The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 319

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 319

Boom!

The Beast Alliance warrior, whose physique rivaled that of a bison, collapsed charred black, and Princess Jeina standing across from him let out a cold laugh as she raised her chin triumphantly.

“The final spot in the Expert-class semifinals goes to Princess Jeina of the Valcar Kingdom!”

The Announcer climbed into the Sparring Arena and raised his fist.

“Uooooooo!”
“Your Highness!”
“Princess Jeina! I’m dying!”
“As expected, Valcar has the advantage against the Beast Alliance!”
“To defeat that monster so effortlessly—beauty and skill, she lacks nothing!”

The spectators roared Princess Jeina’s name, their cheers shaking the Sparring Arena.

“With this, all spots in the Expert-class semifinals are now filled! Though one seat regrettably remains vacant, the thrilling matches we’ve witnessed more than compensate for that loss!”

The Announcer recalled the passionate duel between Burren and Lunan, who had displayed such fighting spirit, and urged everyone to look forward to tomorrow.

“Hmm.”

I nodded slowly while studying the bracket.

‘So it’s come to this.’

The first semifinal spot was empty, the second belonged to Greer, the Third Prince of Owen, the third to Martha, and the last to Jeina.

The Zigheart swordsmen could have claimed two of the four semifinal positions, but I felt no regret. After all, Martha would be the ultimate victor.

I gazed at Jeina, who was savoring the cheers from the Sparring Arena, my expression cold and composed.

“Flinch!”

The moment she sensed my gaze, her shoulders trembled and she hurriedly descended from the Sparring Arena.

-Hmm.

Wrath watched Princess Jeina’s back and smacked his lips.

-That brat. Doesn’t she have a leash around her neck from you?
‘That’s right. That’s why she’s being so cautious.’

I’d signed a special contract granting three favors, so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say I held Princess Jeina’s leash.

-Couldn’t you use that to make her forfeit?
‘I could, but then Martha would kill me.’

Martha wanted a fair fight even when she was full of stubbornness. If I forced Princess Jeina to forfeit, all hell would break loose.

‘Besides, I can win without resorting to that. You know it too.’

I’d be at a slight disadvantage compared to the Third Prince who’d advanced directly to the finals, but ultimately Martha would emerge victorious.

-The True Demon King merely wished for the beef girl to fight in a slightly better condition.
‘Anyway.’

I chuckled softly. A demon king who cared for his subordinates—every time I felt it, this guy never ceased to amaze me in various ways.

“With that, all Expert-rank duels scheduled for today have concluded! But there’s no need to despair! The Master-rank duels are about to begin!”

As the Announcer stretched his hand toward the sky, mages drew lines of mana in the air to create the Master-rank bracket.

Unlike the Expert-rank bracket which had 128 competitors, the Master-rank had only 16.

Though 16 was still an impressive number.

It meant that sixteen Masters under forty years old had gathered—a number that would never have appeared if the Six Emperors, that massive organization, hadn’t convened.

“Uooooooo!”
“Blue Blade! Blue Blade!”
“Spear-Tip Blade! Spear-Tip Blade!”
“At this rate, those two will face off in the finals?”
“What nonsense! There’s Garona, who tore a dragon apart!”
“Don’t you see Matheus with the Black Chain Armor? Anyone who tries clumsy swordplay against him will have their bones shattered!”

The spectators raised their voices, each proclaiming their chosen champion.

“Doesn’t Raon Zigheart look promising too?”
“Right? Seeing those Zigheart kids fight at the Expert level… the Legend Sword Association must be formidable as well.”
“No way! Are Expert and Master the same thing?”
“Exactly. The Legend Sword Association was kidnapped and had to be rescued like a princess!”
“Aside from the kidnapping, their skill is simply inferior to the others.”

A handful of spectators mentioned Raon as a contender for victory, but their voices were quickly drowned out by the more prominent names.

Raon paid them no mind, studying the bracket while tapping his fingers thoughtfully.

‘My first opponent is Matheus, the Black Ironclad of Valcar.’

True to his epithet as the Ironclad, Matheus was a knight renowned as a defensive specialist—a legend among his peers, for not a single mage under his protection had ever fallen in battle.

‘Next would be Borini Kitten.’

