The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1253

 Chapter 1253

 

“Mmhh….”

Runaan frowned slightly as she opened her eyes. She wanted to keep sleeping, but the sound of someone sobbing wouldn’t stop, making it impossible to drift back off.

‘What…?’

She slowly pushed herself up and turned her head toward the source of the noise.

‘Why is someone crying…? Huh? A village?

Where am I?’

She was sure she’d been trying to break through Martha and Burren to kill Eden’s demon, the one that had destroyed Birdnew village. So why was she standing in a village she’d never seen before.

‘I’ve definitely never been here before…’

And yet, it felt strangely familiar.

The village where she’d woken up wasn’t large, but it was unusual, vivid flowers and carefully tended gardens spread wide across its center.

She’d never visited this place, yet somehow the village itself felt intimate. More than that, it felt like she knew exactly where everything was, who lived where, as if it were all etched into her memory.

“Ugh….”

Runaan lifted her stiff leg and stood up.

‘But why are people crying?’

A crowd had gathered in the center of the village, all of them gazing at something while quietly sobbing, as if someone had died.

‘Who could it be…?’

She frowned and walked toward the center of the gathering.

“A child…?”

In the middle of the village, surrounded by colorful flowerbeds, lay a young boy. He was clearly dead, completely motionless, his shoulder and chest drenched in blood as if he’d been stabbed.

“Th-this child… I killed, ah!”

Runaan had just recognized the boy’s face and was about to say, in a trembling voice, that she’d killed him, when the vibrant flowers of the garden suddenly turned pitch-black, forming a grotesque shape beneath her feet.

Wooooooong!

The shape mirrored the sorcery Runaan was standing on in reality, perfectly inverted, as if reflected in a looking glass.

Dream Illusion Sorcery.

An ancient sorcery that inverts dream and reality had been completed.

“Aah!”

Runaan clutched her head, letting out a hoarse groan.

‘Wh-what is this…?’

Information about this place and the people here flooded her mind like a tidal wave. The sheer volume of memories and emotions left her unable to move.

‘I… I am…’

Unable to endure the bizarre power produced by the sorcery, Runaan collapsed to her knees. Runaan dropped to her knees and collapsed. The wall she had built up in her mind crumbled, and new information engulfed her soul.

‘That’s right…’

She sucked in a sharp breath, clenching her fists.

‘I lived in this village.’

Now she remembered. In reality, she’d been a swordswoman who protected this village. In her dreams, she’d lived as a swordsman from some unknown, vicious house.

"Big sister Runaan."
"Sister Runaan."

“Runaan….”

The villagers called her name with reddened eyes, as if begging her for help.

“Ruzel….”

Runaan bit her lip hard as she spoke the dead child’s name.

“Why did this child have to die?”

As if she’d completely lost the memory of killing him herself, anger flared across her face.

“Hoo….”

From behind the crowd, a sorcerer wearing a bear-shaped mask took another step back. He let out a quiet sigh of relief, convinced the sorcery he’d cast on Runaan had worked perfectly.

“What crime did Ruzel ever commit?”

Runaan clenched her lips tightly. Ruzel had been a pure, kind child who loved playing tag more than anything. She couldn’t understand why someone like him had to die so horribly.

“Th-the demons did it!”

“Demons with swords did this to Ruzel…!”

“Please, take revenge! Sister, Runaan!”

“Freeze all those bastards who came at us with swords, lock them away in ice!”

The villagers spoke one after another, as if following a script, shouting for her to avenge Ruzel. Yet beneath their words, fear and terror glimmered in their eyes.

“Runaan.”

Raon appeared from nowhere and walked toward her.

“Let’s take revenge. On Zieghart.”

He whispered that she had to kill all the swordsmen of Zieghart, squeezing her hand tightly.

“…Yeah.”

Runaan ground her teeth and lifted her head.

“We have to pay them back in kind.”

Confusing dream and reality, she clenched her fists, vowing to avenge the child she herself had killed.

“Yes! We trust you, big sister!”

“You can do it!”

“Poor Ruzel….”

Once again, the people put on a flawless performance, drawing Runaan deeper into this wretched play.

“Don’t worry….”

She nodded firmly, agreeing to do exactly what they wanted, avenge Ruzel.

