The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1273

 Chapter 1273

 

“No….”

Pride stared blankly at the space where the Heavenly Demon had vanished, blinking as if he couldn’t process what had just happened.

This is insane….

Even Wrath gaped like a stunned fish, clearly never expecting things to turn out this way.

“Hmm….”

Unlike the two Demon Kings, Raon looked perfectly calm as he smacked his lips.

“This puts things in a rather awkward spot.”

Suppressing the laughter threatening to escape, he stroked his neatly trimmed chin.

“That’s—”

“Actually, no. Now that I think about it, this counts as a settled match, doesn’t it? You accepted the wager, and after that, the Heavenly Demon refused. Seems pretty clear who won.”

He continued speaking before Pride could find a way to interrupt, calmly cornering him with logic he couldn’t easily refute.

“And surely the Monarch of Pride wouldn’t go back on the result of a wager once it’s been decided.”

Raon deliberately stressed the words “Monarch of Pride,” the corners of his mouth curling upward into a sly smile.

“Ghk….”

Because he had sworn on his own name, Pride couldn’t outright deny it. He merely ground his teeth hard enough to chew through his lips.

The flames flickering in his eyes made it obvious he was barely restraining the urge to destroy everything around him.

Y-you….

Wrath swallowed dryly as he stared at Raon.

Don’t tell me… you planned all of this from the start?

His lips trembled in disbelief.

‘It was simple.’

Raon shrugged as he looked at Pride, furious despite being the Monarch of Pride, and Wrath, who seemed more shaken than a Monarch of Wrath should ever be.

‘Every clue was in what you and Pride said. I just put the pieces together.’

Wrath and Pride were archrivals unlike any other in Devildom, yet despite fighting each other countless times, neither had ever managed to completely defeat the other.

And now those two Demon each had a human associated with them, it was only natural for the idea of making them fight each other to come up. Pride had probably been entertaining that thought himself all along, and the moment I suggested a duel while subtly stroking his pride, he fell right into my hands.

‘And the Heavenly Demon is even more predictable than Pride.’

If the Heavenly Demon had been the type to scheme and manipulate others like the Fallen or Derus, then by now even the Five Kings would have been nearly wiped out, and Zieghart itself might have suffered catastrophic destruction.

But the Heavenly Demon was different. He was singularly obsessed with pursuing strength, and the only person he truly cared about surpassing was Glenn Zieghart. He was so straightforward and unwavering that predicting his actions was almost laughably easy.

He’s insane….

Wrath’s chubby cheeks quivered.

T-This bastard is completely insane! What kind of monster even thinks this far ahead?!

Wrath’s eyes shook with genuine fear, as if he had never imagined Raon would manipulate even Pride so thoroughly.

“So?”

After glancing at Wrath for a moment, Raon slowly turned back to Pride.

“You’ll accept the result of the wager, won’t you? Monarch of Pride, Pride.”

Once again, he deliberately stressed the title.

“Grrr….”

Still unable to accept reality, Pride repeatedly clenched and unclenched his cauldron-sized fists.

Every time he clenched them, storms of flame erupted upward. Every time he loosened them, scorching winds blasted forth hot enough to sear skin.

“…….”

Yet Raon remained calm beneath the terrifying pressure radiating from him, waiting patiently for Pride to speak.

“You are correct. A forfeit still determines the outcome of a match. However!”

Pride finally forced the words out through clenched teeth.

“It’s only been twice! Normally, a participant’s name must be called three times before it counts as a forfeit!”

He raised a finger sharply, insisting that since this was a duel, the rules of a proper arena should apply here as well.

“I understand that logic, but why are you counting it as twice? The Heavenly Demon only refused you once, didn’t he?”

Raon had already expected Pride to resist admitting defeat somehow, but even he looked genuinely confused by the claim that it had already happened twice.

“Because the King of Essence opened the gate and that bastard didn’t appear!”

Pride ground his teeth, counting the Heavenly Demon’s failure to emerge the first time as one of the calls.

