The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1051:
》 “Huuuuuuuuck!”
Wrath let out a strangled scream as he watched the ancient Kraken get dragged onto land.
》 “W-why is an octopus coming out of a jar?!”
He shook his fist, unable to comprehend what he was seeing even though it was magic.
“What… what is this…?”
Balder blinked as he stepped up beside him.
“Why is the Kraken inside a jar?!”
Like Wrath, he seemed unable to understand the situation at all, his jaw hanging open.
“I-Is that really the Kraken? It’s bigger than an Ancient Dragon?”
“I heard it was carrying the White Blood Cult Main Headquarters, but why did it come out of a jar?”
“Did they summon the Kraken with a jar? At this point, isn’t this more of a divine miracle than magic?”
The other swordsmen also stood there with their mouths open, bewildered that the Kraken had leaped out of a jar.
“There are many ways to catch octopuses, but the oldest and easiest method is jar fishing.”
Raon lowered his hand as he watched the Kraken’s mountain-like leg writhe.
“Jar fishing…?”
Runaan tilted her head, as if asking what that meant.
“It’s a method where you tie jars to ropes and cast them into the sea like nets, then pull them back up the next morning. By then, the jars are full of octopuses that were active through the night.”
Raon pointed at the jar that had held the Kraken before shattering.
“H-How is that possible? You don’t even put bait in the jars…”
Krein took a deep breath, still unable to understand.
“Cephalopods like octopuses instinctively hide and curl up in dark places. Jars are perfect for that.”
He smiled faintly, explaining that jar fishing had been created based on that observation.
“That Kraken is a true monster out of myth. As huge and powerful as it is, its instincts are just as strong. Evelyn and the Archmages prepared three spells, all aimed precisely at that.”
Raon spread three fingers.
“The first was summoning a jar large enough for the Kraken to crawl into.”
He looked toward Evelyn, who had summoned that enormous jar in exactly the right place without the slightest error.
“The second was casting a spell that amplified its instincts, allowing the Kraken to move on its own while ignoring the White Blood Cult’s commands.”
He pointed at Larian, who had created a new spell that amplified only instinct without carrying any aggressive intent.
“Ah, so that’s why…”
“Right. The Kraken forgot it had to protect the White Blood Cult Main Headquarters, gave in to its instincts, and entered the jar Evelyn summoned. And finally…”
Raon turned to Chamber, who was breathing heavily as if she had been drained dry.
“Chamber used Spatial Magic to bring over both the Kraken and the jar carrying the White Blood Cult Main Headquarters.”
“It wasn’t that big a deal.”
Chamber waved her hand dismissively, saying it was nothing compared to what Evelyn and Larian had done.
“It was a big deal.”
Raon shook his head firmly as he looked at Chamber.
‘It was an unbelievable feat.’
The White Blood Lord was too sharp for them to place spells directly on the jar. Because of that, Chamber had to remotely transport that enormous jar and the Kraken on the spot, supported only by mana. Of the three Archmages, she had inevitably consumed the most mana and mental power.
No matter how specialized she was in Spatial Magic, the strain on her mental power must have been enormous.
“I see…”
Balder finally seemed to understand, letting out a long sigh of relief.
“Now I get why it took two months, and why you didn’t tell us.”
He looked at the mages who had prepared those new spells with an unusually serious expression.
“Pretty cool, right, ladies?”
Aris gave a thumbs-up to Chamber and Larian.
“You did well too.”
She smiled at Evelyn as well, whose eyes were shining.
“Auntie!”
Evelyn threw her arms around Aris, saying she was happy to see her again.
“Urk…”
Aris blinked in surprise at Evelyn’s sudden embrace. When it came to charging in and acting without hesitation, Evelyn really might have been the best on the continent.
“As expected of the mages of the Five Kings!”
“Knowing they have our backs gives me strength.”
“Right. I don’t feel like we can lose today.”
The swordsmen clenched their fists, determined to fight in a way that would not shame the mages supporting them.
“How did you figure it out?”
Larian tilted her head as she looked at Raon.
“Did Evelyn tell you?”
“I didn’t say anything!”
Evelyn shook her head violently, insisting she had explained nothing.
“No, you did.”
Raon looked at Evelyn and smiled faintly.
“I did? When?”
“You gave me a hint the second time we saw the Kraken underwater.”
Because Evelyn had mentioned cephalopods and instinct while looking at the Kraken, Raon had been able to picture today’s scene before the spell was even completed.
