Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 162

Chapter 162: Seraphine vs Braun ( ll )

The air was heavy with tension as Braun and Seraphine stood facing each other in the center of the chaos-ridden arena. The big body of Braun, his muscles bulging grotesquely, was like a living mountain of rage. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Seraphine, gleaming with intense fury.

In the opposite, Seraphine’s stance was steady, her blade held firmly before her, but her eyes carried a hint of uncertainty.

“Seraphine…” I muttered, stealing a glance at her as I dodged a reckless swing from one of the bandits. Her form was tense, yet there was something about the way she stood—something resistant against the battle she is facing.

“Are you ready to die, girl?” Braun growled, his voice a deep that seemed to shake the ground beneath him. “I’ll crush you into nothingness for Master Darius!”

Seraphine didn’t flinch. She raised her sword higher, the tip steady as it pointed toward Braun. “You talk too much,” she said coldly.

Braun roared, his anger spilling over. Without warning, he launched himself at her, the sheer weight of his body leaving cracks in the arena floor as he moved.

Seraphine darted to the side just in time, her sword slicing through the air as she countered. But Braun’s reflexes, amplified by the drugs coursing through his veins, were faster than she anticipated. He blocked her blade with his massive arm, the impact reverberating through the arena.

I leaped into the fray with the Queen, the two of us cutting through waves of bandits as the chaos around us grew. The crowd was screaming, fleeing in all directions, while the knights worked tirelessly to guide the children and remaining civilians to safety.

“Don’t die before I kill you, Zero!” the Queen barked at me as her sword cleaved through another attacker.

“Don’t worry about me, Miss Queen,” I replied, smirking as I parried a blow aimed at her side. “I’m just warming up.”

Her scowl deepened, but she didn’t have time to respond as another wave of bandits descended upon us.

Back in the center of the arena, Seraphine was struggling. Braun’s brute strength was overwhelming, and each of his attacks forced her further back. Her breathing was labored, her movements becoming slower. Finally, a powerful strike from Braun sent her flying, her sword skidding across the ground as she landed with a painful thud.

Braun laughed maniacally, his voice echoing. “Is that all? You’re pathetic! You should’ve stayed hidden like the coward you are!”

Seraphine’s trembling hands pressed against the ground as she tried to push herself up. She coughed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes flickered toward her sword, lying several feet away.

“Get up, Seraphine!” I yelled, my voice carrying over the chaos. “You’re stronger than this! Don’t let that oversized brute beat you!”

She froze for a moment, my words cutting through her haze of pain. Slowly, she raised her head, her eyes locking onto Braun’s with a newfound determination.

“I am not….done yet…” She said and the ground beneath her feet began to tremble. A faint blue light surrounded her, growing brighter with each passing second.

“What… what is this?” Braun muttered, his laughter dying in his throat.

Darius, who had been watching from the sidelines, went pale. “No… it can’t be…” he whispered, his voice trembling. “That aura… it’s just like her father’s…”

Seraphine rose to her feet, the blue aura swirling around her like flames. Her once-shaky stance was now unyielding, her eyes sharp and filled with purpose. She extended her hand, and her sword flew to her grip as if called by her sheer will.

“You wanted to kill me, didn’t you?” she said, her voice calm but icy. “Come and try.”

Braun roared again, charging at her with reckless abandon. But this time, Seraphine was ready. She moved with blinding speed, her sword slicing through the air with precision. Each of Braun’s attacks was met with a calculated counter, her movements fluid and unrelenting.

The tide of the battle had shifted.

Seraphine’s blade found its mark again and again, slashing through Braun’s defenses and leaving deep gashes across his monstrous frame. With every strike, her aura burned brighter, until it engulfed her completely.

Braun roared in frustration, his attacks growing wilder as he began to lose himself in his rage. “I’ll destroy you!” he bellowed, his body swelling unnaturally as if he were about to explode.

“No, you won’t,” Seraphine said, her voice steady.

With one final, powerful swing, her blade sliced through Braun’s neck, severing his head from his body in a clean cut.

