The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 74

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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 74

From the moment Green Warrior fell victim to Raon’s ambush, he ceased to regard him as a mere child.

The ability to suppress one’s presence to the point of seeming like a wild beast, combined with sword strikes devoid of hesitation.

‘An assassin. One of the highest caliber, at that.’

Had he not borne the name Zigheart, he would have been mistaken for nothing less than a monster of assassin-grade skill.

Yet the boy’s ambush had only succeeded halfway, and I possessed the vitality of an orc warrior.

I burned both fighting spirit and vitality to prepare for his assault. The boy, having expended considerable strength on his ambush, could not move immediately.

During the time I gained, I used fighting spirit to stem the bleeding from my shoulder and gathered my strength.

‘It’s all over now.’

Though I had lost my arm at the shoulder, having endured once, defeating him would prove no difficult feat.

Since he had been trained as an assassin, he would surely falter in direct combat.

I wrapped fighting spirit around my axe and brought it down with the intention of cleaving him in two like kindling, yet he deflected the attack with ease.

‘Not only ambush, but proficiency in other techniques as well? At that age?’

It made no sense.

No matter how exceptional a Zigheart might be, for such a young boy to employ both ambush and deflection of this caliber was impossible.

‘He is no ordinary opponent.’

An inexplicable unease gripped me as I continued to bring my axe down toward Raon.

He blocked every attack meant to be blocked and evaded every strike meant to be evaded, defending against all my axe blows. It felt not like facing a young boy, but like crossing blades with a seasoned swordmaster who had weathered countless trials.

‘Even so….’

The Green Warrior possessed the keen senses of an orc warrior. As long as he retained that ability to identify weaknesses and shortcomings in his opponent’s swordsmanship and exploit them, defeat was impossible.

‘Perfect.’

Every sword strike from this young fool had been decoded. I brought my axe down toward his weakness.

Crash!

The collision of blade and axe rang out satisfyingly. A gratifying sensation in my grip. Now all that remained was to slit his throat.

I swung the axe toward the stumbling boy, anticipating blood spraying from his neck when his sword suddenly bent at an angle I’d never seen before and came at me.

Clang!

The tremendous force contained within it, my momentary carelessness. The axe was driven back, and my stance crumbled.

“Tch!”

As I scrambled to regain my footing, he was already upon me. He cut through my aura and brought his blade down.

Rip!

The sickening sound of my chest and ribs tearing filled my ears, followed by excruciating pain.

“Ugh!”

The Green Warrior coughed blood, clutching his chest with his remaining hand.

“You… how did you…?”
“Just as you read my swordsmanship, I deciphered your attack patterns.”
“That… that doesn’t make sense right now…”
“Why not? What you can do, I can do as well.”

I swallowed hard.

The faint scent of danger that had been emerging grew increasingly acrid. A talent unseen even among countless gifted individuals. A premonition seized me—if this creature grew any stronger, he would become Eden’s greatest threat.

‘By any means necessary…’

I should have killed that bastard.

Roooaaarrr!

I burned the last of my fighting spirit and life force, wrapping it around the axe. The blades of the double-headed axe blazed intensely as if engulfed in flame.

“Krraaaaahhh!”

Just as I was about to bring the axe down to eliminate that bastard Raon and the entire Zigheart behind him.

Crack.

His eyes blazed crimson red.

Whoooosh!

As he murmured “Ten Flowers of Myriad Flames,” the small spark dancing at the sword’s tip spread across the blade, blooming into ten flowers of flame.

“Ah….”

The moment I saw those flames, my heart clenched violently. The wound on my chest that I had staunched tore open once more.

He pointed the sword ablaze with those flames at me, his eyes gleaming with demonic malice.

“Consider it an honor to be the first sacrifice of Ten Flowers.”

*

*

*

Whoooosh!

Raon’s eyes gleamed as he watched the flames envelop his entire blade.

‘It worked.’

I had thought it was still beyond my reach, but thanks to the enlightenment gained in actual combat, I had finally achieved Ten Flowers.

Roooaarrr!

Power surged through me. Even for a normal Green Warrior, the force erupting across my blade was overwhelming.

“Ugh….”

The Green Warrior’s shock pierced through his helmet and reached my ears.

“W-what are you! How can you possess such strength at that age….”

His voice had become almost human—a shock that had overcome even the primal instincts of an orc warrior.

“That’s not what matters right now.”

I took a step forward, swinging my blade wreathed in flames.

“Come.”
“Huurgh….”

White vapor escaped from the Green Warrior’s helmet. He began concentrating every ounce of his power into his right arm, the one gripping the axe.

Crash!

He kicked off the ground and drove forward. The double-bladed axe descended with all his might, every shred of his strength channeled into that single strike.

Screeeech!

The moment the axe came within inches of my face, I unleashed the blade I had been holding back.

Ten Flower Technique, Tenth Form.
Flame Fist Wind.

Petals coiled upon the blade unfurled in a long spiral, rotating with the force of flames rising along the sword’s edge. That brilliant inferno cleaved through the Green Warrior’s aura.

Booooom!

The Green Warrior’s teeth clenched as he felt the devastating power of the Ten Flower Technique’s Flame Fist Wind—a technique only usable with ten flames.

