The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1315

 Chapter 1315

 

“Urgh!”

Darkan coughed up another mouthful of blackened blood and his sword hand trembled violently, as if he had suffered another devastating impact.

“Damn it! My mind can't hold out!”

He ground his bloodstained teeth together, frustrated that he couldn't properly stand against Uriel. It seemed the mental shock was proving far harder to endure than the physical damage.

'Tell me.'

Barely managing to block Uriel's sword, Raon turned his gaze toward Azazel.

'Now!'

He wiped away the blood seeping from between his clenched lips with the back of his hand and projected a sharp mental shout. The effects of Divine and Demonic Harmony had already faded. If he kept clashing with Uriel's sword like this, he would be the only one losing out. These weren't minor injuries either. The internal damage was so severe it felt as if his insides were being torn apart. He needed a way out of this situation as quickly as possible.

[Destroy the temple!]

Azazel bit her lip and pointed behind herself.

[Not just me, even the archangels, including Uriel, are connected to Heaven through this temple!]

As she spoke, she punched the air in frustration.

[If the temple is destroyed and I'm released from my seal, that connection to Heaven will be severed. Uriel's power will weaken, and he will no longer be able to replenish his divine power!]

Azazel nodded vigorously, insisting that this was the only way.

'You said there wasn't a way before.'

Raon frowned at her.

'Why are you only telling me this now?'

Since Azazel could be lying, he deliberately tested her with a question to uncover her true intentions.

[Because I never expected you lot to be this strong!]

Azazel bit down hard on her lip.

[I never imagined you'd actually be able to hold Uriel back!]

She lifted her chin, saying she had changed her mind after witnessing the might of both him and Darkan.

[I thought that even if the temple was destroyed and I broke free of my seal, it would be meaningless if Uriel remained unharmed. He would simply capture me again immediately.]

She wrinkled her nose, saying she had expected to be recaptured the moment she was freed.

[But after seeing your might, I changed my mind. Destroy the temple and save me!]

She smacked her lips, anticipating that once the temple crumbled and she was freed, Uriel would be weakened enough for them to win.

'Hah...'

Raon clenched his teeth.

'That idiot.'

If she had told me sooner, we might have destroyed the temple before Uriel activated Apocalypse's second release and turned the situation around. Bringing it up now only made the task exponentially harder.

Do not trust that one too much.

Wrath approached, narrowing his eyes.

Azazel is a stray cast aside by both heaven and devildom.

He shook his head, warning Raon that trusting her blindly would only lead to disaster.

'Disaster... wait, damn!'

As Raon looked at Azazel, he suddenly spun around.

Whoooooosh!

Driving Darkan back, Uriel charged straight at him, Apocalypse sweeping forward.

Do not retreat!

Wrath shook his head fiercely.

The farther you retreat from that damned sword, the stronger and faster it becomes!

'What?!'

Raon frowned as Uriel and Apocalypse shot toward him like a streak of light.

Because it's combined with that broken Flames of Judgment ability!

Wrath ground his teeth, explaining that the power grew stronger or weaker according to Uriel's judgment.

'Then I don't have much choice.'

Raon unleashed Heavenly Lightning of the Azure Sky with Heavenly Drive and raised Fire Wall with Wooden Ring Sword, meeting Uriel's slash head-on.

KWAAAAAANG!

Despite focusing entirely on defense, an overwhelming shock swept through both his body and mind.

It felt as though all his internal organs had been shattered.

Had it not been for the defensive power of the Ring of Fire, he felt certain that he too would have vomited a fountain of blood mixed with pieces of his organs, just like Darkan.

“Tch.”

Uriel clicked his tongue in irritation, clearly annoyed that Raon had survived once again.

'Azazel!'

Raon staggered back, exhaling a breath thick with the scent of blood.

'What if Uriel devours your soul after you're freed and recovers his power?'

As he asked the question, he lightly probed her with his Heart Sword, just as he had when acting as Sage Doraen.

[You don't need to worry about that!]

Azazel shook her head vigorously, insisting that there was no need to concern himself with such a thing.