After defeating the Black Ironclad in the Round of Sixteen, my next opponent would be Borini Kitten of the Owen Kingdom, hailed as a championship contender.

After defeating Borini Kitten, tomorrow’s semifinals would pit me against Garona the True Dragon, and the finals would likely be against Cardis Robert, the Azure Blade.

‘All the strong ones are clustered at the front.’

Most of the renowned powerhouses were concentrated in the upper bracket, leaving Cardis Robert, whose name appeared later, to face easier opponents.

‘Did you arrange this too?’

While coincidence was certainly possible, seeing Matio serving as the referee made me suspect the Robert faction might have tampered with the bracket.

“Hmm?”

Martha frowned as she studied the bracket.

“Isn’t this incredibly disadvantageous for you?”

She furrowed her brow, observing the concentration of powerhouses in the upper half.

“The back section is as sparse as if it were salted.”
“I’m actually grateful, though?”

I glanced at the bracket again, offering a soft smile.

“What?”
“They’re giving me the chance to handpick battles against the strong. I’m so grateful I’d pay them for it.”

My original reason for joining this gathering was to fight against powerhouses from rival factions, and now the bracket had naturally arranged exactly that. I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Today’s final opponent is perfect too.’

Borini Kitten was a powerhouse I couldn’t afford to underestimate even now. He was the ideal opponent to draw out Tacheon’s attacks.

“You really are something else….”

Martha exhaled a sigh of exasperation. After observing the Spectator Stands for a moment, she twisted her lips and turned her head.

“But isn’t something odd?”
“What?”
“Not many people are betting on your victory. Our reputation was already in the gutter, but why are you being dismissed like this?”
“I was kidnapped by Merlin.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Kidnapped? Damn it! What nonsense! If the 10th Apostle and Merlin were kidnapping someone, who here could possibly resist? There’s not a single person on that bracket who could escape!”

She pointed at the bracket, indignant on my behalf.

“It doesn’t matter. All they see is the result—that I was kidnapped and then rescued.”

Martha was right; anyone here would have suffered the same fate, but in the end, only I experienced it. There was no point arguing that now.

“Still, thanks to you all, my reputation rose along with yours.”

I gazed at the Sparring Arena with darkened eyes.

“Now it’s my turn.”
“Ugh….”

I gripped the blade of the Heavenly Sword and let a cold smile cross my face. Martha swallowed hard without realizing it.

“I’ll place the name of Zigheart in the highest position.”

*

*

*

“Boring! This meeting is so boring!”

Chamber stomped her feet on the conference table and pouted her lips.

“Honestly, that mouth of hers never takes a break.”

Ogram glared at Chamber and ground his teeth.

“Did you think a strategy meeting like this would be entertaining?”
“I’d forgotten since it’s been so long. If I’d known it would be like this, I should have sent the king instead.”

Chamber spoke as if she were running an errand for the King of Valcar and laughed with a giggle.

“Since I’m bored, let me see how the results turned out.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and drew lines of mana through the air.

The Expert-class semifinals bracket that had been floating above the Sparring Arena and the Master-class bracket about to begin were drawn above the table.

“Oh, the old man’s granddaughter and our princess both advanced. Your Third Prince got a bye? Straight to the finals! That’s lucky, isn’t it?”

Though they had been pretending not to care, the moment the bracket appeared, they all stared at it with sharpened eyes.

“Damn it!”
“Hmm….”

Ogram and Derus frowned upon seeing that the Beast Alliance’s name was absent from the Expert-class semifinals.

“Wait? It looks like two members of Zigheart clashed in the quarterfinals and both were eliminated?”

Chamber brought down the bracket below it and let out a cackling laugh.

“These kids are idiots! Why would they fight each other and both lose? They could just concede!”
“No.”

Glen shook his head. A satisfied smile played across his face as he gazed at the names of Burren and Lunan.

“This is perfect.”
“Hmph. Swordsmen with nothing but blades in their heads wouldn’t understand.”

Chamber rolled her eyes and lifted the Master-tier bracket upward.

“Oh? Your grandson and our kid are matched up here too!”

She pointed at Matheus’s name with a sneer.

“How’s this going to work? Our Matheus has the epithet Black Iron Armor.”
“Black Iron Armor?”
“Not a sword—armor. It means he’s as hard as armor forged from black iron with extreme durability.”

