Published at 5th of September 2023 6:57 pm

Chapter 134: Choice

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“…and so the enforcers will like to fund a research project on the development of light-thrower paintings onto paper or parchment,” Mason explained as Keith sat opposite him in his office chair, looking at the proposal.

“Are the rented light-throwers insufficient?”

“They are sufficient, but it is impossible to expect every enforcer branch in Raktor to be able to transfer suspects’ information via light-throwers. Furthermore, having a list or book of wanted suspects is critical to identification on the streets. Our patrolling enforcers can’t lug around such heavy equipment.”

“I will consider it. We currently do not have any related research projects, so it might take a few years to be able to develop such an invention.”

Mason chuckled slightly. “Coming from the company who invented the light-thrower in just a few months.”

“It wasn’t a few months: Professor Reese has been working on the lightcapturer and light thrower for years before we funde-“

Keith noticed that Mason wasn’t looking at him, but through the windows behind. He turned around quickly, only to see large explosions rocking Raktor.

The shockwave soon hit the Seven Snake’s mall, rocking it slightly as the windows rumbled in their grooves, threatening to fracture. One of the explosions was nearby, right at where the Magda would normally be.

Mason’s face paled, frantically grabbing his arctech radio. “Mason to Magda, Mason to Magda. Come in.”

There was no reply, a sign of a city-wide jamming of all arctech radio frequencies. Even Keith failed to contact the rest of the Seven Snakes, stirring a slight panic in his heart.

But he did not falter, immediately ordering the nearby guards to protect Mason as he rushed out to the rooftop, where they had mounted their own large arctech radio.

It had been previously used to broadcast a city wide signal to disable all handguns, but Keith had re-rigged it to serve as a one-way announcement, seeing as the recipejt would not have enough power on the reply to overcome the increased noise floor due to the jamming.

The lights of the mall flickered slightly while the large arctech radio was powered, taking nearly a quarter of the power consumed by the mall.

The light-thrower audience were in a panic, the screen dimming significantly and causing the military propaganda show to cut off.

“Hey, what’s going on out there?”

“Isn’t this just like the first day when the Seven Snakes was sabotaged? Is it another gang war?”

“I don’t want to be a part of this, let me out!”

Keith spoke quickly through the arctech radio: “All Seven Snakes members and associates, assemble at the mall immediately! Emergency Plan A!”

Over the past few months, Keith and the leaders had been implementing backup plans, a series of procedures in the event of war. The backup plans were originally designed as a way to fight back systematically against the Ardent Cretins, but Keith now was not even sure who they were fighting.

As the guards and workers in the shopping mall controlled the crowd, Keith returned to his office, where Mason was pacing the room, impatient.

“I can’t reach anyone in the Magda, all the radios are jammed.”

“Is it a Versian attack?”

“Maybe. But I’m more inclined to think that it is a attack on the enforcers directly by thugs. There was an award ceremony today.”

Keith was startled, causing Mason to become suspicious, eyeing Keith warily. “You knew this was going to happen.”

“I didn’t.” I only got hints from Sebastian – is this what he meant by choosing a side?

A clear tension settled in the room, with Mason’s hand already reaching for his arctech pistol, eyes darting around while the guards also gripped their batons and swords tightly, instinctively fanning out to surround Mason and protect Keith.

“Don’t you dare try to renegade on our deal, Seven Snakes.” Mason hissed.

“I am just as bewildered about the entire situation like you. Let’s not make any rash moves here. If you calm down-”

“Like hell I am going to be your prisoner. You’re already in cahoots with the Ardent Cretins.”

“After all the fighting between our malls and districts?”

“Probably just a show. I always wondered why Sebastian wasn’t targeting you any longer or trying to drag you guys down. No major gang would ever tolerate another second gang rising in their sector – unless they were already in a secret alliance.”

So this was what Sebastian was aiming for….“There’s a big misunderstanding here – you are framing us on assumptions.”

“Then prove it.”

Keith motioned to the guards to stand down and back off, who were all confused. “Sir, your safety is the highest priority!” The leader of the guards tried to explain, their weapons still brandished as they protected Keith.

“I said stand down. Mason is not our enemy here.”

The guards eventually relented, with Mason also loosening up. He still remained cautious, his body continuously tensed up as he sat back down on the guest chair in the office.

“Until we know more about the fighting and why it is happening, there’s no reason to jump to conclusions. The enforcers are more than well equipped to suppress the major gangs if push comes to shove.” Keith too sat back in the office chair, quickly glancing out of the window.

Already there was a stream of Seven Snakes members coming in wagons, all congregating at the mall,

“What’s going on out there?”

“Are we under attack by Versia? Shit!”

“Gear up! Gear up!”

Emergency Plan A was kicked into action, with all of the hidden stored guns and weapons brought out on full display. Mason had already expected the Seven Snakes to be well-equipped, but not to this extent. This only made Mason more worried about what was happening to the enforcers, and more specifically, how well armed the major gangs were.

“If the Ardent Cretins are as anywhere near prepared as you guys, they can go toe to toe with the enforcers easily.” Mason muttered to Keith as the two of them stood at the window.

The shift in atmosphere of Raktor was too sudden for Keith, but it felt as though it had been planned from a long time ago.

Soon, Adrian barged into the room, panting heavily. “The major gangs, they are in an alliance! They are hitting all enforcers across the city!”

“Alliance?!”

