Chapter 171 - Victory and Cost

Sebastian's voice struck like lightning. Both sides who heard it couldn't believe their ears, each soldier exchanging confused glances with one another. The tension wound up like a spring in their muscles dissipated rapidly as weapons were lowered momentarily.

"We... we did it? Is that Sebastian's voice? Am I hallucinating?" Niko exclaimed, his fist stopping in midair. Even the beat-up Cretin knight below him had momentarily forgotten his bleeding nose and broken arms, surprised by the declaration. The Ardent Cretins had been at the top of the ladder for so long in the South Sector. No living member of the Cretins could even remember Sebastian ever uttering the word. It was unthinkable for the leader of a major gang to have even said that.

One of the Cretin knights shook himself out of his stupor, brandishing his weapon again. "It's a trick, it's a trick by the Seven Snakes! They faked Sebastian's voic-"

[The Ardent Cretins surrender.] Sebastian's voice rang out again once more, loudspeakers all across the district announcing it. As soon as he finished, wide grins began to grow on the faces of the jubilant Seven Snakes, some even beginning to grab and hug each other. Loud cheers erupted from basements, cluttered buildings, makeshift dugouts and high vantage points.

"WE WON! Sebastian surrendered!" A relieved Seven Snakes pumped his fist up into the air with a cry of victory, eliciting a resounding roar from the Seven Snakes nearby. On the other side, the morale of the Cretins was at an all-time low, their rifles no longer aimed at the Seven Snakes. Instead, they looked to their officers for further instructions, but the officers were locked with indecision. They knew this was the end, each looking for a way out of a miserable end as a prisoner of war. Some considered running, while others prepared to fight to the death.

"We did it!" Niko kicked aside the bruised Cretin below him, scrambling to hug the nearest Seven Snake. Unfortunately, it turned out to be Monica, who was more than happy to oblige with an elbow to the guts.

"Don't count your fresils before they start to glow!" Monica scowled, her guard still raised on high alert. She leveled a rifle at an injured Cretin knight slumped to the side. "You think one man can just tell thousands of Cretins to surrender? Thousands who had been at the top for their entire life?"

As she predicted, while a large part of the Cretins began to give up their arms, some of the officers and their followers instantly refused Sebastian's declaration. A rebellious Cretin officer clambered to the top of the warmachine, wielding the four mounted barrels and aiming them right at Kyle. "Fuck Sebastian, I'm not going down in chains! We can still win-"

His own rallying cry was cut short by a pellet bursting through his forehead, shot dead by one of the Cretin soldiers nearby. Immediately tensions flared up behind the defensive blockade, the hundreds of Cretins shouting and yelling at each other. The majority of them were loyal to Sebastian, but signs of division were already beginning to emerge.

"No... no! Not like this. Sebastian betrayed us! He sold us out!" The commander of the Cretin knights exclaimed, turning swiftly to a crew of knights working on the second Galactic-Era ship cannon. "Is the second relic gun not ready yet?!"

One of the knights nodded. "Yes, sir, ready to fire. But -"

"No buts - I am the commander of the Cretin knights. Kill Kyle, and we'll claim victory!" The commander stormed to the relic gun, shoving the knights aside as he took position behind it. But he only took a step before a hailstorm of pellet fire began to hit them head-on. "Cover me! One shot is all we need!"

"STOP THE RELIC GUN!" Monica roared as soon as she spotted the commander's actions. Niko and her charged forward only to be faced with a hundred Cretin knights loyal to the commander. They formed defensive squads, blocking the two vipers and causing another firefight to erupt. Celebratory Ghosts were shaken out of their revelry by pellet fire and resumed screams of fighting, the battle hardly over. They backed up the two vipers as the struggle continued again, this time more desperate than ever.

Alex watched in horror as the feeling of victory they felt washed away like rain, the world around devolving into chaos once again. A part of him wanted to give up, to let the vipers take the lead. Yet he knew he couldn't stand still - his squad was the closest to the commander on the flank. He clenched his fist tighter, hoping that this would be the final fight. "Bola, Ollie, Rico! Stop the relic gun!"

