A Villain's Survival Guide

Smoke and ash smothered the sky above the ruined city. Beneath that grey canopy, two attacks lay in wait.

Perched atop a fractured building, Raine and Charlotte watched the skies. Raine’s hand rested firmly on the hilt of her sword, her gaze fixed on Alfred and Warner above. The moment the barrier fell, she was ready to strike.

Beside her, Charlotte focused entirely on maintaining their defence. Fine cracks spread across the barrier’s surface, each impact from the dragon widening them further. Her attention never wavered as she prepared for the attack that would follow its collapse.

Elsewhere, hidden within the smoke, another pair waited.

Leomaris stood where the ash hung thickest, concealed among the ruins of a fallen boulevard. From there, he had a clear view of their target.

The Endbringer remained below, trapped within Charlotte’s barrier. The battle with the mercenaries had left it in a pitiful state. Several limbs were missing, and its damaged body struggled beneath its own weight. Even so, every movement crushed stone and shattered what remained of the ancient streets.

Behind Leomaris stood Lucius, a massive slab of broken concrete balanced in his hands. He waited in silence, listening for the command that would guide his strike through the smoke.

At last, the barrier shattered.

The fractured shell dissolved into countless fragments of light before vanishing into the ash-filled air.

Leomaris did not give the order immediately.

He waited.

The instant Raine drew her blade and swept it through the air, a storm of wind blades surged towards the figures in the sky. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Now."

Lucius moved.

The two attacks struck almost simultaneously.

Raine’s blades tore through the smoke and crashed into the six-headed dragon before those above could properly react. At the same moment, Lucius hurled the slab with immense force.

It slammed directly into the Endbringer’s head.

A spray of black blood burst from the impact. The giant mantis-like creature reeled backwards and released a shrill, echoing screech that rolled across the ruined city.

Rather than weaken, its fury only seemed to deepen.

Leomaris wasn’t surprised. Something of its calibre wouldn’t keel over from a single wound. He held his ground and waited for blood loss and pain to do the rest.

His gaze shifted skyward, and as the smokescreen slowly thinned on the wind, the picture of what was happening among the others came into view.

One of the dragon’s heads rained wind attacks downward without let-up as Warner and Alfred communicated in hurried gestures, the spirit, meanwhile, drifting higher into the sky, far enough up to put itself beyond Raine’s attacks.

’No doubt they are planning another combo attack. If that happens, this will not end well.’

As if Charlotte had read his mind, a chilling breeze cut through the ruined city, and Leomaris felt something familiar stir.

Two massive arrows materialised around Charlotte, conjured from pure energy and glowing brighter than the last time he’d clocked them. He remembered well enough what they’d done, dropping a spirit nearly five times higher in the sky than the dragon. The reassurance came easily.

He prepared to use the destruction her attack could leave in its wake, buying Lucius the opening for one final hit. Lucius had his hands on a broken pillar, and following Leomaris’s lead without hesitation, he launched the moment Charlotte’s arrow tore through the sky.

Leomaris wasn’t finished. One arrow remained, and he meant to make use of it. A quick word to Lucius and he got another weapon, and when Charlotte’s last arrow tore loose, Lucius’s attack followed right behind it.

While the mantis screeched, Leomaris kept his eyes skyward. The head was the smallest part of the creature, and after taking attacks of that calibre, even if it managed to get to its feet, it wouldn’t be quick about it. They’d make good use of that time. He put it out of his mind.

’Charlotte didn’t kill the dragon. She’s being naive. Warner and Alfred won’t let this go... Alfred especially.’

The last time Charlotte loosed those arrows, they’d brought down a creature the size of the dragon and killed everyone on its back, just the two of them. This time, she’d only managed to wound its necks.

Leomaris sneered. Alfred was going at it hammer and tongs, cursing under his breath as he threw together a combo attack, fire and ice combined.

He turned to Lucius. "We have to get closer to the Endbringer. Another powerful attack is coming."

Lucius didn’t argue, and they were moving, leaping from back to back, closing the distance in moments. They kept to the cover of its severed limbs, wary of the blood and the destruction spreading around it.

Just as Leomaris anticipated, the moment Alfred’s attack launched, Charlotte cast her spell, covering herself and Raine, and the Endbringer besides.

That was the point of all this, for her and Raine to be the ones to kill it. Until then, Charlotte would guard the Endbringer as though it were on their side.

’This isn’t good.’

High above, something shifted. The barrier had no hope against edges that sharp, it gave way and shattered on impact.

Yet it was enough for both Raine and Charlotte to come away from the attack completely unscathed.

Lucius leaned over and said, "I will use this opportunity to take the creature’s head. It has lost too much blood. This should not be an issue."

Leomaris nodded. He’d barely taken a step toward the head when a wind blade slashed through the air, dead on course for them. His sixth sense kicked in sharp, and he was clear of it in an instant.

"I can’t let Raine fight against Leomaris."

Leomaris knew those distorted words belonged to one person only. Charlotte.

"If you say so, Charlotte. I will deal with Alfred and Warner."

When Leomaris got to his feet, he bit his lip in irritation and turned to Lucius.

"You should get the head, Lucius. I will draw her attention for now."

"Don’t worry, I will do my part."

Lucius was on his feet in an instant, making straight for the Endbringer.

’How did I forget? Raine is a Sorcerer now... so she has foresight.’

Raine’s Vision reached three seconds into the future, sometimes more through dreams. That had completely slipped his mind.

Perhaps while he thought they were being clever, she’d already noticed their presence. Either way, he had to focus on what was in front of him.

Charlotte looked angry. Angrier than he’d ever seen her, in fact. She was the one with the most to lose on this mission, and yet she’d been lenient with Alfred. That had come back to haunt her soon enough.

’She won’t let me go easily.’

Before Leomaris could take a step, the rain came. Cats and dogs to start, and within seconds, it was bucketing down.