Gun of Ashes

Chapter 49: Chapter 36 Reason

In my eyes was that pure white fire, warm yet scalding pain.

Suddenly, I remembered the stories from distant memories, accompanied by thunder and torrential rain.

I recalled those Vikings never intended to bring me to Ingwig; they were merely after their own money. At that time, I was entangled in a fight with them on the ship for a long time, but in the end, I was thrown overboard. I thought I would die just like that, but when I woke up on the shore, Ingwig’s land was beneath my feet.

That was truly a moment of dreams coming true; when I awoke on the beach, the sun before me was just as warm yet scalding.

...

Firelight illuminated the dark space; Lorenzo wielded the Staff Sword, the blade had already penetrated halfway, and would pierce Sabo’s heart with a full thrust. Yet, at that final moment, Sabo raised his blade, four arms from different angles caught the Staff Sword. He could only ignite Sabo’s chest, unable to burn his innards completely.

”Mr. Holmes, so you devoured the Secret Blood to kill someone like me?”

In his eyes was the reflection of Lorenzo’s grim face, the dark tattoos were like entwining snakes crawling on his skin, his gray-blue eyes glowed.

”So do you not mind transforming into something just like a demon to fight against demons?”

Sabo showed an ugly smile, then forcefully threw Lorenzo aside with all four arms. The hooks at the ends of his limbs swiftly moved against the cliff, then submerged into the darkness. Lorenzo landed on a wooden post, clutching a sword and a gun.

”So then Mr. Holmes, will you one day kill yourself?”

The voice echoed with a sarcastic tone from the surrounding darkness, due to the hollow of the cliff, Lorenzo couldn’t discern the exact direction.

”This Secret Blood was given to me by a doctor, he said it was technology from the Order.”

The image of the Plague Doctor gradually appeared in his mind, resembling that mysterious mentor, bizarre and frightening.

”The Order was the earliest group to fight against demons. They upheld noble virtues and hunted the monsters in the darkness by God’s name. Even in death, they would insert weapons forged from Holy Silver into the monsters’ hearts. Such holy believers, I must shed tears...”

A sharp Bone Blade emerged from a corner of the darkness, Lorenzo instantly swung the Staff Sword, effortlessly slashing it apart, his gaze scanning back and forth in the dark with extreme vigilance.

”So then? Sabo, the Secret Blood has long ceased to exist; who exactly is that doctor!”

Lorenzo questioned harshly, clearly knowing much more than Sabo, his tone rarely showed anger.

People are greedy; fishermen hunted whales, extracted combustible whale oil, and the Order also refined things that shouldn’t exist from the bodies of demons. That was the source of all evil; those fighting monsters ultimately became monsters.

”This is the Order’s mistake, a power beyond your grasp!”

”So you can grasp it, can you?”

As Sabo’s piercing roar echoed, a mottled Thrusting Sword descended from the darkness above Lorenzo’s head. Lorenzo kicked hard, immediately the Thrusting Sword sliced the wooden post beneath his feet in two, splattering endless water droplets, then was pierced by a bullet ignited by gunpowder striking Sabo through the water curtain.

That was a dazzling white blaze, not only serving as an attack in the darkness, but also enabling Lorenzo to see Sabo’s position.

The distorted demon, with flames trailing, tore open the water curtain, drawing closer with a completely altered body, stepping on wooden posts, swinging Thrusting Sword and Bone Blade, iron clashing against iron, in the darkness like meteors streaking, emitting a fleeting brilliance.

”You have no idea what you’re doing; it is Pandora’s box, containing only calamity!”

Amidst the swings, the shotgun fired again, as Lorenzo took advantage of the scattering bullets to momentarily halt mid-air, then fiercely slashed down the blade, the fleeting glow hitting Sabo’s abdomen, slicing through flesh and bone, tearing open a massive wound.

”But in that endless calamity, isn’t there still a glimmer of hope?”

Sabo’s voice was muddled, the blade slashed Lorenzo’s chest from top to bottom, blood splattering, exchanging injury for injury in a ferocious slash, laden with trembling murderous intent.

The shotgun fired incessantly, widening the distance between them while restraining Sabo, until achieving a safe distance.

”Mr. Holmes, I thought you would understand me.”

A hand covered with mucus and scars gently brushed past the large wound on the abdomen, where there were no innards, only a mass of wriggling flesh, constantly healing... or rather, growing wildly, proliferating without restraint.

Sabo gazed sadly at Lorenzo not far away, twisted voice resonated from his throat.

”Mr. Holmes, since birth, I’ve had nothing, a pure fugitive, loved by no one, with no illusory God watching over me, no past, no future, only what I can have now.”

Those words became blurry, his eyeball squeezed by flesh finally buried under distortion, then scarlet blood flowed from that gap, resembling tears of sorrow.

”So, for a fugitive who has nothing, does it really matter what’s inside the box?”

The demon questioned the Demon Hunter, one in darkness, the other blazing with bright light.

After a brief silence, the voice sounded.

”It doesn’t matter at all, Mr. Holmes.”

It seemed to be laughing, an unsettling sound of cracking echoed, new Bone Blade drawn from the chest, coated with mucus and blood.