"Yes, sir!" Ollie yelled at the top of his lungs without hesitation. The squad moved out onto the street and joined the fray. They pushed from cover to cover, watching as the cannon slowly turned to face Kyle who was still standing more than half a kilometer away. In the midst of the chaos, Ollie could feel his heart trying to burst out of his chest, his keen eyes locked onto the commander. Helmets, shattered glass, and faces swerved in and out between him and the commander, blocking his line of sight. Ollie skidded onto the ground and grabbed a modified railgun off a nearby fallen Ghost before continuing to run.

Ollie slid into a kneeling position, taking aim at the relic gun. "Give me a shot!" He shouted, Rico and Bola nodding. With blazing rifles, they fired every pellet they had to suppress the Cretin knights, forcing them to take cover. As the final Cretin knight ducked his head behind a fallen wagon, Ollie could see the commander's head squarely in his sights. Ollie's finger shifted onto the trigger, ready to pull and put an end to the battle. Yet from the corner of his eyes, he could see an opportunistic Cretin knight looking right at him. The deadly barrel of the Cretin knight was aimed squarely toward his eyes, its rim glistening in the daylight through the smoke.

He squeezed the trigger at the same time he saw a plume of smoke leave the Cretin knights' barrel. As his own railgun projectile shot forward to the commander, Ollie could see his life flashing before his eyes: the years in the slum, fighting over scraps, laughing over cards, and trying to steal candy from shops. The faces of his friends, too, appeared in view, along with Bola jumping between him and the Cretin Knight with outstretched hands. Ollie's eyes widened as a bulge began to appear on Bola's back, growing larger and larger.

As a part of Bola's organs splattered into his vision, Ollie still couldn't process what had happened. At the end of his sights, the railgun's projectile had already hit its target. The commander's head burst apart like a watermelon in a dizzying display of gore and grey matter. However, the relic gun was already spinning up, its beam on the verge of firing. The dying commander's arm knocked the relic gun off course, its barrel swerving wildly. The last thing Ollie saw was light, unlike anything he had seen tear a stunned Rico apart in half through the waist, the same light slicing cleanly through the building right next to him.

And the last thing he heard was his name being called before darkness enveloped him.

***

Kyle watched as the Galactic-Era ship cannon's beam streaked across the district, carving a diagonal slash through the buildings like a hot knife through butter. The bulk of the Cretin knights in its path were eviscerated, turned to smoldering husks while the building began to crash like dominos. The sight of the resulting cloud of dust kicked Kyle back into action, no matter how much his body cried out for rest.

"Sasha, kill any Cretin who isn't willing to surrender!" Kyle urged, but instead of getting a response, only silence responded to him. Sasha! Still, he couldn't move just yet - he needed to make sure Ares stayed down. He glanced down at the unconscious Cretin leader, already noticing that Ares was regenerating, albeit at a slower pace. I can't kill him unless I want to radicalize a larger portion of the Cretins.

He glanced about, spotting a squad of Ghosts nearby with a functioning arctech radio. "You! Get over here, now!" Kyle ordered, the Ghosts immediately sprinting over. Kyle snatched the arctech radio from the Ghosts' equipment, barking orders rapidly. "Keith, scramble everyone. I don't care who it is, we need medical and support staff now! Get the enforcers, the bishop, Baron Cain, anyone!"

[I'm sending Eric and Gordon, they are already on the way. Just hold on!] Keith's panicked voice came over the radio.

"And why are you not coming?!" Kyle shot back in anger.

[Because I can't find Damian!]

Kyle stopped himself, realizing that Damian had been smacked away like a toy by Ares. His eyes darted about frantically before finally spotting a strange corpse kneeling with its forearms shattered to pieces. Mage hunter. The coffin! He spotted half of it lying next to the dead mage hunter, immediately sprinting over. As soon as he got close, he could feel the familiar tug of arcia energy, but it wasn't as strong as its full form. Better than nothing.

