The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1179

 Chapter 1179

 

What was the heart?

Everyone possessed one, yet most were unable to make use of its power.

Even warriors and mages who have reached Transcendence fail to properly understand it and merely use it as will.  But now, at last, I had come to understand, at least a little, what the heart truly was.

The power that allows me to be myself.

The power that lets me live as Raon Zieghart alone, without being swayed by others—that power was the heart.

But I did not possess only the life of Raon Zieghart. Assassin Raon. That hellish life, in which I had never once faced the light from the moment I was born, was also melted into my heart.

Raon Zieghart, who pursued life and was wrapped in bright light, and Raon, who followed death and was shrouded in dark shadows. Because both lives were myself, I wanted the new sword to contain them all.

Heart Sword, Die to Live.

A blade that held both of my lives drove itself deep into the Dragon Lord’s soul.

Beeeooooong!

Because the sword had pierced the Dragon Lord’s soul, no physical sound should have been heard. And yet, everyone present could hear a chilling sound, as though a blade had been driven straight into a heart.

[Kwaooooooo!]

The Dragon Lord screamed as if he were in even greater pain than when he suffered the backlash of absolute authority magic, golden scales falling from his entire body as he let out a howl that seemed capable of tearing the dimension apart.

[Th-this isn’t… urrgh!]

The Dragon Lord let out a feral growl, as though he were no longer a dragon, but truly some kind of wild lizard.

“……”

Raon quietly watched the Dragon Lord crawling across the ground, cold light flashing in his eyes.

‘I finally contained it.’

My previous life and my present life, two lives of different natures. I had always held the desire to melt those two lives into a single sword, and I had finally achieved it.

A powerful exhilaration I had never felt before sent a chill down my spine.

‘To think the Dragon Lord would be the one to help me grow.’

In truth, I had adapted too deeply to my present life and had forgotten much of my past one. Even though I knew my former life could be of help, I had been unable to fuse it easily, until the Dragon Lord pronounced death, and the situation changed.

Buried in soul-devouring sand, waiting for death, I recalled the final moments of my previous life, when I had been caught in Derus’s grasp, unable to do anything. As the hellish memory of being beheaded by my master replayed in my mind, I was finally able to feel, with my soul, what death truly was.

Even now, Die to Live was not a completed sword. If I were to accept life and death in finer detail and further hone the sword, then one day it would become a true Heart Sword, one capable of tearing apart even Derus Robert’s soul.

Woooooong!

Holding such expectations, Raon tightly gripped the hilt of the Heart Sword. Though no sound should have existed, it felt as though a clear sword resonance rang within his ears.

Ghhh…

Wrath smacked his lips, frowning.

N-not bad. The blade has become just a little sharper.

Though he clearly did not want to admit it, he averted his gaze, acknowledging it as a fairly decent sword.

Still, you have a long way to go. With that level of Heart Sword, you won’t be able to cut down Demon Kings or Archangels. If that lizard hadn’t been weakened, it wouldn’t have gone in properly!

Wrath snorted, saying he needed to grow far more than this.

‘You shouted my name in a panic, and now you’re starting again.’

Raon chuckled softly, recalling Wrath who had shouted his name in panic with worry in his eyes.

W-what nonsense are you talking about?!

Wrath screamed like a baby bird.

The King of Essence merely felt like shouting, that’s all!

Wrath shook his trembling chin, claiming it wasn’t because he was worried about Raon.

‘I’m not teasing you.’

Raon waved his hand lightly.

‘I just wanted to say thank you.’

From Wrath’s frantic shout, I could feel how deep his worry was. It felt as though I had become inseparably bound to the Demon King of Wrath, like family.

Ghhh…

Wrath rolled his eyes around like balls and let out a low groan.

Th-Thank you for what! The King of Essence just gave it a little thought because a pet like you is pitiful!

Blushing in embarrassment, he turned his head toward the Dragon Lord.

[Grrr…]

The Dragon Lord was breathing heavily, white foam at his mouth. From the sword marks carved across his body, black blood carrying the weight of death gushed out.

But why isn’t that thing dead?

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he watched the Dragon Lord in pain.

He pronounced the authority of death with that pathetic dragon-word magic, but it failed, and with your grown Heart Sword piercing his soul, he should have been dead long ago!

He tilted his head, unable to understand.

Even if your Heart Sword is still weak and that thing’s a lizard that lived for ten thousand years, it should’ve died ages ago.

Finding it too strange, Wrath examined the Dragon Lord more closely.

