Gun of Ashes

”So, can Dean Lawrence now potentially invade any one of us using that bizarre [Gap]?”

In the heavily armed room, Merlin furrowed his brow, arriving at this conclusion from Lorenzo’s intelligence.

A conclusion that made everyone uneasy.

Lorenzo nodded in response and said.

”Indeed, however, there should be some limitations, like certain conditions that trigger the invasion.”

The invasion of the [Gap] requires erosion to be inflicted on the target to establish a beacon that can guide direction.

”Is that so?”

Merlin clasped his hands together, complex thoughts swirling in his mind as the situation became increasingly dire and difficult.

”Mr. Holmes, this is an extremely dangerous event.”

His hollow eyes spoke of the terror in all of this.

”An invisible and omnipresent enemy, who also has a certain degree of foresight...”

As those words fell, a leaden weight pressed down on everyone’s heart, even the air seemed to solidify, making it hard to breathe.

Like the iron curtain of despair, black and heavy, blocking all light.

This is an almost unbeatable enemy, Merlin saw no hope of victory.

Low spirits surged; the Purification Mechanism had never faced such a tricky enemy, uncertain where to even start... or rather, they had no way to counter it at all.

In the final battle when Dean Lawrence appeared, a terrible erosion erupted from him, so intense that even Lorenzo fainted in an instant, let alone anyone else.

Deploying a large amount of force would merely be sending them to their deaths.

”So, do you have any thoughts?”

Lorenzo looked to the other side of the room as he said this, Arthur was also filled with solemnity.

Here was the factory area of the Mechanical Institute, although said to be a factory, it produced only heavy firepower weapons, and with the vast industrial area outside, after a brief moment of thought, Merlin decided to use this place as a temporary shelter.

Even if Dean Lawrence were to truly arrive with a Demon army, the defensive power here coupled with the open terrain of the industrial area could minimize the damage.

This could be considered a temporary conference room, with only Merlin, Arthur, and Lorenzo present, Selyu still asleep, cared for by Red Falcon and Yawei, because it involved Dean Lawrence and the mysterious [Gap], the other Upper-Rank Knights were also mobilized, and with the Perpetual Motion Pump’s rushed maintenance, several Armor of Original Sin were in place.

No one expected that an ancient and possibly fictional curse would ultimately lead to such widespread trouble, awakening all the power in the shadows.

A great battle was imminent.

”Thoughts?”

Arthur lowered his head, his eyes complex and difficult to decipher.

Compared to Merlin and Lorenzo, in reality, Arthur was the most qualified speaker here, as a descendant of the Phoenix family, the intuition for war was etched into his blood, in such a battle of overall control, he was the most outstanding commander.

He was aware of all the forces the Purification Mechanism could mobilize, Old Dunling was his battleground, and he needed to eliminate Dean Lawrence here.

In the long silence, Arthur slowly raised his head.

”I have a preliminary plan, but... I’m not sure of your thoughts.”

He looked towards Lorenzo, because Lorenzo, with his Demon Hunter powers, would be the main force against Dean Lawrence, Arthur hoped for his consent.

”Yes, your thoughts.”

He said.

”If his target is Miss Selyu Stuart, then... we might as well use her as bait.”

Arthur continued unemotionally.

”Just like you said before, Lorenzo, when fighting against that burning Demon, you... stepped into its [Gap] and killed its consciousness, so it died, along with the external demon’s body collapsing.”

”This is a very significant discovery, besides the heart and brain, the third fatal weakness of the Demon, then if Dean Lawrence descends and occupies Miss Stuart’s brain...”

He took a deep breath, then said.

”Then wouldn’t it be equivalent to us trapping Dean Lawrence, his will existing within her [Gap].”

Dean Lawrence occupied Selyu’s consciousness, looking at it another way, before he leaves, he would also be trapped in Selyu’s consciousness.

Lorenzo seemed to think of something, his cold eyes slightly trembling.

”My plan has two options.”

Arthur raised two fingers, his expression as cold as iron.

”We will securely protect Miss Selyu Stuart, waiting for Dean Lawrence’s invasion, while you... you should also possess the power to invade the [Gap], right.”

Lorenzo reached the [Gap] more than once, though he didn’t actually have this power, to be accurate it was Medanzo or Watson’s power, each time he acted it required calling upon them, yet in order to counter Dean Lawrence, he had already reached an agreement with Watson.

Hesitating for a moment, he nodded, and Arthur continued.

”Then the next step is simple, as Dean Lawrence invades, you invade as well, setting the battlefield in the void of consciousness.”

”If successful, you will completely kill Dean Lawrence’s consciousness, thus resolving this major enemy, but if you fail, then it falls to us.”

”You, what will you do?”

Lorenzo asked, if he failed, given the bizarre nature of the [Gap], he would have no ability to counter Dean Lawrence.