The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1257

 Chapter 1257

 

Hwaaaaah!

A chill wind swept across the field where Runaan and Syria Sullion’s final battle had ended.

The living had gone, the dead remained, but a vile energy clung to the plain, so thick that even with corpses lying everywhere, no wild animals or monsters dared come near.

Drdrdrk!

As the moon climbed past the midpoint of the darkened sky, raindrops began to fall on the scattered armor of Syria Sullion and Eden’s executives.

As rain hammered against dented helmets and shattered breastplates, the blackened reeds swayed ever so slightly.

Ssshhh.

From between the bent stalks, a man wearing a bear-shaped mask slowly pushed himself upright. He used sorcery to fuse his mask, split clean in half, back together, his eyes rolling from side to side as he checked his surroundings.

“Haa….”

The sorcerer known as the Bear Alteration Demon, granted both that name and the mask by Eden, pressed a hand to the wounds on his neck and chest and let out a long breath of relief.

“So I lived. No… I suppose it’s more accurate to say I died and came back.”

The moment Runaan Sullion’s shards of frost pierced his body, I knew there was no way out. So I immediately cast a spell on myself, plunging into a deathlike state and playing dead.

If they’d examined me properly, I would’ve been caught, but luckily, the Zieghart bastards had been too focused on Syria Sullion to spare me a second glance.

“At least I’m alive… for now.”

The Bear Alteration Demon bit down hard on his lip as he smeared a healing potion over his wounds.

“This hurts like hell.”

Runaan Sullion’s attacks were on an entirely different level from ordinary swordsmanship. They were hard enough to block, but worse than that, the pain alone was enough to rob you of your senses. Once you took a hit, the outcome of the fight was practically decided.

“You stupid Evil Goat Demon bastard. No, Syria Sullion!”

The Bear Alteration Demon ground his teeth as he stared at Syria Sullion’s corpse, eyes rolled back.

“To be so confident, only to die at the hands of your own younger sister without even killing Raon.”

Syria Sullion had claimed that Runaan Sullion was completely within his grasp, that with just a bit of sorcery he could control her perfectly.

Instead, he’d been cut down by her sword, and even in death, he was trapped in the Frozen Hell, condemned to endless suffering. Even now, he was probably screaming in agony.

“Should I go back…?”

The Bear Alteration Demon frowned as he pushed himself to his feet.

“No. That won’t work. I might be executed on the spot for disobeying orders.”

After instructing Eden’s demons to remain at headquarters for a year, the Heavenly Demon had gone into seclusion.

But the Bear Alteration Demon had defied that order, followed Syria Sullion out of the headquarters, and attacked Zieghart territory.

If he returned to Eden like this, the Heavenly Demon’s followers would tear his limbs off and toss him to the dogs.

“Then I’ll have to use those children.”

To ensnare Runaan, he had imprisoned spiritually gifted children inside a sorcerously constructed dream world. If he took them with him as sacrifices, he could secure his own survival.

‘Yes. That was the way.’

If I simply ran, I might live, but I’d never achieve my wish. It was a wish I’d been willing to join hands with someone like Syria Sullion to fulfill. No matter what, I had to return to Eden and reclaim my standing.

“Haa….”

The Bear Alteration Demon stripped off his blood-soaked robe and pulled on a fresh one.

“First, I need to secure the children.”

He tossed the ruined robes onto the scorched earth and turned away.

Whoooosh!

Shrouding his entire body in sorcery, the Bear Alteration Demon sprinted westward. He climbed a nearby mountain and stopped in front of a cave reeking of an ogre’s foul stench.

“No matter how many times I come here, I never get used to this smell.”

This stench was used as a material for sorcery and at the same time had the effect of driving away beasts or monsters, but no matter how many times he smelled it, it was an irritating odor.

“Hff….”

Pinching his nose shut, the Bear Alteration Demon stepped into the cave. After walking for a long time along a path into which not a single ray of light entered, a space wide like a cavern appeared.

Whooo.

Under dim, firefly-like light, children lay scattered across the floor, their faces pale. Since all of them lived on hard stone, their entire bodies were covered with bruises and wounds from being scraped and scratched.

"They're useful enough, but..."

The Bear Alteration Demon smacked his lips as he inspected them.

“But none of them compare to Ruzel.”

Ruzel had been perfect, ideal as a sacrifice, and exceptionally talented at escaping.

The others were talented too, but losing the best one still stung.

“Still, I can at least give them low-grade masks or helmets.”

With a sigh, the Bear Alteration Demon lashed his staff against the cave wall.

Kyaaang!

A sound like shattering glass rang out from the tip of the staff, and the children’s eyes snapped open all at once.

“All of you, get up!”

The Bear Alteration snarled fiercely as he looked down at the children. His attitude was that of dealing not with people, but with animals.

“Eek!”

“Y-yes!”

“I—I’ll get up!”

The children scrambled in terror, as though long accustomed to his abuse. Some moved too fast, scraping their skin against the stone and earning fresh wounds.

“We’re leaving this place. Prepare to move.”

A cold breath leaked from behind the Bear Alteration Demon’s mask.

“Pardon…?”

“Prepare to move?”

“W-where are we going?”

“Um, where did Sir Evil Goat Demon go?”

Confusion rippled through the children at the sudden order.

“Evil Goat Demon is dead. And—”

The Bear Alteration Demon grabbed the head of the child who had spoken, fingers digging into the small skull.

“Do I really have to explain everything to the likes of you?”

Telling them to stop talking nonsense and prepare to leave, he pointed to the sorcery items piled up behind them.

“Stop talking and get ready.”

“Y-yes!”

“I—I’m sorry!”

“We’ll prepare immediately!”

