The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1391

 Chapter 1391

 

With the faint fragrance of daphne that seemed to herald the coming of spring, warmth began to seep into the once-cold sunlight.

The light, writhing like a living creature, split apart, and a woman stepped gracefully into the forest.

The first thing to catch the Secluded Hermit’s eye was the woman’s platinum-blond hair, cascading over her shoulders like silk.

It possessed a mysterious radiance of its own, as though sunlight had been drawn into fine strands and woven together with golden thread, and it complemented her translucent skin perfectly.

Each time the woman drew closer to the Secluded Hermit, her green robe seemed to breathe life and vitality into the dried leaves and withered undergrowth around her. At the unreal sight, as though she were a goddess of abundance known as the Mother of Nature, the Secluded Hermit swallowed dryly.

“Y-you are….”

The Secluded Hermit’s gaze moved past the woman’s hair and toward her ears, which rose to sharp points unlike those of a human.

“From Seipia….”

His jaw trembled as though he had recognized the woman’s identity at once.

“That’s right.”

The woman formed a gentle smile, her clear eyes resembling a lake reflecting sunlight.

“The current Protector of Seipia….”

She gestured elegantly toward herself.

“My name is Siyan, the High Elf.”

Siyan introduced herself to the Secluded Hermit and bowed politely.

“H-how are you here….”

The Secluded Hermit bit his lip, having sensed no movement from Seipia at all.

“I was actually supposed to remain hidden in the back….”

Siyan curled her lips as she looked into the Secluded Hermit’s trembling eyes.

“But with a parasite disgracing the World Tree running around, I had no choice but to step in myself.”

She calmly nodded, saying that thanks to the Secluded Hermit coming all the way here, she had managed to remain undetected.

“Th-then….”

The Secluded Hermit’s face drained of color as though he had finally realized why he had been able to escape all the way to this place.

“That’s right. The master of the Magic Tower granted my request.”

Siyan raised her long, elegant finger and placed it over her red lips.

“Had she not let you go, you would still be dying over and over on the battlefield.”

She nodded, explaining that the Secluded Hermit had only managed to escape into this forest because Larian, the master of the Magic Tower, had deliberately let him go.

“Ghh….”

Only after hearing Siyan’s words did the Secluded Hermit realize that he had been dancing in the palm of Larian’s hand, and he ground his teeth.

“How dare you vermin!”

He brought his hands together, venting his fury not only at Larian but also at Siyan standing before him.

“I am a great being who inherited the power of the World Tree!”

As the Secluded Hermit screamed like a roar, countless tree roots burst from beneath his feet and shot toward Siyan. They looked frail, but every single root carried a cursed spell capable of tearing apart bone and skin with a mere touch.

“I know.”

Siyan slowly nodded, cutting him off.

“That’s why I came.”

The moment she raised a finger, the tree roots rushing fiercely toward her froze as though they had been turned to stone.

Sssssss!

When Siyan flicked her finger, the stiffened roots moved on their own, parting to create a path for her toward the Secluded Hermit.

“N-no way….”

The Secluded Hermit’s jaw trembled as he stared at the roots that had escaped his control.

“I received the power of the World Tree! I can control every plant! What the hell did you do!”

“The power you possess does not come from the World Tree. It belongs to an evil tree demon that failed to become a World Tree. On the other hand….”

Siyan gave the Secluded Hermit a mocking smile.

“I am the current Protector of Seipia and the World Tree. It is only natural for the trees to obey me.”

She then twirled her finger, and the stiffened roots turned back and pierced the Secluded Hermit’s body.

“Kuaaagh!”

The Secluded Hermit coughed up crimson blood as he stared at the roots that had pierced his arms, legs, and torso.

“Th-this….”

“Isn’t it obvious who the knights of a kingdom would follow, the kingdom’s rightful heir or a thief who merely stole its royal seal?”

Siyan smiled faintly, as though there were nothing to even consider.

