Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

As soon as Nina spoke, all eyes turned toward Justin. Apart from the pioneers already under his command, the others looked as if they had seen a ghost. Even Grayson, his supposed ally, seemed shocked by what he had just heard.

In the heavy silence that followed, Justin shrugged and offered a half-hearted defense.

"They attacked me first."

"Oh, that's true," Nina added. "My old comrades tried to kill him first. But the lord wiped them all out with a counterattack."

"You talk like it wasn't your idea to attack me in the first place," Justin said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's ancient history now. Besides, I almost died back then too, so let's just drop it. After all..."

The silence thickened as her final words hung in the air.

"All the deaths were on our side, anyway."

With that single sentence, the atmosphere grew even heavier. No one said a word after their conversation ended. The suffocating silence was finally broken by Grayson.

"...How did that happen?"

It was a simple question, but it carried a lot of weight. The other pioneers, too, looked to Justin for an explanation. With a casual shrug, he answered.

"Not much to it. We were exploring a dungeon, their settlement tried to invade and wipe us out, but they were caught and destroyed instead. That's it."

"If someone heard that, they'd think it was a full-scale war between settlements. In reality, the lord and four others wiped out the entire group," Nina chimed in.

"We're talking about the legitimacy of it, not the specifics. Would you stop adding side comments?" Justin shot back with a teasing glance. Experience exclusive tales on empire

Nina gave a playful wink and stepped back, as if she had finished her part. Justin turned his attention back to Damian.

"Now, where were we? Oh, right—what's the problem with our alliance?"

Damian simply stared at him, his face tense. It seemed the intimidation he had planned had evaporated thanks to Nina's comments. After all, if what she said was true, then Justin's group, while fewer in number, was far stronger in battle.

Just as another silence was about to settle in, Emily suddenly stepped forward, her voice sharp.

"You think that's going to make me back down?"

"Wait...!" Damian tried to stop her, reaching out a hand, but Emily brushed him aside with a dismissive wave.

"Enough with the bluffs. If you think I'm going to let this guy take the city, you're sorely mistaken. Especially when it's someone who has no qualms about murder."

Grayson, who had been listening, scowled in anger, but Emily didn't seem to care. Her eyes locked onto Justin as she slowly moved her hand toward her waist, where a sword—likely a relic from one of her quests—hung.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"I'm not letting a killer like you get your hands on this city. It's bad enough raising a future competitor, but one that's willing to kill? No way."

"Damn it..." Grayson muttered, his face twisted in frustration.

Still ignoring Grayson, Emily narrowed her eyes at Justin.

"So, here's the deal. You can either fight alongside this so-called ally of yours, or you can back down now and establish a good relationship with us."

"What if I choose the first option?"

"Then we fight. It's two against two. Seems fair, don't you think?" Emily's hand was already gripping the hilt of her sword, ready to draw. The distance was too far for her to strike immediately, but the threat was clear.

Justin glanced at Damian, but it seemed he had no intention of stopping her this time. Justin chuckled as he looked at Grayson, whose lips were dry from the tension.

"Alright, let's do it."

"...What?"

"You heard me. Get ready for battle."

Shing!

Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, Justin's companions unsheathed their weapons with lightning speed. It was a well-practiced move, executed with precision. Sylas, Nathan, and the rest of the pioneers swiftly followed, drawing their weapons as well.

Seeing that Justin and his group weren't backing down, Emily bit her lip, drawing her sword and shield.

"You really...!"

"Black Missile," Justin interrupted, launching the spell from his fingers.

Boom!

"Ugh!"

Before Emily could react, the missile struck her shield. Although she managed to turn and absorb the blow, it was clear she hadn't expected a real attack so suddenly. Her face twisted in shock.

Justin raised his hand to fire again, but Damian jumped in, panicked.

"Wait! Stop!"

"Too late for that. If you wanted to stop it, you should have intervened earlier," Justin growled.

"Are you really willing to shed blood over this!?"

"Do you really think everything works out with a little intimidation?" Justin slammed his staff on the ground, a mocking smile on his face.

"You think one threat is going to solve everything? What's your plan when it doesn't work? Just turn around and leave as if nothing happened? That's ridiculous."

"So, you're really going to go through with this over your pride!?" Damian yelled, his frustration mounting.

"It's not about pride," Justin replied, his expression cold. "It's about maintaining authority as a leader."

"How is that any different!?"

Damian glared at Justin, his eyes conveying disbelief. He clearly couldn't fathom how someone could prioritize authority over lives. While not entirely wrong, Justin had his own reasoning.

"Of course, it's different. What would you think if the president of one country let another leader intimidate him without retaliation? Wouldn't you want to replace him?"

"...!"

"I know I would. And I'm sure at least a few of the people under me would think the same way. You get it now?"

Damian's face turned pale. He wasn't agreeing with Justin, but he had realized one thing: Justin had no intention of backing down, no matter what. As the tension reached its peak, Justin offered one final escape.

"If you really want to avoid a fight, there is one way."

"What is it?" Damian asked cautiously.

"Bow your head, apologize, and leave. Let me assert my authority while undermining yours. That's the only option left."