221-230

Chapter 221 - Mid-World Devil. Part 1

The attack knocked him a few steps back and right into Emily's arms as she propped him up and stopped his backward movement.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Sure I am" Hal answered with a grin even as his wounds continued to bleed.

While the Poison had been absorbed and was being refined by his Bloodline, it had stayed out long enough to slow down his regenerative abilities and it would take a while before it kicked in.

Emily could tell he was downplaying his injuries and she began to condense another Cosmic Aurora just as thick tendrils of Blood Expanded from out of Arya's feet and lifted her high into the air for all on the Battlefield to see.

Despite being preoccupied with the Flame Demons, it was not a sight Hal's forces could completely ignore.

Emily was about to toss the Cosmic aurora. She was quite confident as she charged it with even more energy than the previous one, her whole mindset was that there was bound to be a limit to the energy the pentagram shield could repel and she would find that limit.

But then, Hal grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Long-distance attacks won't work. We need to get up close and personal" He said.

The look Emily gave him following those words made it clear that what he had said was no short of insane but she nodded with resolution.

Hal stood to his feet and Regeneration finally kicked in and his wounds began to mend.

From the start, he never planned to battle someone as powerful as the Master with just his cultivation and had been storing up for a Bloodline Breakthrough which he felt was close at hand.

However, should he achieve it, there would be consequences and he had made his peace with that fact.

He gripped Executioner tighter and the Black veins shone on it before he and Emily kicked off the ground.

She went right towards Arya while he went for the point where the tendrils connected to her feet and slashed at it in an attempt to cut her down to size, however, the tendrils stitched back together almost immediately.

'What a dilemma you have here' Tiberius said from out of his Soul World.

Hal rolled his eyes but said nothing as the Fiend was bound to not be done and sure enough,

'So are you ready?' Tiberius asked.

Hal sighed,

'Yes'

Tiberius had been the one to instruct him on the advancement of his Bloodline but not simple advancement but also a chance to make use of the authority he had been born with.

Much as he did not like the buff Demon, Hal had to admit he appreciated the instructions.

Granted, Tiberius himself already said that was why he was there.

*Bang*

*Bang*

Emily had summoned her Cosmic Armament and Hal was a little surprised to see it was a large Blue War hammer with which she battered at Arya who repelled her constantly with her Pentagram shield.

The effect of the shield was weaker in close combat and it couldn't regurgitate attacks.

Arya sneered and then spread her arms.

The pentagram spread even wider and would have blasted Emily out of the air if she was not already falling back down anyway.

Then Arya raised her arms upward and the Pentagram followed and spun slowly in the air as it expanded even more. It expanded enough to cover up the Clearing with its shadow

As it spun, the Flame Demons whose Blood essence could not be reaped by the Blood Knights even after the effects wore off, on account that it had been burnt from the combustion, began to bleed.

The cracks on their body or dismembered parts that had been glowing orange now turned Blood Red and were sucked up into the slowly spinning pentagram.

The Great family forces who had been killed by their colleagues turned mindless puppet flame demons, whose Blood Essence the Blood Knights had not gotten to absorbing, had their Blood Essence sucked up as well.

The still-active Demons who fought Hal's forces were having their essence absorbed as well and even then they continued to fight.

As it turns out, You don't need Blood once you're dead.

All the Plebeian family heads, all of whom had been killed, all except the two Runemasters, had their Blood Essence siphoned as well.

As for the Runemasters who were still alive and stabbed into the ground by the Edgar brothers were stabbed with sharp tendrils that branched out from the ones keeping Arya airborne, after which their essence was siphoned as well.

Every Plebeian who got resources from her had been marked and as they were all on the battlefield, the tendrils sought them out, stabbed them and their essence were siphoned into the Pentagram.

The Flame Demons who had followed the escaped Great family forces into the city had caused a lot of chaos and attacked so many denizens and even after their essence was siphoned, they continued.

Not for long of course, they had already come to the end of their use so Arya no longer powered them, and while they continued to fight for a short while, they eventually ran out of juice and crumbled.

Arya stretched her hand towards Sassy and the Serpent began to lost towards her. At that point, she smiled towards Hal and he realized at that moment that the failsafe inside his Familiar was not merely to guarantee her obedience when the time came but also to absorb whatever she had as well.

Luckily, Hal had planned ahead and snapped his fingers to dislodged a small Bloody pearl which was the center of the spell.

Once dislodged, Sassy landed back on the ground, unscathed and very angry as she hissed at Arya who was glaring at Hal.

Then the alchemist absorbed the pearl which did not have much to offer as Sassy's cultivation was what she now shared with Hal and the pearl could not take that.

Hal would have sneered but because he knew what that pentagram was all about, there was so much more on his mind.

He was about to call for Melinda when he noticed she had left Lillian with Burt and was now at Emily's side.

Amelia was advised to still stay away on account of how dangerous it could be.

In that regard, even Marla had returned to Amelia's side but she did so with satisfaction as she had at least been able to fight with the big leagues.

Melinda placed her hand on Hal's shoulder and Hal smiled at her in comfort.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

"Continue trying to strike her down?" Emily suggested.

She had seen many things but something of this grand scale and malevolent nature was not one of them.

And that was saying something as she had seen Semi-saints in action and witness their might and knew that while Arya's cultivation was far from being up to that and she could not possibly achieve what they could, purely with Cosmic Energy, even Semi-saints will be cautious in the face of that pentagram.

She had heard tales of it and caught a glimpse of it in a battle with the Dystopians and so when Hal said what it was, he was only confirming those things,

"It's a Ritual. A Devil Ritual. And the Pentagram is its center.

She's been casting Demonic spells for this. It's how she was able to absorb Blood Essence from far away distances.

As long as she knew where the battle was happening, the Pentagram spell will seek it out." He said.

"When you say Devil Ritual, you mean..." Melinda started.

"Yes, I mean Devil as in me, Devil. Or at least an imitation. There are tribes in the Dystopian that worship Demons and they all defer to the Lord of Demons, The Devil" Hal said and did not add that the one they deferred to was his mother.

There would be time for that later.

This explained why he had noted reverence in the Master's words when she accused him of being the Devil that attacked the Holger Estate.

'She probably thought I was just using the name flippantly and hated that' he thought.

"All the more reason to strike her down now" Emily said with a slight frown.

Hal shook his head,

"As long as that Pentagram is still spinning above her head to absorb, there is nothing we can do to stop it. It is not really her powering it and that is why it is sacred to Demon/Devil worshippers. They feel secure with it.

I reckon only a Saint is higher can interrupt a Ritual of this caliber."

"So what do we do?" Emily asked

Hal smiled but it was a hard one as though he was gambling and not entirely sure of success,

"It might look bad but it also gives me time to try something and as this is a Devil's Ritual, I might as well borrow its energy and my plan just might work"

With that, Hal sat on the ground cross-legged and a pentagram of Devil Energy surrounded him as he sunk into his soul world and Delve into his Bloodline.

Chapter 222 - Mid-World Devil. Part 2

Just as it always did, his Bloodline looked Dark but within that Darkness, he had no trouble finding where to go, but even then Tiberius guided him.

Not physically of course, as the Fiend claimed Hal's destination was a part of the Primeval Devil Bloodline he and Myra for not have the guts to go.

Unless they had a death wish.

That said, the Fiend directed Hal's thoughts and led him to where he needed to go which was not hard for Tiberius to do since the part Hal was traveling to was merely the most Malevolent and evil part of it,

It's core.

It was a part Hal had never been able to explore either in his quest for the Prime Devil Armament.

He continued to follow the Fiend's instructions completely on account that he was in a hurry and needed to get it over with soon.

He was trying to time it with the advancement of his Bloodline and hence the advancement of his Devil form to the Mid-World Devil Form from which he would experience increased resiliency and a better grasp on his Devil energy.

The journey was not long and once at the core, Tiberius showed absolute Deference before his guidance left Hal and left him to face the core on his own.

At first, Hal stood and watched the core which was a Darker side of Black than the rest of the Darkness of his Bloodline, and also contained Blue streaks that Hal knew had nothing to do with him.

