The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1322

 Chapter 1322

 

“Are you saying you want to spar right now?”

Raon's eyes widened as he looked at Glenn.

“That’s right.”

Glenn slowly nodded as he stepped down from the platform.

“The breeze is pleasant tonight. It seems like the perfect time to have a conversation with you.”

Though they were still inside the audience chamber, he closed his eyes for a moment as if he could feel the air from outside, then opened them again.

“I’d be glad to spar with you, head of house, but…”

Raon glanced at the bandages wrapped around his body and frowned slightly.

"I am not in top condition at the moment."

If it had been anyone else, he would have accepted without hesitation. In fact, even if it were a real battle, he was confident he could draw his sword and fight immediately.

But because his opponent was Glenn, he wanted to cross swords with him at full strength and in perfect condition.

"It is not a spar."

Glenn shook his head with a faint smile.

“As I said, we’ll be conversing through our swords. There’s no need to go to the training ground.”

As if intending to begin immediately, he drew Heavenly Tremor from his waist.

Chiaaaaaang!

The moment Heavenly Tremor revealed its solemn blade beneath the audience chamber’s lights, dozens of windows swung open at once, and the night breeze began flowing inside.

Hmph!

Wrinkling his nose at Glenn, Wrath let out a snort.

Hmph! Now that the geezer finally looks his age, he's only gotten more theatrical!

He frowned deeply, clearly displeased with Glenn.

“Hmm…”

Feeling the night breeze rustle his hair, Raon lightly bit his lip.

‘I can’t read grandfather’s thoughts or movements at all.’

In the past, I could at least roughly understand what he was thinking, but after his seclusion, he had become completely unreadable. The gap in our levels was still immense, of course, but this felt like something altogether different from mere might.

'It feels like he might vanish at any moment, yet also like he might remain rooted to this earth for all eternity.'

Glenn's presence would become as faint as smoke about to disperse, only to blaze more brilliantly than sunlight the next moment. It was difficult to grasp either his movements or the atmosphere surrounding him.

"...Alright."

After taking a quiet breath, Raon nodded.

“I'll do my best with the condition I'm in.”

Saying that he would engage in this conversation with the strength currently available to him, he drew Heavenly Drive from its scabbard.

"Yes. That is enough."

Glenn nodded with a warm gaze.

“Then let us begin.”

Maintaining a calm smile, he brought Heavenly Tremor down.

Swoooooosh!

The descending blade cleaved through the air in a straightforward stroke, without the slightest visible change.

‘That...’

Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Glenn’s sword.

‘It's Heart Sword.’

On the surface, Glenn appeared to be swinging Heavenly Tremor calmly. In reality, however, that silver blade carried a Heart Sword infused with his very soul. If Raon tried to meet it with only Heavenly Drive, his soul would be split in two.

How is this supposed to be a conversation when he's using Heart Sword?!

Wrath scrunched his nose in disbelief.

‘Grandfather must have a reason. I’ll have to respond with my own Heart Sword first.’

Raon erected the pillar of his Heart Sword at the center of Heavenly Drive and moved to intercept the gracefully descending Heavenly Tremor.

Jjeeeeeong!

Heavenly Tremor and Heavenly Drive collided, sending a heavy shockwave echoing throughout the audience chamber. Neither blade contained even a trace of aura, yet their clash possessed enough sharpness to split heaven and earth.

“Hmm…”

Raon narrowed his eyes as Heavenly Tremor pushing Heavenly Drive back.

‘This is…’

The instant he blocked Heavenly Tremor, an image of Glenn's hand appeared in his mind.

Not the Glenn standing before him now, but a scene viewed from Glenn's perspective in the past, as though he were looking down at his own hand.

‘During his secluded training?’

From what he could see of the illuminated surroundings, it appeared to be the first head of house’s training ground. It seemed Glenn was allowing him to experience the moments he had gone through during his seclusion training.

“It seems you saw it. Then let us continue.”

