Gun of Ashes

The sudden action stopped, and Selyu stood at the door, motionless.

”What’s wrong?”

Blue Jade asked, and Selyu gestured for her to hush, listening carefully as footsteps sounded.

The group turned serious, wondering who could be arriving at this time. But before they could figure out the answer, Selyu had already raised her handgun, pressed it against the door, and spoke to herself.

”With such a commotion, and Froki’s grave illness, Galron probably can’t spare any effort to protect us, right? And why would he protect us? Compared to us foreigners, isn’t Froki more important to him?”

She listened to the footsteps, judging the other person’s build by the sound’s heaviness, adjusting the gun’s muzzle, and finally came to a stop.

”But what if it’s Lorenzo? With his abilities, he should be able to dodge, and even if he couldn’t, a single shot wouldn’t kill him, right... Besides, this doesn’t sound like Lorenzo.”

Hebdo’s eyes widened, just about to stop Selyu, but only heard a gunshot. The bullet pierced through the door, along with the man behind it, followed by the sound of blood spilling and a body falling to the ground.

More sounds ensued; the footsteps didn’t cease but rather, multiplied, mingling with the curses as more people approached the door.

”Get down!”

Blue Jade shouted to the two, simultaneously taking action, grabbing their heads and forcing them down. Following this, bullets pierced through the door panel, brushing over their heads, leaving her covered in debris and dust.

As an Upper-Rank Knight of the Purification Mechanism, after a brief panic, Blue Jade exhibited her professionalism, drawing her handgun and firing into the door riddled with holes, signaling Selyu and Hebdo to retreat.

The counterattack seemed effective; the gunfire from behind the door was momentarily weaker, but soon invigorated roars arose. A bloodstained man charged out, his face twisted with fury, clutching a long knife, using his body to shield against Blue Jade’s shots, buying time for the others behind to close in.

The fearless onslaught was chilling, even in the dim light, Hebdo witnessed the enemy’s madness.

”Get away!”

Blue Jade swung her Folding Blade, the clear blade light flashed, and the man’s head flew off; nonetheless, the enemies behind him were close enough, pulling the trigger, bullets erupted.

An icy dread surged within; Blue Jade had no time to dodge, yet the man’s body didn’t collapse, erupting into a haze of blood, shielding most of the gunfire, buying Blue Jade some precious seconds.

”Move!”

Kneeling on the ground, Selyu yelled at her, propping the man’s legs to stop him from falling so quickly.

Blue Jade sidestepped into cover, originally intending to retreat with Selyu, but it was evidently too late. Selyu let the corpse collapse upon herself, holding her breath like a dead person, blending into the pile of corpses.

”What did Lorenzo teach her?”

Blue Jade couldn’t help but wonder as she looked at the pile of bodies. She saw Selyu’s eyes peeking through the gaps between the corpses, winking at her, yet Blue Jade couldn’t decipher Selyu’s intention.

Not being able to learn from Lorenzo is truly a shame!

The random thoughts in her mind only lasted a moment; the crisis wasn’t over yet. Blue Jade gripped her weapon, slipped into the darkness, seeking an opportunity to eliminate these enemies.

”Hei...”

Softly calling, Blue Jade stopped just as she began. She suddenly noticed Hebdo had vanished, though he had been right by her side moments ago.

Could Selyu be right? Was Hebdo obeying the King’s orders, planning to pin this mess on them, and not just that, he intended to kill everyone present.

Blue Jade couldn’t help but ponder. The alliance between Ingwig and the Viking nations seemed inevitable. Under the threat of the Rhine Alliance, even if all of them died here, it wouldn’t affect the alliance.

The bullets sprayed wildly, turning the wooden boards into splinters, clattering to the ground.

Hebdo was nowhere to be found; Selyu’s fakery as a corpse was convincing. Meanwhile, Blue Jade found her situation increasingly perilous, possibly dying at any moment.

Taking a deep breath to clear her odd thoughts, Blue Jade crouched half-kneeling on the ground.

These enemies were peculiar, appearing more like a mob, devoid of professionalism. Upon entry, they began to smash everything, screaming as if it were a battle cry.

The vociferous noise drew closer; Blue Jade flicked her Folding Blade, the cold gleam reflecting blood-red hues.

Compared to Demons, these humans were like tame animals. Though fighting alone, Blue Jade felt no fear.

A handgun appeared before her, followed by an arm; the man with the gun approached but didn’t notice Blue Jade.

In that instant, Blue Jade sprang from cover, the Folding Blade viciously severing the gunman’s wrist, his howls turning into whimpers.

The Folding Blade slit his throat and ran through his chest again. Blue Jade thrust the sword’s hilt forward, propping the man against herself. He struggled, but the more he resisted, the Blade tore more flesh until all strength was gone.

This drew the attention of others. They turned their guns towards Blue Jade; she didn’t know how much bullet flesh could withstand and couldn’t gamble it all on a corpse.

She propped the corpse with one hand, the other wielding a pistol, resting upon the body’s shoulder, firing at the other enemies.

Leaving no room for close-quarters combat, these foes seemed disregarding death, charging at Blue Jade, letting bullets pass through their bodies, intent on cornering her.

This completely disrupted Blue Jade’s plan. Originally hoping to delay through skirmishes and find opportunities, they left no chance, striding forward.

Blue Jade felt she was facing a horde of Demons, untaunted by death, craving blood and flesh.

Bullets ran out; Blue Jade lacked time to reload. Tossing her handgun, she drew another Folding Blade, preparing for a bloody battle, when a sudden roar arose.

Hebdo had found his way behind the enemies. Roaring, he slashed apart bodies; his bear-like physique unleashed tremendous might. Single-handedly, he grabbed enemy heads, smashing them against others before thrusting his Folding Blade through them.

This Viking used Blue Jade as bait, drawing all eyes upon her, and at this critical moment, he emerged to turn the tide.

Compared to fighting Maruri, these appeared no threat; Hebdo bulldozed through, aiding Blue Jade in subduing the rest. Without pause, the last enemy wavered upright, lifting his handgun towards the unsuspecting pair.

He tried to squeeze the trigger but noticed something amiss. Just turning, he saw a sharp dagger magnify in his vision as Selyu emerged from the corpse pile, delivering a lethal stab, though it was blocked.

The dagger went through the man’s palm, the blade lightly touching his throat, unable to delve deeper. Selyu might be cunning, but strength-wise, she was too weak.

The man disregarded his pierced hand, showing a grotesque grin, but the next second heard a crisp metal sound. A sharp steel spike extended from the brass blade’s spine, piercing the man’s throat.

His eyes were filled with disbelief as Selyu reversed the grip on her dagger and yanked, slicing open his palm along with his throat, pierced by the spike. The man clutched his wound, unable to raise his gun before a larger figure tackled him down.

This brief moment allowed Hebdo to do much, like rushing over for a lethal blow to the enemy.

Pulling the Folding Blade from the corpse, Hebdo panted, surveying the wreckage, then glanced at Selyu and Blue Jade.

”I don’t know anything.”

Hebdo candidly remarked, resembling a lost bear.

”So, does anyone recognize this mark?”

Selyu struggled to hoist a corpse, revealing its garment pulled away, exposing the gradually cooling chest embossed with a stark black cross.