Tiberius had said Hal should go with his instincts which translated to the Fiend having no idea what to do going forward.

Luckily Hal did and it was not to sit around and stare at something that was his birthright.

Consequences be damned!

He thrust his hand into the core but so thick was its Darkness that Hal's hand barely went past a few inches into it.

But that was enough.

He smiled and made to pull out his hand when the whole area around him cleared up and left the core as the only Dark presence in that area.

With the clarity came the sounds of footsteps and when Hal looked towards It, he saw a female figure standing there but its face was shrouded.

"Well done" said the figure in an enchanting voice before everything returned to the way it was.

Hal did not know if the clarity and figure had been real (as real as it can be in his Bloodline) or were a mere vision.

He did not know if the figure that just spoke (if it could even be called speaking) was a mere imprint of inheritance or the real deal.

He did, however, know that the Devil Queen had been responsible and it annoyed him.

"Talking as though I'm trying to make you proud *snort* your Bloodline is just kind of cool.

I'm using you, Dimwit." He snorted again for good measure before turning away and heading back to the outside.

He was long gone before the figure materialized again and this time, lips could be observed smiling,

"Okay then, Use me" The figure said and chuckled before dematerializing again.

...

On the Outside...

Arya's Pentagram continued to spin and the slowing of its pace was a sign that it was just about ready when...

*Boom*

A mild explosion emanated from Hal's Body and with it came the release of Devil Energy just as Hal's skin turned Crimson and was marred by black lines.

Two black horns grew out of his forehead and stopped at six inches in length looking wickedly sinister with their pointy tips.

Hal's hair lengthened past his shoulders but stopped growing before they reached the middle of his back.

Out of his back extended large bat-like wings of crimson color and deep black veins.

He had achieved the Mid-World Devil form and the strength and purity of his Bloodline had increased.

He opened his eyes and they were Dark and releasing bursts of fog of the same color.

He looked incredibly malevolent as he stood to his feet and his wings flapped.

The strange thing was, his ladies felt he was still much more than just good-looking and they were right.

If anyone could pull off horns on his head, a crimson complexion and large Bat-like wings, it was Hal.

The Mid-World Devil Form made him look like the Devil he was.

"Melinda, Emily. Charge up your strongest attacks and Melinda I am referring to your holy flames.

We're going to time those attacks of yours.

Once Arya stops and is about to absorb the essence, the Pentagram's sacred nature will also be put on hold on account of its main job being complete.

Also, it was never an infinite ability in the first place.

Anyway, once she is about to begin absorbing, that is when you attack.

It will disorient her and open up for me to step in.

I'll take it from there"

All this Hal said without taking his Dark eyes off Arya.

Emily seemed to suddenly note something from those words,

"What do you mean you will take it from there?" She demanded.

Hal smiled and turned to stroke her cheek with his crimson hand,

"I'm going to face her alone" he said.

"That's insane" Melinda interjected and Rita who was away from them and had heard agreed. So did the ladies.

As well as the Great family heads, Karon and Olivia who were standing on the Plebeian hill.

The only one whose expression was full of confidence for her master was Sassy.

And Maybe Marla.

Emily took a deep breath,

"Hal, even without absorbing all that essence, she is still at the cosmic pagoda Realm. That's not a gap you can cross with your cosmic Armament Realm cultivation and fancy skin" she cautioned.

"I know and I don't plan to rely on my cultivation and 'fancy skin'. The skin is just a distraction.

Don't worry, you'll understand once it begins." Hal said with another chuckle.

Then he bent and kissed both of their lips. He blew a kiss to the rest of his women and stroked Sassy's head once she slithered to him in barely a second, he promised to feed her later and faced Arya whose Pentagram was slowing.

"Get ready. It's almost time" he called.

Arya's eyes which had been closed in confidence that she was safe and also to savor her success opened up and she smiled and looked at them.

Or at least she did until she noticed Hal's transformation and her eyes narrowed in cautiousness.

She opened her mouth to speak as her absorption was about to begin but Hal had no interest in listening to her words as he yelled,

"Now!"

*Boommm*

*Booommm*

The two ladies let loose their attacks and it went straight towards the tendril that was about to connect with her back and feed her the refined essence.

The reason why Hal only asked those two was that, First, only Emily had the Cultivation that could actually have an effect on Arya.

And second, Melinda's holy flames were the perfect nemesis for Arya's pseudo-Demonic nature.

Emily tossed a cosmic Aurora attack to the tendril and blasted it into two parts.

It was about to stitch back up when Melinda's Holy flames hit the tendril right at the point it connected to the Pentagram.

Not only did it caused separation, but it also burnt the point of connection slowing down the rate at which they would stitch back together.

Arya groaned and made to retaliate but Hal was already there and striking her with a Cosmic attack infused with Lust flames, Blood Energy and Devil energy.

*Bang*

"Triple combo!"

Chapter 223 - Gladdened To Entertain. Part 1

Hal's exclamation was one of Elation as the attack had knocked Arya away from under the Pentagram and the tendrils that had been holding her legs afloat were no longer attached to said legs but were still upright.

However, the attack had not truly injured Arya and right before Hal's eyes, the tendrils wound together and formed a Board that floated in mid-air.

Arya leaped on top of it and with it, she flew to Hal's height where his wings were keeping him airborne.

Arya joined her hands together and began to cast another spell with which was complete in a second in the form of another mini pentagram that blasted Hal with Blood Energy.

It surrounded Hal and attacked him but it might as well have been caressing him for all the effect it had before Hal summoned Executioner and slashed down to separate and move out of the midst of the Blood Energy.

But he did not stop there and sent an attack of Devil Energy to Arya.

She summoned her Armament as well -which Hal was a little surprised to see it was a gigantic red scythe- and divided it as well.

"What is with you ladies and large weapons?" Hal shook his head as he was referring to Emily's War hammer.

He had meant for it to be rhetorical but Arya still replied, albeit snidely,

"We know what it is like to fight in wars. We formed these weapons with our minds set on slaughter." She said.

Hal looked down at Emily who shrugged to show that Arya was right.

She had formed a war hammer because it was her family's signature weapon and it had become their signature weapon because they had slaughter in mind.

Arya suddenly noticed that the Devil attack she had separated did not dissipate but were still on either side of her as though waiting for something.

She whirled around with her scythe and cut the two halves again but they only separated and remained floating there.

She divided those ones again when she noticed she was not actually cutting them, they were just separating before she could.

She was right.

As a Mid-World Devil, Hal's control over Devil energy was no longer unstable and he could manipulate them into any shape he wished, which were something Arya discovered as all floating eight fog of Devil Energy formed into terrifying-looking curved Daggers that, under Hal's careful control whirled about Arya and cut her up before dissipating.

Arya's eyes widened from shock that they had managed to penetrate her skin which should not have been possible.

She looked at Hal again and this time, she did not consider his transformation as some attempt at pseudo-Demonification,

"What are you?" She asked.

Hal smiled,

"You already said it once, have you forgotten? I'm the Devil"

With that, Hal vanished and even though Arya could see his path quite clearly, he was so much faster than he should have been with his cultivation base that she only managed to twist away and catch his strike with Executioner on her Arm as opposed to her back which he had been targeting.

Quickly, she controlled her oval board of tendrils to move her back and it was so fast it left afterimages and was a speed Hal did not have any hope of following.

While Hal was smiling, he was actually quite worried and trying his very best to be cautious as his plan was not completely in effect yet,

'At least it's working' he thought.

'Press her harder' Grimoire advised and Hal nodded mentally as he flew towards Arya who slashed with her scythe to strike Hal but he managed to avoid it at the last second and even though she was quite quick with the large weapon, Hal still succeeded in slamming the flat of Executioner into her stomach.

*Bang*

"Ack" Arya groaned while still working to stomach the pain (No pun intended).

She was right that the scythe was good for slaughter, however, for a close combat one-on-one battle, weapons with flexibility are preferred and while Executioner was not that flexible either, it was still better than the scythe which was larger than it.

That said, Hal was only still taking advantage of Arya's adjustment time which would be over soon.

