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nThree days passed in a flash bringing closer the one-week deadline Orpheus gave the Vermillion gang.

nTogether with Amber and Lilith, who had been training like crazy, especially Amber, for the incoming mock battle, Orpheus visited Katherina and the other members of Ouroboros.

nThey arrived at the gang hideout; Katherina and the sisters, and even her brother, waited for their arrival.

n”Welcome, boss.” Katherina greeted Orpheus as soon he arrived; Stella smiled at him while even the usually rebel Aileen nodded at him.

nOrpheus nodded in return before asking.

nAfter everything that happened, they had come to accept this young man, and they decided to support him and see how far he could bring them; they didn’t have any other choice anyway.

nAccepting to follow their new leader had its benefits. In those three days, they became stronger, and they believed they could become even more powerful if they kept training in that forest and continued to follow his orders. The training became more dangerous, but none of them died; just before something fatal happened to them, the situation would suddenly change. They felt grateful toward Orpheus, and slowly their loyalty began increasing toward him, especially the new members.

nLooking at the gang members standing together with a nervous expressions etched on their faces, Orpheus chuckled.

n”You don’t have to be that nervous. What can happen that will be scarier than the dangerous training you went through? What would be scarier than me?” He asked them, especially the last question touched them, reducing their worries. Indeed there would be nothing scary as Orpheus.

nSeeing his subordinates regaining their fighting spirits as their fear got considerably lessened, Orpheus nodded.

n”It’s time to take the first step toward my goal, toward your hour of glory. Soon, you will become the sole gang in the capital. Aren’t you thrilled?” He asked them, and they answered with strong voices.

n”We are!!!!!!!!”

nOrpheus spotted no hesitation in them, only their burning desire for more. It’s human nature to desire for more, you just have to find the right button to push, and even a saint would become greedy.

n”Good, after tonight, the Vermillion gang will be no more, and our Ouroboros territory will increase.”

nToward Orpheus’s declaration, everyone nodded before Katherina as the second in command stepped forward and asked.

n”Boss, what strategy will we be using?”

nUnexpectedly, Orpheus said something that surprised her.

n”You decide. Consider tonight’s battle as my test for you. I want to see how you command the battle.”

nThe startled Katherina nodded with a smile.

n“Don’t worry; I’ll show you a good performance.”

n“Perfect. Also, I forgot to tell you but I will not interfere in the battle. I’ll only interfere if a very powerful enemy appears. My subordinates will assist if needed.” Orpheus informed Katherina.

n“Huh?” She was stunned.

n“As I told you, tonight will be a test for all of you. If you need to depend on me to win, what do I need you for?”

nKatherina took a deep breath and nodded.

n“I understand.”

nOrpheus nodded. “Very good. Let’s start then.”

nKatherina closed her eyes before opening them again with an expression of determination.

n“Men, depart! Tonight we will crush the Vermillion gang!”

n“OHHHHHH!!!”

nShe was more than happy to get her revenge on the assault that almost killed her brother. In the past few days, the Vermillion gang had been strangely silent, but Katherina knew from the spies planted on the other side that they were preparing for battle. The noble supporting them seemed to have ordered to do everything the Vermillion gang could to swallow the Black Snake gang, now Ouroboros.

n•••••

nTonight, the western part of the capital was eerily silent.

nSince a few days ago, rumors about the battle between the Black Snake Gang that went under someone recently (A

/N:Ouroboros, people weren’t informed that the gang had changed name yet, it would happen tonight) and the Vermillion Gang has spread through the citizens. Due to that, all the stalls had closed early, the brothels had not opened tonight, and the houses had turned off their lights.

nEven the city guards acting as the police had opted to avoid this place. Fights between gangs were common, and they were tacitly allowed while they did not harm ordinary citizens. Besides, one of those in high position ordered them not to do anything, especially tonight, the order came from the palace, so naturally, they would never dare to go against it. They could only hope that tonight’s battle wouldn’t be too bloody.

nBut from how dark the atmosphere looming above the western sky was, tonight’s battle would be more bloody than anyone expected.

nAt midnight, the members of the Ouroboros appeared on the streets in the west of the capital.

nMore than one-two hundred gang members armed with swords and knives stood orderly. They wore fierce expressions while they walked toward the Vermillion Gang’s base.

nThe Ouroboros had been divided into three units, one led by Katherina, another led by Aileen, and the last unit led by Lilith and Amber, who had decided to join the fun.

