The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 698

Raon finished his preparations for the life-and-death duel and stepped out of his room.

Finding the annex empty, he went outside to see Sylvia and the maids gathered closely together in front of the garden.

“Haa…”

Raon exhaled softly, uneasy under their water-laden gazes, and descended the steps.

“Mother, please don’t worry…”

“Why do you sound so lifeless?”

As Raon approached to greet her, Sylvia raised her hand and slapped his shoulder firmly. A loud *thwack* echoed, causing his black robe to flutter.

“If you’re a swordsman of Zieghart, you should at least say that you’ll come back victorious!”

Sylvia nodded expectantly, urging him to speak quickly.

“Huh… Mom?”

Raon blinked, startled by the unexpected reaction. The word “Mom” slipped out involuntarily.

“Madam is right! Whether it’s the Axe King or the kitchen, just say you’ll break through it all and come back!”

Helen, standing by Sylvia’s side, raised her small fist in agreement.

“Young master!”

“We want to hear from you that you’ll return safely!”

“Please say it!”

The other maids also bowed, pleading for him to promise his victory.

“Please…”

Even Judith, usually quiet, stepped forward, asking the same.

“Hmm…”

Raon let out a low sigh, looking at Sylvia and the maids whose eyes shimmered like mirages.

‘I thought it would feel like a funeral…’

But they were cheerful.

In the past, whenever he set out on dangerous missions or duels, Sylvia and the maids would cry rivers of tears out of worry. Yet today, their faces appeared calm, as if all concern had washed away.

It felt oddly reassuring.

“Fine.”

He straightened his shoulders, warmed by Sylvia’s touch, and looked at everyone.

“I’ll break through the North-South Union. Just have dinner ready for me.”

Raon raised his hand, high-fiving the maids one by one.

“There’s power in words, after all.”

Sylvia smiled softly, holding her right arm with her left hand.

“You’ve always kept your promises. I trust you will this time too, my son.”

“Yes, please don’t worry.”

After giving Sylvia a final, tight hug, Raon stepped away from the garden.

“Oh, Mother, there’s something I wanted to…”

Turning back to say what he had forgotten, he was greeted by Sylvia and the maids huddled together, their hands clasped as if they were frightened animals, trembling visibly.

‘…As I thought.’

Their smiles earlier must have been an act to avoid burdening him. The expressions they now wore looked as if a single word would make them cry.

“I’ll be back.”

Raon bowed to the tearful Sylvia and the maids, then turned and left.

‘If Wrath were awake, he’d probably yell at me not to make Mom cry.’

He lightly tapped the ice flower bracelet on his wrist and headed toward the front gate.

—

“Looking cheerful, huh?”

As Raon neared the fifth training ground, Rimmer approached with a yawn, followed closely by the entire Light Wind Division.

“Meanwhile, I didn’t get a wink of sleep, thanks to someone.”

“Oh, I slept wonderfully.”

Raon grinned, teasing as he waved his hand.

“Ugh, now I’m really annoyed.”

Despite his words, Rimmer let out a small laugh.

“You shouldn’t be annoyed! If the opponent didn’t sleep well, it’s his problem!”

Martha shoulder-checked Rimmer, her brows furrowing.

“I slept well too.”

Runaan, stroking her flawless, sunlit skin, gave a slight nod.

“No one asked you!”

“Small-minded woman.”

“You want to fight?!”

The two began butting heads, growling at each other like they were back in the training ground, ready to brawl.

“Don’t their childish fights help ease the tension?”

Burren chuckled, glancing at them.

“It feels like the tension’s building, actually.”

Raon smiled faintly as he looked at his captains one by one.

“Urgh…”

Hearing a retching sound behind him, Raon turned to see Dorian, pale and gagging with his tongue out.

“I… I think I’m going to die from the anxiety…”

His face was as white as a sheet, like he might collapse any moment.

“Pathetic.”

Krein clicked his tongue, though his own eyes were ringed with dark circles from lack of sleep.

“I can’t take it anymore…”

Muttering under his breath, Dorian pulled a round biscuit from his belly pouch and shoved it into his mouth.

Strangely, the moment he ate it, his retching stopped.

“This is tasty.”

Runaan, who had been bickering with Martha, sidled up beside Dorian and began eating the biscuit as well.

“Shall I sing you a song?”

Yua grinned and took the lead, starting to sing a military anthem from Habun Fortress, a song that honored the northern winds. Her voice gently eased the tension, soothing their frayed nerves like the promise of spring.

“Captain.”

Mark Gorton approached Raon quietly, lowering his head with a look of trust.

Raon slowed his pace to observe Rimmer and the Light Wind Division’s relaxed backs.