“Good. Let’s do this together, my lovely little sister.”

Raon’s face twisted grotesquely, transforming into the image of Syria Sullion. Saying they would do it together, he pulled Runaan into an embrace.

“Yeah. For sure….”

Even as Raon became Syria Sullion, Runaan showed no reaction at all, simply clenching her fists.

‘It’s over.’

The sorcerer in the bear mask lowered his chin as he watched Runaan swear vengeance.

‘She can’t come back anymore.’

Runaan had fallen completely into the sorcery he had cast. In her current state, even if the real Raon, the one she truly trusted, appeared, there was no saving her.

‘That took a while.’

The spell that had ensnared Runaan was the unique ability of Bear Alteration Demon, the bear-wolf sorcerer’s mask he was wearing.

It was a vicious ancient sorcery that dragged the target into a dream world, slowly rotted their soul, then inverted dream and reality to brainwash them. Once caught, almost no one could escape.

‘Honestly, I didn’t expect it to work on a warrior of her level.’

This ancient curse was notoriously difficult to cast successfully.

However, Syria Sullion knew the human called Runaan far too well, and by planting a spy within house Sullion, we had barely managed to succeed.

‘Now those things aren’t needed anymore.’

The Bear Alteration Demon frowned as he looked at the humans surrounding Runaan.

‘She’s become a true resident of this dream now.’

The people currently around Runaan were humans who actually existed in reality.

To lure her in, I had forcibly dragged pleasant-looking people into this dream world, but from now on, I could simply create dream humans with his sorcery, so these people were no longer necessary.

‘Still, it’s a shame that kid died.’

The Bear Alteration Demon clicked his tongue as he glanced at the boy Ruzel, whom Runaan had killed.

‘He was useful.’

Ruzel had been useless in combat, but exceptional at running away. That’s why I had given him the forest wild rabbit helmet and tasked him with leading Runaan here. He was destined to die by her hand anyway, but his talent made it a bit regrettable.

‘No, now there’s no need to hide, so I can find as many talents like Ruzel as I want.’

Once Syria Sullion became one with Runaan, there would be nothing left to fear, we could openly call forth Eden’s forces, abducting talented individuals from across the continent as we pleased.

‘This place is finished. Reality should be getting cleaned up too.’

Both he and Syria Sullion who were present here were avatar bodies created by splitting their souls. Reality was left to their main bodies. All he had to do was stay here and keep Runaan calm.

‘Now then, one last thing…’

The Bear Alteration Demon raised his staff toward Runaan—

Crack, crack, crack!

A jet-black fissure split across the sky above the village, where warm sunlight had been shining.

“Huh…?”

“Wh-why is the sky…?”

“W-what’s happening?”

The villagers trembled in fear, shaken by something they were experiencing for the first time since entering this world.

“What is this?!”

“…Impossible.”

The Bear Alteration Demon and Syria Sullion gaped in shock at the impossible sight.

“……”

Runaan alone showed no reaction. With narrowed eyes, she silently watched the sky split wider and wider.

Kwaaaaaaah!

At last, the fractured sky shattered completely, and from above, torrents of crimson blood poured down like a raging tide.

Kuuuuuuuuuh!

An overwhelming sea of blood swallowed the village, and from above that sticky crimson ocean, a black-haired, black-eyed beauty came crashing down.

“Haa….”

Martha Zieghart, the swords­woman of Zieghart who had been stabbed while trying to save Runaan, opened her eyes within the dream world.

“Damn you, Evelyn!”

She shouted while roughly kicking the sea of blood as if she didn’t like it.

"Making an entrance like this makes me look like an actual demon!"

*  *   *

“So this is the dream world, huh.”

Martha curled her lips as she faced Runaan, who was staring back at her in silence.

“Lots of flowers, pretty buildings, not bad. I get why you didn’t want to wake up.”

Evelyn had suspected that Runaan had been exposed to malice through her dreams and created an artifact to enter that world. It seemed she’d been right, Martha had been dragged into this bizarre place the moment she put the bracelet on.

“A demon!”

“A blood-soaked demon!”

“That demon killed Ruzel!”

“Big sister Runaan!”

The villagers pointed at Martha, screaming that she was an evil demon and begging Runaan for help. Naturally, they were only following the Bear Alteration Demon’s orders.

