The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman

his head, where the sharp teeth were glowing.

“Red Wolf Demon…”

Federick swallowed nervously.
The monstrous man in front of him was Eden's officer, who inherited the Lycanthrope chief's power, and a fighter at Master level.

Rumble!

The problem was the fact that he wasn't alone.

“I knew you would come this way.”

The man clad in black armor with wings attached to the back smoothly dropped down.
Fearsome blue eyes were sparkling from his demonic, two-horned helmet.

“Black Winged Demon.”

The owner of the winged armor was another officer of Eden, one who inherited the power of the gargoyle lord.
He was also a powerhouse at Master level, and he was even more difficult to deal with than the Red Wolf Demon because of his flying ability.

“Ah, I'm also here.”

“Even the Evil Goat Demon is here.”

He looked to the right upon hearing a cheerful voice that didn't match the situation.
The man cheerfully waving his hand was wearing armor that looked like a goat on the bottom half and a knight on the upper half, with a goat's helmet.
The horns on the helmet were pointing downwards.

“Damn it…”

Federick bit his lip.
He was already injured from facing the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon.
Since the Evil Goat Demon was the strongest of the three, he would have no other choice than death if he joined the fight.

“Ah, don't worry about me.
I have no intention of attacking you as long as you don't come my way, since my mission today is to block the path.”

It was unsure whether he could be trusted or not, but he leaned his back towards a tree with his arms crossed.

“I'm tired of chasing after him now.”

“Old man meat is too tough, but I supposed Saint meat would be different.”

The crimson wave of astral energy burst from the Red Wolf Demon's claws and the Black Winged Demon's dagger.

“Yulius, stay behind me.”

“S-Saint…”

“You don't need to worry.
I'll keep my promise.”

Federick opened his hands while catching his breath.
After adding astral energy into his hands, he stomped the ground.

“I won't give anything to people like you!”

 

* * *

 

Raon frowned while looking at Sheryl, who was running ahead of him.

'Is she trying to make me fall behind?'

Sheryl was apparently trying to lose him with her footwork, since she kept moving faster and faster.
Although the distance between them was only ten meters at first, it was now closer to twenty meters.

Thud!

Raon stomped the ground with the Supreme Harmony Steps.
He managed to close the distance for a moment, but he couldn't catch up to her in the end, and the distance started growing once again.

'I can't keep using the Supreme Harmony Steps.'

Supreme Harmony Steps had a high aura consumption.
He couldn't keep using that just to exhaust himself before fighting, since he was about to encounter Master level enemies.

'Then, what should I do…?'

Raon raised his head to look at Sheryl.
Instead of her stepping on the ground, it looked like the ground was coming to her to be stepped on as she quickly advanced.

'She's a bit different from the squad leader.'

Rimmer's footwork felt like he was flying while being carried by the wind, but Sheryl looked more like she was using the explosive power of her lower body to shoot herself forward like an arrow.

Raon resonated the Ring of Fire to examine her lower body in detail.
The principles of the quick sword that she had explained to him before was incorporated into her legs as she kicked the ground.

'I finally understand.'

He understood why there was so much difference between them, even though Sheryl was only using basic footwork.
She had changed the principles of martial arts in her footwork into the quick sword's principles to increase her speed.

'I'm not capable of doing that right now.
I can't reduce the wind resistance like the squad leader did, either.
However…'

Raon figured he could use a mixture of the two.

Creak!

He kicked the ground by utilizing the principles Sheryl taught him and the principles behind Frost Pond, all while using the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's energy like Rimmer's wind to sever the atmosphere.

Thud!

Although he used less strength than before to kick the ground, he managed to advance faster and farther.
Sheryl's back, which kept getting further away, was getting closer to him instead.

“Hmm…”

Sheryl looked back for the first time.
She frowned, her eyes widening almost twice the usual size.

“I did it!'

He couldn't exactly use that in a battle because it was still sloppy, but he didn't lose to Sheryl in terms of speed, at least.

“I caught up to you.”

Raon smiled while running next to Sheryl.

“I was planning to just lose you like that.”

Sheryl licked her lips in regret.
However, her eyes were still filled with surprise.

“I told you that I won't be a bother.”

“Did you mix my movement and Rimmer's movement half and half?”

“Exactly.”

“Seriously, you are not fun to teach.”

She shook her head, as if she were already tired of it.

“But don't be overconfident, since you are only getting started.
I'm going to leave you behind immediately if you don't meet my expectations.”

“I know.”