[Like I said, once the temple falls, the connection to Heaven will be severed! At that point, even if Uriel devours me, it won't mean a thing!]

She let out an excited breath, insisting that everything would be resolved if he saved her.

[But you can't simply destroy the temple. You have to completely sever every barrier and seal connected to it! And all at the same time!]

She narrowed her eyes, warning that otherwise, Uriel might re-establish the connection.

'I see...'

Raon nodded calmly, indicating that he understood everything.

'Then that's what I'll do.'

He told you not to believe everything she says!

Wrath shouted furiously.

That bastard is a con artist who fooled both heaven and devildom!

'Don't worry. You know it too.'

Raon shook his head with a smile.

' There's no one in this world better at pulling a con than me.'

*   *   *

[Darkan.]

Wiping the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, Raon called out to Darkan.

“What is it?!”

Despite coughing up blood, Darkan nodded with a grin as if nothing were wrong. As though he knew nothing about communicating through the mind, he answered out loud instead.

[Hold the archangel off by yourself for a moment.]

Raon narrowed his eyes as he sent the thought.

[I have a way to weaken him.]

He nodded, telling Darkan that there was a method to weaken Uriel.

“Leave it to me!”

Darkan pounded his chest with a fist, as if telling him not to worry.

[Then.]

After giving Darkan a meaningful glance, Raon turned toward the temple.

'Let's see...'

Azazel had said that not only the temple, but also the barriers and seals formed from divine power had to be destroyed to sever the connection to heaven.

After verifying it with his Heart Sword, he knew she had not been lying. Every connection formed by the temple and divine power had to be cut.

'Hoo...'

Raon resonated the wavering Ring of Fire once more.

The ten rings spun rapidly, reading the flow of divine power spread throughout the area.

'There are more than I expected.'

Whether it was to seal Azazel or to channel divine power into the mortal world, far more strands of divine power than he had anticipated were woven around the temple like a giant web.

Even though Melvin mountain had already collapsed by more than half, those flows remained completely undisturbed, radiating an even denser energy.

'Good.'

Holding Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword upright, Raon closed his eyes.

'For now, I need to focus solely on cutting through that divine power.'

The sounds of Darkan fighting echoed from behind, but Raon couldn't afford to lose focus. If he failed to cleanly sever the temple's divine energy, everything would be for naught.

Fwoooosh!

Raon raised Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword at the same time.

Trees of flame and frost rose from the two blades, scattering brilliant leaves into the air.

Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation—Flame Spirit.

Countless blades forged from the heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier's cold descended upon the colossal temple that towered into the heavens.

KWAAAAAAAAAAANG!

A terrifying impact shook space itself as the entire temple collapsed.

Around the temple were countless strands of divine power forming barriers and seals, but Raon read every single one of them and launched fragments of Flame Spirit accordingly.

The red and blue blades moved according to their master's will, simultaneously tearing apart the strands of divine power that formed the temple.

In the end, not only the temple but also every barrier and seal surrounding it shattered completely.

“The temple...!”

Uriel's eyes widened as he sensed the disappearance of the temple and the divine power spread around it.

“You really are...!”

Staring at Raon as though he wanted to kill him on the spot, he violently swatted Darkan aside.

“Kuahahahahaha!”

Even as blood poured from his mouth, Darkan didn't scream.

Instead, he burst into exhilarated laughter as he crashed into the ground.

[Perfect!]

Azazel cried out in excitement, as though praising a job well done.

[Just wait a little longer! Once I regain my true form, I'll save all of you!]

Shouting for them to hold on a little longer, she gathered the divine power scattered in every direction.

Woooooooooom!

Azazel, who had looked like a lump of red cotton candy, finally broke free and began transforming into the form of a young woman.

“I’ll kill you!”

The divine power contained within Uriel's sword surged exponentially. The terrifying heat of the crimson flames made it difficult not only to move but even to breathe.

Be careful!

Wrath bit his lip, warning that if Raon was struck by Uriel's sword, both body and soul would be obliterated.

‘I know!’

Raon clenched his teeth so hard they nearly cracked and gripped Heavenly Drive with both hands.

'The only thing that can block that right now is Genesis...'