Though they appeared chaotic, there was a strange sense of order among them, which steadied Raon’s spirit.

“You’re always so noisy.”

Trevin, the Iron Division Leader, arrived with his squad, laughing heartily.

“Iron Division Leader.”

Raon greeted him with a bow. Trevin and the Iron Division had been assigned as their escort for the day.

“Looking forward to working with you.”

Trevin grinned and extended his fist.

“I should be the one saying that.”

Raon chuckled as he bumped his fist against Trevin’s.

“Is that how young people greet each other now?”

A fluttering sound announced Sheryl’s arrival as she descended gracefully from above. Despite her youthful appearance, she commented with a grin that made her seem older than she looked.

“Thousand Sword Brigade Captain.”

Raon gave her a polite bow. Sheryl was in charge of overseeing today’s life-and-death duel.

“Let’s do the fist thing too.”

Sheryl, amused, extended her fist like Trevin.

“Yes. I look forward to working with you.”

Raon smiled lightly, bumping his fist against hers.

“Ah, always so obsessed with young trends. Face aside, you act like a total geezer…”

“Shut up.”

Sheryl smacked the back of Rimmer’s head with the back of her hand.

“Ugh…”

Kicking his behind, she turned back to Raon.

“You’ll win today, right?”

“Of course.”

“Good. I believe in you.”

With a faint smile, Sheryl took her position at the front with the Heavenly Sword Division.

Raon stared at his fist, reflecting on the exchanges with Trevin and Sheryl.

‘I think I can do this.’

Sylvia and the maids had strengthened his resolve, Rimmer and the Light Wind Division had eased his tension, and Sheryl and Trevin had given him the assurance he needed.

It no longer mattered who his opponent was, even if it was the Axe King himself.

“Hurry up!”

Rimmer waved for Raon to follow, as the others waited with curious looks.

“I’m coming.”

Raon released the tension from his fist and walked forward.

‘I still have so much to do at Zieghart.’

Meeting the trusting gazes of his comrades, he nodded.

‘Today, I will defeat the Axe King.’

—

-Midway Through the Raging Waters of the Layble River-

Massive waves surged across the river, crashing with untamed fury.

“This is troublesome.”

Sheryl clicked her tongue as she gazed at the churning water.

“If only we’d gotten rid of him earlier, things would’ve been easier. I didn’t think the duel date would approach this quickly.”

She frowned, clearly annoyed at the troublesome situation that had developed around Raon.

“Enough with the jokes…”

“Jokes?”

“That wasn’t a joke?”

Rimmer’s face paled as cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

“Roenn even drafted an assassination plan. Does that sound like a joke to you?”

Sheryl shot him a cold, sharp glance.

“These maniacs…”

Rimmer shook his head, exasperated. Everyone involved seemed to be entirely out of their minds.

“Anyway, it’s too late to dwell on that now. What do you think?”

Sheryl folded her arms and gave him a meaningful look.

“Well…”

Rimmer exhaled briefly.

“Based on what I saw of the Axe King at the sea auction, Raon should be able to win. But…”

He looked at the turbulent river and continued.

“If the Axe King has grown stronger in the meantime, things will be difficult. Grandmasters sometimes stagnate for ten years, but they can also undergo drastic transformations in a single day.”

“I agree.”

Sheryl nodded at Rimmer’s assessment.

“If Roman Laycal is the same as when I last saw him, Raon will win. But if he’s changed… this won’t be easy. It all depends on him.”

Her fingertips trembled slightly, revealing a hint of unease.

“We searched not only the intelligence networks but even the black market. There’s been no word on Roman for the past year.”

Trevin, the Iron Division Leader, stepped forward, shaking his head.

“It seems like he hasn’t left his headquarters this whole time.”

“I have a feeling…”

Sheryl rotated her wrist, her lips curving with unease.

“That the Axe King has grown stronger.”

“How can you tell?”

“Look at them.”

She gestured toward the North-South Union warriors waiting on the other side of the riverbank.

“Not a flicker of doubt in their eyes. It’s as if they can’t even imagine Roman losing.”

“Roman Laycal is revered almost as a deity along the Layble River. That faith must be giving them confidence.”

Trevin swallowed hard, seemingly unwilling to accept that reality.

“That’s something only the locals might believe. These warriors, though… they’re fanatics. They only trust power. If their confidence is this strong, it means the Axe King has indeed become even more formidable.”

Rimmer gave a slow nod, agreeing with Sheryl’s analysis.

“Though I really hate the atmosphere they’re giving off.”

His brows furrowed as he observed the Union warriors eyeing them with hostility.

“Five… no, six of them?”

Rimmer counted the powerful warriors within the North-South Union ranks, lifting his fingers.

