The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 185

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 185

Boom!

An explosion massive enough to carve a colossal crater into the mountainside erupted, and Rimer and the 10th Apostle retreated, their gazes locked in fierce confrontation.

“Your power is nothing like the rumors of a cripple.”

The 10th Apostle drove a spear as white as snowflakes into the ground, his eyes narrowing with predatory sharpness that cut like a hawk’s gaze.

“Rumors are just fleeting clouds anyway.”

Rimer smiled faintly and swung his sword, resting it against his shoulder.

“If it spread across the entire Continent, it can’t be baseless. You overcame it through a different method than martial arts, then.”
“Who knows?”
“Regardless.”

A thick killing intent seeped slowly across the 10th Apostle’s emotionless eyes.

“While you were stalled overcoming your injury, I moved forward.”

He lifted the spear again. Pure white aura surged along the blade, warping the very air around it.

“True. Everyone moved forward. But I wasn’t just lying in a sickbed either.”

Rimer planted his sword and offered a faint smile, his breathing controlled to unleash Sword Manifestation at any moment.

“Then I need not hold back from the start.”

The 10th Apostle spun his spear through the air and stepped into True Form. Contrary to the collapsing earth, a tremendous aura erupted skyward. The aura condensed as if evolving further, scattering massive sparks.

“This is slightly beyond what I anticipated….”

Rimer’s brow furrowed slightly as he observed the 10th Apostle’s aura blazing above the spear blade.

“This first mission might be my last.”
“Endure well. Don’t die in a single strike.”

The 10th Apostle leveled his spear, and a sinister current of energy rippled across its blade—the distinctive aura of the White Blood Cult that commanded space itself.

“Tsk. I hate fighting without breathing room like this.”

Rimer clicked his tongue. He raised his blade vertically and pointed his gathered fingers at the ground—a preparation to activate Sword Manifestation the moment combat began.

A deep, resonant roar erupted.

As the aura waves emanating from both fighters spread outward, the entire mountain crumbled.

A tremendous explosion tore through the air.

From the mansion—now reduced to dust—a formidable aura burst forth, and someone’s life force plummeted to less than half in an instant.

“….”

Without a word between them, Rimer and the 10th Apostle converted the force they were about to collide with into footwork, dashing toward the mansion like streaks of light.

*

*

*

A sharp crackling sound pierced the air.

The frost-laden blade, harmonized with the Soul Reaper Sword’s spectral energy, pierced through the 7th Apostle’s blood aura and carved a deep wound across his chest.

“Pathetic!”

The 7th Apostle attempted to swing his saw blade as if this wound were nothing, but that was a mistake. The frost blade’s second strike was far sharper.

A tremendous explosion erupted.

Like water rebounding from a waterfall, the frost blade traced a silvery arc, piercing through the 7th Apostle’s right chest.

Tsk.

I clicked my tongue in frustration. I had aimed for the heart, but the blade had pierced through the right chest instead. The 7th Apostle must have mastered the art of reading movements in a split second—he had twisted his body just enough to avoid having his heart impaled.

“Cough!”

The 7th Apostle staggered backward, his entire chest torn open. Even though it wasn’t the heart, the massive wound was a severe shock, and gray blood poured from his mouth. The aura clinging to his saw-blade sword began to lose its luster.

Goooooh!

The regenerative power embedded in the white blood aura was attempting to restore his body, but the wound was too severe—it seemed overwhelming.

Boom!

I kicked off the ground and surged forward. My body was in terrible condition from using the Flame Dragon Technique and Frost Chain while sustaining internal injuries, but I had to end this now. If not now, there would be no other chance.

Whoooosh!

I activated the Heavenly Sword Technique—Crimson Flame Blossom—with the Soul Reaper Sword. The scarlet petals scattered on the wind, targeting the 7th Apostle’s vital points.

“Krraaaagh!”

The 7th Apostle let out a scream-like battle cry and detonated the blood aura clinging to his saw-blade sword. The blood aura spreading in a circular pattern collided with the flames of the Crimson Flame Blossom, triggering a chain of explosions.

‘If I back away now, it’s all over.’

