Gun of Ashes

[Connection interrupted.]

[Reconnecting...]

[Connection failed.]

Shattered thunder and blood splattered before his eyes, Lorenzo stood like a statue on the ground. In those few brief seconds, he succeeded in reconnecting with the Static Holy Temple, only to lose contact again.

A multitude of thoughts surged through Lorenzo’s mind in an instant, but he managed to calm himself, gripping the sword and gun in his hands tightly, his face twisted in a grim expression.

It was an agile armor, like a Swift flying at low altitude before a storm. It was a generation of the Armor of Original Sin used by Lancelot, completely covered by demons, making him even stronger, yet requiring him to withstand even more intense erosion. However, this Knight Commander performed perfectly, with even his heart rate remaining stable from the beginning of the battle until now.

Swift hooks lashed out like whips against the giant demon, slicing through it like a flash of lightning, leaving large wounds in its flesh along the way.

He wielded the Armor of Original Sin with great dexterity, as if this weapon were a part of his body, maintaining balance on his constantly moving form, running wildly while dragging the sword blade, leaving wounds as he passed.

The giant demon let out a heavy groan, then, with eerie speed, the gigantic creature charged forward, like a mountain collapsing. But just as it was about to hit Lancelot, blistering white flames swept through, and the dark knight leaped up, embedding the sharp sword like a climber’s pick into the creature.

The distance that exceeds what ordinary people can achieve was easily reached. The raging flames burned on the dark armor, and the blade imbued with Holy Silver brought unbearable agony, making it wail in pain.

”Destroy the heart and brain, only then will it stop!”

Lorenzo’s voice crackled over the radio. Lancelot rode the cable, maneuvering around the demon without replying to Lorenzo. It was as if he were not one for words, but even amidst these maneuvers, he continued to fire, the musket in his hand bursting with rounds of light, illuminating the monstrous body.

”Bola! Fire at my mark!”

Lorenzo hated this kind of cold person; it was hard to tell if he understood you.

”Mark? What mark?!”

”You’ll know it!”

Lorenzo, swift as a clever fox, used his sword like a mountaineer’s pick and sprinted across the flesh. The only difficulty with this gigantic demon was that your blade couldn’t pierce its heart; Lorenzo needed a sharper sword, sharp enough to penetrate several meters of flesh.

Aboard the Radiant, gun barrels adjusted directions one by one. Soldiers exerted themselves pushing the gun mounts, surrounded by the din of battle. Some of the weaker-minded soldiers simply fainted.

The ongoing erosion had already put tremendous pressure on this group of soldiers. Getting this far was already quite commendable, as countless aerial cavalry descended from the sky to help the Radiant hold the line.

The battle was now mainly focused on this giant demon. Once it was dealt with, with the firepower of the Sailing Dawn, it could sweep the entire land.

”Fire! Bola!”

Lorenzo’s shout came from the radio, followed by a blinding white flame illuminating the blackest night.

That was Lorenzo’s mark, and then a barrage of cannon fire erupted.

Countless torrents of steel shot through the air. Lorenzo circled around the demon; he intended to use the massive body as a shield. The silent Lancelot understood his intent, swinging on a cable into the shadows, then brutally stabbed his sword into the demon’s body, securing himself.

In just a few short seconds, the shockwave from the explosion hit at close range.

Fragments of steel and flying flesh, the gigantic figure teetered but ultimately steadied itself, standing firmly on the ground.

The massive body curved grotesquely, slowly lifting, blood gushing out, nearly baptizing the two in red in an instant.

Lorenzo didn’t give the demon more time, quickly advancing upwards, reaching the top of the demon in seconds, the grotesque ruined head now close at hand.

It was a wound several meters wide, raw flesh turning out over the surface, carrying the heat of gunpowder and countless shattered metal pieces.

Tortured white bone lay beneath like armor, mostly shattered, but still protecting the vital organs beneath.

”We’ve been held up.”

Lorenzo stared at the massive wound, speaking as if in afterthought.

This demon had extremely strong vitality; even artillery couldn’t deliver a fatal blow. As long as it lived, it would hold the two there, but abandoning it, even with the Radiant’s defenses, killing it wasn’t easy either.

Yet as he pondered, Lancelot leapt from Lorenzo’s side, with a hook tightly linking him to the demon.

At this moment, the silent knight swung down his sword, driving it deeply into the skeleton.

”Head.”

This man was indeed sparing with words.

Lorenzo instantly understood his meaning, and under the watch of a hundred eyes, drove the sharp blade directly into the head.

But in the next second, the flesh began to wriggle bizarrely, then hardened, exploding into countless spikes.

They were bursting thorns. The dark armor was hit by the protruding spikes, leaving dazzling sparks on its surface, pushing Lorenzo clear off the surface.

The same happened below to Lancelot, with crimson flesh like living serpents that ignored his strikes, as the demon’s powerful wail threw both Lorenzo and Lancelot off, charging toward the lighthouse with giant strides.

The entire land trembled as the ferocious demon rushed forward with a massive figure, endless ammunition impacting its body without stopping it a bit.

This was its offensive method, its enormous body the perfect weapon.

”Damn it!”

Lorenzo cursed, sprinting forward but unable to catch up with the demon. Its strides were too large, leaving vast footprints in the ground. Just then, a heavy thunder crackled from the heavens.

On the Sailing Dawn, machinery turned, engines powered up. After releasing scorching steam, a sturdy bullet head departed the several-meters-long track, leaving a bright trail in the night sky before striking the demon.

The most dazzling flames exploded before their eyes, roaring flames surging and burning.

The relentlessly approaching steps finally paused slightly at this moment, as if a giant sword had cut down, a scarlet wound appeared on the demon’s front, with bones and muscle tissue clearly visible. It wailed in grief, as Lancelot caught up at this moment.

The sharp hook hit its shoulder, rapidly winding the cable, and then a dark hook dropped from the night sky, hitting Lorenzo on the last inch of its stretched length.

Lorenzo hesitated slightly before being suddenly lifted, as Lancelot gripped the cable tightly, then forcefully swung it up.

Blazing white flames burst from the black armor as Lorenzo fell like a meteor, crashing down powerfully.

The Holy Silver Nail Sword followed the wound left by the second cannon shot, piercing down viciously, penetrating the shattered bones and flesh until the blade and Lorenzo’s hand, gripping the sword, sank into the flesh. He stopped slowly, followed by infinite white flames bursting from the wound.

A mournful wail once again, the demon released its final power, countless spikes and flesh breaking apart, the hook that nailed it fell loose, and Lancelot tumbled down halfway.

The dark armor once again protected Lorenzo from the attacks, though he was still hurled high by the riotous flesh.

The scorching fires burned in the darkness until they were extinguished, yet it did not truly die; the warm embers still awaited an opportunity to reignite for a so-called oath.

On Winchester, the last light track erupted, surging white flames like dragon breath swept out from Gura’s gun, hitting the demon’s head, and the blazing white flames scorched everything to ashes.

Lorenzo landed steadily on the ground, steel torrents slicing through the night sky, hundreds of kilograms of ammunition poured into the burning figure. It swayed, and finally, on the charred skeletal structure, gray-white snow wilted in the wind.