Majory had no idea Gap had sold him out. Even if Gap hadn’t betrayed him, Majory was already planning to sell Gap out himself.

Enhanced by the magic array deployed across Aetron County, he felt a powerful force gathering within his body. Majory channeled it into a psychic shockwave and unleashed it. A massive, invisible sphere of mental energy slammed straight into Alicia’s Barrier.

The nearly solid psychic ripple drained all life from the earth around Majory. Yet what happened next left him utterly stunned.

Alicia’s Barrier didn’t budge under such a terrifying assault. Honestly, Majory was baffled. The gap between reality and his expectations made him doubt everything.

Had the Barrier not covered all of Aetron County? Had the enemy focused solely on his area? But reports from his clansmen insisted the Barrier’s strength was uniform everywhere!

Majory’s head spun. Worse, he had even less time to think. Clansmen’s feedback revealed an enemy closing in at terrifying speed, wiping out every Soulspirit Race member in their path. Ignoring his own condition, Majory activated the Yuan Technique array again. He fired another shockwave of the same scale toward the approaching threat.

The enemy didn’t dodge. Like a Red Leopard charging straight ahead, they collided head-on with his psychic blast.

"Fool," Majory thought. "One hit from this, and you’ll vanish—body and soul."

But what happened next shattered his understanding again. The figure who should’ve disintegrated seemed to have just passed by him. Majory felt like part of his body was missing. He looked down slowly. His lower half had been severed cleanly, drifting downward.

Straining to turn his head toward the attacker, Majory saw a sword aura blaze like sunlight.

"Done."

Watching Majory turn to ashes, Larry sighed in relief. He was about to tell Alicia to drop the Barrier when he noticed the remaining Soulspirit Race members acting strangely. After their leader’s death, they stood frozen like puppets.

A powerful updraft surged. The Soulspirit Race members collapsed one by one like harvested wheat. Larry couldn’t see it, but his senses caught invisible strands of spiritual energy rising from their bodies. They swirled in the vortex, flowing toward one destination—Alicia’s location.

Larry sucked in a sharp breath. He shot toward Alicia like an arrow released from a fully drawn bow.

...

Alicia had already sensed the anomaly. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead. The enemy’s focus had shifted entirely to her.

"Stubborn little lady," Mitchell said gently. "Still not withdrawing your power? That useless fool let the enemy through."

"Withdrawing now would ruin everything!" Alicia forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. She stared at the forming giant phantom. She’d never heard of the Soulspirit Race pulling off something like this.

The colossal phantom was Majory’s doing—a forbidden Soulspirit Race technique. He’d sacrificed almost his entire clan to create it. Towering over tiny Alicia, he rumbled, "Such an honor for a small fry like me to draw an S Rank Adventurer."

Alicia’s smile turned even uglier. "Yeah. I feel the same."

"But you’ve poured so much strength into this Barrier. How much can you spare to fight me now?" The phantom didn’t attack immediately. It bargained: "I was manipulated by Danka Kingdom’s King Gap. Lift the Barrier, spare my life, and I swear I won’t harm you."

Alicia frowned slightly, weighing his words.

"Don’t stall," Majory growled, his patience thin. He raised a massive claw to crush her.

"Fine." Alicia sighed, as if deciding. Majory hesitated, hopeful.

"I refuse!" Alicia suddenly yelled. She steered Mitchell away at full speed. Without flight gear, she relied on Yuan Technique flight—slower and clumsier.

"You dare trick me?!" Majory roared in shame and fury. His huge strides covered ground faster than Alicia’s hundred steps. He swung his claw to swat her down.

But before it landed, searing pain shot through his palm. His movement froze. He could only watch as Alicia slipped from under his grasp.

Majory bellowed in rage. The sound wave carried crushing spiritual force. Alicia’s head throbbed under the assault.

"Shut your trap!" she snapped. "Think you’re the only one who can roar? If I hadn’t needed to cage you first, you’d be my pet dog by now!"

"Focus, stubborn lady!" Mitchell’s urgent voice snapped her back. A giant shadow covered her—Majory’s descending palm.

*Tch.* At this speed, dodging was impossible. Did she have to drop the Barrier after all? Alicia glared bitterly. She knew Majory would flee the moment it fell.

Just as she prepared to release the Barrier, a broad figure shielded her. Majory’s palm disintegrated under Larry’s sword flash before it could strike.

"What do you think you’re doing to Alicia?!" Larry’s icy voice cut through the air, clear and sharp. Its killing intent made Majory shiver.

No explanation. No mercy. A sword beam extended from Larry’s blade, splitting the giant Majory cleanly in half.

Majory’s dying wail faded. He was truly gone this time. No surprises.

"Whew. My little bro never fails to show up when big sis is in trouble." Alicia relaxed, patting Larry’s shoulder.

Larry spun around abruptly. He gripped her shoulders tightly, scanning her with frantic worry. "Are you hurt? Where are you injured?"

"I’m fine—"

"Sorry I’m late. Let me check—"

Too focused on her safety, Larry forgot Alicia’s current gender. His hands roamed over her body. Slowly, his touch turned suggestive. His expression grew lecherous.

Alicia: (╬ Ò﹏Ó)

"LISTEN TO ME!" Her uppercut sent Larry flying. As he fell, a straight punch to his gut slammed him into a tree ten meters away. "Don’t use ‘concern’ as an excuse to grope me!"