Ehrlich's face went red with rage immediately and Hal actually thought for a moment that it was because they seemed to have played right into Beldar's hands.

Alas,

"I am not a Boy!" He yelled.

Hal shook his head,

"Seriously? That's what upsets you in this situation?"

Ehrlich ignored him and continued by pointing at Hal and directing his words at Beldar,

"He's a boy. Not me!".

Beldar shrugged,

"I really don't care either way." He said and stood from the rock he had been sitting.

He walked towards the duo of Hal and Ehrlich slowly and although Ehrlich was quick to take on a defensive stance, Hal felt there was no need to be so hasty.

After all, Beldar still seemed mostly interested in making small talk.

And sure enough,

"Don't you want to know how I knew you would come after me?" He asked.

Ehrlich sneered,

"To quote your own words 'I really don't care either way'" he said.

"Oh, but you should care. You see I am so attuned with my body that it is impossible for you to place something on me, no matter how stealthy you try to be, without me knowing of it.

I had no definite knowledge of what the rune was for but since it had not been used in our battle, I was sure it was not going to explode or bind me or anything like that.

And then just as I was about to walk off the stage, I saw him..." He pointed at Hal "get up and walk out of the hall.

"It was then that I remembered the first time I saw him and how he had been asking about things that while normal to an observer, for someone as alert as I am, it raised a flag.

So I decided to take a chance on my suspicions on what the rune was for and came here. My hideout for the past few months"

Before Ehrlich could say anything, Hal was already commenting,

"Glossing over the fact that you praised yourself so many times in that egotistical classic 'Bad guy' speech, did you say you've been living here for months? You've really had it rough" Hal said with a sympathetic shake of his head which fooled Ehrlich,

"Stop moping around with him! As for you Beldar, I believe you owe me a rematch" he said.

Beldar smiled and there was something about the way he subtly glanced behind him that put Hal ill at ease,

"I defeated you once today already, what makes you so confident I won't be doing it again?" Beldar asked with a sneer as he retrieved a scroll from his inventory.

One that was obviously different and most probably better than the one he had already sold.

Ehrlich grinned,

"My confidence stems from the fact that I won't make the same mistake twice" he said and exuded the pressure of his cultivation base to harness his cosmic energy and direct it all towards a skill...

"Fourth-grade skill: Striking comets!"

... as he summoned a three-ring circle out of which flew brightly burning comets that smacked right into Beldar's chest before he could even attempt to evade.

*Boomm!!!*

*Bang!!!*

It sent him flying away and smacking into the cave wall, separated from his mutating scroll that remained suspended in mid-air.

"Watch my back" Ehrlich said and glanced at Hal barely able to beep his joy contained.

However, as Beldar slid slowly down the wall and onto the ground, Hal thought... No, he was sure he saw him smile.

He sighed and warned Ehrlich in a lazy voice,

"Be careful"

"What...?" Ehrlich began but by then, Beldar was no longer on the ground but standing upright... right in front of him.

*Bam!*

Before he had the time to anticipate Beldar's attack, he was already getting punched in the stomach.

He doubled over and Beldar hit him into the ground with a solid punch to the side of his face.

It was while he was down and groaning in pain that Ehrlich saw that Hal was not the least panicked. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying the show of his partner getting beaten up.

"What are you smiling at?" Beldar asked Hal who chuckled.

"I'm sorry, it's just that three days ago, this guy was so badass as he attacked me and someone close to me all so he could kidnap me.

Not to mention that as I was knocked unconscious, the fact that they could have hurt Karmen has been upsetting ever since."

Ehrlich's eyes widened,

"That was just for show and you know it." He growled at Hal.

Hal rolled his eyes,

"Well, I know that now. But three days ago while I was getting attacked I did not. Also, my precious Karmen was attacked for real and most likely knocked unconscious as well. And she might not have been lucky enough to get a rune knock out.

After all, anything to get the job done right?"

"Aren't you two partners?" Beldar looked confused.

Hal shook his head,

"No, we're not. I am more of a Pseudo-backup but I am so weak that if you defeat Ehrlich then I will either be running or begging for my life."

Ehrlich groaned and struggled to return upright and glare at Hal,

"Vindictive bastard. I'll take care of you later" he said and turned towards Beldar who was already harnessing the mutating technique and turning his hand into the monstrosity that had defeated Ehrlich a few hours earlier.

Ehrlich did not back down as he summoned a sword cosmic Armament that was thinly veiled not with a phenomenon but with a cosmic aurora.

He dashed towards Beldar who was waiting to receive him with his monstrous fist raised to intercept the sword strike.

*Clang!*

The contacting of both distinctly different weapons caused a metal-like clang that was quite unnerving.

However, neither of the two was interested in exploring that area and only focused on battling each other.

Hal could not help but feel that Beldar was only toying with Ehrlich and not taking things seriously.

This thought was reiterated by the assurance that there was something behind the point his perception could not pierce.

And whatever it was would be a sure game-changer that would guarantee the dystopian's victory.

*Boomm!!!*

A blast of cosmic attack from Ehrlich and the two separated and stared at each other while breathing deeply but Ehrlich was doing so with a frown while Beldar was doing so with a smile.

"You are out of trump cards aren't you? I will really like to know who it was that is after me 'cause you don't look smart enough to be the mastermind of this operation. Oh well, before they kill you, I'll find out." He said and snapped his fingers.

"They...?" Ehrlich narrowed his eyes in confusion just as the cave began to rumble with the sound of approaching multiple individuals.

However, before they actually came before him, a large slab of rock fell off the cave ceiling, it was coated with a kind of dark and malevolent energy and somehow, Ehrlich found that he could not avoid it as it landed squarely on his head...

*Bam!!!*

... and knocked him unconscious.

Beldar looked confused at this turn of events since he was sure it could not be an accident as that was the only piece of the cave ceiling that came crashing down.

It was only after Ehrlich slumped down to the ground was the culprit revealed to Beldar who saw Hal's eyes were no longer sapphire blue which despite the only source of light being from the exit was a fact he was sure of, and they were now a malevolent black color that almost caused him to feel fear.

Hal sighed as he looked down on the body on the ground,

"It turns out I really wasn't over him knocking me unconscious. Who would have thought I could hold a grudge that much?"

Grimoire did a mental representation of a girl hopping on her seat with her hand raised while she chanted,

'I knew, I knew'

Hal ignored the artifact with a mental roll of his eyes.

Then returned his attention to Beldar,

"As for you, you called me a boy, so how about I show you how vindictive I can be as I prove to you by beating you senseless that age aside, I am no boy. I am a man and a Devil, in every which way."