Raon nodded.
Just like she said, the real fight hadn't even started yet.

Cring!

As he advanced alongside Sheryl, he could hear the clashing sound of metal.
It was a blunt sound, signifying a one-sided battle.

“This way.”

“Yes.”

Sheryl had already changed her direction and was moving towards the location of the sound.
Raon used the new movement technique to follow her.

Claang!

At the end of a scorched-black field, a demon of Eden was standing there wearing a hyena-shaped helmet.
His long axe and armor were covered in blood, showing that he had already slaughtered many people.

“Brutal Yellow Demon.”

The monster with the hyena's head and human body was a knoll warrior, and he was Eden’s demon with the knoll warrior's power, the Brutal Yellow Demon.

“Kihihihi!”

The Brutal Yellow Demon wasn't even slightly injured, but the surviving warriors were covered with injuries and blood.
He was apparently toying with them without killing them.

“That bastard.”

Sheryl stopped, pointing at the Brutal Yellow Demon without helping them.

“He is at the highest level of Expert, just like you.
Kill him within ten strikes.”

“Ten strikes…”

“You will turn back if you can't.
You won't be able to fight if you can't even do that.”

She wasn't even blinking, showing that she had no intention of compromising.
It seemed to be her final test for him.

“I'll finish him off in five strikes instead of ten.
In return, please don't tell me to go back ever again.”

Raon walked towards the Brutal Yellow Demon without waiting for Sheryl's response.

“Ten strikes? Five strikes?”

The Brutal Yellow Demon turned around.
He apparently heard their conversation, as he looked at Raon savagely.
Sheryl must've expected that to happen as well.

“You must be looking down on me just because I stayed here.”

The Brutal Yellow Demon's teeth could be seen as he smiled while twirling his axe.

“Fine! I'll cut your head off in ten strikes!”

He lowered himself like a beast and kicked the ground.

It was a strange posture, but his speed was abnormally fast.
He dashed at him from the left in an instant and swung down his axe.
Combative energy with the intention to crush his bones and flesh together was raging like a fire.

Whir!

Raon watched him until the axe reached his collarbone while using the Ring of Fire.

'It includes heaviness.'

The aura incorporated into the Brutal Yellow Demon's axe was heaviness.
However, it was only focused on the edge of the axe's blade instead of the entire blade.

'Then, I only need to twist it.'

The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's fire on Heavenly Drive cut through the heaviness of the axe.
Raon slashed the second strike into the thin opening that was created from it.

Claang!

Last start, first attack.
Even though Heavenly Drive was the last one to start moving, Brutal Yellow Demon's axe was bounced back instead.

“Kuh!”

Befitting his level as a highest-grade Expert, the Brutal Yellow Demon quickly recovered his axe and unleashed his second strike.
Multiple auras were added to the powerful energy wave charging straight at Raon, increasing its power and speed.

'Let's try using that.'

Raon was thinking about the Brutal Yellow Demon's strike from before.
He created an image of focusing the heaviness at one part of the blade to concentrate his aura at the extremity of Heavenly Drive.

Baam!

He amplified the strength by stomping the ground, thrusting Heavenly Drive with a new aura.
Heavenly Drive's blade was surrounded by a thick, concentrated aura thread as it clashed head-on against the Brutal Yellow Demon's axe.

Creak!

Despite the difference in weight between their weapons, Brutal Yellow Demon's axe was the one that got pushed back—or, rather, shattered.
The axe's blade, which used to emanate a fearsome murderous intent, shattered like glass and was reflected Brutal Yellow Demon's astonished eyes.

“I-It's not over yet!”

As an expert who went through countless fierce battles, the Brutal Yellow Demon thrusted his left hand towards Raon's heart despite his panic.
An energy as powerful as his axe could be felt from his hand, sharpened like a blade.

“You are too inexperienced.”

Raon used the Supreme Harmony's third step.
He deflected the Brutal Yellow Demon's hand like a cloud floating in the sky before unleashing the principles of quick sword in Heavenly Drive, starting from his shoulder.

Slaash!

The silver blade fell down like lightning, and the Brutal Yellow Demon's movements stopped like a marionette that lost its string.

“You, you…”

The Brutal Yellow Demon tried to flounder his hands, but couldn't grab his head, which was falling to the ground.

Thud!

Leaving behind the Brutal Yellow Demon's headless corpse, Raon walked up to Sheryl.

“Four strikes.”

He shook the blood from Heavenly Drive, then stood in front of her.

“Now you are forbidden from telling me to return.”