"Damn it" Rita groaned as the purple flames were retracted back into her being.

Melinda grinned and stood up, she stretched her hand towards Rita and the other lady took it and allowed herself to be pulled from the ground.

"I want a do-over," Rita said the moment she was standing.

"No problem. When we're both in the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm" Melinda said with a slight smile.

Rita nodded. She found that reasonable. The moment they both broke through to the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm, she would have her revenge.

"Any chance we can suspend the stakes till then?" Rita asked with an unsure smile.

Melinda chuckled,

"Not a chance"

"It was not truly fair," Rita said in a tone that showed that even she did not believe that.

"Yes it was and even if it wasn't, since when are duels fair," Melinda said before she turned towards Hal who smiled and winked at her.

She rolled her eyes at the display, knowing Hal was insinuating that the Duel hadn't been fair.

The whole event had been quite entertaining but before he could fully indulge, he felt a tug from his soul world and so after taking down the array he retreated into his room.

He sat cross-legged and soon arrived before the two demons who looked slightly sheepish before his gaze.

Hal on the other hand looked completely neutral. Almost detached.

"Umm, How do you feel?" Myra said in an attempt to break the silence that had pervaded since his arrival.

"Same old, same old" Hal shrugged.

Tiberius grunted,

"You just had a run-in with the Primeval virtue. You are anything but okay"

Hal cocked his head in the Fiend's direction,

"It was just her will"

"Lucky you," Tiberius said.

While he did not show it in his expression, Hal knew the demon was right. He had been lucky.

Plain and simple.

Especially since he refused to take an attacking stance. Which he was sure was what Tiberius was disgruntled about.

It was only a matter of time before the volatile demon would no longer be able to hold it in.

And sure enough...

"That was incredibly stupid" Tiberius snarled and his crimson eyes flashed.

"It was?" Hal said in a mockingly surprised voice.

"Yes it was"

"Not from my perspective" Hal insisted with a slight shake of his head.

The darkness in his soul world molded and formed into a short pillar that he rested his arm on.

His cavalier attitude ticked Tiberius off even further,

"And what perspective would that be? Hmm? The one where you were getting your ass handed to you? The one where your whole insides were getting ravaged by Holy light? What-insane-perspective-was-it?"

Tiberius's voice continued to boom loudly in the whole space.

Myra looked from one to the other with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"My perspective. MINE" Hal yelled and the whole space trembled.

"Nice show of temper. But it's not needed here. You should have used it where it was useful" Tiberius said without showing any hints of having felt the tremble.

*Silence*

It was broken by Hal's musing words,

"Why exactly are you in here?" He asked

"What?" Tiberius was caught off guard.

"You heard me" was all Hal said in reply.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

This time it was Myra who spoke up and Hal turned in her direction and shrugged,

"I was just curious"

"You can ask that another time. For now, stick to the issue at hand..." Tiberius began but Hal interjected,

"But the issue at hand seems to be related to why you are here? But if you want to stick to it, then why don't you start by telling me what it is you don't approve of in my decision"

This time the darkness formed into the kind of chair a Therapist would make use of in their session. Hal sat down and leaned forward with the tip of his fingers touching just above his lips.

Tiberius blinked,

"Are you serious?"

Hal nodded with a smile and the Fiend swelled with boiling anger, the look in his eyes was murderous but it was at that moment he noticed this seemed to be something Hal was after and he quickly worked to calm himself down.

He was right of course. Hal had noticed from past experiences that people with hot tempers if pushed just enough (but not too much lest they react with violence) could be sourced for information.

Information was one thing Tiberius seemed reluctant to give so Hal saw this as an opportunity.

And it was one that could explode right in his face.

Thankfully, other than the pain in here being multiplied, he was sure to survive.

The Fiend turned to the Succubus,

"Is he serious?"

The Succubus shrugged just as clueless as he was.

"Don't be afraid to share" Hal said in a soothing voice that saw the quick return of the demon's anger.

