*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!"