The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 34

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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 34

Martha Zigheart possessed an unyielding pride.

She had failed the previous cohort not due to lack of skill, but because she had nearly beaten two direct relatives to death after they had wounded her pride.

After that incident brought various troublesome complications, she had intended to coast through the 5th Training Ground, but there was one person who grated on her nerves.

Raon Zigheart.
That small boy, who didn’t seem childish at all, continued to irritate me.

I wanted to challenge him to a fight immediately, but following Rimer’s words, I held back—striking someone who hadn’t even learned an aura would be shameful.

So when I heard that Raon had mastered an aura, I was delighted more than anyone else. Finally, I could repay the humiliation from before.

And so the sparring began, and our blades clashed.

His swordsmanship talent shone even brighter in actual combat. Even facing unfamiliar techniques, he displayed nearly flawless defense.

But the moment I deployed the Titan aura, Raon was pushed back as easily as a paper doll.

It was as expected.
The difference in the size and purity of our auras was like heaven and earth.

The entire situation was firmly in my grasp. If I wished, I could shatter his bones right then and there.

He should have known this, yet the light in Raon’s eyes never died.

Come at me with everything you have!

His expression seemed to provoke me with those words.

It was absurd.
He looked like a foolish rabbit unaware that its throat was already in my grasp.

Pathetic wretch.
I sneered and brought my blade down with greater force and aura infused within it.

Boom!

A small tremor echoed through the Sparring Arena.
But he endured it.
Even with consecutive sword strikes, he refused to fall.

Irritation flared within me.
Watching someone with such meager talent attempt to reach higher made my blood boil with fury.

‘Don’t blame me for this.’

Even if his limbs shattered, there was nothing to be done about it. I drew upon a far more intense aura before leveling my sword forward.

The Stone Fortress stance.
I intended to pierce through Raon’s defense with the sharp momentum of unyielding stone.

Just as I pushed off the ground—
A crimson flower ignited at the tip of Raon’s blade.

A tiny spark of flame.
Yet the moment I beheld that vivid scarlet fire, so achingly beautiful, a chill raced down my spine.

‘What is that?’

Dread consumed me. An inexplicable unease surged forward.

‘No!’

I clenched my teeth. For just a moment, I had felt fear before someone like Raon—and I could not accept it. Would not accept it.

Whoooosh!

I unleashed the accumulated Titan Aura directly onto the blunt blade of my training sword.

Whoosh!

In that instant, Raon took a single step forward. The small flame dancing on his training sword carved a single line through the air.

A crimson streak drawn from left to right. The Titan Aura that touched that line melted away.

And then.

Crack!

The training sword, solid as stone, split cleanly in half and tumbled through the air.

Thud!

The sound of the broken blade embedding itself in the Training Ground echoed through Martha’s ears.

“Ah….”

Martha stared at the severed half-sword with vacant eyes.

“H-how is this even….”

Her lips and hands trembled simultaneously in disbelief.

“Is that the talent you spoke of?”

Raon Zigheart’s eyes gleamed with cold intensity. The flames that had danced at the sword’s edge had already vanished.

“A talent that can’t withstand a single clumsy sword strike. I’d say that’s meaningless.”
“Y-you….”

Martha Zigheart, unlike her usual self, could offer no retort. Her head bowed like the sword split in two.

*

*

*

“W-what just happened! What was that!”
“A-a training sword wrapped in Titan Aura was cut in a single strike.”
“I-insane….”

I felt the gazes of the trainees piercing through me from all directions. Shock, disbelief, awe. They seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

“Hah….”

Rimer standing before me wore the same expression—his pointed ears perked even higher, eyes wide with shock.

It seemed that severing Martha’s blade in a single strike had astonished him as well.

‘I was shocked myself, to be honest.’

The power of the first stage of the Flame Orb technique far exceeded my expectations. Had I failed to control it properly, I might have cleaved Martha herself in two.

‘If the second star is this formidable….’

My heart thundered with anticipation at what the power of the third star and beyond might unleash.

“Ugh….”

I lowered my gaze toward the groan rising from below. Martha’s eyes blazed a fierce crimson.

‘She won’t accept this.’

No surrender in her expression. She hadn’t even properly witnessed her blade being severed, so she would never accept defeat.

“I don’t accept it.”

The exact words I had anticipated spilled from Martha’s lips. She hurled her fractured blade aside and clenched her fists.

Roooaaar!

The Titan Aura enveloped her body, manifesting an unyielding, rock-solid momentum.

“I thought you’d say that.”

I nodded and set down my practice sword.

“I’ll make you admit defeat with your own words.”
“That will never happen!”

Martha stamped the ground. This time, instead of charging straight ahead, she lunged from the left—her movements rigid but swift and heavy.