Braun’s body froze, his grotesque form trembling before collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash. His aura flickered once before fading into nothingness.

Seraphine stood over his fallen body, her own form trembling as the blue aura around her began to fade. She was bleeding, her breaths shallow and labored, but she remained standing.

“I did it…” she whispered, coughing violently. Blood dripped from her wounds, but there was a faint smile on her lips.

Darius, who had been watching the entire fight, began to back away, his face pale with fear. “This… this wasn’t supposed to happen…” he muttered, turning to flee.

But before he could take more than a few steps, I appeared in front of him, cutting off his escape.

“And where do you think you’re going?” I asked, smirking as I cracked my knuckles.

Darius stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet. “Stay away from me!” he cried, his voice filled with panic.

“Not a chance,” I said, sticking my foot firmly in his chest and kicking him with enough force to send him flying. He landed with a loud thud in the center of the arena, groaning in pain.

The remaining bandits, seeing their leader brought low, began to lose their will to fight. But one, filled with desperation, lunged at me from behind.

Without even turning around, I spun and delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him crumpling to the ground.

The chaos in the arena was finally beginning to die down, but the battle was far from over.

Seraphine staggered, her body trembling from exhaustion. Blood trickled from her wounds, staining her white sweater dress and tored denim shorts. She pressed a hand against her abdomen, wincing at the pain but refusing to crumble. Her breaths were shallow, yet determination burned in her eyes.

“I… did it…” she muttered, her voice weak and barely audible. A groan escaped her lips as she tried to steady herself. “I won against Braun…”

Her words hung in the air, but there was no trace of satisfaction in her tone. Instead, there was a hollowness—an emptiness that settled deep within her. Seraphine stood there, motionless, her gaze dropping to the blood staining her stomach. Her fingers instinctively brushed over the wound as her mind drifted elsewhere, lost in thoughts unspoken.

After a moment, she shook herself free of the daze, dusting off her trembling hands.

*Gulps*

Swallowing hard, she raised her head and fixed her gaze on Darius, who lay crumpled in the center of the arena.

Her steps were slow, almost hesitant, as she stumbled forward. Each step of her was slow, her body swaying under the weight of her injuries.

Darius’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched her approach. His mouth opened, but no words came out. Fear and guilt etched themselves into his face as he scrambled to process what he was seeing.

“Seraphine…” he muttered, his voice trembling, barely louder than a whisper.

She stopped a few paces away, her shadow looming over his body. Seraphine’s chest heaved, her breathing ragged as she stood tall. Her eyes met Darius’s

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words.

“Ohho, we have a turn of events here,” I said, a smirk curling my lips as I drove my fist into the face of the bandit sprawled on the ground. His body slumped motionless as I stood, cracking my knuckles, my attention now drawn to Seraphine and the tense scene unfolding.

Seraphine stood a few paces away, her sword trembling in her grip as she faced Darius. The gleam of the blade caught the light. Darius, on his knees, cowered before her, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

“She shouldn’t do that,” the Queen muttered beside me, her gaze locked on Seraphine.

I glanced at her, my tone sharp. “Why not?”

The Queen’s expression hardened as she straightened. “She’ll kill him.”

“So?” I asked, tilting my head slightly, my voice calm yet edged with defiance.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t waver. “I don’t know about you, but that’s wrong.”

I chuckled dryly, shaking my head as I turned my gaze back to Seraphine. She was still standing, the blade steadying as she took a step closer to Darius, her intent clear. “Wrong? She’s doing her rightful duty, both as a knight and as a….daughter.”

The Queen turned to me, her eyes narrowing, meeting my stare with the same intensity I gave her. “Rightful? Duty? There’s no honor in cold-blooded revenge.”

“And there’s no peace in letting a snake live to bite again,” I shot back, my voice low and heavy, each word laced with conviction.

The air between us grew thick with tension, but I didn’t look away. The Queen’s glare bore into mine, her jaw tight, but she didn’t respond.

We both turned our attention back to Seraphine, who stood over Darius like a shadow, while I simply watched, curious to see what Seraphine would decide.