The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 676
The moonlight froze under the frosty sky.
Gooooooo!
A star of wrath rose above Wrath’s blue eyes.
“You’re still as ill-tempered as ever, not fitting for a Lord of Wrath.”
Greed pulled back his hand that was facing Wrath and curled his lips into a smile.
“Do not presume to measure me, lowly merchant.”
Wrath shook his head as he brushed a finger down his hand. The majesty of a demon king seeped out from his human skin.
“I am always who I am.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
Greed took a step back with a playful grin, showing no sign of losing his composure even after seeing Wrath’s true form.
“I told you, he’s Wrath.”
Gluttony scowled, complaining about how Wrath made things more unbearable.
“Sometimes I envy how oblivious you can be.”
Greed tapped Gluttony’s head lightly with a faint smile and slowly swept his gaze over Wrath’s entire body.
“Worthless creature. You’ve spoken with that filthy mouth of yours. You said you’d pay the price if I was right.”
Wrath lifted his chin to meet Greed’s serpent-like gaze.
“Would that price be your head?”
“As long as you can do it, go ahead. But…”
Greed tilted his head mockingly.
“You seem weaker now.”
Greed’s eyes gleamed yellow, just as they had when he saw through Raon’s identity.
“Lowly swindler.”
Wrath’s blue eyes turned cold, showing the haughtiness of a Lord of Wrath. His posture naturally exuded an air of superiority over an equal demon king.
“Have you already forgotten how you ran with your tail between your legs?”
“Well, Lust interfered back then. I don’t fight two-on-one.”
Greed drew a small triangle with his finger as he laughed, showing no sense of urgency.
“Before that, you already had only one arm left.”
Wrath scoffed, glancing at Greed’s right arm.
“Whatever, that’s in the past. As a merchant, the present and future matter more than the past. And…”
Greed, looking carefree, clasped his hands behind his head as he laughed.
“My eyes are telling me… you’ve gotten weaker.”
“Indeed. We aren’t here for idle chatter.”
Wrath snapped his fingers, causing the unconscious members of the Light Wind Division and the priests to rise and gather under the World Tree of Frost.
“If you believe I’ve weakened, then come. I’ll make you feel it.”
“Let’s start from there.”
Greed casually rotated his neck and flexed his fingers. Golden rings between his fingers emitted a radiant glow.
“For the Lord of Wrath to let me strike first—this would be unthinkable in the Demon Realm.”
“There’s no need for any more of your babbling.”
Wrath turned his chin slightly, and bright fury blazed in his blue demon king’s eyes.
“I will break your neck now.”
“Perhaps your head will fall first.”
Golden light surged up from beneath Greed’s feet, surrounding his entire body like a cloak made of the world’s most magnificent gold.
Gooooooo!
A pure, serene glow gathered over Wrath’s shoulders as he stood before the Lord of Greed. It was as if the starlit, moonlit sky bowed in submission to the Lord of Wrath.
The tension between the two kings, standing at the highest point in the Demon Realm, tore through space, stripping the earth bare.
The entire kingdom seemed to be turning into a demonic realm, with dark demonic energy flaring like a wildfire.
Wrath and Greed exchanged subtle smiles, facing each other in the dark hellscape.
Boom!
At the moment a piece of the creaking spire’s iron frame hit the ground, the blue demon king and the golden demon king collided.
* * *
Kwooooooom!
Wrath’s fist and Greed’s grasp clashed. Frosty demonic energy met golden energy, crumpling the space between the two demon kings like a sheet of paper.
Despite the overwhelming impact, neither Wrath nor Greed retreated. They reached toward each other’s hearts, their attacks clashing countless times.
The ground was charred black, and the air shattered into pieces like broken glass.
‘Hah…’
Raon sighed as he experienced the battle through Wrath’s eyes.
‘I can barely see.’
Greed would appear right in front of him, reaching out, only to vanish like an illusion. The attacks were so fast it was difficult to even register them.
Wrath’s vision flickered rapidly, from the right sky, to the left pit, to the building ahead. The speed of it all was dizzying.
Even with Raon’s skills as a Grandmaster, it was almost impossible to keep up with the fight, as if blue and yellow lightning were continuously crashing down.
‘It’s not just about speed…’
The power was insane too.
Every time Wrath and Greed moved, a powerful explosion shook the kingdom. The shockwaves piled up, erasing space itself.
Though it was hard to make sense of the battle, Raon started to grow accustomed to the demon kings’ movements.
He could now follow the trajectory of Greed’s sharp, piercing flashes and see how Wrath’s Frost Demonic Armor would extinguish the golden light.
