*WHAM*

The power of Ti's punch was so powerful that even the people hit by the shockwave that it created got staggered.

"Eh...?"

Ti gasped in shock.

Her fist... was caught...

Not only that, it hasn't caused any damage to her target at all!

"No. I got you."

The barrier man, shining with pale blue light, frowned and after shifting a little bit, threw Ti over his shoulder and smashed her against the ground.

*WHAM*

"GUHUAH!"

The copper-eyed woman gasped where the air got pushed out of her lungs and almost lost consciousness because of the impact that caused the earth around her to crack and erupt high into the air.

"KGHHHGH!"

She whizzed when the strong hand locked on her throat like a vice grip.

Even with all of her skills activated, it felt like the barrier man was going to snap her neck like a twig.

"Order your companions who lured those beasts here to show up."

The barrier man ordered lifting the copper-eyed woman up by her throat.

"Kghhh!"

But Ti could only whizz, unable to even squeeze out a single word.

"Skwee! (They got one of our humans!)"

The screech of a griffin made the barrier man look away from the copper-eyed woman, but it didn't distract him nearly enough to loosen the iron grip.

"Oh, no! Miss Ti!"

"?!?!?!???!?!??"

"...what the...?!"

Mary properly straightened her back for the first time since the battle has begun and cried in panic, which, funnily enough, was the very thing that caused every person disguised as a villager to lose their cool.

"I-is that girl RIDING on the system-damned emperor griffin's back?!"

They were all so taken aback that even some of the gunners straight up put down their guns to rub their eyes in disbelief.

"What is going on? Did south finally started taking the monster threat seriously...?"

The barrier man raised his brows and almost laughed.

At that very moment, the air blurred and two people materialized from thin air on both sides of the man choking the copper-eyed Ti.

Those two were the two other bodyguards - Cri swiped at the man's legs while Cal went for the head.

*SLAM*

*WHAM*

Two powerful explosions sent geysers of soil high into the sky as the barrier man punched both bodyguards and slammed them into the ground getting them stuck like some low-level grunts in a cartoon.

"You! Emperor griffin raider! Cease the assault and state your business, or these three will be executed!"

The barrier man straightened his back in an imposing pose and called toward the stunned Mary.

As soon as he spoke those words, three gunners approached him and pointed their weapons at the two unconscious men and the woman struggling in the barrier man's grip.

"Skwee! (Master, he's definitely baiting us into a trap!) Skwee! (We should use this chance and attack them!) Skwee... (My wolf siblings can save our humans and...)"

"Blueberry, enough! Look at where your waywardness got us! No! We'll do as I say now!"

The blue griffin was rearing to continue the fight, but Mary shot down her idea with an angry shout.

"..."

The people disguised as the villagers looked at each other but didn't comment on that behavior.

"Gunners, don't shoot. For now."

The barrier man reached his hand out stopping the gunners from firing at the monster and its raider at the last second.

"Skwee, skwee... (But... but master, they are strong but I'm sure that together with the wolves I could...)"

Blueberry screeched and started nervously hoofing with her front legs.

"No means no! See? Those guys aren't attacking us now even though they could! Maybe it's all a big misunderstanding or something?!"

Mary wasn't going to budge at that and completely rejected the griffin's idea.

"...misunderstanding...?"

The barrier man repeated the word he overheard even though the brown-haired girl stopped shouting and only whispered it to her monster.

"Ughhhhh...!"

Suddenly the barrier man's eyes widened in realization and growled in annoyance, leaning back and covering his eyes with his free hand.

"Commander...?"

All the other fake villagers looked at the barrier man in confusion, but he didn't seem too care.

"Don't tell me you guys are some kindhearted adventurers who are looking for the missing kids!?! No! No way! Not a single branch of the adventurers guild should have put up a mission for that! Come on! Tell me I'm wrong!"

The barrier man had momentarily lost his cool and shook his head - and arm, making Ti cling to his wrist for her dear life.

"Y-you are wrong. We aren't adventurers..."

Mary got taken aback by the man's sudden outburst cowered and responded shyly, while patting Blueberry's side, signaling her to approach the fake villagers.

"Oh, thank the system. Then, who are you guys exactly? Some secret forces of the Greeds or maybe Wraths training in the area?"

"Ukhe! Khe!"

The barrier man relaxed and even put down Ti, who started coughing and gasping for air.

The copper-eyed woman even tried to get away, but as soon as she attempted to get up, a cold shiny muzzle appeared right in front of her face.

Just from a first glance, it didn't look like a powerful weapon, but just as she was taught, when Ti came in contact with a piece of unknown equipment, she used extra caution and just sat down instead of trashing around, focusing on regaining her breath under the watchful eye of the gunner.

"N-no..."

Mary shook her head, answering the barrier man's question.

"Huh? Then what are you?"

The barrier man tensed up again and so did the thirty-nine of his subordinates, all ready to restart the fight.

"No! I-I mean... we aren't any special forces nor adventurers... we just... heard that someone is kidnapping children from the surrounding villages and decided to help them..."

"Oh, for system's sake..."

As Mary began explaining the barrier man sighed heavily and started massaging his forehead.

"That means that... oh for...!"

He bit his lips and glanced at Ti who was glaring at him with vicious eyes.

"You used a bait, didn't you? One of yours disguised as a kid and got kidnapped or something?"

"..."

The barrier man asked, and didn't even need a verbal answer since the awkward silence was enough of a confirmation.

"Was it that girl that arrived just before you attacked? Damn it! I was thinking that there was something off about her!"

The barrier man cursed and shook his head.

"You! You called her young miss or something. Who is she?"

He turned to Ti and asked.

"What did you do with her? The house that one of your subordinates took her was completely empty."

Ti answered with another question, staring boldly into the barrier man's eyes.

"Who is she...?"

The man asked coldly and his body began emanating pale blue light again.

"..."

Ti flinched and gritted her teeth.

"...Mika Wrath. Daughter of the current avatar of wrath, Pomegranate Wrath."

She ended talking to the ground she was sitting on, without raising her head.

"...why have I had to be put in charge for this mission...?"

The barrier man let out his heaviest sigh and covered his eyes with both hands.

"...who are you people, anyway?!"

Ti groaned massaging her throat.

The barrier man looked at her and sighed.

"We are..."