The moment Sulien imagined this female dying and Edric being ruined along with her, he grew almost giddy with excitement. While listening to them casually discuss killing her, Emma reached into her storage band and took out the black crystal Drake had given her. When Drake had handed it over, he had said it contained something special. If she shattered it using mental power, it would release an energy burst equal to Rank 11. Anyone below Rank 11—whether therian, Chitinid, or beast—would not survive it. She had thought she would never need something like this in her entire life. Yet here she was. Facing Sulien's twisted, cruel, violet-black gaze, Emma felt nothing but disgust. Her Edric looked a thousand times better than this monster."I don't know if I'm dying today," she said, "but you're definitely dying." She tightened her grip on the black crystal and prepared to crush it with her mental power—when a phoenix's cry split the sky. A colossal fire phoenix tore through the air, its wings trailing blazing heat that warped the entire space. It carried pressure so overwhelming that the atmosphere itself shook. Both were Rank 10. But before Lucien, Sulien didn't even have the chance to fight back. He was burned to ash by Phoenix Trueflame in the blink of an eye. Once Sulien died, Emma didn't hesitate. She grabbed Corvin and the surviving alliance staff and charged the remaining Ophidians. The strongest of them now was only Rank 8, with one Rank 7 trailing behind. The rest were Rank 5 and 6. Corvin alone was enough to handle the Rank 8 and Rank 7. Emma seized the female who had been standing on Sulien's head."You can't kill me!" the woman screamed. "I am a female of the Violet Obsidian Clan! I share ancestry with Edric! If you kill me, the Violet Obsidian Clan will not spare you!" A threat? Emma sneered, "So?" She was not afraid of threats. "I'd actually like to see how your clan plans to 'not spare me' once you're dead." Her blade sliced across the woman's throat. Blood sprayed, hot and foul, splashing across Emma's face. She wiped it off, frowning—some therians really did smell just as foul as beasts when they bled. Emma had decided to kill her the moment she heard her order Emma's death and talk about ruining Edric. Letting an Ophidian like this live would be nothing but a future disaster. Corvin finished off the remaining Ophidians and hurried to Emma's side. Seeing blood on her face, he nearly panicked. "Ms. Tibarn—are you hurt?"Emma shook her head. "Not mine. Hers." She pointed at the lifeless corpse on the ground. Corvin looked at the dead woman with deep disgust. "A venomous female like that deserved worse." Males could not kill females. But female versus female was not regulated by the Beast God—just like male-to-male combat wasn't either. As long as Emma was unharmed, Corvin could breathe again. When everything was over, Emma finally remembered the phoenix who had helped. She looked around to thank it—only to find it was already gone. But there were too many injured alliance staff to look for it now. She and Corvin needed to get them to the hospital immediately. The injuries were severe, but the Empire's medical technology was advanced. Limbs could be regenerated. It would take time, but they would recover—as long as they survived.But the ten-some workers who had died... they would never come back. By the time Emma and Corvin returned from the hospital, night had already fallen. The remaining uninjured staff were working to repair what could be repaired. Where the alliance had once been lush and bustling, there now lay almost nothing but wreckage. Emma's heart sank as she remembered the workers who had died. Sensing her mood dip, Corvin gently took her hand. "Ms. Tibarn, we'll restore everything soon. They didn't get away with any of our beasts. We lost some plants, but we can gather more and replant. I'll have the lab send my mecha and warship here tomorrow. Next time, even if a Rank 11 comes, we'll be ready." We will never be this helpless again. That day had come without warning, but the powerlessness of being unable to retaliate burned Corvin to the bone. He had initially thought they were here just to take supplies. Edric had even said to give them what they wanted for now to avoid conflict.But they hadn't only come to rob—they'd come to kill. "Corvin, I'm okay."