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Even just a few years ago, there'd been no obvious winners among the top boys. Jercash, Gohvis, Gunther, Dunhouser, Ivan, Vanderberk. They certainly had their own opinions about who was stronger than whom, but as far as Morgunov was concerned, none of them had truly been tested for the last century.

The Battle at Lac'Vayce, for example, might've gotten plenty of attention around the world and been seen as a rip-roaring success for Abolish, resulting in over a million casualties, but what actual shift had taken place?

None. Lamont and Jackson versus Jercash, Ivan, and Gunther. And yet they'd all walked away unscathed in the end. Sermung had come in at the last minute and rendered the whole dialogue moot, as he was wont to do.

Which was why Morgunov had not been particularly impressed by their little achievement.

He never liked to play the role of party pooper, but still. It had become only too clear that, for some of his boys, this whole contest was nothing more than a numbers game. As long as they killed enough non-combatants, they felt like they'd won.

It was embarrassing, quite frankly.

To see them so happy like that, so content with their own mediocrity.

But that was the past. Gunther was now dead, and Ivan, still captured.

And Jercash was at last beginning to achieve his true potential.

The war front in Hoss was all down to him, and he was handling it well so far. He had to deal with three marshals simultaneously. Kane, Grant, and Carson.

And he'd already slain Carson.

Finally, some news to be proud of. Morgunov had begun feeling like the only one in Abolish who could actually do anything. It was nice to see that wasn't so.

Now if only Dozer would get off his wrinkly ass and start making headlines again.