Gun of Ashes

”This is... a Demon Hunter.”

After a brief shock, the Priest slowly uttered the identity of the corpse, then turned his gaze to the surroundings of the circular hall, looking at the coffins one by one.

This was a cemetery, a cemetery for the Demon Hunters.

”On the Night of the Holy Arrival, the Medanzo Demon Hunters forced the demons into the Static Holy Temple, and other branches of Demon Hunters who arrived later joined the battle. They completely sealed the Static Holy Temple, cutting off all escape routes except for the Gate of the Celestial Kingdom.”

The Pope spoke of that little-known deadly battle.

”The battle lasted for months, yes, months.

The previous Pope ordered the Static Holy Temple to remain silent. He didn’t employ the ultimate battle, causing all the Demon Hunters to be bound by the Silver Binding Bolt. To kill those demons, the Demon Hunters became fully demonized. The scorching Holy Silver destroyed their bodies, yet the erosion released by the Holy Grail continuously saved them.

The Demon Hunters fought with their remaining consciousness until the slaughter became a cyclic death. The residual erosion and the demons’ powerful vitality constantly revived the bodies of both sides, leading to a cycle of fighting, dying, and awakening again.”

The entire world trembled slightly with the Pope’s recounting. Merely listening, the Priest could envision it all. The deceased would never find peace, constantly awakening, fighting, and then dying again.

”In the end, it turned into a civil war among the Demon Hunters. After killing the demons, they began to kill their comrades. Having thoroughly demonized, during those days, even at such a depth, one could hear the sounds of battle from Hell within the Saint Nalos Cathedral.”

Looking at the unrecognizably twisted corpse, the Pope slowly closed the coffin.

”When we arrived at the depths of the Static Holy Temple again, half a year had passed. We found Yanar here, completely demonized. His entire body had warped and grown, nearly occupying half of the circular hall. Yet, he did not attack. Despite such erosion, he remained lucid and even explained in detail the entire battle to those who entered. From him, the defection of the Shangdafeng Demon Hunters was confirmed.”

The Priest suddenly felt a bit daunted, feeling incapable of bearing the position of Dean. Here, one legend after another lay buried.

”He said he wanted to meet me, to meet this new Pope. That twisted body gave me a big hug... but we all knew the conclusion. During the hug, I drove the sword forged of Holy Silver into his heart. He did not resist; he just died so simply.”

He must have awaited this for a long time—that calm death, dying peacefully with the Demon Hunters who fought alongside him. It’s unimaginable what kind of steadfast will that was, choosing to die as a human to the very end.

”Dean Lawrence took away the ’Revelation’. I haven’t seen that book, but from the documents, it records everything about the demons. It has a strong corrosive power. Merely reading it would lead to madness, which is why the Church has never made copies... or rather, it’s simply impossible to make copies. Only a few Alchemists know the content, but they were near the Well of Ascension at that time.”

”We have the equipment to produce Secret Blood and a complete logistics system, but we’ve lost the crucial technology. We can’t refine Secret Blood. It’s a major technological gap at a critical moment.”

”What about the Secret Blood of the new Order? Industrialized weaponry like Ingwig?”

The Priest asked. Without the support of Secret Blood, it seemed they had no other choice.

But the Pope just smiled, with a hint of cruelty in that laughter.

”No, we still have Secret Blood. Isn’t it right here? But it diminishes with use, yet it’s enough to arm a new Order.”

He gently stroked the coffins one by one, for even so many years later, the embers of those who burned still held value, continuing to burn.

Like grave robbers unearthing a tomb, restlessly dormant Secret Blood lingers within those long-dead bodies.

”This is also why we hunt down the Demon Hunters who escaped from the Seven Hills. Their bodies carry Secret Blood, fresh Secret Blood.”

”A new Order will be reborn from these burning embers.”

A woman’s faint chant slowly began, so abrupt.

The Priest looked at the graveyard. Was it an illusion or reality? The coffins slightly trembled, and then blood-covered limbs emerged, lifting the heavy coffins, like the deceased prying open the earth, returning once again from Hell, but continuing in the form of Secret Blood.

”There are still many enigmas regarding the Night of the Holy Arrival. What I know is only a part of it, so the first task after forming the new Order is to continue the hunt for the surviving Demon Hunters.”

The Pope said slowly.

”Those survivors are cowards, sinners. The Secret Blood they carry is our last supply. Furthermore, Dean Lawrence is also a Demon Hunter. He is also on the hunting list. If anyone truly knows the truth of the Night of the Holy Arrival, it’s Dean Lawrence. Conveniently, a few days ago, the Heart Core Network of the Static Holy Temple observed him again, and the location was Ingwig.”

”Of course, there is also the Pseudo Holy Grail and the Holy Grail, things that could overturn human history and must be found and reclaimed quickly.”

Recalling the scene then, within the circular hall, the demonized body grew like a withered tree, branches of flesh spreading across most of the circular hall, with Nayal seemingly embedded in this flesh-filled tree.

This was the intelligence given by Yanar, the fellow who persisted to stay alive just to tell me these things.

”Yanar knows who the Demon Hunter implanted with the Pseudo Holy Grail is, and during body disposal, we didn’t find his corpse... He’s still alive.”

”The primary goal is to find him, right?”

The Priest asked cautiously.

The Pope nodded.

”This is our mistake. We need to correct it, at any cost.”

As they closed the door again, the dim space was now illuminated with more light, seemingly the grey-robed monks had lit the lamps, and more functionalities were gradually restoring. It seemed it wouldn’t be long before the Static Holy Temple operated again.

”Do you think this palace is alive?”

Suddenly the Pope asked, looking up at the profound dome, the darkness slightly distorted, not like stone but with a texture of flesh.

”Alive?”

The Priest didn’t understand the Pope’s meaning, and seeing his confusion, the Pope did not continue, instead he sighed.

”I am very grateful for the Night of the Holy Arrival, during that night, the upper echelons of the Church were reshuffled. Most of those in power turned into demons, and subsequently, I was supported... They wanted to treat me as a puppet, but Fr. Anthony, this is a new era.”

He looked at the Priest, light flickering in the darkness.

”The old generation all died out, the new fertile ground is left for us... I am an unruly lamb, yearning for a larger pasture, a pasture of my own. Why would I submit to being beheaded by them?”

The voice struck like a hammer, every word, every sentence bringing a harsh iron-blooded impact, hitting the eardrums with fierce intensity.

”At the time, I was thinking, I want to become the Pope, the supreme Pope, the Emperor of Emperors.

Without War Faction, without Faith Faction, no conflicts and no entanglements, everyone obeying only one will, an absolute will.”

Sainy Loter gazed at Fr. Anthony, an undisputable command was thus issued.

”Demons must be eradicated.”

Under the steel mask, the darkness within his eye sockets ignited with spots of brilliant white flames, like an illusory sun rising, illuminating this deep, despairing hell.