The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman
Chapter 878:

Raon cooled the stifling heat in the tunnel so everyone could enter, then glanced west.

“Why are you looking over there? Is something there?”

Martha cocked her head, wondering why he was looking in another direction.

“It’s nothing.”

Raon lowered his gaze and stepped inside the tunnel, where the heat had finally died down. Pallentun had said there used to be stairs shaped like swords, but now only hideously melted lumps of steel remained. The intense flames must have melted everything away.

‘Now that I’m inside, I can feel demonic energy.’

Unlike outside, inside the Gray Hammer Guild’s base, he sensed the demonic aura of the Balrogs rising from below.

However, the energy wasn’t as thick as the heat—if anything, it felt closer to the aura of a skilled warrior.

“Ah…”

Seeing the destroyed sword-shaped stairs he’d crafted himself, Pallentun bit his lip until it bled, overcome with emotion.

“No one’s here…”

He clutched his head, staring at the underground village that had been melted by lava and flames. It was like his last bit of hope had finally collapsed.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

Pallentun pounded the ground and shouted in rage, and from within the flames and molten lava that had devoured the village, red-skinned demons burst out.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Kiiiii!”

They were about the size of goblins but moved faster than skilled swordsmen, each holding a flaming spear. In terms of power, they were as strong as high-ranking monsters.

“W-what are those? Red goblins?”

Dorian stammered in fear, backing away from the unfamiliar monsters.

– Those are Red Vess. That settles it.

Wrath snorted at the sight of the red-skinned demons.

‘Red Vess?’

– They’re the lowest-ranking demons who serve the Balrog, entranced by its power. Just as I suspected, the ones in this underground lair are Balrogs.

He flicked his hand as if there was no longer any need to check.

‘So they’re just cannon fodder.’

Raon slashed at the onrushing Red Vess with the Heavenly Drive.

‘Fwoosh!’

As his blade struck the ground, a blue flash exploded, and the Red Vess was blown to pieces.

All that remained was the trail of burning footprints left by the Red Vess.

“Trash like you!”

Burren sent a bitter wind slicing through the Red Vess and their flames, wiping them out in an instant.

“Goblin wannabes, seriously?”

Martha snorted, driving her sword down and flattening the Red Vess before they could even approach.

“Ugly…”

Runaan stabbed her Snow Flower sword into the ground, spreading frost everywhere. The arms and legs of Red Vess who tried to charge from behind were instantly frozen solid.

“Kyaaah!”

“Kiiii!”

Sensing their overwhelming disadvantage, the Red Vess tried to escape back into the lava, but a flash of blue split the air.

‘Shyaaak!’

It was Sheryl. A massive sword strike from her twin blades sliced through both the Red Vess and the flames they were hiding in.

“Pallentun.”

Once he confirmed the Red Vess were gone, Raon approached Pallentun.

“The monsters who attacked this underground village are down in that tunnel.”

He pointed to a large hole torn open in the ground, where the lava and flames had parted.

“Ugh…”

Pallentun looked at the bloodstained ground where his comrades had fallen, trembling.

“I… I don’t think I can go down there.”

It wasn’t the Balrog that scared him, but the fear that all his friends might truly be dead.

“Don’t worry.”

Raon placed a warm hand on Pallentun’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.

“If they’re still alive, I’ll get them out, no matter what.”

He nodded, telling him to trust him.

“I-it’ll be okay!”

Dorian tried to support Pallentun, forcing a smile.

“Our division leader always keeps his word.”

“That’s right. He might look soft, but he’s a warrior through and through.”

Martha grinned, telling him to watch closely.

“Yeah. I’m sure we can save them…”

Runaan bowed her head, holding up a shield of frost so Pallentun and the others wouldn’t get worn out from the heat. The fact that she was speaking more than usual showed she was doing her best to comfort him.

“Show some respect to your elders!”

Burren frowned at Martha and Runaan.

“I apologize for the kids. But they all mean what they say. I’ll do everything I can to help, too.”

He offered a formal salute, reassuring the anxious Pallentun.

“They’ve grown up well.”

Sheryl watched Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian from behind, nodding softly.

“To think those bumbling brats could become so dependable…”

She smiled deeply, genuinely proud of their growth.

– Exactly!

Wrath nodded, clamping a hand over his mouth.