“Haaah!”

She closed the distance in an instant, releasing a sharp cry as her fist shot forward.

Thud!

I brought my elbow down to intercept her punch. The tremendous impact twisted Martha’s body.

But she didn’t stop. Gritting her teeth, she continued unleashing her fists with everything she had.

Crack!

I traced a circle with my palm, deflecting her punch smoothly before sweeping a kick toward her abdomen.

“Ugh!”

The strike landed cleanly, yet Martha only released a faint groan and didn’t retreat. Her mental fortitude matched her solid aura perfectly.

“Not yet!”

Martha bit her lip and extended her fist. The martial arts of a noble house shone through even in her desperation—her form remained flawless.

‘Still, that won’t be enough.’

Fast, precise footwork infused with powerful aura—but that was all. Her training remained far too shallow.

Crack!

I evaded the punch aimed at my forehead and struck her waist with a rigid hand blade.

“Ugh!”

The impact pierced through her Titan aura, and saliva dripped from Martha’s lips. She flinched momentarily before counterattacking with even greater speed. Such ferocity seemed at odds with her refined appearance.

‘Her durability is impressive.’

To endure consecutive strikes that would fell an adult swordsman and still counterattack—her mental resilience and physical endurance far exceeded that of a trainee.

“Haaah!”

Martha rolled across the ground. The sand scattered across the Sparring Arena’s floor billowed up, briefly obscuring my vision. Before I could even sense her presence, a fist came hurling from my right.

Boom!

A fist like a catapult’s stone. Each time I blocked with my forearm, my entire body shuddered.

“Haaaah!”

Martha seized the fleeting opening without hesitation, holding her breath as she unleashed a barrage of punches.

Crack!

The moment Martha paused to catch her breath after unleashing twenty rapid-fire punches, my fist struck her abdomen with full force.

“Ugh!”

Martha staggered backward, clutching her stomach. Disbelief flooded her eyes.

“Your fists are rather mediocre, despite your bold declarations.”

I brushed the sand from my arm and wrist where I’d deflected her strikes.

“How… how is this possible?”
“Skill.”

I taunted the bewildered Martha, rotating my wrist.

‘The Flame Orb is exceptional for defense as well.’

Thanks to my imagery of an eternal flame, the Flame Orb aura proved efficient not only for offense but for defense as well.

“Huff…”

Martha bit her lip and lifted her head. Titan aura began to concentrate within her clenched fist.

Roooar!

A technique called Focal Point—concentrating aura in a single location. To think she wielded such a skill at her age; truly, she possesses exceptional talent.

Excitement no longer flickered across my face. Clarity returned to eyes that had burned with fury.

“I concede. You are strong.”

The energy gathered in Martha’s fist had taken on a proper form. She had ascended to the level of a Sword User.

“If you surpass this, I will acknowledge defeat!”

Martha charged forward like a bear that had spotted prey—a weight as if a boulder were tumbling down from a mountain peak.

“Huh.”

I exhaled a measured breath. Planting my foot firmly, I drove my fist forward.

The rotation that began at my ankle traveled through my quadriceps and reached my waist, and in that moment, explosive force was channeled into my extended fist.

Kwaaang!

My fist, infused with the flames of the Flame Orb, shattered the mass of brown aura and twisted Martha’s arm.

“Ah….”

As the Titan Aura fractured, Martha’s face came into view, her eyes bloodshot.

Whoooosh!

Caught in the shockwave of the punch, she staggered like a reed in a storm and was hurled backward.

“Ugh….”

Martha’s neck trembled violently before her eyes closed and she fell backward. Even in unconsciousness, her clenched fist remained firmly shut.

‘Her willpower is truly remarkable.’

For someone who would soon turn fifteen, her mental fortitude was extraordinary—more impressive than her skill and talent combined.

“Huh!”
“Ah….”
“That’s just overwhelming.”
“This can’t be real. How could he defeat Martha….”

Both the trainees who followed Martha and those positioned on the opposite side stood speechless in shock.

“Raon Zigheart….”

Burren’s clenched fists trembled as he glared at me with barely contained fury.

“….”

Lunan wore his usual expressionless face, but his parted lips exhaled a cold chill—a telltale sign of his excitement.

“Well, well….”

Rimer stood frozen for a moment before rushing toward the fallen Martha to check her condition.

“Tsk, I had plenty of scolding to give her, and she goes unconscious.”

After confirming Martha’s state, Rimer clicked his tongue in frustration.

“That’s enough for today. Everyone else, go back and think about what you lacked in this match.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Then everyone is dismissed except Raon.”
“Why am I….”
“Because I have something to give you, and there’s still plenty of lecturing left unsaid.”

He grinned wickedly before vaulting over the Training Ground wall and sprinting toward the Medical Office.