W-wait. Don’t tell me…

‘That’s right.’

Raon nodded as he looked at the panting Dragon Lord.

‘I’m deliberately keeping him alive.’

Just as Wrath had sensed, the Dragon Lord should have died long ago. The absolute authority magic that dealt with death failed and rebounded on him, and with his soul pierced by the Heart Sword, that conclusion was entirely correct.

So that Heart Sword really isn’t an ordinary one after all!

‘Yes. Die to Live is a special Heart Sword.’

The Heart Sword, Die to Live, is literally a sword that governs life and death. Driving the sword into an enemy’s soul is more difficult than with an ordinary Heart Sword, but once it succeeds, the fight ends in that very moment.

‘Because I can control the enemy’s life and death.’

At this very moment, I could end the Dragon Lord’s breath instantly, or keep him alive for years, subjecting him to endless suffering.

Right now, the Dragon Lord was no different from an insect resting on the palm of my hand.

W-what kind of insane sword is that!

Wrath shouted in disbelief.

Isn’t that completely broken?!

He furrowed his brow deeply, demanding to know why such an ability existed.

‘That’s why using the sword is extremely difficult.’

Raon shook his head, saying that its effectiveness was simply proportional to its difficulty.

Still, isn’t it too good? That is… hmm?

Wrath looked at the Dragon Lord again, lowering his gaze slightly.

The energy lodged in that lizard’s chest feels strangely familiar…

Tilting his chin from side to side, he muttered that something felt off.

‘That will be revealed soon.’

Raon, clearly already aware, approached the Dragon Lord with heavy steps.

“Have you screamed enough?”

Raon twisted his lips as he stepped on the Dragon Lord’s head, sprawled on the ground.

“Then let’s begin.”

*   *   *

[Lord!]

[O Lord!]

[You must not fall to a mere human!]

[Please rise!]

Dragons that had rushed over in desperation to save the Dragon Lord charged in, roaring and screaming wildly.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Martha did not miss the opportunity and cut off more than half of the thick neck of the Gold Dragon she was brawling with.

“That must feel refreshing!”

She sneered mockingly at the dragon as chunks of flesh were torn from its neck.

[Kraaaaagh!]

The Gold Dragon, with its neck flesh torn away, screamed and retreated.

“Dragons aren’t always rational, it seems.”

Following closely behind Martha, Burren cut off the escape route of the gold dragon and severed its breath.

Puuuuck!

To be certain, he drove his sword in and tore out the Dragon Heart as well.

[Grk…!]

The Gold Dragon, which had recently entered the ranks of ancient dragons, collapsed lifelessly onto the ground without managing a single proper act of resistance as it tried to approach the Lord.

“Hah! He really pulled it off in the end.”

Martha let out a hollow laugh as she looked at Raon, who was stepping on the Dragon Lord’s head.

“It was only natural that Raon would take down the Lord, and thanks to that, and thanks to that, we also earned the achievement of slaying an ancient dragon.”

Burren exhaled in relief as he looked at the neck of the ancient dragon he and Martha had killed.

“Uaaaah! More magic is raining down! When does this end?!”

Dorian couldn’t even think about charging the dragons and was busy dodging spells raining down one after another, but he blocked the path like a guardian protecting the dimensional rift. He was afraid, terrified, but he was determined to protect Raon to the very end.

“You held out well.”

Evelyn seized the moment when the dragons’ attention shifted to Dorian and activated mana control magic, restraining two dragons weaker than herself at the same time.

[W-what?!]

[M-My mana has slipped out of my control!]

For the first time since their birth, the dragons found themselves in a situation where their own mana was being suppressed. Panic surfaced in their eyes.

“Disappear.”

As Evelyn clenched her hand, the necks of the dragons under her control burst open, and their Dragon Hearts popped out.

“The roses bloomed beautifully.”

She brushed the backs of her blood-soaked hands over the dragons’ scales, which looked like blooming roses, and smiled brightly.

[C-Crazy human….]

The Red Dragon Balasiur moved away from Evelyn little by little, seemingly afraid of her.

[And that guy is even crazier!]

Looking at Raon subduing the Dragon Lord, he muttered that humans were terrifying.

[Seems the battle maniac dragon has found something to fear!]

The Blue Dragon Sirtiren burst into laughter as she struck away a White Dragon of similar size with her wing.

[We really underestimated humans!]

She smacked her lips slowly, saying the future was going to be far more interesting.

