Ch.369Side Story 1 – Southern Continent Travelogue (24)

The red moon hanging in the night sky emitted an eerie radiance, and the Red Moon Clan’s headquarters had already transformed into a battlefield.

BOOM!

An explosion tore through the night sky.

Blazing red flames devoured the building walls as they collapsed.

Piercing screams and the sharp friction of clashing metal spread from all directions.

CRASH—!

The Red Moon Clan was under attack by the Blood Wolf Clan, the Shadow Fang Clan, and the Phantom Clan.

Though different organizations, they were united in this moment.

Men who had joined hands to claim the women of the Red Moon Clan.

“Push them back! Don’t retreat a single step!”

Merin shouted sharply.

Each swing of her sword left a red trajectory cutting through the air, felling enemies.

Beside her, members of the Red Moon Clan fought with the resolve to die.

However.

The enemies were strong.

The Blood Wolf Clan charged with ferocious strength and cruelty, while the Shadow Fang Clan unleashed quick and deadly attacks like shadows of the night.

Moreover, the Phantom Clan was even more threatening.

They possessed stealthy infiltration abilities and had already penetrated deep into the headquarters, causing chaos.

“Ugh!!”

A Red Moon Clan member fell to his knees with a scream.

A Shadow Fang member appeared like a shadow and slit his throat.

“Don’t give up! Fight back!”

Alicia drew her sword.

In this moment, she thought of nothing else.

She erased from her mind everything about the first man she had ever liked leaving her without a word and her curiosity about where he might have gone.

Only one thing mattered to her now:

Defeating the enemy before her.

“Haaah!”

Alicia spun nimbly and swung her sword.

A Shadow Fang member tried to dodge with agile movements, but she moved one step faster.

Thwack—

The tip of her blade pierced the opponent’s neck precisely.

As the Shadow Fang member fell, Alicia immediately surveyed her surroundings.

Just then.

“Hahaha! Don’t kill the pretty ones from the Red Moon Clan!”

A rough shout from the Blood Wolf Clan echoed from afar.

Alicia maintained her composure and looked around again.

In the blazing red flames, the Red Moon Clan and the invaders were locked in a desperate battle.

The enemies were numerous, and the battle was turning unfavorable.

To make matters worse, an imposing figure appeared among the enemy ranks.

She gritted her teeth.

“…Kirdo.”

The leader of the Blood Wolf Clan.

His red armor gleamed like blood in the moonlight, and he held a massive greatsword in one hand with a smirk on his face.

Around him lay the bodies of fallen Red Moon Clan members, but he paid them no mind.

“The women of the Red Moon Clan are quite tough.”

Kirdo laughed deeply.

Then, his eyes caught sight of Alicia.

“Alicia!”

Alicia also glared at Kirdo, gripping her sword lightly.

The battlefield stained with blood was still chaos incarnate, but now only one person entered her field of vision.

“It’s been a while.”

With his massive build and deep red armor, Kirdo looked down at Alicia with a beast-like low laugh and slowly raised his greatsword.

Even that movement alone created a heavy, intense wind.

“Indeed, you’re too precious to kill.”

“…What do you mean?”

Kirdo took a step closer and spoke leisurely.

“If you share my bed every night, I’ll take responsibility and spare your life.”

“You’re insane.”

“If I had intended to kill you, your head would already be rolling on the ground.”

Then, Alicia spoke firmly and quietly.

“…My heart already belongs to one man.”

At that moment, Kirdo’s gaze turned cold.

“Is that so? Then I have no choice but to take you by force.”

Kirdo’s massive sword vanished in an instant.

Whoosh—!

Before she could even blink, Alicia’s instincts moved her.

CRASH!!

A tremendous impact split the ground.

Kirdo’s greatsword struck where Alicia had been standing, creating massive cracks that spread across the floor.

If she had taken that blow directly, her body would have been cut in two.

However, she had quickly twisted her body to avoid it.

“Oh, your reflexes are impressive.”

As Kirdo took a step forward, Alicia readjusted her grip on her sword.

This time, she moved first.

Tap!

Alicia’s foot lightly kicked off the ground, and in an instant, she dove into Kirdo’s embrace.

Swish!

A sharp sword strike aimed at Kirdo’s neck.

But—

Clang!

Kirdo swung his greatsword with one hand, deflecting Alicia’s blade.

