Standing in front of the Chimera's body, which was composed of parts from many different animals, Liora had many options to choose from.

Or rather, she possessed many abilities that she could activate to strike at the beast.

Among them, the one she would normally activate was Spear of the Blighted Sun.

Not only was this her strongest offensive ability at the moment, but the holy power accompanying it dealt extra damage to creatures related to darkness and evil.

The Chimera, being a mindless beast with an urge to devour living beings, was also included in these creatures.

"But the holy power of the Spear of the Blighted Sun is extremely obvious to all. Everyone will regard me as a member of the Holy Church if it were to appear."

"This goes against my plan of coming into contact with the Duchess.", Liora analyzed.

With that in mind, she instead chose to use one of the Knight skills she had learned over the past week.

Immediately, her Life Force poured into her hands and flowed out, taking a material form.

Bit by bit, a massive halberd surrounded by red, scorching flames was created within her hands.

The halberd was truly big, taller than her own height.

Yet, Liora was able to wield it easily, despite looking like an ordinary person carrying a mountain.

Clasping it with her two hands, she raised it above her head before bringing it down with all her strength, aiming at the Chimera's torso.

The Chimera had no time to react.

Before it could even understand how its prey had approached it, the flaming halberd had already arrived near its lizard scales.

Just when it seemed that it would embed into them, though, a loud roar filled with pain echoed.

It didn't only sound in the plain and Hope City.

Instead, it spread even further, reaching the Ancient Beast Wilderness and the cities surrounding the border.

This roar didn't stem from the Chimera but from the Ape Beast that Duchess Lobelia was fighting.

When Liora expanded her consciousness and investigated further, she discovered that the current state of the Ape Beast was embarrassing.

Riddled with holes, it looked like a hedgehog whose spines had been removed.

At the same time, its right arm was missing, cleanly cut from the shoulder down.

The blood dripping from the Duchess's spear made the reason behind the Ape Beast's injuries clear.

Seemingly understanding that its wounds would only place it at a bigger disadvantage, the Ape Beast chose to escape.

It no longer cared about Hope City.

Its right foot slammed on the ground and created a crater while pushing it forward.

Though the Duchess wanted to chase after the ape and completely kill it, she unfortunately couldn't.

Not only was the Ape Beast's speed surprisingly quick, but its inherently strong defense still remained.

Not even paying attention to the Duchess's attacks, the beast continued running forward, soon escaping into the Ancient Beast Wilderness.

Seeing this, Duchess Lobelia stopped giving chase. She was unwilling to take a risk and enter the beasts' habitat.

After a bit of thinking, she turned around and rushed in Liora's direction.

Her actions immediately caught Liora's attention, who immediately guessed what the Duchess was thinking.

With that in mind, the strength she poured into the flaming halberd decreased, and her grip on its handle relaxed.

Still, when the halberd's rugged yet sharp edge landed on the Chimera's scales, it sliced straight through them.

It penetrated deep into its flesh, and the flames surrounding it surged, turning the flesh black as if they were cooking it alive.

The Chimera stumbled back.

The pain assaulting its mind stunned it, as it instinctively raised its head and howled at the sky above it.

Sensing that its kin had fled, the Chimera also wanted to escape.

Using the remaining momentum of Liora's attack, it adjusted its body and shot towards the shadowy forest.

But a woman with purple hair had appeared along its path before it could go far.

She swept her spear around, its tip grazing along the Chimera's wolf legs and leaving them bloody.

The blow itself didn't cause much harm. But it still forced the beast's movements to halt for a brief second.

This window of opportunity was very brief, but more than enough for beings of their level.

The next moment, Liora appeared behind the Chimera and struck its back with her weapon.

Though the two had not exchanged a word, much less coordinated with each other, Duchess Lobelia followed her lead.

Thrusting the spear forward, she also struck at the beast, creating a pincer attack.

Soon, the sound of flesh being torn and animalistic growls filled the devastated plain.

--

With the two women cooperating seamlessly, it didn't take long for the Chimera to fall.

But with its demise, the atmosphere in the plain grew awkward and tense.

Liora and the Duchess stood a few feet apart and faced each other without saying a word, as if they were examining one another.

Duchess Lobelia's grip on the spear's handle tightened as her aura surged, seemingly ready for another battle.

But the next moment, her knuckles relaxed.

Her surging aura vanished, returning to normal.

Unexpectedly, a polite smile appeared on her face, and she stepped forward.

"Thank you for your assistance, Your Excellency. If it were not for your timely help, Hope City would have been ruined.", the Duchess spoke up while putting the spear on her back.

In response to her words, Liora nodded her head before shaking it lightly.

"No. It's my duty as a member of the human race to fight against beasts and put a stop to their rampage."

"It would have been fine if I didn't know, but since I happened to pass by and saw the city so close to destruction, it was only natural that I took action.", she said.

A hint of surprise flashed in Duchess Lobelia's eyes when she heard these words, which soon transformed into admiration.

"Good! That's right! It's true that it's everyone's duty to fight against those damn beasts!", she praised and continued:

"I should have invited Your Excellency back to the city, but you should understand that this has to wait for now.", Duchess Lobelia apologized profusely, as if afraid that breaking the etiquette would offend Liora.

Though she didn't specifically point it out, Liora knew what the Duchess was referring to.

Although the two beasts had been dealt with—one dead and one driven away—the war was not over just yet.

---

Waves of beasts were still assaulting the walls of Hope City, and the soldiers were still engaged in a fierce battle with them.

"Don't worry, I understand. Let's go. Since I have already decided to be involved, I will lend a hand.", Liora said.

The Duchess looked satisfied with this answer.

After they exchanged a few more pleasantries, the two turned around and took the way back to Hope City.

Surprisingly, their footsteps were not rushed. It was as if they were taking a walk in a garden.

While listening to the Duchess's praise, her lack of urgency became obvious to Liora.

Although such a thing seemed simple and harmless, it actually explained a lot regarding Duchess Lobelia's personality.

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