The settlement was a haphazard fortress of rusted steel and scavenged parts, a stark contrast to the disciplined camps Billy was accustomed to. The streets were lined with wary figures, their eyes hollow and their hands always close to their weapons. The chaos of survival hung thick in the air.
As Billy and his team were escorted deeper into the settlement, a tall, muscular figure stepped forward, flanked by two heavily armed guards. The man’s face was scarred, his eyes sharp and calculating.
“So, you’re the ones making waves,” he said, his voice rough. “I’m Garron, leader of this rabble. Speak fast—I’m not a fan of wasting time.”
Billy stepped forward, his presence commanding despite the battered state of his armor. “I’m Billy Knight. We’re fighting the Shadow Lords in the south. We need allies, and I hear your group has been giving them trouble too.”
Garron barked a harsh laugh. “Fighting? We’ve been surviving. The Shadow Lords don’t care about us—they see us as scavengers, not a threat.”
“They’ll care soon enough,” Billy said, his tone cold. “If we don’t stand together, they’ll crush us all eventually. I’m offering you a chance to strike back, to be more than scavengers.”
The crowd murmured, but Garron’s expression remained skeptical. “And what makes you think we can trust you, ‘Lord’ Knight? You don’t look any different from the other lords who’ve turned tail when things got tough.”
Billy’s eyes glowed faintly with chaos energy. “I’m not like them.”
The whispers in his mind stirred, urging him to prove his strength, but he pushed them back. Instead, he gestured to the weapons lining the settlement walls.
“Your people are strong, but they’re scattered. With my forces and strategy, we can hit the Shadow Lords where it hurts. You’ll have a chance to win, not just survive.”
---
Tensions Rise
Garron scratched his chin, his gaze flicking between Billy and his team. “You talk a good game, Knight, but words don’t mean much out here. Prove you’re worth following.”
Billy narrowed his eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
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“A challenge,” Garron said, a sly grin spreading across his face. “You and me. A duel. If you win, we’ll hear you out. If you lose, you walk away and leave us to our ‘scavenging.’”
Soria’s eyes widened. “Billy, this isn’t—”
“It’s fine,” Billy interrupted, his voice steady. “I’ll do it.”
The tension was palpable as the crowd gathered in a makeshift arena. Garron stood on one side, his weapon a massive hammer crackling with chaotic energy. Billy faced him, his Lord Form activated.
“First to yield or be incapacitated,” Garron said, his grin sharp. “Let’s see what you’ve got, ‘Lord.’”
---
The Duel
Garron struck first, his hammer swinging with bone-crushing force. Billy dodged, his movements fluid and precise. He countered with a burst of chaos energy, forcing Garron to leap back.
The crowd roared with excitement as the fight escalated. Garron’s attacks were raw and powerful, each swing of his hammer leaving cracks in the arena floor. Billy, by contrast, was a storm of calculated strikes, his chaos energy coiling around him like a living thing.
“You’re holding back,” Garron growled, blocking a strike with his hammer. “Why? Afraid to let loose?”
Billy gritted his teeth. The whispers in his mind were deafening, urging him to unleash his full power. But he couldn’t risk losing control—not here, not now.
“I don’t need to let loose to beat you,” Billy said, his voice tight.
With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the distance between them, landing a series of blows that forced Garron to his knees. The hammer fell from Garron’s grasp, and he looked up at Billy with a mixture of respect and defiance.
“I yield,” Garron said, his voice grudging.
The crowd fell silent, and then erupted into cheers and murmurs.
---
Forging the Alliance
Back in Garron’s quarters, the leader sat nursing a bruised shoulder while Billy outlined his plan. The rest of the strike team stood behind him, their expressions a mix of relief and wariness.
“You’re strong,” Garron admitted, his tone grudging. “But strength alone won’t win this war.”
“That’s why I need your people,” Billy said. “Your experience, your resilience. Together, we can take the fight to the Shadow Lords and hit them where it hurts.”
Garron studied him for a long moment before nodding. “You’ve got yourself an alliance—for now. But if you screw us over...”
“You’ll regret it,” Billy finished, his tone flat. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
---
The Chaos Within
Later that night, as the settlement quieted, Billy sat alone near the outskirts. The duel had taken more out of him than he let on, and the chaos inside him was restless.
“You keep walking this line,” a voice said behind him.
He turned to see Soria, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.
“Every time you use that power, I see it tearing you apart,” she said, sitting beside him. “You can’t keep ignoring it.”
Billy exhaled slowly. “I’m not ignoring it. I’m controlling it.”
“For how long?” she asked softly. “You’ve been lucky so far, but one day, that luck will run out.”
He didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The darkness ahead seemed endless, but so did the fire burning inside him.
“I’ll deal with it when the time comes,” Billy said finally. “Right now, there’s a war to win.”
---
End of Chapter 42