How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 357

Episode 357 – Master of Aintrier (7)

Special Operations Commander Richard.

For soone so infamous in Hell Gri, his death was surprisingly anticlimactic.

Arthur looked down at Richard’s face, eyes wide open in disbelief—as if he still couldn’t accept his own defeat.

He never would have imagined that Lochter had uncovered the secret of the Invisible Sword.

A transparent, razor-sharp blade hidden beneath the hilt of the sword.

The secret of the Invisible Sword lay there, and that deception had taken the lives of countless skilled warriors.

To Richard, it had been an unbeatable formula for victory.

But Lochter had gone into the fight already knowing that formula.

As long as he could read the direction of the hilt, the Invisible Sword could be countered.

And a neutralized strike makes for the perfect counterattack.

It was only a one-ti opportunity, but Lochter had seized that critical mont.

Arthur picked up Richard’s severed head. The trophy of Special Ops Commander Richard.

Holding it tightly, Arthur scanned the surroundings.

Azolett and Rengua were nowhere to be seen.

They had clearly begun their escape the mont they realized reinforcents had arrived.

Arthur’s expression gradually twisted. Then he muttered a curse under his breath.

“Damn it. They got one over on us.”

The Blood Fog that Rengua used.

Arthur had wondered why Rengua would use such a costly scroll if he was planning to flee—but now he understood.

The corpse of the Cleaner Arthur had killed was gone.

Not just the Cleaner, but the puppet bodies strewn across the area were also missing.

And worst of all—

“They even took the swords...”

Four of the five swords once owned by Richard had vanished.

If they had used Blood Fog to retrieve corpses and weapons,

that ant they had plans for them.

Letting Rengua escape like this would be dangerous. They needed to move quickly.

Arthur turned to the Cleaners.

“L-Leader!! What are you doing right now!?”

The Cleaners still hadn’t realized Richard was dead.

They were too preoccupied trying to survive the onslaught from Dorneth, Natasha, and Fenry.

Only one person among them reacted to the Special Ops Commander’s death.

“…Impossible.”

Azonne Vistas, Lord of Aintrier.

He stared in disbelief at Richard’s severed head.

The Special Ops Commander was dead, and the remaining Cleaners looked like they’d fall any second.

Azolett and Rengua had already fled.

“How… how could this happen…?”

Azonne looked around, dazed, muttering.

They had lost.

And it was a devastating loss.

Not even a trace of this outco had existed in Azonne’s calculations.

Clink—clink—

The sound of coins colliding snapped Azonne’s gaze down.

The ground was filled ankle-deep with Midas’ Coins.

Walking slowly through them was Arthur.

Azonne raised his index finger and pointed at Arthur.

Greedy Judge.

He activated the ability—but nothing happened.

The judgnt did not trigger.

Azonne stared at his own hand with a twisted face.

“Why… why isn’t it working?!”

He shouted in frustration.

He had filled the room with Midas’ Coins.

All he needed was for soone to make contact and the judgnt would activate—instant death.

If Greedy Judge had worked properly, this humiliating defeat could have been avoided.

“With just one gesture, I could’ve killed them all…”

Lochter, Lily, Karl—even the reinforcents that had arrived…he could have wiped them out.

But he hadn’t.

In the most crucial mont, Azonne had been helpless.

He glared at Arthur, who approached, still holding Richard’s head.

That bastard.

He was the one.

He had to be the cause.

“…What did you do to ?”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

“This is your doing! My ability—why… why doesn’t it work!?”

Azonne scread, pounding madly at the barrier in front of him.

The cold, calculating rchant was gone, replaced by a broken man denying the truth of his defeat.

His bloodied fists clenched as he growled at Arthur.

“Don’t think this is over. It’s only just beginning.”

“Oh? You really think so?”

Arthur hurled Richard’s head toward the remaining Cleaners.

It arced through the air.

The Cleaners, who had been desperately holding on, saw it—

and from that mont, their coordination fell apart.

Finally—

Puhk—

“…Kugh!”

Fenry’s claw pierced the back of a Cleaner holding a shield.

From there, the rest crumbled quickly.

Natasha’s fists sprayed blood, and Dorneth’s shield shattered bones.

The Cleaners were annihilated.

In the original storyline, these hyenas had betrayed Demtor and joined Aintrier, only to slink away into Pri Root later.

But here, they had been purged completely.

To Arthur, it was the best-case scenario.

He glanced at the fallen Cleaners, then looked back at Azonne.

“You’re next, Azonne Vistas.”

As Arthur summoned the Ring of Blood and pulled the bowstring,

Azonne flinched and stumbled back in panic.

He waved his hand hastily—

At that mont, a bracelet on his wrist emitted light.

Vwoooong!

A black space opened above Azonne’s head and sucked him in.

As the void swallowed him, his voice rang out with fury.