No, it wasn’t just that he could see. It felt as though Raon’s consciousness had entered Wrath’s body, moving as if it were his own.
‘Is this because I hastily opened the sword realm?’
It seemed to be a side effect of Wrath possessing him before his soul had fully left his body.
However, this wasn’t a side effect but rather a stroke of fortune.
‘I can experience this fight between Wrath and Greed firsthand.’
Even though their battle was on a level far beyond his comprehension, if he could maintain this sense, it would greatly help his future growth.
Without blinking, Raon absorbed every minute clash with his eyes and skin.
Whoooosh!
A beam of light filled with hellish heat shot out from Greed’s fingertips. Without any wasted motion, he completed a transcendent martial art with sheer strength and speed.
Chiiiiing!
Wrath nodded slightly, as if he were enjoying a light snack. A transparent wall of frost rose where his gaze landed.
Kuwaaaaaang!
The wall of frost, meeting Greed’s light, cracked like a spider’s web.
The fragments of frost, sharp and jagged, flew towards Greed.
“You’ve learned some new tricks.”
Greed murmured briefly as he slipped to Wrath’s left. The golden art of his hand approached swiftly before the words even finished.
Zzzzzzing!
As if he had predicted Greed’s ambush, Wrath deflected the golden strike with the back of his hand and slammed a right chop down.
The Lord of Wrath and the Lord of Greed endlessly exchanged blows in close quarters, their fists and hands striking each other repeatedly.
The shocking clash of demonic energy from the two demon kings melted half the kingdom, while the other half froze solid.
Raon held his breath, watching the fierce duel between Greed and Wrath. He couldn’t interpret everything, but he was slowly getting used to their movements.
‘Greed is faster.’
Greed moved with a sharp and light flow of demonic energy. His speed was so incredible that it was no exaggeration to say he moved like light itself. Not even Wrath could keep up with him.
‘But it’s not just about speed…’
Raon narrowed his eyes, watching Wrath absorb the aftermath of Greed’s attacks.
‘He’s at a disadvantage because he can’t leave this spot.’
Wrath hadn’t moved from his initial position under the World Tree of Frost, as he was protecting the members of the Light Wind Division.
He was a demon king who wouldn’t bend, even in battle with an equal, when it came to protecting his subordinates with his life. It was ridiculous.
Crack!
Raon turned his head at the sound of something breaking. Gluttony was contentedly chewing and swallowing a rock that had been caught in the demonic energy of Wrath and Greed.
‘…Is there a single demon king in his right mind?’
Even in such a dire battle, Gluttony was focused on filling his belly. The title “Lord of Gluttony” was well-earned.
‘Haa…’
Raon shook his head to clear his mind and returned his gaze to the fight between Wrath and Greed.
“Shall we go again after a long time?”
Greed wore a delighted smile as he raised his hand to the sky.
“A million.”
As his voice echoed through the air, the frosty sky was torn apart by golden radiance.
Kwoooooooom!
Countless beams of golden light rained down from the sky. Each flash contained extreme speed and sharpness.
“Silver Aurora.”
Wrath raised his hand as if to support the descending golden brilliance from Greed.
Frosty mist spread from Wrath’s hand, solidifying into the shape of an umbrella, devouring the falling flashes.
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Wrath’s frost blocking Greed’s attack.
‘Silver Aurora…’
The technique was one Raon could also use, but the form, power, and solidity were on an entirely different level from his own.
Experiencing how Wrath used the Silver Aurora firsthand gave Raon a clear understanding of how to improve. Every breath, every finger movement was a priceless opportunity.
Chiiiiing!
Frost blades shot out from Wrath’s elbow, clashing with the light from Greed’s fist, creating an explosive shockwave.
The remaining debris was swept away, leaving nothing but the blackened earth.
Whoooosh!
As the dust and light settled, Wrath furrowed his brows, while Greed smiled faintly.
“I was right.”
Greed dusted off his hands and nodded calmly.
“You’ve weakened.”
‘What…’
Raon exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. To think that this was considered weakened—he was speechless.
“Licking your own bones.”
Wrath twisted his chin as if mocking Greed.
“Stop running your mouth and finish it.”
“Even though you’re protecting those humans back there, you would have at least landed one punch on me before. You really have…”
Greed’s eyes twisted with a strange gleam.
“My eyes don’t deceive me.”
Raon swallowed hard as he saw the strange light in Greed’s eyes. It seemed as though the demon king could see something special.
“Let me tell you something interesting…”
Greed snapped his fingers, and a massive set of scales appeared behind him.
