Sigurd was not the kind to lead from the front, despite being the most powerful person in the Dominion. Instead, he stood in the back, intending to give Frostfang and Erik a flood of ghouls and vampires to wade through before they got to him.
That was why a whole row of vampires was in front of him when Lars delivered his punch.
Let it be clear that ghouls, unlike shapeshifters and regular vampires, were essentially at the strongest point they could be at all times. Shapeshifters needed to change shape, and vampires needed to drink blood, but ghouls were always at their most powerful.
Add to that Liv's status as a third-ranker, and it should be clear that her punch packed quite the wallop.