I endured the violent explosions with my body and charged forward, bringing the Soul Reaper Sword down in a reverse grip. The crimson blade pierced through the blood aura and embedded itself in the 7th Apostle’s shoulder.

Splurrrch!

A liquid—whether molten metal or blood—erupted from above his shoulder.

“Grraaaagh!”

The 7th Apostle, unable to regain his senses, thrashed his saw-blade sword wildly. Though his aura hadn’t completely extinguished, his desperate flailing remained a threatening attack.

‘I absolutely cannot let it hit me.’

If I accidentally collided with it or took a direct hit, I would lose the momentum of my offensive. I had to evade the 7th Apostle’s attacks and drive only my blade deeper into him.

I activated the Ring of Fire to track the falling blades, then executed a spinning strike with the Heavenly Sword before unleashing a chained technique with the Soul Reaper Sword.

Clang!

The crescent-shaped ring of flames, smooth as a new moon’s curve, deflected the 7th Apostle’s saw blade.

Boom!

The moment the saw blade struck the ground, I extended my left hand with the Soul Reaper Sword. The dignified flow of chained swordsmanship merged with the ferocity of demonic energy, and the crimson blade danced with savage grace.

Whoosh!

Blood sprayed from the 7th Apostle’s shoulder, chest, wrist, and thigh where the Soul Reaper Sword grazed past.

“Argh! Disappear!”

The 7th Apostle thrust his saw blade forward. The aura was overwhelmingly powerful, enough to make one’s mind reel, but the sword path was simple. He was running out of composure.

“Ugh.”

I held my breath and moved my body. Even as the saw blade cut across my waist, I swept both the Heavenly Sword and Soul Reaper Sword in alternating arcs.

Crash!

Just as both blades were about to reach the 7th Apostle, the blood energy condensed in his chest exploded in pale flames.

Rumble!

Eventually, the foundation of the Mansion collapsed, and Raon and the 7th Apostle fell into the Underground Corridor where the Village people had been held captive.

“Gasp… gasp…”

I exhaled roughly and fixed my gaze ahead. Through the billowing smoke, the 7th Apostle’s figure was visible.

His hair was disheveled, his entire body drenched in blood, and his eyes had turned cloudy and vacant. Seeing the saw blade pointing downward, he seemed to have no strength left to grip it. The end was in sight.

‘Just like this…!’
-Raon!

I was about to close in on him with both swords when I felt it—that familiar death-sense from my assassin days, arriving alongside Wrath’s warning cry.

“Ugh!”

There was no time to turn around.

‘I’ll have to give up an arm.’

I twisted my body with all my strength, prepared to sacrifice one arm to save my life, when a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

Crash!

A colossal force collided directly behind me, and a violent shockwave erupted outward. As I was swept forward by the blast, someone’s hand grabbed my collar and stopped me in my tracks.

“Phew….”

Raon turned to look back, his expression hardening.

“Why are you always late?”
“The protagonist has to arrive fashionably late, doesn’t he?”

Rimer released his grip with a smirk. The one who had been targeting my back was already gone—the moment he collided with Rimer, he’d used that force to rebound and land beside the 7th Apostle.

“The 10th Apostle….”

Raon’s eyes narrowed as he observed the 10th Apostle supporting the 7th Apostle.

“Can’t the protagonist even kill his enemies?”
“That one crossed another wall over the past twenty years. He’s gotten considerably stronger. Besides, this brat rushed in the moment you were hit, so I didn’t have a chance to finish him.”

Rimer gestured toward the 7th Apostle and shrugged.

“But seeing how you nearly killed the 7th Apostle… I’m speechless.”

His eyes gleamed with unmistakable astonishment. He’d hoped I would hold out, but clearly hadn’t imagined I could actually defeat the 7th Apostle.

“Ugh… b-brother….”
“I’m not sure if what I’m seeing is real.”

The 10th Apostle wrinkled his nose as he watched the 7th Apostle trembling violently in agony. Even he, who seemed never to panic, appeared shocked that a Master had been defeated by an Expert.

“Did you do this?”

The 10th Apostle’s gaze, tinged with bewilderment, turned toward Raon.

“Then.”

Even before the 10th Apostle, who was radiating a terrifying aura, Raon nodded calmly.