With a faint smile, Glenn swept Heavenly Tremor sideways. The strike no longer felt like a conversation. It lunged toward Raon's neck with the speed and sharpness of a blade seeking blood.

Kyaaaaaang!

Raon reversed Heavenly Drive and blocked the viciously rushing attack.

‘I saw another one of grandfather's memories.’

As their swords clashed, the moments Glenn had gone through became visible.

It seemed Glenn had lost the powerful lightning energy he had cultivated throughout his entire life during his secluded training.

“How…”

Raon’s eyes widened as he looked at Glenn’s smile.

“I’ve spoken too much about myself. A conversation should go both ways.”

Glenn waved his hand lightly.

“Now it's your turn to tell your story. Someone like you should be capable of it.”

The corners of his lips curved upward as he expressed confidence that Raon, too, could convey memories through his sword just as he had.

“I’ll…”

Meeting the trust contained in Glenn's gaze, Raon lightly bit his lip.

“Give it a try.”

Determined to live up to Glenn's expectations, he tightened his grip on Heavenly Drive.

‘Grandfather definitely used the Heart Sword.’

Unless it was magic, the Heart Sword was the only way to show someone your memories. He had clearly used Heart Sword to show me what had happened during his seclusion training.

‘I'll pour what I've been through into the Heart Sword that's normally used to kill or attack an enemy.’

Heart Sword is a sword forged from one’s soul. Naturally, when creating such a sword, it was common to use only the firmest, most unshakable part of one's soul.

But grandfather had done the opposite. He had infused his Heart Sword with the memories of the time he lost his strength, a period most people would rather conceal, and was letting me experience them firsthand.

‘Then I’ll do the same…’

As he raised his Heart Sword, Raon recalled everything that had happened since becoming the acting head of house. He unfolded his Heart Sword, pouring into it the memories and emotions of the moments when he had maintained a confident front before others despite being drenched in cold sweat inside.

Jjeeeeeong!

Glenn blocked Raon’s sword with Heavenly Tremor and slowly smiled.

“So meeting Uriel really was pure coincidence.”

As he grasped the scene Raon had shown him, he put more strength into his fingertips.

“If Darkan hadn't been there, it would have been truly dangerous.”

Glenn nodded. He had heard about Darkan, but he hadn't realized the situation had been that perilous.

“As expected, this is wonderful. I knew you would be able to do it.”

Praising him as if to tell him to continue, Glenn swung Heavenly Tremor like a bolt of lightning.

Kyaaaaaang!

Raon barely managed to block the strike and furrowed his brow.

‘Wait, this memory…’

Don’t tell me he regained his lightning energy after losing it?

Glenn’s memories appeared once more.

He had unquestionably lost his lightning energy during secluded training, likely due to a deviation brought on by impatience.

Most people would have been crippled by the shock.

But Glenn had not panicked.

Instead, he discarded every trace of lightning energy remaining within both his body and soul, emptying himself completely.

As his immense lightning energy vanished, his appearance reverted to his true age.

Deep wrinkles spread across his once-vigorous face, and the brilliance of his blond hair faded like snow melting in spring.

With the duel to death against the Heavenly Demon drawing near, it was the worst possible moment. His martial skill remained, but he had lost the very energy that supported it.

Yet Glenn did not despair.

Instead, he continued observing himself.

As he continued meditating and examining his soul, a tiny bolt of lightning suddenly appeared within his consciousness.

The moment crimson lightning flared within Glenn's mental world, vitality surged through his aged body and soul.

Pajijijijik!

It was an entirely new kind of lightning.

Not the overwhelming lightning energy that shook the heavens and split the earth.

It was lightning imbued with the warmth of humanity. A truer and deeper lightning than the one Glenn had lost rose within him and lifted him to his feet once more.

“Haaah!”

Merely witnessing Glenn’s memories left Raon breathless, and a heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"To think you were in such a situation..."

He bit his lip, unable to believe it.

“It was certainly dangerous. But perhaps it truly was a blessing in disguise.”

A gentle smile appeared on Glenn's face as he thrust forward with Heavenly Tremor.

