A Battle for Dominance

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.