Judging by the terrifying heat pouring off his shoulders, he seemed genuinely furious with the Heavenly Demon. The surrounding air melted into shimmering waves.

“Hah….”

Raon let out a hollow laugh.

‘Petty… but somehow exactly what you’d expect from the Monarch of Pride.’

Refusing to admit defeat immediately didn’t suit the title of Monarch of Pride at all.

But counting the Heavenly Demon ignoring the first summons as one of the calls? That absolutely did.

Just like Wrath, Pride also seemed to be a Demon King with contradictory sides to his personality.

What a pathetic bastard!

Wrath wrinkled his nose in disgust.

That’s how he always does things! Every single time, when it looks like we’re finally about to settle things once and for all, he pulls some petty stunt like this and slips away from a clear conclusion!

Wrath shook his head furiously, grumbling that he would practically have the victory already in his hands, only for Pride to avoid a final outcome through some unbelievably petty loophole completely unfitting for someone who called himself the Monarch of Pride.

‘Yeah… I can believe that.’

Raon chuckled and nodded.

“Either way, the King of Essence still believe he has one chance left!”

Pride lifted his chin proudly, insisting that he should be allowed to call the Heavenly Demon one more time.

“Hm….”

Rather than answering immediately, Raon looked up into empty space.

W-what are you looking at?

Wrath blinked in confusion.

The King of Essence is right he—

“Lord Wrath has spoken.”

Ignoring Wrath completely despite him being right beside him, Raon turned back toward Pride.

“He says he’s willing to allow it. However…”

Raon raised a finger, his eyes blazing with an even fiercer heat than Pride’s.

“If the Heavenly Demon refuses again this time, then swear here and now that you will acknowledge the outcome and obey his command.”

Pointing directly at Pride’s heart, Raon spoke firmly.

W-When did the King of Essence ever say that?!

Wrath flailed his arms desperately, begging Raon to stop using him like this.

“Tch.”

Pride clicked his tongue and raised his chin.

“The King of Essence is the Monarch of Pride! Whether it is victory or defeat, there is no outcome he refuses to acknowledge!”

He spoke as if Raon had insulted him by even needing to say it aloud.

“And he will never end up obeying orders from that blue bastard!”

Pride nodded confidently, utterly certain he wouldn’t lose.

“Then go ahead. Call him.”

Raon folded his arms and stepped back.

“Fuuu….”

Despite his massive frame, Pride exhaled a strangely tense breath before bringing both hands together.

Rumbleee!

A gate of flames even larger and denser than before rose behind him.

Step.

The gigantic gate opened amidst lava-like fire, and the Heavenly Demon stepped through.

“What is it this time?”

The Heavenly Demon frowned at Pride, clearly irritated by being summoned repeatedly.

“As the king who saved your life, the King of Essence commands you.”

Pride pointed at him while unleashing a monstrous wave of pressure powerful enough to overwhelm even the Heavenly Demon. His will itself became flames, dyeing the entire surroundings into a blazing crimson palace of fire.

“Fight this human, who wields the power of <Wrath>.”

Pride sounded irritated as well. Unlike before, he did not bother explaining himself at length and simply ordered him to fight.

“…….”

For the first time, the Heavenly Demon’s gaze shifted to Raon.

His eyes glimmered briefly.

And that was all.

“No—”

“Listen before you say no!”

Pride cut him off again, frowning deeply.

“If you refuse to fight him, then you’ll fight me instead!”

He lifted his chin arrogantly, making it clear that another refusal would mean he himself would challenge the Heavenly Demon.

“Fight… you?”

The Heavenly Demon turned his eyes away from Raon and looked at Pride instead.

“Very well. Come.”

He nodded calmly, as though fighting Pride interested him far more than fighting Raon.

Rumbleee!

As if he truly meant it, the Heavenly Demon unleashed the combative energy he had been suppressing, releasing a terrifying pressure that rivaled Pride’s own.

