The Reincarnated Assassin is a Swordsmaster

Chapter 8

Wrath?

Raon swallowed, his throat dry, and looked around.

Someone’s here...

He couldn’t see or hear, but he could sense the presence of something in the room. It seemed like it was this “Wrath” mentioned in the message.

Fwoom.

As he tensed up and kept watch in all directions, a blue flame appeared in front of his eyes.

The fist-sized flame was shot up with incredible airwaves. It was as if he was watching a volcano exploding right in front of him.

- Finally.

A spine-chilling voice came from inside the blue flame. It contained madness that seemed like it would explode at any moment.

“What’s this...?”

Although he knew quite a lot of information from his past life, he had never heard of flames that could speak.

- The wrath you’ve built up has reached the king himself. I’ll help you get your revenge in the name of Wrath, the second king of the demon world. Sacrificing your soul and body... Hmm?

The blue flame, who had introduced himself as Wrath, looked him up and down and fell silent.

- A child? How come a child’s…?

“Who are you?”

- That’s what I’d like to ask you. The wrath I received wasn’t something a young child like you should possess.

Wrath’s voice grew deeper, but his aggressive emotions surged violently to the point where Raon couldn’t breathe.

“Wrath?”

Raon frowned. He couldn’t recall a moment when he had been deeply angry in this life, only in his previous one.

Wait, past life?

He’d reincarnated with his memories of his previous life and acquired this bizarre ability called “status window.” All of this happened after he died.

He suddenly felt as if it could be this Wrath guy who gave him those special powers.

“Then did you give me the status window?”

- Status window? You can use that?

“Yeah.”

- No way! Hm?

The blue flame surrounding Wrath started shaking.

- Th-the link has been cut off! How…?

“Who are you, and why are you here?”

- It was you who called me here.

“I called you?”

- You had an intense wrath that made you willing to kill someone at any cost, didn’t you? I arrived here to grant your wish.

“Oh...”

He then remembered thinking that he’d do anything to kill Derus Robert before he died.

After listening to his explanation, it seemed like this flame had appeared in front of him because of the wrath he’d felt at that time.

But it’s too late.

Two years had passed between the end of his past life and the start of this one, and it had been twelve years since he’d been born. He was confused as to what Wrath wanted, appearing after fourteen years.

“You’ll help me get my revenge?”

- That’s right.

“In exchange for what?”

Dark heat appeared in Raon’s eyes.

“Of course, nothing’s free. Based on what you said earlier, you’ll take my soul and body?”

- It only makes sense for you to sacrifice your lowly soul and body if I help you get the revenge that you desperately want.

Raon quietly stared down at Wrath. He saw something locked inside the blue flame. Something that was not human was making a peculiar smile.

Did this happen because I died and reincarnated?

He came to the conclusion that all of this had happened because he’d died before he was able to take his revenge.

“Revenge is only meaningful when done by my own hands.”

Getting revenge through someone else, when he finally had a new opportunity after dying and being manipulated by Derus for his whole life?

That was absolutely unacceptable.

I must get revenge on my own.

Raon had no intention of entrusting his revenge to someone else. No matter how difficult it would be, he was determined to behead Derus with his own hands.

- Wait. It was you.

Wrath glared at him through the two eyes behind the blue flame.

- You have deep and dark anger at the bottom of your heart.

He smiled, showing his teeth.

- I don’t care what happened. I’ve already made a decision. So you shall sacrifice your body.

The blue flame clasped onto Raon as anger emanated from Wrath’s voice.

“Urgh!”

Raon doubled over, clenching his chest.

It was cold.

It felt as if not only his body but also his mind was freezing.

Wrath’s element was ice, not fire.

- Think about him and build up your anger. I’ll kill him even if he’s a god.

Wrath’s chilling voice nauseated Raon. It felt as if his heart was being pierced by a sharp icicle.

[Water-element resistance (3-star) is activated.]

Water-element resistance!

The water-element resistance he’d obtained by absorbing the cold energy was decreasing the pain of the cold that Wrath was emanating.

However, cold energy wasn’t the only side effect.

“Argh...”

Raon moaned heavily. He thought of Derus’ face. He couldn’t breathe, reliving the mockery he’d endured, being looked down upon like a bug.

- Surrender your body to me. I will shatter his head and chew off his flesh.

“Huu...”

Wrath’s provocative voice ignited Raon’s anger towards Derus.

Absolutely not...

Raon firmly clenched his jaw.

Surrendering his body to Wrath could even put Sylvia and the handmaidens in danger.

Even if he died here, he couldn’t surrender his body to him.