“Remarkable indeed—an Expert felling a Master, even one of the highest caliber. This shall be remembered in history.”
“I-I didn’t lose! I merely made a careless mistake—”
“A mistake? Not making mistakes is also a form of skill.”
“I’m telling you the truth! If we fought again, I could absolutely, definitely kill him!”
“First, steady those wobbling legs of yours before you speak. Had I not intervened, you would be dead today.”

Displeased with how matters had unfolded, the 10th Apostle’s voice was cold as ice.

“We shall consider this a loss for today.”

The 10th Apostle hoisted the 7th Apostle onto his shoulder and rose to his feet.

“No, wait! That bastard! I won’t leave until I kill that son of a bitch!”
“Silence.”
“Grrrraahhh!”

The 7th Apostle shrieked, unable to even support his own body properly.

“Where do you think you’re going, you dog!”

Martha, who had been separated from them, spat blood as she rose.

“You’re not going anywhere. I’ll kill you both—you and that narrow-eyed bastard—right here!”

She forced herself upright despite her trembling limbs.

“She’s right. Who said you could leave?”

I leveled my blade at the 10th Apostle. Exhausted, my aura depleted, my internal injuries churning my insides—yet the tip of my sword remained steady and unwavering.

“But the man behind you seems to have different thoughts.”

At those words, I turned to look behind me. Just as the 10th Apostle said, Rimer showed no intention to fight—his sword was lowered.

“Well, I could fight. I could kill those two as well. But….”

Rimer gestured toward the Gwangpung Unit on the upper level and the hostages who hadn’t managed to escape, then smacked his lips.

“Including you and me, everyone from the Gwangpung Unit here would be annihilated. We have too much to protect in this place.”

He spoke calmly, as if discussing someone else’s affairs.

“What will you do?”

Rimer looked at me and Martha in turn, asking. It seemed he was saying he’d fight if we wanted.

“Ugh….”

When everyone’s lives were put at risk, Martha could say nothing more and bit her lip.

-He’s right.

Wrath, who had been silent, burst forth from the bracelet.

-That bastard ahead has transcended what you humans call the Master stage. If your earless friend opens the barrier and stakes his life like before, we might catch him, but you, beef girl, and eye-balls will all die.
‘….’
-You know that well enough, don’t you? This isn’t like you.
‘Because what they’re doing pisses me off.’

Wrath was right. Normally, I would have retreated by now. But feeling the 10th Apostle’s power and still acting stubborn like this—it’s because of those damned bastards’ hypocrisy.

“Are even creatures like you cherishing your apostle brothers?”
“What?”

The 10th Apostle furrowed his brows as if questioning what I was saying.

“You know what this place is, don’t you? It’s an iron cage where your subordinates kidnapped people who were living well and confined them like beasts.”

I pointed to the iron cages whose bars had been torn away as the ground collapsed.

“You destroyed the villages where families lived together, dragged people here by force, drank their blood, tore at their flesh—and you ask if your four siblings matter to you?”

I gripped the Soul Reaper Sword as it vibrated wildly, unleashing my killing intent.

“You don’t even remember the names of the villages you annihilated, don’t know the names of the tribes you stained with blood—and you dare ask if your family is precious?”

In my past life, I would never have spoken like this. I would have simply let him go, breathing a sigh of relief that I had survived.

But living as Raon Zigheart, I came to understand the preciousness of family, the warmth of the only place where I could truly be at ease. Having known that life, I could not suppress the scorching heat churning within me.

“….”

The 10th Apostle said nothing. His eyes merely gleamed more sharply, as if irritated.

“Those wretches should consider it an honor to become our sustenance! We’re saving them from their pathetic, insignificant existence!”

The 7th Apostle glared at me, grinding his teeth.

“Then you, who lost to me, are also trash and vermin. To fall despite standing at a higher level—if I were you, I would have bitten off my tongue and died here.”
“Y-you won by luck! If we fought again, you couldn’t even withstand a single strike from me!”
“The loser should shut up.”

I ignored the 7th Apostle and turned to the 10th Apostle, moving beside Martha and grasping her shoulder.

“I declare it here. 10th Apostle. A survivor from the village you don’t even remember will kill you. I’ll make it happen.”
“What?”