Kyle returned to the unconscious Ares as more and more Ghosts from his strike force began to form. "All of you, capture all the surrendering Cretins and make sure this coffin stays on Ares. Keep thirty people around him at all times, understood?" Kyle urged. He didn't wait for the response, rushing over back to the dead mage hunter's corpse, where he spotted the first injury of his vipers - Sasha.

He slid to a halt, bending over to check for breathing. Still alive. Her left arm is gone. He looked to the side, seeing the tattered remains of the arm shredded by the vines into an unrecognizable mess. Instead of trying to restore her arm, Kyle focused on healing her, channeling the Necklace of Healing. The green aura enveloped the unconscious Sasha, Kyle pushing the necklace to the limit. The wounds gradually closed up, but Sasha still wasn't waking up.

"Boss! We've taken down the relic gun, but we got dozens buried in the rubble-" Niko shouted as he ran over with Monica to Kyle, hearing the radio transmission. His words clung to his throat as he saw the unconscious Sasha lying next to the kneeling Kyle. "Fucking... is she-"

"Sasha won't die. Not until I say so." Kyle spat through gritted teeth as he stood back up. "Where are the other vipers?"

"Excluding Damian, we're the only two here, sir," Monica replied with a tinge of caution, seeing the anguished expression on Kyle's face. She would have liked to say Kyle easily defeated Ares, but Kyle's body was bloodied and battered with almost a hundred wounds and bruises. It wasn't an easy fight, and she could see from Kyle's eyes that only sheer willpower kept him going.

"Niko." Kyle ordered without even looking at them, his gaze instead looking towards the fallen buildings. "Take as many Ghosts as you need. Form up with Bishop Vernette and Baron Cain once they get here, and capture Sebastian. Monica, take Sasha back to Haui for healing."

"Me? Capture Sebastian?" Niko exclaimed in shock. "But you're the leader of the Seven Snakes! Who will handle the rescue operations-"

Kyle grabbed Niko by the collar, Kyle's bloody fingers staining Niko's clothes. His stern gaze bore into Niko's eyes. "I will handle rescue operations. You are a viper: act like one. When I give you an order, I expect it to be executed to the letter. Not to hear excuses. Are we clear?"

Niko instinctively gulped, seeing glimpses of the same threatening visage that pummeled Ares into a pulp. "Yes, boss!"

"Good. Now get to it!" Kyle urged, letting go of Niko. Instead of Kyle heading towards the Ardent Cretins headquarters, he followed his route back, sprinting as hard as he could to find Damian. For the first time in his life, he had found followers, friends who were willing to fight and die for him. And not because of money - but because they believed in him. Kyle could feel the strange emotion of anger running through his body again, the feeling not as novel as the first time. His mind traced the path that he saw Damian take, marking the buildings as he passed by. However, the chaotic rubble that had buried everything under made it impossible for him to see where Damian was. "Damian!" Kyle called out as he came to a halt, certain that he had reached the correct building.

The impact of Damian’s body had destroyed the foundational pillars, the entire building falling down and smothering the area. Kyle gritted his teeth as he dug with his bare hands, still having enough strength to pry apart the chunks of concrete one by one. But even he knew that it would be far too slow. "Keith, Damian's on me. Get over here!" He shouted on the radio while waving to a few rescue teams nearby.

Within five minutes, the wrecked building was swarming with Seven Snakes, many of them fresh-faced recruits from the local civilian populace. They worked together to dig through the never-ending layers of bricks and stone, removing one obstacle at a time. Keith didn't stand idly by either, his dainty hands now gripping the shaft of a shovel, scooping dirt as fast as he could. Yet, even after ten minutes, no one could find anything, and Keith became more and more agitated. "He isn't here! Maybe he's elsewhere. It could be that building over there." Keith said with a frantic tone, his feet tapping incessantly with jitters. "Has anyone checked the rooms there? He could be on the upper floors! You two, go get a team and searc-"

"He's here. I know it." Kyle asserted, his eyes staring right through the remaining rubble as he spotted a wisp of arcia. Thanks to the battle with Ares, he was beginning to be even more attuned with arcia energy, his senses slowly honing to spot traces of it. He could see a single blue trail of arcia, like the last breath of life, leaving a body. With renewed determination, he ordered the rescue squads to dig in the spot as hard as they could. The hole became deeper and deeper, requiring even more manpower to excavate where Kyle was directing them. They formed queues, lining up to haul stone and debris out with haste. Soon, someone finally spotted the first sign of a melted shield, the color unmistakably Damian's.

