Hal stepped back and it was more than enough for the Cosmic attack to miss him and hit the floor instead. As for the resulting force, he slashed with his sword and divided the wind pressure to render it void.

Even then Hal did not turn to Edvard but Karmen,

"I didn't ask you for the fog" He chastised as though the fog's appearance made a difference or was somehow the reason Edvard seemed to be losing his mind.

Karmen shrugged,

"Master, I was only trying to make an impact. Besides what difference does it make? You're just going to beat him up anyway" she said and it looked as though Edvard was heading towards a mental breakdown.

It was not so much the words that were causing the reaction, it was the nonchalance with which Karmen said it.

This was a woman who from the moment he employed her to Krast Estate had proven herself worthy of his trust. How exactly she had done so, Edvard did not know.

He just felt... drawn to her.

And then she began to showcase her impressive combat skills and although she did not live on the property and usually left for about an hour during the day, he was never worried or upset as whenever she returned, she would be stronger than before.

She was someone who was worthy of becoming his right hand and while he had never admitted it, he was... interested in her. Sexually.

And here she was speaking about him getting beat up in a tone that made it clear she could not care less.

How could he not have a breakdown?

Of course, he was right.

Karmen did not care about him one bit.

While she did admit that the terrible image he had with the public was not all accurate (Despite him still being a horndog), she could never truly build a relationship with him as she saw him as nothing but a mission. The only man who mattered in her life was Hal.

And even though she had not used those exact words so far, Edvard could infer it as well, so he might as well take out his frustrations.

*Clang*

Hal's sword met Edvard's Glaive before they drew back their weapons and attacked each other once again to create another ringing clang.

Hal had let out the pressure of his mid-stage Cosmic Armament Realm cultivation and the fact that he was using only that to contend with him, did not sit well with the Krast Patriarch.

They had only just separated again when a Cosmic attack came pelting at Hal having being sent by Karon.

Hal pointed a finger at the incoming attack and projected Five Runes that came together to form a wall of defense in a second and successfully blocked the attack.

Also reminding the two that Hal was still a Runemaster and they needed to be alert for little things such as this.

That said, there was only so long Hal could hold out.

Or at least that's what they both thought.

On the contrary, Hal could go as long as they could.

Once the cosmic attack from Karon had been nullified, Hal sent a Cosmic attack of his own at the Mayor's right-hand who leaped up to escape it.

The moment he was in the air, however, Hal was there as well and striking at him with the straight edge of his sword.

Karon sneered as he struck at Hal with his Axe which was the heavier of the two and would win in case of a stalemate.

The attack would have connected as Hal could not possibly change his position and avoid the strike efficiently, unless he could fly.

Hal chuckled mildly because while he indeed could not fly, he could perform the next best thing...

"Second-grade skill: Updraft" he said and pointed downwards to summon the two circled rings of the skill that allowed him enough foothold and lift to spin around Karon and arrive behind him.

*Bam*

He slammed Karon in the back with his hand coated with Cosmic energy.

The impact was so strong it smacked Karon into the ground below so hard that he cracked the courtyard floor.

Needless to say, Karon suffered more than a few fractures to his body but could still groan and rollover.

Just in time to see Hal land and Edvard did not give him any breathing room as he charged at him while sending a Cosmic attack ahead.

What worried Edvard as he made his approach was that Hal had not made use of any of the peculiarities he expected of the Malevolent One.

He had not made use of the Dark shroud and his eyes had not turned Red.

Could it be that even though Hal could give his men awesome abilities, he could not do the same for himself?

But that made no sense.

And if Hal was not already making use of the Peculiarities even though he could, did that mean he was simply toying with them.

He shook those thoughts away just as Hal blasted his own Cosmic attack to cancel Edvard's. The resulting force knocking Hal back a few steps while having close to no effect on Edvard.

A situation that was quite similar to when Hal had fought San.

Frank watched the events unfold with rapt attention. While it seemed Hal was on the back foot due to a weaker cultivation base, an observer with no ties to him would still be able to tell, he was not struggling.

The battle looked to be going exactly how he wanted.

Frank took it as a lesson.

Hal being his Master, he was well aware that there was so much he could learn from him.

It was one of the reasons he had been incredibly quiet so far and simply faded into the background.

Become an observer.

The ladies however saw this as entertainment.

One Hal soon grew bored of.

With him a few distances away due to the resultant force from the collision of the two Cosmic attacks, Edvard continued to pursue and followed after Hal, at which point, Karon was back on his feet and enduring his aching body to attempt to get back at Hal.

The speed at which he moved despite his fractures was quite commendable, Alas, Hal saw no point in prolonging such a futile battle.

His eyes became a hybrid of Fiend and Devil, with his Sclera Black and his iris Red.

Edvard's eyes widened as this was the peculiarity he had been expecting but even then, he did not stop.

Hal had no interest in employing his means of secrecy as there was no one on the Castle grounds at that moment he wished to keep anything from by all means so he let out his Devil Energy in the form of nightmarish Black fog.

That alone caused Edvard to freeze as he began to shiver in fear that emanated from the fog. As did Karon as Hal stepped toward them with quick casual steps and kicked them in the chest.

First Edvard and then Karon.

Then he pulled the two of them up as they both attempted to struggle not only against his hold but against the fear that gripped their very being but it was futile...

*Bam* *Bam* *Crack* *Crack* *Bam* *Crack*

...as Hal took his time and beat them both to a pulp.