The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

After blasting Devin away...

"You stay there for a bit."

Raye smirked and muttered that.

Fwish-

"?!"

But then he felt a sudden cold air on his nape!

’An attack from behind!’

Raye thought.

Swish-

Raye turned to look back....

"?!"

And he saw Lycus up in the air, both his daggers were aiming at him!

"Urgh!"

Swish-

Raye forcibly raised [Nyx]...

TAANG—!

And he just made it on time to block Lycus’ attack!

Fwosh-

Raye then immediately thrust [Celestria] forward, aiming at Lycus stomach!

But calmly...

Swish—

Lycus just twisted his body to his right!

Fwoo—

Making Raye hit nothing but the air!

And taking advantage of the momentum of his spin..

SLASH—!

Lycus went and slashed Raye’s left forearm!

"Keuk...?!"

Raye groaned in pain.

But following that...

FWISH—

He swiftly spun his whole body to the right!

SWOOSH—

And swung [Nyx] with all his might horizontally!

"...?!"

Lycus was surprised by the immediate counter!

Fwip-

He crossed his daggers in front of him, and with it...

CLANK—!

He received Raye’s sword!

Though...

"HAAAA!!!"

Raye put a lot of force behind his attack and combined it with his spinning momentum!

"Urgh...?!"

Fwiiiish—

Lycus was pushed and skidded back along with Raye’s sword!

But at that moment...

Bam-

Devin reappeared on Raye’s left side!

"HAAAAHHH!!!"

And he launched a heavy right hook!

’Let me rest!’

Raye exclaimed in his head, frustrated.

CLANG—!

And then he blocked Devin’s right fist with [Celestria]!

"Ugh..fuck..."

Raye frowned as he felt his left arm tingle in pain!

BAM-!

And then he launched a side kick at Lycus!

"?!"

Lycus was able to cross his arms in time to shield himself, but he was pushed back!

Then with his right hand finally free...

FWOOSH—

Raye thrust [Nyx] to the left, toward Devin’s head!

"Oh shit!"

Devin exclaimed in surprise.

Fwish- 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He turned his head to the side and avoided the attack.

Though, as his focus was on Raye’s blade...

Fwip-

"Huh?"

Raye let go of [Celestria] and grabbed his right hand!

Fwish-

"?!"

Raye pulled Devin close to him...

BAAM-!

And then he kneed Devin in the stomach with his right knee!

"Gargh...!"

Devin felt the air leave his body.

But Raye wasn’t done yet.

Bam—

"Keuk?!"

He struck Devin’s throat with his right forearm!

Thud—

The two of them fell to the ground.

Then, while pressing Devin down with his weight...

Fwish-

Raye pointed the tip of [Nyx] at Devin’s neck!

"..."

Devin, his eyes wide, stared at the blade in front of him.

"Haaa..."

And then with a sigh...

"I give up."

He declared that!

"Heh."

Raye let out a laugh and smirked.

"I give up too."

And then he said that too!

Hearing his words...

"Nice, I win."

Lycus said that!

He was standing behind Raye, his dagger was aimed at the back of Raye’s head!

Fwip-

Lycus retrieved his weapon.

And following that...

"Hup."

Raye and Devin stood up from the ground.

"You guys are jerks."

Raye said, dusting off his clothes.

Then, with smug smiles on their faces...

"What do you mean?"

Devin and Lycus just shrugged.

"Ugh, fuck you guys."

Raye grumbled as he picked up [Celestria].

Swish-

He absorbed his remaining mana imbued in it.

And in doing so...

Swoosh-

The [Celestria] turned back into a ring.

Raye wore it in his ring finger, left hand.

Meanwhile...

"..."

Lycus and Devin are just looking at his ring, all jealous.

’Should I raid a dungeon?’

They thought in unison.

’Nah.’

But they immediately shook their heads after remembering what happened to Raye.

*****

The three doesn’t use much skills and magic when they’re sparring.

This is because they want to train their techniques and proficiency with their weapons.

They don’t want to rely on their skills too much.

After all, they can’t use it infinitely.

Moving on...

After their free for all fight just now...

"..."

Raye, Lycus, and Devin started meditating.

Raye had told them months ago that he uses this method to increase his mana sensitivity.

And upon hearing that...

The two volunteered to join him.

Now, this is what they do after their training.

"..."

Anyway, as they have their eyes closed...

-Meep!

Pyro appeared and chirped.

"Hmm?"

Raye immediately opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Is it time?"

He asked.

-Meep!

And Pyro replied, nodding his head.

"Fuuu..."

Raye stood up.

Then, looking at Lycus and Devin who have their eyes closed...

"Dinner’s ready, let’s join the old man."

Raye said that.

"Huh?"

"Oh, okay."

The two quickly opened their eyes.

And after that...

They all headed back to the cabin!

This also became a routine too.

Devin and Lycus eat dinner with Raye and the old man after training because they’re always so hungry by the time they finish.

But because they don’t want to trouble Old Man Rey...

Lycus hunts his own food and gives the rest to the old man.

Devin, on the other hand, brings spices from the shop and other necessary ingredients!

Old Man Rey said they didn’t need to do those...

But the two insisted.

They’ll feel guilty eating for free, after all.

*****

Getting back to the cabin...

"Oh, you’re all here. Let’s eat."

Old Man Rey greeted the four.

-Meep!

Pyro quickly flew beside Zephyrus.

-That’s your portion.

Zephyrus said that, pointing at the plate with a big roasted deer meat.

(His portion was slightly bigger that Pyro’s though.)

Anyway...

Zephyrus evolved a few weeks ago, he now looks like a small chicken.

"Thanks for the food!"

"Thank you, Old Man."

"Thanks, Mister Rey."

Devin, Raye, and Lycus sat down on the table.

And with that...

The six of them ate dinner together.

"Jerusha’s not here today, huh."

Devin said, taking a bite of the roasted beef in front of him.

"It’s not like she lives here."

Raye casually replied, taking a bowlful of rabbit stew for himself.

"She doesn’t live here?"

And then Lycus asked, genuinely shocked.

He’s confused!

After all, Jerusha was always here in the cabin!

She’s actually the one that usually calls the three for dinner, not Pyro!

"..."

Raye looked at Lycus with a frown on his face.

He can’t believe that Lycus thought Jerusha lives in the cabin with him and the Old Man.

Old Man Rey laughed a little, hearing Lycus.

Anyway, shaking his head...

"She’s at the local orphanage, visiting the nuns and the children there."

Raye mumbled that.

Jerusha informed him and Old Man Rey of this before hand.

"Ohh.."

"Mhm..."

Devin and Lycus nodded their heads, hearing Raye’s words.

And after that, they all just continued eating.