Warhammer 40: Saviors Emerging from the Bottom

Sure enough, objections were raised soon.

"This is too hasty! How can the survival of hundreds of thousands of people be decided in such a foolish way? What exactly is your purpose in doing this? Are you perhaps colluding with those aliens to become a traitor?"

"Traitors? Those greenskins who only know how to fight and kill can't even communicate in the most basic way. Tell me how I'm supposed to team up with them?"

This statement is not entirely accurate. Green-skinned animals can communicate, but their communication methods are generally unacceptable to humans.

Right now, Hograk is using his fists to give a friendly greeting to the shrimps of Aurora. In the eyes of the green-skinned people, there is nothing more fun in this world than fighting.

"In any case, I cannot decide the final commander-in-chief in such a hasty manner. If necessary, let's vote."

"At this rate of efficiency, by the time the election is held, the war will already be over."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What do you mean? The literal meaning."

And just like that, the two groups started arguing, and the once harmonious banquet hall instantly turned into a battlefield on the verge of erupting.

All it takes is a spark to bring the captains present together for a friendly exchange using their fists.

The vast majority of those who agreed to duels came from the feudal world of Vornheim, and like Solaris, they had a tradition of knightly duels.

However, the knights here do not have mechs; they can only fight on warhorses modified by the bio-sages of the Mechanicus.

Xiao Yi glanced at the guy who had first proposed the duel, feeling a bit of a headache. The situation before him was not quite what he had expected.

Just as he was pondering how to turn the unfavorable situation around, Valerian, the other protagonist present, spoke up.

"If Your Excellency has no objections, let's make preparations and begin."

"Sir, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Looking at the panicked squire beside him, Valerian smiled confidently and said, "Knightly duels are a tradition of Solaris, there's nothing wrong with it."

The confident old knight wanted to crush the arrogance of his opponents through absolute military might, thereby establishing his absolute position.

Even before arriving in Bakda, he had heard about Xiao Yi's deeds from other people, but Valerian did not believe that one person could do that.

He single-handedly held back the demon carrying the terrifying plague until reinforcements arrived, and with a wave of his hand, destroyed the overwhelming barrage of shells, turning the tide of the battle.

These are nothing more than exaggerated claims made to consolidate their rule.

Without using psionic powers, in a fair one-on-one duel, this guy in front of me has absolutely no chance of winning.

Valerian was that confident. Nearly a hundred years old, he was still full of energy with the help of life-extending surgery. In fact, due to the alien creatures he had encountered during his travels, his hand-to-hand combat ability was much stronger than when he was young.

Therefore, the idea of ​​bullying the elderly is unfounded.

Xiao Yi was only facing a young man with gray hair who was over a hundred years old.

"It seems I can't very well refuse. In that case, let's set the duel in the Starport Square."

Xiao Yi's expression didn't change, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The unfavorable situation was instantly reversed by Valerian's words.

Seeing that neither party had any objections, the captains who had been arguing fiercely earlier didn't say anything more.

They glared at each other before returning to their respective groups.

This duel was just a simple sparring match, and there was no need to go all out, so Xiao Yi did not bring his most commonly used power sword, but instead picked up the sword provided by a certain captain of Warnheim.

This item, which is more like a work of art than a weapon, uses the oldest forging techniques. As long as the blade doesn't pierce the opponent's heart, it generally won't cause any major problems.

After removing their armor and wearing only trousers, the two stood in the center of Star Harbor Plaza.

Besides the captain who witnessed the duel, many soldiers and officers gathered around to watch the spectacle, all eager to see which brave warrior dared to challenge the governor.

Valerian's strong body was covered with countless gruesome wounds, which seemed to silently tell the story of the man's past bravery and fearlessness.

In comparison, Xiao Yi's appearance was not so good. His strong physique and handsome face should have charmed many young girls, but unfortunately, there wasn't a single woman around him.

In the eyes of these soldiers, a body without a single scar is like an empty medal display case, only proving the owner's incompetence.

Even with current medical technology, it is impossible to heal a fatal wound without leaving any scars.

Of course, one could choose to undergo minor surgery later to cover up the scars, but no soldier would do that; it would be no different from denying their past.

"Tch, he dares to challenge Lord Valerian with this kind of skill? I bet he won't last five rounds at most."

"I'll bet three rounds, are you in?"

"What are we betting on?"

"I have a protective ring here, crafted by Atlas Magnus. It provides an energy shield strong enough to withstand a fatal blow when it detects danger to its wearer. What can you offer?"

This is something that can save your life; it's not easy to come up with collateral of equal value for a gamble.

Seeing the arrogant expression on the other side's face, the captain, who had previously looked disdainful, gritted his teeth and took out his sword.

"Haven't you always wanted my sword? Let's take a gamble this time."

Hopefully, that guy won't lose too early, otherwise we'll have to spend a huge sum of money to forge a new sword just like that.

Xiao Yi was completely unaware of the gambling taking place outside the arena; at this moment, his gaze was entirely focused on Valerian on the other side.

The old knight seemed to particularly enjoy the attention he received, constantly displaying his muscles and scars like a bodybuilder.

However, he soon discovered that his opponent was silently observing him.

"Don't worry, I won't go too far."

"This is also what I wanted to say to you."

The referee was an old captain from Wernheim. He first checked the equipment of both sides, and after confirming that there were no problems, he stepped back to the outer edge of the dueling arena, raised his carbine, and fired a shot upwards.

The moment he heard the gunshot, Valerian immediately stepped forward and charged towards Xiao Yi, wanting to win the duel in the most perfect way.

The enemy was getting closer and closer. Just as he raised his longsword and thrust it diagonally, preparing to place the blade against Xiao Yi's neck, the other party crouched down and dodged directly.

He then experienced a sharp pain in his abdomen, and the powerful impact forced him to take a half step back.

While dodging, Xiao Yi also countered with his unarmed hand. Although the longsword in his opponent's hand was not of very good quality, it would be bad if he were actually killed.