And sure enough,

He was flying in for another strike when Arya swung and he made to dodge but she simply slid the handle of the scythe so that she was soon grabbing the part of the weapon just before the curved blade and struck him in the face with the long handle.

*Bang*

*Puchi*

The hit smacked him away and he won't bled before he smacked right into the ground,

*Bangg!!*

He sat up only to see Arya's scythe already descending to skewer him to the ground.

He rolled over to avoid it before smacking the scythe blade with Executioner and knocking it away.

After which he took flight again and slashed another attack at her. An attack Arya deflected with a frown on her face, a frown that quickly morphed into a look of rage and with it, her green eyes turned crimson.

"So you're finally ready to be serious?" Hal asked while holding Executioner by his side.

His words coupled with his actions showed he was well aware that Arya had not been performing at her best and Everyone on the scene including Frank who was now by his sister's side, felt he should have taken advantage.

And if he couldn't take advantage when she was not serious, what hope did he have in beating her when she was.

It was true, Arya's attention had been on the Pentagram and her urge to get there and absorb what was rightfully hers. Hal had been taking advantage of those lapses in attention to land successful strikes, however, he did not have even a slimmer of hope of defeating her even then.

She was much too powerful.

Emily would have a much better chance at it.

Then again, as he had told the Ladies, this was just a distraction.

Arya couldn't care less why Hal wanted her to be serious but she would make sure she gutted him.

His handsome face be damned!

Hal grinned as he noticed Arya's resolution and gripped Executioner tighter as she vanished from his sights and appeared right in front of him to strike.

It was a show of confidence in her strength and abilities that she did not attack from behind.

Hal slammed Executioner against her scythe and the force knocked him back just as he wished so as to gain some separation but Arya was already behind him and slashing at him.

He twisted but she still cut through his ribcage.

He was just too slow.

Hal groaned and flew backward.

Arya had not only struck him, but she had also poisoned the wound the same way she had poisoned her attack to Emily which Hal had deflected.

Just like back then, Hal's Bloodline reared up, devoured the poison and began to refine it just like it did the other one.

After the poison had been devoured, Regeneration kicked in and his slashed ribcage healed up.

Arya frowned but simply flew forward on her tendril-board to finish the job and she and Hal continued to spar until Hal raised his left hand and claws extended from it as he slashed her midsection.

Chapter 224 - Gladdened To Entertain. Part 2

Arya was so out of Hal's league that the wound barely caused her to groan and it was already healing up as she raised one leg off the board and kicked his chest...

*Crack*

...fracturing his sternum.

It healed up quickly though.

It was the secret to how Hal was still in this fight and that was the resilience of his flesh and Mid Devil form.

Arya chased after him and struck him multiple times while Hal hit her as well with his trickish attacks.

However, the longer their battle went on, the more vicious Arya became and the more battered Hal was.

Her actions were absolutely vindictive and full of rage.

She had just stabbed the pointy part of her scythe into Hal's chest and slammed him onto the other side of the clearing where he landed and cratered when a loud rumble sounded.

*Rumble!*

*Crackle!*

Hal's eyes narrowed at it and Arya chuckled at his reaction,

"What's the matter? Scared of a little rain?" She mocked.

Hal ignored her,

'I'm running out of time' he thought and finally pulled out his secret weapon.

He reached out to all those he had contracted and marked and harnessed the powers of their souls.

As he did so, he rose off the ground.

His wings did not flap and they had nothing to do with the upliftment. He owed it all to the power he was harnessing.

A Nightmarish Black Pentagram suddenly formed in front of him but rather than a normal pentagram, this one contained connecting, interlocking webs that all somehow touched the center and began to charge up a blast.

Arya's hairs stood on end as she felt the energy coming off the Pentagram, this was the first thing Hal had showcased an ability that actually worried her.

She quickly moved away from its path but Hal sneered at her naivete.

While this was his first time making use of {Network of Souls}, he knew that while the strike could be evaded and confronted by certain means, it could not be dodged.

*BANG!!!*

It gave off a loud and deafening sound as it was released and flew right at Arya.

Everyone who Hal had contracted and or marked could feel it and knew that they had a hand in that powerful strike that could very well put an end to the Plebeian Master and it brought a smile to most of their faces.

Arya attempted to evade but the strike followed her no matter the direction she took.

{Network of Souls} was a one-track attack that zones in on the target and does not stop until it makes contact.

Arya stopped running, gritted her teeth, cast more spells and protected herself with shields formed from Pentagrams before the strike hit and exploded.

*Boooommmmmm!!!!*

The Explosion was immense and very deafening. The wind pressure it caused blew back so many and a lot of those on the ground had to have a footing to keep from being blown away.

Soon, only a slowly dissipating cloud of Dark and Red mist was left and those on the ground could not help but jubilate.

Only a scant few did not.

Emily did not, because she could still sense something with her cultivation while the others who did not have her powerful cultivation base did not celebrate because they saw Hal was still alert.

Sure enough,

The cloud of mist cleared up and Arya was kneeling on her board and those with sharp senses could see she was very injured.

She had multiple fractures and she was bleeding externally as well as internally.

She was spitting mouthfuls of Blood and looked like she was close to drawing her final breath, but she was still very much alive.

Arya looked at Hal with rage, glanced at the still-floating Pentagram in the sky and decided it would take too long to absorb.

Luckily, she had one more source of nourishment that she could use.

That strike from Hal had been very dangerous and it took all that she had to survive but she had and now she could counterattack.

After all, it was clear that Hal could only use that attack once and now that it had not been able to kill her, he had nothing.

Arya stretched her hand and summoned an Aurora that vanished into Tretch Forest in seconds.

It returned just as fast surrounding a humanoid Bear with bright red eyes.

A beast Scarface recognized as the Tretch King.

"It's time" Arya croaked and siphoned all of what Borus had to offer in its entirety.

She absorbed it until the beast no longer had a cultivation base and she tossed its body to the ground but Hal had Sassy catch him before he touched the ground.

Had Borus landed directly from that height, with no cultivation to protect itself, a loss which was accompanied with the loss of his physical prowess, it would have died instantly even after surviving the absorption.

Arya did not see all this as she savored all she absorbed and refined it with incredible swiftness.

All of her injuries healed and her skin returned to perfect condition at which point she stood straight on top of her board to finally deliver the final strike and end Hal's life but she could not help but pause when she noticed Hal was smiling.

"What are you smiling at?" She sneered and let the pressure of her cultivation base explode to show that she was now at the Mid Stage of the Cosmic Pagoda Realm.

Also, a Pagoda appeared behind her, or at least a Cosmic construct of one and unlike Emily's which had one floor for being at the Early stage, Arya's had two floors.

Emily groaned and clenched her fists as this made Arya the undisputed most powerful on the scene and it upset her immensely until she noticed Hal was still smiling.

"Why won't I smile? I got you to finally absorb Borus' essence. It calls for celebration"

Arya hated that smile on his devilish face and roared,

"What the heck do you mean?" While also condensing a Cosmic Aurora whose strength was bound to be reinforced by her Pagoda.

Hal flew closer to her and from his body was released an Authority, not pressure but Authority.

The Authority to command all Demons and all Devils and strike fear into the heart of all those who were not.

He released a sliver of the Authority of the Primeval Devil Bloodline.

Just feeling that Authority alone almost caused Arya to grovel but as she was stronger than Hal she could resist it and stand her ground.

*Crackle*

*Rumble*

Now there were sparks of lightning streaking in the sky but Hal kept his cool.

Arya smirked and made to attack when Hal said,

"Kneel"

*Thud*

And she knelt on top of the tendril Board. Her eyes were widened from shock,

"W-w-what is this?" She struggled to ask.

"Authority" Hal answered simply.

"You can't force your will on me. I am way out of your realm of influence" she said.

"True" Hal answered simply once again.

Because this was a mere sliver and the only amount of authority he could command, for now, it should have only affected those a whole realm ahead of him.

Which meant that with his late-stage Cosmic Armament Realm cultivation, he should have only been able to affect up to the Late stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm and maybe the Peak stage as well.

However, Arya was two realms stronger than that.

"So how?" Arya asked as she expected his realm of influence to end in the Cosmic Armament Realm or Maybe the Early stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm.

