The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 569

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

Chapter 569

“Aris Zigheart.”

Lectar clicked his tongue briefly at the sight of Aris Zigheart blocking my path, as though disappointed.

“Ah, so it’s not just you.”

He rolled his eyes to the right while facing Aris Zigheart.

“What?”

Aris Zigheart narrowed her eyes as she pushed Lectar’s hand away with her blade.

“The Holy Sword Association’s lapdogs only know how to swing swords, and their intelligence gathering is pathetic. How did you know my name?”
“One cannot ignore the Pirate King of the Divine Continent Five Regions.”
“I’m not the Pirate King!”

She clenched her teeth and thrust her blade toward Lectar’s left chest.

Ching!

Lectar drew a semicircle with his right hand. A technique descended as gracefully as a setting moon, shattering Aris Zigheart’s sword strike. It was a mystical flow that seemed to erase the aura itself.

Boom!

Aris Zigheart’s twisted strike crashed into the ground, tearing a vicious fissure across the battlefield.

Whoosh!

Black smoke billowed upward, creating a thin curtain between Aris Zigheart and Lectar.

“How did Aris Zigheart end up here….”

I swallowed hard, watching Aris Zigheart adjust her grip on her sword.

“….”

Aris didn’t answer. Instead, she glared at Lectar with displeasure, her fierce aura rising like smoke.

‘I shouldn’t have spoken during combat.’
-You truly lack perception in such matters!

Just as I was about to retreat, thinking I’d made a mistake, Wrath wagged his finger.

‘What?’
-It’s not because you’re in combat, but because you used the wrong form of address.
‘Form of address….’

Something came to mind, but I wondered if that could really be it. Still, to be safe, I tried calling her by that title.

“Aunt.”
“Yes! Our nephew!”

Aris turned her head instantly, breaking into a bright smile. She seemed like a completely different person from the one radiating killing intent at Lectar moments before.

“H-how did you come to be here?”

Caught off guard by Aris’s exaggerated reaction after so long, I found myself stammering.

“You kept calling for me so insistently that I had no choice but to return to the Family Estate, but you weren’t there. I was waiting to see you before leaving, when word came that the Gwangpung Corps needed reinforcements, so I rushed right over.”
“Ah….”

I fell silent for a moment, watching the confident gleam in Aris’s eyes.

‘What remarkable drive.’

Aris must have rushed all the way here, ignoring even Glen’s orders.
From the moment I first saw her, I sensed it—she lived as a free spirit, indifferent to the weight of the Zigheart name.

“An aunt, then. I see. So you’ll be my aunt.”

Lectar examined Raon and Aris in turn, then nodded calmly. His gaze seemed to deepen, growing more distant.

“Why? Are you envious?”

Aris curled her lips into a smirk, tilting her head to one side.

“I suppose you’d be envious. If you had a nephew who became a Grand Master at twenty-one, you’d be bragging about it all over town.”
“Nonsense.”
“Then why were you trying to take me with you?”
“….”

Lectar didn’t answer, instead revealing eyes as cold as winter frost. Gazing into those desert-dry pupils, the events from moments before came rushing back.

‘But….’

Couldn’t he have captured me just then?

I had been close enough to ambush Lectar with the Soul Reaper Sword, so if he’d merely clenched his fist, he could have seized me.
Even if Aris had deployed her spatial blade, Lectar would have been faster—yet it felt as though he’d deliberately let me slip away.

-Your instinct is correct.

Wrath nodded, his gaze fixed on Lectar.

-That old man deliberately didn’t capture you.
‘As I thought….’

I bit my lip thinly, studying Lectar. If Wrath said it, there was no doubt. The reason remained unclear, but one thing was certain—Lectar had intentionally refrained from capturing me.
I’m not sure of the exact reason, but it was clear that Lectar deliberately didn’t catch me.

“Your eyes look a bit strange too.”

Because I had received one-on-one instruction from Lectar, I could tell. Within those eyes that gleamed as if a sharp wind were blowing, the image of him directly demonstrating swordplay and providing explanations remained intact.

He was someone who was thought to have a close relationship with his father. If there was such a sudden change, something must have gotten in the way.