Chamber licked her lips as she looked at Raon’s name beside Matheus.

“Matheus is a kid who’s endured Master-level sword strikes before. Can Raon break through that defense?”
“The next opponent after those two would be our Borini Kitten, it seems.”

King Lecross chuckled at the sight of Borini Kitten’s name. He seemed to already believe his opponent would advance, as they were inferior to the others.

“Whoever comes up will be entertaining.”
“It’s all meaningless.”

Ogram slammed the table with his fist, baring his sharp teeth.

“Whoever of the three makes it up will just get torn apart by Garona tomorrow anyway!”

His eyes gleamed with certainty as a dark smile spread across his face.

“Hmm, our child is fortunate to have an easy bracket.”

Derus licked his lips as he looked at Cardis’s name in the final spot of the Round of 16.

“Listen here, old man. I’m giving you a chance to back out now.”

Ogram chuckled coldly and lifted his chin.

“You’re saying that child will defeat the Black Armored Knight, the Spear-Pointed Sword, and even the True Dragon Water, then claim victory? I’ll admit the boy has some talent, but this is impossible.”

He shook his hand dismissively.

“Withdraw from here before your sword is taken and you’re humiliated.”
“Ogram. Your tongue has grown quite long in the time we haven’t seen each other.”

Glen smiled with ease and pushed the Divine Heavenly Sword further forward on the table.

“Do you have so little faith in your own son?”

He shook his head with a composed expression.

“I have faith in the children of Zigheart.”

Glen’s plain voice spread not arrogance, but warmth throughout the conference hall.

“Wow! Sir! You’ve become even more impressive since we last met!”

Chamber approached Glen’s side with a cheerful laugh.

“There’s a gentleness melting within your coldness. I find myself liking this version of Glen even more.”

King Lecross smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, it’s a pleasant sight.”

Derus laughed brightly as he gazed down at the Divine Heavenly Sword, yet despite his smile, his eyes held not the slightest glimmer of amusement.

*

*

*

“Then we shall commence the first match of the Round of 16. Raon Zigheart of the Legend Sword Association versus Matheus of the Black Chain! Please ascend to the Sparring Arena!”

At the Announcer’s call, I made my way to the Sparring Arena. From the opposite side, a knight with an unremarkable height but a frame as solid as a dwarf’s climbed up.

‘His momentum is formidable.’

Though he appeared somewhat older than the members of the Twelve Continents present here, his skill was no less than theirs. A Master-tier intermediate. I could sense sword energy that had been properly cultivated.

“Are both of you ready?”

The Announcer’s eyes gleamed as he looked between us alternately.

“Yes.”
“I am prepared.”

Matheus and I nodded to each other rather than to the Announcer.

“Then the second match! Begin!”

The Announcer descended back to the arena floor and raised his hand with a sharp clap.

Goooooh!

The duel had begun, yet neither Matheus nor I moved. We stood in silence, regarding each other while elevating our momentum.

‘He is formidable.’

Not a single opening revealed itself. It was like observing a shield or armor crafted by a master blacksmith.

‘Though that doesn’t mean I cannot pierce it.’

If I exerted my full strength and employed the Manhwa Palace’s absolute techniques or my own self-created swordsmanship, I was confident I could shatter that defense.

‘But…’

There would be no point in coming here if I did that.

The reason I came to this place was to observe the swordsmanship of others and refine my still-imperfect Madness Sword and Wind Sword Technique. I could not squander such a precious opportunity.

‘There’s a certain satisfaction in breaking through defenses.’

Radiant Fissure Blade was a sensory sword that created openings in the opponent’s guard, while Snowwind Blade Technique was a severing sword that cut through the enemy’s flow and breathing.
Matheus before me was the perfect opponent to cultivate both sword techniques.

‘Still, that stare is absolutely insufferable.’

I felt Matio’s blatant gaze from behind me. He wasn’t interfering, but that stare alone was enough to irritate me.

‘I’ll have to deal with that.’

In my next match against Borini Kitten, I could erase that gaze.

“Ready then…”

I refocused on Matheus and stomped the ground.

“Let’s begin!”

I drove into Matheus’s right flank, unleashing Radiant Fissure Blade’s Hundred Beast Strike. The blow descended like a predator driving its fangs into prey, swift as lightning.