This was insane.

So Hal explained,

"You're right that you are out of my Realm of influence, however, all I have done from the very start was just to have you absorb Borus' Essence which would be my ticket into commanding you.

Assuming you had absorbed Borus' cultivation into the Pentagram, I would have allowed you to refine it but you kept it as a failsafe because you like being extra careful.

But you see, I planted a failsafe of my own inside Borus' essence and as long as his essence is in your system, you have a part of my mark inside you as well and as you have part of my Mark inside you, you have come under my Realm of influence.

My transformation was never going to be useful against you in the long run as you are much too powerful so it was to distract you and make you think this was me giving it my all.

The only thing I needed to do was strike you with {Network of Souls} and I did not need the transformation to do that.

The strike was to weaken you and then make you seek out your failsafe and finally bring this to a close."

Actually, Hal would still have needed to transform into the Mid-World Devil form so he could make use of the Primeval Devil Authority but she did not need to know that.

Arya choked,

"Our battle?..."

"Completely unnecessary. I wanted to draw things out a bit, to make sure you did not suspect I had tampered with your failsafe. Also, since you ARE a fan of Theatrics. It gladdened me to entertain you for a while"

Chapter 225 - Tribulations: This Makes Three (Yes I'm Counting).

*Flap* *Flap* *Flap*

Hal flew closer to Arya whose eyes were widened and she shivered for a short while before she raised her chin in defiance but the sentiment was ruined by her shaky voice,

"A-a-a-alright then, k-k-kill me" she said.

Hal looked taken aback,

"Kill you? Why would I do that?" He said and looked down at the Blood Knights,

"Why does everyone think death is what I always have in mind?"

The Blood Knights who had once been gang members and remembered something similar being said on the day Hal contracted them looked down while his ladies just shook their heads at him.

"I mean, why do you think I'd kill you?" Hal asked and pressed his face closer to Arya's who shivered,

"Because of... all I've done?"

"Nonsense! We all make mistakes and I am ready to forgive you for your attempts to harm those close to me which is easy since none of them actually died.

As for leading the Plebeians on, all for the purpose of stealing their essence... Well, good job. It was a wonderful concept and one that I can see has a lot of merits.

I am sure there is a story behind it as well and also tales of cities in which your schemes were successful and I would love to hear all about it" Hal said.

*Crackle*

*Rumble*

The clouds overhead were getting darker but Hal was ignoring them... for now.

"You would?"

"Sure I would. They will make for good bedside stories during and after our, Hem hem, 'activities'." Hal said with a wolfish grin.

The ladies rolled their eyes.

Hal then drafted a contract which he held out to her,

"Sign this"

Arya looked from it to Hal,

"This is a Devil contract? A genuine Devil Contract?" She asked with the awe of someone seeing something she had only heard tales of but always craved.

"Why don't you sign it and find out?" Hal said with his still-wolfish grin.

Carefully, Arya reached out to the contract and signed it after which it rolled up and entered into Hal's chest.

Arya felt the relinquishing of control and the Master-Servant bond and she was awed. The look in her eyes was reverence like Hal was the personification of all she believes in,

"Wow" she said.

Hal just nodded and looked towards the gathering clouds just as she yelled out,

"Arrrrgggghhhh. What is happening to me?" She asked

Hal turned back to look at her again just as the Tendril Board she was on began to crumble,

"That's your punishment.

I can't just forgive you. You have to at least suffer for attempting to attack me. I mean, If you had won, I would have died and had all of my strength siphoned. Same for my forces.

That warrants a penalty.

Don't worry, you only need to endure it until I'm done with this retribution." Hal had just completed words when the Tendril board crumbled completely and she fell right to the ground where she lay and squirming and yelling from the pain.

'That's a little harsh' Grimoire said.

'Good. Harsh is what I was going for' he replied.

*Crackle*

*Rumble* *Rumble*

He had been preparing for this since he planned to take on the Mid-World Devil form. He, Tiberius and Myra had agreed that it was bound to call out the Tribulation but he had to do it to access the Primeval Devil Authority.

'Eh Grimoire, how much stronger is this tribulation to the one I faced before?' Hal asked.

'A thousand times more'

'What?!'

If Grimoire could shrug, it would have. Even then it made a mental appropriation,

"Last time you were only really facing it for yourself. However, others have now been blessed with your Bloodline and you will face it for them as well.

So while it should have been about ten times the last time, it became a hundred times more"

Hal's eyes widened,

'Why did you not tell me this earlier?' He asked.

'I did. I told you it would be stronger the next time it came' Grimoire said.

'But you didn't tell me all my recruiting would make it worse' Hal complained.

'It was implied' Grimoire told him.

He was about to blow up when the Book added,

'Even though it is a thousand times stronger, you're a thousand times stronger than before as well.

Your recruiting of forces and empowering them with abilities from your Bloodline not only powered up {Network of Souls}, your resiliency, Body strength, speed and altogether prowess was heightened as well.

They power you up as well.

The stronger your forces are, the stronger you will be.

You can do this Hal'

'Thanks for the vote of confidence Grimmy, but even if I am a thousand times stronger, the Tribulation still overpowers me, I mean 1 times 1000 and 5 times 1000 are not the same result.' Hal said as he flew higher up slowly.

'And so what? Have you already forgotten your vow to break away from destiny? Now do it, you wimpy Devil!' Grimoire said loudly.

Hal winced with a smile,

'Quite your yelling you stupid Book. Don't forget to keep this away from prying eyes. We don't want any unwanted attention.' He allowed himself a mild chuckle and gripped Executioner tighter in his hand and increased his flying speed.

*Crackle* *Crackle*

*KrakaBooommmmm!!*

'I'm on it' Grimoire said just as Hal waved his hand and used Devil energy to form three Tridents.

Two of which he sent to attack the lightning that struck down at him while he gripped the other to strike the other bolts making their way down.

With the Nightmarish Trident in one hand and the Blood Red terrifying Broadsword in the other, Hal began his struggle with the Cursed Tribulation.

On the ground, Everyone gave the space where Hal battled the Tribulation a wide berth and looked up to watch.

There was worry in the eyes of the ladies as to whether Hal would survive the ordeal. After all, they could all feel it from down here and agreed they would have been shredded to nits if they moved close to it.

Emily herself who had witnessed the Tribulations of Saints knew just how dangerous it could be, after all, the mortality rate was quite high and some of those who survived experienced cultivation deviation.

Melinda frowned at the sight and mumbled,

"You'd better come back down"

Hal must have heard because his voice floated down to her ear,

"Of course I will, Baby Girl"

Back in the sky,

Hal drew back the Dark Trident in his hand and shattered another bolt that came too close to comfort when he realized something,

'Grimmy, absorb every cosmic Energy left in my Pearl and help me harness it for a Colossal Cosmic attack'

'Until I am done condensing the attack, you will have to fight with your Bloodline alone'

Hal's lips twitched as he said,

'I have no problem with that'

As soon as he gave the all-clear, Grimoire absorbed all he had to offer and his body was so devoid of Cosmic energy that it seemed as though he had no cultivation at all.

-Hal's Soul World-

"Do you think he will survive?" Myra asked.

"He has to" Was all Tiberius said but he was quite worried as well. Whether because Hal's death would be theirs as well or that they would have failed their mission was not clear.

Back on the outside,

Hal was now absorbing every loose energy he was able to get from his strikes to Tribulation when Grimoire told him it was done condensing the Cosmic attack which he passed to Hal.

Hal tossed his Trident made of Devil energy at another bolt so he could have a free hand to receive the condensed attack from Grimoire.

And then,

*Bang*

He was struck by lightning which charred his chest and caused him to groan.

It was not the first strike to connect but it was the first one to truly have an impact and it was followed up with attacks meant to completely end him.

Hal flapped his wings and evaded the strikes only to find an opening and delve through to reach the core of the Tribulation which was where he tossed the condensed attack.

*Banggggg*

*KaBooooommmmmmm!!!*

*Booommmm* *Booommmm* *Booommmm*

The Blast created a chain and caused the Tribulation to implode upon itself.

All of the Energy it left, Hal absorbed completely.

