Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

Melinda looked between Hal and Valerie and could hot help but frown.

It was not that the two were sharing a moment and did not seem to notice anything going on around them.

Or for something, in her case, as unnecessary as insecurity or jealousy.

It was that the two (Hal and Valerie)...

"Will you two just say something?" 

... had not said a single word since they faced each other.

Melinda's impatient prompt seemed to be enough to jolt Valerie out of the intense staring contest she was having with Hal who met her stare of animosity with a jovial one.

"Oh, miss Dane, it's so nice to meet you" Valerie said with a surprising smile.

Melinda blinked.

The sudden transition of Valerie's hostile glare to Hal to a warm and almost worshipping smile to her was a little off-putting.

And that was before Valerie took her hand and held it tight with bright eyes, 

"Do we know each other?" Melinda asked with a confused smile.

She had no recent memory of ever meeting this young woman.

The most she had ever heard of Valerie was what Hal had told her and that was not really much considering Hal did not actually know that much about Valerie himself.

Valerie shook her head, 

"Nope, we've never met. But when I read in your Bio about all the things you went through. Getting banished for standing up for yourself against that unnamed bastard in your family, it made me feel completely sure for the first time."

In a bid to better promote Melinda's potential in the exam, the publisher had done enough research to know what had happened to her in the past and how she survived it all to return to her family five years later stronger than ever.

The Bio did not actually mention the attempted rape or the name of the one who attempted the rape, the one who Melinda stood up to.

Most likely because the publisher's research was not as extensive as he or she would have wished.

"Completely sure about what?" Hal asked from behind Valerie and the young lady tolled her eyes and mostly ignored him.

Hal's face had a look about it that had Melinda chuckling when she saw it.

It was as though the treatment was new to the Blue-eyed young Devil.

"Completely sure about what?" Melinda asked in hope that she would succeed where Hal had failed.

She did.

"Completely sure about standing up for myself. Not letting the men in my life or even potential man in my life dictate how it should be. Taking my destiny into my own hands. 

Screw my so-called Fiance.

And screw some random nobody who, just because he provided me help in my time of need, suddenly thinks he owns me.

Screw... Them... All!" 

The last three words were said forcibly and with Valerie's head tilted towards Hal so that the blue-eyed -confused- young man knew she was referring him especially.

However, when she was done, Hal understood what she was going on about and it had him adopt an expression Melinda was sure she had not seen Hal have many times since they had been together.

He was embarrassed.

Other than after the first time they slept together when Hal had been embarrassed about how little he contributed to her cultivation progress, the golden eyed beauty doubted she had ever seen him this way.

Why was Hal embarrassed?

Well, he remembered how assertive he had been back then.

Not that he would take it back if he could but it still made him a bit bashful to think of how easily be had ignored the obvious disparity in his and Valerie's statuses when he staked his claim on her.

His expression quickly became normal again though.

He would not be who he was if it didn't.

At that point, the rest of his group finally arrived.

The first to arrive was Nicole Antonov, one of the three Antonov sisters who along with Delaney had been subject to Hal's masterful ministrations back in the Doxon Duchy.

It had been so long since she last saw him (almost three months) and there was nothing more she wished for at that moment than for a reunion in the most sensual manner possible.

'But wait' she thought 'Why is there a Dane with him?'

Melinda acknowledged Nicole presence with a light smile that threw the Antonov lady off before she returned her attention to Valerie, 

"Such obvious disrespect... It must have annoyed you" she told the lady who nodded, 

"Oh, it did. It spurred me on to do something incredibly crazy just to show that I am not in his league... That I have surpassed him..." Valerie paused suddenly just as the Silva Siblings finally arrived.

She had not paused for them but for a sudden realization which she was only just having because she had been so focussed on venting the annoyance she felt for...

"Wait a minute, why the hell are you here?" Valerie suddenly rounded on Hal to ask.

It was a fairly stupid question as Hal's reason for being at the rundown district should have been obvious.

And it was obvious to her, she just did not -could not- accept it as fact.

For two reasons;

First, the whole reason she went through all her ordeals to become as powerful as she now was and to participate in this exam was to surpass her stupid fiance as well as the unknown nobody named Hal who actually dared to covet her.

Even though at the time of their meeting, she was only at the Cosmic pearl realm, she had still been stronger than him,

Second, -tied to the ending of her first reason- Hal had been much too weak back then to be in good shape to participate in the competition mere months after.

Her case was different. 

Her strength had been achieved through special circumstances.

Surely, Hal could not have achieved his strength and feat through such circumstances as well, could he?

Hal shrugged in reply, 

"I'm participating. Taking an exam I really feel I could do without." He said in a nonchalant tone that caused everyone in the area to pause and look back at him.

"What?" Hal asked when he felt the stares.

He knew what the impact of his words would be. He just didn't care.

"Who do you think you are?" The one who asked was not Valerie who was in shock at his response. 

It was the Silver-haired Adeline who from the start had looked uninterested to be in Hal's company.

The outrage in her tone was clear as she stepped up to Hal.

Hal could not help but smile as to how this was reminiscent of his first meeting with her when she had accused him of looking at her.

Even back then, Hal had not been intimidated not to mention now that he had progressed greatly.

He sighed, 

"What does who I am have to do with sharing a personal opinion?" He asked at what he felt was an unnecessary question posed by the Silva lady.

"I just want to know what backing you have to say something so disrespectful and think you won't face the repercussions" Adeline said with a sneer which Hal could still notice even though she was wearing a veil.

He took a deep breath before he replied,

"It's not disrespectful. I never said the Royal Academy was weak or does not deserve the prestige it enjoys. Neither did I say the people of this continent don't need it. All I said was that 'I' on a personal basis FEEL like I can do without it."