“As expected of Raon. I didn’t think you’d catch on that far…”
Evelyn’s eyes widened, clearly surprised that he had understood the entire plan.
“You figured it out from just that one word? You’re really something else… ugh!”
Chamber clicked her tongue as if wondering what kind of person he was, then bent forward.
“Are you alright?”
Raon hurried over and supported her by the shoulder.
“Did you push yourself too hard while still injured?”
Chamber shook her head, saying it seemed to be the aftereffects of consecutively casting large-scale spells before her Upper Dantian had fully recovered.
“You cast large-scale spells back to back?”
“I used Chaos Magic to pin down the Kraken. Its resistance to mana was fierce, so it took a bit of effort.”
It seemed she had cast Chaos Magic on the Kraken the moment she summoned it so it could not move. That explained her pale complexion.
“I’m done here.”
Chamber pulled out a lollipop and bit down on it.
“Now I can only handle movement and support, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”
She smiled faintly and told them to drag the White Blood Lord out of that white city.
“And…”
Chamber pulled forward one of the mages standing behind her.
“This one will handle the command post for the Balkan forces remaining here.”
She curled her lips into a smile and pulled back the mage’s hood.
“You’re doing this again…”
Jaina. The princess of Balkan had come here as well.
‘I had no idea.’
Her mana flow was deep and calm, so Raon had assumed she was one of Chamber’s prized disciples. He had never imagined it was Jaina.
》 “That arrogant girl. She’s become a monster.”
‘She really does have the presence of a heavyweight now.’
The presence Jaina gave off did not come from the royal status she had been born with, but from the skill she had earned with her own hands. She had clearly changed a great deal.
“Please let me know if you need anything.”
Jaina lowered her head and looked at him with steady eyes unlike before.
“I leave it to you.”
Sensing how much stronger Jaina’s spirit had become, Raon naturally raised the level of his speech in return.
“Then I’ll trust you with it.”
Chamber waved once at him and Jaina before stepping into the blue Dimension Door. She would return to Balkan headquarters without rest and prepare movement routes across the continent.
“Aren’t you talking too much?”
Balder rolled his boulder-like shoulders and strode over.
“We need to strike before those bastards get their bearings!”
He raised his clenched fist, urging Raon to give the order immediately.
“I agree.”
Void Sword Captain Serena frowned as she looked toward the walls of the White Blood Cult Main Headquarters.
“More and more Blood Demons are climbing onto the walls.”
“Do you see that?”
Raon pointed to the white mist spread around the White Blood Cult Main Headquarters.
“That mist isn’t just highly resistant to aura and magic. It’s also a formation that causes disorientation and hallucinations. If we rush in recklessly, we’ll end up killing each other and getting wiped out.”
“Th-then what do we do…?”
“Someone else will deal with that.”
Though he could disperse that mist by releasing the power of the heavens through the Sky-Piercing Sword, that was not his role here.
“Evelyn.”
It would be the genius mage who had seen that mist with him beneath the sea.
“It’s done!”
Evelyn clasped her hands together as if in prayer. As her lips moved rapidly with an ancient chant, the darkening sky trembled and hurled down a blazing yellow bolt of lightning.
Kuwaaaaaaang!
A massive shockwave burst out as if heaven and earth were splitting apart. The sea trembled as if it might overflow, and the white mist enveloping the White Blood Cult Main Headquarters disappeared.
“See? This is me! Your woman!”
Evelyn grinned as if asking what he thought. But unlike her smile, her eyelids were trembling faintly. She had clearly pushed herself hard.
“Now we can go.”
Evelyn raised her hand, indicating that only the protective spells over the walls and city remained.
“Thank you.”
Raon nodded heavily and steadied Evelyn by her swaying shoulder.
“Oh my? Right here where everyone can see?”
Evelyn tugged lightly at her collar as if asking whether he was serious.
“……”
》 “That madwoman is hopeless! Just when her score was going up, it plunged straight down!”
Wrath let out a weary sigh, saying he was tired of this by now.
“Everyone, listen.”
Raon ignored Evelyn, whose face had turned red, and turned around.
“With everything you have, break through that white wall. No, scale that fortress built from the blood of the innocent.”
He raised Heavenly Drive toward the White Blood Cult Main Headquarters, now openly reeking of blood with the mist gone.
“We obey your command!”
The swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace answered Raon’s words and drew their swords. Though countless blades were unsheathed at once, only a single sound rang out.
“We’ll take the second bridge.”
Balder bared his white teeth and rested his flexible chain sword on his shoulder.