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

The Secluded Hermit tried once more to control the roots, but they no longer obeyed his commands, as though Siyan had already seized complete control of them.

“It won’t work.”

“Shut up!”

He launched a spell coiled into a ring at Siyan, who was smiling mockingly at him.

Wooooong!

Just before his spell reached Siyan, it uncoiled and transformed into a venomous serpent baring its sharp fangs as it descended upon her.

However, his spell never reached Siyan.

Pababababak!

The tree roots the Secluded Hermit had summoned moved on their own and blocked every spell descending toward Siyan. It looked as though nature itself were moving to protect her.

“Ah….”

The Secluded Hermit’s jaw trembled in disbelief as he backed away. However, with tree roots piercing his entire body, he could not retreat very far.

“You said earlier that you can keep coming back to life because you inherited the power of the World Tree, didn’t you?”

Siyan approached the Secluded Hermit with a soft smile that carried a sharp edge.

“I don’t have the ability to cut souls like Sir Raon, nor can I track you like the master of the Magic Tower. But….”

She raised a hand glowing with a clear green light.

“As the rightful protector of the World Tree, I can reclaim the power of the evil tree that you possess.”

Siyan formed a spell formula with her hand, which was imbued with a light more vivid than the purest sapphire.

“Th-that!”

The Secluded Hermit frantically shook his head and tried to take his own life with his own hand, but it was already too late.

Paaaaaang!

A branch of the World Tree summoned by Siyan erupted with a vivid green radiance and wrapped itself around the Secluded Hermit.

“N-no!”

The Secluded Hermit weakly waved his hand, begging her to stop, but his body began to shrivel like a rice field struck by drought. The World Tree was absorbing the power that had originally belonged to it.

“Huuugh….”

As his power and soul were purified by the World Tree, the Secluded Hermit gradually took on a zombie-like appearance.

“Ghhhhh….”

Before even a minute had passed, he had become little more than skin and bones and collapsed to the ground. Having seemingly lost even the power and ability to resurrect, he lay there and merely blinked like a cow.

“Not bad.”

Siyan curled up the corners of her lips, seemingly satisfied with the World Tree’s power she had absorbed from The Secluded Hermit.

“Let’s finish this now.”

After calmly steadying her breathing, she clenched her fist. The solid ground melted like mud and began swallowing the Secluded Hermit.

Krrrkkk!

The pressure of the earth crushed every bone in the Secluded Hermit’s body, bringing him a death he had never expected.

“Haaaaah….”

After confirming that The Secluded Hermit was dead, Siyan let out a long sigh and sank to the ground.

“Th-this is exhausting. I’m tired! I just want to go home and sleep….”

As though the elegant way she had been speaking moments earlier had never existed, she sniffled in a whining voice.

“Well done.”

Sterin, the former Protector of Seipia, applauded as he stepped out from behind a tree thick with branches.

“For your first step as a protector, that was not bad at all.”

He could not hide his proud smile as he looked at his granddaughter.

“N-no.”

Siyan shook her head.

“If Sir Raon hadn’t already cut so many of the Secluded Hermit’s soul fragments, I wouldn’t have won this easily.”

Her hand trembled as she explained that the World Tree’s power she had absorbed from the Secluded Hermit was both evil and immense, making it difficult to handle even now.

“Sword that cuts the soul….”

Sterin let out an incredulous laugh.

“You’ve truly risen so high now that we can’t even reach you anymore.”

He gave a heavy nod as he watched Raon fighting in the sky above the battlefield.

“Of course! At this point, even an entire library wouldn’t be enough to hold all the biographies of Sir Raon!”

Siyan shook her fist, saying that it had become difficult even to recount all of Raon’s exploits.

“I had trouble overpowering the Secluded Hermit even after his might had been reduced by more than half, while Sir Raon literally toyed with him when he was at full strength.”

She smacked her lips, saying that it was practically thanks to Raon that she had been able to defeat the Secluded Hermit.

