Gun of Ashes

”Hide first, then decide!”

Hebdo pushed the two of them forcefully, causing them to fall behind an overturned carriage.

The weak structure of the carriage couldn’t block many bullets. But just like Eve analyzed, the warriors’ goal wasn’t to kill them, but to stall them. As soon as they stopped running, the gunfire lessened significantly.

”Choice one, we commit suicide now. By the time Lorenzo has no worries, maybe he’d go on a rampage because of our deaths?”

Erin quickly said, every second was precious at this moment.

”Are you joking?”

Hebdo shouted, unable to accept suicide as a Viking.

”Of course.”

Erin said with a smile, reverting to her usual flippant demeanor.

But soon, she calmed down, her expression stiffened like frozen ice, then she slowly raised the object in her hand.

It was a crystalline ruby, resembling congealed blood.

A vial of Secret Blood.

”Choice two, use it and fight our way out.”

Erin gazed at the blood in her hand, it was like the world’s most perfect treasure, tempting everyone to covet it.

For a moment, everyone held their breath, their eyes watching the Secret Blood with a feverish intensity.

”Power and cost, this is truly a tough choice...”

Eve said softly, understanding the Secret Blood more than the others and knowing its price, with Lorenzo himself as the best example.

”Let me do it!”

Hebdo immediately said.

”No, you can’t, Hebdo, you don’t understand the power of this thing. While it can grant great power, it comes with the risk of losing control. Once you use it... you might never return to yourself.”

In Eve’s mind, twisted, grotesque faces of demons flashed. They were like bloodthirsty, insane beasts, but also like weeping, wailing souls sorrowful for their cursed fate.

”What should we do then, just stay here until someone dies?”

Hebdo reached out to grab the Secret Blood, feeling either a sense of crisis from their predicament or the allure of the Secret Blood. His voice was filled with anger.

”No... I’m saying this should be my responsibility.”

Eve grabbed the Secret Blood from Erin’s hand.

Eve felt a strange sensation, as if it were destiny, treading the same path as her forebears, but going deeper than they ever did.

”I’m a Ranger, a born Ranger. My resistance to corrosion far exceeds any of you. If I use it, the chances of losing control are minimal.”

Eve tightened her grip on the Secret Blood, feeling its blood-given warmth, rolling and burning.

Whispers lingered at her ears, tempting her to step into the darkness.

”Yes, this is what I should do.”

A sense of mission filled Eve’s mind and heart. She didn’t wait for the others to respond and immediately picked up the Secret Blood to inject it.

”Wait, Eve, you’re not the one who truly needs it.”

Erin’s voice broke through, a coldness snapping Eve back to her senses.

As she cradled Red Falcon, like a sculpture of the Madonna, her expression carried a hint of sorrowful pity.

Gently brushing Red Falcon’s cheek, feeling only corpse-like coldness, Erin thought this day was terribly bad, remembering only a handful of people while nearly losing everyone today.

”Give it to Red Falcon, maybe it can save him.”

Erin moved her hand from Red Falcon’s chest. Beneath was a faint heartbeat, indicating he wasn’t dead yet, but close, and even if they escaped without medical help, Red Falcon wouldn’t make it to Ingwig.

A deathly silence fell, as the time for decision arrived.

No matter how dressed with words, everyone knew clearly that using the Secret Blood meant falling into darkness, sacrificing oneself for ideals, becoming a monster.

”Sorry, Red Falcon, I’m choosing for you.”

Erin took the Secret Blood from Eve and was about to pierce it into Red Falcon’s chest.

To their shock, before Erin could inject the Secret Blood, another needle plunged into Red Falcon’s chest first.

Looking at the hand holding the needle, Erin realized someone new had joined them unnoticed, perhaps due to the Secret Blood and decision looming over them.

”First the red one, then the yellow one... Wait, which number is this?”

The figure jabbed one injection after another, seemingly forgetting the sequence and complaining aloud.

Hebdo didn’t hesitate, lifting his fist to strike down this sudden presence. But a hand caught his, as the strange man spoke.

”Purification Mechanism, Upper-Rank Knight, you can call me Bola, hello everyone!”

Bola reintroduced himself, and only then Hebdo realized it was Bola.

Firmly shaking Hebdo’s hand, Bola couldn’t understand why, on the brink of death, Hebdo still wanted to shake hands. Although they rarely met, there was no need to be so cordial.

”Ah!!!”

A scream disrupted everyone’s thoughts as Red Falcon sprang to life, sitting up abruptly.

He gasped openly, breathing in huge gulps with continuous screams.

”Hey? Bola.”

Red Falcon noticed Bola beside him, tears in his eyes.

”I’m so glad to see you again! Bola... How long have I slept? Where is this place?”

”You were out for just a few minutes. We’re still in Gaulunaro. Welcome back to Hell!”

Erin gazed blankly at the commotion, feeling as though her emotions had become insignificant, her voice tinged with helplessness.

This guy... might really be lucky.

”Wow! I feel like my chest is going to explode.”

Red Falcon tore open his clothes, revealing a chest full of wounds.

”Adrenaline, Flodren Potion, and some other stuff, theoretically keeping you alive a bit longer.”

Bola examined Red Falcon’s wounds. Although animated, his life was hanging by the thread of these medications.

”Our ship’s in international waters, the Black Mountain Hospital staff is standing by. Even if you’re half-dead, they’ll save you. But you must stay alive to get there, understood?”

Bola tapped Red Falcon’s face. Recruited by Bola, Bola knew well what type of person Red Falcon was. Though injected with the Florun Potion, with his usual mindset, some external help was needed to stay grounded.

”Is there backup? They’re using us to stall Lorenzo right now.”

Eve anxiously asked, Bola’s appearance provided some hope in breaking this stalemate.

”Backup? Would you count those two and a half?”

Bola contemplated, then pointed to the direction from which he came.

”Two and a half?”

Two blinding streaks shot up from where Bola pointed, cutting fiery trails through the night sky and landed in the warriors’ path.

Explosion, impact, and a sea of fire.

Ears buzzing with a piercing hum, the explosion tremor made the ground slightly quiver, producing busy activity among two people and a mouse under that light.

”The landing’s a bit off; adjust it, the value is...”

Nikola put down the binoculars and spoke to Heracles beside him.

Heracles, after adjusting the data, was laboriously loading shells into two mortars.

”Why’d you bring this stuff for pick-up! Are you sure this is a rescue and not a beach invasion?”

Heracles shouted while working busily, almost killed by bringing this mess off the ship.

”Anyway, when we arrived, your spot was vacant, so I brought some experimental weapons... Don’t you think this is a prime testing ground? Perfectly displays urban combat possibilities.”

Nikola’s words were shredded by overlapping cannon fire, as two more streaks descended.

”Go Heracles! Go!”

Amid the deafening explosions, Polo hopped around Heracles, cheering him on.

Heracles watched it all with mixed feelings.

Amid the various schemes, Maruri port had become a battleground, with one group of monsters fighting another, while he served as an artilleryman, spurred on by a chinchilla.

He felt like this was less of a war and more of a damned fireworks show, and he was the pyromaniac setting the city ablaze.

”Forget it, why overthink it?”

Heracles shook his head, giving up on the thought, as yet another streak illuminated the night sky, descending below.