CHAPTER 444: CHAPTER 442: GET LOST!

Vireya moved with grace and power, her legs striking like whips as she kicked Alexa hard in the stomach, the force so strong that Alexa flew backward, her body skidding across the wooden floor with a painful grunt, scraping past crates and debris until she hit the edge of the ship with a thud.

Her breath caught, pain blooming in her ribs, but just as she was about to fall overboard, her hand shot out and grabbed the railing tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She hung there for a second, the ocean below crashing like thunder but her sharp eyes never left Vireya, who was already approaching with slow, confident steps, her lips curled in a smirk.

Still gripping the railing with one hand, she twisted her body sideways just in time as a sneaky attacker from behind lunged at her with a dagger.

Without even looking fully, Alexa grabbed one of her twin swords that was nearby on the deck and thrust it backward with a sharp flick of her arm — the blade piercing clean through the attacker’s knee.

The enemy screamed and dropped the blade, and Alexa yanked her sword free, spun her body upward and rolled across the deck as Vireya’s whip came flying toward her head.

The whip snapped against the ground where Alexa had been just a second before, splintering wood with its sharp edge.

Alexa landed on her feet, sliding backward and in one smooth motion grabbed her second sword, spinning them both in her hands. She wiped the blood off her lip with her thumb and glared at Vireya, her chest rising and falling fast from the effort.

"So... the rumors are true," Vireya said with narrowed eyes, coiling her whip back to her side, watching Alexa with a little more respect now. "The curse is lifted."

Alexa chuckled under her breath, even as blood stained the edge of her sleeve. "You’re only figuring that out now?" she said, stepping forward slowly, her twin blades glowing faintly with heat. "Should’ve paid attention, Vireya. I’m not the same girl your guild mocked last year."

Vireya’s smirk faded slightly, her stance adjusting.

Alexa’s blades gleamed.

Vireya’s whip tensed.

Vireya’s arm snapped forward, and her whip came flying like a fast snake, aiming for Alexa’s neck, but Alexa stepped aside quickly and brought up one of her swords, slicing the air and hitting the whip just enough to redirect it. The whip cracked loud, and the floorboards split where it landed.

Alexa ran forward, closing the distance. She knew she had to fight close — the whip was dangerous at range.

Vireya didn’t panic. She stepped back, spinning her body and snapping her whip in wide circles, trying to keep Alexa away. But Alexa ducked under one whip and blocked the second with both swords crossed above her head. The force pushed her down to one knee, but she was still holding on.

"Fast," Vireya muttered, pulling the whip back and jumping onto a crate. From above, she lashed again — this time, the whip aimed at Alexa’s legs.

Alexa leaped, twisting in the air as the whip tore through her jacket but missed flesh. She landed behind the crate, rolled forward, and came up swinging one of her swords low, aiming at Vireya’s ankle.

The blade almost hit, but Vireya jumped back, her whip spinning as she countered. It wrapped around Alexa’s sword and pulled.

Alexa gritted her teeth. She held tight, used her second sword to strike at the whip, and broke it free. Metal clashed with leather. Sparks flew.

Now they were close again.

Alexa rushed in, her twin swords cutting in fast X-shapes. Vireya stepped back, blocking one with her whip handle, dodging another, but one cut grazed her side. She hissed.

"You scratched me," she said, annoyed.

"You’re lucky it’s just that," Alexa replied, spinning again and swinging her left sword upward. Vireya bent low, dropped to the floor, and kicked Alexa’s knee.

Alexa stumbled, but didn’t fall. She stabbed both swords down, forcing Vireya to roll away, barely dodging the strike.

They both stood again, breathing hard, eyes sharp.

"You fight better than last year," Vireya admitted, sweat on her brow. Her whip now hung at her side.

Just as Alexa and Vireya circled one another again, their weapons raised and eyes burning with tension, a loud whoosh from above made both of them turn their heads instinctively. From the sky, like falling comets, came two flaming figures — one wrapped in red fire, the other in thick black armor.

BOOM!

The deck cracked beneath the weight as Seoha and Derrick landed hard, their weapons already clashing before their feet even settled.

"Sorry Girls!" Seoha grinned wildly, spinning her flaming greatsword to block Derrick’s sword mid-swing. The force sent sparks flying in every direction.

Alexa and Vireya both jumped to the side, avoiding the burst of heat and energy that rippled across the ship’s deck. They didn’t speak — just exchanged a brief glance and silently agreed to move their fight elsewhere.

They darted to the opposite side of the ship, blades and whip once again drawn, but before their weapons could clash again—

Thud!

A sharp gust of wind followed a blur landing on the same deck — a tall man with long tied-back black hair, wearing a deep red and white coat. His build was solid, The crest of Iron Blades Union, a rising guild from the western continent, shimmered on his shoulder. This was Guildmaster Roderick,

a well-known combatant in his thirties.

He cracked his knuckles and smirked, eyes on both Alexa and Vireya.

"Two guildmasters in one place... lucky me," he muttered, drawing two short sabers. "Let’s see which one bleeds first."

Alexa and Vireya both readied their stances again, wary now of this new third threat.

But—

CRASH!

A sudden roar echoed from above, and a new figure dropped like a boulder.

Kang Daewon of Eternal Return Guild of Korea, The top 2.

With a smirk that stretched across his face, the man in dark armor and fur-lined coat landed between Roderick and the two women, his twin warhammers already swinging into the ground hard enough to split the deck with a loud boom.

The impact sent Roderick sliding back a few steps.

Daewon raised one brow and said with a mocking grin, "Hey. Don’t you know not to ruin a good girl fight?" He laughed. "What are you, gay?"

Roderick narrowed his eyes but didn’t reply. When Daewon stomped forward, shoulders loose like he was going for a morning jog, Roderick scoffed and flipped back, leaping to a nearby ship with ease.

"Tch. Not worth the mess," Roderick muttered as he retreated.

Daewon dusted off his hammer handles, then turned to the two stunned women. With a playful wink at Alexa, he grinned, "No one’s bothering you two now. Go on — enjoy yourselves."

Then, turning to the side, he gave a teasing side-eye and added, "Though honestly... with all that eye contact and dramatic tension, are you two fighting or flirting? Real yuri energy right there."

Alexa blushed slightly, scowling as she pointed her sword at him. "Get lost, Daewon!"

Vireya snorted a laugh, flipping her whip back into ready position. "We’ll fight first. You can ship us later."

Daewon chuckled, leaping away to find his own battle.