Chapter 288: Twisted Thoughts

Franz, Felix, and Brownie followed closely behind.They all knew one thing—This battle must not drag on!

Four deadly killing intents converged. Cold steel glinted through the air, cutting through the battlefield—But just as their weapons were about to pierce Afreya—

Boom—!!!

A transparent sphere radiating a strange pink light suddenly expanded outward, forming a forbidden barrier that repelled all attacks.

Franz's sword stopped inches from the barrier. Felix's rapier was knocked aside by an invisible force. Brownie's sword couldn't advance even a fraction of an inch—It was as if they were no longer fighting a person—But some sacred, untouchable divine force!

"Wha… what the hell?!" Brownie gasped.

Afreya smiled faintly. She lowered her gaze toward her restored arm, flexing her fingers to feel the elasticity of her newly regenerated flesh. Her eyes, filled with exhilaration, narrowed as she gently pressed her palm against her chest—

"Mmm… growing back feels… so good…"

As she spoke, she ran her hand down over the soft curve of her chest, pressing down slightly. The softness beneath her fingers yielded and reshaped beneath the pressure, the elasticity of her flesh rippling with each press.

She licked the corner of her lips and slowly spread her arms wide. A sinister smile curled the corners of her mouth.

"Since you're all so passionate… I should return the favor properly~"

Franz's heart thudded violently. A wave of indescribable dread crawled up his spine, making his hair stand on end—

Boom!!!!

The pink barrier exploded outward!

Countless razor-sharp pink spikes shot out from within like thorns from a monstrous cactus. They swept across the battlefield in all directions, leaving no room to evade!

"Retreat—!!" Franz shouted, but it was already too late.

Shlkk!

The sound of tearing flesh and shattering bone filled the air. Blood splattered as soldiers were impaled.

The soldiers of Graham Empire barely had time to react before they were ruthlessly pierced by the pink spikes.

Their eyes widened as they watched the crystalline thorns burst from their stomachs, chests, limbs—Even from their eye sockets—Still warm with their body heat, dripping with blood.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

Shrieks of agony echoed through the battlefield. Blood sprayed into the air, dyeing the ground into a crimson hellscape.

"Damn it—!" Franz roared as he forcefully pulled back. But the thorns impaling the soldiers didn't stop growing.Instead, they wriggled and twisted like living vines of flesh, pulling more and more soldiers into the death trap.

The entire battlefield was being consumed by a pink thorny hell.

"Hahahahahahaha!!"

Afreya's laughter resonated across the hellish scene.She spread her arms wide, closed her eyes, and basked in the melody of slaughter. Her face was alight with blissful ecstasy.

"Ahhh… what a beautiful sound… How wonderful…!!"

Her delicate body trembled, her cheeks flushed, and her lips parted slightly as a satisfied moan escaped her throat.It was as if she had already drowned in the euphoria of destruction—

Franz gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Damn god clan!!!!"

Franz's fury erupted completely. With a furious roar, black ink burst from his sword like a flood, transforming into countless violent slashes that swept toward Afreya with the force of a storm!

The dark currents twisted in midair like ravenous ghosts, forming countless black blade winds. Wherever they passed, the ground shattered, shockwaves surged, and the violent energy threatened to crush the entire battlefield!

—He was going to shut this madwoman up once and for all!

However, Afreya still stood there, the corners of her lips curling into a delighted smile as her slender arm waved gently.

A pink glow surged like a tide, enveloping her completely. In an instant, those ferocious black slashes were effortlessly torn apart and devoured, as if Franz's attack was nothing more than a passing breeze.

"My, my..."

Afreya tilted her head slightly, laughing softly as she looked at Franz. She gently closed her palm, and the pink light condensed in her hand like soft foam—delicate, yet carrying a suffocating sense of danger.

Franz's heart sank, and his grip on the sword tightened.

This woman's power... does it even have a limit?!

But there was no turning back now!

Franz took a sharp step forward. The black ink on his sword surged even more violently, like a raging ocean. His gaze darkened as he locked onto Afreya's weak spot, and his figure blurred into a flash of light as he slashed at her with all his strength!