“Brainwashing? Or maybe they got some dirt on him.”

I’ve never heard of being able to brainwash a transcendent, but the situation was so strange that my thoughts drifted in that direction.

“Brainwashing?”
“Brainwashing?”

Lectar turned his gaze away, his cold stare unchanged.

“Do you truly believe you can brainwash a Transcendent?”

He drew a sneer across his lips, which curled slightly upward.

“My presence in the Holy Sword Association is my own choice.”

Lectar spoke plainly, stating the truth as he unsheathed his blade. The sword I had once learned swordsmanship from—now aimed at me with murderous intent—pierced my chest like a physical wound.

‘Is this too a matter of fate….’

Had I been the Raon of my past life, dwelling in shadow, I would have thrust my blade into Lectar without hesitation the moment I sensed betrayal, devoid of all emotion. But now that I understood the bonds between people, I could not bare only malice.
Knowing the nature of human connection was not an unmixed blessing.

“Lectar.”

Aris Zigheart moistened her parched lips and nodded.

“So it’s true. The legendary Sword Ghost belonged to the Holy Sword Association all along? All the honor you’ve accumulated will be dragged through the mud, won’t it?”
“The honor others judge is irrelevant.”

Lectar raised his gaze boldly, unashamed. His blade, infused with his unwavering will, gleamed with pristine light.

“What matters is the meaning I choose to embody.”
“How eloquent for such a wretched man.”

Aris laughed softly, sheathing her sword before lowering her stance. She seemed intent on seizing the advantage in a single stroke, her blade technique splitting the very space between them.

“Either way, ending this quickly benefits us both.”
“What?”
“His grandfather will arrive soon. Do you know who that is?”

She pointed toward me, laughing.

“Ah….”

My eyes widened. She was attempting to weaponize the lie I had told the Dragon Lord, but this deception would not work on Lectar.

“That may indeed be possible.”

Contrary to my expectations, Lectar nodded briefly as if he believed Aris’s words, then drew his sword upward. The blade approached with the slowness of a tortoise, yet it appeared impossibly vast.

Kuguguguguuu!

It looked as though he were piercing this very land itself—no, this entire world—with his blade. Witnessing a technique approaching perfection from the perspective of an enemy sent chills cascading down my spine.

‘Is this the true perfection of swordsmanship?’

The ring of fire rotated of its own accord, analyzing the subtle mysteries woven into Lectar’s perfect technique.
Heavy strikes, flowing strikes, blunt strikes, circular strikes, severing strikes—and even crushing strikes. Like instruments in an orchestra finding perfect harmony, each technique blended seamlessly, and a power that transcended mere swordplay radiated outward.

Kuung!

Aris stamped her left foot upon the ground and drew her blade. A brilliant flash of light erupted as the space itself tore open, and the resulting slash crashed against Lectar’s strike.

Zzzzzzheeeeng!

It was not blade meeting blade, but pillar colliding with pillar—a deafening roar erupted, and the shockwave of aura inverted the very earth.

“Ugh….”

My lips trembled as I witnessed that terrifying spectacle.

‘I cannot retreat. I must remain here.’

To ambush Lectar, I had to maintain my distance from Aris.
Yet my eyes were drawn not to the ambush itself, but to the artistic sequence of sword exchanges unfolding between Aris and Lectar.
Had I truly become a swordmaster? Even in this life-or-death situation, I found myself captivated solely by the advancement of swordsmanship.

Chiiiing!

Aris stepped back from Lectar, then thrust her blade forward from its drawn position.

The space before Lectar’s chest split open as a thunderous slash erupted forth.

Yet Lectar evaded with ease, as though he already knew where Aris’s spatial slash would strike. He was reading the flow of this battle.

‘As expected….’

Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed Lectar’s serene expression.

‘He’s on a higher level.’

Though they inhabited the same transcendent realm, Lectar surpassed Aris Zigheart in tier.

“Can you really afford to be so composed? If you drag this out, her grandfather will arrive.”

Aris Zigheart flicked her fingers provocatively, as if attempting to rattle Lectar and create an opening through his impatience.

“Hmm….”

