Gun of Ashes

”I know.”

Lorenzo responded casually, looking at Selyu with a gaze that made the girl uneasy. No one knew what Lorenzo was thinking; since he woke up, it was as if he had become a different person.

The train slowly started moving, and strangely, only Lorenzo and Selyu were on board. The desolate scenery quickly retreated as they moved away from the Mechanical Institute, away from the layers of tight protection.

”Earlier... were you trying to send them away?”

Selyu asked in the silence.

Red Falcon and Yawei didn’t really need to do so; it was just that Lorenzo needed them to leave, to make it easier for the two of them to get away.

Lorenzo nodded, resting his chin on his hand and looking out the window, gazing into the distance, which made his eyes feel more comfortable.

Because of the unique identity of a Demon Hunter, astonishingly no one blocked their way as they left, and so the two walked out openly.

”We aren’t really heading to a ’Mouse Trap’, right?”

Selyu asked again.

She didn’t know where the train would ultimately arrive, nor did she understand Lorenzo’s intentions. At this moment, all power and status were useless... not even as useful as a knife.

Lorenzo slowly shifted his gaze towards her; this time, he didn’t avoid Selyu’s eyes. Yet, in those gray-blue pupils, Selyu couldn’t see anything. A hazy mist covered everything, hiding his thoughts.

At that moment, Lorenzo suddenly showed an unusual smile, and he said,

”Actually, I’ve been thinking about something, Selyu.”

”What is it?”

”About the issue of sacrificing Eve.”

Lorenzo clasped his hands and placed them on the table, sitting upright.

This was a question Selyu had previously challenged him with, perhaps not expecting it would become a dilemma for a Demon Hunter.

”I’ve been wondering if I am a hypocritical person.”

”Also, for the same purpose of eradicating demons, why could I sacrifice Eve without hesitation, yet hesitate when it comes to you?”

Lorenzo recalled his feelings at that time, and suddenly everything seemed clear.

”What was the answer?”

Selyu let down her guard, propping her face up and looking at Lorenzo.

The train covered vast distances, grinding down the debris on the tracks, raising a whistling dust like a great serpent moving forward.

”It’s not the optimal solution.”

Lorenzo directly denied his previous answer.

”Anger.”

He answered.

”People need motivation, just like a machine. We need to burn something to move forward, and the so-called ideals and emotions are the best fuel.”

Like the ridiculous stories where, once the protagonist gets angry, even the so-called gods can be knocked down with a punch.

”Stay angry.”

Selyu said softly.

”An ever-burning rage, that’s the perfect fuel.”

Lorenzo said calmly; it was hard to imagine what kind of intense boiling was hidden underneath his serene demeanor.

Such anger allowed Lorenzo to survive the Night of the Holy Arrival, and it was this anger that drove him through obstacles to reach Old Dunling, and it was this rage that made him draw the Nail Sword once again.

”For me, at that time, not to mention sacrificing Eve, even if I died, as long as I could kill Dean Lawrence, it would be satisfying enough.”

So that’s why he was indifferent to life.

His gaze shifted upward as Lorenzo lit a cigarette, looking at the sky, exhaling clouds of smoke.

”Tsk, is that all?”

Selyu’s reaction exceeded Lorenzo’s expectations; she said disdainfully, as if indifferent to Lorenzo’s words.

”Lorenzo, you know, people like you should indeed go to hell.”

”For you, the perfect death would be dying with the Demon.”

As she spoke, she made a show of it, with rich expressions filling her usually cold face, gesticulating dramatically.

”Imagine, the great Mr. Holmes, after a night of battling, has broken all his weapons. Finally, he resorts to using fists, claws, teeth... whatever he can to kill his enemies.”

”Biting the demon’s throat, crushing them to the ground with elbows... In exhaustion, you get pierced by the demons, and finally die facing the rising sun.”

Selyu performed the death scene, surprising with her expressive face.

”Actually, you’re very predictable. Just imagine everything involving demons.”

”But Lorenzo, don’t you think... your life is somewhat too monotonous? You’re like those Ascetic Monks, the only difference being you’re a warrior monk who goes to sleep reciting Holy Words, hoping your sword is sharper when cutting demons.”

She kept talking like a chatterbox.

”Yawei took me to many social gatherings of big figures. In fact, everyone is just like you, ambitious, full of anger. But what they want is power, is wealth, while you’re the only one who craves the death of demons.”

”So, for what reason do you want to kill the demons? Doctrine? Faith in God? Or some damned love and peace?”

Lorenzo was left speechless by her words, as she regains the initiative again.

”Lorenzo, excessive anger isn’t good; it will burn you out... it’s a dead end, a path of self-destruction.”

Selyu looked at him, at this monster driven by anger and hatred.

”Then, for this wish, I can also be sacrificed, right?”

After a long silence, Lorenzo answered.

”I don’t know.”

He seemed troubled.

”Actually, before sacrificing Eve, I never thought I would make such a decision.”

”But sometimes it’s like that; only when things truly happen do you realize what kind of person you are and what decisions you will make.”

The honorable become vile, the vile become noble, warriors flee, and cowards rise.

Sometimes humanity is strange like this, constructed by contradictions.

”Do you regret it then?”

”...I don’t know.”

Lorenzo laughed self-deprecatingly.

”At that time, I didn’t think about anything else; I just wanted to kill Dean Lawrence. I knew he was strong, I might die... but who cares about what happens after death?”

Just like he told Sabo then, when dead, you’re just dead, there’s nothing.

No hatred, no anger, none of the seductive power, no radiant Gods, just a void of gray, and an eternal slumber.

”You’re like a coward escaping.”

”You of all people I don’t want to hear that from.”

The two shared a brief gaze, and with a helpless sigh, Selyu resigned to their situation, knowing she couldn’t resist, staring at the receding fortress, she said.

”So are you going to do something crazy next? Some damned path of destruction?”

Lorenzo deliberately took himself away from the jurisdiction of the Purification Mechanism, and during that short time, Lorenzo must have thought of something that led him to make this decision.

”Does your current action count as betrayal? Arthur probably wants to kill you right now.”

Then she added.

”Doesn’t matter; he’s been wanting that for a long time anyway.”

Lorenzo had a dead pig not afraid of boiling water attitude.

The train slowly stopped; once they left here, it would mean formally leaving the jurisdiction of the Purification Mechanism. Strangely, so much time had passed, yet no pursuers were in sight, as if someone had prepared an escape route for Lorenzo.

”Aren’t you afraid, Selyu?”

Looking at the open door, neither of them moved.

Selyu glanced at Lorenzo with a taunting look.

”So now that you’ve ’kidnapped’ me here, you’re finally asking about the person’s feelings involved?”

She stood up and walked towards the door, regardless of Lorenzo’s slightly surprised expression.

Selyu was always like that, hard to see through. Clearly a kid, yet always acting so adult-like... in fact, she would officially be an adult in a few days.

”Lorenzo, you rescued me from Gaulunaro, so now it’s my turn to help you complete that damned path of destruction.”

She looked at Lorenzo, with authority as firm as iron.

”We square it away.”