[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-397":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","THE VILLAIN'S POV",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},336974,598,"Chapter 397: Battles of Life and Death (1)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-397",397,"\u003Cp>The entire battlefield shifted the moment Maria drove that slender sword into her own chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a gentle smile on her face, she realized there was no way she could win a fight against four people—especially not with Prince Aegon Valerion among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, she chose to end it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within her fragile frame, an overwhelming torrent of blood surged out .. far too much to belong to a single person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It spread across the battlefield like a ruptured dam, soaking everything and everyone in its path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without warning, the crimson tide ignited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Maria’s signal, the blood detonated, red flames engulfing the entire area in a massive explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a suicidal strike from the Empyrean who had been completely cornered. Even though she had already defeated Dawn, and then Daemon afterward, the Last Survivor’s ability had already done its work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mysterious power that defied the world’s Five Unbreakable Laws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with such a power, Maria had no choice—victory was simply out of reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she had managed to defeat all four somehow... a fifth or a sixth might have appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dawn would always receive whatever he needed to survive. It wasn’t fair to the others, but it was his fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burden he had to carry until the final breath of his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Blossom Bomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the name of the technique Maria had unleashed, leveling the entire area, while the others fled to avoid being caught in the blast radius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the very last second, Selena intervened—just in time—casting a thin yet formidable barrier around herself and her allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her magic was swift, and she managed to construct a shield strong enough to repel the wave of blood-fueled destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing within the square-shaped barrier, everyone stared at the blood that continued to pour down like a storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is all this blood even coming from?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena shouted in frustration, struggling to hold the barrier intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria and her strange powers remained an enigma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds passed. Eventually, the tide of blood calmed and dried across the scorched ground, revealing the battlefield once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Maria was nowhere to be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had vanished from sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She wasn’t trying to kill us,\" Aegon said as he slid his sword into its sheath. \"She was carving herself an escape route. Not bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Daemon Valerion removed his armor, though he kept it wrapped around what remained of his right leg—because that foot was never coming back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The look of fury on Daemon’s face was impossible to miss. No one dared approach him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he hadn’t technically lost, and had been ready to keep fighting, Maria had managed to completely immobilize him and remove him from the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, to him, was no different from defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would’ve died, if not for the prince’s and Selena’s intervention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daemon roared, punching the ground beneath him with burning rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had survived, but the taste it left in his mouth was bitter beyond words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s move,\" Aegon said calmly. \"We’re done here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He began walking, and the others followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But... where to?\" Dawn asked, uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After realizing that the gate they had pinned their hopes on was nothing but a trap, they were lost again—back to square one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this time, it felt even worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Aegon Valerion didn’t seem the least bit concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll find the others first,\" he replied. \"This battle won’t last much longer... we’ve already reached the end.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was the Empire or the Ultras, the hunt was nearly over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the outcome was still uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the four of them set out—on a journey to regroup with the rest of their scattered comrades, each of whom was fighting their own deadly war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haaah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria’s breath came out as red-tinged mist in the cold air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She walked slowly, one hand pressed to her chest, the other gripping the wall for balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her black coat and once-elegant white outfit were drenched in blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve gone too far this time...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria’s ability made her stronger the more she hurt herself—stronger the more blood she shed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in exchange, her wounds took a very long time to heal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gash in her hand that she had stabbed multiple times... her bleeding chest...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They remained open as she bled in waves of burning pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, Maria’s calm expression never faltered. Not even for a moment. It was clear she had grown used to pain—a long time ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once she was far enough from the battlefield, she raised her gaze to the night sky above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder if Lord Mergo has completed his mission...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke softly, pulling a golden pocket watch from her coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time was flowing—slowly, but inevitably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The end was near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everyone could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empyrean Maria vs. Dawn Polaris...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another round ended in the Empire’s favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Maria was locked in combat with the others, a far more violent battle erupted elsewhere—one of pure vengeance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris Moonlight unleashed her full might against Baylor Moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy flower tattoos covering her right arm were the same ones that had once appeared in the distant past, when she had lost control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, Seris wielded her power with complete intent. The marks stopped advancing once they reached her shoulder—limiting the awakening to one arm only.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is my current limit...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After countless days of relentless training, she had barely managed to reach this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ice Flower ability burns through aura at an insane rate... but in return, it grants overwhelming power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fully aware of this cost, Seris threw everything she had at Baylor Moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flick of her hand, six celestial orbs materialized. But these weren’t ordinary orbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were massive spheres—planets, in a sense—infused with the frigid aura of her Ice Flower, each brimming with destructive force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serpents hissed around her, conjured by her aura, all lunging at Baylor with wrath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris herself charged in, sword drawn, clad in a crystalline shield of frost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was all in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every ounce of strength she had forged through pain and training ..she used it in a single goal: to kill this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that shard of ice has taught you to control your power,\" Baylor muttered, finally growing serious. \"Even if you’re barely able to withstand it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the six planetary orbs fired icy beams of devastating scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baylor endured them with his body, dodging the serpents and clashing directly with Seris in brutal close-quarters combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tattoos on Seris’s arm glowed more intensely with every blow she struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You won’t be able to defeat me, Seris. The difference in rank between us is far too great.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his bare hands, Baylor crushed the white serpents one after another, blocking the orbs’ constant bombardment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll admit it—you’re strong. Reaching this level at your age is nothing short of a miracle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris’s aura output far exceeded the S rank threshold—something considered impossible for someone of her age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her opponent was Baylor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A towering, insurmountable foe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I let my guard down once, which allowed you to land a hit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summoning dozens of his own celestial orbs, Baylor retaliated, overwhelming Seris’s frozen planets and nullifying them completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That won’t happen again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single punch, he shattered her swords and regained control of the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This struggle is meaningless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut that damned mouth of yours!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris roared, pushing herself further, summoning every last drop of latent power she could muster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even knowing her enemy outclassed her in every way, she refused to back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think you’ll continue to escape , no matter what atrocities your hands have committed?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frozen orbs spun faster, launching a relentless barrage of icy projectiles, veiling Baylor’s vision entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the opportunity, Seris pierced his domain and closed the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The souls of those you killed in the past... one day, they’ll coil around your neck to announce your end!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slammed her marked hand against his chest—ready to finish it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baylor’s eyes widened in shock as her aura exploded at point-blank range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris bore the pain, unleashing the most powerful technique she had ever created—her final hope to end the man who had taken so much from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ice Formation... Supreme art : Inverted Butterfly Wings!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enhanced ice aura erupted in Baylor’s face, consuming him in its entirety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power surged outward in a blinding storm, and from within it, massive wings of frost bloomed—shaped like the wings of a giant butterfly—encasing Seris at the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had poured everything into that one attack. The strain was so immense, her tattoos began bleeding from her arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a finishing move .. powerful enough to kill even an SS-ranked Awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountainous terrain where the battle took place had become a field of frozen death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frost mist veiled everything, obscuring vision with a chilling fog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seris couldn’t tell if her attack had succeeded—but she knew she had reached her limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could barely remain standing in this form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body was breaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had risked it all, hoping this overwhelming attack would be enough to kill Baylor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But reality had other plans...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she was about to collapse, Baylor, still standing, grabbed her by the wrist—the one etched with tattoos—and gazed at her in a way that sent fresh terror flooding through her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Amazing... truly amazing...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With one hand gripping hers tightly, Baylor touched his chest with the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, a long, bloody wound stretched from his collarbone to his abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If your attack had been just a bit stronger... you might have actually killed me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1619,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.347Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","7ef0c9ea9982294231233d1dd52a56201879704a98142111804c0e1f5f05683a","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-91","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-90",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]