"You want me to share? Fine. You are a COWARD"

Hal's eyes widened and Tiberius sneered in silent jubilation...

'Ah-ha. Think you can get into my head? Think ag...'

"Why do you think so?"

...before Hal answered in a calm tone and Tiberius nearly tore out his hair in frustration.

'This kid's got no fire in him!'

He exclaimed mentally.

Contrary to what Tiberius thought, his statement had an effect on Hal who was also seething inside but he would be damned if he showed that and let the Demon regain balance and a chance to seize the upper hand.

"This will go faster if you answer my questions"

Hal said and wave his hand to firm a therapeutic couch out of the darkness for the Demon to seat in.

Tiberius looked around and eventually sat down with a sigh,

"I asked you to kill your woman. Aren't you even going to react to that?" Tiberius said as a last-ditch attempt to rile up the calm looking Devil Spawn.

"We're dealing with your issues for now. We can talk about those things later" Hal said with a casual wave of his hand.

In his mind, however, he was sneering,

'Yeah we'll talk about it as I kick your ass, you stupid old man'

Tiberius scoffed and lay down on the therapeutic couch.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Let's start from why you think I'm a coward," Hal said in his ever calm tone of voice.

"Is that not obvious? You DID NOT attack" Tiberius said with wild gesticulation of his hands.

"Yes. To save the life of another" Hal said with a sigh.

"And that counts as cowardly in my book"

Myra blinked,

"By her majesty's word, This shit is getting real"

Hal turned a fraction in her direction before he asked Tiberius,

"What if you were in my position and Myra was in Melinda's"

"Easy. I'll smoke her" Tiberius grunted.

"And by smoke, you mean kill right?" Hal asked.

"Of course"

"Just making sure"

Hal said and turned to face Myra again,

"And you're okay with this?"

Myra smiled in her usual lascivious smile,

"Of course."

'Interesting'

"So you don't form real bonds, do you?" He observed but Myra looked offended,

"Of course we do. We just believe all bonds can be broken in the pursuit of absolute power"

"Is that why you're here? The pursuit of absolute power?" Hal asked in an attempt to be sneaky...

"It's all that matters. That and instructing you on the proper path. One that shows you as deserving of being the son of a Being as great as the Devil Queen.

"Do you even realize how lucky you are? Do you know how many Demons and Devils in the far reaches of Hell would kill to be a true Devil prince but you don't even live up to an iota of what is expected"

...and it worked quite well.

Unfortunately, Tiberius had now caught himself and he looked horrorstruck as he looked to Myra who sighed.

Hal, however, was musing again,

"Corruption, huh? Can't say I'm surprised. It still doesn't tell me the plans of Mother dearest. Tell me, Tiberius, is she truly missing?"

Tiberius growled and Horns sprouted from his forehead. Menacing Blood red horns with sharp points.

"You will not get any more out of me. It seems I underestimated you. You're good, I'll give you that but you are too attached and it will be your doom!"

Myra stood to her feet,

"Tiberius!" She cautioned but the Fiend ignored her.

Hal on the other hand laughed,

"Oh come on T.B. You are living inside my soul rent-free, the least you can do is tell me all you know"

Tiberius narrowed his eyes and clenched his hand so that Executioner appeared and he pointed Hal as he sprung from the therapeutic couch,

"There are things you should not know. Not right now anyway. Heed my advice, Hal, do not be ready to do anything for this booty-calls"

Hal stood from his chair as well and his skin turned scarlet as he took on the lesser Devil form.

As this 'body' was merely constructed, there was no release of Devil Energy but the Darkness I'm his soul World which was born of Devil Energy, reacted to his new form by turning slightly unstable.

"No, you should heed MY advice. Try to corrupt me all you want, I don't care, as long as it does not involve harming those I care about. They are none of your business and you should steer clear"

His Executioner was summoned instantaneously as well by sheer force of will.

Tiberius looked at him long and hard,

"You aren't very much like the Queen"

"From all I've seen so far. That's a good thing"