“Runaan.”

Syria Sullion gripped Runaan’s shoulder, frowning.

“For me… kill that demon.”

It seemed he couldn’t use his power here, so instead of stepping in himself, he asked Runaan to fight.

“…Okay.”

Runaan nodded and stepped forward.

“Leave it to me.”

She unleashed a cold, killing intent toward Martha, as if she couldn’t even recognize the comrade, and friend with whom she had shared life and death.

“Wow. You really don’t recognize me anymore? This is driving me insane.”

Martha let out a heavy sigh, irritation plain on her face.

“It’s over. Runaan’s completely become a resident of this place.”

The resident of the dream world shook his head, claiming Runaan was now one of them.

"With that bitch acting like that, it's not an exaggeration to say it's over. But there's something you don't know."

Martha glanced at the crimson blood flooding the village and the sky cracked open in black.

“This world isn’t perfect anymore.”

This dream world had originally been a flawless trap meant to ensnare Runaan, but Martha’s intrusion had shattered that perfection. Now it was nothing more than a grotesque world formed from the combined mental images of multiple humans.

“I’ll avenge Ruzel.”

Still seemingly bewitched by this world, Runaan swung her sword toward Martha, frost scattering through the air.

“In a place like this….”

Martha smirked and charged straight at her.

“I won’t be pushed back!”

She slashed upward, splitting apart every shard of frost raining down like a storm.

“…Huh.”

Runaan frowned slightly, startled by Martha’s powerful yet precise swordsmanship.

"Burren isn't the only one who’s changed. I worked my ass off swinging my sword, too!"

Just as Burren had learned evasion technique using the wind, Martha, with her mother’s help, had erased the gaps in her own swordsmanship.

In this world where one fought with the soul rather than the difference between aura and flesh, she would absolutely not lose to Runaan.

“I’ll win. No, I will win….”

Runaan’s voice dropped to a chill as she thrust her sword forward. Her blade shone pure white, summoning a colossal blizzard that threatened to devour the entire dream world.

“No matter how big your technique is….”

Martha curled the corner of her mouth as she ran straight into the center of the blizzard storm Runaan had created.

“If there’s no substance behind it, it means nothing!”

She slammed her sword down with all her strength, crushing the blizzard Runaan had unleashed and causing it to burst apart.

Kwaaaaaang!

Because it was soul clashing against soul, a terrifying shockwave erupted, tearing the cracks etched into the dream world even wider.

“Ugh….”

Runaan’s hand gripping her sword trembled violently, as if she had taken a massive shock from the clash with Martha.

“Don’t you find it strange that someone weaker than you is completely fine?”

Martha grinned as she looked down at her.

“It’s obvious. While you were sleeping, I was swinging my sword like my life depended on it! I might lose in body and aura, but my willpower will never break!”

To defeat Runaan, and to save her, Martha had trained her swordsmanship like a madwoman. In reality it would still be difficult, but in a place where their power was equalized, she had the advantage.

“S-stop her!”

Unable to hold back any longer, The Bear Alteration Demon stepped forward and waved his hand.

“Block that monster bitch! Don’t let her get close to Runaan!”

Chanting sorcery, he sent the dream’s residents forward, trying to form a wall of human bodies.

“…Ha.”

Martha frowned as she looked at the people blocking her path and the Bear Alteration Demon preparing his pitch-black sorcery behind them.

“So it was you, the filthy bastard who killed our swordsmen at the border.”

A vicious energy of death could be felt from that bear-masked sorcerer. She remembered how the land touched by his sorcery had rotted back in the real world, there was no doubt he was the one who had killed Zieghart’s swordsmen.

“You’ll rot and die soon too!”

The Bear Alteration Demon sneered, saying Martha would decay just the same.

“At first, I was planning to grab that witch by the collar for bringing back annoying memories...”

Martha closed her eyes for a moment as she looked at the blood soaking the dream world, then opened them again.

“But I guess I should thank her. Seems like that damned woman was trying to help me in her own way.”

She murmured a quiet thanks to Evelyn and lifted her head.

"What nonsense are you spouting! Die!"

The Bear Alteration Demon hurled black-burning flames, and the dream residents who received his command rushed toward Martha with crimson eyes blazing.