He had space as his Body was completely empty of Cosmic Energy and not any of it went to waste.

It was then he noticed that there was still a sliver of lightning left.

It was clear that the Tribulation was not done yet as that little sliver was joined by more bolts from the Dark clouds and while they were not as much as the one before, they did not lose out in intensity.

Hal looked at the gathering of lightning and grinned,

"Good, I'm not done yet either. You are going to fund my advance to the cosmic Phenomenon Realm so let's do this!"

Chapter 226 - Aftermath...

*Bang*

Another strike and dismantling of clumps of lightning and Hal absorbed it all once again. His Cosmic pearl was now filled to the brim once again and he summoned his Cosmic Armament which he waved so that Devil energy could form into vicious daggers that struck and destroyed more bolts.

The Tribulation suddenly drew back and when it slammed back into Hal, it was with a force and current that caused all of his hairs to stand on end and his wings were even smoking.

He looked like he was being fried.

But Hal knew his body was more than strong enough to endure and it was while he was harnessing the strength of all those he had under his wing (figuratively) and used it to charge up his muscles.

It was as though he was undergoing refinement right there.

All of the lightning energy he had been feeling was not just feeding him with the violent energies they contained, they were also feeding him with the tightening attribute and refining his body.

His already well-built physique was refined even further.

Hal dispersed his Armaments, both Bloodline and Cosmic and harnessed all of that strength while evading another forceful strike of lightning.

And then, just as he had done once before, he delved in and sought the core and this time he struck to put an end to it once and for all.

*Bang*

*Boooommm!!*

-silence-

The lightning cleared and Hal thought he sensed frustration as it dispersed and then the dark clouds cleared up as well and the setting sun could be seen.

Arya's pained screams halted and she only wheezed occasionally on the ground.

The battle that had started that morning finally came to an end.

Whether with the Plebeians, the Master, or with the Tribulation, all of it was over and the Pentagram in which all of their essences had been trained was still in the air and Hal eventually absorbed it into his inventory where it would remain in stasis until he was ready for it.

And as Hal watched the sun, he exclaimed,

"Damn it!"

He had only made it to the peak of the Cosmic Armament Realm as it took more than absorption of Energy to advance to the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm. He needed to cultivate till he created a phenomenon and it was something he could not possibly do while battling the Tribulation.

However, he had known this already and was only upset because he did not have any leftover energy to attempt it at the moment.

That said, one Essence sharing session was bound to aid him in finally doing so.

After all, it wouldn't truly be a victory without 'Celebrations'.

...

Aftermath...

The civil war had come to an end and it was not only those who had participated that had been affected.

Thanks to Arya letting her Flame demons lose, so many of the ordinary denizens of Salmon city suffered losses. They had lost relatives, friends and colleagues and it saddened them deeply.

However, they were now receiving news that the one responsible for the quick crumbling of those Demons was none other than Hal Payne.

Not only that, but he had also saved them from being offered as Blood sacrifices to aid the strengthening of a terrible villain.

Many of them had seen the Blood Pentagram and while Arya absorbed the essence of the Plebeians, they had felt nothing but pure evil from it and were more than glad to see it go.

More on all of this later.

All those who could battle among the Plebeians had been led to battle and all of them had died.

The Plebeian family heads as well as all of their men had died to the last man and so had the So-called Plebeian leader, San Fidwud whose death, Hal admitted had quite satisfied him personally.

After the war and once Hal had reverted to his human form, he had ordered the Blood Knights to go forth and kill any Plebeian guard and militant that had been left in the home base.

None of them had received resources from Arya and had thus not been capable enough to join in the war but Hal was not feeling particularly merciful towards any of them and as such was not interested in having prisoners of war among them.

Once they had been taken care of, all that were left were the immediate family members of the Plebeian family heads who had tried and failed to run away from the city and Hal personally saw to them the day after the war and they had pleaded for their lives.

Well, some of them...

As it turns out, the immediate children blamed him for the death of their fathers and defied him. Vowing to kill him if it was the last thing they did.

Their threat caused him to chuckle before he branded them with the Devil mark and with it forced them to sign Sign Devil Contracts that sold their souls to him for nothing.

Their threats did not scare him one bit and he could have had them killed just to show them how insignificant they were, but he did not see the point.

In fact, he was pleased with their tenacity and loyalty for their fallen fathers and that deserved a special prize;

Which was that they would be allowed to live and their minds would not be tampered with so that they were still in complete awareness, then he put them under youths of their very same age group,

He put them under Frank Horst and Jack.

You would remember Jack as the commoner Hal had contracted in Tretch forest.

Anyway, Hal gave the two of them strict orders to break those Plebeian scions by putting them through a rigorous regime and manual labor fit for a servant.

Now that having the whole of Salmon city (we really need to rename it) under his thumb was close at hand, he did not need any loose-lipped men or women for that matter and they would all be required to fall in line.

The same went for the Great family scions who fell in line efficiently as half the battle was already won when their fathers were already marked by Hal.

Also, they had heard that they could be gifted Cultivation techniques that would greatly aid their cultivation speed.

The Payne Scions, however, received the same treatment as the Plebeians as they were also victims of Hal's since they had lost their families to the war and Hal's antics.

Hal did not mind contracting them and as for those who resisted, they were killed.

The Payne Family ceased to exist just as Hal had promised and the only thing they had left was to serve Hal.

The Maids and servants that used to work for the Plebeians surrendered to Hal as fast as they could especially since a lot of them heard that the lieutenants, captains and Commander herself of the Blood Knights used to be slaves.

If Hal could make such people powerful experts, then surely he could do the same for them, they thought.

Needless to say, the entire city went through reforms.

Reforms all aimed at pleasing the Malevolent One of Salmon city (Oh yes, we are definitely changing that name).

...

However, all these are things that would be taking place for weeks after the battle. Let's reel it back to things that happened on the night of the battle.

With Hal's now heightened regenerative abilities, his injuries from his battle with the Tribulation had healed and he was in prime condition to celebrate with his ladies in the Time warped chamber.

The whole Mansion was lit with their screams of pleasure and he crowned it all with slow and sweet and then fast and rigorous one-on-one session with Melinda.

After he tired her out like he had the other ladies, Hal stood from the bed and put on a loose robe and left the room.

He arrived in front of the Door which he had locked with Astral energy.

He opened it and stepped inside to sit on top of the bed beside Lillian's slumbering form.

Chapter 227 - Ensnare And Tempt.

Lillian's nose twitched as she perceived the pleasant scent that was coming off Hal's body.

Her eyelids trembled and opened up only to see Hal smiling down at her. His Sapphire blue eyes were sparkling with amusement.

The moment Lillian saw him, she visually stiffened and looked around the beautiful room she was in.

The last thing she remembered was Melinda landing a solid blow to her head after which everything went black.

Since she was here and Hal was still smiling at her so complacently, she must have been captured by the enemy.

Her first thought was to flee.

But could she?

Was the security of this Mansion so lax that she could really leave just like that?

And even if she did,

Where would she go?

To Gregory who she didn't know how to feel towards or to her Master whose fate, she knew nothing of.

She mentally shook such troubling thoughts away. She would not allow herself to remain here and be subjected to his whims, she would...

"Hellooo, Earth to Lillian?" Hal interrupted her thoughts and waved a hand in front of her face,

"You look so lost. Cheer up Lillian, after all, you are with me"

Lillian looked him directly in the eye and swelled like she was about to explode and yell out her pain but the anger made her incapable of piecing together her thoughts accurately so she took a deep breath and spoke calmly,

"Why am I here?" She asked. After all, she hated Hal and wanted him dead, so why would he even accommodate her presence.

"Is it not obvious?" Hal asked with a grin that showed off his perfect teeth.

Lillian shook her head and Hal sighed,

"I pity you" he said.

"What?" Lillian was stunned.

Hal shrugged and repeated,

"I pity you"

And then Lillian lost it,

"You pity me? You killed my son, you tore my family apart. Because of you I sought power and got stronger by absorbing the essence of dead men and you sit there and tell me you pity me? I hate you!"

Hal sighed and shook his head as though she were merely throwing a tantrum,

"No, you don't"

"Excuse me?"

