The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 698

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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 698

I finished my preparations for the life-or-death duel and left the chamber.
Finding the Annex Building empty, I stepped outside to discover Sylvia and her attendants gathered shoulder to shoulder before the Garden.

“Sigh…”

Their gazes, heavy with moisture, weighed upon me. I exhaled quietly and descended the staircase.

“Mother, please don’t worry…”
“Why do you sound so dispirited!”

Before I could offer a proper greeting, Sylvia raised her hand and struck my shoulder with surprising force. The black dragon robe trembled with the impact.

“A swordmaster of Zigheart must declare that he will return victorious—no exceptions!”

Sylvia nodded as if urging me to speak at once.

“Mother?”

I blinked at Sylvia, startled by her unexpected response. The word escaped my lips before I could stop it.

“The lady is absolutely right! Please tell us you’ll crush the Demon King—or whatever stands before you—and return triumphant!”

Helen stepped forward beside Sylvia, raising her small fists with determination.

“Young master!”
“We want to hear from your own lips that you’ll return safely!”
“Please say it!”

The other attendants bowed their heads, pleading for me to declare my victory.

“I’m begging you.”

Even Judith, who typically kept silent unless necessary, stepped forward.

“Hmm…”

I let out a low groan as I observed the shimmering light in Sylvia’s and the handmaidens’ eyes, like heat haze rising from the ground.

I’d expected the atmosphere of a funeral home.

Everyone seemed so bright.

Whenever I departed on dangerous missions or faced duels, Sylvia and the handmaidens would fill the seas with tears, drowning in worry. Yet today, surprisingly, everyone’s complexion appeared serene.
Their anxiety seemed to wash away.

“Right.”

I straightened my shoulders, still warm from Sylvia’s embrace, and gazed at them all.

“I’ll crush the Nambuk Alliance and return. Just prepare dinner for me.”

I raised my hand and exchanged high-fives with the handmaidens.

“Words carry power, after all.”

Sylvia smiled softly, her left hand grasping her right arm.

“You’ve always kept your promises. So I’ll trust you this time too, my son.”
“Yes. Please don’t worry.”

I embraced Sylvia one last time before leaving the Garden.

“Ah, Mother. What I mentioned before….”

I turned back because there was something left unsaid, only to find Sylvia and the handmaidens trembling with their hands clasped together, like frightened animals, their tender smiles now gone.

Of course.

The smiles and laughter Sylvia and the handmaidens had shown moments ago were merely an act to spare me from burden.
All of them now bore faces ready to shed tears at the slightest touch.

“I’ll be going.”

I bowed to Sylvia and the handmaidens, whose eyes were now rimmed with red, and turned away.

‘If Wrath had seen that, he would’ve told me not to make our mother cry.’

I flicked the ice flower bracelet and stepped onto the main street, heading toward the main gate.

“You look like you’re in a good mood.”

When I arrived near the 5th Training Ground, Rimer approached with a yawn, the entire Gwangpung Corps trailing behind him.

“And here I am, unable to sleep because of someone.”
“I slept like a log.”

I waved my hand teasingly at Rimer.

“Ugh, suddenly I’m irritated.”

Despite his words, Rimer let out a small laugh.

“You shouldn’t be! If the guy we’re fighting today didn’t get any sleep, that’s the real problem!”

Martha struck Rimer’s shoulder and furrowed her brow.

“I slept well too.”

Lunan nodded, stroking his translucent skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight.

“I didn’t ask you!”
“Petty demon woman.”
“That’s rich coming from you!”

Martha and Lunan began growling with their foreheads pressed together, just like when they quarreled at the 5th Training Ground.

“Doesn’t watching their childish squabble ease the tension?”

Burren chuckled while watching Martha and Lunan.

“If anything, it’s creating tension where there was none.”

I smiled faintly as I looked at my squad leaders one by one.

“Ugh….”

At the sound of retching, I turned to see Dorian with his tongue hanging out, gagging repeatedly.

“I-I’m so nervous I think I’m going to die….”

His complexion was deathly pale, as if he might collapse at any moment.

“Pathetic.”

Crain clicked his tongue at Dorian. Yet he too bore dark circles beneath his eyes, evidence of sleepless nights.

“I can’t take this anymore….”

Dorian muttered his desperation and fished a round pastry from his pocket, shoving it into his mouth. Remarkably, the retching ceased the moment he did.
The nausea vanished as if by magic.

“This tastes good.”

Lunan, who had been bickering with Martha, somehow found himself beside Dorian, eating the pastries alongside him.

“Would you like me to sing for you?”

Yua giggled and stepped to the very front of the Gwangpung Corps, beginning to sing.
It was a military hymn of Lower Castle, which revered the northern winds as sacred. As her voice wove through the melody, the rough emotions that had been churning within us softened like a song awaiting spring.

“Master.”

Mark Goeten approached quietly with unwavering trust and bowed his head.

I slowed my pace and gazed back at Rimer and the Gwangpung Corps. Watching my comrades—chaotic yet possessed of a strange order—the trembling that had been gnawing at my composure began to subside.
A strange calm descended upon me.