The children bowed their heads in terror and ran backward to clear away the sorcery items that had been prepared to create the dream world.

It was obvious how much effort he’d put into trapping Runaan, there were dozens of items, each one leaking a sinister energy.

“Hey.”

The Bear Alteration Demon frowned at one child who remained kneeling, unmoving. The youngest and smallest of them all, the child stared blankly into empty space, as if entranced.

“Didn’t you hear me? Move, now!”

The Bear Alteration Demon shoved his masked face close and barked at him.

“……”

But the child didn’t react, as though he couldn’t even see the Bear Alteration Demon.

“You little—!”

Just as the Bear Alteration Demon lost patience and raised his staff—

“Behind you….”

The child lifted a small finger and pointed past him.

“What? Behind me? What’s—”

As the Bear Alteration Demon turned to look—

Kwaaaang!

A thunderous crash, like exploding stone, echoed through the cave as the Bear Alteration Demon was slammed into the wall.

“Guh—!”

Blood spilled from his mouth as he lifted his head, and froze.

Before him stood someone who should not have been there.

A handsome young man with blond hair and red eyes. The greatest on the continent, no, across all ages. A peerless existence who had earned the title Sword Emperor before even reaching his thirties. His red eyes opened calmly.

“R-Raon Zieghart!”

The Bear Alteration Demon’s bluish lips trembled violently, his shock seemingly greater than his pain at Raon’s completely unexpected appearance.

"How... how are you here..."

As if unable to believe the situation, he kept repeating words about how this was impossible.

“So this is where you cast the sorcery on Runaan.”

Raon swept his gaze across the cave, a cold smile playing on his lips.

“That stench alone tells me enough. This whole place is steeped in filth.”

The cave was enormous, but because it had not been maintained, sharp stones were embedded everywhere. Between them hung sorcery items that spewed dreadful energy of death, and children who could neither eat nor wash were trembling from cold and hunger. It seemed as if this place was hell in the human world.

“Don’t touch those dirty things.”

Raon gently waved his hand, asking the children to put down what they were holding.

“Ah… okay.”

“Y-yes.”

The children nodded, as if seeing hope for the first time, and carefully set down the sorcery items they’d been carrying.

Hwaaaaaah!

Raon snapped his fingers, and crimson flames erupted from the ground, swallowing every last sorcery item scattered throughout the cave.

“N-no! Those can’t be replaced—!”

“Shut up.”

Raon lifted his foot and slammed it down onto the Bear Alteration Demon’s face as he flailed his hands.

Boooom!

His mask shattered again, revealing the man’s face beneath, his nose crushed upward like a pig’s.

“Guhhh…!”

The Bear Alteration Demon trembled violently, shards of the mask embedded in his skin. Judging by how he couldn’t even move his arm or shoulder properly, several bones were already broken.

“Ahh….”

“Hng….”

The children bit down on their lips, tears spilling over as they watched the one who had tormented them kneel helplessly, and the sorcery items burn to ash.

"I didn't expect a child to be able to see me."

Ignoring the Bear Alteration Demon crawling on the floor, Raon walked over to the child who had first noticed him and met his gaze.

“You’ve got good eyes.”

He took the child’s hand, rough as tree bark, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Mister….”

The child slowly parted bruised, bluish lips.

“Are you going to hurt us too?”

The question came without fear, the child’s calm eyes far too used to pain.

‘……’

Raon didn't say a word. He simply pulled the child into a hug. That one question told him everything he needed to know about the suffering they had endured. No further words were necessary.

“It might hurt,” he said quietly, patting the child’s back. “I can’t promise to take responsibility for every part of your lives, but….”

He shook his head.

“At the very least, I’ll help you live as people.”

At first, he’d thought about bringing them in as Zieghart warriors. But these children had suffered too much. More than anything, he wanted them to have the freedom to choose their own lives.

“Evelyn.”

Raon turned, and Evelyn emerged from the shadows.

“These children—”

“You don’t have to say it. I know exactly what you want.”

Evelyn smiled, saying she could feel it without him explaining.

“I’ll be careful and take them to Zieghart so they won’t be scared or in pain.”

Telling him not to worry, she stepped toward the children.

“Come on, gather around big sis!”

As Evelyn beamed and spread her arms, the children flinched and leaned back.

As expected, kids notice everything. They can tell that woman’s completely unhinged!

Wrath cackled, finding the reaction entirely expected.

“They’re still scared, I guess. Makes sense, I did pop out of nowhere.”

Evelyn smacked her lips and twirled her finger. Candy and snacks suddenly rained down from the air.

“Huh…?”

“Is that…?”

“C-candy?”

“There are snacks too!”

As if enchanted, the children blinked and slowly approached Evelyn.

“Knew it! This always works on kids! To think they’d ignore a beautiful big sister like me!”

Though clearly wounded in pride, Evelyn laughed and tossed them even more candy and snacks.

Seriously….

Wrath shook his head in disbelief.

How pathetic. The only person to leave the kids with is that madwoman.

He sighed, muttering that Martha might actually be better at taking care of children.

‘That works well enough.’

Raon smiled faintly as he watched the children chewing on candy and snacks.

‘That side’s settled, then….’

He clicked his tongue and walked toward the Bear Alteration Demon, who was frozen in terror, unable to move.

“I—I don’t know anything!”

The Bear Alteration Demon shook his bowed head frantically toward Raon’s legs, not even daring to look at his face.

“This was all Syria Sullion’s doing! I was just following his orders, casting sorcery—”

“The Light Wind Palace already took care of that,” Raon said calmly, waving it off.

“You….”

He looked down at the Bear Alteration Demon with red eyes that carried something far deeper than fear.

“You said you were going back to Eden, didn’t you?”

 

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