Martha turned around, her eyes widening. She trembled, clearly taken aback.

“Ha!”

The 10th Apostle let out a hollow laugh. It seemed both a mockery of my impossibility and an acceptance of my challenge.

“You’ll die by my hand before that happens! Once my body heals, I’ll find you and kill you!”

The 7th Apostle raised his trembling fingers.

“You’re not capable of it.”
“What?”
“The next time we meet, I’ll have reached Master rank as well. You lost to me when I was Expert—at the same Master rank, you won’t even be worth fighting. You’d do well to run the moment you see me.”
“Arrogant bastard….”

The 7th Apostle’s face flushed crimson with rage and humiliation.

“Do you think Master rank is so easy to achieve! The Wall is not something one crosses so casually!”
“You crossed it, so there’s no reason I can’t.”
“Y-you bastard! Older brother! Please release me! I cannot rest until I’ve killed that wretch!”

At my unwavering response, the 7th Apostle stared at me in utter disbelief.

“You absolutely… Ugh!”

Just as the 7th Apostle was about to continue his tirade, the 10th Apostle struck his neck and rendered him unconscious.

“Your confidence is quite remarkable. What’s your name?”
“Raon Zigheart.”
“Raon Zigheart. And the survivor of a nameless village. I look forward to meeting you both again.”

The 10th Apostle hoisted the unconscious 7th Apostle onto his shoulder and retreated backward.

“Don’t put on airs, you murderous bastard! My mother… *sob*….”

He glanced back at Martha, who was spewing curses, then vanished in an instant.

“Ah….”

The moment the 10th Apostle disappeared, Martha collapsed to her knees and fell. She should have lost consciousness long ago, but it seemed only rage had kept her standing.

“You did remarkably well.”

Rimer approached with a gentle smile.

“I was only able to hold my ground because you bolstered my resolve from behind.”

I shook my head. Because Rimer had lent me his strength, I was able to stand firm and speak my mind even before the 10th Apostle. I could never quite figure out what he was thinking most of the time, but in moments like these, he proved to be an invaluable ally.

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about you defeating the 7th Apostle.”
“That’s something I had to do.”
“Had to do? You’re the only one who would say such a thing to their master.”

Rimer exhaled with an expression of utter disbelief.

“Now you need to rest as well.”
“Yes, I believe that’s necessary.”

I spat out the blood I’d been holding back in my throat. The internal injuries I’d sustained from each collision with his aura had accumulated beyond what I could endure. Even my willpower could no longer sustain me.

“Then I’ll leave myself in your care.”

I closed my eyes, sensing the trembling vibration of the Soul Reaper Sword as it absorbed the blood essence of the 7th Apostle and the Archbishop, along with the sensation of multiple status windows rising. The world faded to white.

*

*

*

Rimer caught me as I collapsed, stabilizing my internal injuries with his aura while breathing slowly.

‘I don’t know how to accept this.’

Given what I’d observed of Raon’s martial prowess until now, I’d predicted he could withstand the 7th Apostle to some degree.

So I’d been deliberating whether to end things in a draw after gauging the 10th Apostle’s strength, or whether to kill him even if it meant becoming crippled. Yet Raon rendered all such concerns meaningless by defeating the 7th Apostle and ending the situation.

‘He keeps surprising me every time.’

Since I hadn’t predicted this outcome, I was bewildered before I could even feel amazement.

‘An Expert who defeated a Master….’

There had never been a single instance of an Expert defeating a Master in a one-on-one confrontation. It was no exaggeration to say that the world’s predetermined rules had changed.

‘What I said to Morel has truly become no lie.’

A hollow laugh escaped me. I had told Morel that Raon would rewrite the history of the Continent, and it had actually come to pass.

‘And that deserves admiration.’

The sight of Raon declaring that he would have Martha kill the 10th Apostle who had ascended to Grand Master sent waves of shock and exhilaration through me simultaneously.

‘My choice was right.’

It reaffirmed my conviction that choosing Raon as the king to usher in this new era had been the correct decision.

“I entrust my remaining life to you.”

Rimer smiled softly as he cradled the unconscious Raon and Martha in his arms.
“Defeating an Apostle. Whether anyone believes it or not, the entire Continent will be thrown into chaos.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————