Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

At that moment, San froze and nothing seemed to have meaning. He did not tell the Messenger to repeat his words because thanks to his sharp hearing due to his cultivation base, he could hear it all clearly.

San could hear a ringing in his ear and even though he should have been directing troops to his home to kill the emissaries, he could not say a word.

He could see the irony in the situation. Just like how he and the Plebeians had preoccupied the Great families with the protection of their young generation so they could launch an attack on their home base, the Malevolent one had taken advantage of him coming to Hal's mansion to launch an attack on his home.

But How? Thought San.

How could so many have died?

"How many of these 'Emissaries' attacked the Fidwud Family home?" He asked in a hollow voice.

The messenger looked surprised that this was what San was asking when there were more important matters, matters such as going back home and protecting those that were still alive, but even then he answered, 

"Five of them attacked"

"And how many died?" San asked referring to a rough estimate of the actual number.

"H-H-Hundreds"

San gripped his heart while Evian exclaimed, 

"Impossible, since when are Plebeians so weak. How can just Five men be responsible for the death of hundreds"

'Wow, such righteous indignation. That kid is going places' Hal commented to Grimoire,

'Oh he might not be faking, it does seem a little far-fetched' Grimoire said.

Hal mind-shrugged,

'He's definitely faking. Even San should be able to figure out how it might be possible' he said to Grimoire and sure enough, San asked, 

"Describe them"

The messenger nodded, 

"They were all shrouded in Dark fog and radiated immense fear. Enough to send everyone running for their lives..."

"...and make them easy targets" San completed.

Evian's face glowed with the understanding that San sympathized with.

Hal on the other hand was laughing boisterously in his mind. The whole thing seemed to him, an interesting TV show.

'You know, I can kind of understand why the Master is playing with people. It can be quite interesting' He said.

'You don't really mean that, do you?' Grimoire said with a gasp.

Once again Hal mind-shrugged,

'Who knows? Don't worry though, my Booky friend, I'm still going to kick the Master's ass'

Those of the other Plebeian families had retreated with their men. Not only had they suffered a loss in their quest for justice, but they also suffered a loss at home.

As San watched them get further away, leaving only he and the Fidwuds behind, he frowned because he knew that now more than ever, he was in danger of losing his role of designated leader.

He sighed and turned towards Hal who was smirking at him. The sight of it made the Fidwud Family head clench his fists but at that time, Melinda and Rita were suddenly at Hal's sides.

They made no move to attack but their posture made their intentions clear.

San sneered and made to climb up on his palanquin while those of the Cosmic Armament Realm that Melinda had not gotten around to killing when the messenger interrupted, ran ahead to neutralize the threat at home.

Evian remained by San's side while San looked to where Baret and Ian had been lying on their palanquins, they were no longer there as their men who had survived to the end had taken them away.

However, the sight of that spot brought it back to San's mind that it was when those two fell to the pressure of Hal's harnessing of Astral energy that things really took a turn for the worse.

"So that's it? You're just going to leave. You are not even going to say goodbye?" Hal said with a tone of hurt that San knew was for mocking him.

"Enjoy your peace while it lasts, you smart mouth" San growled which did not complement his effeminate face.

"I should be saying that to you" Hal said and this time his tone of voice was serious.

Today he and his faction had killed multiple Plebeians in this altercation, not only surviving the assault but also showing them that they should not be underestimated.

But Hal knew this powerful display of theirs would still cause them to be underestimated. The Plebeian leaders were bound to start planning a counterattack with the knowledge of this meager force in mind.

At most, they would prepare for several hundreds of Cultivators from Hal's side and not only plan to overwhelm with numbers but also with cultivation bases. 

And even then, they (The Plebeians) were in for a surprise.

It was not their fault of course. It was just that Hal was quite good at not showing his hand.

...

Emily smiled from her vantage point with Ford by her side, 

"Interesting" She said.

Ford on the other hand did not see it as interesting in the slightest.

This boy was a monster!

And as he looked at his smitten daughter, he wondered if he even knew her. 

The manner in which Amelia had taken care of the assailants had surprised him. All this while, he had kept both Frank and Amelia out of the matters of him becoming mayor and even now he still wished to keep her out of it.

He wanted her to remain his little girl for a while longer.

Alas,

Hal was ruining that on all front.

First, he made her a woman and now he let her participate in this Civil war.

"I want to beat him up" he said in a quiet voice.

Emily glanced at him and smiled because she could see that unlike how confident he used to be of beating Hal up, there was now uncertainty.

And she could not blame him,

The boy was a Monster!

With her exceptional hearing, she heard the message that had been delivered to San and news that the Emissaries of the Malevolent One who she knew was Hal, was what she found interesting.

Clearly, Hal had planned ahead and never truly planned to fight to the death with San and the Plebeian heads. The end of the whole event hinged on him creating a distraction with his Alter ego.

"Let's go" Emily said and turned away.

Ford turned to face her perfect back, 

"You are really okay with this?" He asked.

Emily sighed, 

"You have to face reality, Ford. She's grown up, she will make her own choices and I do hope she follows through with them. My daughter is no Coward"

Ford's eyes widened, 

"She could have been coerced"

"Do you really believe that?" Emily asked.

Ford looked down and sighed.

He did not believe it.

Emily left him there alone with his thoughts and for the pampering father to accept that from the moment his daughter joined a sect outside of this city, she grew up.

...

Anyway,

As San and his party moved away from the Mansion, surly, defeated and (especially in San's case) tired of losing, Melinda tugged Hal's arm, 

"Why don't we go after them?" She said in a quiet voice.

Rita clenched her hand as though ready to summon Essence stealer again, 

"Yes, I can still get some shots in" she said.

Hal sighed, 

"No, this is fine. I'm sure everyone is tired. This has been a good day. Let's not ruin it with impatience and overconfidence"

The ladies were about to argue that they were not tired and neither were the guards but eventually they sighed with a nod.

Hal turned back from where he was and walked towards the Mansion, he was close to where Marla and Amelia stood when he turned and smiled at the person walking through the gate, 

"Eugene, I wondered when you would get here" He said with a smile.

Eugene's face was a mask of discomfort as he looked at Hal's bloody chest that must have been caused by a deep cut, 

"My goodness. Hal, you could have sent for me"

When he heard the booming voices and the accusations rendered against Hal, he decided to come to the Mansion. It was at the time he arrived that Hal harnessed immense Astral energy that sent the two Plebeian Runemasters into Convulsive fits.

A situation that he had to admit had pleased him.

That said, it had been terrifying when he himself had felt the pressure and he had only escaped the same fate due to his Rank 3 Astral sense that was heading closer to Rank 4 thanks to the Astral sense refining Art Hal had given him.

Hal chuckled, 

"There was no need. Also, I did not really have the time. The assault was quite sudden" he lied through his teeth.

He stretched his hand and projected Runes that burnt the dead bodies to ashes in seconds and different kinds of Runes to take away the Bloodstain.

The look in Eugene's eyes told Hal that he had something to discuss so Hal told him to wait for him in the lounge while he went to freshen up.

The ladies shared his thoughts and all dispersed as well, the Ladies from Pleasure inn and Rita went into the Time warped chamber to refine the Essence they had gotten in the battle and advance their cultivation.

Marla, Amelia and Melinda accompanied Hal to a large indoor pool in the Mansion where he was to soak and get rid of all the grimes, blood and dirt on his body.

The ladies from Pleasure Inn and Rita were quite disappointed as they would have loved to join him in the bath but for now, refining the essence was most important.

Besides, thanks to Eugene, Hal was bound to not spend too much time in the bath.

This provided them with the solace that they were not missing out on too much.