“Zieghart’s vanguard has always been the True Martial Palace! Don’t lose to the Light Wind Palace!”
He stamped his foot hard enough to shake the beach and raised his chin.
“Then I’ll take the third bridge.”
Aris looked back at Rabawin and the Azure Wind crew with a grin.
“We meet again after so long, and it’s straight into war. That suits us just fine, doesn’t it?”
She flashed a cool smile, as fresh as the sea, as if telling them to keep up.
“We’ll enter through the fourth.”
Void Sword Captain Serena and War Sword Division Captain Latein nodded as they looked toward the fourth bridge.
“Then the last one is…”
“Leave it.”
Larian shook her head, signaling them to leave the fifth bridge alone. It seemed reserved for Owen’s knights, who would arrive later.
“So it really is a siege battle after all.”
Krein cracked his knuckles, shaking off his tension.
“Look on the bright side. It’s better than a siege battle at sea, right?”
Raon gripped Krein’s shoulder and smiled faintly.
“O-of course! It’s just that we trained so hard for fighting in the water, so I’m disappointed we don’t get to show it off!”
Krein shook his head so hard it looked like it might fall off, insisting he was not complaining.
“Then we begin at once. They probably haven’t organized their defenses yet…”
Just as Raon was about to give the order to attack—
Kugugugugugu!
Countless Blood Demons began climbing onto the walls of the White Blood Cult. With swords in hand, they packed the battlements without end, as if they meant to build a barricade with their own flesh.
‘This is the problem…’
Raon frowned as he watched the number of Blood Demons continue to grow.
‘Their sheer numbers.’
True to its long history as a cult, the White Blood Cult boasted the largest numbers among the Five Demons. They were literally willing to use their followers as meat shields to drain the enemy’s stamina, and just watching it was revolting.
‘But…’
The true masters still had not shown themselves.
Bishop-level figures could be seen here and there, but the archbishops and Apostle-class masters had yet to appear.
“Chaaaaaaarge!”
Balder seemed to sense that they had to break through now. He roared and charged forward. As if his furious advance lit the fuse, the warriors on the other bridges also rushed toward the White Blood Cult’s walls.
‘Good instincts.’
Raon smiled faintly and was about to leap toward the walls when—
“My lord, please rest until the upper Apostles appear.”
Burren stepped in front of him.
“We’ll break open the path here!”
He lowered his head as if asking to be trusted. No, it was not just Burren. Everyone in the Light Wind Palace was looking at him with eyes that told him to leave it to them.
“Very well. But…”
Raon sheathed Heavenly Drive and took a step back. Looking at the swordsmen he had trained with his own hands, he gave a solemn nod.
“You stand by my side as well. Your battle is not here and now.”
He raised a hand and pointed toward Martha behind Burren. With Martha here, there was still a chance to rescue her mother from the White Blood Lord, so she could not afford to waste her strength either.
“Ugh…”
Martha, who would normally have protested, bit her lip and moved to his side, understanding how important today was.
“Trust us.”
Burren struck his chest with his fist as if telling him to watch and wait.
“I’ll definitely open the way…”
Runaan looked at Martha not with her usual dull eyes, but with eyes that seemed to hold starlight.
“Don’t die, you brats…”
Martha gritted her teeth, saying she would kill them again herself if they died.
The swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace smiled faintly at Martha’s reaction.
“Go.”
Raon pointed toward the wall of the White Blood Cult, where white blood seemed to flow.
“Of the four advancing forces, be the first to break through.”
“As you command!”
As if receiving a divine command, the swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace raised a single, sword-like spirit and charged toward the wall.
“Watch calmly.”
Raon folded his arms and jerked up his chin.
“See how dependable your comrades have become.”
===
“Th-the White Fog has been erased! It will take at least half a day to restore it!”
“Five bridges have connected the headquarters to the shore! And those Zieghart bastards are advancing across them…”
“E-even though we severed the magical flow, the Kraken won’t move! It seems to have fainted!”
One piece of bad news after another reached the White Blood Lord, who stood frozen like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Haa…”
The White Blood Lord raised her trembling hand and placed the pipe between her lips.
“We’ve been outplayed. That damned 9th Apostle brought a pack of starving dogs with him.”
She ground her teeth, finally seeming to realize just how far the 9th Apostle’s affair had spiraled.
“Send word to Derus Robert. Tell him to send reinforcements immediately.”
The White Blood Lord blew out white smoke and flicked her chin.
“And summon that damned thirteenth one as well.”
