Gun of Ashes

”I’m not stupid. When it comes down to it, I’m actually quite exceptional. After all, we Upper-Rank Knights are essentially just flesh and blood, at most a bit more resistant to erosion.”

Red Falcon stood up again, without using the Secret Blood, but instead stuffed it back into his pocket.

”So, I’m still a mortal, and when mortals fight those stronger than themselves, they have to use their brains more...”

The Folding Blade was raised once more, showing an intent to fight to the death.

After a brief silence, the two collided once again.

Amidst the clashing steel, Red Falcon could hardly feel his hands anymore. The man’s strength was overwhelmingly powerful, and with successive impacts, his arms went completely numb. All Red Falcon could do was to hold on tightly, gripping the metal with all his might.

Sparks flew as the man’s face showed a hint of rage. He too was restraining himself, trying hard not to let the Secret Blood take over his consciousness.

It was truly despairing. Red Falcon was like a caged beast, struggling hard, trying to break free.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t do it. Another heavy blow came, and he could clearly sense an increase in the man’s strength. The middle of the Folding Blade visibly bent, and blood seeped from his tiger’s mouth.

Red Falcon staggered back, feeling like he was facing a weakened version of Lorenzo, starting to understand the despair his enemies felt before their deaths. Against someone with Secret Blood, humans had no capacity to resist.

To kill a monster, you must become another monster.

”At times like this, reality becomes so logical instead.”

Red Falcon cursed under his breath.

Yes, the man was far stronger than Red Falcon, and he was certainly doomed.

There were so many things he wanted to say, but Red Falcon was out of strength. His chest hurt tremendously. He lowered his head and pulled open his collar, revealing a bruise on his chest.

His gaze returned to the man, who was stable, gradually wearing Red Falcon down.

At this thought, Red Falcon felt a mistake. He should have injected the Secret Blood the moment he realized the gap in power. Now, with the speed of the man and his own condition, he had no confidence he could last until the Secret Blood took effect.

That’s what the man wanted, to prevent Red Falcon from using the Secret Blood by continuously pressuring him.

”Isn’t it ridiculous to die so inexplicably?”

Red Falcon cursed again, his mindset much worse compared to the man’s.

”No way!”

Red Falcon shouted, reaching directly into his pocket. When a person is driven to desperation, they can do many crazy things.

At this moment, the previously steady man acted out of character, abandoning stability and swinging his short blade directly at Red Falcon. He couldn’t let Red Falcon inject the Secret Blood.

Everything slowed down at this moment. Red Falcon lifted the Folding Blade with one hand, trying to fend off the man’s short blade to buy time for the injection, while his other hand reached for his pocket.

The man leaped high, gripping the short blade with both hands. This strike could cleave the Folding Blade and take off Red Falcon’s head.

The two were extremely close. At this moment, Red Falcon’s expression, filled with misfortune, suddenly changed. He laughed wildly as if his cunning plan had succeeded, but he looked awful, having been beaten up.

Thanks to the gritty experience of crawling through the Lower City District, Red Falcon was far less ”upright” than his colleagues.

It was then that the man noticed Red Falcon’s hand. He hadn’t reached into his pocket but under his clothes, where the cold steel glinted.

The sound of metal resonated as Red Falcon drew another Folding Blade, snapping its segments out and swung it backhand towards the man’s head.

”You’re still not steady enough!”

Red Falcon shouted loudly.

The man was too steady, like a wall of despair, suffocating Red Falcon. His only chance was for the man to expose a weakness himself.

After spending enough time with certain people, one may become like them. Red Falcon never thought he’d be so skilled at deception.

The man hadn’t expected Red Falcon’s ability to endure, only revealing the second Folding Blade at this moment.

Under brilliant sparks, the raised Folding Blade snapped instantly. It had been on the verge of breaking throughout the battle; this time, it shattered completely. Red Falcon tilted the broken blade to minimize harm.

Under the short blade’s heavy pressure, Red Falcon dropped to one knee. The man stood high above him, but blood kept flowing incessantly.

In that intertwined instant, the other Folding Blade hit the man, stabbing straight into his neck and piercing through flesh, though fortunately, the man turned his head at the last moment, preventing the complete severing of his neck.

With the man’s labored breathing, blood gushed from the horrific wound. He was still alive, still able to fight, furious at being tricked by Red Falcon. He wanted to tear Red Falcon to pieces. He... he died.

Red Falcon didn’t give him a chance to fight back. He couldn’t sever the man’s neck with one hand, so he used all his strength, stood up again, and forcefully twisted to expand the wound.

The heavy heartbeat sounded, and a feeling of unease was released from the man—the Secret Blood.

”Die obediently for me!”

Red Falcon cursed again, cursing as he suddenly released the Folding Blade. The man’s short blade lost support and crashed down.

In the moment of exhaustion, he moved like an agile snake, gripping the Folding Blade embedded in the man’s body. With a roll, he maneuvered atop the man, stabbing the broken Folding Blade into his heart from behind.

He gripped the handles of the Folding Blades with both hands, twisting them forcefully.

The man screamed, but the more he howled, the more blood gushed from the wounds. He bucked like a wild beast, trying to throw Red Falcon off, but Red Falcon seemed numb to the pain, clinging to him tightly, expanding the wound.

Finally, the man fell helplessly.

He was dead, completely dead.

The Secret Blood was indeed powerful, but having been around Lorenzo for so long, Red Falcon also learned how to sever heads and pierce hearts by observation.

In terms of strength, Red Falcon couldn’t beat the man, but he had far richer combat experience. From the day he joined the Purification Mechanism, he had hovered on the brink of life and death countless times. Although everyone joked about his luck, everyone knew coming back from a hellish scenario wasn’t about luck.

It was heart, a fearless heart, one that dared to try winning a bet even when facing the Death God.

This time, Red Falcon won, just like before, he won again.

Nobody knew how long it took for Red Falcon to rise slowly, arranging his clothes. Despite being bloody, he looked somewhat more put-together.

He pulled the Secret Blood out of his pocket, glanced at it, and then put it back.

Secret Blood?

This thing was unnecessary for now, Red Falcon didn’t need it to save himself... at least, not for the time being.

He sauntered out of the room as if nothing had happened. Gradually, more guests appeared. Everyone glanced sideways, but Red Falcon didn’t mind. He seemed to be thinking of something, pondering and then smiling.

He casually stopped a passing waiter, snatched a bottle of wine, bit off the cap while walking, took a swig, and poured the rest over his wounds to cleanse the blood.

He looked extremely dashing, standing in front of the door. After killing someone, Red Falcon felt all his anger dissipated, leaving him in an incredibly good mood.

He pushed open the door, and under the astonished gazes of Lorenzo and the others, he began to recount his ordeal nonchalantly.

”Guess what I just went through?”

His clothes still dripped a mix of fresh blood and alcohol, creating a peculiar scent on the floor.

”Did you slaughter a cow at a slaughterhouse?”

Erin looked at his disheveled state and responded.

”You guessed it right!”

Red Falcon snapped his fingers and collapsed face-first into the disgusting mixture under the group’s watchful eyes.