The perplexed look on the Great family heads' faces became one of relief they could not hide as they quickly began to order a retreat.

Ford still looked uncomfortable but he ordered the retreat of his men as well. Of course, not all of the Great family conjoined forces were able to retreat successfully as quite a number of them still fell victim to vicious strikes in their bid to escape.

Hal had the Great family heads relay It to the men that it was not over and that this was merely for them to catch their breath. To this, the men simply nodded and began to recharge their depleted Cosmic Pearls with Cosmic Energy.

Hal was having the Great family heads relay the orders to keep to what he had once said which was that he would leave the ordering of their men to the family heads and only take direct control of the Payne family forces.

Of course, whether by proxy or in person, Hal was still the one calling the shots.

The Plebeian family heads on the other side of the battlefield could not help but gloat as they saw the Great family forces dash back in retreat.

"We have them running scared" They said.

San snorted at those words and they all quickly sobered up and quieted down.

San could see that Hal had finally arrived and if the men were retreating right after he did so, then it meant something big was about to happen.

The Payne Men which was now anyone in Payne Estate capable of fighting, gathered together in the clearing where they were being glared at by the Plebeians who had moved back so as to group together much better.

Hal then moved closer to the point that as long as they turned back in his direction and looked up, they would see him.

He stretched his hands and began,

"So here we are. The Endpoint. This is what you have all trained for. At least I hope you trained and if you did not, then no problem. That's fine as well.

Now before ordering you to attack, I want you to remember,

Should you fight for survival, know that you are fighting to be a part of my force and you will be a part as long as you survive and should you wish to not be tied to a scumbag like myself and continue being loyal to Gregory Payne, then show that devotion by dying.

Now, Attack!"

Hal had ordered it for the Payne Men to begin but it was the Plebeians who attacked instead. Clearly not interested in waiting for the enemy to take the first strike.

While the order to attack had not come from San and should probably have been considered insubordination, San decided he would let it be.

*Swooshhh* *Swooshhh* *Swooshhh*

Multiple Cosmic attacks were sent towards the Payne family and it exploded and only the quick-witted who wished to survive attempted to protect themselves.

And just like that, the battle resumed.

As it did, Hal created a canopy of Astral energy and the ladies retrieved Desks, Chairs and any other implement that was essential for an Army tent which they placed down and watched the battle.

Melinda and Rita wondered when they would finally get to fight and Emily entertained them with tales of battles she had been in while Marla and Amelia conversed and were quite glad to be included and allowed to be there.

Hal then called Gregory over and with trepidation, the older man allowed himself to be steered to the edge of the man-made hill and watch his Payne Men bite the dust.

Gregory had had a while to come to terms with the state of things and he had been sure that none of the Payne family forces would fight for Hal.

Hal had said more than once and shown it as well, that he did not care about the Payne family and also promised that after the war, the family would be destroyed which was something none of those men would stand for.

Even those that did not bear the Payne name had been with the family for generations and the very thought of it being destroyed was something they were sure not to care for.

All through, he had been quite convinced that, much as it would hurt him to see men who he, as Patriarch had spent so many resources to cultivate die, it would still be honorable for them to fall to the Plebeians as a final show of defiance to the tyrant that was Hal.

Hal knew what Gregory was thinking and it only caused him to chuckle because from the moment he marked the Payne Men, he knew what their resolution would be and it was quite a shock to Gregory when he saw that only a scant few of his Men did as he expected.

Most of them fought with dedication and a will.

A will to survive.

"Did you really expect they would let themselves be killed?

Clearly, they are abandoning the sinking ship that is the Payne Family and casting their lot with me" Hal said in a mocking voice.

Gregory froze as he watched more of them take down Plebeians. Their will to survive to fight another day was strong and causing them to fight valiantly and as he saw that, he smiled.

It was a painful smile that came off as grotesque but it was a smile nonetheless,

"Fine, you have completely crushed the confidence I used to have in people. You have shown me that given a choice, none of those I called my men would give their life for me.

If I as a leader can't guarantee that, then I have failed. I accept that.

But I also see a silver lining" He said.

Hal raised his brow,

"Oh, what?"

Gregory pointed down at the fighting,

"You said as long as they survived, they would become a part of your force and they are fighting to survive. If they survive, at least, the time and resources I put into cultivating them won't go to waste." He said, bursting with optimism.

The Great family heads were no longer going over strategies and their attention was know on the 'Father-son' duo.

The optimism in Gregory's voice caused Melinda and the rest of Hal's ladies to shake their heads at the plight of this poor man.

It was not that they pitied him, it was that they found his reactions and his tendency to jump to conclusions, pitiful.

However, his Optimism caused Hal to burst into laughter that quickly morphed into a Malevolent cackle fit for a Devil,

"Hahahaha. I said 'If they survive' so what makes you so sure they will?"

Gregory looked confused,

"What do you mean?"

Hal laughed again and pointed down at the Paynes where only those who wished to survive were still battling hard but were still getting overwhelmed slowly but surely,

"Take a look, Greggy. Do they look like they'll survive?" He asked.

At that moment, despite the sounds of battle, atop the hill, all looked silent as something seemed to snap into place in Gregory's head,

"You're not going to order the other family forces to assist" he realized.

Hal shook his head with a grin,

"No, I am not. What's the point? I have no use for them and if when given a choice, they were ready to turn their backs on centuries of tradition and ties to the Payne family, It just shows they are not trustworthy and I don't need them in my force."

*Thud*

Gregory fell to his knees and grabbed Hal's legs as his eyes moistened,

"Hal, you have ways to guarantee total subservience, so please don't do this"

Hal smiled,

"True, I do have such means but I find it's too much of a bother. Besides I am doing this for you 'Father', these men turned their backs on you and if I ordered them to kill you, they probably would have.

Also, from all I have gleaned from their minds, there is way too much politics among them and they even harbored thoughts of taking over your position of Patriarch"

Gregory wailed,

"I don't care. Please let them live. They are my family"

Hal sighed,

"Figures. I try to do one good thing for you even after your wicked acts to me. Even after you made me a slave and killed me and yet this is the thanks I get.

Oh well, do not worry Gregory, their Deaths will not be in vain. By the time they are killed to the last man, they would have killed many Plebeian men and their deaths, as well as the Plebeians', will serve as nourishment to my Knights..."

While Hal was still speaking, the Blood Knights who had not joined the Great family forces to battle showed up from where they had been hiding, after which they jumped right to the front of the resting Great family forces.

There, led by Karmen, they sat cross-legged and absorbed the Blood Essence of all those that had died so far.

Unlike other times when they were in the city, the Essence was not being absorbed away and remained in place.

A sign that the Master's reach did not extend out to the clearing and was not close by.

While the Blood Knights absorbed everything in the entirety, having been ordered by Hal to do so,

Hal finished what he had been saying,

"...and you should be proud"