“You’re always so loud.”

Trevin, the Cheoljeon Unit Master, approached with his unit, his laughter booming across the space.

“Unit Master Trevin.”

He and the Cheoljeon Unit were those who had participated as escorts today, so they bowed their heads.

“I’m counting on you all today.”

Trevin clenched his jaw and extended his fist forward.

“I should be the one asking for your support.”

I laughed as I bumped my fist against Trevin’s.

“What’s that? Is that how young people greet each other these days?”

Sheryl descended from the sky with the flutter of her long robe. She, with an appearance as youthful as Yua’s, had just used the phrase “young people.”

“Heavenly Sword Master.”

I bowed respectfully to Sheryl. She was the supreme commander overseeing this life-or-death battle.

“Do that greeting with me too.”

Sheryl said it looked good and extended her fist like Trevin had.

“Of course. I’m counting on you.”

I smiled faintly and bumped my fist against Sheryl’s.

“When it comes to anything youthful, she can’t resist. Her face looks young, but her actions are pure old-timer….”
“Shut up.”

Sheryl swung the back of her hand and struck Rimer’s mouth.

“Cough….”

She kicked the trembling Rimer’s backside and stood before me again.

“We can win today, right?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I’m counting on you.”

Sheryl offered a faint smile before heading to the front alongside the Heavenly Sword Squad.

I examined my fists, which had collided with Trevin and Sheryl’s, and took a measured breath.

‘I think I can do this.’

Sylvia and her attendants had reinforced my resolve to return victorious. Rimer and the Gwangpung Corps had eased the tension with their usual composure, while Sheryl and Trevin had conveyed a reassurance that whatever happened would be acceptable.

It didn’t feel like I would lose to anyone—not even the Demon King.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Rimer waved his hand as if urging me to hurry. The others had stopped walking and tilted their heads in confusion.

“I’m going.”

I released the power concentrated in my fists and moved toward them all.

‘There’s still so much left to do at Zigheart.’

I nodded, meeting their eyes filled with trust.

‘Today, I defeat the Demon King.’

*

*

*

The middle reaches of the Rabel River, where waves rose as turbulent as the open sea.

“What a shame.”

Sheryl clicked her tongue as she watched the river’s churning waters surge upward.

“If I’d eliminated it beforehand, things would have been simpler. I never expected the death duel to arrive this quickly.”

She frowned, irritated at having created a situation that threatened me.

“Let’s save the jokes for later….”
“Jokes?”
“No, wait—that wasn’t a joke?”

Rimer shook his head, cold sweat beading on his brow.

“Roen himself devised the assassination plan. What joke could there be?”

Sheryl’s eyes turned glacial as she insisted it had been a serious strategy.

“Those… those lunatics really….”

Rimer shook his head in disbelief. Every person in the Audience Chamber was utterly unhinged.

“It’s in the past now, so let it go. What do you think?”

Sheryl gestured with her arms crossed.

“Well….”

Rimer exhaled a short breath.

“Based on the Demon King’s level at the maritime auction, Raon should be able to win decisively. However….”

He continued, gazing at the turbulent waters of the river.

“If the Demon King has grown in the meantime, it becomes difficult. Grand Master-level warriors sometimes remain stagnant for a decade, yet other times achieve complete transformation in a single day.”
“I share that sentiment.”

Sheryl nodded, looking toward Rimer.

“If the Demon King is as I last assessed him, Raon would crush him. But if he’s changed, it won’t be easy. In the end, it all hinges on the Demon King.”

She trembled slightly at her fingertips, her concern evident.

“We’ve investigated not only the Bi-Yeon Society but also the Black Market, yet found no information regarding the Demon King.”

Trevin, Master of the Cheoljeon Unit, stepped forward between Sheryl and Rimer, shaking his head.

“It seems he hasn’t left the headquarters for a whole year.”
“This is just my intuition, but….”

Sheryl rotated her wrist, twisting her lips thoughtfully.

“The Demon King appears to have grown considerably.”
“How can you tell?”
“Those warriors.”

She furrowed her brow, observing the North-South Alliance fighters who had arrived first and were waiting.

“There’s not a flicker of doubt in their eyes. It’s as if they don’t even entertain the thought that the Demon King could lose.”
“King Roman is practically a deity of the Rabel River. Perhaps it’s not just about raw power—there’s genuine faith behind it?”

Trevin swallowed dryly, as if reluctant to accept the notion.

“That’s only true for the locals here. The Aquatic Demons are nothing but fanatics who follow only strength. With that level of conviction, he’s definitely grown stronger.”

Rimer nodded, agreeing with Sheryl’s assessment.

“Still, I don’t like this ominous atmosphere.”

He furrowed his brow, watching the North-South Alliance warriors glaring sharply in their direction.

“Five. Or is it six?”

Rimer counted on his fingers as he examined the powerful-looking North-South Alliance fighters.

