Chris ordered Julian to meet him in the front yard, already imagining how he would humiliate Julian in front of everyone, then claim Emma for himself. He turned and stormed off, smirking to himself.
Luke, who'd been watching the exchange, let out a deep sigh. "How am I supposed to report this to the higher-ups…" he muttered, then looked at Julian with a worried gaze. "Please… don't overdo it."
Julian simply answered, his tone cool and almost amused, "I can't promise that."
Luke could only shake his head and left. Emma, now looking distressed, approached Julian. "I'm so sorry… this is all getting out of hand because of me."
Julian gently looked at her. "It's fine. It's a partner's job to protect each other, right?" His words made Emma's cheeks flush bright red.
After a brief silence, Julian asked, "What exactly is your relationship with Chris?"
Emma sighed. "Like I said, we only worked together back when I was modeling. But he kept following me everywhere, trying to get closer. I've turned him down so many times… but he never gave up."
Understanding dawned on Julian's face, his eyes darkening with anger. "Then I'll make sure to beat him within an inch of his life for daring to chase my woman."
They arrived at the front yard, where a crowd had already gathered, whispering excitedly about the upcoming duel. In the center stood Chris, a dagger in hand, his face twisted with arrogance. "I'm going to beat you until you beg for mercy!" he shouted.
Julian's expression remained perfectly calm as he unsheathed his katana. His voice dripped with sarcasm, "I can't wait."
An older man stepped forward to act as referee, raising his hand. "Get ready!"
Chris scoffed, brandishing his dagger. "I won't even need to use my skill to take you down."
Meanwhile, Emma stood among the onlookers, anxiety clear on her face. "What if Julian… kills him?" she whispered.
Veronica smirked darkly. "Honestly, I'm more worried it'll end up worse than that."
Clarissa, who'd been burning with curiosity, couldn't hold back anymore. "By the way… how is Julian so good with weapons? And fighting in general?"
Veronica rolled her eyes dramatically. "Are you three pretending to be clueless or are you actually clueless?"
Clarissa, Emma, and Aya shook their heads, all three of them genuinely confused. Veronica let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Why don't you just ask him directly?"
Clarissa hesitated. "It's… it's like he doesn't want to talk about it…"
Veronica shrugged. "There's probably a reason for that." She crossed her arms, then began explaining, her voice low. "Back then, there were tons of rumors about Julian. Some said he was always getting into fights, even clashing with gangs. He supposedly mastered all sorts of martial arts. But since he was so quiet and always holed up gaming, people thought those were just wild stories. I admit… I tried to use him as bait once, because I was frustrated he never reacted to anything and I wanted to drive him out… but turns out, he really was a monster in a fight. A truly unpredictable man."
Luke, who had been nervously watching the situation escalate, blurted out, "This is getting out of hand!" Just then, behind him appeared Gabriel, Brandon, Randoff, and Albert.
Gabriel stepped forward, clearly preparing to order the duel to be stopped. But Brandon raised a hand, smirking as he spoke smoothly, "No, let them fight. This might actually work in our favor."
Gabriel hesitated, weighing the situation, while Brandon's mind was already turning. If we can lure Julian into staying here, it'll be perfect. Luke said everyone in his group has a skill, and they're all beautiful women. Letting them leave would be a waste.
Then Brandon raised his voice so the crowd could hear. "How about we raise the stakes? If Julian loses, he has to stay here and help us. What do you say?"
Chris immediately protested, shouting, "I don't want him staying here! Especially not near Emma!"
But Brandon shot him a deadly glare that shut him up instantly. Meanwhile, Julian's cold eyes fixed on the overweight man, he was already annoyed enough that this "pig" dared to tack on his own wager. Julian's goal was simple: beat Chris, dominate him, and extract his skill. He had no intention of playing along with someone else's scheme.
Julian's voice was flat, almost bored. "And if I win?"
Brandon's eyes glinted; he hadn't expected Julian to accept so readily. He recalled Luke's report, Julian's group had supposedly defeated a mutated zombie with just five people, but Brandon didn't believe it. He knew Chris was a skilled fighter and was sure he'd come out on top.
Brandon spread his arms dramatically. "If you win, I'll give you knowledge on how to use zombie crystals."
Albert gasped, his eyes wide. "What?! You can't! That information is too dangerous, if it spreads, it could cause chaos."
Brandon lowered his voice, speaking smoothly to Albert. "Trust me. There's nothing to worry about."
Albert looked uncertain, but Brandon's confident tone made him hesitate. Eventually, Albert fell silent, unable to argue further.
Brandon turned back to Julian, a smug smile on his lips. "So, do we have a deal?"
Julian's eyes lit up with a predatory gleam. He'd suspected something was off ever since noticing the shelter's working electronics. If they'd really cracked a way to break down zombie crystals into usable energy… that was information worth any risk.
A thin smirk curved Julian's lips. "Deal."
Brandon smiled triumphantly and turned to Gabriel. "Well then, shall we make this official?"
Gabriel nodded stiffly, his face serious. "Very well. This duel… is approved."