“I was bluffing to put pressure on the Secluded Hermit, but in reality, controlling that power wasn’t easy.”

Siyan sighed, saying that even now, the Secluded Hermit’s energy still seemed to be rampaging inside her body.

“Shall I help you? You still have work left to do.”

Sterin approached Siyan, saying that he would help her if she wanted.

“No.”

Siyan firmly shook her head.

“I’m the Protector of the World Tree. I have to handle this myself.”

She still wore the same somewhat naive expression, but unlike before, she no longer hid beneath her blankets and acted spoiled. She was still inexperienced, but little by little, she was beginning to look like a true Protector.

“I see.”

Sterin nodded with a proud expression, seemingly even more pleased with his granddaughter.

“He would have been truly happy if he could have seen you like this.”

He lightly bit his lip, thinking of someone who could no longer be here.

“I feel the same, but brother would have been even happier to see Sir Raon.”

Siyan smiled softly as she thought of her brother Rimmer, who had always been smiling after returning from Zieghart.

“I’m sure he would have.”

Sterin chuckled while thinking of Rimmer, who was always itching to brag about his disciple Raon.

“For brother’s sake too, we have to make sure we win this war.”

Siyan gave a heavy nod as she watched Raon continue his battle against Uriel.

“Because it looks like there isn’t much left now.”

*   *   *

‘Lady Siyan has made her move.’

Raon formed a faint smile as he sensed the Secluded Hermit’s presence disappear.

‘This is the best possible outcome.’

It wouldn’t have been bad for the Magic Tower master, to keep the Secluded Hermit in check, but thanks to Siyan stepping in at the right time, we were able to finish him off completely.

The Death Sword Spirit and the Black Form Snake have been subdued, and now even the Secluded Hermit has fallen. There’s no longer anyone left to command Eden. Their forces are still powerful in terms of sheer might, but they’re moving like a disorganized mob, so dealing with them isn’t difficult.

‘The celestials are the same.’

The Archangels who are supposed to command the celestials are all being held back by the Demon Kings, while the stronger angels have been reduced to pools of blood and melted away at the hands of Envy, the Monarch of Envy. That makes it impossible for them to organize their forces and act according to any strategy. If the current situation continues, the Five Kings Alliance will be able to win the war without much difficulty.

‘Of course….’

Watch out!

Just as Raon was about to continue his thoughts, Wrath shouted a warning.

‘I know.’

Raon thrust the Divine Sword toward the crimson blade approaching him while melting away the very space around it.

Claang!

The Divine Sword, blazing with golden flames, collided with Apocalypse, which burned with crimson fire, and a terrifying storm of flames erupted.

Fwoooooosh!

Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the crimson flames forcefully pushing against the Divine Sword. Apocalypse surged forward with ever-intensifying heat, as though it regarded the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation as nothing more than food.

‘Of course….’

Raon let out a rough breath as he looked at Archangel Uriel glaring coldly from behind Apocalypse.

‘I still have to defeat that monster.’

The second-stage release of Apocalypse was powerful enough to burn an entire kingdom to the ground with a single slash. Raon was barely holding it back, but every time their swords collided, chills ran across his body and drained the strength from his limbs.

Can you do that?

Wrath chewed on his lip as he looked around the battlefield, where battles between Demon Kings and Archangels were erupting everywhere.

It’s not just you! Every last one of them has to win before this damned war ends!

He furrowed his brow, seemingly worried about the Light Wind swordsmen fighting alongside the Demon Kings.

‘Don’t worry.’

Raon narrowed his eyes until they were as sharp as blades as he watched Archangel Uriel’s Apocalypse fly toward him, carrying explosive firepower.

‘I made sure every one of them was matched against an opponent they matched up well against. Of course….’

With a gaze certain of victory, Raon cut through Archangel Uriel’s flames as they burned even more fiercely.

‘That includes me.’

 

 

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