Gun of Ashes

The sky was ablaze, so vivid it seemed as though crimson blood could drip from it, everything was bathed in a fiery red, as the Demon Hunters approached slowly under the gaze of the setting sun.

Like at the end of a story, two arch-nemeses meet in a beautiful scene, with only one able to leave alive.

First, they crept forward cautiously, then picked up their pace, and finally charged, swinging their blades like eagles spreading their iron feathers.

It was a piercing screech that shook the eardrums, followed by the clash of metals, sparking and whirling with fierce winds.

Their swordplay was so fierce that even a simple swing carried irresistible force, lifting disordered dry grass, swirling around like shattered ashes in their view.

The Secret Blood surged and awakened, unleashing a power that didn’t belong to mortals, the Forbidden Power that should have been forgotten forever.

First, the base flesh and blood, with more robust muscular fibers proliferating; the bones fortified as if steel; and beneath the shell, the heart thumped violently like a war drum, circulating the blood containing Secret Blood swiftly.

Then, the force of the Steel Breaker swung down, mingling together, forming blurry afterimages.

Multiple deep sword marks appeared on the sturdy Folding Blade in an instant, but fortunately, the craftsmanship of the Purification Mechanism allowed it to sustain such intense combat. Lorenzo gripped his weapon tightly, and in the next moment, pulled the Winchester from his waist, forming a deadly conical spread at close range.

But that still wasn’t enough, as if expected, Dean Lawrence’s Nail Sword cleaved through, cutting down several rounds in mid-air with a power almost beyond mortal comprehension, while the remaining rounds merely grazed his body, tearing more rips in his crimson robe.

Lorenzo didn’t give him more time to think. Since that night, Lorenzo had been contemplating how to defeat Dean Lawrence, how to defeat someone who could foresee the future.

In fact, after deep contemplation, it became simple; he just had to be faster.

So what if he saw the future, when Dean Lawrence foresaw the sword strike, Lorenzo’s blade had already fallen. He needed to continuously compress the time between ”seeing the future” and ”it actually happening,” leaving him no time to devise countermeasures.

”So, Medanzo is indeed the best Authority.”

Lorenzo whispered.

Compared to other bizarre Authorities, Medanzo’s Authority was not outstanding; it merely granted Demon Hunters sturdy armor. Yet, such Authority could block most damage, increasing the Demon Hunters’ margin for error in deadly battles.

It could even allow a Demon Hunter to engage in that maddening slaughter.

The flames rose within the gaps of the armor, as Lorenzo shifted his stance, the swing of his Folding Blade suddenly accelerating, followed by a frenzied advance, completely abandoning defense, letting Dean Lawrence’s Nail Sword slash upon his armor.

He could endure many sword strikes, but Dean Lawrence could not. As long as Lorenzo could land an accurate hit on him, it would inflict great wounds.

The heavy Nail Sword shattered the sturdy Scale Armor, but new hard material soon filled the void. The entire armor was tattered, riddled with cracks, seemingly about to crumble completely, but at that cost, Lorenzo successfully suppressed Dean Lawrence. Under the increasingly rapid attacks, Shangdafeng’s foresight was almost instantly realized.

The Folding Blade gleamed with a cold light, Lawrence’s reflection showed on its mottled blade, then swiftly enlarged.

”Impressive!”

Dean Lawrence praised, but immediately after, he swung his Nail Sword to deflect the descending Folding Blade, yet a gunshot followed immediately.

”You’re too slow.”

Lorenzo coldly remarked.

The bullets still missed him, as Dean Lawrence dodged at the moment of impact, stepping right into Lorenzo’s trap.

Dean Lawrence got cornered, but he seemingly hadn’t realized it yet, parrying the falling Folding Blade with his Nail Sword. The Winchester had run out of ammo, leaving no time for Lorenzo to reload in the fast-paced battle, but he didn’t need to reload.

A pale light fell, accompanied by the howling wind.

Dean Lawrence once again repelled the Folding Blade’s assault, but this time, it fell aside, slipping out of Lorenzo’s grasp, just as the Demon Hunter closed in beside him, delivering a heavy punch.

Sometimes, the body itself can be a deadly weapon. With the blessing of Secret Blood, Lorenzo had great confidence in his punch, landing it perfectly on Dean Lawrence’s abdomen, filled with Lorenzo’s anger, with such force that it seemed to channel all his fury into that aged body.

Nauseated, Dean Lawrence retched, as another heavy punch fell. Amid the pain, he stabilized his form and slashed upwards with his Nail Sword.

It was a sharp sword, and even blunt from the battle, it could still easily sever flesh and bone with a Demon Hunter’s strength, but this time, it met the sturdy armor.

The blade struck the armor, sparking brightly. It couldn’t stop the angry punch from descending, nor could the angry fist break it. So, in the rapid exchange, the sharp sword tip pierced through the armor gap, directly running through Lorenzo’s arm under immense force.

The entire Nail Sword pierced through, drawing crimson blood, but Lorenzo didn’t care, as if devoid of pain, his heavy punch slammed onto Dean Lawrence’s chest ruthlessly.