"I said, you don't hate me. You never hated me. The one you hate..." The door opened and in came a weak-looking Gregory who Hal pointed to and completed his words,

"...is him"

Gregory's head was down and it was like he could not look up at Lillian.

Lillian looked from him to Hal,

"That's ridiculous. I hate the two of you. I really do" The last part sounded as though she was questioning herself but Hal ignored it.

"No, you hate Gregory and you also love him. To quote Gregory himself, There is a thin line between love and hate and you Lillian are teetering over that line.

On the day Rad died (Lillian winced) I came with two propositions, which were either to be welcomed back into the family or have a Deathmatch with Rad.

Prior to this challenge being made, I had already showcased my prowess when I punched Rad hard and yet Gregory still chose to send Rad out for the Deathmatch rather than welcome me back.

And why?

Because I reminded him of my mother.

He was ready to send his son, your son, out to what could potentially lead to his death just so he would not have to see the eyes that haunt him. Just for his own vendetta.

I remember clearly how you pleaded with him not to do so but he ignored you.

You say I tore your family apart but we both know that Gregory is the one who did that.

Once the Deathmatch was agreed to, it was still Gregory who gave Rad a Flame Maniac pill which would still have been detrimental to him in the long run.

While I do not deny that I absolutely disliked Rad and that I enjoyed killing him, I also believe I did him a favor.

I saved him from oncoming years of agony.

Think about it deeply, Lillian. Gregory is the one that is truly to blame.

He is the one you hate"

*Thud*

Gregory fell to his knees,

"Hal, son. Master, please..."

"Shut up Greggy, stepmother is thinking" Hal said with a finger over his lips.

And Lillian WAS thinking and as she did, she saw the light.

While she still disliked Hal, she could also now see that her hatred was only truly towards Gregory.

And the fact that she could not deliver the final blow on the battlefield was because, just like Hal said, she also still loved him.

She hated how she was feeling at that moment.

She felt weak.

While he had already accepted responsibility, Gregory marveled at how Hal was able to successfully turn all the blame of Rad's death on him and his pleas had been for Hal to spare Lillian any more pain because this topic of discussion was bound to end up being devastating to her.

Hal grinned in his mind at how successful he was. However, he was not very surprised, after all, the Devil was master of posing falsehood for truth.

That said, he hadn't been completely dishonest, it had been a perfect mixture of truth, lies and ensnaring personality.

Now for the finishing touch...

"It's why I said I pity you. When you said you said you had lost it all, you did not truly understand the concept but it was true. You HAVE lost it all.

But worry not, dear stepmother. Consider all you lost as part of a life in your past. A life never to be seen again and cast your lot with me and walk into a whole new future" Hal said it all with a grin and stretched his hand out to Lillian.

She looked from him to Gregory whose face was twisted into a grimace of despair and she stretched her hand to touch Hal's.

She only touched it and had not grabbed it but that was all it took for her to fall into the temptation.

She had been successfully Ensnared and tempted and as her fingers lightly brushed Hal's fingers, Lillian grabbed it completely and felt her body spasm in pleasure from that touch.

Her eyes closed immediately and she moaned,

"Mmmnnnggghhhh"

Hal pulled her under himself and captured her lips in an ardent kiss while he grabbed one of her breasts.

It was full and while not the biggest he had ever held, it still filled his palm and he squeezed softly before nipping lightly at her bottom lip.

A part of Lillian's mind registered how inappropriate this was.

Not only was Hal her stepson, but he was also her son's killer.

However, that part of her mind slowly went silent the longer Hal fondled her chest and touched other parts of her body.

Gregory stood locked in place and his face was frozen with shock as he could not believe what was going on and yelled in his mind,

'What the hell is happening here?'

Chapter 228 - This Is For Now. R-18

'What does it look like?' Hal replied to Gregory's thoughts and the former Payne Patriarch attempted to look away but Hal said,

'No! Don't you dare. Open your eyes and watch.

Also, don't say a word.'

Gregory whimpered but the sound was quickly canceled out by Lillian's loud moans.

Hal's released the violet pheromones of a lust demon and it quickly saturated the room.

The more Lillian breathed in the scent which reminded her of whatever flower smelt most pleasant to her, the headier she felt and the more her inner thighs moistened.

Her clothes were taken off slowly and so was Hal's as he stretched his hand to her naked pussy and began to rub her puffed pussy lips in slow circles that drew moans from her lips.

"Oh, Yesss" Lillian trusted her nether regions into his hand more in a bid to gain more traction and also in the hope to get Hal's fingers inside of herself.

"So, tell me Lillian, tell me how you feel" Hal said in a low breathy voice that caused her to bite her lip.

However, it was only for a short while as her lips soon loosened and she began to speak her mind,

"It feels... gooood" She groaned as her pussy continued to grow wetter.

"Just how good?" Hal pressed on. He had just found her clit and was grinding his palm against it.

"Better than I've ever felt in my life. Oh more please" Lillian moaned.

"If you insist" Hal said with a mild chuckle and slowly pushed a finger into her pussy before adding another and fingering her to her very first orgasm.

"Oh... Oh... Oh right there!" Lillian groaned out loud and squirted out her pussy juice with a lot of force.

The look on Gregory's face was a mixture of anguish, anger and Despair.

To see his wife brought to Pleasure by another Man, his son no less greatly crushed his spirits and he very well wished to fall unconscious. And he would have to if Hal had not ordered him to watch.

Soon, Hal was placing his cock at the entrance of Lillian's pussy and then thrusting into her to the hilt.

Lillian felt incredibly full as he invaded her insides and she clamped up on him while also wounding her legs behind his back.

*Pah* *Pah* *Pah*

*Smack* *Smack* *Smack*

Hal hammered into her as hard as he possibly could and his balls kept making smacking noises on her ass as he fucked her into what she could only describe as bliss.

Hal did not see this as a mere fuck session. No, this was him showing filial piety to his stepmother and showing her that all she needed in her life and pussy was his cock.

From now on, only he should matter to her.

And he was doing a damn good job presenting his case.

He reached behind himself and grabbed her legs to fold them upward and beside her head while he continued to pound into her pussy.

As his cock pushed in and pulled out, Lillian felt as though the inner workings of her pussy were being changed. It may be that she never really knew it as well as she thought she did.

Because there was no part of it that did not bring her pleasure.

As long as Hal's shaft touched it, her whole inside would light up in pleasure and milk the organ for all it was worth.

"Oh, yes. Please Hal fuck me harder!" Lillian moaned loud and Hal pulled out.

She felt so empty she wished to protest but Hal was already pulling her up and positioning her flon all fours to pound into her from behind.

*Pah* *Pah* *Pah*

*Smack* *Smack* *Smack*

His pelvis continued to make contact with her tight ass and continued to make sweet music to him as he pounded her for all she was worth.

Lillian was not satisfied with simply staying on all fours and getting pounded.

For the maximum effect, she also thrust her hips back at Hal and made him go deeper inside her constantly.

"Ahn... Ahn... Ahnnnn" she moaned with every thrust.

Hal groaned as he felt her squeeze as tight as she possibly could around him inside of her.

He fell sideways onto the bed without ever pulling out and continued to pound her in that position.

"Okay Lillian, shout how you feel" Hal said softly while still thrusting.

"You are the best!" Lillian shouted.

"I know that already, but how do you feel about Gregory?" He asked while glancing slightly in Gregory's direction at the Man whose ears had perked to the sound of his name despite his expression remaining the same.

"Gregory who?" Lillian asked with a moan.

*Pah* *Pah* *Pah*

"Your husband" Hal reminded her.

"Fuck him. Who cares about him? Let him die if he wants. All I need is you"

*Thud*

Gregory's knees finally gave out and he went down but Lillian was not done.

"What about Rad?" Hal asked in the same soft voice.

"What about him? He's my past. You are my... Future" she said as though hypnotized.

Gregory fell into a convulsive fit and lay on the floor twitching.

"Good answer" Hal chuckled and rolled over so that she was flat on top of the bed and he pounded her ass from behind that very same way.

