Gun of Ashes

”Go take a look in my room, under the bed, in a small black bag. Inside, you’ll find what you’re looking for, and proof of my worth.”

Lorenzo’s gaze turned grim. Yes, this wasn’t enough to warrant Erin being hunted. After all, she was a member of the Iron Law Bureau. As long as she continued to serve faithfully, she would eventually encounter that deep darkness.

”Red Falcon, you go,” Lorenzo said.

”Me?” Red Falcon hesitated for a moment but didn’t say much, and left directly, as Erin instructed.

”I thought you’d go yourself... Hmm, you don’t trust others either, do you?”

Erin whispered. She was smart and quickly understood the makeup of the team.

Hebdo wasn’t trusted by Lorenzo. The only ones Lorenzo could trust were Red Falcon and the girl standing to the side, but clearly, the girl was a rookie, and such tasks couldn’t be entrusted to her.

”Interested in hearing Hebdo’s story?” Erin tried to say.

But this time, before Hebdo could explode, Lorenzo stood up and walked over to her.

”Actually, you’re curious too, Erin, why I’m seen as a major enemy by the Choir.”

Lorenzo stared at her. After conversations with Watson, he began to gradually feel that an abnormal sense of distortion, faintly changing within himself.

”What...”

Erin couldn’t utter a sound as Lorenzo held her face, forcing her to look into his eyes, which were now ablaze with a bright white sun in the gray-blue pupils.

Under the glow, Erin’s face paled, but fortunately, the scene didn’t last long. Lorenzo was well aware he couldn’t abuse this forbidden power but needed assurance.

”Have you seen anyone like me?” Lorenzo asked.

This time, Erin was different from before. Her face stiffened as she slowly spoke.

”He’s called the Dean.”

...

Following Erin’s instructions, Red Falcon soon found Erin’s room.

It was an ordinary room, shabby compared to the funded travel of Lorenzo and others. Erin was probably at the end of her road, having spent considerable effort to just board the ship.

Inside the room, there wasn’t much stuff, only an open suitcase on the floor. Red Falcon walked over curiously, seeing it full of women’s underwear and some dresses. Judging by the name tag hanging from the suitcase, this wasn’t Erin’s.

Red Falcon could already imagine the scene: Erin looking for a woman in the crowd with a similar build, through some coincidence or by force, seizing her identity to board the White Tide.

Continuing to search, Red Falcon lifted the bed board and found the item Erin mentioned, a small black bag.

Inside were some of Erin’s identity cards, various names, and no one knew how many identities this woman truly had, alongside a handgun and several bullets.

Red Falcon felt something, a strange bulge. It seemed the black bag had a hidden compartment. Ripping it open, he found what Erin had hidden inside.

For a moment, Red Falcon felt his heartbeat accelerate, his gaze firmly fixed on that item. Luckily, as an Upper-Rank Knight, he had some resistance to the lure; otherwise, he wouldn’t know what he might do in the face of this temptation.

It was a serum, filled with crimson liquid, clear and transparent like a ruby.

Secret Blood.

”So, Erin hid the item here?”

A voice sounded from outside the door, causing Red Falcon to freeze completely—an unfamiliar voice.

In that instant, Red Falcon thought of many things; perhaps the enemies Lorenzo killed last night were only part of them. Despite Nordro’s cover-up, this wouldn’t fool the enemies; they had been observing them all along.

Everything happened almost simultaneously. Red Falcon, somewhat seasoned in battle, his intuition far surpassing ordinary people, gripped the serum tightly while picking up the handgun from the bag with one hand.

The sound of gunfire rang out the moment Red Falcon rolled towards the cover on the other side. He still remembered the room’s layout; the enemy was behind him.

The distance was too close, and Red Falcon wasn’t as powerful as Demon Hunter. Getting shot was inevitable; he could only try not to receive fatal injuries, preserving more combat power.

The enemy fired several shots, bullets traversing the narrow room, causing Red Falcon to feel slight pain in his limbs. Bullets grazed his body, leaving one laceration after another of sharp pain. Soon, more severe pain came from the shoulder as a bullet pierced the wooden board, hitting Red Falcon.

”It’s not too bad, it’s not too bad,”

Red Falcon muttered under his breath. Despite the bullet wound in his left shoulder, moving was painful, but at least he still had one arm.

He lowered his breathing, uncertain how many enemies were outside the door, nor what kind of power they held.

Really unlucky, suddenly encountering enemies like this, with no preparation time. But thinking about it, this is life; life doesn’t follow logic.

Lorenzo probably couldn’t come to his rescue. It happened too fast; he needed to stay there watching over Erin. Red Falcon knew that Lorenzo didn’t trust Erin, and even he, a slow-witted guy, saw Hebdo and Erin were hiding something. Leaving them alone together, who knew what might happen.

”Lucky Red Falcon wouldn’t just end here, right?”

Red Falcon seemed to be psyching himself up, shouting as he turned to charge out of cover, firing back.

The so-called cover was merely a wardrobe. As Red Falcon charged out, he also toppled it with his body, attempting to use it to shield against a few bullets, maybe even dampen the bullet’s power.

Firing with his right hand while enduring the pain, he flung out the Folding Blade with his other hand.

This was when Red Falcon finally saw the attacker clearly—a man with ordinary looks, dressed in server’s attire, indicating he had been hiding, watching them earlier.

This was a trap... No, it’s a trap for Erin; that damned woman dragged troubles onto them.

But why is this woman so deserving of such a hunt?

In a daze, a flash of crimson blood crossed his mind.

It’s the Secret Blood, Erin took this serum; they were searching for it.

This was Erin’s trump card; she could easily gain protection from other factions through the power of this blood.

No one would ever forsake such potent power.

Bullets crossed each other; the man’s bullet missed, while Red Falcon’s hit the man’s arm. Yet that guy remained expressionless, as if unable to feel pain, like a silent statue.

”Damn, another monster.”

No need to think, this guy must also come from that eerie Choir, with raging Secret Blood flowing within. Though not as powerful as Lorenzo, being stronger than Red Falcon was enough.

With the distance sufficiently closed, Red Falcon gave up shooting and swung the Folding Blade.

Searing blades flashed, as the man pulled a short blade from his waist to clash with Red Falcon.

Red Falcon struggled in defense; he didn’t want to die in such misfortune, he had to find a lifeline. Yet, the man didn’t grant him any chance, blocking the door, denying Red Falcon an escape.

The man knew it too; as long as Red Falcon escaped, or even if he could let Lorenzo notice, facing that terrifying Nightmare, the man was sure to die.

Metal clashed once more, Red Falcon was forced back, getting close to the balcony edge, below was not some terrace but an roaring ocean.

Damn Erin!

Red Falcon cursed inside. If only the woman spent a little more to change to a better room, he might have escaped directly through the terrace.

The short blade slashed down once more, the man fighting steadily. If he continued this way, Red Falcon would certainly wear out.

Another fierce blow, cutting downward, didn’t carry much technique, just pure brute force.

Red Falcon’s Folding Blade shook precariously, seeming as if one more hit would defeat him. The man’s cold expression finally showed a hint of pleasure, right when the disadvantageous Red Falcon suddenly changed.

This seemingly unlucky guy suddenly became fierce, as the Folding Blade furiously lifted and inserted into the man’s attacks, disrupting his rhythm. Next, the sharp Folding Blade pierced through his arm, slicing it open and spraying blood.