The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1132

 Chapter 1132

 

“Don’t tell me what you bastard just used was….”

For the first time since arriving here, Derus seemed genuinely flustered, he even called Raon “bastard,” his eyebrows twitching violently.

“Was that the Crescent Moon Art?”

He frowned deeply, feeling the air around him heat up uncontrollably.

“Crescent Moon Art?”

Raon tilted his head as he stepped once more on the corpse of the archangel Ramiel.

“What’s that?”

He raised his chin, telling Derus to spit out what that name meant.

“It’s the martial art you bastard used to pierce through my aura and perception and take Ramiel from me.”

Derus ground his teeth savagely, as if chewing bone.

“Ah…”

Raon nodded lightly as if he had finally understood.

“So that martial art’s name was the Crescent Moon Art? Then yeah, you’re right. I learned it from watching you.”

He smiled, saying he copied it after watching Derus fight Glenn.

“You’re insane…”

Derus Robert bit his lip hard, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“Insane or not, thanks.”

Raon sneered at Derus’ stiffened expression.

“I didn’t know there was a way to strengthen martial arts like this.”

Derus Robert had grown stronger than before, but he was still weaker than Glenn at his current level.

However, even with lesser might, he fought Glenn, the stronger one, without being overwhelmingly outmatched.

At first, I had thought Derus must have received some special artifact or ability from the archangel. But when I observed carefully using the Ring of Fire and the Mind’s Eye of the Azure Flower, my guess proved wrong.

‘Derus Robert fought grandfather using only his own power.’

Raon frowned slightly as he looked down at the ground beneath his feet.

‘He made the surrounding space his own body.’

Derus Robert opened his soul and made the surrounding space part of his own body, and strengthened his might through the mana of nature flowing within it.

Because the space itself obeyed Derus’ will and continually supplied mana of nature, he could endure a fight with Glenn’s sword without being decisively overwhelmed.

Even the King of Essence was surprised by that.

Wrath exhaled in disbelief.

To open one's soul and turn the surrounding space into one's own body... that's not a thought a normal human can have.

He said even he, a demon king, had never seen a method of fighting like that before.

Only a madman who doesn’t value his own soul would do something like that.

‘Of course he’s not a normal human.’

Raon chuckled faintly and nodded.

‘Not even in devildom or heaven would you find a bastard like that.’

Darkan had said an unfathomably vast number of souls were hidden inside Derus’ body. It was clear Derus had used those souls to turn the surrounding space into his own flesh and amplify his might.

‘He must have mastered the Heart Sword and invented a new style of combat.’

It was obvious that through the Heart Sword, Derus had awakened his own soul and created a martial art called the Crescent Moon Art. As much as I hated him, I had to admit his talent in martial arts.

That bastard is clearly insane. But…

Wrath turned his gaze from Derus to Raon.

The one who’s even more insane is you!

‘Me? Why me?’

Raon blinked, puzzled.

Figuring out that fiend’s bizarre soul concept... we can chalk that up to you having the Mind’s Eye of the Azure Flower. But....

Wrath frowned, unable to comprehend.

To see that and copy it immediately, that’s impossible, even by the King of Essence’s standards! What kind of monster are you?!

He grabbed Raon’s collar, shouting in disbelief at how Raon could replicate a martial art formed from one’s soul.

“How did you copy the Crescent Moon Art? Have you been watching me all along?”

Derus also seemed to have the same question as Wrath, grinding his chillingly white teeth.

“Crescent Moon Art is a completely different kind of martial art. No matter how talented you are, it’s impossible to imitate.”

He fixed Raon with an icy look and demanded to know how he’d copied it.

“Why would I ever watch a stinking bastard like you?”

Raon waved his hand dismissively.

“I just copied it, and it worked.”

I engraved every one of Derus’ techniques and movements against Glenn into my mind, then read the flow of his soul through the Ring of Fire and traced how he had strengthened his power.

To confirm my judgment, I spread my soul outward and created a small space that could increase my might. When Derus moved to take the archangel Ramiel’s corpse, I widened the Crescent Moon Art and struck, and the outcome was what stood before me now.

“Do you, bastard, think that makes sense?

Derus formed deep wrinkles on his forehead, as if telling him to stop spouting nonsense.

“Crescent Moon Art is a martial art and cultivation method I created after reaching the realm of the Heart Sword. You’re saying you copied that just by watching?”

He clenched his fist, saying even gods wouldn’t be capable of that.

“Why wouldn’t it make sense? I think your morality makes even less sense.”

Raon shrugged at the furious Derus.

“Believe it or not, I don’t care. This archangel’s corpse is my spoil. I won’t give it to anyone.”

He drove Heavenly Drive into Ramiel’s corpse as if declaring he would never let it go.

Kwaaaa!

Ramiel’s body began to blacken, engulfed by the flames of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, as though about to turn to ash.

“I see…”

Derus gazed only at Raon, showing no more interest in Ramiel’s body, and nodded slowly.

“Well, after something like that happened, I suppose there’s nothing impossible in this world anymore.”

He lowered his chin calmly, saying that though he could not understand it, he could accept it.

“Thanks to your outstanding grandson, the conversation got longer than planned.”

Derus, regaining his composure, smiled faintly as he turned his gaze to Glenn.

‘That damned bastard….’

Raon frowned, seeing how quickly Derus regained his calm.

‘I thought he’d lose control and charge in.’

If Derus had lost his temper and attacked, Glenn might have had an opening to kill him without needing to ascend. That’s why I kept provoking him relentlessly.

