How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 308

Episode 308 – Shall We Stop Here? If You Don’t Want to Die

Lochter heard Lily’s call.

[Help …]

It wasn’t a voice, but a distinct sensation.

A Hunt.

Sothing like a bond felt only between comrades.

All the Hunt mbers must have sensed it, not just him.

Lochter was the first to respond to the call and saved Lily from danger.

It was a mysterious experience unlike anything he had ever gone through.

He wondered why such a phenonon had occurred, but he pushed the question aside for now and focused on the battle before him.

“You insolent…!”

Judging by the opponent’s expression, this wasn’t a situation where conversation was possible.

Flash!

A bolt of lightning struck down from above.

He cleaved through the lightning with his sharp sword, Reyna, and cut down the rising streaks completely with his broad-bladed sword, Belin.

Amid the frenzied onslaught of lightning and branch-like strikes, a massive shadow blocked his view.

A dark, massive greatsword ca crashing down.

KWAANG—!

A sharp scream burst forth from the crossed greatsword. Lochter’s face twisted slightly at the shrieking that rattled his brain.

Blood trickled from both ears.

It was a piercing, maddening scream that shook his mind.

“Impressive. Most drop their swords at this sound, you know.”

Two more swords rained down atop the blocked greatsword.

A sword imbued with lightning, and a broadsword hard as wood.

Tatatatatatang—!

Dazzling sword strikes were exchanged between the two.

Three swords versus two.

Flas sparked incessantly within their gazes, lighting up the surroundings.

Are those arms created with magic?

Lochter focused on the dark two arms gripping the greatsword. The arms extended from the back, swinging the greatsword with erratic, unconventional movents, seeking gaps in defense.

He deflected and cut.

When an arm summoned with Reyna stabbed forward, it passed right through.

Instead, the movent of the arm paused for a mont.

On the halted greatsword, Lochter caught the two incoming swords.

Reyna and Belin.

The dual swords, absorbing the shock, began to glow red, their hue deepening gradually. And just as the previously paused greatsword twitched and surged upward, Lochter’s eyes flashed.

Flash!

“Guh!”

Counter.

As Reyna’s blade flared red and exploded, a groan escaped Richard’s mouth for the first ti.

The chest plate of Richard, who had stepped back to the wall, was dented.

Richard’s eyes held a hint of surprise, while Lochter furrowed his brow at the lesser impact than expected.

A mix of astonishnt and regret crossed their expressions.

“What is this? I thought you didn’t have any traits?”

The information Richard had on Lochter was brief.

A swordsman who reached 5 stars with no traits.

So he hadn’t even bothered to pay attention.

He was sure Lochter could never defeat him.

That belief hadn’t changed even now.

Richard’s lips curled slightly as he examined Lochter’s dual swords.

“Was it the swords that had the ability?”

One sword had lost its light, while the other was imbued with it.

The distinct difference between the two was clear.

[Ancient Weapon Artifact Collector]

Just now, through the fight, he quickly understood the swords’ abilities.

Despite being struck by the Thunderer, the lightning sword that rusts steel, and Oras, the ghost sword that rots everything, the blades remained intact. That ant they weren’t made of ordinary tal.

‘Approved.’

His eyes glead with greed.

He had found desirable swords in an unexpected place.

And not just one, but two.

Richard laughed wickedly and opened his mouth.

“Do you know?”

“That you own swords unbefitting of your station.”

“No. I an, there’s no one who knows these swords better than I do.”

“Those swords must be weeping.”

“Are you the one not listening?”

Lochter slowly raised Reyna and Belin, assuming a combat stance.

“The wailing of these swords, I an.”

“Don’t make laugh.”

As Richard stared at the ghost sword, another arm sprouted behind his back.

His newly summoned Ghost Sword (3) was held by a purple-tinged blade.

It radiated a sinister, eerie energy.

Phantom Blade, Karoru.

Raising Karoru, Richard chuckled low and said,

“There are only a handful of opponents who’ve made draw four swords. You can brag about it. If you survive, that is.”