That night, Hal showed Lillian many positions and styles and did not stop until he had completely tired her out which took quite a long time but eventually he groaned and poured his seed right inside of her pussy.

Just as she came and squirted her juices at his pelvis.

...

Hal left the room soon but not before pulling Gregory out as well.

The former Payne Patriarch was still alive and Hal had no intention of changing that. The mere fact that he had lost the will to live was enough and he dragged his unconscious body out just to complete the message to Gregory that he no longer had anything to do with Lillian.

Who knows? Fucking her in his presence might not have gotten the message in.

Come tomorrow Hal would contract Lillian but for now, there was someone else who required his attention.

He walked towards another room.

This one had not been locked (there was no reason to) and a lady's moans could be heard leaking out of it.

Such was the deprecating nature of the contract Hal had told Arya to sign that her whole body's sensory system was his to fiddle with.

It was how he had subjected her to pain until he was done with the Tribulation and it was how he had now made her, for want of a better term, eternally horny.

Arya felt her whole body heating up and had already shed her clothes as she masturbated as hard as she could but could never find true release.

It was not that she did not have orgasms, however, such could not be called releases as, after every single one, she only became more horny.

And she could not just wait it out and hope it stopped because the more she did not touch, the hornier she felt.

It was torture! She thought.

Hal still wished to punish her.

Hal walked into the room and shed the loose robe he was wearing to bare himself to her.

He did not even need to say a word as Arya jumped him and grabbed his tool and began to tug it towards her very wet pussy but Hal just smiled,

"No, no. You can't just jump right to the main event. You have to get me ready first." He said.

Arya found his words reasonable and much as she wished to quell the ache she was feeling (something told her his cock was the answer) she tried her best to remain rational and suck his cock during which she noticed a distinct womanly taste.

It was quickly made clear as she began that this was not her first time and she was far from being naive.

Arya was experienced and knew just which parts to tickle and please so that she could get Hal excited.

Unfortunately, Hal was all for prolonging the session and her torture as long as he wished and no matter what she did, his cock remained stubbornly flaccid.

Arya grabbed it hard and looked up into Hal's face with large pleading eyes and Hal sighed,

"Alright then. Today was a good day, I might as well be merciful" He said and his cock became hard in a second.

Seeing it looking so glorious and erect pleased Arya immensely and she went back to sucking it while still keeping her ache in the back of her mind.

It did not take long, however, for Hal to take pity on her and have her on all fours and thrusting into her very slick pussy.

They had barely done anything and yet, Arya was already spasming and climaxing. As Hal's cock was finally inside her, she could finally find release and her torture was over.

That said, Hal was far from done.

*Pah* *Pah* *Pah*

*Smack* *Smack* *Smack*

*Slush* *Slush* *Slush*

"Yes, yes, yes"

The pounding and pleasuring were on in full swing and she was finally being introduced to what life with him would be like from then on.

Hal pulled out of pussy but before Arya could even think of protesting he was placing at her most snug entrance and pushing in till he was at the hilt.

Hal groaned at the tightness and held nothing back as he fucked her ass with the intensity with which he had fucked her pussy.

Arya's moans never stopped and only grew louder as the part of her body she had never had taken before was taken as hard as it possibly could.

A part she would never have expected to bring her joy became as Pleasurable as her pussy, maybe even more.

As Hal released his first load deep inside her bowels and she squirted pussy juice from its warmth while also knowing with certainty that there was more to come and they were not done for the night, they both could not help but think to Arya's past.

However, that was for later.

This,

This was for now.

Chapter 229 - The Report.

The Haron Continent...

The Central of human civilization in the Nexus world.

It was not always called Haron and the history books tell of a time when the Harons were but rulers of a kingdom rather than an empire.

At that time, the twelve Duchys were twelve kingdoms. Twelve human kingdoms ruled by Kings and Queens.

The Harons made the thirteenth.

And then the Dystopian continent waged war against humanity and for that reason, the First Emperor arose and sought to unite the Twelve Kingdoms.

They did not always accept to do so peacefully and could not be blamed, after all, should they agree, they would be subverted under a higher power.

It was something they could not accept.

Some fought to retain their prestige.

Some fought to retain their heritage.

Some fought because they were battle crazy.

Whatever the reason, only two kingdoms swore loyalty to the First Emperor peacefully.

The others refused and the battle was said to be long and gruesome.

The First Emperor however kept to his crusade for the 'good of humanity' and eventually got all twelve kingdoms to bow to his rule.

They went from being kingdoms to duchys and the First Emperor took the top seat to become the first to ever unify the Continent which he then named after his family name.

The Haron continent flourished and regardless of what means usurpers made use of, they could never unseat the Harons from their throne.

And for over five hundred thousand years, the crown had been passed down and their empire had lasted.

However, things were not as solid as they seemed.

Even then, there were already plots forming to finally break free of the Haron rule but they were not seeking independence but what the Harons had built for hundreds of thousands of years; They wanted to rule the Empire.

And yet, rumor had it that the Haron Emperor should not look too far for his enemies for they lay within his very own family and court.

...

The Doxon Duchy...

The Duchy palace...

A residence with an amalgam of buildings and such decor, beauty and prestige that it was fit for a ruler.

It was the residence of the Doxon family who have ruled the territory since it was a Kingdom and now that it was a Duchy.

Say what you want about your displeasure in the one presently ruling the Duchy but one thing remains the same, and it is the fact that the power remains with that family and does seem to be changing hands anytime soon.

We go past all the guards from whose body, the pressure of powerful cultivation could be felt.

We go past the servants and maids running around to tend to the needs of the family members and we finally go to the center of the Duchy Palace.

The grandest and tallest of the amalgam of buildings and it was in this building that we finally reach our destination;

The Doxon Throne room.

While it kept to the limits it was allowed by the Continent's imperial power and did not rival the Emperor's, grandeur was still clear in its design.

The high-backed throne raised higher than the level on which the members of the Duchy court were to sit or stand (depending on the occasion).

The high ceiling and the bright jewels engraved into the pillars.

Needless to say, entering into this room was bound to show off the wealth of the Doxon family and by extension, the Duchy.

Because, once again, you could say what you wish of the Duchess but she did care for her Duchy.

From the throne, there were two lines of chairs on each side, but only the one at the forefront of the right side was occupied.

The one who sat in it was a middle man with shoulder-length black hair and grey eyes. His robes while tight-fitting was of expensive materials and despite the slight frown on his face, he was no doubt a handsome man.

An attendant of the court had just informed him that the Duchess would be arriving soon but his frown was not one of impatience. It was one of worry and as a high-ranking member of the Duchess' court, he needed to inform her before taking steps to quell that worry.

*Click* *Clack* *Click* *Clack*

The sound of footsteps atop the hard floor announced the arrival of the Duchess dressed in a voluminous blue robe that complemented her eyes so well.

The middle-aged man had seen the face many times but it never ceased to cause him to catch his breath in appreciation of its beauty.

The face reminded him so much of his daughter despite the two not looking anything alike.

It was a residual emotion from how much he missed said daughter which was to be expected as it had been so long since he last saw or held her.

Svetlana walked across the hall and sat on her throne to look down at the man below,

"Uncle Anton. I am sorry we had to meet in such a formal setting but I am expecting a message soon and did not feel like commuting twice. I hope you understand" Despite the words being polite and said with a smile, they did not feel particularly genuine but Anton had no problem with that.

He shook his head and smiled up at the Duchess,

"Not at all my dear" his words could not help but be familiar as he counted as a family friend and there was only the two of them present.

Svetlana's expression remained the same because she preferred it that way as well.

"So what would the head of Sensual Palace want with me today?" She asked.

Anton sighed,

"My lady, for years now, you have denied any expedition to the city my daughter has been residing and you have done so, as you yourself have admitted, because of personal reasons.

But I can't take it anymore.

As someone who ranks so high in your court and is so close to the family, I felt it would be worse than disrespectful to you not to even inform you ahead and personally no less,

But I will bring Emiliana back from that deadbeat city in that stupid Duchy if I have to go over there and get her back myself"

Towards the end of his words, Anton's anger was clear.

He had given her enough time. And while Twenty years was a very short time to an Expert of his caliber and lifespan, it was a long time for a father.

