Gun of Ashes

”Then it’s better if you walk over by yourself.”

Dean Lawrence extended his other hand as if to embrace him, but then looked at Lorenzo with a smile.

”I can see it.”

That smile was so odious, like a nightmare. Lorenzo understood very well what he meant. In the future seen through Dean Lawrence’s clairvoyance, Lorenzo would attack in a different way right at the moment of the hostage exchange.

He was warning Lorenzo.

”No... that’s not right, you should...”

Eve watched as Arthur walked over, but Arthur continued to gaze steadily at Dean Lawrence, his steps firm and steady.

She began to regret; if she had listened to him, would she now be on some small island, free from battle and bloodshed? Arthur would not have to be exchanged because of her, but there was no chance to change things now.

”Don’t come over!”

Eve shouted, then raised her hand to try and strike Dean Lawrence, but the Broken Sword pressed in again, and she had to endure.

Arthur never looked at her, as if fearing the breaking of a dam of reason. He stopped, then raised his hands, turning his back to Dean Lawrence. The Broken Sword moved away, then pointed at Arthur.

”I told you I saw it! Child!”

Dean Lawrence suddenly shouted loudly, the situation reversed in an instant as the hostage exchange occurred.

He looked mockingly at the approaching cavalry; Lorenzo was still too slow.

No matter the outcome, Lorenzo would never let Dean Lawrence leave. This mysteriously vanished Dean might be one of the masterminds behind the Night of the Holy Arrival. This was the closest he had ever been to that night.

But as Dean Lawrence said, Lorenzo was still too slow.

Without warning, the shattered Broken Sword pierced through Arthur’s chest from behind. Arthur looked in disbelief at the Nail Sword protruding from his flesh, then it was withdrawn, and the man fell powerlessly.

From the beginning, Dean Lawrence never planned to exchange hostages. With Arthur’s will, nothing could be extracted. It was better to kill him, thereby weakening the Purification Mechanism.

Eve opened her mouth, but couldn’t say anything, only making meaningless whimpers. She could only witness Arthur’s fall, and then it was as if something began to burn.

She had no thought of escaping, only a kind of desperate rage. Nothing to fear anymore, so nothing to lose. As she tried to rush forward, the silent figure beside her moved. Selyu lunged at Eve, and this silent, ice-like girl grabbed Eve’s hand, dragging her desperately towards the soldiers as if she were hauling cargo.

As a bystander, it was clear that the current situation required doing everything possible to minimize casualties. Eve struggled, but the injured girl was steadfast like iron, saying nothing as she staggered, dragging Eve.

But at that moment, the brilliant white blaze ignited again, and Dean Lawrence smiled as he looked at Selyu.

”Run!”

Lorenzo roared, trying to reverse the predetermined conclusion, but he knew clearly, he could do nothing. He was too slow, so slow that in the gap before he arrived, whether it was killing the two or taking Eve away, it was enough for Dean Lawrence.

Countless thunderclaps sounded, and an uncountable number of Aluminothermic Bombs sped towards Dean Lawrence, a lethal fireline weaving into a web of death, but it couldn’t change the destined outcome.

He was elderly, grasping the blood-stained Broken Sword, but the momentum of the Steel Breaker was unparalleled.

It was futile; at this moment, nothing mattered. This was an enemy who could foresee the future; all conclusions were already laid before him. Resistance only meant walking from one dead end to another.

Like the owner of the pasture, all were lambs behind the fence, only waiting for his knife to fall.

The burning trajectory slid past in front of Eve. As anticipated, the track couldn’t hit Dean Lawrence, but it succeeded in halting his advance, if only for a few seconds.

Yet in those few seconds, amidst the endless gunfire, heavy and urgent footsteps sounded, as if carrying the storm and thunder, roaring forth.

A person Eve would never have expected appeared at the edge of her vision, charging like a tiger.

You… you’re alive?

To be honest, having been with him for so many years, Eve for the first time felt that Arthur was so familiar yet strange. He had clearly been pierced by the Broken Sword, yet now he was bounding forth like a tiger.

Oh, that face was truly unfamiliar.

He had always been a smiling father, although somewhat overprotective towards her, he had never shown anger before her, as if trying to maintain the image of a good father.

But now, his face was distorted like an Evil Ghost, stained with blood.

Rather than the father in her memory, he resembled a ravenous Evil Ghost more.

Don’t come over! Since you’re not dead, just play dead on the ground! This time you really will die! This is the Demon Hunter, terrifying and powerful, neither Lorenzo nor that chorus of Aluminothermic Rifles could halt his progress, so what good will you do coming here?

Nothing left to think about; the fiercely descending Broken Sword swirled with glaring white, cutting down all in its path.

Vision was shrouded by endless brilliance, but that light couldn’t fall.

The Broken Sword cut into his arm, yet it couldn’t go further. The man seemed to shoulder the setting sun, having caught up.

”I told you that you should have listened to me. If you had, you’d be on some island, basking in the sun, sipping drinks, eating dessert...”