Gun of Ashes

The assassin slowly placed the handgun on the ground, and the next moment, a gunshot rang out.

Hebdo had observed all the actions of the assassins. A total of four had infiltrated the premises, two were searching the rooms, and two were there to assassinate Erin.

The assassin who had been injured by the mechanism looked at Hebdo in terror. His hand was on the gun, but he dared not lift it. Meanwhile, the assassin whom Hebdo ordered to drop the gun was lying in a pool of blood with the female corpse.

”I just need one alive... or maybe half.”

Hebdo walked straight towards the injured assassin. This operation was both a success and a failure. He captured a living target, but his primary goal, Erin, seemed to be dead.

He dragged the injured assassin up, but at this moment, more urgent footsteps sounded. The intuition of battle warned Hebdo, and he quickly raised the injured assassin as a shield in front of him. Then, chaotic gunfire erupted, countless bullets pierced the assassin’s body, some even through his torso, grazing Hebdo.

Discarding the corpse, Hebdo dashed into the cover nearby, not forgetting to retaliate toward the doorway.

The assassins were more numerous than these; Hebdo had been careless. But that didn’t change anything; he had already completed his mission.

Erin was the cicada, Hebdo was the praying mantis, while Lorenzo was the oriole lurking behind. Hebdo had stirred up enough chaos, revealing all the enemies hidden in the shadows.

He kicked through the window. It was a terrible height, but it was not an obstacle for Hebdo.

Lorenzo needed a fighting mantis - one alert and powerful enough to incite so many enemies simultaneously while figuring out a way to retreat safely.

Hebdo leapt straight out of the window, grabbing hold of a protrusion on the wall as he fell, agile like a monkey.

The assassins rushed into the room, ready to chase Hebdo. But at this moment, the door was opened... another door.

The door of B521 was pushed open, and Lorenzo walked down the corridor with a bold stride, holding a water cup in his hand.

The assassin standing guard outside the door noticed Lorenzo’s arrival, but before he could shoot, Lorenzo fiercely hurled the cup, smashing it brutally on his face.

Gunshots sounded abruptly but missed their mark. Lorenzo’s figure moved swiftly, closing in instantly and ending the enemy before him with a punch.

The heavy punch landed on the assassin’s face, a subtle crack could be heard, perhaps the sound of breaking bones. He grabbed the collapsing body, held the assassin’s hand, and turned his arm to fire at another assassin.

An exchange of gunfire erupted. There was no space to dodge at this close range, but a fainted assassin stood shielded in front of Lorenzo.

The bullet grazed by, killing the assassin in front of Lorenzo, while Lorenzo’s shot equally killed the enemy before him.

Everything happened so quickly. By the time the assassins inside reacted, Lorenzo was already at the door, stooping down to pick up the parcel left by Hebdo at the door of room B524.

Inside were the weapons prepared for Lorenzo. When Hebdo had disturbed everyone, it was Lorenzo’s turn to wrap things up and end it all.

”Interesting, it seems we’re not the only ones looking for Erin.”

With a flick of the arm, the metal blade segments unfolded, with the folding blade reflecting the faces of terror in the darkness.

Erin wouldn’t sit idle waiting to perish. She must have left traps against these pursuers. Lorenzo’s intention was to use Hebdo to test out these traps and then act himself, but he didn’t expect to lure in another group.

Silence only lasted a few seconds before chaotic gunfire erupted again. Bullets penetrated furniture and the door, heading towards Lorenzo. But such things were hardly a threat to a Demon Hunter like him.

Lorenzo moved. His speed was astonishing. The assassins couldn’t make out his figure, only a blade’s light closing in. Bullets were easily cleaved apart, sparking as they shattered.

They came.

Flesh and blood were delicate, the folding blade easily dismembered the assassins. Blood and flesh heightened the aura of fear. In the dimness, Death God stood right before them.

”I just need one alive or maybe half.”

The folding blade swept sideways. An assassin tried to resist, but against overwhelming power, their arms, waists, neck... were all so fragile, like a crazed slaughterhouse, dissected into fragmented pieces by the sharp blade light.

The only remaining assassin stared vacantly, unable to comprehend such human strength. Blood uniformly painted the entire room, the air warm with a nauseating stench.

”Lorenzo!”

Eve’s shout rang out. Lorenzo turned to see another assassin at the door. He seemed to have been guarding downstairs and ran up upon hearing the commotion, with his gun now aimed at Lorenzo.

But he couldn’t pull the trigger.

Eve rushed out from the side, her speed incredible. After releasing her wild side, her physical prowess was astonishing. The assassin paid little attention to this ferocious-looking girl. She seemed harmless despite her furious expression, but the next moment, Eve leapt up.

In a sense, Eve was the most perfect Ranger. She leapt high, and before the assassin could turn the gun on her, it was too late. A vicious knee strike hit him in the face, but it didn’t end there. As she struck, Eve grabbed his collar and, with momentum, flipped over him entirely.

Landing, gripping the collar, and with force, sent the assassin crashing hard into the ground.

Severe pain and fainting.

Though her time interning with the Purification Mechanism was short, Eve had indeed learned much from those folks. She quickly turned, ending it all with an elbow strike to the face.

She strolled in, not even out of breath, with the fallen assassin behind her, his face a mess of blood and flesh, alive or dead unknown.

”Is she dead?”

Eve stood amidst the blood, among the scattered corpses, looking at the already deceased woman.

Lorenzo didn’t answer Eve’s question immediately, his gaze peculiar. Luckily, in this darkness, Eve couldn’t make out his expression.

He still remembered the first time dealing with a demon with Eve. She was like a panicked lamb, shouting and running chaotically.

Nobody knew what she’d been through these days. She had become more ruthless, decisive, unaffected by the remains of corpses and bloodshed around her.

Ah, this...

Should it be said the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?

Lorenzo adjusted his mindset. The naive rookie cop was long gone, now standing before him was the Cutting King of Old Dunling.

”Probably... you keep an eye on that guy.”

Lorenzo moved toward the woman’s corpse, while Eve took the folding blade he handed over, pressing its sharp edge against the neck of the only surviving assassin.

”You best hurry up, Lorenzo, we need to be more discreet.”

Eve said, not quite believing her own words. The room was like a slaughtered pig’s, the amount of blood shockingly high. But knowing Lorenzo, he likely intended to eliminate all the informed witnesses.

Thinking of this, Eve regretfully glanced at the half-alive target beneath her knife.

”No... this isn’t Erin.”

Lorenzo squatted by the woman’s body, speaking with a serious expression.

”You’ve never seen her.”

”I know, but she was tied up, blindfolded, and there was a mechanism here... anyone opening the closet would be shot.”

Lorenzo could already envision the scene. When the assassins found nothing in their search, they’d discover this— this woman in the closet would draw all their attention. And then... then would be the time for Erin’s move.

Hebdo was Lorenzo’s praying mantis, and this woman was Erin’s. Erin herself was both the hunted cicada and the oriole in the end, using herself to create this trap.

”So she anticipated someone would come to kill her right from the start, didn’t she? Even this operation, did she deliberately reveal her whereabouts?”

Lorenzo smiled, finding the situation intriguing.

So, what will you do next?

More footsteps sounded all around, drawing towards B524. And next door, unbeknownst to all, the door of B523 had already been pushed open, with the room inside empty.