Descendant of Sloth
Chapter 49: The Final Strike

Chapter 49: The Final Strike

The soft click of heels echoed through the cave as Serina stepped inside, her black dress clinging to her frame and her long hair swaying gently behind her. The faint blue-silver glow of her aura still lingered in the air, giving her an almost ethereal presence. She moved with purpose.

"S-Serina..." Hina’s voice, weak and trembling, broke the silence. Her lips curved into a faint smile despite the exhaustion etched on her pale face.

Serina’s gaze fell on her, and for a moment, the cold confidence she had walked in with faltered. Her eyes softened, and she lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "I’m sorry, Hina... for leaving you like that. I didn’t mean to—"

"It’s okay..." Hina interrupted, her words slow but filled with quiet reassurance. "I knew... you weren’t a bad person."

Serina’s lips parted as if to speak, but I cut in, kneeling beside Hina and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stop talking and relax," I said firmly, my eyes filled with concern.

Hina gave me a faint smile, her eyes fluttering as sleep began to claim her. "T-thank you, Esther..." she murmured before her eyelids closed, her breathing steadying as she fell unconscious.

I gently picked her up and carried her to the side of the cave, laying her against the wall where she could rest. My heart felt heavy as I glanced at her motionless form, but there was no time to dwell. The air shifted, charged with tension, as Braun’s laughter broke the silence.

He turned slowly toward Serina, his face twisting into a grotesque snarl. His bloodshot eyes burned crimson, veins bulging across his neck and temples. A menacing grin stretched across his face, but it was devoid of humor—filled only with rage and hatred.

"SERINA!!! YOU BITCH!!" he roared, his voice cracking under the weight of his fury.

Serina flinched but quickly steadied herself, meeting his gaze with a mixture of resolve and regret.

"All of this is happening because of you!" Braun said, his voice echoing off the cave walls. He took a menacing step forward, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "You brought these two here, and now look—ALL OF OUR MEMBERS ARE FUCKING DEAD!"

Serina’s lips pressed into a thin line as she held her ground. Her eyes flicked to Yuri’s lifeless body sprawled on the cave floor before returning to Braun.

"It’s you who killed them," she said, her voice steady but tinged with sorrow. "It’s you who killed Rico because he didn’t agree with what you were doing here. And now Yuri?" She gestured to the lifeless form. "You couldn’t control your greed. You let your own madness consume you, Braun. You’ve become a monster, slaughtering the elves and everyone who stood in your way."

Braun’s entire body shook with unbridled rage. The veins on his forehead throbbed as his breath came in ragged bursts.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he screamed, his voice a breaking. "We could’ve easily won this—done exactly what that person wanted—but YOU ruined it all, Serina! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!"

His face contorted further, a mask of bloodlust and hatred. "You betrayed us," he growled, taking another step closer to her. "And now I’m going to make you pay... with every drop of blood you have left."

Serina stood still, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her dark eyes gleaming with defiance. "If you think killing me will fix what you’ve done, Braun..." she said, her voice firm, "then you’re even more lost than I thought."

Braun let out a feral scream, the sound reverberating through the cave as the tension reached its breaking point.

*Thud.*

Braun’s voice cut off abruptly as my kick connected with his face, launching him back into the entrance wall beside Serina. He hit it with a sickening crash, the force shaking the very air around us.

I landed gracefully and with a flick of my wrist, my dagger materialized in my hand, its dark, lethal blade humming with suppressed energy.

"If you’re done screaming and talking," I said coldly, my voice slicing through the silence like the edge of my weapon, "then I’d like to end this."

My eyes darkened, their color deepening into a predatory shade as I fixed my gaze on him. The grip on my dagger tightened.

Braun staggered to his feet, blood smeared across his face, but the manic grin never left his lips. "Ahahahah! Now we’re talking," he spat, his voice dripping with twisted excitement.

In one swift motion, he summoned his chopper and chains, the weapons glinting under the dim light. With a roar, he charged at me, chains swinging wildly.

I met him head-on.

Our weapons clashed in a flurry of sparks and steel, the impact reverberating through the room like a thunderclap. Each strike was stronger than the last, but this time, I wasn’t holding back. My focus was absolute, every muscle in my body locked onto one goal: Braun’s defeat.

I slid low, skimming past his swing, and came up behind him with a sharp kick to his back. He stumbled forward but recovered quickly, his chains slicing through the air as he whipped them toward me. I ducked and dodged, each movement precise, fluid, and deliberate.

With a guttural roar, Braun pulled his chopper back, the blade radiating a dangerous energy as he prepared a devastating swing. His chains moved in tandem, spinning in a vicious destruction.

Meanwhile Serina, rotated on her feet and charged the blue aura around her as if the angel praying to the god.

I lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes, and in that moment, I vanished.

Serina stepped forward, her fingers raised and her hands extended, palms open and steady. Her lips moved in silent whispers as she directed her power toward Braun.

—Braun’s chains slowed mid-air, his wild rage reduced to a sluggish struggle, as if the air around him had thickened into time freeze.

"You bitch!" Braun snarled, his gaze snapping to Serina, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Where are you looking?" My voice cut through the air like a knife, cold and sharp.

My knees bent as I hold myself charging on the ceiling, black aura rise around me and then I released myself toward him, swirling like a living shadow. My eyes glowed white, predatory and flashing, locked onto my prey.

In the blink of an eye, I descended from above.

Before Braun could react, I was already landed in front of him. He froze, his body rigid, his breath caught in his throat.

I stood still, my back to him, dagger dripping with the blood. Silence filled the space, thick and unbroken, save for the faint crackle of energy dissipating around us.

The room seemed to hold its breath.

Slowly, Braun’s head tilted forward—unnaturally so—as the reality of what had happened caught up with him. His neck, severed cleanly, fell to the ground with a lifeless *thud*.

A heartbeat later, his body followed, collapsing in a heavy heap beside it.

*Thud.*