“Six at the captain level? Maybe we should’ve called in more reinforcements.”

“Forget it.”

Sheryl shook her head lightly.

“They aren’t the real problem.”

Her violet hair fluttered in the wind as she looked beyond the assembled warriors.

“The real threat hasn’t arrived yet.”

Just then, Burren approached from behind them.

“Our preparations are complete on our side.”

“And Raon?”

“He’s resting in the tent.”

Burren pointed toward the black tent pitched at the edge of the camp.

“Good job. Stay vigilant and scout the area again, just in case.”

“Yes, understood.”

Burren nodded before leading his team away to continue their patrol.

“Raon’s come a long way, hasn’t he?”

Sheryl gazed fondly at the black tent where Raon was resting.

“Yeah. The kid who once stumbled just trying to walk is now a Grandmaster about to duel the Axe King. Who would’ve thought?”

Rimmer chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

“When you put it that way, this is also a battle between old and new eras.”

Sheryl narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she looked at her hands.

“Old and new eras?”

Trevin tilted his head, confused.

“Raon has overcome countless hardships, but this one is different.”

Sheryl clenched her fist and looked toward the sky.

“Until now, Raon’s opponents have been warriors shaped by the rules of the modern age—those who grew under the Six Kings and Five Demons. But Roman Laycal belongs to an entirely different era.”

“Exactly. He’s one of those monsters who laid the foundations of the Six Kings era, just like us.”

Rimmer nodded in agreement.

“There have been many young warriors celebrated in the past, but every one of them fell before the old monsters. This duel is not just a contest between Zieghart and the North-South Union—it’s also a confrontation between the old and the new.”

If Raon emerged victorious, it would signal the beginning of a new era. If Roman won, it would prove that the old era was still an unattainable peak.

“You’re right. There hasn’t been a case where one of the Grandmasters from the old era was defeated…”

Trevin trailed off as he swallowed nervously.

“He’s here.”

Sheryl suddenly raised her hand, pointing toward a small black silhouette.

Rumble!

The black shape sliced through the raging waters of the Layble River with ease, revealing a massive warship. It was none other than the *Misfortune*, the Axe King’s second flagship and a symbol of his ominous power.

“Misfortune…”

The name alone sent chills down their spines as the ship slowly approached the riverbank.

“I’ll go get Raon.”

“No need.”

Rimmer shook his head, pointing toward the tent.

Raon had already stepped out.

—

Wearing a robe adorned with black dragon scales, Raon strode forward. The red gleam from his sword, the *Heavenly Drive*, reflected the rising sun’s glow at his waist. His golden hair fluttered in the breeze, and his calm red eyes radiated both noble grace and the fearless spirit of a warrior.

With every step he took toward the river, the ground seemed to ripple with his unyielding aura. His presence, combined with the atmosphere of the approaching storm, gave off an overwhelming sense of majesty and might, as if Glenn Zieghart himself were standing behind him.

“There’s no way…”

Rimmer’s lips curled into a grin as he looked at Raon’s broad back.

“He’s not going to lose.”

—

Though he hadn’t spread his senses, Raon could feel the Axe King’s presence drawing near. He stood tall at the river’s edge as a wave of oppressive energy rippled toward him from the deck of the *Misfortune*.

Boom!

A thunderous sound erupted, as if cannon fire had split the sky, and the air grew heavy with tension.

It was the Axe King, Roman Laycal. He descended onto the river, his aura burning like wildfire, heating the frigid air around him.

‘He’s changed.’

Unlike before, Roman’s power was now fully under his control. Not even a ripple formed under his feet—proof that he had mastered his strength to perfection.

The sheer pressure of his presence alone made Raon’s heart thud against his ribs, the force resonating through his entire being.

“Raon Zieghart, the Dragon Slayer.”

Roman rested the Red Dragon’s Axe on his shoulder, a refreshing grin spreading across his face, just as it had three years ago.

“Axe King Roman.”

Raon loosened his fingers as he called out Roman’s name.

His heart, beating wildly, told him all he needed to know. The man before him had grown immensely—enough to match Raon’s own growth since their last encounter.

“You’ve gotten stronger.”

Roman nodded approvingly.

“You’ll help me reach even greater heights.”

The immense aura around his axe flared like a raging inferno.

“Three years ago, you let me and the Light Wind Division go after your battle with my master.”

Raon stepped onto the water’s surface, his every step leaving ripples that spread outward like rings.

“I’ll give you three moves.”

Drawing the *Heavenly Drive*, Raon performed a formal salute, raising his sword with pride and respect. His crimson eyes gleamed brighter than the sun reflected on the river’s surface.

“Come.”