”Endless calamity and a flicker of hope, it’s like a traveler about to freeze to death, yet before him appears a sea of fire, so... if there’s even a hint of warmth, what’s wrong with dying in that warm sea of fire?”

Words echoed like a curse by the ear, even the fearless heart would feel some discomfort and confusion, asking Lorenzo, yet seemingly asking itself, then that grim face exhibited a ugly smile.

”After all, none of it matters, does it?”

It laughed with self-deprecation.

Lorenzo looked deeply at Sabo on the other end, his cold face revealing a slight smile.

”Yes, for desperados, none of it matters anymore.”

The answer is not important; what matters is that only those who survive can judge right and wrong. There’s no need to say anything more; the sword light and thunder arrive together.

Four sharp blades come face to face, the Staff Sword desperately blocking and seeking an opportunity to counterattack, Lorenzo’s blood splattering, igniting a raging flame as it falls on Sabo.

The two fought under the cover of white flames, like moths leaping into the fire.

The Bone Blade hacked down forcefully, but was blocked by Lorenzo, who grasped it firmly and pulled hard. Then the Staff Sword slashed down, breaking the bone like steel, but at this moment another Bone Blade dropped, leaving wounds on Lorenzo’s body.

Yet Lorenzo seemed indifferent, the dark tattoos becoming fiery, an eerie transformation occurring within him. Sabo suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Lorenzo hard in the chest, sending him crashing backwards, only to be pinned on the rock wall by a swift Bone Blade like a long nail piercing his shoulder.

In an instant, Sabo came killing again, two Bone Blades crossed together like a falling guillotine blade.

A roaring screech echoed in the dark space, Sabo’s face became completely unrecognizable as he approached Lorenzo, the Staff Sword shattering under the blow, the remaining two Bone Blades pinning Lorenzo firmly to the rock wall.

”So we’re similar after all, Mr. Holmes.”

The final Thrusting Sword fell slowly like an execution, piercing Lorenzo’s chest before cutting downwards, creating a staggering wound. But beneath it were the silver bones, soaked in blood, with Holy Words inscribed on the surface, the blood pulsing, healing even as it was wounded.

”You’re a desperado too, aren’t you? If you weren’t, why would you consume Secret Blood?”

It was the so-called Secret Blood protecting Lorenzo, his disgust was becoming him, Sabo laughed triumphantly, after all Lorenzo was just like him, he laughed heartily.

”There will always be a reason.”

Lorenzo remained cold as ever, seemingly indifferent to anything.

Sabo hesitated briefly, but as if to prove something, the sharp Thrusting Sword fell.

In the pupils, the Thrusting Sword constantly enlarged, aiming for Lorenzo’s heart. Whether demon or human, or any other life, in the not-so-powerful body both have a fatal weakness, one is the heart and the other is the brain.

He forcefully raised the shotgun, but the Bone Blade jammed his joint, despairing, Lorenzo pulled the trigger but couldn’t stop the demon’s power.

The Thrusting Sword fell, piercing his chest, his heart.

A brief pain and everything was over, the vision blurred, Sabo leaned in close with a raspy voice in his ear.

”Then what’s your reason for consuming Secret Blood?”

Ancient memories engulfed Lorenzo like tides.

Although he spoke differently before, at the moment of near death he considered his reason. Sabo’s reason was to survive, simply to survive, he longed for life, it was the only thing he possessed and most valuable, so what about himself?

The demon’s wickedness invaded his nerves, like thousands crying in his ears, ephemeral pain on the flesh, countless maggots gnawed at his flesh, turning him into bare bones.

His will was collapsing, but amidst it Lorenzo suddenly remembered.

He had been in Old Dunling for six years now, not long and not short, enough to build a new life, enough to forget the old life.

He remembered.

[Secret Blood Awakening 9.7%, exiting stable value range, Silver Binding Bolt beginning to melt.]

His gaze filled with frost, seemingly angry, breaking through barriers.

The chaotic cries vanished, all maggots burned to ashes by the fierce flames.

Muscles tugged at bones, tearing down alive from the Bone Blade in a creepy manner, with blood and fire, Lorenzo grasped the Thrusting Sword firmly.

”It’s also for living.”

Lorenzo said fiercely to Sabo, then fully broke free from the Bone Blade’s confinement, his body torn but recovering, the demon’s power unleashed from the blood, with distortion and hatred, he transformed into the same thing as Sabo.

”But only to live for others, Sabo.”

The blazing light in those grey-blue eyes grew even brighter, dark tattoos covered his whole body like Iron Armor, dense armor rose from beneath the skin, layers stacking together, with a slight brushing emitting the harsh screech of metal friction.

Like wings.

[Secret Blood Awakening 9.9%, exiting stable value range, Silver Binding Bolt beginning to melt.]

[Beginning to connect with Static Holy Temple.]

[Connection failed.]

Surrounded by countless believers, whispers seemingly near prayer echoed around.

Sabo had never believed in any God, even when joining the Evangelical Church it was only for free holy communion on Sunday, but in this depth, in the Abyss untouched by light, he saw divine intervention.

The so-called steel began to recast, on the shattered Staff Sword metal began to proliferate, burning like the Fire Sword guarding the Celestial Kingdom in the Gospel.

The Celestial Fire Sword descends upon the world, purifying all evil.