“Raon Zigheart.”

Burren approached while I stood dazed, staring at the wall Rimer had just leaped over.

“I expected you would catch up to us.”

His smile was ambiguous—somewhere between admiration and anticipation.

“I’m different from Martha. Whether you sprint ahead like a hare or plod along like a tortoise, I won’t give up or let my guard down. When the graduation exam comes, I’ll stake everything I have and crush you.”

Burren Zigheart left those words behind and departed from the Training Ground. His expression looked refreshed.

‘He’s certainly changed.’

The Burren Zigheart I once knew—consumed by obsession and jealousy—was gone. He had shed his arrogance as if awakening to some truth, replacing it with genuine confidence.

Tap, tap.

Someone tapped my shoulder from behind. I turned to find Lunan Slion, her violet eyes gleaming with delight.

Nod.

She gave an emphatic nod—as if to say well done. Clutching a box of bead-like ice cream, she scurried out of the Training Ground with quick, light steps.

“What is she doing?”

I opened my mouth in bewilderment. I still couldn’t fathom what that girl was trying to accomplish. Shaking my head, I walked toward the platform where the chair sat.

As I settled into the chair and waited for Rimer, a book on the platform caught my eye.

It was the book Rimer used as a pillow during his naps. I opened it.

“Huh?”

My eyes widened as I examined the contents.

‘This is…’

I had assumed it was merely a pillow, but I was wrong. The book contained detailed notes on the strengths and weaknesses of each trainee, along with methods for improvement.

I read the entry on Burren Zigheart on the first page.

‘Possesses exceptional talent, but excessive arrogance. Since becoming a trainee, has undergone significant transformation. Has come to recognize that his shortcomings are primarily spiritual in nature and now dedicates time to meditation. Employs elegant yet systematic swordplay, which he also values highly…’

These observations would be difficult to record without careful observation of the trainees. Yet this wasn’t just one entry—there was one for each trainee.

‘As for me…’

Raon examined his own evaluation.

‘He demonstrated innate talent in swordsmanship and martial arts, possesses an excellent sense for mana, but struggles with learning aura cultivation methods. Education regarding elemental affinity is necessary. Finding a way to make him feel fire….’

The notes about himself were so detailed that they seemed almost excessive.

‘Instructor Rimer….’

I had always thought Rimer was just slacking off and playing around, but in reality, he had been observing everything meticulously.

Raon smiled, feeling an inexplicable warmth filling his chest. It was a sensation he had never experienced before, but it didn’t feel bad at all.

-Unexpected.
‘Right?’
-Still displeasing. Remains arrogant and irritating.

Since failing to consume his own body, Wrath had begun viewing the world with even greater cynicism.

-When I was in the Demon Realm, pointed-ears and dwarves once crossed over to the surface. I froze all those arrogant bastards….
‘You really talk a lot.’

When Raon tapped the flower bracelet, Wrath fell silent. His words were becoming increasingly excessive and unbearable.

-Ugh, I am the very definition of taciturnity. Among the lords of the Demon Realm, I was renowned for my silence, and yet you say I talk much. What nonsense. Talking much means….
‘Ugh.’

When I tapped the bracelet again to silence him, Rimer returned by scaling the wall.

I couldn’t understand why he always climbed through the wall instead of using the door like a normal person.

“Raon.”

Rimer approached with a smile, his expression still tinged with surprise.

“Your aura control was excellent for someone who only recently learned it. Though intentionally taking those hits and discarding your sword were unnecessary moves.”

Rimer chuckled and patted my shoulder.

“But that’s my opinion as an instructor. As an individual, it was a satisfying match. Congratulations on becoming top rank. This is yours now.”

He produced a wooden box he had kept in his possession and handed it over. It was the spirit elixir that Martha had entrusted to him.

“Thank you.”

I accepted the spirit elixir from Rimer and bowed my head.

“Since you two made a bet together, you don’t need to thank me.”
“No. Thank you.”

This gratitude wasn’t merely for the elixir. It was for watching over my training all this time and offering countless pieces of advice.

He may have been late and lazy at times, but when it mattered, he provided instruction with absolute conviction.

In truth, without him, I might never have mastered the Mana Circulation Technique.

In my past life, I had only known caretakers, never a true teacher. Rimer was more than worthy of my gratitude.

“Anyway.”

Rimer chuckled softly, his face radiating simple joy as he looked at everyone.

“Then I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait a moment.”

He brought his index and middle fingers together and flicked his hand.

“Didn’t I tell you there’s somewhere we need to go?”
“Somewhere we need to go?”
“The Patriarch’s Reception Hall.”

Rimer grinned and pointed westward with his finger.

“The Patriarch has summoned you.”

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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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