nLike usual, Stella, who loves the shadow, was left to stay in the shadow; she was an assassin after all. The cat demi-human couldn’t help sneak a peek at Lilith, who was standing silently there, but Stella knew she could vanish at any moment; she had the same scent as her but more faint.

nUnconsciously, Stella’s lips rose to form a smirk; her competitive self had been ignited; she wished to compete with Lilith knowing fully well she would use, but defeat wasn’t what she sought; she sought improvement that came after the defeat, the desire to do more, to be at the same level as the one that made you suffer a defeat, above everything else Stella wished to become Lilith equal, her rival, only like this would she be able to catch Orpheus’s eyes and he would make her his subordinate that would stand next to him, that was Stella end goal.

nLilith could feel the competitiveness inside Stella’s eyes, and she welcomed it with a smile.

nAmber looking at the two girls staring at each other with an invisible spark flying between, chuckled before focusing her attention forward.

nThe group soon entered the Vermillion gang’s territory. They stopped because there was a group of armed men led by a man in front of them.

nA man dressed in fine armor with a halberd stepped forward. He looked around, and his eyes stopped on Katherina; he could not see Orpheus standing in the crowd watching everything.

nThe man with the halberd opened his mouth, trying to persuade Katherina one final time.

n“Black Snake’s leader, stop this foolishness! Will you destroy your gang with your stupid ambitions!? If you are unhappy with something, we can negotiate! State your demands.”

n“Shut up, Antony! You are a nobody to talk to me like that! Bring here your leader if you want to negotiate with me! If not, then be a man, stop bull**ing, and fight to the death. Do you think I came to hear saying something you never meant?”

nAntony’s face turned ugly. “Katherina, are you determined to face our Vermillion gang backed by a powerful noble tonight!?”

n“Hahahahaha! Were you not the ones that ambushed my little brother one week ago!? Your gang has been trying to destroy my gang for years! Now that you finally have the opportunity to defeat us, are you chickening out!? I’m ready to dig your ancestor’s grave; stop being a pussy and fight me.”

n”And by the way, it’s Ouroboros, not the Black Snake Gang anymore,” Katherina added.

nAntony gritted his teeth. “I see. Good. If you want a fight, then we shall fight!!! Tonight, we will wash the streets of the capital with your blood!!!”

n“Hahahaha! Bring it on! Men, kill those bastards!”

n“Ohhhhhhh!!!” ”Death and glory!” ”Ouroboros!!”

nWith a cry of battle that woke up the entire capital, Ouroboros’s men charged forward.

nSeconds later, the two gangs clashed. Weapons were swung, and lives were taken. A festival of blood and steel started.

nKatherina was the first one to charge forward. She took the lead and charged towards the enemy’s lines, using her red sword to reap dozen of lives in one second.

nBut she did not stop there. She fixed her gaze on the vice-leader of the Vermillion Gang and charged toward him.

n“Antony, come and taste my sword; I wonder how long you can last!” Katherina said with a provocative smile.

n“Crazy bitch! Do you think I fear you!?” Antony was enraged to have been made fun of.

nBrandishing his halberd, he pierced Katherina’s chest, using all his strength since the first strike. Origin covered his weapon, making it more deadly.

nHe had fought Katherina before, and although he was weaker than her, the difference was not big. He was confident that even if he could not defeat her, he could keep her busy.

nBut contrary to his expectations, when their weapons clashed, he could not hold on.

nIn an instant, an immense strength was transmitted through his spear to his body.

n“You… How!? You became stronger.”

n“Hahaha, surprised? It’s too late to regret!” Katherina laughed at the surprised Antony; even she was surprised by how strong she had become; if it were in the past, it wouldn’t have been this easy. As expected, submitting to him was the right decision.

nWhile thinking this, Katherina moved; she poured origin into her legs to make them faster as she disappeared and swung her sword, which became faster as well.

n“Impossible!!!” Antony screamed, facing Katherina’s absurd strength. He hurriedly rotated his halberd and threw it towards Katherina, destroying her balance.

nMaking use of that distraction, he bolted backward. He knew that if he did not escape now, he would be sacrificed to Katherina’s sword.

nBut at that moment, he felt something piercing his chest.

nLooking down, a dagger was stabbed into his heart.

n“W-When…” Antony looked at Katherina and asked.

nShe curved her lips up. “I know you better than you think, Antony the coward, always running away once you can’t win. Do you think I’ll let you leave?”

n”You will become my stepping stone. You don’t have to worry; the others will follow you soon enough.”

nShe then brandished her sword and cut off his head.

nOne of the vice leaders of the Vermillion gang lost his head a few minutes after the war began.

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