Descendant of Sloth
Chapter 44: Hina vs Yuri

Chapter 44: Hina vs Yuri

As Braun and I charged toward each other, at the same time, Hina and Yuri rushed at one another, their swords drawn and ready.

*CLANG*

The sharp clash of metal rang out as their blades met.

"Let’s see what a bitch like you can do," Yuri said with a smirk, her tone dripping with mockery.

Hina’s glare was cold and unyielding. "I said stop calling me that, you jealous loser."

Their swords clashed again, the impact vibrating through the air around them.

*Clang. Clang. Clang.*

Blow after blow, neither gave an inch, each attack faster and stronger than the last.

Yuri suddenly shifted her stance, blocking Hina’s blade with precision. In one swift motion, she twisted, locking Hina’s sword in place. With a sharp cry, Yuri leaped into the air and delivered a powerful kick to Hina’s chest.

Hina stumbled backward, her feet skidding across the rough cave floor. She clutched her stomach with one hand, her breath hitching from the pain.

"Hmph. Is that all you’ve got?" Yuri sneered, her laughter echoing.

But Hina didn’t falter. A weak laugh escaped her lips as she straightened herself, the pain evident on her face but her resolve unshaken.

"Just you wait," she said, her voice steady as she raised her sword again, stepping back into her fighting stance.

Hina bent her knees, her eyes blazing with determination, and launched herself forward. Her sword clashed fiercely against Yuri’s, the sharp sound of steel colliding echoing through the cave.

Hina spun mid-air, her blade aiming for Yuri’s neck in a swift arc. But Yuri ducked at the last second, the tip of Hina’s sword grazing the rocky wall, sparks flying on impact.

Seizing the opening, Yuri surged forward and slammed her shoulder into Hina, shoving her backward.

*Thud!*

Both of them hit the ground hard. Yuri was the first to recover, gripping her sword tightly. Her aura flared, glowing with a fiery reddish-pink hue as she raised her blade for a decisive strike.

She lunged, aiming directly for Hina’s face.

But just in time, Hina rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly blow. She pushed herself up in one fluid motion, her sword flashing as she leaped back towards Yuri.

"Aaaaaaa!!!"

Yuri spun, her movements sharp and precise, narrowly avoiding Hina’s counterattack. In the opening left by Hina’s miss, Yuri smirked and charged her aura into her leg.

"Take this!" Yuri growled, delivering a powerful, aura-infused kick straight to Hina’s face.

The impact sent Hina hurtling backward. She crashed into the cave wall with a deafening *THUD*, the force shaking loose bits of stone and dust from the ceiling.

Hina slumped against the wall, blood trickling from her lip as she struggled to catch her breath, the faint glow of her own aura flickering around her battered frame.

Hina’s breaths came in ragged gasps. *Huff... huff...* She leaned against the wall, her sword lying just out of reach, her body trembling with exhaustion.

Across from her, Yuri brushed her hair back behind her ears, her smirk laced with venom as she regained her composure.

"I’m still waiting for you to actually do something, you filthy bitch," Yuri sneered, spitting to the ground as if to punctuate her disgust.

Hina’s face was hidden beneath her hair, her vision blurring as she stared blankly at Yuri’s legs from her low point. Her body felt heavy, almost too heavy to move. Her strength was spent, and the sting of defeat loomed over her like a dark cloud.

A faint voice echoed in her mind, distant yet familiar. It was her mother’s voice, sharp and stern, as if reaching out to her from another lifetime.

"You should live a normal life and forget about being a knight...*

The words reverberated through her thoughts, pulling her back into a hazy memory. She was just a child then, standing in front of her mother with wide, determined eyes.

"I want to be like Father!" young Hina had declared. "I want to become strong!"

Her mother’s response had been harsh, cutting through her aspirations like a blade. "Your father...was nothing but a coward!!! You also should leave this house and do whatever you want!"

The memory faded, leaving Hina with her doubts.

"I’m still not strong enough yet..." she thought, her own voice trembling in her mind. The weight of her failures pressed down on her chest, but deep within, a tiny fire of resolve refused to extinguish.

Hina’s tired eyes met mine across the dimly lit cave. She looked utterly drained, her shoulders slumped, her breathing shallow.

As I stood over Braun, who lay bloodied and beaten beneath me, Hina stared, as if trying to process me. I could see her mind racing, though her expression showed no words.

In the silence, her thoughts started to run through.

"How did you become so strong...? What is it that you had to go through to become what you are now? To carry the weight of protecting this world from the shadows?" Her heart pounded as her doubts came back at her. "And here I am... I can’t even call myself a knight, let alone dream of being a Queen..."

Her thoughts lingered,

"Esther... please... tell me... how can I be like you?"

I watched her with cold, unwavering eyes, my gaze sharp as a dagger. Though I said nothing, I could see the weight of her thoughts reflected in her trembling frame.

"Are you looking down on me? Are you calling me weak, huh!?" her mind snapped, a spark of anger igniting in the darkness of her despair.

And then, just as Yuri turned her attention toward Braun, her concern written across her face, Hina acted.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the blade of Yuri’s sword with her bare hands.

"Oii... where are you looking?" Hina’s voice cut through the air like a knife.

Yuri’s eyes snapped back to her, widening in shock. Blood streamed down Hina’s palms, dripping onto the ground as she gripped the sword with unyielding resolve. Her white aura began to rise, swirling around her like a wave. The light it cast danced across the cave walls, growing brighter and more intense with every passing second.

Hina lifted her gaze, locking eyes with Yuri. Her determination burned brighter than the aura enveloping her.

I couldn’t help but let out an expression of amusement. "Hoooooo... she’s got it in her."

She no longer looked lost. She blazed with newfound strength, her resolve unshakable.