Lectar’s complexion remained unchanged as he scattered luminescence across his blade.
Following the rotation of his wrist, cascading light surged forward in an instant, piercing through Aris Zigheart’s spatial gap—a new spatial slash fundamentally different from her space-cutting technique.

“Tsk.”

Aris Zigheart clicked her tongue and thrust her sword upward diagonally, gripping it with both hands. Formless aura clashed violently, pushing back the wall of space that had formed.

Within the fractured crevasse, Aris Zigheart’s sword barrier and Lectar’s blade strike collided.

CRAAAAAASH!

A tremendous shockwave erupted from within the fissure, and the thin cracks etched into the void tore open into thick ruptures.

BOOOOOM!

As waves of intent spread thickly across the space, the ground collapsed, and from the mangled sky, waterspouts descended.

SHRIIIING!

Within the tempest born from the collision of intents, Lectar and Aris Zigheart unleashed blade strikes toward one another.
It appeared evenly matched, yet in truth, Aris Zigheart was gradually being pushed back.

Yet even as she sustained wounds, she refused to retreat, instead unleashing her strikes with ever greater ferocity. She clashed blades with Lectar head-on, as if truly buying time before Glen Zigheart’s arrival.

KUUUUUNG!

The heavens and earth trembled at the clash of transcendents. The ground, already fractured beyond measure, split further, revealing pitch-black chasms, while the sky tore asunder, emitting a faint crimson radiance.

Aris and Lectar continued their exchange of blades even within the fractured space that seemed crushed. Both their auras appeared infinite, their breathing unbroken.

But Lectar’s sword suddenly bent sharply, and the momentum shifted. A blade that extended like lightning was wrapped in the unified strike of offense and defense combined.

Clang!

Aris’s blade could not extend further—it was blocked. Every direction she could move was sealed by Lectar’s intent. It was, quite literally, a prison of intent.

I trembled at my fingertips as I watched Lectar’s blade transform, becoming like a thin wind or a fierce thunderbolt.

‘This is strange….’

In a battle between transcendents, even having reached Grand Master, I should be unable to perceive much.

Indeed, Aris’s spatial sword exceeded my understanding, leaving much I could not grasp.
Yet Lectar’s blade extended straight and honest, just as it did when he sparred with me. His teachings flooded my mind, and I could feel in my very skin how to achieve the Ten Thousand Swords.

“Remarkable talent. However….”

Lectar shook his head, his sword lowered.

“You are still inexperienced.”
“Unlike you, I am still in my prime!”

Aris curled her crimson lips and forcibly twisted the prison of intent. Even as blood flowed from her arms, legs, and lips, she thrust her blade to the end, breaking through Lectar’s overwhelming pressure.

“I have seen enough of your skill. Let us end this.”

Lectar nodded calmly and raised his sword. As he pointed the sword’s tip toward Aris, for a moment he seemed to be the only existence in this world. An absolute presence revealed itself—as though a human had transformed into a sword.

“You have not merely grown old.”

Aris too realized she was being pushed back and bit her lip hard. Grasping her sword with both hands, she unleashed a spatial true strike that severed the aura itself.

Roar!

A magnificent blade that had even severed the breath of Kaibhar the Kaibhar tore through Lectar’s space and came rushing in.

Lectar, as if he had anticipated this much, extended his sword with calm eyes, the mysteries of the Ten Thousand Swords fully charged. As majestic light began to fill the space, I moved.

I drew the Heavenly Sword from its sheath, channeling the overwhelming force of my transcendent ascension into the blade.

Raon Zigheart Swordsmanship.
Fourth Form: Azure Rain.

The blade erupted from the scabbard, gnawing through it, and a crystalline ring of steel sang out. The azure-hued sword cry pierced deep into Lectar’s ears.

But I was not the only one who had conceived of an ambush.

Crash!

From behind the crumbled walls of the Patriarch’s Hall, crimson beams of light streaked forth in torrents.
The mask of the Old Woman gleamed brilliantly above her fluttering robes. It was Merlin. Her magic, prepared since who knows when, surged like a tidal wave toward Lectar’s right flank.

Boom!

From the space where Lectar stood, assailed by three directions of offense from Aris, myself, and Merlin, a tremendous tempest of light erupted. Magic and sword strikes detonated in succession, countless luminous rays soaring skyward.