“And I heard if we don’t join them, we’ll be next! The Wretches already got taken over by the Ardent Cretins!”

“Shit! Take up defensive positions!” Keith ordered. “Tell everyone through the radio!”

The Seven Snakes kicked into action, focusing their defensive efforts on the district around the mall while preparing for gurreilla combat in the urban blocks.

At this moment, Keith’s radio crackled into life. [Keith, the time is now. Choose your side.]

Mason glared at the radio, but Keith remained calm, slowly responding. “What are you aiming for.”

[Remember our meeting. Why are we fighting among ourselves when the biggest gang of them all is happily profiting off us?]

“You mean...”

[The enforcers. Nothing will come out of you joining forces with Mason, Keith.]

“And what will I get in return for joining you?”

[Half of the South Sector and beyond. The County will be split among all those deserving. If it weren’t for Kyle I would not even make this offer. However, the offer has a limited duration. Make your choice now.]

Keith took a deep breath, hesitating slightly. Joining the Ardent Cretins seems like the right move – but how strong are the major gangs really when combined? He glanced at Mason, who glared back at him.

“Don’t you dare take up that offer, Keith.” Mason growled through gritted teeth.

Keith suddenly realized something important. How does Sebastian know I am with Mason now? Keith glanced opposite, staring right at a sniper mounted on the rooftop two blocks down. Shit!

[I hate indecisive people, remember that.]

“GET DOWN!”

A pellet smashed through the window as Keith rolled off the chair, the pellet narrowly missing him as it shredded through the wooden table in splinters. If Keith had not spotted the sniper beforehand, he would have very well been dead.

The guards immediately rushed forward to protect Keith, but the sniper was already on the move, retreating into the building.

Before Keith could even respond, the mall’s point defence system suddenly lanced out, hitting an incoming mortar projectile. The projectile broke apart, only to reveal multiple small balls that overwhelmed the point defence engraving, filling the sky with streams of green arcia bolts that desparately tried to cover every possible trajectory coming in.

Explosions rocked the streets everywhere the small balls landed, along with the mall’s arcia energy system being depleted rapidly due to the overconsumption of the point defence system.

“Turn off all the useless engravings now! Cut off all temperature control and useless lights!” Keith roared to the office, prompting a guard to carry out the order.

At the same time, armoured wagons rolled towards the mall, with hundreds of Ardent Cretins armoured knights leaping out, armed to the teeth with Yual military gear on par with their strike force. Even three warmachines were deployed towards them, moving past.

Adrian had none of this observed, the city-wide jamming cutting off their connection with the informant and observation network.

Damian and Niko were already on the ground, firing back at the knights who began to slowly push their way towards the mall, fighting from block to block as both sides cowered in cover.

The alleyways were blockaded or host to large brawls between squads of gang members, blasting each other to bits with gunfire and melee weapons. Limbs and heads were torn apart, shredded by machine guns and mortars as every Seven Snakes member fought hard.

The Seven Snakes member had the edge in equipment, but the Ardent Cretins were far more numerous and competently equipped, resulting in a slow declining battle of attrition. “This can’t last forever – we’ll be wiped out eventually!” Keith’s eyes quickly continued planning, using the large arctech radio to perform one-way communication through the jamming.

His coordination of the squads and various urban defence checkpoints were competent – but he was up against quantity of firepower and Sebastian, who slowly began to flank the mall, attempting to put it into a siege by cutting off all the streets that led into it.

He’s trying to starve us! Keith wasn’t about to let it happen, trying again and again to get squads to break through the encroaching encirclement. The battle raged for two hours, with more and more injuries along with casualties building up.

Haui worked overtime, cranking out potions with his store workers non-stop to supply the soldiers with enough health and stamina potions to keep the fight going, treating the injured as they came in.

“How long is this battle going to be?! We’re running out of supplies here!” One of the store workers yelled to Haui, who shook his head.

“The battle will last until only one side is left standing.” Haui understood that this was a war of annihilation – Sebastian wasn’t the kind to tolerate having an opposing gang in his new territory.

The office was now a warroom, with countless maps and markers indicating the various organized squads, with Damian and Niko leading separate forces to fight. Small scale skirmishes and scuffles erupted all across the district, resulting in devestation and destruction.

Snipers ruled the battlefield, dominating entire streets and turning them into no man’s zones, as squads from both sides crawled through alleys and collapsed buildings, damaged from the consistent mortar shelling by the Ardent Cretins who did not care about civilians or not.

The previously built-up distrct that the Seven Snakes had put so much effort into developing was now slowly turned into ruin in a few hours, damaging infrastructure, utilites and housing.

Thousands of refugees began to pile up in the mall, seeking shelter from the crossfire. Keith couldn’t abandon the citizens – their entire economy and profit depended on them.

Instead, he began to distribute arms to them, making them serve as milita to defend the districts. This helped to even the numbers slightly, but their poor training and lack of experience made them easy targets for death.

As the battle reached the three hour mark, the Ardent Cretins began to push in from all sides, exploiting the sparse defence of the Seven Snakes who were now scattered in all directions.

However, Keith remained unfazed, even as Sebastian successfully managed to complete the encirclement. A small little smirk appeared on his face as Sasha finally entered the room, flanked by three evolved hobgoblins hefting machine guns.

“They think these are all the Seven Snakes members we have? Let’s show this fuckers who are the true kings of Raktor.”

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