"DAMIAN!" Keith roared with every ounce of strength he could muster, immediately sliding down the treacherous pit despite the warnings from others. Mud and dirt clung to his pants, but it barely hindered him as he rushed over to help the rescuers lift a giant utility pipe up. A single tear rolled down Keith's face as the pipe was removed, his eyes gazing on a bloodied Damian. Nearly every part of his lower body had been smashed into an unrecognizable pulp, his flesh splattered against the soil. Each bone in his upper body was shattered into a thousand pieces, their sharp, jagged edges jutting out through his punctured shape while his arm was twisted horribly.

Keith didn't stay still at the gruesome sight of Damian, only clinging onto hope as he saw Damian's chest moving slightly. "He's alive! Quick, healing potions!" Keith ordered three of the nearest rescuers. Without hesitation, they emptied the contents of their potions onto Damian directly, everyone expecting it to restore Damian back. However, the wounds barely regenerated, Damian's face half-choking with blood. "What are you idiots doing? Use more healing potions!" Keith scolded them, but deep down, he already knew what was wrong.

The rescuers dumped more than a dozen health potions, only able to marginally stabilize him. Kyle panted as he stood nearby, looking over the wincing Damian. He's immune to the healing effect. We won't save him unless... "Get him to Haui, now!”

Two stretchers were placed side by side to support the weight of Damian, eight rescuers grunting as they lifted him up. Kyle placed his hand on Damian's shoulder, trying to use the Necklace of Healing. However, he could already tell that the arcia energy channels in Damian's body were beyond redemption from his neck down. If Kyle had the time, he would have immediately tried to save Damian's life. "I never forget a grudge, but I also never forget a favor," Kyle muttered under his breath, knowing the toughest road still lay ahead.

[Sir, capture of Sebastian completed. We're transferring him to the Magda.] Niko's voice reported to Kyle on the arctech radio. [The Bishop and Baron are planning to interrogate him now, and they want you here too.]

"Tell them I'll only come when I'm ready. Not one second earlier." Kyle replied on the radio while he stood next to Keith. Other Seven Snakes' bodies and recruits were found in the destruction, tears still streaming down Keith's face as he watched faces he knew locked in horrified stares and frozen fear pass him.

Still, Keith knew that with Damian and Sasha out of the picture, it came down to him to manage the Seven Snakes. "Sir, you can join the interrogation. I'll handle it here." Keith spoke with a trembling voice.

"No. I'm staying to help." Kyle asserted.

"But you are the leader-"

"The men of the Seven Snakes mean more to me than an already captured enemy leader of a fallen gang. An organization cannot survive without its followers, and a leader must do everything to ensure their survival." Kyle explained while his eyes looked at the fallen bodies being carted off one by one past them. "Even if it means getting my hands dirty."

A small smile appeared on Keith's face. "That's a roundabout way of saying Damian means more to you than Sebastian in chains."

"All of you mean more to me than mere nuisances." Kyle turned away, preparing to help in the rescue operations.

The truth was that Kyle knew it was far more important to handle his image. With his triumph over the Ardent Cretins, his time in the shadows lurking in the black markets was over. Now, it was time to take control as the pre-eminent gang leader, the strongest in the South. With more than half of the South Sector in ruin, Kyle had to focus on consolidating what remained of his gang. It was certainly not the time to worry about a dead man walking, Sebastian being a mere stepping stone in his quest for his criminal empire. Right now, his men needed him, and he needed to show compassion.