“Because I refused to give up, just like you...”

His sword pierced forward.

“A new path opened before me. Imagine that, learning something new at my age.”

He nodded, saying that it was thanks to Raon that he had attained the martial path he now possessed.

“No. That’s not…”

Raon narrowed his eyes, immediately denying it.Top of Form

“No. I mean it.”

Glenn shook his head firmly.

“Ironically, this heart demon arose because I was confident I could defeat the Heavenly Demon. I imagined a future where I defeated him and lived happily alongside all of you. But as I thought about that future, a troubling thought slipped through a crack in my mind, that I might not be there. I wanted to remain with all of you, yet the possibility that I couldn't was what tormented me.”

His brow furrowed as he explained that he had failed to suppress that unsettling thought, and as a result, he lost his lightning energy.

“It was a dangerous moment. My lightning no longer obeyed my will, and both my soul and mental world began to waver. By the time I realized what was happening, it was already far too late. My aura had been reduced by half, and even my soul could no longer function properly. There were only two choices, cling to the diminished power I had left, or cast aside even the remnants of it and start over from scratch.”

Glenn lightly bit his lip, recalling how painful that choice had been.

“The old me would have clung to that diminished power and tried to restore it somehow. I was afraid of losing my strength, and I had to face the Heavenly Demon no matter what. But things are different now. Because I watched you, I was able to make a different choice.”

Raising a finger, he said that choice had only been possible because of Raon.

“From your days as a trainee until now, you have never given up even once. Watching you all this time gave me the courage to abandon it and embrace a new power.”

Glenn smiled, saying that the reason he had obtained this new lightning energy was entirely because of Raon.

“…”

Raon's fingertips trembled slightly as he looked at Glenn's pleased smile.

“Now it is my turn to repay you.”

Still smiling, Glenn raised Heavenly Tremor once more.

“The duel.”

As though he could shatter the Heavenly Demon himself, he thrust Heavenly Tremor toward the darkening sky.

“No matter what happens, I will win.”

“I…”

Feeling Glenn's resolve and determination, Raon placed a hand over his chest.

“I believe in you.”

The Glenn standing before him now seemed incapable of losing to anyone. Because of that, Raon was able to answer without the slightest hesitation.

“Shall we continue, then? This conversation will benefit you as well.”

Suggesting that they continue their exchange a little longer, Glenn leveled Heavenly Tremor at Raon.

“Of course. However...”

As Raon raised Heavenly Drive, he tilted his head slightly.

“Where is Sir Karoon?”

Since Glenn had finished his seclusion, Karoon should have come out as well, yet he was nowhere to be seen. At first, Raon had assumed he had gone ahead to the Central Martial Palace, but since he still had not appeared even today, it felt strange.

“He remained in the training ground. He gained something new as well.”

“Something new?”

Raon’s eyes widened at Glenn’s words.

“That’s right.”

Glenn's lips curled into a faint smile as he glanced toward the depths beneath the audience chamber.

“When you see him again, you’ll be quite surprised.”

*   *   *

Whoooooosh!

The training ground of the first head of house lay in complete darkness, every light extinguished.

Within that space where only darkness existed, the sharp sound of a sword cutting through the air echoed out.

There were no footsteps.

No rustling clothes.

Only the sound of a sword being swung echoed through the darkness.

Eventually, even that sound faded.

Just as silence seemed ready to reclaim the training ground, a faint blue radiance ignited within the darkness.

A single blade.

The soft glow cast by that thin, straight sword surged upward, becoming blue flames that drove away the darkness.

Chaaaaang!

Karoon Zieghart. The swordsman whose world had once revolved solely around his love for the family had, before he knew it, burned away his ugly past and reached a new horizon.

Thunk!

Karoon drove the sword wreathed in blue flames into the dark ground of the training ground and let out a clear breath.

“Even now, I doubt I’ve caught up to your realm. But….”

His lips curled upward as he recalled someone within the blue flames reflected in his red eyes.

“I believe I can defeat you.”

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