All this run around has only managed to piss him off. The black shooter on the rooftop is a pain in the ass, being not just an impressive marksman, but also a man of wit. Dongmae turns from the shattered phone, shouting in anger. If the train must leave without him, he may as well just target the shooters of the Righteous Army who are present. Even if he can’t get his hands on the runaway Geisha, he can extract other kinds of information about their organization from them. He runs outside in an instant, racing after the running figure in billowing black.
The man is agile, jumping from rooftops and ducking under obstacles without losing momentum. One of his men shoots at the gunman, only to be struck down in return. Dongmae ducks, snatching up the gun, and keeps running. He’s not exactly good with guns, but he can shoot down a target as large as a man if he aims for the chest. Gauging from the black gunman’s speed, this person is only just hitting their stride. The Righteous Army gunners could run for days, if necessary. Dongmae’s men aren’t runners; they’ll never keep up with the black gunman. If something must be done to capture the black gunner, they’ll have to incapacitate him.
As he runs, chasing him across dizzying twists and turns, Dongmae assessed his surroundings. If he must shoot in this mess of panic, he’ll need higher ground. Spotting a tier of stacked crates and haystacks, Dongmae vaults on up to a neighboring roof. He lands, pulling the rifle up to his chest.
Dongmae’s landing is perfect, he has a direct shot. The world slows as he inhales, the muzzle of the rifle following the black gunman as he runs across a rooftop a building away. Something about this person unsettles him; his grip on the rifle loosens. The gunman raises his head and their eyes meet.
Gu Dongmae feels his blood freeze as recognition filters through. He knows this person, this black gunner; this Righteous Army member. Her eyes have always pierced through him, and he forgets to breathe even as he follows her movements with the rifle.
He doesn’t know what Go Aeshin thinks she is doing, shooting for the Righteous Army. He cannot think, but he must act. Her eyes pass over him, dismissing him, as they always have.
If anyone will catch this black bird, it must be him. No one else can touch her. Resolved, he grips the gun tighter and shifts his focus. Just as she jumps gracefully onto the next roof, he fires. The gunshot echoes funnily in his ears and he flinches when he realizes he hit his target dead on. Aeshin crumbles, rolling down and onto the other side of the rooftop. He rises to his feet and jumps down, running headlong to the street his black bird fell into.
There is nothing but a bloodstain.