Just as he was about to raise his sword to unleash Genesis that required everything he had—

Fwoooosh!

Uriel’s body pierced through space and appeared right in front of him. It was movement on an entirely different level from any footwork technique Raon had ever seen.

'Too fast!'

Uriel’s reaction was quicker than anticipated. He wouldn't be able to use his sword field before the archangel's blade struck.

‘Then...’

Just as he redirected his sword, prepared to suffer grievous injuries if necessary—

Darkan suddenly shot up in front of him.

“I told you, didn't I? I can hold out as long as it takes!”

Despite wounds that should have killed him many times over, Darkan did not retreat. Instead, he stepped in front of Raon and intercepted Uriel's sword.

Kuwaaaaaaang!

The sword strike Uriel unleashed was intercepted by Darkan, triggering a massive explosion in midair.

Fwoooooosh!

Having already pushed far beyond his limits, Darkan could no longer endure and fell toward the ground.

He seemed too exhausted even to break his fall as he crashed down helplessly.

“Thank you.”

Grateful for the fleeting moment Darkan had bought him, Raon swung down Heavenly Drive as it flashed with golden light.

Sword Field Creation.

Genesis.

Before Uriel could properly swing Apocalypse, a golden radiance that seemed capable of splitting open the heavens erupted across heaven and earth.

Shwaaaaaaaaaaak!

*   *   *

'He really pushed Uriel into a corner!'

No longer the red cotton-candy-like creature she had been before, she had regained the form of a beautiful woman with black hair and golden eyes, a smile curling across her lips.

‘But this is as far as they go.’

Even if Uriel could not use his full might, he still had not revealed all of his power. If Apocalypse were released one stage further, not only those humans but this entire continent would be reduced to a sea of flames.

‘Which means it’s time to run!’

Contrary to her earlier claim that she would join the battle, Azazel quietly retreated while rubbing her pale hands together.

‘While those humans are buying me time.’

The human called Raon Zieghart had unleashed a slash so terrifying that even I found it difficult to comprehend. But Uriel would never die from such an attack. He would rise again without fail and bring down the sword of judgment upon them.

“Sorry, but you'll have to deal with Uriel's wrath yourselves.”

Azazel licked her red lips as she watched the blinding golden brilliance.

“After all, it's not the one who deceives others who's at fault. It's the one who gets deceived.”

She blew a kiss toward the sky and attempted to open a dimension to escape.

No, she tried to, but the dimension would not open.

“So it's not the deceiver who's at fault, but the one who gets deceived?”

Raon nodded as he flew to Azazel's side.

"I couldn't agree more."

Praising her words, he hoisted the unconscious Darkan onto his shoulder.

“Thanks to you, we managed to force Uriel to expend a tremendous amount of power and sever his connection to heaven. But at least now I won't have to feel guilty about what comes next.”

Raon waved casually with a grin.

“Y-you! What did you do to me?!”

Unable to comprehend what was happening, Azazel’s jaw trembled.

“Why won't the dimension open?!”

She screamed that it made no sense.

“When I destroyed the temple and the barriers, I disrupted the flow of divine power.”

Raon waved his hand lightly, as if it were nothing important.

“With the authority of a Demon King, no less.”

“W-why would you do that...?”

“You still don’t get it?”

Raon smiled.

“I simply did what you were planning to do.”

He raised a finger and pointed toward Uriel, who was emerging from the golden radiance.

“W-wait! If Uriel kills me or devours my soul now, he'll recover his strength—”

"I didn't mention this earlier," Raon interrupted calmly, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

"But I have the ability to read lies."

The corners of his lips curved upward as he declared that he was not someone who could be deceived.

“So, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Telling her to do her best holding off Uriel, he touched Evelyn's doll inside his pocket.

[I was waiting!]

Shouting for him not to worry, Evelyn clasped her hands together.

Woooooooooom!

A blue magic circle bloomed across the divine-power-filled sky and instantly swallowed Raon and Darkan before vanishing.

“Uh...?”

Azazel looked around for Raon, who had vanished like a ghost, only to scream as she looked up and saw Uriel’s Apocalypse descending from the sky.

“You damned con artist!”