It was tremendous strength.

Yet she didn’t back down.

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Alicia’s sword was as flexible as the wind and simultaneously fierce.

Even when deflected once, she dove back in, gradually eroding Kirdo’s defenses.

Soon, sweat began to form on his forehead.

“Ha! This is fun.”

Just then, she sensed a murderous intent from behind.

As Alicia reflexively turned her head, she saw two men in her field of vision.

One was Alkan, the leader of the Shadow Fang Clan, wearing a black cloak and leather armor.

The other was Walter, with a pale face and a nimble sword.

He was likewise the leader of the Phantom Clan.

They smiled contentedly amidst the bloody stench of the battlefield.

“Kirdo, don’t be greedy.”

As Alkan approached slowly, Walter also showed a sinister gaze.

“She’s too tempting a woman for you to have all to yourself.”

It was already challenging enough to face Kirdo alone, and now Alkan and Walter had joined the fight.

The situation was turning unfavorable for Alicia, but her gaze remained unwavering.

Even if she were to die here, it would be a choice she wouldn’t regret.

Crash!

Kirdo moved first.

His massive greatsword cut through the air, and Alicia twisted her body to the side to avoid it while swiftly swinging her sword.

Clash!

Though she reacted quickly, Kirdo’s strength overwhelmed Alicia.

The weight pressing down each time their swords clashed was tremendous.

She lost her balance for a moment but quickly knelt down, kicked off the floor, and retreated.

Swish—

At that moment, another sword appeared like a shadow, targeting Alicia.

It was Alkan.

He was fast and sharp.

His movements were like living and breathing within the shadows.

She deflected his sword with a swing, but another sword fell from the air, aiming for her neck.

Swoosh!

Walter’s sword was silent.

It flew at her without the slightest hint of presence.

Alicia instinctively ducked and rolled across the floor to avoid it, the blade grazing a few strands of her hair as it passed.

Clash!

“Haa… haa…”

Alicia caught her breath roughly and readjusted her stance.

Now she was completely surrounded.

Kirdo held his massive sword high, Alkan charged from behind her, and Walter was watching for an opening from the side.

Their swordsmanship differed from each other, but combined, they formed a perfect formation.

‘Damn it.’

Alicia gritted her teeth.

Swish—!

Alkan’s sword swung low at waist height.

Alicia jumped to avoid the sword and rotated her body in mid-air.

Simultaneously, her sword grazed Alkan’s shoulder.

Swoosh—

Blood scattered.

But at that moment, Kirdo’s greatsword came down vertically toward Alicia.

CRASH!

A tremendous impact tore through the ground.

Alicia barely managed to twist her body to avoid it, but an intense pain shot up her waist.

“…Ugh!”

Kirdo’s sword had pierced her waist, and droplets of blood fell to the ground.

When she hastily placed her hand on her waist, warm blood flowed between her fingers.

“Now it ends!”

Walter, seizing the opportunity, swung his sword at Alicia’s face.

This was unavoidable.

Her body staggered, and her vision blurred.

As the sword drew closer and closer, facing death—

“…!”

A strong hand grabbed her shoulder from somewhere, and her body was suddenly pulled backward.

“…Lord Cassian.”

Swish.

Simultaneously, Walter’s sword cut something.

It was a mask worn by a man.

Crack—

The mask quietly split in half and fell to the floor.

“…Who are you?”

Kirdo, Alkan, and Walter.

All three looked at him with tense gazes.

A man who had appeared without making the slightest sound even in the midst of battle.

Suddenly appearing, shielding Alicia.

“…Seeing my face means, in the end, I’ll have to kill everyone here.”

Kirdo, holding the massive greatsword in one hand, slowly stepped forward.

Thud—!

Though he had merely taken a step, it sounded as if the earth was being crushed.

“…Reveal your identity.”

The man shone with a silver light even in the dark shadows.

And his silver eyes, coldly sinking, wrapped the battlefield in a quiet stillness.

“Me?”

In that moment, all eyes on the battlefield focused on him.

The man tilted his head slightly and looked at Kirdo.

Without batting an eyelid, with an attitude of indifference.

And looking at the bodies of Red Moon Clan members strewn across the floor, he continued with a bitter smile.

“Selden Alphonse, the greatest scoundrel of the Eastern Continent.”