As the aftermath of the battle became clearer to both sides, Kyle soon realized that the losses were even more than he had expected. More than a third of the Seven Snakes had perished or were maimed in the battle. His top two vipers, Damian and Sasha, were incapacitated, leaving a still struggling Keith clinging onto hope. Lives, dreams, and memories were all lost in the tumultuous clash, the bodies piling up. The scale of the dead horrified the civilian populace into a solemn mood, the victory marred by the cost. The rescuers were now numb to every fallen face they pried out from the rubble, each one the same.

Niko and Monica soon returned to help, as did all of the vipers. Inquisitor Mason, too brought as many enforcers as he could to join the effort. The union and factory workers all rushed to help. It was a sight to behold different forces and groups all banding together under Kyle to help the survivors of the cataclysmic clash. Many of them saw Kyle personally rescue more than a hundred fighters, and their opinion of him rose significantly. It was practically unheard of for a noble to stoop so low as to rescue lowborns, especially when the noble had just survived a duel of titans himself. Kyle could already feel his body starting to ache, his battle against Ares beginning to take its toll.

Still, Kyle worked tirelessly alongside everyone else, putting his skills and remaining strength to good use. For everybody they found, they saved another pinned Seven Snake or enforcer. Each rescue fuelled the spark of hope that the people still clung to, driving them forward. It took nearly a day before the bulk of the debris had been shifted out of the way. They had accounted for more than nine-tenths of the fallen so far, Keith and Gordon helping to tabulate the losses. "Have all the bodies brought back to the mall for a funeral. The families can decide where they want them to be buried. Those with no families will be buried in the Culdao Peaks with honor. Give me the full list of names." Kyle ordered.

"All of them, sir? Some were only recruited a day ago." Keith asked.

"All of them who fought for us, either at the front or the rear." Kyle nodded.

There weren't enough coffins to go around, so many of the bodies were simply wrapped with fabric. Laid out in rows at the foyer of the shopping arcade, the families and relatives of the fallen fighters gathered to search for their loved ones as the bodies continued to roll in.

At the site of the battle, the search and rescue effort were running thin. "We're still missing a few... we should do one last search." Keith suggested to Niko and Monica.

"There shouldn't be much left... anyone else is probably dead," Nico said with a grim expression as he dragged what was the umpteenth corpse out from beneath a collapsed building. His heart had already grown numb from the overwhelming death, ready to give up the search and rescue. But just as he was about to clamber out of the gaping pit in the ground, he heard a muffled groan from beneath a large chunk of rubble nearby.

"Shit... OVER HERE! OVER HERE!" Niko waved frantically to the rescuers at the top of the pit, motioning for them to come down. Monica rushed over to him, the two of them lifting the rubble with a pained grunt. As they shoved the debris out of the way, Niko let out an uncharacteristic gasp of horror when he spotted the source of the groan. Monica averted her gaze, trying her best not to cry in front of others.

Kyle joined them with a rescuer squad, spotting Niko's saddened face at the ghastly sight of the corpse. Kyle recognized him - he was one of the more outstanding recruits after Kyle had taken over the Seven Snakes.

"He was one of us. Damn good fighter too. Fought harder than any of us." Niko's numb heart was thawed again as a single tear streaked down his face. "If Damian were here..."

"He is one of us. Always have been, always will." Kyle corrected Niko. Kyle's heart clenched a little, the emotions more virulent today than ever. Without his former life's body he had no way of restraining the emotions fully, the entire experience of loss completely novel to him. Is this what it should feel like to lose family? 

Suddenly, they heard a shuffle below the corpse, the same muffled groan coming out. Niko gasped again, quickly reaching off to lift the corpse up with Monica's help. Below the corpse was an unconscious teenager, his left arm completely crushed by a railgun and the weight of the fallen building. The teenager's lips were chapped from dehydration, his head lolling about freely but still breathing.

"Fucking... he's alive!" Niko shouted. "Get water and potions down here, now!"

Kyle knelt down and used his Necklace of Healing to stabilize the teenager. He was slightly surprised that the teenager even survived. By all counts, the rubble and the weight of the corpse above him should have crushed him to smithereens. But something within the teenager kept him alive - a strong will to live. As the healing aura enveloped the teenager, the muffled, pained groans ceased, the teenager now breathing normally. "Niko, get Ollie back up to Haui," Kyle ordered.