Richard’s form disappeared.

KAANG—!

The mont the phantom blade struck Lochter’s dual swords, Lochter’s face was overtaken by confusion.

His vision blurred, and suddenly Richard’s swords multiplied into dozens.

Swords of various forms swirled in the air and rained down on Lochter.

He couldn’t respond.

Lochter gritted his teeth and quickly retreated. To block the incoming assault, he swung his dual swords wildly.

Sword strikes for defense.

Tatatatatatang—!

Sparks burst in the air as he quickly deflected dozens of swords.

They weren’t all real.

So passed through like illusions, so struck Lochter’s swords, and so—

Puhk—

“Guh!”

—pierced or slashed through Lochter’s body.

It was hard to distinguish the real from the fake.

He deflected the deadly blows and allowed only minimal wounds, but the more he clashed, the more injuries he sustained.

It was a battle that would only grow more disadvantageous with ti.

Lochter went for a decisive blow.

Wuuuung!

“Haaah!”

Letting out a war cry, he detonated all the gathered red light to create an opening.

A critical counterattack.

KWAHHHH—!

As the swords collided, an explosion engulfed Richard.

However—

Puhk—

“…?!”

Richard broke through the explosion and drove the Thunderer into Lochter’s shoulder.

“If you let the impact flow through, it’s over.”

As the illusion faded, only one sword remained in Richard’s hand—Thunderer.

The other three had been blown away by the counter-explosion and now lay on the ground.

He had released them before the shock could hit.

“Let’s end this.”

As lightning flowed along the Thunderer’s blade, Lochter’s form suddenly vanished.

He pushed into the pierced shoulder and swung his blade.

“Where do you think—”

ZZZAP!

He was certain the electric shock had incapacitated him, but when Lochter endured the jolt and swung his dual swords, Richard had no choice but to retreat.

Richard was a bit flustered by this unexpected turn.

“How did he withstand the shock…?”

Even for him, enduring the Thunderer’s electricity piercing his body was difficult. Without a way to shield against the current, it should have been impossible.

He stiffened his face and stared at Lochter.

Then he noticed a change around the staggering Lochter.

A materialized aura gently enveloped his bloodied body.

It wavered like a living thing and had a dark hue.

“What the hell is going on…?”

A familiar voice ca from above.

Lochter looked up with a bitter smile. Clinging to the ceiling like a spider was a man he recognized.

“Karl.”

“Why the hell do you look like that? Wasn’t this supposed to be a party?”

[Karl Bastain – Hero Support (Sensory)]

[Resonance – Target: Lochter Felice]

Karl’s ghost form revealed itself as it shielded Lochter.

Assessing the situation, Karl scratched his head.

This is bad.

Lily and Keros were incapacitated, and Lochter seed unable to use one arm.

Leaving for just a mont had cost them.

The only good news was that all three were still alive.

“Damn that Golden Mask bastard. I didn’t expect him to lure out with so dicine.”

While he had followed the Golden Mask to a shop with the promise of a miracle hair-growth tonic—rumored to be the last hope for all bald n—an unexpected event had occurred.

He had rushed back at Lily’s call, but judging from the situation, it didn’t look like they could avoid battle.

He hadn’t expected Special Captain Richard to act this recklessly.

Karl pulled out a dagger and looked at Richard with a heavy expression.

The leader of the Cleaners, one of the strongest in Hell Gri.

Special Captain Richard Volpent.

He’s just as absurdly strong as the intel said…

Probably the strongest opponent they had ever faced.

Even with his addition, Karl wasn’t confident they could win.

And Richard had only drawn four swords so far.

“The fifth sword hasn’t even appeared yet…”

Richard’s fifth sword.

No one knew anything about it—because no one who’d seen it had survived.

It was said to be a blade specialized in assassination.

A sword one could never avoid.

Karl dropped from the ceiling and stood in front of Lochter, facing Richard.

“Hey, mister. Let’s not bring out the fifth sword.”

“Then I’ll bring out my hidden trump card.”