“Arthur! Wait! I swear on all my gold—I’ll capture you alive and tear you apart. I swear it!!”

The void vanished, and Arthur chuckled, lowering his bow.

Reto’s concerned voice echoed.

[Is it really okay to let him go?]

“As you saw, we can’t catch him right now.”

[If you don’t eliminate him, it could put you in danger.]

As a Divine Hunter, Arthur had marked Azonne Vistas as his prey.

If he failed to kill him, Arcane might discover his concealed divine nas.

But Arthur remained calm and nodded.

“There’s still ti. It’s fine for now.”

[You speak like you can catch him anyti.]

“I can. The board is already tilted in our favor.”

Beyond the barrier, Azonne had the ans to flee into Sanctuary of Darkness.

Charging in blindly would never work.

They had to isolate him first.

The Cleaners were gone, and the remaining threats were being pushed out of Aintrier.

No one remains at Azonne’s side. To Arthur, Azonne was now just a rabbit. A rabbit that had run into its own hole.

He just had to wait for it to co out.

“He won’t even imagine I know where that exit is.”

The Sanctuary of Darkness.

Recalling the power held by the head of the Black Market,

Arthur smiled.

It had been a deadly gamble, but the victory was sweet.

This triumph would shift the tide of Hell Gri—heavily in their favor.

Now, all that remained was to clean up the fleeing Pri Root remnants.

When Arthur turned, he saw his comrades approaching, wiping blood from their bodies.

The Cleaners’ final rampage had left even Natasha and Fenry with minor wounds.

Frowning as she examined a scratch, Natasha looked at Arthur and asked:

“You alright? You look like hell.”

“You’re worried about ?”

“Hmph. I didn’t teach you Quanru just to get beaten up by trash like that.”

“Numbers were overwhelming.”

“Where’s Lily?”

Not seeing Lily nearby, Natasha looked around.

Karl did too.

Arthur spoke, rembering them both.

“By now, they’re likely chasing the ones who fled.”

“Who fled?”

“Azolett and Rengua.”

He had anticipated that if the spider nest were compromised,

Azolett would flee.

As expected, she had.

And if it was Karl on the trail, he could likely track her.

But Rengua joining her—that part was unexpected.

“We all have a lot to say, but we can talk later. Right now, we move. Lily’s with them, but she and Karl might be in danger.”

“All of us go, then?”

“No. Fenry, you need to stay here.”

“?”

Fenry pointed at herself with her pipe still in her mouth.

Arthur nodded.

Wiping out the Pri Root stragglers was important,

but catching Azonne was even more so.

They needed Fenry’s skills to do that—and Arthur had to stay to hunt as well.

With Lochter unconscious, only Natasha and Dorneth could move out.

“Keros!”

Kraaaagh!

At Arthur’s call, the beast roared.

Thud!

A wall collapsed, and Keros burst through with savage force.

He had been waiting outside, ready for this mont.

Arthur had kept him outside for a potential chase. Now he could join up with Lily imdiately.

“Take them to Lily.”

Keros lowered his body, and Natasha and Dorneth climbed on.

Just before they departed, Arthur stopped Natasha briefly and gave a quiet warning.

“First priority: stay safe. Second priority: also stay safe. Don’t get greedy—fight carefully.”

“They’re just two. With our numbers doubled, isn’t this the best ti to eliminate them?”

“If you can kill them, that’s great. But Azolett and Rengua both have hidden weapons. If it looks risky—retreat. Another chance will co.”

Nodding, Natasha mounted Keros, and he dashed out with both on his back.

With them gone, only Arthur and Fenry remained.

As Arthur supported the unconscious Lochter, noise rose from outside.

“Fire!”

“Put it out! Bring water!”

Flas from the collapsed spider nest had spread to the surrounding fortress.

As the chaos grew, Arthur hoisted Lochter onto his back.

Fenry walked beside him.

“So, what now?”

“We go after Azonne.”

“Azonne? You know where he is?”

“I have a good idea.”

Arthur grinned and began running through a dark, untouched passageway. Reto guided him forward.

Then from behind, Fenry’s voice echoed:

“Oh, right. I forgot to ask the most important thing.”

“What is it?”

“My money.”

“You’re seriously asking about that now?”

“That’s my entire fortune.”

Blowing smoke from her pipe, she asked again,

“You grew my wealth properly, right?”

“I grew it so much I’m not sure how much I owe you.”

“What’s to think about? Just give it all.”

“Even as the Shadow of the World Tree, nothing about you has changed.”

“If I change, it’ll be because I’m dead. Am I wrong?”

Arthur shook his head.

“Before we settle the accounts, let’s secure one last thing first.”

“Thing? What thing?”

Arthur looked toward Lochter. Still unconscious, but smiling as if in a good dream.

“Aintrier.”

It was ti to fulfill the promise he made to Lochter.