Endure it.

He clenched his fist until he bled. He was an assassin. The best assassin.

When it came to patience and emotional control, virtues essential to an assassin, he excelled beyond comparison.

- You’re doing better than I expected, but how long can you tolerate this for? No one can overcome the cold energy of Wrath.

Wrath continued to emanate cold as if he was laughing.

“Huu...”

Raon was relieved. It would have been more challenging if he’d allowed his emotions to be provoked further, but instead, he decided to amplify the cold energy. He endured the bone-penetrating cold through controlled breathing.

- How dare you, measly human?!

Wrath’s hissing voice dripped with frustration and anger.

- I wanted to minimize the damage to the body I was planning on using, but you leave me no choice. I’ll swallow you whole.

He wasn’t bluffing.

The intensity of the cold energy provoked his body and mind as Wrath’s flame grew even larger.

“Urghhh!”

Raon couldn’t tolerate anymore and let out a moan. His mouth opened involuntarily from the pain, feeling as if his skin was being ripped off and his organs were breaking into pieces.

- Be angry and accept me. Are you trying to die?

“I’d rather die than surrender my body to you.”

He bit his tongue to pull himself together. As he was thinking he was prepared to die rather than let Wrath win, he had an idea.

Wait, if the water-element resistance can block his cold energy...

He thought of utilizing the Flame Link to lower the pain in both his body and mind.

Even if there was no guarantee of success, he had to try at this moment.

Fwoom!

Raon forced himself to focus and activated the Flame Link. The three rings hanging on his heart began spinning vigorously.

[<Flame Link (3-star)> drastically decreases the shock on the body and mind.>

His assumption was correct.

The Flame Link developed and protected both the body and mind. It was also effective for tolerating the pain penetrating from outside.

The rings spun fast, blowing energy into his mind and body. His flame of emotions, which was ready to burst at any moment, started to calm down.

Gaaah!

As new mental strength, the Flame Link, and water-element resistance formed a harmony amidst the pain and suffering Wrath was inflicting, the pain grew much lighter.

- H-how are you able to…?

Wrath sounded shocked.

Fwoosh.

The intensity of the chilling flames was becoming weaker. It seemed as if Wrath couldn’t cling to him if he didn’t provoke anger.

- How could a mere human child…?!

“I’m a human, but I’m not so young,” Raon answered calmly while pushing away the weakening cold energy.

- Th-this makes no sense. No way!

Wrath fell off of his body, emitting an intense scream. His eyes were shaking like those of a terrified foal.

- Even though I just woke up, I don’t understand why my attack didn’t work on a human!

“Huu...”

Raon lightly exhaled and glared at Wrath. His flame stirred like a candlelight in the wind.

“I’ll get my own revenge. I won’t surrender my body to a random spirit.”

- Random spirit? How dare you call a king of the demon world a random spirit?!

“Can you really call yourself a king of the demon world when you can’t even control me? Are you sure about that?”

- You really...

Wrath enlarged the flame once again, but it was only bigger in size. The intensity of the cold energy was drastically weaker than earlier.

He mentioned he’d just woken up.

It seemed like he wasn’t able to use his full power because he had just woken up from sleep.

Fwoom!

As Raon shook his hands vigorously, Wrath’s flame fell off, fluttering like paper.

He heard the sound of teeth grinding from inside the blue flame.

- Th-this can’t be happening. How are you controlling your emotions?!

“I’m not obligated to answer that. Go away now.”

- You took away my power. Where are you telling me to go?!

Wrath glared at him fiercely.

- Besides, I’ve already made a decision. I can’t be separated from you until you die, even if I want—

Whish!

Raon threw a punch through the blabbering Wrath. The flame scattered, but there was no impact. It felt as if he’d hit empty air.

“If that’s the case...”

He drew in mana and gathered it in his fingertips. Although the quality was much lower than refined aura, it was better than nothing.

Fwoom!

He sliced Wrath with a mana-filled hand, but he immediately revived, like a candle surviving a gust of wind.

- W-what are you doing?!

“Tsk. This didn’t work either.”

Wrath didn’t have any physicality, like a spirit. In that case, using aura wouldn’t make him disappear either.

Come to think of it...

Even though Wrath emanated intense energy, the swordsmen who guarded the annex hadn’t appeared.

It seemed as if he was only visible and touchable by Raon.

“What do I have to do to make you disappear?”

- Surrender your body to me. Then...

“What a load of shit.”

When Raon scoffed, a message popped up.

Ding!

[Additional ability is unlocked.]

“Additional ability?”

Raon immediately opened the status window.

