The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1275

 Chapter 1275

 

“What?”

Pride furrowed his brow as if he couldn’t understand what Raon was talking about.

“Huh…?”

Burren also looked stunned, jerking his head up with wide eyes.

This crazy bastard again!

Wrath’s jaw trembled as he realized what Raon was about to do.

“This guy.”

Raon lowered his finger and pointed at Burren again.

“He didn’t faint from your energy wave.”

A faint smile rose on his lips as he looked at Burren, whose face was twisted badly enough that it wouldn’t have been strange if he dropped dead on the spot.

“Those two managed to endure your pressure because they received the authority of Envy and the authority of Sloth. But…”

After glancing once at Martha and Runaan, Raon walked over to Burren’s side.

“This guy had nothing. He held on this whole time through sheer will alone, the determination to protect me and his comrades even if it killed him.”

He clenched his fist while meeting Burren’s trembling eyes.

“He knew he wouldn’t be much help, and yet he still endured until the very end. Isn’t that true pride?”

Raon nodded as he said Burren was the kind of person perfectly suited for the authority of pride.

“Raon…”

Despite the dangerous situation with a Demon King standing before them, Burren let out a low murmur, seemingly shocked that Raon had been watching over him the entire time.

“Pride, hm…”

Pride stroked his chin and lowered his gaze toward Burren, clearly intrigued.

“You’re certainly no ordinary human.”

His narrowed eyes sharpened like blades glowing red-hot.

“Obession, envy, inferiority complex, competitive spirit, greed, and…”

Pride looked through Burren’s eyes as he slowly listed the emotions buried within him one by one.

“…even remarkably deep loyalty.”

He nodded, saying he could feel Burren’s deep loyalty toward Raon.

“You were right. He’s an interesting subject. His willpower is especially impressive. It seems he’s endured quite a lot of hardship. However…”

Pride raised a massive hand toward Raon and Burren.

“The King of Essence doesn’t sense any pride worthy of drawing his interest.”

He shook his head as though Burren had talent to grow stronger, but simply wasn’t suited for pride.

“The King of Essence is not someone who yields to threats. If this human truly possessed the pride you speak of, he might consider it, but he has no desire to waste effort planting seeds in barren soil.”

Pride shook his head, saying that even threats involving the Death Sword Spirit would not change his mind.

“Even if you stand behind <Wrath>, and even if the King of Essence owes the Death Sword Spirit a debt, his answer remains no.”

Crossing his arms, he made it clear he had no intention of granting Burren the authority of pride.

“The duel to the death with the Death Sword Spirit was my own choice. This matter has nothing to do with her.”

Raon shook his head, saying this had nothing to do with Wrath.

“Stop skimming the surface and look properly. This guy used to be prouder than anyone.”

From the moment they first met, Burren had practically walked around with the word pride stamped on his forehead.

After getting beaten down by Raon, he had buried that pride deep within his soul and transformed it into competitive spirit and loyalty. But emotions someone was born with could never truly disappear.

“Looking again won’t change anyth—hm?”

Pride snorted and waved his hand dismissively, only to suddenly freeze.

“Wait.”

He stared down at Burren’s trembling eyes and slowly licked his lips.

“You’re right!”

Pride let out an impressed exclamation and nodded vigorously.

“The obsession, envy, inferiority, competitive spirit, greed, and even that loyalty toward you…”

A delighted grin spread across his face.

“All of it was born from pride! To think someone born so arrogant could change this much… remarkable!”

Pride burst into loud admiration, as though genuinely amazed such a transformation was possible.

“The reason he endured until now was also pride, the pride of believing he would never fall.”

He rubbed his hands together, seemingly pleased that Burren had managed to remain conscious even after looking directly at him.

“The land where pride once took root may have dried up, but it isn’t beyond saving. Watching how this one changes from here on should be entertaining.”

For the first time, Pride looked at Burren with genuine interest burning in his eyes.

“Very well. The King of Essence shall accept your proposal.”

A deep smile spread across his face as he snapped his fingers.

Fwoooosh!

Flames erupted from Pride’s fingertips and shot toward Burren, wrapping themselves around his wrist.

“Urghhh!”

Burren trembled violently, letting out a strained groan as the authority of pride suddenly forced its way into him.

“Endure it no matter how painful it is. One who bears pride should never scream.”

Pride snorted as if ordering him not to let out even a single breath of pain.

“……”

As though provoked by those words, Burren bit down on his lip and endured the agony of the authority of pride tearing through his entire body.

‘Whew…’

Raon let out a quiet sigh of relief as he watched Burren trembling.

‘Thank goodness.’

Thank goodness Burren endured.

After Pride appeared, I had deliberately shielded Burren instead of the others, indirectly helping him withstand the Demon King’s pressure. Thankfully, Burren held out until the very end without fainting, allowing him to obtain pride.

Everything had unfolded just as Raon hoped, and only now did the tension twisting inside him finally settle.

Wait, what…?

Wrath blinked blankly.

D-Don’t tell me you planned all of this from the very beginning?

His lips trembled in disbelief.

‘Not all of it. I just thought… it’d be nice if things turned out this way.’

Runaan, Martha, Evelyn, and even Dorian had all received the power of Demon Kings, while Burren alone had gained nothing until now.

Most people would have fallen into despair watching the gap between themselves and their comrades grow wider and wider. But Burren never gave up. He continued training relentlessly, convinced he could still catch up no matter what.

I had simply believed that someone like him would be able to adapt to the authority of pride.

That means you planned the whole damn thing!

