The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1404

 Chapter 1404

 

“You can’t even count anymore.”

Archangel Uriel lowered Apocalypse in his hand and let out a rough breath.

“You used flames far beyond what suits you. Did you burn your brain along with everything else?”

He furrowed his brows as if asking whether the number Raon said was correct.

“It is correct.”

Raon calmly nodded.

“Archangel Ramiel was killed by the Monarch Sloth. Archangel Sariel was killed by the Monarch of Lust. Gabriel was chewed and eaten by the Monarch of Gluttony. Even Raguel, whom you trusted, couldn’t overcome Greed’s avarice and was crushed beneath a mountain of gold coins.”

He folded down one finger at a time, pointing out that all four Archangels Uriel had trusted were dead.

“I’m certain you said five.”

Uriel bit deeply into his lip, saying that one Archangel still remained.

“Of course I didn’t forget.”

Raon gave a faint laugh and wiggled his last finger.

“It just looks like that side is almost finished too.”

He shrugged without even looking at the battle between his grandfather, Rector, and Archangel Raphael.

“Ha….”

Uriel narrowed his eyes as he sensed the distant sounds of sword and spear tearing through the air.

“From what I can tell, your kin looks exhausted enough to die.”

He tilted his chin as though it was Rector, not Raphael, whose death he could already see.

“If you had that kind of judgment….”

Raon smiled and gestured with his left hand, which held his demonic sword, toward the dead Archangels on the ground.

“They wouldn’t be dead.”

He scoffed, comparing his own judgment in setting up four of the five battles for his side to win with Uriel’s, which had failed to secure even a single victory.

“….”

Uriel raised Apocalypse and quietly steadied his breathing.

‘Certainly….’

This is not a good situation.

I had considered the possibility that the new Archangels could be defeated, but I never expected Gabriel and Raguel, who had held the thrones of Archangels for thousands of years, to fall so easily. Even with nearly all of the causality granted to the Demon Kings already exhausted, losing four Archangels is far beyond anything I expected. This is deeply unsettling.

‘And there’s still one piece of trash with plenty of strength left.’

Envy, the Monarch of Envy. Having failed to find an opponent, that Demon King is riding a colossal serpent and slaughtering angels and celestials as though bored with the war. She has gone beyond simple cruelty and is openly mocking heaven. Just looking at her makes my brow furrow on its own.

‘There are plenty of celestials, but….’

Any more casualties will interfere with the plan.

Our true plan hasn't even begun yet. If the number of celestials dwindles any further, carrying out heaven's plan will become difficult.

‘To turn this situation around… Raphael needs to kill that old swordsman quickly. That’s the only way.’

Raphael only recently rose to the rank of Archangel alongside Sariel and Ramiel, but his gift for healing surpasses even that of his predecessor. His regenerative ability is so exceptional that calling it the greatest in all of heaven would hardly be an exaggeration.

Furthermore, contrary to Raon’s words, the old swordsman is unable to gain the upper hand against Raphael’s endless regeneration and is steadily growing exhausted. At this rate, Raphael will eventually win without any intervention, but far too many celestials will die at Envy’s hands before then.

‘Raphael can defeat Envy.’

Raphael, the Archangel of Protection and Healing, is a favorable match against Envy, the Monarch of Envy. Once Raphael defeats the human swordsman, he will bring Envy to his knees as well and reverse the current situation.

Sssssss!

Uriel raised Apocalypse once more and closed his eyes.

[Raphael.]

He sent a message formed from divine power to Raphael, who was fighting Rector.

[You may cast off the shackles placed upon you. Kill that human as quickly as possible, then face Envy, the Monarch of Envy!]

As Uriel ordered Raphael to remove his restrictions, he brought down the Apocalypse’s blade of crimson flame.

Rooooooar!

A tidal wave of crimson fire that split heaven and earth crashed downward as he charged toward Raon standing at its far end.

[I will burn this human to ashes and join you as well!]

*   *   *

“Finally….”

Archangel Raphael stretched his lips into a broad grin.

“Now I can finally shatter that pathetic sword of yours!”

He exhaled a white breath as the circular wound carved out of his waist healed in an instant.

“Haa….”

Rector let out a ragged breath, the hand gripping his sword trembling slightly.

“What relentless regenerative power.”

He had landed enough attacks to kill an ordinary human thousands of times over, yet Raphael healed every wound across his body simply by releasing sacred light. Rector had known him as the Archangel of Protection and Healing and had steeled himself accordingly, but he had never expected his regeneration to be this extreme.

‘His regenerative ability is even greater than what Raon told me.’

Raon warned me that Raphael possessed extraordinary regenerative ability, and I prepared myself accordingly. Even so, the Archangel standing before me seems to possess healing power surpassing that of his predecessor. Seeing Raphael immediately heal even after having his neck severed is enough to leave me thoroughly exasperated.

By contrast, the wounds Raphael inflicted on me haven't healed at all. They've only grown worse, and as my stamina continues to decline, I'm becoming increasingly short of breath. I can hardly even find an opening to use the sword capable of killing that Archangel. It is no exaggeration to call this the worst possible situation.

‘But….’

I cannot fall here.

No matter how powerful Archangel Raphael’s regeneration is, I cannot give up and retreat. I would rather die than lose the trust of my grandson, who chose to believe in me despite having the option of entrusting this battle to the Demon King.

“You can never break this sword unless you kill me first!”

Rector shook his head, declaring that as long as his life remained unbroken, neither would his sword.