“Hmm!”

Matheus showed no alarm, tilting his blade diagonally upward. A solid aura clung to it like breath.

Clang!

Blade met blade, scattering crimson sparks that filled the air.

Crackle!

Neither Matheus nor I was pushed back by the shockwave as we drove our blades toward each other.

‘Not even shaken.’

Despite drawing out Radiant Fissure Blade to its fullest, Matheus’s balance remained unmoved. It felt like striking a massive boulder.

‘More solid than he appears.’

I twisted the Heavenly Sword locked against mine and thrust upward with the Crimson Flame Sword’s Blood Reaping Strike. Originally a downward slash, but now that I’d mastered it, I could unleash Blood Reaping Strike from any angle.

Whoooosh!

The savage blade infused with flame energy incinerated Matheus’s aura. But in that instant, he summoned a denser force to block the Blood Reaping Strike.

Crash!

The fractured force scattered toward the corners of the Sparring Arena. If this weren’t a magically protected arena, the floor would have been gouged with a crater.

“A nineteen-year-old wielding power greater than the Beast Alliance, with blade techniques sharper than Owen…”

Matheus’s lips trembled slightly as he spoke.

“This is absurd.”
“I’m not that impressive.”

I smiled faintly and shook my head.

“You’re not a man who can be judged by something as trivial as kidnapping.”

Matheus spun his sword and reset his stance.

“But not yet. I cannot yield victory today.”
“We’ll see about that.”

I lowered my stance. I awakened the Manhwa Palace and stepped into the Eternal Flame Step, charging forward like a demon of fire, leaving blazing footprints in my wake.

Crash!

The relentless barrage of the Crimson Flame Sword’s strikes became a firestorm, driving Matheus back.

Clang clang clang!

Though the Crimson Flame Sword’s assault grew fiercer, Matheus neither retreated nor gave ground.
He stood firm, blocking every strike. It was a display of power that perfectly matched his epithet—Armor.

‘Time to change tactics.’

I wielded Glacial and unfurled the Frost Wind Sword Technique. A torrent of frigid wind cascaded down like a waterfall.

*CLANG!*

Even though my sword technique had shifted a complete 180 degrees, Matheus’s defense remained unshaken.

“Heat won’t work, so now it’s cold? How simple.”
“You can judge whether it’s simple after we’re done.”

I smiled as coldly as the frost on my blade and kicked off the ground.

*

*

*

Matheus narrowed his eyes as he blocked the endless barrage of my sword strikes.

‘Crude.’

Unable to break through my defense, he’d switched his technique, but it was far inferior to the fire swordsmanship he’d displayed initially.

‘Is he still just a child, after all?’

Desperate to shatter my defense, he’d resorted to weaker techniques—his raw talent was extraordinary, but his lack of experience was unavoidable.

‘No, it’s only natural.’

I’d wielded a sword for longer than his entire lifetime. The gap in experience, not just skill, was insurmountable. In truth, for a nineteen-year-old to reach this level was remarkable.

‘I should end this soon.’

Though his technique was still unrefined, its power was not to be underestimated. Any further impact could affect my next battle, so I resolved to finish this quickly.

‘Then… wait?’

I’d suppressed his swordsmanship with perfect defense and was about to counterattack, but strangely, I couldn’t find an opening.

‘What is this….’

No, it wasn’t just that I couldn’t find any openings—my defense was beginning to crumble under Raon’s swordplay.

Crash!

With a tremendous impact, my wrist was driven back.

‘I… was pushed back?’

But there was no time to be shocked. Raon’s blade kept coming relentlessly.

Clang clang clang!

Sword struck sword in rapid succession, my arms screaming, my legs wavering beneath me.

‘Has he grown here?’

It wasn’t that his strength had increased. His mastery of the blade was advancing at an absurd pace.

“You… what exactly are you….”
“I’m still far from my limit. There’s much further to go.”

Raon showed no mockery, no lightness in his demeanor. His eyes were grave, his entire focus concentrated as he wielded his blade in this moment.

Whoosh!

Matheus twisted his blade to form the blood-iron palace of the middle-tier sword, but Raon’s frost-wrapped swordplay cut through the flow of aura and unleashed a devastating impact within.