Svetlana placed her cheek on her fist,

"Okay fine. Go bring her back if you want. I agree that Emiliana has spent enough time away but I feel it would be far more prudent for you to send her a message beforehand.

I believe she has a communication talisman on hand"

Anton sighed,

"She does, but has not replied to any of my messages for a month."

Svetlana chuckled in her mind as she realized it was only because this father had not heard his daughter's voice in the last month that he was so anxious,

"Be that as it may. Leave her a message that if she does not contact you or come back home, you'll go and get her.

Salmon city does not have many experiences with Experts of your caliber and you are not known for your subtlety, uncle"

Anton frowned and then sighed,

"Fine. But if she does not reply or does not come home, I can bring her back?" He asked.

"By all means. Although I don't know why you're so worried as I doubt there can ever be an Expert that would threaten her safety there." Svetlana said.

Anton narrowed his eye slightly before turning to walk out of the hall.

He felt she had been very unhelpful and the next time he wished to leave, he would simply do that.

Consequences be damned.

He was just about out of the hall when a beautiful lady walked in after a short but respectful bow to him.

The young lady walked up to Svetlana and bowed deeply,

"My lady"

"What have you found out?"

The lady nodded and began her report,

"For one thing the City is no longer called Salmon city, it has now being renamed Sapphire city in respect of the 'Benevolent One' who saved the city from catastrophe.

The civil war apparently took a turn for the worse and civilians got attacked and it was all due to an evil villain who got involved but was defeated by the Benevolent One.

The city has undergone many changes since then"

Svetlana looked amused,

"Oh? List some of them"

The lady bowed

"Yes, my lady. The Great families and the Plebeian families no longer exist. The most powerful families in the city now are called 'Blessed Families' and they are all said to obey every word of the 'Benevolent One' who is also sometimes referred to as the Lord of Sapphire city."

Svetlana perked up,

"What of the Payne family?" She asked.

"I'm sorry to inform you my lady, but they have been annihilated and the few survivors have banded together to form Blessed families."

Svetlana stood to her feet,

"What of Hal? If he's dead, I'll personally kill Rita" she said in anger.

The lady looked uncomfortable,

"W-w-well my lady, young master Hal is alive and well but he can... He can also cultivate."

Svetlana looked confused,

"He can what?"

"He can cultivate"

Svetlana shook her head,

"That's impossible. I was sure it was impossible"

The lady shook her head,

"I don't know how but he can. There was a competition among the young generation of Salmon city and from what I gleaned, the young master and a lady won it."

Svetlana slumped back into her seat and her blue eyes seemed far away, so much so she did not really hear the lady's question.

"My Lady, what would you have me do now?"

Chapter 230 - Majority Is Not All.

Sapphire City...

Formerly known as Salmon City.

It had not even been a complete month since the civil war that rocked it to its core and yet it had been transformed so much.

The war had caused grief to quite a lot of people and by that I do not refer to the Plebeians or the Greats, I refer to the common people who lost relatives due to the rampant Flame Demons.

None of them cared who had won the war at the time and it was understandable but it became information they could not possibly ignore when the winner began to show his hand.

First was the news that it had not been either the Great or the Plebeians who were truly victorious, with the latter losing all of its military power but a different individual altogether.

An individual who made use of his private force to quell the unrest and was the reason the damage of the Flame Demons had ended as quickly as it had.

An individual who had the guts to 'stick it to the man' and rob the Great families of their conjoined wealth.

Wealth the public had had no idea they had.

And wealth they had never seen fit to use to assist the less fortunate.

None of them were sympathetic to the Great families' plight and frankly hailed the thief;

The Malevolent One.

So you can imagine their appreciation that this Man had also been the reason so many of them were still alive.

Of course, what they heard was not exactly how things had gone down.

Hal had had his Emissaries take to the city streets and embellish the tale as much as they could.

So much so that they depicted Hal as an invincible expert of a much higher caliber than Hector Edgar at the time he was alive.

Then again, what else were they supposed to think after they were told that the true villain of the story had attempted to use all of them for a Blood ritual that would make him stronger?

This villain loved carnage and violence so much that it had instigated the Plebeians and the Greats against each other.

They all owed their lives to the Malevolent One.

And it was why they deemed that title unbefitting of such a 'Benevolent' figure.

The tales spun for the public were long but it was far from being the only thing that was done.

Every commoner family was gifted a Cultivation technique of the Green grade which everyone in the family could make use of.

This opened up a whole new world for these people who had all but given up completely ever becoming powerful experts.

Now, they saw it in their reach.

That was not all,

As long as any of the families could produce Phenomenon Realm experts, they would get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the Benevolent Lord in person and receive his Blessings to indoctrinate the family to the Blessed status.

However, while there was still a clear social class, monikers such as commoners or peasants were done away with because as none of those families had failed to receive a Cultivation technique from the Benevolent Lord, they had become 'Favoured Families' pending their progress into Blessed status.

All remnants of the Plebeian families were indoctrinated as Blessed but as they had not yet produced a Cosmic Phenomenon Realm expert, they were brought back down to Favoured.

None of them was showing any sign of resistance anymore as Hal had completely stumped it out of them.

Then we arrive at the ladies and not just those who dreamed of returning to former glory but the multitude of ladies residing in Sapphire city who had heard fables of the looks and prowess of the Benevolent Lord.

There was even an unconfirmed rumor that he was only in his early twenties.

Not just in looks but in age as well.

His looks were said to be incomparable and enough to make any woman, regardless of her marital status swoon, but not many had ever been opportune to meet him and the ones who did refused to speak of his looks.

However, one thing was clear of their expressions when they spoke of him; he was either just as the rumors made him out to be or he was even better.

So you might be wondering, Why would Hal go to all this trouble in an insignificant city?

Well, you see, Hal saw potential in it and felt it was the perfect place to be the 'Core of his Corruption'.

He had always considered making the city his base of operations and a location he could always fall back on even after he went off to explore the continent, however, he became even more convinced it was the right path after he became a Mid-World Devil.

While the Mid-World Devil Bloodline level was not the highest, it marked the beginning of the Devil's need to Dominate and corrupt and they were key to becoming stronger Bloodline-wise. While advancing Bloodline levels was a mere dream to most of them, they would still grow weaker within their level.

So much so, their peers would quickly outclass them.

Even though his Bloodline was at the Primeval level and all he was doing was really unlocking its potential, it did not exempt him.

As Tiberius was quite gloatful about, Devils had the most troublesome Bloodline requirements unlike Demons like he and Myra who merely needed to satisfy their vices.

His being Bloodlust while Myra's was carnal pleasure.

Anyway, Hal had two options;

He could either begin to amass his subordinates of corruption or put himself under an already established Devil or Demon.

Although, a Devil who submitted to a Demon would be shunned by his/her peers.

Anyway, submitting will satisfy the need for a territory no matter how small and the Devil can then carry out corruption under its Master and over its Master's subordinates.

Needless to say, it did not matter which path the Devil decided to follow, the Queen would still reigned supreme over them all.

Anyway,

Not to mention that there was no Devil around for him to submit to, even if there was, Hal would not even consider submitting.

One good news though was that his {Network of Souls} was no longer limited to only those who he marked and contracted.

The moment he placed his 'Root of corruption' at the center of Sapphire city, anyone who had ties to the city was now subjected to {Network of Souls} which has already proved a capable strike from his battle with Arya.

However, even if the seed was placed, it would not germinate if he did not garner the loyalty, gratitude or subservience of every individual currently residing in the city.

Excluding visitors of course.

They had to be indigenes.

Presently, he already had the majority on his side and could give orders whether by proxy or personally and it would be obeyed but majority was not all.

He needed the minority as well.

Luckily, all of his men were those that could slum it with the best of them and were now going from house to house to know exactly what the denizens truly desired which would be the Devil's way into their hearts.

The landmass of Sapphire city was quite large but it was nothing they could not traverse as cultivation Experts and sooner than later, they would all be brought under the wing of the Mid-World Devil Hal, to do with as he deemed fit.

But until then, words that painted him in a good light would continue to be preached and he would stay on the public's good side.