Editing City Series:Volume2 Chapter 6 (section)

===Part 6===

Just as Amon and Klausl encountered Moyla, the Savoy Hotel had become a giant execution site.

Gunman Ralf was the executioner.

He had two targets: the Inspector and Fir.

The Inspector pulled on Fir’s hand and jumped to hide behind a marble column.

“Ow ow ow ow ow!”

“Don’t shout, Fir!”

A loud gunshot rang out just as the Inspector shouted. The marble column broke down the middle as if its contents had been blown out. Fragments washed over the Inspector as he backed away. It was worth mentioning that he kept Fir safely behind his back.

“There’s nowhere to hide. I’m in top form right now.”

Ralf’s voice was cheerful. He had been standing in the center of the lobby and firing his gun without even turning to face them. He may have thought they were not worth pursuing.

The Inspector actually clicked his tongue which was rare for him.

“This isn’t good. I seem to be having a streak of bad luck right now.”

“Oh? And when will that streak end?”

“Good question.” He placed a hand on his chin at the perfect angle. “When you are gone, I suppose.”

A sudden gunshot rang out.

This time, Fir tugged on the Inspector’s collar. The two of them collapsed toward the entrance to escape.

They hid behind a sofa, but the back was blown away and white fluff scattered everywhere.

The fluff floated around like powdered snow, but some of it was scorched from the heat of the bullet’s passage.

The Inspector crawled along the ground and knocked a table on its side as a barricade.

“This guy can’t take a joke. You’ll never have a successful career like that.”

“Well, I think your career’s about at its end too.”

“That’s dark, Fir. Can’t you be more cheerful?”

“I’m trapped in an inescapable barrier with an unreliable boss and a powerful enemy. How am I supposed to be cheerful?”

“What if we add this to the equation?”

The Inspector turned toward Fir and pulled a metal device from his coat pocket.

It was a handgun.

It was a six-shot revolver, but Fir did not recognize the type.

“That does cheer me up. But the Yard doesn’t normally carry guns.”

“I picked it up at home.”

Fir’s expression showed she did not believe him, but he held out the gun.

“Take it.”

“You’re not going to use it?”

“In the end, a dandy gentleman has to use his fists to fight.”

“Idiot.”

Fir took the gun with a frown and Ralf’s gunshot seemed to challenge them.

The last decorative plant was blown away as if it had exploded.

“What are you doing hiding back there? This isn’t any fun if you don’t try to run.”

Fir bared her teeth and prepared to poke her head up, but the Inspector held her down.

“Fir, listen carefully.”

“Ow ow ow ow. C’mon, women only want their lover to touch their hair.”

“The hair salon worker is your lover? ….No, we need to take this seriously.”

“Wh-what is it?”

Hearing her confused voice, he pointed behind her.

“The hallway to the Savoy’s first floor is a few meters behind you. Run in there.”

“He’ll shoot me halfway there!”

“I’ll move at the same time. Once you slide into the hallway, close the fire shutter. The one in here’s electric, so you just have to hit the button and it will close.”

“What about you?”

He smiled at her question.

“I’ll find a way to escape even if it means leaving you here.”

“U-um, y’know…”

“Shut up. This is your chance. Go!”

He shoved her out toward the hallway door.

…''I can’t believe this!

She stood without turning around and ran. She ignored the murderous intent on the back of her neck and Tasked herself to run. Her toenails jabbed into the bottom of her shoes as she kicked off the lobby floor.

The gunman’s intent to kill struck her back and she almost stopped as it grew thicker and thicker. On the third step, she could feel that thick and heavy intent to kill focusing on the very center of her back. But at the same time…

“What are you doing? I’m the bigger prize.”

She heard the Inspector’s voice.

The murderous intent vanished from her back. The pressure disappeared.

She ran and ran and ran as fast as she could.

She saw the hallway entrance right in front of her.

…''I can make it!

She was certain of it. She Overrode her body forward and leaped. She used her feline nimbleness to leap as far as she could.

She reached out her hand in midair and pressed the button for the emergency alarm.

Three things happened all at about the same time: the bright red sound of the alarm rang out, Fir landed, and the fire shutter started to separate the hallway from the lobby.

She slid across the carpet on her back and twisted around. She pressed against the hallway wall and looked back toward the lobby.

“Inspector!”

The man was persevering past Ralf on the other end of the lobby. His eyes turned toward Fir, but he did nothing and said nothing. Ralf had not moved from his spot between them.

The two men glared at each other as the fire shutter continued down. Feeling like her field of vision was shrinking, Fir shouted again.

“Inspector!!”

She received a gunshot in response.

A bullet moving too fast to see blew away the column the Inspector tried to hide behind and cut off his escape.

Next, Ralf turned toward Fir.

“I guess I’ll leave you until later.”

His tone of voice showed clear delight and he aimed his rifle back at the Inspector.

At the same time, the lobby was cut off from her view. The fire shutter had fully closed.

“!”

She stood up.

At that moment, she heard multiple sounds that reverberated in her gut from beyond the shutter meant to defend against flames and smoke.

The gunshots were low and deep.

Fir knew what was happening, so she backed away from the shutter as if she refused to believe the scene occurring beyond it.

“That…can’t be happening.”

She held the revolver tight and backed down the hallway.

She saw the dining hall to the left.

“Does this connect to the kitchen we saw before?”

She stopped moving.

“…”

After a short silence, she charged into the dining hall.

She was not trying to flee. She was trying to find any possible way of winning.