– They really have! They were all such idiots, and yet…

He sniffled, overcome with emotion.

‘You didn’t raise them, you know. Anyway.’

Raon grabbed Wrath by the tail and pulled him forward.

‘There’s not going to be some Demon King-level Balrog down there, right?’

Even if he had reached transcendence, beating a Demon King-level monster would be impossible. He needed to be sure.

– If that thing had made it to the human world, it would have already appeared and gone after your grandpa.

‘That bad, huh?’

– Plus, it loves showing off, so there’s no way it would be hiding down here.

Wrath shook his head, saying there was no Demon King-level Balrog below.

‘Then we should be fine.’

Raon rolled his wrist, confident he could handle it.

– You can feel that Balrog’s energy below, right? And you still say it’s fine?

Wrath raised his chin, interested.

‘You said its weakness is you, didn’t you?’

Raon grinned as he readied the Heavenly Drive.

‘Then it should be scared of me too. And if it’s not—’

As frost from Glacier formed in his palm, his lips twisted into a cool smile.

‘I’ll make sure it is.’

– Kuuhu!

Wrath smirked, delighted by Raon’s answer.

– It’s been a while since you’ve said something I actually like!

He clapped approvingly.

‘But why did the Balrog appear here?’

Raon narrowed his eyes at Wrath.

‘Didn’t you say it’s not easy for them to leave Devildom or enter this world?’

– That’s right. It’s not simple.

‘So how did the Balrogs get here?’

He couldn’t understand how they crossed dimensions that even Demon Kings couldn’t easily travel. The dwarves had used this land for centuries without disturbing the geothermal energy more than necessary. It made no sense for a Balrog to show up here.

– You’ve gotten sly. Why do you think?

Wrath snorted as if Raon already knew the answer.

– Some bastard summoned them, obviously.

—

On a hill west of Blazing Furnace Mountain Mountain, the shadows of the rocks rippled, and a white-haired man and a blue-haired woman emerged.

“Who are those humans, other than the dwarves?”

The white-haired man narrowed his black pupils.

“Probably…”

The blue-haired woman exhaled and opened her mouth.

“It looks like Raon Zieghart, the Light Wind Division Leader, Sheryl the Heavenly Sword Division Leader, and the three squad leaders of Light Wind Division.”

“Raon Zieghart? The one who supposedly reached transcendence recently?”

The white-haired man furrowed his brow.

“Yes. The only young warrior with golden hair and red eyes who gives off that kind of energy is Raon Zieghart.”

The woman nodded confidently.

“Why is he here? Is it connected to the Gray Hammer Guild?”

“A few years ago, we clashed in this area because of the Drake incident, when we accumulated demonic energy here. The Drake’s corpse was given to the Gray Hammer Guild, so it’s probably because of that.”

She recited the events as if she had seen them herself.

“To think that brat who barely managed to handle a vice branch master reached transcendence in less than ten years. Unbelievable.”

The man let out a hollow laugh.

“What will you do?”

The woman bowed, ready to follow any order.

“What happens if Raon Zieghart fights the Balrog?”

“Even if he’s a transcendent, he’s only just begun. He won’t be able to defeat the Balrog. But since the Heavenly Sword Division Leader is nearly transcendent as well, they shouldn’t die.”

She narrowed her eyes, saying they could at least escape.

“Since I’m out of the tower for the first time in a while, I should bring back a gift for the Tower Master.”

The man stained his fingernails black and melted back into the shadows with a sly grin.

—

Raon lowered the blazing flames that had reached overhead, frowning.

‘The heat keeps getting stronger.’

He could endure it thanks to his fire resistance, but the others were clearly struggling.

Even with wind and cold air pushing back the heat, the endless waves of fire and lava were wearing everyone out.

“It’s like swimming in lava. This is insane.”

Martha gritted her teeth, pushing her sweat-soaked hair back.

“Ugh…”

Burren, exhausted, fidgeted with his uniform, debating whether to undo a button.

“I see bead ice creams…”

Runaan, ever vulnerable to heat, hung her head and stuck out her tongue, looking like a half-melted popsicle. Still, she kept the shield of frost up to protect Pallentun and the others.

“This is why I’m here!”

Dorian wiped the sweat from his forehead and pulled out fire-resistant robes and water bracelets from his bag.