[To think the Lord would fall so easily!]

The Black Dragon Dariauran let out a hollow laugh.

[If I’d known, I would’ve taken him on myself!]

Clicking his tongue, he suppressed a frail adult dragon with poison.

[Hmph! You would’ve been pierced through the entire body by the sword of light the moment you approached the Lord, and died!]

The White Dragon Bursiarabi sneered.

[This result came about because Raon Zieghart was strong.]

He slowly nodded his chin in a solemn manner, as if he had now fully acknowledged Raon.

“Raon Zieghart….”

The Gold Dragon Bartius pressed his lips together as he looked at Raon’s straightened back. Placing a hand over his chest, he bowed deeply.

“Thank you,”

for protecting the convictions of us dragons.

*   *   *

[Wh-What are you saying you will start.]

The Dragon Lord spoke, his eyes trembling with fear.

“What else would it be? An interrogation.”

Raon waved his hand lightly with a faint smile.

“There are quite a few things I’m curious about.”

As he rolled his wrist, he said it would be better to answer properly.

[You wretched insect!]

The Dragon Lord lifted his gaze, his jaw quivering finely. As if much of the pain had subsided, he let out a mocking laugh.

[I am the king of dragons! Even if I die by your hand, I will not— Kuuaaaaagh!]

Shouting that he would die with dignity, the Dragon Lord suddenly screamed like a man struck by lightning as pain surged through him.

“Your life and death are both decided by me.”

Raon pointed Heavenly Drive at the Dragon Lord’s neck, where the Dragon Heart was embedded.

“If I don’t allow it, you can’t die even if you want to.”

He lowered his hand as he halted the Heart Sword that was tearing apart the Dragon Lord’s soul.

[Aaah…]

True to his insidious nature, the Dragon Lord seemed to grasp the situation instantly, letting out a hoarse groan as he looked at Raon.

[The sword you drove into my soul….]

“That’s right. That sword is controlling your life. I can kill you right now, or keep you trapped in agony until I die.”

Curling his lips upward, Raon said the fight was already over.

[T-That’s impossible!]

The Dragon Lord lashed the ground with his tail.

[Glenn Zieghart, and you as well! Why does the sky grant such power to mere humans! Creatures that can’t even live a hundred years!]

He looked up at the sky and screamed. From his broken, halting voice, deep and intense jealousy and envy could be felt.

[Uaaaaargh!]

“Shut up.”

[Nggh….]

When Raon muttered for him to shut up, the Dragon Lord cut off his scream and clamped his mouth shut.

“From now on, I’ll be asking the questions. All you have to do is answer.”

Smacking his lips briefly, Raon stared into the Dragon Lord’s trembling eyes.

“Why were you trying to kill humans?”

There were many things he needed to ask the Dragon Lord, but he brought up the question he was most curious about first. Even now, he honestly could not understand why the Dragon Lord hated humans or why he had sided with the archangels.

[Hng….]

The Dragon Lord kept his mouth tightly shut, as if he had no intention of speaking.

“That only hurts you.”

As Raon tilted his chin, the Heart Sword embedded in the Dragon Lord’s soul began to rampage again.

[Krooooooaaah!]

Overwhelmed by the intensified pain, the Dragon Lord clutched his head and screamed.

[S-Stop! Please stop!]

As if he could not endure the pain of his soul being torn apart, he begged for it to stop.

“Hmm.”

Raon halted the raging Heart Sword and once again looked into the Dragon Lord’s eyes.

“Speak. Why did you hate humans?”

[T-That’s….]

Despite the terrible pain he had suffered, the Dragon Lord did not open his mouth right away. It seemed to be a reason that was truly difficult to speak of.

However, there was no reason for Raon to wait for it.

“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. Let’s see who wins.”

Raon brushed his hands off and was about to move the Heart Sword again.

Woooooong!

A green dimensional gate opened above the Dragon Lord’s eyes.

“Ahh, I prepared for so long, so which bastard interfered with my plans?!”

From within the dimensional gate, a green-haired woman with a delicate appearance twisted her red lips as she leapt out.

“I barely managed to blind him over long years by exploiting the envy lodged in his chest…. and now—huh? Gasp!”

The moment she made eye contact with Raon, she froze, her mouth falling open as if she realized she had come to the wrong place.

“Oh?”

Raon bared his white teeth as he looked at the flustered green-haired beauty, waving his hand with exaggerated friendliness.

“Well, who do we have here?”

 

Advance Chapters