Alpha found herself unable to move.

Though she had reached the peak of the Greater Devil stage using the rewards bestowed by the ancient inheritance, the gap between her and an actual Archdevil remained massive.

Even the weakest Archdevil was powerful enough to kill her countless times over. She’d never be able to offer any resistance.

This was the situation that Alpha was currently in.

Faced with the descending palm of the Fire Elemental, she could only watch silently as it grew closer.

Neither her body nor her mind could move, as if time itself had paused for her.

Her time of death seemed near, while the lava looked ready to incinerate her very being.

Yet, just as Alpha felt ready to resign herself to such a fate, a streak of red light flashed in the distance.

One moment, it was a crimson dot far into the horizon, but the next, it had descended upon Cobblestone City.

Or rather, it had appeared in the empty space between Alpha and the Fire Elemental.

It was a human figure.

Shrouded in the shadow of the descending palm, this figure looked incomparably small, as if it were a mortal facing a deity.

Yet, they showed no intention of evading.

Gazing towards the sky, they calmly raised their right hand to meet the Fire Elemental’s blow.

A deafening bang followed, causing Alpha’s ears to buzz.

Her vision was blank, and she was unable to see anything.

She could only watch as countless lights flickered in her field of vision, while the temperature reached a terrifyingly high level.

By the time she snapped back to reality, the entire Cobblestone City had been razed to the ground.

Unable to withstand the mere aftermath of the previous confrontation, it was devastated.

Whether it was the buildings, the Elementals, or the Devils residing in it, they were all erased from existence.

Even the Greater Devil, a being who had reached the Indestructible Soul stage and was considered a powerhouse in the Origin Sea, was unable to withstand the impact.

Only a strangled scream escaped their mouth before their vitality was instantly extinguished.

By the time the dust settled, Alpha finally came face-to-face with the newcomer.

With long crimson hair, red eyes, and a familiar aura, who else could it be but Liora?

Sensing the deep connection between the two, a sense of security inexplicably arose in Alpha’s heart.

Yet, as she raised her head and stared at the menacing Fire Elemental who, although stopped, was still very much alive, she couldn’t help but show faint wariness.

Though she had confidence in Liora, Alpha didn’t know if she could defeat the opponent.

Or rather, she didn’t know if she could do so while protecting her.

A trace of unwillingness crossed Alpha’s face.

She had never imagined that there would come a day when she would become a burden to her Lord! Her purpose in life was to help Liora, yet now she had ended up holding her back.

Alpha’s hands subconsciously clenched, her knuckles turning white.

--

Liora did not know Alpha’s thoughts, nor that she was blaming herself not only for being here, but also for holding her back.

Liora looked silently at her opponent.

As her consciousness swept out, she immediately realized that the Fire Elemental was indeed at the Archdevil like Alpha suspected, though it was only at the Creation Stage.

The opponent sensed her gaze and also sized her up.

Although it was unable to pinpoint her exact level of strength, the unfathomable power lurking inside her unassuming body left it wary.

The fact that she was able to easily nullify its earlier blow only further solidified that suspicion.

The Fire Elemental took a deeper, closer look at her.

Then, it snorted arrogantly and turned to leave.

It had already accomplished its goal.

Killing one Greater Devil more was nothing. Destroying Cobblestone City was already enough. It was unwilling to confront an equal opponent at a time like this.

Yet, as soon as the Fire Elemental showed the intention of leaving, Liora moved.

Sinforce emerged from her body and attached to her right arm, creating a sheen of evil energy. It gathered into her palm, and she struck out.

The two were far apart, but her hand ignored space and time, bypassing the distance and landing straight on its torso.

The flames surrounding the Elemental were quickly extinguished.

Liora’s palm struck at its molten body.

A deafening bang echoed, as the lava churned and the body of the Fire Elemental stumbled.

Its towering body was sent flying, its aura fluctuating violently.

It took a lot of effort for it to regain its balance.

By the time it did, its face was a mixture of several emotions: apprehension, fear, and fury.

Still, it forced itself to calm down and stared at its opponent.

"What do you want?", it questioned loudly.

"You must have already sensed the changes in the Demon Layer! Do you really want to be entangled with me at a time like this?"

"I’m warning you: my companions are already near this place. They’ll be able to provide support in just a few moments. Moreover..."

Pausing, the Fire Elemental turned to Alpha, who was trying to escape from the battle scene, and shook its head.

This woman clearly underestimated the power of Archdevils. It only required a thought to incinerate her, regardless of the distance between the two.

"This should be your companion... You don’t want her to die, right?"

"Let me go! There’s no benefit to the two of us clashing."

Elementals were rational after a certain level of strength, with their rationality improving every time they got stronger.

By the time they became Archdevils, their intelligence was already higher than that of an ordinary Devil.

Because of this, the Fire Elemental did not have much fear despite facing a stronger opponent.

Whether it was rationally, because of the lack of benefits and the accompanying danger, or emotionally, because of the fleeing puppet, its enemy would surely choose to retreat.

Unfortunately, it severely underestimated Liora.

Both in regard to her strength, as well as her determination to kill it.

Before it could even finish its last sentence, she had already moved to attack it.