[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-74":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},336943,598,"Chapter 74 74: A Battle to the Death (2)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-74",74,"\u003Cp>Sansa was panting, struggling to recover from the relentless battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feyrith, adjusting to his monstrous form, barely managed to string together proper sentences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, his expression twisted when he looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed me by the hair, lifting me up with burning rage in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You… Tell me, what the hell is so funny?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with my bloodied face, my smile never wavered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sansa was just as confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our loss was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Feyrith couldn't accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept shouting, spitting his frustration in my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Answer me, damn it! Look!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at himself, still screaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All those brilliant attacks of yours? Already healed. Your strength? It's been fading since the start, and yet you still failed to kill me. Unlike you, I grow stronger with every passing second!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sword you take so much pride in? It did nothing! Against the blessing granted to me by the High Devil Astaroth… you are NOTHING!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An awakened Rank A was beyond me—even with Balerion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could hold my own in brief skirmishes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a fight to the death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You knew all of this already… So tell me—why the hell are you still laughing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh… Man, I already told you…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a deep breath, summoning the last remnants of my strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You talk too much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, I broke free from his grip, shifting into my stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balerion swung back, ready to unleash one final, all-or-nothing strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow: Infinite Darkness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feyrith's world was swallowed by shadow as my devastating slash tore through him—along with the coliseum behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands trembled violently. If not for Balerion merging with me, I would have dropped it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was my last attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still had an endless reserve of aura inside me… but my body had reached its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of me, Feyrith lay amidst the rubble, a massive wound stretching from his neck to his abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had been just a little stronger… I could have cleaved him in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fate was cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched as his flesh pulled itself back together, his organs slowly realigning, black runes pulsating across his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His regeneration had slowed to a crawl—but I could no longer take advantage of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha… Look at you, Feyrith. Even with all that power, you're still lying at my feet… Pathetic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, he rose again, his wound still struggling to close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's see how long you keep laughing…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive, blood-red blade formed in his grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so large that he had to drag it behind him as he approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his half-severed neck and blood-soaked body, he looked more monstrous than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, what now, Frey Starlight? Another hidden technique? A trump card? What's your next move?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I simply raised both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now? I surrender.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Feyrith and Sansa stared at me, dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why so surprised? Isn't this the perfect time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feyrith started to speak, but I cut him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not you. I wasn't talking to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Feyrith's shadow deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from within it, a figure emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark serpents of shadow writhed around him, and in his hands—two terrifying daggers, completely consumed by the power of darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single slash of his daggers, Ghost sent Feyrith's head soaring through the air—his body finally succumbing to the damage I had inflicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his severed head spun midair, Feyrith's mind struggled to process what had just happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Memories flooded his consciousness—his life, the choices that led him here, the moment everything spiraled out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't even know where Ghost had come from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn't see him move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn't understand how his head had separated from his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying on the cold ground, his fading gaze landed on a familiar figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"San... sa...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, life drained from his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I collapsed onto the ground, struggling to catch my breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn… if that hadn't worked, I have no idea what I would've done.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had been my last resort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the start, I knew I couldn't defeat Feyrith—not as I was. He was simply stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn't alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We weren't just a Swordsman and a Wave Controller… We had an Assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost had been lurking in Feyrith's shadow all along, waiting for the perfect moment—the moment I had created for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If given the right setup, Ghost was unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My role was simple: weaken Feyrith enough for him to land the killing blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now… it was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone lay on the ground, exhausted, except for Ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood still, eyes locked on Feyrith's mutilated corpse. Then, he turned—his gaze shifting to my left hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather… to Balerion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, my sword faded into its tattooed form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed a finger over my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's keep this between us, yeah?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost nodded before stepping forward to help me up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't expect you to pick up on my signal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I not? With the amount of killing intent you were throwing at me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're sharper than you look, Frey Starlight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dropped down beside the princess, who was barely clinging to consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost, noticing her condition, pulled out a few healing potions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Sansa and I drank eagerly, our bodies mending at a visible rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, she managed to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to me, exhaustion written all over her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Frey… for saving me… for everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hated hearing those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waved her off quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to thank me. I wasn't the only one who saved you—we took him down together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No 'buts'… Oh, and if you're really grateful, forget what you saw here. I mean this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tapped the tattoo on my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sansa nodded immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. Then we're all set.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distant roar of explosions continued, shaking the ground above us—the battle outside was still raging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Things aren't looking great up there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Ghost's remark, I tilted my head back before refocusing on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's your plan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm heading up. My brother needs me. What about you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gestured toward Sansa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've got unfinished business. Can I count on you to watch over the princess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't need protection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sansa scowled, but I simply chuckled and pressed a finger against her side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drop the act. Your wounds may be healed, but your strength hasn't recovered. That's the price of burning through your aura reserves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Sansa and Ghost shot me strange looks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, of course, the same logic applied to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't give me that look. I can still fight for a while before I'm done.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frey… Are you sure you're not a hidden Contractor yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the question, I raised my fist toward Ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forget that. Ghost, how about a round of rock-paper-scissors?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed was Ghost and Sansa's reaction—their faces twisting in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>",1140,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","95c26b95337b43f4731a7c04f5f406f6bfe16d62421610a5c3601ccffe624b0c","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-383","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-382",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]