"What about Alex...?" Niko asked.

"I'll bring him back myself." Before anyone could complain, Kyle picked up the charred body of Alex. The body had been pulverized to a shadow of its former self, but Alex's face could still be seen. His calm sleeping expression stood in stark contrast to the gruesome sight of his body, Kyle carrying him in both arms. The Seven Snakes, enforcers, knights, and union workers all parted aside for Kyle as he carried the body out from the hole.

Kyle walked slowly, each step measured as he kept his gaze low. His arms shuddered a little, nearing the extremes of what his genetically enhanced body could withstand. But the weight of Alex's body meant nothing to him - what was more important was what others saw as he walked past the demolished streets. Each fighter, rescuer, and medic stood agape at the chilling sight. The visage of the strongest man in the South carrying one of his men out of the debris struck a chord in many hearts. One by one, the men around all took off their helmets in respect, lining the pavements while Kyle carefully walked on the cracked streets past them.

The scars of war surrounded him: homes destroyed, buildings torn to shreds, memories laid to waste. Grievous wounds bit into the infrastructure, sewers laid bare with blood lining the tunnels. New and dead orphans were gathered at opposing sides, the civilian population swarming the arcade to search for their loved ones. The scale of the bodies laid in the foyer was overwhelming, with some spilling out onto untouched parts of the streets. The living stood among the dead, their faces twisted by grief. Tears flowed freely as they mourned the losses, while others wailed at the missing.

Among the devastation, Kyle walked alone, bruised and battered, with Alex's corpse in hand, heading straight to the uncountable rows of bodies. A silence fell over the onlookers while Keith immediately ordered the active Seven Snakes to form an honor guard around Kyle. Every uninjured Seven Snakes member attended the funeral, their mood somber as they looked on the faces of comrades who had died.

Kyle slowly carried Alex's corpse to the very center of the bodies, placing Alex down at an empty spot in the middle. He placed a hand on Alex's face, closing his eyes while two other Ghosts covered Alex's body with a tarp. "Keith, speakers ready?" Kyle asked as he stood back up to his full height, bringing the arctech radio to his mouth.

[Ready when you are, sir.]

Kyle took a deep breath, the stench of death thick in the air as he closed his eyes. When he opened them once again, he wasn't a wounded fighter any longer, but something different. The civillians, Seven Snakes, enforcers, knights and union workers could tell something was different about him. The yellow pupils of his eyes hinted at the flame of life burning bright behind in his heart, Kyle preparing to speak. The Sector hung on a thread, listening with bated breath.

"Nature is all about life or death." Kyle began his speech, standing in the midst of numerous bodies covered in tarps. "The universe is a cycle. Each and every sapient being suffers from the same affliction. The same fact that one day, it might die.

"When a human is born, life was never going to be easy. Death was always around the corner - whether by choice or by accident. One mistake away from never being able to see their loved ones again. One error away from not being able to achieve their full potential ever again. There is no retry. No redos. Only one chance."

"We didn't choose to start this war, but our people here chose to fight it." Kyle extended an arm to the corpses at his feet. "And fight hard they did, in any way they could. All of us today gathered today are fighters, and are the very reason why they chose to fight. For them and for all of us, they did not choose a worthless death. The difference between a human and an animal, is that we have the capacity to choose when to die ourselves. That we learn the concept of sacrifice in the hopes of something greater, something beyond them."

"Their deaths are a shout, a yell, a roar of defiance. A cry to the rest of the world that common folk of Raktor like you and me will fight for our rights. That we will not stand idly by or run away when the time comes to defend our families and our homes. That we shall not be content to be subjugated and treated like cattle. These men here chose to fight for your freedom, for your future. They chose to fight as heroes."

"They fought to rise up against a system engineered against them, a bleak future promised for them, to fight against the shackles that held down those they deemed dear. If given a choice to languish in the slums or to seek something greater beyond themselves, who could blame them for chasing their ambition? They were not content to languish in mediocrity, but to go out in a blaze. A blaze that teaches and guides others to a better future, a vision they shared. Do not begrudge them for their deaths, but be proud!