After ordering them to contact Derus, she spat out a blood-soaked voice and ordered them to call in the 13th Apostle too.
“…Understood.”
The 10th Apostle nodded heavily.
“The 1st Apostle will awaken the Kraken even if it means draining every last drop of my blood, and the 12th Apostle will take the Apostles and Bishops to hold the wall.”
Even with blood surging all the way to the tips of her hair, the White Blood Lord assigned the most fitting roles for the situation before her.
“We will do so.”
The 1st Apostle bent at the waist, vowing to awaken the Kraken even if it killed him.
“Understood. But what about you, my lord…?”
The 12th Apostle tilted his head, asking what the White Blood Lord herself intended to do. Among the Apostles, only he could speak to her like that.
“I will now enter the Great Void.”
The White Blood Lord tightened her grip and crushed the pipe she had drained dry.
“Right now, only Larian, Chamber, and Raon Zieghart are outside, but others could appear at any moment. If we don’t break through this wall here, we can’t win.”
She clenched her white fist, determined to complete the final missing piece and transcend the wall.
“Truly fitting of our lord.”
The 12th Apostle nodded as if it were the obvious choice.
“Even if I have to pour out every drop of my blood, I’ll hold the line. May you succeed in entering the Great Void.”
He smiled serenely, vowing that the wall would never be breached.
“I’ll awaken the Kraken as quickly as possible, then support the 12th Apostle.”
The 1st Apostle straightened his gaze as if to say there was no need to worry.
“I’ll go ahead.”
The 10th Apostle moved first, saying he would contact Derus.
“Just wait a little longer…”
The White Blood Lord twisted her lips upward as she listened to the roars of the swordsmen echoing from outside the headquarters. Spitting out the last remaining smoke in her throat, she bared her teeth.
“I’ll turn every last one of you into bloody water.”
===
“Block them!”
“Stop the demons threatening our lord!”
“Protect the holy ground with your lives!”
The White Blood Cultists atop the wall poured out Blood Energy infused with their life force as if they were ready to die here. It came crashing down over the swordsmen like a torrential rainstorm.
“Ignore it and keep advancing!”
Balder, leading the charge, extended his Chain Sword long and drew a shape like a cloud. His profound and majestic swordsmanship split apart all the falling Blood Energy like rain.
“Charge in!”
He roared at them to attack the wall, declaring that he would protect them.
“Trust in your commanders and advance!”
“Those aren’t warriors—they’re fanatics!”
“Fight without fear!”
Trusting not only Balder but all of their own commanders as well, the swordsmen charged at the wall and began shattering the white-blooming spells.
Kwaaaaaaang!
As the swordsmen, their martial might honed over two months, hammered away at the wall, it took less than ten minutes for the thick defensive spells to begin trembling.
‘There was a reason I told them to trust me.’
Raon nodded faintly, a slight smile on his lips.
‘They really are strong.’
Unlike the ragged followers of the White Blood Cult, every swordsman of Zieghart faced the battle with deep fighting spirit and resolve. He could feel their belief that even if they fell here, their comrades would still carve open a path.
‘I can just watch from here.’
Just as Raon was about to lower the hand resting on his sword hilt—
Kugugugugugu!
The Kraken, which had seemed unconscious with its eyes shut, suddenly raised its eyelids and began moving its legs. As its colossal body writhed, the five legs the mages had connected with all their strength trembled as if they might collapse at any moment.
“Wh-what is this?!”
“The Kraken is moving!”
“R-run! If we stay here, we’ll just die for nothing!”
The swordsmen recoiled in shock, and even the commanders protecting them froze at the sudden reversal.
“I’ll go.”
Raon raised a hand toward Aris, who was holding position beside him, and drew Heavenly Drive.
‘It’ll cost a lot of power, but there’s no choice.’
Since a spell that blocked aura had been cast on the Kraken, killing it would require expending an enormous amount of energy. But there was no other option now.
Paaaaang!
Just as he steadied his breathing and was about to step forward with his footwork, Haerang, who had been beside him, kicked off the ground and leaped into the sea.
Kuguguguguguk!
The instant Haerang plunged in, the sea churned violently, and a wolf as massive as the Kraken itself surged up before it, blocking its path away from the shore.
Kwaadeudeudeudeudeuk!
It was Haerang. Even larger than when he had been intoxicated with Blood Energy, Haerang bared his sharp fangs and tore into the Kraken’s leg.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
As if telling the swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace to trust him just as they had trusted them, Haerang lifted his head to the sky and released a magnificent howl.
Aoooooooooo!