Lorenzo attempted to pursue, but Dean Lawrence seemed to recover, narrowly dodging another punch from Lorenzo, quickly turning to grip the sword hilt embedded in the armor, pulling it out, bringing forth a swathe of crimson.

”Not bad, child.”

He didn’t counterattack directly, instead creating distance from Lorenzo, with vast patches of grass separating them, tiny flames licking upon it.

Lorenzo remained silent, avoiding a rash pursuit, instead reloading the Winchester, delivering gunfire.

Shangdafeng’s power wasn’t insurmountable; even seeing the future, people still tire eventually. He was doing all he could to deplete Dean Lawrence’s strength.

Blood dripped down through the armor’s gaps, but such injuries were not a concern. Lorenzo picked up the discarded Folding Blade, searching for another opportunity to strike.

”You’re learning fast, child. Such an exceptional Demon Hunter should have left an impression on me.”

Dean Lawrence regained that feeling of ease, wearing a gentle smile. If not for the recent deadly confrontation, no one would have imagined him to be so terrifying.

It was only the second encounter, yet Dean Lawrence had already found the flaws of Shangdafeng. Reflected in his eyes was the image of the Black Knight, and he pondered who he really was.

The Demon Hunters of the Medanzo branch should have all perished, but why did an unnamed survivor appear after so many years, and Dean Lawrence wasn’t even sure who he was.

He was extremely curious.

”When I kill you, you will find that I am your best student.”

Lorenzo replied coldly.

”How arrogant.”

There was no rebuke, but rather a look of admiration. Dean Lawrence clenched the Nail Sword, and he saw that bleak future.

Blood flowed down the dark armor, spreading over the palm, extending to the body of the shotgun, soaking through every mechanical structure, thoroughly covering the line of verse.

”Do not go gentle into that good night.”

Like a prayer, that voice echoed.

The shock of the gunshot shattered the prayer, a dazzling white light burst from the muzzle of the Winchester. It was Lorenzo’s prepared Dragon Breath Bullet, yet at this moment, under the blessing of the Purifying Flame, it was a pure white breath.

As if a proud dragon were rebuking the darkness, the pure white flames swept across the dry grassland, setting everything aflame, accompanied by the rising wind, in an instant raising a blazing sea of fire advancing towards Dean Lawrence.

Reflecting the pure white apocalypse in his pupils, Dean Lawrence retreated directly; he did not possess the formidable defense of Medanzo’s Demon Hunters. But immediately there was the sound of urgent footsteps following his retreat, so heavy,.

It was the descending scene of the Celestial Kingdom, a holy intent of death.

Just as Dean Lawrence retreated, the sharp Folding Blade cut through the pure white sea of fire, with the Black Knight clad in holy flames, as if an angel descended to the world.

At the moment the fire sea spread, Lorenzo rushed into it, under this dazzling cover, he once again closed in on Dean Lawrence.

Carrying the scorching heat, the scent of ashes lingered at the tip of his nose.

”I will kill you, Dean Lawrence.”

A curse-like whisper sounded beneath the armor.

”I swear.”

So the Folding Blade descended.

That thin figure was pierced through, then Lorenzo forcefully swung the Folding Blade, wrenching it out from Dean Lawrence’s body, cleaving his left shoulder completely open, flesh, bones, all the hatred and anger were severed entirely.

Blood gushed from the wound, staining the dark armor with red. Immediately, the Folding Blade descended again, this time the Nail Sword feebly met it, and with the clamor of breaking steel, the Folding Blade severed the Nail Sword and pierced once again into Dean Lawrence’s body.

”The long-lost pain, indeed.”

Dean Lawrence was somewhat in a daze, seemingly not expecting Lorenzo to reach such a degree. He looked at the distorted face armor with complex eyes.

”What do you think is the difference between the [Gap] and reality, child?”

He suddenly asked.

”A dying man’s last words? I thought you’d say something useful.”

Lorenzo tightened his grip on the knife handle, slowly twisting it, expanding the wound.

It was a bizarre twisting sensation, seeing Dean Lawrence’s face contorted in pain brought an unprecedented joy to Lorenzo, as if he too became part of the madness.

”How could that be? Last words, I’ve long prepared them, just not for now.”

Dean Lawrence said casually, his aged hand suddenly gripped Lorenzo’s hand, transmitting an unprecedented power from that decaying body, like steel.

He slowly pushed Lorenzo’s hand away, little by little withdrawing the Folding Blade from his body.

”This is the realm of mental strength, child.”

Dean Lawrence emphasized.

Then suddenly, a torrential rain descended, extinguishing the seething, burning sea of fire, nourishing the long-dead dry grass.

”Such will cannot be killed.”

He looked somewhat disdainfully at the blood-stained Folding Blade, and in the next moment, the entire ground of the wilderness lost its color, replaced by dense gray squares one after another. Then those squares began to collapse along Lorenzo’s feet, falling into that untouchable darkness.

”This is a new lesson, child.”

Dean Lawrence’s voice echoed in the ears, and the things in Lorenzo’s eyes began to distort and stretch, finally extending into pure color lines, interweaving and merging into a vortex engulfing everything.