The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman
Chapter 896:

“Black Tower….”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he lowered the hand gripping the Heavenly Drive.

‘Is he serious?’

There were plenty of theories—like the White Blood Cult being underground or Eden’s base being in the sky—but no one knew the exact location of the Five Demons.

Among them, the Black Tower was the most shrouded in secrecy. Not even a general direction had been known.

It was hard to believe that Demonblade knew what even the Archmage of Illusion, Chamber, had given up on.

“It’s true!”

Demonblade gritted his teeth and struggled to raise his upper body.

“The ones who helped me complete this curse… they were from the Black Tower!”

“Wasn’t it Derus Robert?”

“Derus Robert? No. The one who came to me and said he’d fill me with even more powerful demonic energy than in my prime was the Floor Master of the Black Tower.”

Demonblade raised his trembling hand, claiming it was the Black Tower’s Floor Master who made the offer in person.

“He said he would prepare all the curses and only asked that I help them once in the future.”

He lowered his eyes as he spoke of the deal with the Black Tower.

“Black Tower….”

Raon nodded as he looked down at the trembling Demonblade.

‘If it wasn’t Derus, then it must be the Black Tower.’

Though the owner of the Black Tower was a demon, there were plenty of curse users and necromancers as well—it wasn’t out of the question.

“Then how did you find the location of the Black Tower?”

“Because they might try to use me, I tailed the Floor Master.”

Demonblade swallowed hard and lifted his gaze.

“I was hoping to find a weakness, but I got lucky and found an area that leads to their headquarters.”

He nodded heavily, claiming he discovered a path to the Black Tower.

“If you let me live and set me free, I’ll tell you the place.”

He trembled, as if asking what Raon would do.

“Fine. I’ll spare you, so talk.”

Raon nodded and instead stepped closer to Demonblade.

– “Hey, that’s not the face of someone who’s actually going to keep their promise!”

Wrath sighed in disbelief.

– “And why does your voice sound so murderous when you say you’ll spare him?”

He shook his head, asking why Raon wasn’t pretending like usual.

‘Words won’t work anyway.’

People like Demonblade would only speak if the conditions were ironclad. Words alone were useless.

“You say such things with murderous eyes.”

Demonblade let out a low groan and shook his head.

“Swear on your soul as the Transcendent Raon Zieghart. Swear that you won’t kill me.”

He glared with violet eyes and shouted for a soul oath.

“Torturing me won’t work! I’ve placed a curse that will erase my memory if I’m subjected to unbearable pain! Even if I want to speak, I won’t be able to!”

He shook his head, claiming the only way to learn the Black Tower’s location was to let him live.

“A soul oath, huh….”

Raon frowned as he lowered his hand.

– “For a fool, he thought that through pretty well.”

Wrath snorted with his arms crossed.

– “Even for a liar like you, a soul oath is not something to take lightly. It would greatly affect you.”

‘How so?’

– “Just as he said. If you swear on the soul of a Transcendent, it could interfere with your power. You might not be able to grow anymore. That’s why I never lie either.”

He explained that the stronger one’s soul, the greater the consequences.

“…Fine.”

Raon looked down at Demonblade and nodded.

“If you tell me the Black Tower’s location, I won’t kill you with my sword.”

– “With your sword, huh….”

Wrath smirked and licked his lips.

“Do it properly!”

Demonblade still seemed skeptical and shook his head firmly.

“Swear it with your name.”

“I swear upon the name of the Transcendent Raon Zieghart. If you reveal the Black Tower’s location, I will not kill you with my sword.”

Raon placed his right hand on his chest and made the soul oath.

Even though he only spoke it, a cold sensation like chains binding his soul rippled through him.

“Then remove this sword first.”

Demonblade pointed to the Soul Requiem Sword embedded in his chest.

“Before that.”

Raon nodded toward him.

“You swear too. Swear that the location is real.”

“Of course.”

He nodded without hesitation.

“I swear upon the name of the Transcendent Dreg Loiten that I will reveal the location of the Black Tower. If I lie, I shall carry my current wounds for the rest of my life.”

His entire body shimmered with faint violet light. It seemed he truly bound his soul to the oath.

“Good.”

Raon nodded and pulled the Soul Requiem Sword from Demonblade’s chest.

Wooooong.

The sword let out a deep resonance as if questioning the action, but green wind rose up to calm it.

“Then, as promised, I’ll reveal the Black Tower’s location.”

Demonblade parted his blackened lips.

“It’s in Montiro.”

“Montiro…?”

Raon repeated the name with a frown.

“You expect me to believe that?”