[<Status Window>

Name : Raon Sieghart

Title : None.

Status : Curse of Bitter Chills (eight strands), poor health, low athletic abilities, low mana affinity.

Talent : Wrath, Flame Link (3-star), Water-element resistance (3-star)]

The question marks that had appeared under “Talent” had now changed to “Wrath.”

But that wasn’t what mattered. There was new information at the bottom of the window.

[Strength : 13

Dexterity: 13

Constitution: 12

Stamina: 12

Sense: 40]

Abilities such as strength and agility were shown numerically.

- The status window expanded!

Cold frost blew out of Wrath’s mouth. He murmured that he could only see some sort of silhouette, as if he couldn’t read the status window.

“So what’s with this status window and messages?”

- ...It’s a system I myself have created.

“System? For what?”

- I have no reason to tell you.

“Is it to accelerate growth?”

- H-how did you…?

“I knew it.”

He reacted right away, like a reflex. True to his name, Wrath couldn’t hide his emotions.

It was as expected.

Raon nodded. He found it strange that the effect of Flame Link was stronger than in his past life, and this system was the reason.

- Give it to me. Your body, my power, give it to me!

Wrath had started throwing tantrums now. He looked like a child sitting on a huge throne.

“I don’t know how to give it to you, and I won’t.”

Now that he had acquired the power to grow quicker and stronger, there was no reason for him to give it to some jerk who was trying to steal his body.

- That’s not even yours!

“You tried to take my body, didn’t you? That’s not yours either.”

- I-I heard your wish...

“I did want revenge, but that’s something I have to do with my own hands. Achieving it by surrendering my body to something I don’t know is meaningless.”

- Urgh...

Wrath fell silent, his teeth grinding in frustration, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Leave.”

Raon turned away, ending the conversation.

- I can’t. I’ll never leave unless you give back my power!

Wrath shouted, running toward him. As Raon clenched his fists, preparing to deal with Wrath, his body began to glow in blue.

Fwoom.

The blue flame flowed like water and wrapped around his wrist. He prepared for pain, but there was none.

Vwoom.

The blue flame diminished and a bracelet appeared. It was a flower bracelet that looked as if it were sculpted from ice.

- I’ll stick with you until your last breath!

Wrath shook the flowers hanging on the bracelet while mocking him.

- Although it’s only been a short while since the seal was broken, my full power will return soon. When that day comes, you won’t be able to stop it, no matter what you do.

“Yeah, right.”

Raon tried to take off the bracelet, but it scattered like the flame had earlier when he’d tried to touch it.

- Hmm...

But every time he touched it, the bracelet buzzed and Wrath’s voice was cut off.

- Argh. It doesn’t work. I will never leave!

“We’ll see about that.”

He tried to scratch, pull, rub it on the wall, and even step on the bracelet, but Wrath didn’t go away. He was not going to give up.

“Tsk.”

Just as he’d said, the bracelet didn’t disappear no matter what.

I want to take it off. But it could also be better to leave it on.

Forcing it off might make the system disappear, and Wrath could transfer over to Sylvia and Helen.

As the saying goes, “Keep your enemies close.” It might be better to have him where I can watch him rather than let him plot in secret.

He decided to control Wrath on his own, placing his trust in the ever-growing Flame Link and water-element resistance.

“If you’re not gonna get off of me, turn into something else at least. A flower bracelet doesn’t suit me at all.”

Raon frowned. He would have at least tolerated it if it had a skull on it instead of a flower.

- It’s my style. Respect it.

“Haa...”

It left him speechless to think that a wild-boar-like tyrant like this would like flower bracelets.

- I’ve never missed a prey I targeted. Both your body and mind will eventually be mine.

“I’d better ignore him.”

- Ugh! You little child!

Raon lay on the bed, blocking his ears. Wrath whined, but he ignored him.

But if Wrath, the owner of the system, isn’t even aware of my reincarnation, then...?

Raon closed his eyes, thinking over this new question.

***

Wrath ground his teeth and glared at the sleeping Raon.

How can a human like this exist?

Although he couldn’t use his full power, he hadn’t expected a human to be able to block his possession. Besides, he only looked about ten years old.

It makes no sense...

Although it was a different era, he had encountered numerous humans. There were heroes who reigned using swords and even villains who terrified the continent.

But he had never seen someone like him. He felt intense frustration. The boy reminded him of him.

- Wait. The day my power returns, I will chew and swallow your soul.

Wrath spit the words out in a rough voice, unable to hold down his boiling rage.

“Shut up. That won’t happen.”

The young human waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.

- I will never give u—

“I said it won’t happen.”