Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

Chapter 196 - 'To Quote Marlon'

"Father" Yelled both Darryl and Marlon as they dashed to the Dome and hit it in an attempt to free their father.

Even as they placed their hands against the Dome, they could feel the energy it was constantly pressuring their father with.

They could only imagine what Hector was going through.

Karon and some other guards were focussing on protecting the Bride Olivia, Alexander and other notable Edgar Family members.

Hal watched it all with what could be described as a sad expression. There was no way the two brothers could free Hector from the Dome so it was better they focused their anger somewhere else,

"Go all out" He told the brothers telepathically.

As they struggled against the Dome, Darryl and Edgar heard the voice in their mind and they looked up and at the Runemasters with vindictive stares.

At that time, Baret and Ian took the hint and dashed off into to rejoin the Plebeian heads at the back of the army. They were by San's side before the brothers had even made a move.

San was still smiling from the top of his palanquin but his smile was wiped off suddenly when the Edgar brothers began to emanate Dark mist.

From their body came the fear that made the Plebeian and Edgar men closest to them shiver uncontrollably and even take a few steps back from them.

Both Darryl and Marlon fed their Devil Marks with the height of their Cosmic Armament Realm cultivation and took on the Devil shroud form.

However, unlike the Emissaries, they could not make use of the Shroud-Blade and the effect of the shroud was a little weakened, but it did not matter to them as they summoned their Cosmic Armaments.

"You are in cohorts with HIM" San yelled. 

While he did not mention precisely who the 'HIM' was, the other Plebeian heads knew he was referring to the 'Malevolent One' which was a conclusion they had come to as well.

But it made no sense that the Hectors would fight along with the one who had robbed them of their conjoined riches with the other Great families.

"You are working with the Malevolent One" San said so as to make his accusations clear. 

The appearance of the shroud came with it the realization that the 'Malevolent Bastard' was involved and as much as the mere thought of that mysterious figure annoyed him to his core, he saw in it as an opportunity.

An opportunity to turn the other Great families against the Edgar family.

However, when he looked to where they were, he found that his words did not have the desired effect on Ford Horst and Gregory Payne.

Gregory had already been treated to the fact that Hal was the Malevolent One so the fact that he had also sunk his malevolent clutches into the scions of the Edgar family did not cause him to feel anything special.

As for Ford, while he did not know who the Malevolent One was and was indeed surprised at this development, considering all he had been through in the last few days, it was not enough to overly change his expression.

Instead, he wished he could somehow find a way out.

The only one who truly reacted the way San wished was Edvard who narrowed his eyes as he looked at the shroud-covered brothers. 

While he had no idea prior that this was an ability with ties to the one that had robbed the Confluence, the fact that the two brothers did not even attempt to deny the accusation was quite frankly, damning evidence.

Then again, they might have just been too laser focussed in taking down the ones that had ambushed them in their home and trapped their father in an oppressive Array Dome.

Either way, the Dark shroud that was causing both their foes and allies to shiver was definitely proof that, at the very least, they were hiding something.

"Is that it?" Rita asked Hal and he nodded.

"Yes, that is the Plebeian's secret weapon which they have kept all this while to take care of Hector Edgar.

It's a Rank 5 array that can't merely be fueled by feeding it Cosmic Energy or even Astral energy by the Runemaster. While Cosmic or Astral energy is indeed required to activate it, it makes use of another source of energy to keep it running and stable..." Hal pointed at the Blue Gem that flowed incandescently on the side of the Dome, 

"... It needs a Blue Gem" he completed and Rita nodded.

While she has never transacted with a Blue Gem, she did know what it was. Seeing as she was not originally from Salmon City in the first place.

Blue Gems contain violent bursts of Cosmic Energy that cannot be used in cultivation but serve quite well as a power source for Arrays and formations as well as other things...

The only one who should not have known about Blue Gems was Marla. However, Melinda was already filling her in on what exactly it was.

Hal studied the Dome that surrounded Hector and continued to siphon the Cosmic energy within his body and sapped his Mental health.

The Rune that facilitated the siphoning was one he recognized and had been used in the Array that had trapped him in Tretch forest.

Back then, he had felt the Rune had been copied and badly reproduced so the effect had been watered down on him.

This was obviously where the Rune had been copied from.

Now he could not help but wonder how many more Blue gems (which were obviously another of the Master's generosities) they had with them, which was information Evian and the other spies he had in the Plebeian homes were not privy to.

However, he did know that they did not have any other Array scrolls of this caliber with which to stop any other cultivator of or an equal or even higher caliber to Hector.

It seemed as though such resources were too expensive for the Master to give out more than one but Hal was not so sure about that...

Anyway...

"Ahhhhh" 

*Slash*

*Splutter of Blood*

...reinforced by the Devil shroud, the Edgar brother tore through the ranks of Plebeian experts, beheading and hacking as they went.

They had accepted that if the Dome could hold their father who was a Cosmic Phenomenon Expert, then there was not much they could do to free him.

Hacking at the Dome would not do any good.

However, hacking at the Men who had activated it and admitted they were still affected by the Array and hence, still connected to it, was bound to set their father free.

"Don't let them through!" San ordered, 

"If they get through, it could all be over!" He yelled.

While the two were merely at the Cosmic Armament Realm as opposed to his Cosmic Phenomenon Realm cultivation, the Devilish shroud around them really worried him as he remembered his encounter with the shroud once before, the worry intensified.

Marlon and Darryl did not even show any reaction as though they had heard the order.

Their goal was clear,

And whoever stood in their way should and must die.

The only stray thought Darryl allowed was the surprise that his brother, who was usually not very invested in combat, was so focussed and ready to step into the heat of battle.

Then again, to quote Marlon Edgar himself 'No one is a coward when love is concerned'.