Montiro was a southern city, tucked in a corner near the sea, known more for tourism. It was hard to believe the Black Tower was there.

“It’s true….”

He shook his head, saying he wasn’t lying.

“I don’t know the exact path, but I’m certain the Black Tower exists in Montiro.”

“Tell me what happened.”

Words alone weren’t enough—he needed to hear the full story.

“I’ve learned a trick called Gray Stealth. It doesn’t use demonic energy or aura, so no one senses it easily.”

Demonblade wrapped gray energy around his hand and licked his lips.

“I used it to tail the Black Tower’s Floor Master. He changed his appearance and presence many times across towns and cities, but he couldn’t fool someone who uses the same type of demonic energy.”

He nodded and began recounting the pursuit.

“After countless detours, the place he finally stopped was Montiro. At first, I thought he’d change again like before—but this time, he vanished completely. As if he’d never arrived.”

He clenched his trembling fist.

“I waited for days but found nothing strange in the town. Just as I was about to leave, I saw him again—this time with another demon I recognized.”

He looked up at Raon and nodded.

“Convinced the Black Tower was hidden there, I slowly searched the area and found a small passage. Only someone like me, who uses demonic energy, could’ve found it. But I couldn’t use it.”

“What do you mean you couldn’t use it?”

“There was a curse to repel outsiders. If I forced my way in, my identity would’ve been exposed. So I gave up.”

He sighed, saying he confirmed only the location and then left.

“Who was the Floor Master you followed?”

“Batoratan, one of the upper Floor Masters. He has demonic energy like thorns all over his body. I haven’t seen him since that second time.”

“Where did you find the passage?”

“On Soben Street, where street food is sold. I found it in an alley. It only opens when their people come and go, so someone without demonic energy like you won’t find it easily.”

“…”

Raon narrowed his eyes at Demonblade, who had finished speaking.

‘Doesn’t seem like a lie.’

For someone who valued his own life above all else, Demonblade wouldn’t have lied after swearing on his soul.

Montiro being the location was unexpected—but that made it even more believable.

“Looks like you believe me now.”

Demonblade sighed in relief.

“Then let me go.”

He struggled to rise and demanded the promise be kept.

“Sure.”

Raon nodded and took a step back.

“….”

Demonblade licked his lips.

‘You think I don’t know what you’re planning?’

Raon Zieghart would never let him go. He’d surely call his subordinates to attack once his guard was down.

‘Even if I’m seriously injured and have lost my demonic energy…’

He had one last card to play.

If he could unleash the demonic energy hidden in his heart, he could kill Raon’s subordinate and escape.

“Then…”

Just as he plotted his survival and turned his back, Raon stepped forward.

“W-What are you doing?! You said you wouldn’t kill me!”

“I’ll keep my promise.”

Raon nodded, placing both the Heavenly Drive and Soul Requiem Sword on the ground.

“You’re not thinking something childish like hitting me with your hand instead of your sword, are you?”

Demonblade sneered.

“The oath doesn’t have such a loophole! If you intend to kill me with intent, even using your hand breaks the oath!”

He shouted, eyes wide.

“Don’t worry. That’s not it.”

Raon chuckled and shook his head.

‘Wrath.’

He gestured to Wrath, who was furrowing his brow.

‘I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you lend me a finger?’

– “I don’t care if it’s a burden! That scum who sacrifices his subordinates—I’ve wanted to kill him myself!”

Wrath nodded fiercely.

‘You’re very cooperative today. If we finish this well, I’ll let you eat whatever you want for ten days.’

Relaxing his right hand, Raon let the fury of the Demon King soak into his index finger.

The authority of Wrath—the Demon King of Wrath—poured into that one finger.

“Think carefully! If you harm me, you’ll be cursed forever!”

“No, I won’t.”

As Raon calmly shook his head, the finger empowered by Wrath rose and pointed at Demonblade.

“I said I wouldn’t kill you with my sword. The one killing you isn’t me—it’s a completely different being.”

At that moment, the fingertip sparked and fired a silver flash at Demonblade.

“Eeeek!”

Demonblade summoned demonic energy to block the frost-like light.

Fwoooooosh!

But the silver frost shattered his demonic energy and hand like ice, then began freezing his body.

“Arghhhhh!”

He screamed in agony as he slowly froze, worse than when his limbs were torn off.

‘What did you just do?’

– “It’s a torture technique called Garment of the Snow Demon.”

Wrath licked his lips.

– “Even as they freeze, they never lose sensation. The pain of being endlessly torn apart remains.”

He wrinkled his nose, saying a leader who sacrifices his subordinates deserves this hellish pain.