“Ugh!”

I tried to suppress it, but as my bones screamed and muscles tore, a groan escaped through my clenched teeth.

‘What exactly is this bastard?’

He was clearly clumsy at first. His swordplay should never have worked against me, yet somehow his techniques and aura had meshed like interlocking gears, becoming a sword technique I couldn’t defend against.

‘At this rate, I won’t be able to do anything—I’ll just be pushed back!’

A chill ran down my spine at the thought that if I merely continued to defend like this, I would lose without accomplishing anything.

“Krraaaagh!”

Matheus roared and stepped into a true stance. He thrust his blade upward from its downward guard position, detonating all of his aura at once.

Kuwaaaaa!

Defense became offense. From the sword held in a defensive posture, the middle-tier technique of the heavy-sword style—Flowing Spear—erupted with tremendous force. A spiraling shaft of energy advanced like a flash of light, targeting Raon’s abdomen.

Kuuong!

Raon didn’t stop walking. Instead, he dug in faster and brought down the sword he held with both hands. The blue lightning blooming on the blade clashed against the Jungryupo.

Zzzzzzzt!

The frigid aura emanating from the blade he wielded spread like a halo of light, and the Flowing Spear refracted and shattered.

‘This madman!’

He twisted the flow!

Now I understood. Why defense had become so difficult, why it grew increasingly hard to withstand his sword momentum.

Raon’s swordsmanship was not merely powerful—it possessed the characteristic of distorting the opponent’s flow. It was an ability of the severing sword style, rare in this age.

“Damn!”

Matheus retreated and deployed the opening defense technique of the heavy-sword style, but Raon was faster.
He closed in instantly, shattered the incomplete defense, and struck Matheus’s abdomen with a left hook.

Bhwooogh!

The black-iron armor crumpled inward, and a tremendous impact erupted through his abdomen.

“Kgh…”

I could not breathe, let alone think.

‘What kind of power is this….’

Despite concentrating aura in my abdomen to defend, the pain was so intense my head spun. It surpassed even the strength of the Beast Alliance’s master, renowned for his fists.

Cough!

Raon seized the opening without hesitation, striking the flat of his blade against Matheus’s nape. The man collapsed onto the Sparring Arena without even a scream.

“Thank you for your efforts.”

Raon offered a respectful bow to Matheus with an air of casual composure. A speck of dust clung to his uniform—the only price paid for felling Valcar’s master, known as the Black Phantom Armor.

….

The spectators, judges, and Announcer alike stood frozen, their eyes fixed solely on Raon in the Sparring Arena.

“W-what did I just witness?”
“The Black Phantom Armor Matheus fell so easily?”
“No, the Black Phantom Armor was overwhelming him. Why did it suddenly turn out like this?”
“His swordplay looked crude….”
“His technique evolved during the fight. I don’t even know what happened.”

The spectators exhaled in disbelief, their expressions vacant with shock.

“I can’t believe it….”
“I’ve never seen Matheus’s defense broken like that.”
“Did his strength really improve? Or was he hiding it all along?”

The waiting combatants narrowed their eyes in equal disbelief.

“T-the victor of the first match is Raon Zigheart! Without a single wound, I’m not sure whether to call this a hard-fought victory or a crushing defeat!”

The Announcer’s voice trembled as he proclaimed Raon’s victory.

Raon offered a light bow and descended from the Sparring Arena.

“The next match is between Spear Tip Borini Kitten and Iron Heart Spear Graton Boren!”

Even as the two warriors for the second match ascended the Sparring Arena, the spectators continued to buzz about only Raon’s battle.

I surveyed the Sparring Arena, still shimmering with residual heat, and licked my lips with anticipation.

‘Tacheon will be targeting the next opportunity.’

My opponent in the quarterfinals would be Borini Kitten, who was now ascending to the arena floor, and this match wouldn’t end as swiftly as the first duel.

‘For him, this is the perfect chance.’

When masters clash, their confrontation captivates not only themselves but everyone around them. In other words, it’s the ideal moment for an ambush. Tacheon wouldn’t miss his chance to annihilate everyone present in this place.

‘Of course, that won’t happen.’

I watched the beginning of the second duel with a cold smile playing across my lips.

‘I’ll make excellent use of your ambush.’

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