Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

To Hal's accusation, Elenor said nothing and just waved her hand to release a massive wave of energy on Hal who, despite being unable to move his hands and legs, released every bit of cosmic energy he still had in his body for protection.

Hal supported his release of cosmic energy with Infinity but it was all for naught.

The energy tore through all defenses and smashed him with the force of a mountain... Finally knocking him out of the air into the ground where he formed a crater.

Hal groaned but did not attempt to stir within the crater and just focussed on mustering his trump card which was his use of [Network of Souls] which he would use to command the strength of all those under his banner and combine it for a massive strike

He was optimistic that Elenor had not lost herself in a power she had long wielded and then continue attacking him until he was dead. He was optimistic that she would remember how useful he still was.

However, optimism aside, he refused to leave his fate in the woman's hands.

He had Sassy be on standby to drag him into the Harem space the moment he let his [Network of Souls] attack lose.

Elenor landed before his crater with her body not showing any evidence that she had been in a battle... All the blood stains had been cleaned up along with the healing of the wounds.

She looked as immaculate as she had before the battle began and with a wave of her hand, she wrapped him in her energy and pulled him up out of the crater and towards herself.

At this point, Elenor had reined in the devastating energy and presence that she had been exuding abs she was once again just as she had been the first time Hal met her in her Deliberation hall... Quietly exuding authority.

Elenor placed her hand on Hal's chest which was likely the most injured part of his body throughout the battle.

"Death has two sides... It can be cruel and wicked and it can be calm and acceptable as an inevitable end... A peaceful end to a long journey..." as Elenor spoke, Hal felt the grey energy getting introduced into his body.

Unlike the damming feeling it used to give, this time it was soothing and it seemed to still the pain he was feeling as well as kickstart a healing process that his regenerative abilities continued within him.

When she let him go, Hal was set back on his legs with his wounds closing up at a visible rate as he reverted to his human form which caused his trident and scepter to dissipate.

"Are you expecting appreciation?" Hal asked with a hint of hostility.

Elenor had advertised this to be a spar and had reduced her cultivation to make it fair... The fact that she then used her actual strength to oppress and attack him did not sit well with him.

"I am," Eleanor said with a smile and she retried a new piece of garment from her spatial ring with which she covered up her naked breasts.

"You're not getting one," Hal said he took a few steps back before he took off his ruined robes without a care that the Devil chieftess was present.

Clearly, she was not so fussed with modesty so why should he?

He retrieved new robes and put them on before he noticed the Devil Chieftess was eyeing him with a glint in her eyes.

"What is it...?" he asked her with indignation and Elenor shrugged,

"You impressed me. You clearly have a long way to go but also clearly have the means to make the journey shorter than it should be.

You have my respect" Elenor said and reached her hand towards Hal who stared at it and just let it stay there for a few seconds before he made to grab it for a shake.

Eleanor evaded the shake and grabbed his forearm so that Hal also had to grab her forearm in a hold that signified mutual respect.

Hal smiled lightly and tried his best to ignore the rumbling of power he could feel from the forearm.

And then Elenor pulled him closer until their chests were pressed together at which point, she proceeded to seize his lips in an ardent kiss.

Maybe it was on instinct or maybe it was that Hal was incapable of refusing a kiss from a beautiful lady or maybe he had been expecting the move... Whatever the reason, Hal reached his around her to grab her waist and pull Elenor even harder against himself while he indulged in the kiss.

He took all Elenor had to offer and then some...

Elenor stretched her tongue into his mouth and began an attempt to wrestle for dominance... She failed.

With the initiation of the kiss, Hal decided to make of skillset he had declined to use during his battle with Elenor and it did not matter that the woman was more powerful than he was and it did not matter that she had initiated the kiss because Hal took control of it.

He controlled the narrative... Defeated her tongue in its attempt at claiming a place in his mouth and then turned the tables around.

Elenor's heart rate elevated to the point where it mirrored how it had been when she was in a battle frenzy earlier and while she felt her control of the situation slipping away from her, she was confident in getting it back.

Meanwhile, Hal was bold and reached his hand down to grab her ass which he gave a squeeze...

"Mmm"

A squeeze that drew a moan from Elenor's lips which were muffled by Hal's mouth on hers.

And then Elenor pulled away from Hal and put some distance between them.

"What was that for?" Hal asked with a falsely bewildered expression that had a hint of indignance of a man who had been taken advantage of.

"A kiss of mutual respect. It solidified that I see you as someone of enough status with whom to deliberate" Elenor said with a straight expression without a hint of having been bothered by the wonderful feeling of the kiss.

She deactivated the Dome around the arena, put on her extravagant cape which she retrieved from her spatial ring where she had kept it, and walked ahead of Hal out of the arena.

"Just so you know, I have already deduced that you came to the Devil Tribe from the Crimson Fox clan and further investigations have shown that you have connections to that place," Eleanor said suddenly to which Hal raised a brow and frowned,

"What are you talking about?" he asked in a level-headed tone of voice and Elenor just shrugged,

"You should be careful with your obvious plans to use us. You will not like me angry. Just think how many benefits are to be realized from the large-scale sacrifice of such a clan thick with... History."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Hal said in his same level-headed tone.

He marveled at how quickly Elenor had pieced things together but no good would come from admitting all she had said to be the truth when he did not even know the true depth of her information.

"If you say so. I mean, the massive numbers of new arrivals in the clan, arrivals who are clearly members of the Crimson fox can and even possess Devil-like natures will suggest the opposite but if you say you have no idea what I am talking about, then I guess you don't" Elenor said.

Now, this was shaping up to be a very in-depth investigation that seemed to have sourced out all pieces of information and Hal was impressed.

He said nothing though and that said not bother the Devil Chieftess who continued,

"In any case, it hardly matters if you are connected to the Clan and the new arrivals or not as I will simply consider you to be connected with them.

Should the day come that you endanger my Tribe and our ambitions, every single individual in that clan territory will be involved in a large-scale ritual.

I assure you that they will not be able to leave the territory fast enough to escape this fate." Elenor said.

The confidence oozing from her words had Hal making use of his connection to the Crimson fox clan to investigate the territory and especially their very foundation and there he found the source of Elenor's confidence in a large-scale ritual and it gave an even better understanding of how fearsome the Devil Tribe truly was.

There was a dormant Devil formation beneath the very ground of the Crimson fox clan territory and it was deeper than the one in the Devil Tribe Territory.

Upon further investigation, Hal saw the formation stretched past the Crimson fox clan territory with the possibility of it being all over the segment ruled by the Devil Tribe.

Hal checked the memories of everyone in the Crimson fox clan and none of them, even the elders, had any idea that it existed.

The formation was clearly the result of hard work that likely started from the moment they gained control of the segment.

They had probably been laying it in secret.

The grade of the formation was something Hal could not override as he was at the moment and there was something ancient about it that went beyond the simple use of runes or spells.

How the dormant formation worked exactly was beyond Hal who drew his mind out of the investigations to return to reality.

Elenor was ready to roll the dice on Hal's possible connection to those in that territory and did not care if they were indeed innocent...

It did not matter if Hal denied the connection... Her mind was made up.

Plus, the presence of denizens in the Crimson fox clan territory, especially the new arrivals, was now an important factor.

If the territory were to suddenly became deserted, then Hal was not to be trusted.

Should he screw them over, she would take the sacrifice of every individual in the territory as compensation to replenish the strength that her tribe lose.