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Authors Note: The grotesque depictions from last time will continue in this chapter.

Even though the largest thug is clearly trembling, he still readies his sword and turns to face Alicia. However, the swarthy-skinned leader doesnt move. Hes just staring wide-eyed like he cant believe what just happened.

Uwaaagghhh! the biggest man roars as he runs headlong at her. Hes literally doing the exact same thing he tried to the first time, just running in, blade blazing. What an idiot.

For a moment, Alicia doesnt move. She just calmly looks towards the door as if she heard something from outside. But as the man approaches, she returns her attention to the battle, effortlessly raising that heavy ax. I blink and shes instantly next to the thug and shes swinging the ax down towards him.

Ax meets sword as sparks fly, but the ax ends up winning out. In an instant, the sword shatters, the tip clanging to the floor.

I can hardly believe my own eyes. I never imagined the sword would break like that.

I knew Alicia had speed on her side, so Im not surprised that she was able to intercept the swords strike, but I thought she would at least be overpowered in a head-on altercation like that.

How is it possible for those tiny arms to compete with him in brute force..? From prior experience, I already know how strong that man is, so I would have thought Alicia would be the one to be pushed back But she not only stayed her ground, that mans sword was the thing that gave out first.

To think that shed be this strong even without magic.

Since I havent seen her using magic, I would imagine that they found a way to seal her abilities. It clearly wasnt the ropes that did it, so Im thinking it must be that collar around her neck.

And that would make sense. Ive read about magic-sealing collars in a few books before.

My sword. the thug mutters as he looks down at his hands dumbfoundedly. Hes still clutching the now empty hilt.

Alicia doesnt waste this opening. She drops the ax to the ground and then vaults into the air. Like a bullet, she flies towards the thug.

What extraordinary leg strength, I cant help but think in awe.

As she approaches the thug midair, she grasps either side of his head and thrusts her knee hard into his face. The man staggers back, clutching at his face with his hands, but Alicia simply lands lightly on the floor. Blood pours through the gaps between the thugs fingers, though I cant tell if its coming from his nose or his mouth.

Without missing a beat, Alicia picks up her discarded ax once again and raises it high.

With his one good eye peeking around his upraised hands, the thug must see Alicia coming for him since his whole body starts shaking. But he doesnt move. He just stands there, petrified. Hes so scared, he cant even try to run away.

Alicia races forward and then kicks off the ground hard.

Based off of her trajectory, Im assuming shes going to swing the ax at the thug from the front, but then she disappears again.

When I find her next, shes by the wall to the side of the man. For an instant, her feet touch down on it, her body parallel to the floor. But then she bends her knees and launches herself from there.

With tremendous speed, she flies towards the thug. In one fluid motion, she sends the ax slicing through the air in a horizontal arch directly towards the back of his neck.

Those easy movements. That speed. Everything seems almost inhuman. There wasnt one wasted movement in the whole sequence. And even though shes killing people, she doesnt show even an ounce of hesitation.

The ax slices all the way through the mans neck, sending his head flying. At the same time, a shower of dark, red blood spurts up like a volcano. The shack is so small that the spatter rains down on the whole room.

Im not too happy to say that a good amount of it splashes on my face and body as well. After this, well probably need to make sure we get checked for infectious diseases. I think to myself almost giddily.

The instant I saw that mans head being blown off, everything seemed to move as if in slow motion. The scene of his severed head sailing through the air is now seared vividly into my mind.

There is a disgustingly wet splatting noise as it smacks onto the floor. It bounces slightly once and rolls all the way to the door and out of the cabin.

I cant seem to tear my eyes away from it. They follow its every move, transfixed.

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!! I hear a blood-curdling screech as the head rolls past the threshold.

That annoyingly shrill voice. Dimly I look towards the door to find its owner.

.Its Liz Cather.

No wonder Alicia had looked that way earlier. She must have heard them coming.

Just outside I see Liz Cather standing there, surrounded by her typical following of handsome, braindead suitors. A perfect gathering of incompetent idiots and the like.

Although, I dont see Henry anywhere in their mix.. Nor Duke.

Theyre all standing there wide-eyed and frozen, just staring in disbelieving horror at the head. Liz Cather is shaking like a leaf and Alicias brother. Alan, is gently supporting her.

It takes me only a moment to take it all in, and then I swiftly turn my gaze back to Alicia. I have no time to waste on those fools when theres still one more captor left alive.

Alicia doesnt seem to have reacted to their screams in the slightest. Her eyes remain firmly on the last remaining thug, the swarthy-skinned leader.

Bye-bye, she says quietly, mercilessly, an evil grin stretching across her face. She readies her now very bloody ax and swings it down right towards his head.

Nooooooo!!!

Liz Cathers shriek resounds through the tiny hut. And in that moment, Alicia stops. Completely.

..Or should I say she was stopped.

Liz Cathers magic froze her in place.

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T/N: Welp. Here we go. For you Liz-haters out there, just keep imagining her face when a head comes rolling out at her XD Cause I think we might be in for a bit of a bumpy ride from here on.

Do you guys have any theories on whats going to happen next? Now that Alicia is frozen by magic by an idealistic saintess who literally saw her decapitate someone and there is one living thug still remaining?

P.S. My goal is five chapters a week I dont have a schedule so depending on work and stuff I might end up skipping a day here and there without warning.