At that mont, a fourth arm stretched out black behind Richard.

Ghost Sword (4).

Seeing the four arms extended behind him, Karl shut his mouth and swallowed dryly.

Don’t tell the fifth sword is coming…

He really didn’t want to see that.

“You better know I can run away. And I’ll spread word of that fifth sword everywhere.”

“You mad bastard. I’ll definitely kill you.”

“Shit…”

A heavy killing intent pressed down on him, and sweat trickled down Karl’s forehead. Sohow, speaking only made things worse.

This wasn’t his day.

Then Lochter approached and spoke.

“Take Lily and Keros and run.”

“What a joke. Did you forget we’re one body? If we run, we all run together.”

“So you’re not saying we should die together, huh.”

“He’s coming. Get ready.”

Richard took a step and slowly approached. Karl and Lochter shifted their gaze to confirm the fifth sword, but no sword appeared in sight.

Then—

“Shall we stop here? If you don’t want to die.”

Another voice flowed out from beyond the door.

Richard halted and turned toward the door. The surging killing intent was too eerie to ignore.

Like facing a wild beast or a hunter before a kill.

As the door opened, a man appeared with a massive arrow aid forward, bringing color back to Karl’s face.

“Hey! Where the hell have you been?”

“Sorry I’m late.”

Arthur had appeared.

***

I looked around and quickly grasped the situation.

Richard had made a move.

But the question was, why? If he had a functioning brain, he wouldn’t move alone, right?

After organizing my thoughts, I glared at Richard and spoke.

“Is this a challenge against the World Tree Union?”

At my question, Richard chuckled.

Laughing in a situation like this ant one of two things.

Either he was a lunatic who had no fear, or he was confident in his strength.

“…Ah?”

Then it hit —Richard was listed among the divine hosts as having [Fear Resistance].

If you're immune to fear, do you end up with such a reckless personality?

“No, that’s not it.”

Even in the novel, he was portrayed as bold and decisive, but never as a fool. If the leader of a faction were stupid, they’d never have made it this far.

He had confidence.

The kind of confidence that whatever ss he caused, he’d be able to clean it up.

Judging by his actions, he definitely had room to maneuver. As he let out another laugh, Richard looked at and said,

“Isn’t ‘challenge’ a term used when soone lower takes on soone above? It’s not challenging you—it’s you who fit that word better. Are you the one challenging right now?”

“I’m not sure what you an.”

“Sub-captain Zarakan. I know you bastards killed him.”

“Do you have proof?”

“There are witnesses and strong suspicions.”

“So you tried to kill our people over re witness testimony and circumstantial evidence?”

“I didn’t plan to kill. I only wanted a confession.”

And what’s that if not killing?

Knowing well the Cleaners' thods of torture, I let out a hollow laugh and fixed my aim on Richard.

A fully charged arrow summoned from the Vampiric Bow was aid precisely at his heart.

“Do you know the term self-defense? It’s used when soone kills in order to defend themselves. Like right now.”

“Confident, are you? You haven’t considered the possibility that you might be the ones to die?”

“We’ll probably win.”

No—we definitely can win.

Because I know about Richard’s fifth sword.

The problem is...

I slowly scanned the building’s surroundings. Just then, Karl approached quickly and whispered softly.

“Hey. This is our chance. Let’s jump him. You, , Lochter, and Lily—we can do it.”

It’s true—we can.

With this lineup, we could take Richard down.

Assuming he’s alone.

But Richard isn’t the only one here.

As a Divine Hunter, I could sense the glow of divine hosts—auras that belonged to other divine na users.

They weren’t visible past the building walls, but my senses picked up their radiance.

Three? No, more than that.

Azonne had likely arrived nearby by now too, which ant at least four were lying in wait beyond the building.

“You brought sub-captains too?”

“How did you know??”

So he did bring sub-captains too. He was testing the waters, but when I asked with certainty, he didn’t seem to realize he’d been caught.

Special Captain and sub-captains alike.

The entire core of the Cleaners was here.