A lot can happen in a second

That was even more true for Hal who could have an entire conversation with Grimoire within that second.

'The signature from that lightning is different from the one that struck you down before' Grimoire informed him

'How is it different?' Hal asked sensing the lightning get ever closer.

'That was an attack, this is a tribulation that is here to punish and by consequence kill'

'And what good does an explanation do me? Whether to punish or to reward, in failure, only pain and death lie in my future. What is weird however is how much I crave its energy'

'Maybe getting killed by lightning is causing a slight change in 'orientation' Grimoire joked and having to be his aim, Hal's next words...

'You take that back'

... Merely caused it to snicker.

Hal gripped Executioner tightly.

'I'm no longer the human that was caught slightly off-guard against lightning and if this tribulation stands in the way of me getting more beauties... I mean, having women worship me... No no no, my main goal is to find out the truth about myself and kill the bastards who tried to kill me. Getting a few (a lot) of ladies along the way is just one of the few perks

Now tribulation, show me what you got, and let me smite you'

*Crackle*

*Booom!*

Hal swung Executioner and blasted the lightning that struck down...

*Bang!*

... His hands became numb as the resultant force knocked him backward and incinerated Kael's body.

When Hal finally stood up with dust coating his body he gritted his teeth to complain before the realization that there was a large Maas of Cosmic energy inside his body

'Well that explains the craving'

'I still prefer the 'you have a thing for lightning' angle'

'Of course, you do, you sicko'

The tribulation was not over and after gathering itself it showed signs of another strike

"Second-grade skill: Updraft"

Hal pointed his left hand down and a two circled ring appeared below his feet and launched him skyward where he launched a preemptive strike against the tribulation by swinging Executioner.

Every strike caused a decimation of clumps of lightning but not without wearing Hal's skin.

-Hal's Soul World-

"Should we help him?" The pink figure asked

"We can't and we mustn't. You know what this is don't you?" The red figure asked in... Pain?

The pink figure made an angry noise but made no move...

...But of course, she did not have to.

With Hal's strong flesh and Executioner at Hand, he seemed to have things under control as he whirled dodged, and slashed. His instinct heightening his battle sense.

Suddenly the lightning drew back and an oppressive force bore down on Hal as the lightning gathered inside the Astral energy domed ceiling and spelled the word 'SINNER' before they struck as one.

Knowing this was the last wave, a wave he had to survive, Hal doubled his grip on Executioner and let out its bloodcurdling energy knowing it would not affect an inanimate being but using it as a way to finally lay all the cards on the table.

...

Minutes Earlier

"Nooooooooo" Adler yelled when she saw Brysen's lifeless body

Melinda narrowed her eyes and sighed, this was a Level of anguish she did not expect from an aunt, she could however expect it from...

"You're his mother aren't you?" Melinda stated and did not require an answer for the rage in Adler's eyes coupled with her silence was evidence enough

"Third-grade skill: Lady's whip"

Adler looked up with bloodshot eyes and stretched forth her hand to summon a three circled ring brimming with energy much greater than before, all three rings were now bright and announced to her opponent the true tier of the third-grade skill...

"A high tier Third grade skill. You must have limited its energy before. sigh. This is just going to make your death more painful" Melinda said and stretched forth her hand to use the skill she had neglected using in an attempt to once again appear helpless, she had no interest in that anymore...

"Third-grade skill: Beetle Shell"

A shield-shaped like a beetle shell appeared surrounded by a three circled ring.

This skill had been one of Rita's gifts from her mistress and was at the low tier when it's energy is limited but at the mid-tier when used completely. Using a mid-tier skill at her level was still dangerous but unlike Adler, she did not have a death wish...

"You know I always envied you, you had Edvard Krast and quite a few others flock around you but I was always shunned for being crazy. Haha hahaha. I want to know how crazy they think I am after I kill you" Adler cackled in a deranged manner and then closed her mouth to hold back a blood spurt

"What a drama queen" Melinda sighed

Lady's whip struck and as before, the energy held her down but she never had any intentions of moving, when the whip hit the shield, the shield held for a while before shattering. The energy of the whip was now reduced but it went unimpeded and struck Melinda... However, it simply passed through her body identifying it as an afterimage.

The moment the energy was reduced, the pinning effect also lessened and Melinda had taken advantage when she arrived on the side and Adler saw her...

-Puchi-

... Adler spurted blood, but Melinda would show no signs of slowing down

"Third-grade skill: Shooting stars" while being a perpetual low tier, did the job, blasting Adler away and by consequence ending her life.

However, she did not have the opportunity to celebrate because sounds would soon rock the estate...

*Crackle!*

*Rumble!!*

*Boom!!!*

"That can't be good"

...

Meanwhile.

...For the three presently locked in two against one battle, the tribulation offered no breathing space as Eugene and Rita did their best to somehow have the upper hand, and if it proved impossible, an escape was welcome.

Right before the tribulation strike sounded, Corban felt something that informed him of Adler's death. His relationship with Adler went far beyond the norm and they had taken steps to know when they each needed help, however being locked in combat with these two had not allowed it and when he felt the break of connection, he withdrew something from his spatial pouch.

Defeating these two was only a matter of time but he no longer wanted to just defeat them, he wanted to humiliate them.

He withdrew a spherical orb that was an artifact, an Armament rank artifact to be more precise, the secret of the Holger family slave-trading success.

The artifact was called, Soul locking Orb, having only one ability, which was to take control of the soul of its target.

The instant the artifact appeared, Rita and Eugene became cautious expecting an attack but Corban simply stood there as the orb glowed lightly.

Why did Corban pause?

Well, he tried to use the orb against Rita but her soul seemed untouchable, it was protected by energy or maybe an entity, whose control even the orb could not override.

He wrinkled his brow in frustration then tried it against Eugene after which a dilated pupil would signal success and Eugene would turn towards Rita and in a matter of seconds, he projected runes that Rita would only be able to escape thanks to her quick wit.

...

"Damn it. This tribulation is starting to get on my nerves" Hal gritted his teeth as he continued to fe yo the tribulation while his body continued to absorb the residual cosmic energy.

Its energy seemed infinite as it continued to strike down at him. However, Hal finally had a chance as he had once again amassed a lot of astral energy which he unleashed in a barrage of astral swords to strike at the tribulation before ending it with a strike from Executioner.

The cosmic energy would attempt to disperse but Hal would absorb it all and not allow any to go to waste, however being volatile energy from a tribulation, keeping it in his body could cause an overload, something that Grimoire was quick to warn him about.

But Hal had sensed something through his connection with Rita that caused him to frown.

...

*Boom!*

Rita has knocked away as Eugene closed upon her. She was at a major disadvantage. Eugene was at the late stage of the Cosmic Armament realm while Corban was at the peak stage. She on the other hand had only just advanced to the Cosmic Armament realm.

Not to mention the difference in weapons; Eugene was making use of a battle Axe with considerably more weight and strength than her longsword and while with a sword she had more techniques, at the moment, making use of those techniques did not shine a light in the dark tunnel that was this unequal battle.

'Grr, if only I was stronger' she thought before the beetle shield before her shattered and Eugene's battle Axe bore down on her while she attempted to keep it at bay with her Cosmic longsword.

*Bang!*

The sound had not come from the fighting pair but from the door that had just been blasted open with a figure standing in the doorway with blood-red eyes, holding a large demonic sword and his whole body glowing with unstable destructive energy.

First, he sent a cosmic attack that sent Eugene flying away from Rita and then directed the rest of it towards Corban and it struck the Holger family patriarch...

"Master!!!" Corban yelled

...Before he was fried on the spot.