Gun of Ashes

”It’s... the Armor of Original Sin, I can feel the erosion.”

Owes shouted on the bed, that insidious erosion was everywhere.

”Let me out, prepare the Armor of Original Sin for me, I can subdue it.”

”Shut up, you’ll die if you use that damned thing again!”

Merlin turned his head and shouted.

For a moment, the urgent and restless atmosphere seemed to vanish. Owes sat dumbfounded on the bed, looking at Merlin, seemingly in disbelief.

”What... are you saying?”

”I’m saying you can’t use the armor again! Lancelot, you can perfectly control the armor but that doesn’t mean the erosion doesn’t exist!”

Merlin opened the door and rushed out, as if afraid he would come out, he even carefully sealed the door shut again, leaving him staring incredulously at all this, whether it was the looming danger breaking free or something else, nothing could disturb him.

...

Half an hour ago, in the workshop.

”So you want me to test drive this?”

Lorenzo looked up at the container descending from the rails and asked Tesla.

After a series of inspections, the three little white mice were all in healthy condition, and a Second Generation Armor had just been completed its tuning, the first test drive experiment logically began.

The container bore warning yellow signs, its iron-cast surface covered with scratches, as if some beast had struggled to its last inside. As the container opened, the erosion descended, revealing the grim armor inside.

Unlike New Hope, the Second Generation Armor was noticeably smaller, cast using modern top-tier craftsmanship, it’s elaborate armor and fully protected internal mechanical components, intricate and ornate engravings adorned the gleaming armor. Lorenzo gazed at this Second Generation Armor and felt a sense of familiarity.

”This Second Generation Armor’s registration code is Weapon Master, it was showcased during the Ende Town operation.”

Tesla explained to the three of them, it was manufactured by the Borhams Military Factory and urgently dispatched to Old Dunling during the Ende Town operation.

”I think you all should have seen it, during the Ende Town operation, it was driven by Bola, in order to allow Upper-Rank Knights to also drive it perfectly, we drastically reduced the proportion of Demon integration in the Second Generation Armor, leading to a decrease in flexibility, but the impact isn’t much.”

”I remember it should have been... more dangerous than it is now.”

Looking at that armor, the impression felt somewhat different, Lorenzo could only vaguely express.

”You mean its armament, right? Code name Weapon Master, its designation is to suppress Demons using various weapons, there were originally two large weapon racks on its back, along with many external weapons and additional armor, but after all, it’s just an experiment, no need to be fully armed, right?”

Tesla tapped on the sturdy armor, this damned thing was deadly enough even without its operational weapons, let alone being fully armed, if it went out of control, this damned thing could potentially rampage through the entire Perpetual Motion Pump.

Walking around this Armor of Original Sin named Weapon Master, it seemed like it was sculpted from a single piece of steel, with no seams available for anyone to attack.

”Then, where am I supposed to get in?”

Lorenzo walked a circle around it, unable to figure out where he was supposed to enter.

”Here.”

Tesla said, pulling a valve, the cables connected to the armor energized, the steam engine subtlety growled, and then the whole armor came to life.

The Armor of Original Sin has two activation methods, one is for the pilot himself to be situated within the central framework, then the growing flesh would connect him with the mounted armor; the second is like what Lorenzo is doing now, completing the assembly, preheating, and then entering from the opening.

The entire armor eerily moved, kneeling on one knee, head bowed, it seemed like a rugged little mountain.

Lorenzo initially thought it would open in the chest like New Hope, but it actually opened at the connection point between its nape and back, as steam dissipated, the dim entrance swung open to Lorenzo.

”Is there anything you require me to do once inside?”

Lorenzo climbed up the ladder, standing atop the back of this armor, gazing into the dimness inside, he suddenly felt uneasy.

”Nothing at all, but since this is your first time connecting with the armor, I really don’t know what might happen, especially considering you’re a Demon Hunter.”

Tesla also felt a bit apprehensive, the Demon Hunter and Armor of Original Sin, two extremely dangerous things put together, no one could be sure what would actually happen.

Neither the Evangelical Church nor the Purification Mechanism had ever truly understood what Demons were, because of that weird erosion, the Scholars of the Perpetual Motion Pump had constantly been troubled by it, research couldn’t delve deeper, while the Evangelical Church could only attribute it to God’s name to explain all the inauspiciousness.

”I have only one thing to say to you, Mr. Holmes, maintain your sanity, at all times, please keep absolute sanity.”

He said as he began to retreat, taking the remaining two little white mice onto the lift, as it started to ascend to a safe area with the gears turning.

The entire workshop began to operate again, the gate leading outside tightly sealed and electrified, Geiger Counters on the well walls sprung one by one, the ancient forbidden ritual was about to begin.

Lorenzo looked up at the blazing sun of the dome, then immersed himself into that darkness.

He could clearly hear the sound of steel re-engaging around him, a warm sensation spread over his body, the touch was exceptionally soft like flesh filling the gaps between him and the steel, finally, starting from his nape, fine probes penetrated into his body, connecting with the Demon’s flesh and blood.

Immediately, a new heartbeat sounded, it was more powerful than Lorenzo’s own heart, clearer and more formidable than a war drum, it pounded Lorenzo’s chest heavily, bestowing power to this Steel Body.

”Mr. Holmes, how do you feel?”

Tesla’s voice rang in his ear, looking down from that high platform, Lorenzo, after activating the armor, remained kneeling on one knee on that iron altar.

”Could you kindly try moving, Mr. Holmes? If you just stay motionless, we won’t get any experimental data.”

”Mr. Holmes?”

Tesla’s voice reverberated within the narrow confines of the armor, but no one responded to his call.

”Mr. Holmes, if you are still conscious, please respond to me immediately.”

This time Tesla’s voice turned serious, from on high, staring at the armor like a sculpture, he knew the most dangerous thing was indeed happening.

Suddenly, the armor slowly stood up, but contrary to expectations, dark red flesh erupted under the plate armor, the overly growing muscle twisted and distorted the entirety of the armor into a monstrous Demon.

The steel and machinery mingled within it until the flesh even completely covered the Face Armor, finally it opened, revealing a crimson maw.

The Geiger Counter emitted a mournful wail, the indicator lights of the entire workshop turned to red, Tesla stood from a vantage point gazing down the well bottom, the Armor of Original Sin didn’t make any extra moves, it just stood there occasionally accompanied by the twitching of the flesh.

Pressure, endless pressure emanated from that armor, though it was stationary like a sculpture, that madness-inducing erosion was ceaselessly emanating from it.

The index had already reached its limit, a rain composed of Neutralizing Liquid fell from the dome above, washed over the well walls, and finally landed on that armor.

”He... he’s gone berserk! Quick, think of something!”

Red Falcon couldn’t stop shouting, it was clear that in a normal case, the flesh of the Armor of Original Sin wouldn’t grow so vigorously, it twisted and extended as if it had completely devoured Lorenzo within the armor.

”No, it hasn’t lost control yet.”

Tesla gritted his teeth and said slowly.

In his eyes was the reflection of that body bathed in Neutralizing Liquid, it just stood there without any abnormal reactions, watching the blazing light of the dome.

”Maintain your sanity, Mr. Holmes.”

Tesla prayed lastly, while inside the armor, Lorenzo had already closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was sitting on a bench surrounded by whistling cold winds, staring at an endless expanse of gray and white, as if it was the ice field at the World’s End.