But in just the blink of an eye, Derus steadied his mind and spirit, regaining his usual composed demeanor.

He truly was a man difficult to face, no, a fiend one would never wish to face at all.

“I will say it again. A year and one month from now, Eden and I will begin a war in Cameloon. Whether you try to stop it or not, it will happen.”

Derus declared it his final proclamation, then closed and reopened his eyes. As he finished speaking, divine power from archangel Raphael enveloped him, blurring his form like mist. It seemed like a divine spell that transferred space.

“Running away again? You rat bastard! Get down here! I’ll slice your neck myself!”

Martha raised her middle finger toward the vanishing Derus.

“D-Don’t! What if he really comes back?!”

Dorian jumped onto Martha’s shoulder, trying desperately to stop her.

“Hoo, thankfully I made it in time.”

Evelyn sighed, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Judging by her condition, she had exhausted all her mana and mental strength to bring Glenn here.

“……”

Glenn said nothing, silently gazing at the light surrounding Derus. He gripped and released Heavenly Tremor repeatedly, as if torn by hesitation, but in the end, he did not lift it.

“I shall see you again that day.”

Derus Robert smiled faintly, as though he had already foreseen Glenn’s decision, and vanished into the white light.

Your nemesis.

Wrath frowned, looking up at the sky where Derus had vanished.

He will no longer be an easy opponent. A year from now, who knows how much he’ll have changed….

He began to evaluate Derus Robert highly, just like when he described Glenn or the Heavenly Demon.

‘You don’t have to worry.’

Raon clenched his teeth and nodded.

‘Because I know better than anyone else in this world.’

Derus Robert, what kind of monster he truly was.

*   *   *

“Haa…”

Glenn let out a soft sigh of admiration as he watched Raon mock and ridicule Derus to the very end.

‘That child really is…’

The moment I heard Evelyn’s call for help, I had come here with a firm resolve to kill Derus Robert no matter what.

However, Derus had mastered the Heart Sword to a far higher realm than expected, and even created a new concept that hadn’t existed before, a martial art called the Crescent Moon Art, to fight against my sword strikes.

‘He was strong.’

Derus Robert had displayed might so overwhelming that, aside from myself and Darkan, no one could possibly stand against him.

He hadn’t yet reached the level of the Heavenly Demon, but it felt inevitable that he would eventually surpass Darkan and crawl his way up to the same level I stood in.

‘His talent isn’t as great as Raon’s, but his viciousness surpasses it.’

It was almost unsettling to see a human grow this strong, so quickly, and with such wickedness.

‘That’s where I got caught in his flow.’

Just as Derus said, if I truly wanted to kill him, I had to be ready to leave this world as well.

Derus had seen through all of that, and instead of fleeing, he used the fight to confirm his own growth through me.

‘I couldn’t refute him.’

As Derus said, I am the greatest power of the Five Kings.

If I killed Derus and then disappeared from this land, there would be no one left to stop the Heavenly Demon or the archangels, and the balance of the Five Kings would collapse completely.

No, before the war even began, Eden would rise, and the world would be engulfed in flames.

I could see everything that would happen to this continent after I left, and even though the desire to kill Derus burned inside me, I couldn’t bring myself to raise Heavenly Tremor.

‘But…’

Glenn’s lips curved into a faint smile as he looked at Raon’s back.

‘You’re different.’

Even though Raon knew this entire situation was unfolding within Derus’ grasp, he didn’t back down.

‘No… not just that, he didn’t hesitate in the slightest.’

Compared to Derus, Raon’s strength was as faint as a firefly under the moonlight.

But the child had immediately imitated Derus’s Crescent Moon Art, a martial art created to fight against me, and used it to return Ramiel’s corpse to where it belonged.

The brilliance of his genius and the boldness that made my heart tremble truly inspired awe.

‘A blessing indeed.’

To think that such a child could be born under someone as sinful as myself made me feel both grateful and regretful that I hadn’t been there for him sooner.

“In-law”

Glenn glanced at the unconscious Rector lying on the ground and gave a faint smile.

“It seems our grandson has far surpassed the two of us.”

He nodded, restoring Rector’s energy to help him recover.

“Grandfather!”

Raon, having firmly pinned Ramiel’s corpse in place so it wouldn’t vanish, ran toward Glenn.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Glenn nodded calmly. His mind had been shaken by Derus, but thanks to Raon, it had settled completely. Now, his head was clearer than ever.

“He pushed himself hard, but this one is also safe, fortunately.”

He nodded, saying Rector was also alright.

“Though… he’s lost his arm,a swordsman’s very life.”

Glenn let out a quiet sigh as he looked at Rector’s empty right shoulder.

“It’ll be fine.”

Raon shook his head gently as he carefully touched the bandages around Rector’s shoulder.

“Grandfather is a strong man.”

“…Yes. You’re right.”

Glenn met Raon’s eyes, eyes full of trust toward both him and Rector, and nodded.

“I believe so too.”

The fear of parting from those I loved had been so great that I had driven my body and soul deep into the earth like a stake, forcing myself to resist ascension.

But seeing my remarkable grandson, and thinking of the precious people still protecting our house, my resolve finally hardened.

In the war to come a year from now, once I fulfill my duty, I feel I can leave this world without any regrets.

“Thank you.”

Glenn placed a gentle hand on Raon’s shoulder with a calm smile.

“Thanks to you, my heart is finally at peace.”

 

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