“Then I’ll just break your neck first.”

Raphael bared his white teeth and gripped the end of his spear shaft.

“From now on, that sword of yours will never touch this body.”

He spread all eight wings as though signaling that the battle was about to become something entirely different.

Fwoooooosh!

As Raphael’s wings spread wide, the healing energy covering them, soft and flowing like waves, condensed into sharp, pointed forms like thorns.

“From now on….”

Raphael leaned forward with his saw-toothed wings spread wide.

“I’ll show you the true might of an Archangel.”

He shouted for Rector to try to withstand it if he could and shot forward as a flash of gold.

‘What!’

Rector swallowed dryly as he watched Raphael’s spear strike close in at terrifying speed.

‘Left!’

It was too fast for his eyes to follow. Relying on instincts honed through countless battles, he sensed Raphael’s assault surging in from the left and turned his body.

KRAAAAAANG!

Relying on his experience, Rector barely managed to block Raphael’s spear strike, but even the force behind it was on an entirely different level from before.

“Ghh….”

Rector let out a low groan, unable to endure Raphael’s divine power, which felt as though it were piercing through his flesh and bone. The divine power itself seemed to carry tremendous piercing force. Even though he had blocked the attack with aura, he felt overwhelming pain as though he had been wounded.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?”

Raphael raised his chin as he pressed forward with the spear shaft.

“Healing doesn’t mean I don’t feel pain. Now it’s your turn to receive all the pain I’ve suffered.”

He swung his spear shaft with a smile brimming with killing intent, as though determined to return every bit of pain he had endured until now.

Whoooooosh!

Raphael moved with lightning speed, as though proving that the real battle had only just begun, and poured chillingly sharp spear strikes down upon Rector.

Clangclangclangclang!

Rector barely managed to block Raphael’s spear strikes, which moved so quickly they appeared only as faint flashes, but despite defending against them, his lips were turning pale from the intense pain.

‘H-How….’

Raphael had clearly been fighting him with everything he had. His healing ability had unquestionably surpassed human understanding, but in terms of might, there had not been much difference between them. Rector could not understand how Raphael had become this much stronger so quickly.

If Raphael had displayed this level of might from the beginning, Rector would have been dead long ago.

“Are you wondering why I’ve grown stronger?”

Raphael twisted his lips as though Rektar’s thoughts were plainly visible to him.

“It’s simple. I merely converted the healing power granted to me into might.”

“Healing power into might?”

Rector narrowed his eyes at Raphael’s words.

“That’s right. I converted my healing power, which can overcome even death, into might and gained the power to crush you.”

Raphael nodded, saying that by consuming his healing power, he could wield terrifying might.

“Normally, I’m bound by a restriction, but Sir Uriel has given me permission. I’ll make you experience the pain of hell!”

He muttered that he would return every bit of pain Rector’s sword had inflicted on him and raised his spear, which flashed with golden light. He seemed to have already forgotten Uriel’s order to end the fight as quickly as possible.

“Haa….”

Rector steadied his breathing and nodded.

“I see. So that’s why.”

A gentle smile appeared on his face as he said that he understood the reason now.

“You’re smiling…?”

Raphael deeply furrowed his brow.

“Don’t tell me you’re stupid enough to think my healing power is gone?”

He let out an incredulous laugh.

“Even weakened, my healing power can instantly heal wounds from a sword like yours!”

Raphael ground his teeth, declaring that Rector no longer had any chance of defeating him.

“Looks like you used your power again for this foolish old grandfather.”

Ignoring Raphael, Rector looked with a smile toward Raon’s back in the distant sky. Raon did not even glance his way, focusing solely on his battle with Uriel as though he had no concern for what was happening here.

“Haaah?”

Raphael exhaled harshly, enraged at being ignored by Rector.

“You’re practically begging me to kill you!”

Shouting that he would take Rector’s head at once, he kicked off the ground.

Fwoooooosh!

Raphael surged forward at a speed surpassing even Ramiel, the Archangel of Lightning, and thrust his chillingly gleaming spear toward Rector’s heart.

Chiiiiing!

Just before the spear pierced his already-split chest, Rector’s eyes flashed with calm light.

“As expected….”

His sword rose in a smooth arc as though tracing moonlight.

“You lack experience. Your attack patterns are fixed.”

As though he had anticipated that Raphael would feint toward his neck before thrusting at his heart, Rector drew a semicircle with his icy-blue sword.

Claaaaaaaang!

Rector’s sword smoothly caught Raphael’s spear strike and redirected it into the ground. Despite the perfect defense, he bit his bloodied lip as the impact and pain still coursed through him.

“It’s not over! My attack—ah!”

Raphael wrenched up the spear that had struck the ground and was about to aim at Rector again.

Rector’s sword, which had risen in silence, came down a quarter of a breath faster. There was no elaborate sword path or powerful aura, but an intent so dense it was visible to the eye shimmered around his blade like heat haze.

Slaaaaaaash!

The sword imbued with Rector’s conviction swept past Raphael’s furious face and completely severed his neck.

“Ghhhhh!”

Even with his neck severed, Raphael immediately turned his eyes as though nothing had happened.

“I told you! A human’s sword cannot kill me! I can regenerate as many times as I want—”

He was about to release his healing light and regenerate at once.

But the sacred light vanished from Raphael’s body, the same light that had always healed his wounds instantly, and the Archangel’s head, still suspended in midair, fell to the ground.

Thud.