“This place is no longer your home—”

Martha slammed her sword into the blood-soaked ground, her gaze turning icy.

“—it’s my hell now.”

“Prison of Fiends!”

At her shout, the blood pooled across the village writhed as if alive.

Paaaaaaaah!

The blood surged upward, forming thin, blade-like strands that wrapped around the Bear Alteration Demon’s limbs and pinned the dream’s residents in place.

“Th-this is—gkrrrk!”

Syria Sullion, who had been hanging back, was bound by the blood and dragged down into a bottomless abyss.

“This, this can’t be happening! How is this possible…!”

The Bear Alteration Demon’s dried lips trembled as he screamed that such a thing was impossible.

“Impossible, huh….”

Martha approached him with a cold smile.

"I guess that damned witch really does have some skills."

To hear even the sorcerer who created this dream world call it impossible, yeah, the deal I made for this artifact was worth it.

“W-wait!”

“There is no waiting.”

Ignoring his plea, she slashed his throat cleanly.

“Ghk….”

The Bear Alteration Demon sank into the ground, eyes wide in disbelief, as if he’d never imagined he would die in this world.

“Aah….”

As the Bear Alteration Demon died, Runaan clutched her head, looking as though the shock had hit her all at once. Her eyes flickered between purple and black.

"Aaaarrrgh! No! You can't kill anyone!"

Runaan screamed that the people bound by blood must not be killed, spraying frost blades in all directions.

“Stupid bitch.”

Martha muttered that she’d finish this, then kicked off the fractured ground.

Huuuuuk!

After splitting apart all the frost Runaan had unleashed, she burrowed straight into Runaan’s space.

“Ugh!”

As befitted a swordswoman approaching Transcendence, Runaan reacted even in that instant and brought her sword down at Martha.

Crk-crk-crk!

Martha knocked Runaan’s sword aside and drove her sword straight into Runaan’s chest. Even though this wasn’t reality, she could feel the blade pierce flesh and bone.

“A… ah….”

Runaan let out a hoarse groan, coughing up black blood. The dark malice clouding her eyes receded, and her original pale purple slowly returned.

“M-Martha…?”

Only now seeming to have come to her senses, Runaan called Martha’s name, her eyes brightening.

“W-wait, I—I—!”

It wasn’t just that she had regained consciousness, it seemed she had also recovered all her memories, and her entire body trembled violently.

“So you’ve finally come to your senses?”

Martha let out a rough, exhausted sigh.

“Not bad. But still….”

She bared her teeth and clenched her fist.

“I can’t welcome you with a smile! I won’t feel satisfied unless I hit you once!”

Martha raised her fist and swung it with all her strength, smashing it into Runaan’s face.

Baaam!

Runaan flew backward, coughing up blood and rolling across the ground, as if she had suffered a greater shock than being stabbed by Martha’s sword.

“Ugh….”

She touched her swollen cheek where Martha had struck her, then forced herself to lift her head.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m really sorry….”

As if everything had finally come back to her, Runaan clenched her fists so hard that blood seeped out.

“I’ve had it rough, you know, having a stupid little sister like you.”

Martha pointed at herself and let out another weary sigh.

“But….”

She stepped closer to Runaan.

“Ugh….”

Runaan pressed her lips together tightly, as if bracing herself to be hit once more.

“I’ve been there too. So I can’t really blame you.”

Martha let out a short laugh. Looking at Runaan’s face, she was reminded of her own past, throwing herself into danger without a second thought to save her mother.

Thinking back on it now, she realized just how much Raon must have suffered back then.

“Runaan. Burren and I have carried things this far, so….”

Instead of hitting her again, Martha pulled Runaan into a gentle embrace with the hand she’d raised.

"I'll leave the rest to you."

She wiped the tears running down Runaan’s cheeks and nodded.

“You can do it, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Runaan clenched her fists, answering as if she fully understood what Martha meant.

“I trust you.”

As soon as Marta finished saying that she trusted her, even more blood poured out from the black fissures, and the dream world split into dozens of fragments and began to collapse.

“You know, right? You don’t even have the right to cry yet.”

Grinning crookedly, Martha shoved Runaan away through the sea of blood.

“Cry after it’s all over. No, let’s laugh.”

With Martha’s final words, Runaan’s vision sank into darkness.

Fwoooosh.

 

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