying he would start the war in Cameloon unconditionally one year and one month from now.

"If you do not intend to kill me now, I will see you again on that day."

Derus opened his chest wide, as if telling him to use the Heart Sword if he dared.

“You can’t, can you? If you cut down my soul under the archangel’s protection, you won’t be able to remain in this world either.”

He smiled brightly, as if he knew all of their circumstances.

"I shall see you in Cameloon on that day."

Derus lowered his chin, muttering that he was looking forward to the start of the war.

“Ah, I’ll be taking that fellow’s corpse. Still have to hold a funeral, after all.”

At his nod, the burning corpse of the archangel Ramiel gently floated up.

"Pitiful and foolish..."

Derus muttered with a faint sneer as he reached out to take the body—

Pwoooom!

A crimson sword shot out of the air, impaling Ramiel’s body and pinning it back to the ground.

Normally, the only person in this place who could pierce Derus' will and break his intent was Glenn.

But Glenn stood motionless, deep in thought, his Heavenly Tremor lowered.

“You… how did you—”

Derus’ gaze left Glenn and slammed to the ground, his composure shattering for the first time since he’d arrived.

“This one is my spoils.”

Arrogantly stomping on Ramiel’s corpse, Raon lifted his chin.

“Don’t you dare touch him.”

 

 

Advance Chapters