“This… this cursed frost! Are you… with that Blue Demon King?!”

Only now did Demonblade realize Wrath’s identity.

“Urgh, if you had his power, you could’ve erased my curse! Why make an oath?!”

He trembled, confused about why Raon didn’t just torture him.

“This is faster.”

Raon shrugged calmly.

“What?”

“Torture is tedious and time-consuming. But this pulls the answer out instantly.”

Though pathetic now, Demonblade was one of the rare Transcendents.

Erasing his curse and then torturing him would’ve taken half a day. Raon just chose the quicker route.

“Ahh…”

Demonblade shivered as if more afraid of Raon than Wrath.

“I—I can’t die here… never….”

He began channeling his last bit of demonic energy for a desperate spell.

– “Worm.”

Wrath scoffed and flicked his finger.

‘Crack!’

The silver frost suddenly accelerated, freezing his mouth, eyes, and demonic energy—everything trapped in icy death.

– “A worm like you doesn’t deserve to breathe.”

Wrath lowered his finger, and Demonblade crumbled into sand, merging with the shattered earth.

Even his ashes trembled as if still in pain.

– “It’s over.”

Wrath snorted and withdrew his essence from Raon’s finger.

– “Ugh… the recoil…”

He groaned and massaged his body. Sweat trickled down—it must’ve been truly draining.

Fwoooosh.

As Wrath left, sensation returned to Raon’s finger—surprisingly warm rather than cold.

‘Good job.’

Raon patted Wrath’s head.

– “It wasn’t because of your request! I was just angry he sacrificed his subordinate!”

Wrath panted, claiming he acted out of fury.

– “And…”

‘And?’

– “You’re keeping your promise, right?”

‘Of course.’

Raon nodded with a smile.

‘A week of whatever food you want—’

– “Ten days, you swindler!”

Even exhausted, Wrath still remembered the promise and shook his head furiously.

‘Yeah, yeah.’

As Raon chuckled and lowered his hand, loud footsteps echoed behind him.

“Division Leader!”

“Raon!”

“You okay…?”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan—whom he’d told to stand down—rushed in, sensing the battle was over.

Worry flooded their eyes.

“I’m fine. It’s over.”

Raon wiped the blood off the Heavenly Drive and Soul Requiem Sword and stepped out.

“Did… you really defeat Demonblade?”

“You beat one of the Five Divine Orders… I still can’t believe it…”

Martha and Burren let out hollow laughs of disbelief.

“I believed in you…”

Runaan raised her thumb with sincere trust.

“It was bound to happen eventually, but to think it’d be this soon…”

Trevin bit his lip as he stared at the icy remains of Demonblade.

“The era is truly changing.”

He turned his eyes to Raon with a deep exhale.

“That’s a bit much… Ugh!”

Raon smiled and waved his hand, then clutched his abdomen.

‘The demonic energy’s stirring again.’

With the battle over, Askarai’s Fighting Spirit had faded, letting the lingering demonic energy rage through his body.

Wooooong!

As he braced himself, a gentle light and breeze flowed from the Soul Requiem Sword, absorbing the remnants from his body.

Soon, it consumed all the pain-inducing demonic energy and resonated in satisfaction.

‘Th-Thanks.’

Raon nodded toward the Soul Requiem Sword.

Wooooong.

It hummed softly as if saying it was nothing.

‘It’s definitely changed since Master’s soul entered…’

Its will had grown stronger.

The Soul Requiem Sword had always had a will of its own, but after Rimmer’s soul entered it, it felt more pronounced.

‘I really don’t know what he’s thinking.’

– “Urgh…”

While thinking of Rimmer, Raon noticed Wrath trembling like he did earlier.

‘You okay? Are you having side effects too…?’

Even for a Demon King, projecting externally as a spirit consumes tremendous power and soul.

Seemed like the recoil was worse than expected.

– “He… He’s coming.”

Wrath stammered.

‘Pain?’

– “No! Him! The worst being in existence is coming!”

As he clenched his teeth and spread his hand, a blue message appeared before Raon’s eyes.

[You have achieved a great feat.]

[You have brought an era to an end.]

[All stats have….]

[Traits….]

What appeared wasn’t the worst being in existence, but the rewards for defeating Demonblade.

– “I knew it! Just a gut feeling—this damn system!”

Wrath screamed and shook his head.

‘…’

Raon stared at him with an icy gaze.

– “Don’t look at me like that! If you’d been skinned to the bone like me, you’d be the same—aaaargh! Why are there so many today?! This is abuse!”

‘…’

Raon’s gaze grew even colder.

– “Stop looking at me like that!”