Yet—

Afreya simply raised her hand. The glow of her X-shaped bow stretched instantly!

Franz's sword came down hard toward her—but at the last moment, the string of the X-shaped bow stopped it dead in its tracks!

"What?!"

Franz's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the unbelievable sight before him—

This woman... had blocked his full-powered strike with a single glowing bow?!

Impossible! She hadn't shown any sign of bracing herself for the attack. Her soft, delicate arms didn't even seem capable of withstanding such terrifying force!

And yet, the proof was right before his eyes.

The raging black energy still roiled on the sword's edge, but no matter how much strength he put into it, he couldn't break through Afreya's defense!

Franz's expression turned dark and cold.

"You really are... filthy."

Afreya narrowed her eyes, her voice laced with lazy amusement—a tone that felt both scolding and mocking.

Franz's heart skipped a beat as an ominous feeling washed over him.

Sure enough—

"You've tried to tear my dress apart over and over..." Afreya chuckled softly. Her fingers slowly brushed over her chest, her tone seductive and dripping with sweetness, yet her gaze was razor-sharp. "Could it be that you're just trying to see me naked?"

Franz's face instantly darkened. His rage exploded in his chest as he tightened his grip on the sword. She cared nothing for morality or restraint. Instead, she thrived on chaos—on destroying trust between people. This was nothing more than one of her tactics—using words to humiliate and destabilize her enemies, breaking their will.

But what enraged him most was that Afreya's lies had already begun to shift the atmosphere on the battlefield.

The looks from the soldiers, Felix's furrowed brows, Brownie's conflicted expression...

Franz knew he couldn't let this lunatic continue corrupting their morale!

"Felix!" Franz growled. "Don't let her twisted words affect you! Don't forget—she's the enemy!!!"

Felix narrowed her eyes. Although she didn't completely believe Afreya's words, she had definitely sensed Franz's brief moment of hesitation. Her heart sank slightly.

After fighting Afreya for this long, Felix had already come to understand just how dangerous her opponent was—this was not an enemy who could be toyed with. If Afreya gained a psychological edge over them, the battle would only grow more difficult.

Afreya, however, let out a soft laugh.

The next moment, she slowly reached out a finger and pulled down the collar of her dress just slightly—

Not enough to reveal anything inappropriate, but the subtle movement was enough to make the air instantly freeze.

Watching their reactions, Afreya bit down lightly on her fingertip and smiled wickedly. "My, my... It seems that the bond of trust between siblings is rather fragile, isn't it? So easy to break apart—how disappointing."

Her moist pink eyes glinted with amusement. She blinked slowly, her voice curling like silk around them, soft and sticky like honey. She deliberately ran her finger along her exposed collarbone.

"Franz... don't you really want to see it? Or perhaps... you've already been sneaking glances all along?"

She narrowed her eyes, the corners of her lips curling into a devilish smile. Her voice was like venom wrapped in sweetness:

"Don't you... really want to see more?"

"Enough!!!!"

Franz roared. The black ink on his sword exploded into sharp, piercing waves of energy.

Franz's fingers trembled slightly. His blade remained pressed against the string of Afreya's X-shaped bow. The black ink still surged along the edge, but no matter how hard he pushed, the sword refused to move even an inch forward.

It was nothing more than a casual defensive move.

Franz could feel it clearly—there was not a single trace of tension in Afreya's arm. She even tilted her head lazily, that disgusting smile still on her face, as if his attack wasn't even worth her attention.

But he didn't want to believe it—

That soft, slender arm... had blocked his full-strength strike?!

His heart thudded painfully—not out of shock, but out of unease.

Afreya leaned back slightly, her sickly sweet smile deepening. The pink light swirled between her fingers as she deftly spun the bowstring. An arrow flashed into existence and shot forth in an instant.

The two opposing forces collided midair with a deafening explosion. The resulting shockwave shook the ground violently. Felix and Brownie had to step back several paces—but Afreya still stood where she was, not even a single strand of her hair disturbed.