Chapter 46: Alley Clash (Part 2)
“This should be my line, little girl…”
The young woman swung a mighty punch that missed, while the fiery woman’s hand burst into flames, shaking free from the girl’s grip. With a twist of her wrist, she snagged the girl’s right hand and yanked her forward, reaching for the girl’s face to rip off her veil. The girl’s gaze was cold and unfazed; she tilted her head just enough to dodge. When she swung her head back, she managed to clamp down on the woman’s arm with her chin and neck.
“Ha, Flame Order.”
The girl sneered at the woman, her left hand pinned but creating an excellent opportunity for her right. With a simple punch aimed at the woman’s stunning face, the wind rushed past, spreading a chill of frost!
Unable to break free, the woman’s eyes widened. She turned her head as much as possible while the punch grazed her cheek, leaving a trail of crimson scratches like a whip. With a fierce backward lean, she still felt the sting of the girl’s slap against her nose, her head twisting away as frost enveloped her face, forming a delicate layer of frost.
Yet that punch and slap were mere feints; the girl still had energy to spare. Her fingers became claws, lunging at the woman’s chest with a look as vicious as a hungry lion, as if she intended to rip away a huge, jiggly mass of flesh!
A flash of panic crossed the woman’s eyes. Finally wrenching her arm free from the girl’s chin, she released the girl’s wrist too. Flames erupted at her feet as she jumped back several meters, narrowly avoiding the girl’s savage clawing, but one of her leather armor buttons was torn off, her collar busting open to reveal even more squishy flesh, wobbling as if it could swallow a whole head.
The girl stared at the scene, seemingly angrier with every second, her eyes bulging.
“Sister!”
In the brief and intense scuffle—lasted less than ten seconds—the little girl who had fallen had just pulled herself up. Frantically, she called out, her face a mix of confusion and alarm. The red-haired woman exhaled deeply, placing a hand gently over her chest, glancing casually at the girl, who promptly shut up, covering her mouth and standing still, afraid to speak.
“Frost…”
It seemed the woman had no plans for the little girl after all; she smiled at the young woman instead. “A girl from the Valen Empire? Winter Moon Royal Family… Why haven’t I seen you before? I’ve never heard of a girl from Winter Moon who can fight like you. What’s your name? Who’s your father? What brings you to this place?”
“I’m not from Winter Moon.”
The girl quickly denied it. Yet the woman chuckled, her laughter jarring. She pointed to her own head: “Do you think I’m some clueless Eastern Continent peasant? Darling, your hair color has already revealed your identity!”
At that, the girl’s eyes widened in shock; she hurriedly felt her head and found her scarf askew, her black hair spilling out from under the white cloth. Pouting slightly, she fluffed her scarf back into place and decided to say nothing.
The Valen Empire Royal Family?
Winter Moon?
As the dust in the alley gradually settled, the nearby Emil, still sitting on the ground, overheard their conversation. As his mind started to function again, he found himself bewildered.
Emil wasn’t some ignorant Eastern peasant; he had heard of Winter Moon. Many years ago, he even traveled to the Empire with smugglers, catching a distant glimpse of the Winter Moon’s war chariots in the vast city that had perpetual winter snow.
What a joke…
Why is the little princess of Winter Moon here…
And who the heck is that fiery red-haired woman…
How am I stuck in this mess…
Emil felt like he was going to lose it.
“I thought you two little girls were in trouble, so I couldn’t just stand by and decided to help…”
Amidst the chaos, he saw the woman flip her ponytail, still smiling at the girl. “Who would’ve thought I’d witness such an amusing scene? So, you little rascal, do you want to join in on the fun here? Isn’t Winter Moon worried that the fire in their backyard isn’t burning hot enough?”
“…What’s going on here?”
“Stop playing dumb.”
“And you? What are you after?”
“Ha.”
The two continued to confront each other in the dirty alley, their short dialogue causing Emil to sweat cold bullets.
His mind was a mess of emotions; he could tell something big was about to happen, far beyond anything he could handle. Otherwise, why would such powerful and noble figures travel miles to this rundown place?
He couldn’t fathom what could possibly occur in such a dreadful area. Right now, Emil knew one thing for sure: he couldn’t keep listening…
Otherwise, he’d be dead for sure.
Someone as insignificant as him, surviving for years on the edge of a kn*fe, understood that knowing too much could lead to a quick demise—like a dog slaughtered in the wilderness.
The only way to survive was to sneak away when the two were distracted, escaping unnoticed and never letting them find him again…
“Sister! Sister!”
Suddenly, the little girl pointed at the woman, shouting, “I remember! It’s her! The red-haired woman I told you about—she’s the one!”
Her bright and nervous shout startled Emil, causing him to flinch. While he was dazed, he heard the girl say, “You are the Pope Knight?”
“Oh~”
The woman’s voice lifted as if she were genuinely intrigued. “Aren’t you the same?”
What…
With a ‘boom,’ as Emil grasped what they were saying, he felt his head was about to explode.
Pope Knight…
Of course, that’s what this was…
They are the Pope Knights!!!
Suddenly realizing the unbelievable power of these two beings, he felt a tremor sweep through him, from head to toe, and all he wanted was to vanish right there and then, to disappear from their sight.
d*mn it…
What is going on…
Why am I stuck in this bizarre place, facing such powerful Pope Knights…
His mouth was dry, his head buzzing with noise, leaving him unable to think. Vaguely, he heard the woman say something, the atmosphere turning thick with tension, and then—whoosh! The woman’s right hand made a sweeping motion, conjuring a flame whip that she flung towards the girl.
The girl sidestepped, advancing rather than retreating, and once more, the sounds of their clash erupted in the alley!
Boom! Boom! Boom—
Dust exploded again, leaving Emil’s ears ringing as he couldn’t make sense of the chaos. In the haze, he became aware that the woman had been knocked away after several exchanges, crashing against a partially collapsed wall, bits of dirt raining down, while the girl charged forward, pursuing her relentless attack.
Right now…
It seemed neither of them could care less about him.