“Are we destined to meet like this?”

Merlin’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“The timing is perfect.”

Her voice carried an alluring undertone, quite unlike her usual demeanor, as she lifted her chin.

“Merlin?”

Aris’s eyes narrowed as she looked toward Merlin.

“Why is that Mad Woman here?”

She shook her head, clearly unable to comprehend the situation.

“She’s likely targeting me as well.”

I moved to Aris’s side and shook my head.

“Let’s end this situation first.”
“Agreed.”

Aris Zigheart swept her hand, and wind rushed forth to disperse the dust storm.

Whoooosh!

Lectar didn’t budge from his position. His clothes were singed and torn in places, but he appeared to have suffered no serious damage.

However, a faint wound had opened on his right shoulder where Merlin had struck.

“The timing of the ambush and the sharpness of the blade. You’ve improved considerably since before.”

Lectar turned his gaze toward me. His eyes were cold enough to pierce a throat in an instant, yet there was something almost approving in them. I thought I must be losing my mind.

“And Merlin. Was this ambush on Tacheon’s orders?”

Lectar turned his head to the right to face Merlin.

“No, I just came out because I was fed up with you taking Raon Zigheart away.”
“One Transcendent and two Grand Masters….”

He wiped the blood trickling from his shoulder and nodded.

“It won’t be bad even if it takes time.”
“Blood Sword Master.”

As Lectar was about to move again, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the commanding officer among the Sword Ghosts of the Holy Sword Association approached and whispered quietly.

“We must withdraw.”
“What?”
“Did the Rion Lord not tell you? We cannot clash with him at this time.”

The middle-aged man invoked the Rion Lord’s name and shook his head.

“Tsk.”

Lectar clicked his tongue in displeasure and sheathed his sword.

“There won’t be another opportunity like this.”
“Ah, you talk too much.”

Aris Zigheart frowned and shook her head.

“Your grandfather is coming, so if you’re going to run, why are you rambling on like this!”

She seemed to have instantly grasped who he was—someone they couldn’t afford to confront—and smirked.

“….”

Lectar didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned his gaze toward me. Our eyes met for the briefest moment before he vanished.

“….”

As I recalled Lectar’s eyes—cold and empty—my chest tightened.

‘It’s clear.’

He wanted to tell me something.

Even if Lectar truly wanted to remain in the Holy Sword Association, he had wanted to convey something to me. From the start, I felt he had come to offer warnings and teachings. His final teachings, no less.
I felt like I came from the beginning to give warnings and teachings. And that too, my final teachings.

What on earth is this?

*

*

*

Lectar stopped and stood still instead of following the Sword Ghosts of the Holy Sword Association.

“Go ahead and report to the Treasury first. I’ll treat my wounds and catch up.”
“Go ahead and check the Treasury first. I’ll treat my wounds and get moving.”

He shook his head while pointing to his ear, which had suddenly started bleeding.

“Yes, I understand.”

The Ogre Warrior nodded and led his subordinates out of the Forest first.

When Lectar touched his ear, sticky blood streamed down in rivulets.

“As expected….”
“Master.”

As he smiled, Mustan emerged from deeper within the Forest.

“Are you alright?”

Unlike before, Mustan’s eyes were clear as he bit his lip.

“Absurd talent, truly.”

Lectar wiped the blood trickling from his ear and murmured that Raon was remarkable. For the first time, a genuine smile graced his face.

“That’s not what I meant, Master. I was asking if your heart is at peace.”

Mustan, as if aware of everything, lowered his gaze with a somber expression.

“….”

Lectar did not answer. He slowly lifted his gaze toward the now-clear sky.

“Peace? What does that matter? It is my duty, so I shall fulfill it.”

He exhaled softly.

“Still, it would be better to speak with Raon.”
“No.”

Lectar shook his head firmly.

“If I interfere, that child’s brilliance will dim. I’ve grown weary of regret. I shall be content to protect from the shadows.”

He smiled as if he had already made his final decision.

“You said you’d do anything for Raon, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Then follow me.”

Lectar grasped Mustan’s shoulder and pulled him to his feet.

“Today’s events have opened a path. The end draws near.”

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