"Be proud that they made the ultimate choice - to protect you against a terrible tomorrow, a horrible future. They fought to ensure prosperity and security for all of you gathered here today. To make sure that your future isn't one where you are a slave, but one where you can be yourself. They shall forever be immortalized as heroes of the South Sector, who had made the bravest choice to fight for generations that they will not have the chance to see. For it is the greatest of man who plants trees, knowing that they may never sit under its shade."

"And I, leader of the Seven Snakes, vow to always remember their dedication and efforts. Their loved ones shall forever remain in our care, never forgotten nor thrown to the side."

Kyle then personally spoke each and every name of those who had fallen, bowing to their families. While it was clear that he had memorized the list, the direct effort he had put into doing so made the families much more appreciative. They bowed in deference as Kyle approached them.

Not every family was happy with Kyle. Some even lashed out the moment he got close. “It’s your fault! It’s your fault that my son is dead! All the words you’ve spouted are mere gibberish, slander to my son’s death! He died for nothing! Only for your gang’s sickening ambition and greed for power.” A crying mother shouted in anger.

Kyle did not respond, not arguing with the mother but instead bowing his head in apology. The crying mother eventually lost steam, turning into a sobbing mess as she hugged her son’s body on the floor, tears streaming down the makeshift tarp.

The procession was long. Kyle spent three hours to express his sincerity for each and every fallen fighter, even those who had just joined the Seven Snakes. Civilians, enforcers and union workers who had perished were also remembered, including those who had no families left. As soon as he was done, he returned to his original position.

"Their deaths only serve as a stark reminder that without power, anyone and everyone outside can and will try to control us. Only through solidarity and unity can we prevent such a tragedy again. The peace that we will have now is the one that they have sacrificed for. And I will make it count."

Kyle took a step back, nodding to Keith, who had been standing at the helm of the funeral the whole time. Keith returned the nod, summoning all of his strength to shout out. "HONOR GUARD, PRESENT ARMS!"

The honor guard that had only been hastily assembled kicked into action. They lined up with their arctech guns stretched out on both arms. Kyle noticed a girl in the line-up, her stance unsteady. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she looked at two girls clutching Alex's body, the girls crying out in despair. Still, she didn't budge, continuing to grip her rifle tightly until her knuckles whitened. Her practice with such a procedure was clearly lacking, but her sincerity shined through.

"LOAD!" Keith roared again, prompting the guards to load a single pellet into their rifles.

"AIM!" The multitude of rifles swiveled up to aim at the darkening sky.

"FIRE!"

The barrage rang out clear and true, many of the onlookers breaking out into tears and sobbing harder than ever. The firing squad fired three more times, the last round of fire sounding like the final breath of the fallen.

"Today, we mourn our losses, but those who have moved on would want us to move forward as well." Kyle raised his voice, his mood now drastically different again. "The future they envisioned will not exist if we do not work for it together as a Sector. Think of everything we have achieved so far. From a paltry twenty-men gang to defeating the Ardent Cretins. Think of where you came from to get to this point, to stand on top of everything else despite all the hardships we have endured!"

"The Seven Snakes is now a major gang: the dominant force in the South Sector! And I, Kyle Hawthorn, leader of the Seven Snakes, swear on my name that this is not the end for us. We will rise even further, even higher, and burn even brighter than any gang that has come before us! We fight for those in the past, and we also fight for those in the future! Our name will spread all over the land and even beyond, and there will be a day when no one will ever try to take us down again. WHO ARE WE?!" Kyle pumped his fist into the air.

"SEVEN SNAKES!" The firing squad chanted back with tears flying, Keith in the lead.

"WHO ARE WE?!"

"SEVEN SNAKES!" The other Seven Snakes members got up to chant back, shouting with every ounce of energy they had left. Their voices reverberated through the South Sector, a thousand fists high up in the air.

"WHO. ARE. WE?!"

"SEVEN SNAKES!"