Once everyone put them on, their faces began to relax.

“Thanks. You saved us.”

“This is when you’re really useful.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan smiled, praising Dorian.

“Hehe, it’s nothing. It’s my job…”

Dorian scratched his head bashfully.

At that moment, the red smoke cleared, and the end of the tunnel came into view.

‘Goooooo!’

On the barren land washed by flowing lava, demons both large and small stood in military ranks.

The dwarves and human artisans stood on the melted steel, pounding their hammers. The irregular sound betrayed their terror.

‘Whoosh!’

Blue flames swirled above the churning heat, gathering to form the throne of a demon king.

Sprawled back in that towering throne, with his chin resting on his hand, was a demon radiating a presence as if he ruled the entire world.

Five horns sprouted from his brow, and wings of living flame unfurled from his back. In his flashing blue eyes, a longing for endless battle burned.

The lesser demons jeered at the humans, while the massive demon king watched, unconcerned. The scene looked like something out of an ancient painting of hell.

“Oh, no way…”

Dorian gripped his sword, hands trembling.

“Those bastards…”

Martha clenched her teeth, raising her sword.

“Haa…”

Runaan frowned in fury, sending frost swirling to protect the dwarves and humans suffering in the flames.

– That one is impressive, even among Balrogs.

Wrath nodded, saying the one on the throne was exactly as he’d sensed from above.

‘Yeah.’

Just as Wrath said, the energy radiating from the Balrog on the throne was greater than Raon’s own. Even from a distance, he could feel his skin burning.

“Raon, can we fight?”

Burren bit his lip, trying to control his anger.

“Of course.”

Raon stared at the Balrog on the throne and nodded.

“Fight however you want.”

As soon as he gave the signal, Burren, Martha, and Runaan charged forward. Even Dorian, on the verge of tears, rushed at the demons.

“I’ll handle the small fry.”

Sheryl smiled and followed after the squad leaders.

‘Kwagwagwagwa!’

The Balrog’s minions below the throne were strong, but with Sheryl’s help, the squad leaders could handle them.

“Is that…?”

Borgos, chained with flaming shackles, opened his eyes wide at the sight of the demons being cut down.

“Chief! Are you okay?”

Despite his bleeding abdomen, Pallentun ran up and grabbed Borgos’s hand.

“P-Pallentun! How…?”

“I’m back! With the one you called for!”

He pointed to Raon.

“Ah…”

Tears welled in Borgos’s experienced eyes.

“Raon Zieghart…”

He trembled, overwhelmed not because he survived, but because the other dwarves and artisans were being rescued.

‘Chiiiiiing!’

As Burren, Martha, and Runaan pushed back the demons and erased the flames, a thunderous sound echoed.

‘Kuuuuung!’

The blue flame throne crumbled, and the Balrog rose to its full height. As it spread its burning wings, a terrifying aura filled the entire cavern. Its presence was even more overwhelming than when it had been sitting.

‘Fwoooooosh!’

With every step of the Balrog’s clawed foot, waves of fire rolled out, and the lava on the ground seemed ready to explode.

‘Gugugugugu!’

A massive surge of power erupted from the Balrog’s body, shaking the entire cave.

“Aaaaah!”

“This strong…?”

“Insane…”

The dwarves fell to their knees, the squad leaders trembled, and even Sheryl’s eyes widened in shock.

“You brought me such fine prey…”

The Balrog looked down at Pallentun, flexing its jaw.

“I’m glad I let you go.”

He raised his flaming sword as if he’d sent Pallentun away on purpose.

“Balrog.”

Raon stepped onto the lava-boiling earth. With every step, the ground froze and a silver glacier spread beneath his feet.

“What’s your name?”

Raon stood in front of the Balrog like an unshakable pillar in a storm, tilting his chin.

“I don’t give my name to a mere human.”

The Balrog sneered, raising the corners of his mouth.

“Fine, then…”

Raon nodded, lifting the Heavenly Drive diagonally. Frost formed on the blade, casting a silver glow that erased the heat.

‘Shyaaaaa!’

The Heavenly Thunder Art and the Azure Sky Sword combined—the red lightning streaked across the silver sky, slicing past the Balrog’s neck.

“Then die nameless.”

Raon brought his sword down, and the Balrog’s head fell. Quietly, elegantly.

‘Thud.’