“Six Master-class warriors? Maybe we should have brought one more.”
“Never mind.”

Sheryl waved her hand dismissively.

“The real threat isn’t them.”

She brushed back her violet hair as the wind caught it, indicating that the true power had yet to arrive.

“Master.”

The three stood in silence, gazing upon the Rabel River, when Burren approached from behind.

“Our preparations are complete.”
“Where is Raon?”
“He’s resting in the Barracks.”

Burren pointed toward a black tent erected at the left end.

“Well done. Still, just to be safe, scout the perimeter once more.”
“Understood.”

He nodded and moved outward with the third unit, away from the River Bank.

“Raon. He’s grown so much, hasn’t he?”

Sheryl smiled faintly, her gaze fixed upon the black tent where Raon rested.

“Indeed. That boy who could barely move properly has become a Grand Master and now faces a life-or-death duel with the Demon King. I never imagined it.”

Rimer nodded and chuckled softly.

“Now that I think about it, this is also a clash between the old era and the new.”

Sheryl narrowed her eyes, studying her own hand.

“The old era and the new?”

Trevin tilted his head, uncertain of her meaning.

“Raon has overcome countless hardships thus far, but this time is different.”

Sheryl clenched her fist and gazed upward at the sky.

“Most of the warriors Raon has faced were cultivated under the Six Emperors Five Demons—warriors of the new era. But the Demon King is of a different caliber.”
“That’s right. He is a monster of the old era, just like us, one who opened the age of the Six Emperors Five Demons.”

Rimer nodded, affirming Sheryl’s words.

“Many young warriors have gained renown like the Twelve Castles of the Continent, yet all crumbled before the monsters of the old era. This life-or-death duel is not merely a clash between Zigheart and the Nambuk Alliance—it is a battle between old and new.”

The duel between Raon, the young warrior representing the new era, and King Roman, the cunning demon king who had been the axis of the old era, was more than a mere clash of individuals—it was a collision between two ages themselves.

If Raon emerged victorious, a new era would dawn. If King Roman prevailed, it would mean the old era remained an unreachable heaven.

“I, I see. Indeed, there has been no case of Six Emperors Five Demons executives at the level of war commanders falling….”
“It’s coming.”

As Trevin swallowed hard, his throat dry with tension, Sheryl lifted a finger. A thin black line caught on the tip of her slender hand.

Kuguguguguguuu!

The black line cut through the rough waves of the Rabel River in one breath, revealing its massive form. It was the Nambuk Alliance’s second warship, and King Roman’s Ill Fortune.

“Ill Fortune….”

The Ill Fortune approached the river bank, its very name conjuring an ominous aura.

“I, I shall summon Raon.”
“No, there’s no need.”

Rimer pointed to Raon, who was already stepping out of the tent alone.

“Now that’s quite the presence.”

He wore a long coat adorned with black dragon scales, and the sword at his waist gleamed with the light of a crimson sun.
His golden hair dancing in the river wind and his quiet, blood-red eyes embodied both the nobility of a hero and the spirit of a warrior.

Thud.

With each step toward the water, a tyrannical aura bloomed forth. Breathtaking beauty paired with uncompromising audacity—and beneath the indigo shadow, there emanated a pressure as though Glen Zigheart, the Thunder God himself, had permeated his very being.

“Somehow….”

Rimer watched Raon’s broad back, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“I don’t think he’ll lose.”

*

*

*

Even without extending my perception, I could sense King Roman approaching.

I stood at the end of the River Bank, my spine rigid. From the steadily nearing Warship Ill Fortune, a vicious aura erupted as if it would twist the river itself.

Kwaaaaaaang!

A deafening roar—like a cannon shell detonating on the Deck of Ill Fortune—shattered the air, and in that instant, the sky darkened.
The Demon King. King Roman descended upon the river, his aura blazing like molten fire that scorched the cool air.

‘He’s changed.’

Unlike the past when uncontrollable power had erupted from him, not even a ripple disturbed the water beneath the Demon King’s feet. He had achieved perfect mastery over his own strength.
His mere appearance made my heartbeat thunder in my ears as if lightning had struck.

“Dragon Slayer Raon Zigheart.”

King Roman smiled coolly, the Red Dragon Axe slung across his shoulder just as it had been three years ago.

“King Roman.”

I called out his name and loosened my fingers.

My wildly racing heart spoke volumes—of how formidable he had been, and how much stronger he had become. He had returned to this river having achieved growth that rivaled my own.

“You’ve grown strong.”

Roman nodded, clearly pleased.

“With you, I can reach even greater heights.”

Over his axe, a massive aura blazed and roared.

“Three years ago, you released me and the Gwangpung Corps through a three-way duel with my master.”

I rose onto the river’s surface. Concentric circles rippled outward like a dance as I stood before the Demon King.

“I shall concede three moves to you.”

I lifted the Heavenly Sword and assumed a stance of reverence. My head rose with pride tempered by respect, and my crimson eyes blazed with a radiance deeper and more intense than the sun’s reflection upon the river waters.

“Come.”

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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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