The perfectly balanced scales shimmered with a dark golden light, as if made from platinum.
“While you were wasting your time in the human realm, I accumulated even more greed.”
“Bullshit…”
Wrath waved dismissively as if rejecting Greed’s words.
“Bullshit, you say…”
Greed held up four fingers, then folded three of them.
“Would it be bullshit to say I have a quarter of the continent’s gold in my hands?”
“…What?”
Wrath’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting that Greed had gathered that much wealth.
‘A quarter?’
Raon was equally shocked.
‘Insane…’
Wrath had once told him that Greed’s strength came from his wealth.
The more money and greed he amassed, the stronger he became. A quarter of the continent’s gold was an unimaginable amount.
“You won’t be able to handle the power of this weakened version of yourself.”
Greed smiled broadly, as if he had already won.
“Weakened, huh… In a way, you may be right.”
Wrath nodded, placing a hand on his chest. He seemed to be referring to the strength of his body and demonic energy.
“So, you admit it.”
Greed’s smirk grew, as if he had known it all along.
“Indeed, the human realm doesn’t suit you. The wrath you gained here is nothing compared to the emotions you originally had. Of course, it’s too late to regret it now.”
“No.”
Wrath shook his head, meeting Greed’s gleaming golden eyes.
“I don’t regret coming to this world. I’ve seen much and felt much. And there’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”
“What could that be…?”
“I am the king who rose from the deepest depths of the Demon Realm to the highest point. Do you really think I gained nothing from coming here?”
Wrath’s voice resonated with dignity, silencing even Greed’s demonic energy.
“Hmm…”
Greed furrowed his brow, sensing the shift in Wrath’s aura.
“What have you seen?”
“The back of a young swordsman.”
“The back of a young swordsman?”
Greed chuckled, tossing his head back.
“I thought you were spouting nonsense. It wasn’t even worth listening to. What a waste of time.”
With a mocking grin, Greed snapped his fingers.
“One hundred million gold.”
At the sharp sound of his voice, the sky split open, and an uncountable amount of gold coins poured down.
Kwoooooooooom!
As the overwhelming mass of coins fell onto the right side of the scales, the balance tipped sharply.
Gooooooo!
Greed’s already enormous power surged as more and more gold filled the scales, eventually growing strong enough to cover the entire continent.
The blinding light emanating from the hundred million gold coins was enough to annihilate the entire kingdom.
“……”
Even Wrath’s shoulders trembled slightly from the tremendous force. The more gold piled onto the scales, the stronger Greed became.
“This is extravagant, but a worthy investment for an old rival.”
Greed raised a finger. The scales disappeared, and the demonic energy amassed from the money gathered onto his fingertip.
Despite being condensed to the extreme, the ball of energy was large enough to cover half the kingdom, radiating a deep golden light.
Kyaaaaaaang!
The holy power barrier that had been concealing the demon kings’ energy shattered, and stray demonic energy spread in all directions.
“Continuing from what I said earlier…”
Wrath remained calm as he met Greed’s sly grin, lifting his gaze.
“It was the back of a small, unyielding swordsman.”
“A small, unyielding swordsman?”
Greed scoffed as if it were meaningless.
“No matter what you encountered, it’s irrelevant.”
When Greed lowered his finger, the ball of demonic energy, capable of crushing the continent, descended toward Wrath.
It was too massive to dodge or block.
“From dawn until dusk, he swung his sword endlessly. Time passed, but the swordsman did not change. The small back grew larger, and the vague sword path gradually took form. I learned a great deal.”
Wrath smiled gently, as if recalling someone.
“How could I fall after witnessing an unyielding swordsman?”
Wrath clasped his hands together. Between his fingers, a blue hexagram appeared.
“Are you watching, Raon Zieghart? This is the flower I learned from you, for you.”
‘What?’
Before Raon could react, Wrath’s voice continued.
“Demonic Manifestation: Snowflower.”
The low murmur twisted the balance of the world. Everything within Wrath’s gaze froze white.
The demonic energy Greed had unleashed, and even Greed himself, were trapped in transparent ice, with blue flowers blooming upon them.
Kwooooooooom!
What followed was a colorless slash, a sword dance that played with the frozen world as if mocking it.
Greed and his demonic energy were sliced thinner than a strand of hair, and the kingdom’s buildings were split so finely that no trace of them remained.
It was as if Wrath had manifested both the Frost Hell and the Blade Hell, the worst of all infernos.
Whoooosh!
When the dance of blades finally ended, all that remained were the petals of frost flowers.
(TL Note: Horishetttt! This is by far one of the best chapters so far! Peak action right here!)