“Not yet! I’ll match you no matter what….”
“No, it’s already over.”

I spoke calmly and drew my blade.

A sharp metallic screech tore through the air!

The already-torn aura couldn’t withstand the inferno of Tenth Flame. The silver blade wreathed in flames pierced straight through the Green Warrior’s heart.

“Ugh… you… you Zigheart….”

The Green Warrior fell backward without finishing his final words.

A deafening crack split the air!

The deep green helmet and armor that had encased his face split cleanly in two. Beneath lay a man in his twenties with a fierce countenance, now dead with eyes rolled back.

A long exhale escaped.

I extinguished the flames of Tenth Flame.

“Hah….”

Exhaustion crashed over me all at once, and a ragged breath spilled out. My legs threatened to give way and collapse, but I forced myself to turn around.

I could feel the gazes of the trainees and villagers—filled with shock, awe, relief, and reverence.

“You….”
“Raon.”
“You really are something….”

Burren Zigheart trembled, unable to continue speaking. Lunan Slion sat down, apparently more tense than anyone. Martha’s eyes blazed as if she might rush forward at any moment.

“It’s not over yet.”

I raised my sword and pointed it at the dazed Green Warriors. They hadn’t expected their leader to fall, and now they stood frozen in confusion.

“Wipe them all out!”
“Uuuaaahhh!”

Riding high on my victory, the trainees surged forward with unshakeable momentum, charging toward the Green Warriors encircling the battlefield.

“Phew….”

I rotated the Ring of Fire, dissolving the fatigue that had settled into my body, and began refilling my core with aura.

‘It truly is remarkable.’

The Ring of Fire’s true power manifests not just before and during combat, but especially in its aftermath.

The expended aura surged back like a boat riding rapids, and the lactic acid accumulated in my muscles dissolved away.

Most impressively, it even blocked the chill within my mana circuits that were just beginning to glow. In every way, it was the supreme cultivation method.

‘That’s rather ironic, isn’t it.’

In my previous life, after clashing with Eden, I fled and obtained the Ring of Fire—if that isn’t ironic, I don’t know what is.

Yet Eden is also the enemy that took the lives of my father and sister.

“Yaaaaah!”
“Cut down every last Green Warrior!”
“End this fight!”

With me standing firm and watching them intently, the Green Warriors neither dared to rush forward nor flee—they simply surrendered their necks to the trainees.

The battle ended in less than ten minutes, and only the trainees remained standing before the palisade.

“Raon.”

Lunan Slion rushed over after felling the last Green Warrior and gripped my shoulder—his way of expressing that he had done well.

“Raon Zigheart.”

Burren Zigheart approached next.

“Phew, yes… you were right. The enemy was strong, and we were weak. I became intoxicated by a single victory and lost sight of things. I apologize.”

He clenched his lips tightly and bowed deeply—so profoundly it seemed an expression of absolute submission.

“If it weren’t for you, not just us, but the villagers we were meant to protect would have died too. Thank you. And I’m sorry. But….”

Burren lifted his head and continued.

“I would have gone anyway. Even if my strength fell short, turning a blind eye to injustice isn’t what I believe a Zigheart swordsman should be.”
“Well done.”

I nodded, meeting Burren’s green eyes.

“What?”
“Because you all fought with everything you had, I was able to exploit an opening in the Green Warrior. You deserve much of the credit for this victory.”
“W-what’s your intention! What do you want from me!”

Burren trembled, his fingers shaking at the unexpected praise.

“I mean it.”
“Mm, n-next time this won’t happen.”

Burren muttered with his head bowed low.

“I’ll grow strong enough to catch up to your future self and fulfill my role properly!”

He bowed once more—a gesture of gratitude both for saving his life and for the insight he had gained.

“Thank you for saving my life and everyone else’s.”

With those words, Burren and the Branch Family members entered the village. It seemed they were about to begin reconstruction of the Palisade.

Even in this situation, he thought of the village—truly, he was a talent befitting a leader.

“Martha.”

I called out to Martha, who stood quietly with her arms crossed.

“You did well. Because you played your part, I was able to win the fight more easily.”

If Martha hadn’t kept the Green Warrior’s attention to the end, the ambush would have failed and the battle would have been far more brutal.

She had exceeded her instructions.

“If you can’t even do what you’re told, you should bite your tongue and die.”

Martha’s lips curved upward slightly before she turned her head sharply and entered the village. Despite her harsh words, she seemed pleased by the praise.

“Haah….”

I exhaled deeply. Perhaps because the tension had completely drained away, my legs gave out beneath me despite my body’s resistance.

Thud.

Just as I was about to fall backward, I felt a soft touch against my back. When I turned, Lunan was supporting me.

“You looked like you were about to collapse.”

She nodded slightly.

“How did you know that?”
“It was the same as when you trained before.”

Lunan nodded silently, her lips pressed together.

“I see.”

Just as I had watched over them all this time, they had been watching over me just as carefully.

“Heh.”

I chuckled softly and sank to the ground. After all that tension, exhaustion crashed over me like a wave.

[Extreme Combat….]

Several messages flickered before my eyes, but I lacked the energy to read them. I simply closed my eyes and surrendered to sleep.

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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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