Dark crimson heat and violent winds erupted around him, forcing back the blazing palace of flames Pride had created.

“You damned bastard!”

Pride stomped his foot and forcefully suppressed his flames, irritation written all over his face.

“What is wrong with you?! Could you not obey me just this once?!”

Grinding his teeth, he looked genuinely unable to understand the Heavenly Demon.

“When you first saved me, didn’t you say this?”

The Heavenly Demon slowly lowered his eyes as he looked at Pride.

“‘If you follow me, I will make you someone who loses to nothing in this world. I will give you a pride so absolute that even the heavens themselves will never make you kneel.’”

Repeating Pride’s own words back to him, he slowly opened his eyes again.

“I’m simply living exactly the way you wanted me to.”

The Heavenly Demon gave a calm nod, saying that the way he lived now, the refusal to bow to anyone and the absolute pursuit of his own will, was precisely the kind of existence Pride himself had taught him to embrace.

“Hmm….”

For the first time since appearing as the Monarch of Pride, Pride fell silent.

His eyes widened in surprise as a low groan escaped him.

“The only person I wish to fight now… is Glenn Zieghart.”

The Heavenly Demon slowly clenched his fist, declaring that Glenn alone was worthy of his interest.

“Haaa….”

Pride let out a long sigh as he stared at the Heavenly Demon.

“He knew the two of us were alike in many ways, but the problem is that we’re a little too alike.”

Pride rubbed his temples as though a headache were coming on. Yet unlike earlier, there was no irritation in his face anymore. If anything, he looked at the Heavenly Demon with a strange sense of admiration, almost like he was proud of him.

Seeing that expression made Raon unexpectedly curious about the history between the Heavenly Demon and Pride.

“If there’s nothing more to say, and no intention to fight, then I’ll be leaving.”

The Heavenly Demon inclined his head politely toward Pride.

“Yeah, yeah, do whatever you want!”

Pride waved his hand dismissively, telling him to hurry up and leave already, but a faint smile still lingered at the corner of his lips.

“Raon Zieghart.”

Just as the black mist was about to swallow him completely, the Heavenly Demon called out to Raon.

“If you have something to say to me, come find me yourself.”

Leaving those words behind, he arrogantly lifted his chin, telling Raon to seek him out once everything with Pride was settled.

“I will.”

Raon bit his lip as he stared at the spot where the Heavenly Demon stood.

Pride’s sudden appearance had made him forget, but the reason he had come here in the first place was because he had business with the Heavenly Demon.

“No matter what it takes, I’ll find you.”

“…….”

The Heavenly Demon simply nodded as if telling him to try, then disappeared into the black mist.

“Excellent!”

The moment the Heavenly Demon disappeared, Pride slammed his massive palms together.

“The King of Essence has lost! And you have won, <Wrath>!”

At last, true to the name of the Monarch of Pride, he openly acknowledged his defeat in the wager with a firm nod. Strangely enough, he even looked relieved now that it was over.

T-The King of Essence won!

Wrath threw both arms into the air and shouted.

At last, the King of Essence defeated that red bastard, no, wait… is this really something to celebrate?

He celebrated for a moment before blinking awkwardly after remembering he had contributed absolutely nothing.

‘You definitely shouldn’t be celebrating.’

Chuckling softly, Raon waved his hand as if scolding him, telling Wrath that a Demon King should not be happy over a victory won entirely through someone else’s schemes and efforts.

Y-you little…!

Wrath’s reddened cheeks trembled in outrage.

This is all your fault in the first place!

He shouted furiously, insisting Raon had no right to lecture him.

“Now speak.”

Just as Raon was about to calm Wrath down, Pride crooked a finger.

“Tell the King of Essence what it is you desire from him.”

Pride lifted his chin arrogantly, ordering Raon to state his wish.

“…….”

Raon took a slow breath, organizing his thoughts before raising his now perfectly calm eyes.

“Lord <Wrath> says…”

Even now you’re still keeping up the act?! You evil little monster!  

 

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