Wrath screamed at the top of his lungs.

He’s losing his mind! He thought Pride wouldn’t fall for it, but he got completely played like a damn doormat!

Ironically, Wrath had trusted his mortal enemy Pride, only to feel utterly betrayed.

‘Like you’re any different.’

Raon smirked faintly as he patted Wrath’s flushed head before looking back at Burren.

“Haa… haa…”

Burren stared at the crimson thorn bracelet embedded around his arm while breathing heavily.

“It suits you.”

Pride nodded approvingly at the bracelet.

“However, if you wish to awaken the pride sleeping within it, you will need relentless effort. If you continue living the way you do now, it may never awaken at all.”

He waved his hand, saying Burren would have to live differently from now on.

“What do you mean…?”

Burren forced his head up to look at Pride.

“If you continue caring for others, yielding to them, and putting everyone else first, that power will never awaken. Live as though you alone exist in this world.”

Pride rotated his wrist as he said Burren needed to return to the nature he had originally been born with. He slowly licked his lips, clearly anticipating Burren’s future transformation.

“Hmm…”

Realizing what Pride meant, Burren lightly bit his lip.

“The King of Essence gave you what you wanted. Satisfied now?”

Pride shrugged as if asking whether this was enough for Raon.

“Yeah.”

Raon gave a calm nod.

“Ha…”

Pride let out a hollow laugh, sounding utterly dumbfounded.

“You, of all people, are the one most suited for pride.”

Smacking his lips, he stared at Raon.

“You’re the one most suited for pride out of anyone here. Honestly, you may be even worse than that man.”

He smacked his lips and said Raon seemed even prouder than the Heavenly Demon himself.

“What do you say? Shall the King of Essence take you in? Abandon that foolish bastard and come to him instead.”

Pride stretched out his hand, openly offering to take Raon in as one of his own subordinates, telling him to abandon Wrath and come over to his side instead.

T-That damn thief!

Veins bulged in Wrath’s bloodshot eyes.

He belongs to the King of Essence! How dare he!

Wrath roared with genuine fury, as if there were no chance in hell he would hand Raon over.

That brat is supposed to follow the King of Essence and become the ruler of Devildom!

Wrath snorted out blazing fury, sounding as though he genuinely intended to make Raon the king of Devildom someday.

“I refuse.”

Raon waved his hand while holding back a laugh at Wrath’s reaction.

“He figured as much.”

Pride smacked his lips briefly, as though he had expected that answer.

“Now that this is settled, the King of Essence must tend to her wounds.”

Without a trace of hesitation, he turned around and helped the Death Sword Spirit back to her feet.

“Why… Why are you interfering? I should have died here.”

The Death Sword Spirit gritted her teeth as she tried to shake off Pride’s hand.

“No. You cannot die yet.”

Pride gripped her wrist tightly, as though there was still something he wanted from her.

“Ugh…”

Unable to break free from him, the Death Sword Spirit merely bit down hard on her lip.

She stared at Raon for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

Tsk.

Wrath clicked his tongue as he watched the Death Sword Spirit. Even though she was looking at Raon, that sigh didn’t feel like it was directed at Pride, it felt like it was meant for Wrath himself instead.

“The next time we meet, we’ll probably be enemies.”

Supporting the Death Sword Spirit, Pride turned back toward Raon. A savage smile spread across his face, as though he were looking at Wrath through Raon.

“Probably.”

Raon maintained a calm expression, but internally swallowed dryly as he imagined Pride charging at him as an enemy.

“You should return now. It seems there are still a few matters the King of Essence needs to deal with here.”

Pride frowned slightly as he looked over Eden. Judging by his expression, he clearly wasn’t pleased that the demons of Eden had done nothing while the Death Sword Spirit ended up in such a state.

“Go. You still seem to have something left to do anyway.”

When he snapped his fingers, crimson dimensional gates opened beneath Raon and the unconscious swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace.

Wooooong!

Before anyone could even react, the dimensional gates swallowed Raon and the others whole.

“Until we meet again, <Wrath>… and…”

Pride pointed a finger toward Raon as he fell through the crimson dimensional gate.

“The vessel of <Wrath>. No… the human Raon Zieghart.”

His crimson lips curled upward as though he had already known Raon’s true identity all along.

“Pride.”

The moment Raon called his name while staring into those fiercely burning eyes, he felt the sensation of cold, solid ground against his back.

“Hmm!”

Looking around, he saw the dimensional gate through which he had entered Eden after killing the Sphinx, along with Evelyn.

“Huh…?”

Evelyn, who had been maintaining the dimensional gate, widened her eyes at the sight of Raon and the Light Wind Palace swordsmen suddenly falling out of thin air.

“W-What? How did you guys come out from there?”

She tilted her head, unable to comprehend what had happened.

“We met the Monarch of Pride, Pride.”

Raon frowned as he recalled those final moments with Pride, whose gaze had felt hot enough to burn through his eyes.

“Pride? Why would that bastard suddenly show up?”

Evelyn’s jaw trembled in confusion.

“I’ll explain the details on the way. We need to meet the Heavenly Demon now.”

Raon brushed the dust from his clothes and stood up.

“Y-You know where the Heavenly Demon is?”

Burren raised his head while breathing heavily.

“Exactly. When he told you to find him, that obviously meant he was hiding!”

Martha finally released the breath she had been holding and frowned, saying there was no way they could locate the Heavenly Demon so easily.

“No. We can find him.”

Raon firmly shook his head before lifting his chin with quiet confidence.

“I think I know where he is.”

 

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