Gun of Ashes

In a trance, everything from the past was being reviewed. Selyu knew this state. In a translation from Jiuxia, it was mentioned that this phenomenon is called ’life review’, where you go over your life before dying, reliving both the good and bad experiences.

Just like the tide, it slowly crept over Selyu, pushing all forgotten memories ashore.

From the day of birth, the world was a hazy gray, until the day Selyu gripped the stone tightly.

She struck the man fiercely, as if striking her own fate. And thus, she opened that door, allowing a madman to barge into this gray world. He found it quite monotonous, and not only suggested growing some greenery but also recommended keeping some fish.

”Life is so grim, you ought to enrich your mental world, wouldn’t you agree?”

That’s what he said back then.

And so weeds known as Lorenzo Holmes grew all over the gray world, causing the flowers to wilt before they even bloomed...

Ah, even in death, why does my mind become deranged?

Selyu pulled out an ugly smile, this spooky thing sure had a great impact on her life. Should she say this was her true self unveiled?

But anyway, no one would find out.

Thus, everything fell silent until, seconds later, hearing returned sluggishly to Selyu, and all those delayed sounds flooded into her ears at once, overlapping and almost tearing apart her mind.

The anticipated death did not come, or rather, Death God arrived but did not deliver death upon Selyu.

”Lorenzo...”

Selyu dared not look at the scene.

Fiery flames burned. Lorenzo had the chance to kill her, thwarting Lawrence’s plans, but in the end, the sword slashed elsewhere.

”I thought you’d be cautious for a while longer?”

Lorenzo forcefully raised his sword blade but struggled to maintain it.

”You are indeed very cunning.”

Lawrence exclaimed with angry admiration.

At the last moment, he arrived like a sword-wielding hurricane, directly tearing through the car door, the cold gleam flashing.

Lorenzo blocked one Nail Sword, but a second Nail Sword hit him at an angle nearly impossible to defend against. It pierced the wound in Lorenzo’s waist and abdomen, worsening the injury.

”So, do you guess there might be a batch of flaming bullets here that can burn you to death?”

Lorenzo responded with a chuckle. He appeared calmer than ever but was actually in a daze from blood loss, and the side effects of overdosed Florun Potion were manifesting, threatening to collapse his iron will.

”I won’t give you another chance!”

”Don’t be so sure. As you said, I’m a cunning fellow.”

Lorenzo shook off the Nail Sword vehemently, his weary body burning again. This time, Lorenzo couldn’t retreat. He wouldn’t have a chance to engage in a lengthy fight; Selyu was right behind him. If Lawrence broke through, it would mean total defeat.

”I’m actually curious about what mindset you’re using to challenge me. Revenge, perhaps?”

Lawrence shouted as he swung his sword.

Lorenzo had no chance of winning a frontal battle, yet this madman still orchestrated everything. He almost brought Lawrence down with his scheme. Now, he should abandon it, or even kill Selyu and flee, but he stayed here as if he had second thoughts.

”It’s probably like this: Since I can’t be comfortable living, you shouldn’t be either... Let’s all die together with that mindset.”

His fragile psyche prevented Lorenzo from uttering harsh words. The psychiatric nature emerged, speaking nonsense.

The dazzling swordlight flashed, instincts driving him to swing his sword, yet full of openings.

”So, you brought your friend along to die?”

Lawrence mocked.

He thought Lorenzo would hide Selyu in that steel fortress, but ended up bringing her alone to this deserted extremity. Lorenzo indeed did brilliantly; he calculated everything, nearly succeeding.

Lorenzo hadn’t anticipated the Holy Grail’s powerful vitality... That slumbering face was about to open its eyes.

”After all, sworn brotherhood, we don’t seek to be born on the same day but die on the same day!”

Lorenzo said while glancing at Selyu behind him, but the girl’s expression didn’t seem to want to recognize him as a brother.

The Nail Sword swung for the last time, unable to withstand the high-intensity combat, shattering. Under the broken blade, Lawrence pierced Lorenzo’s arm with a sword, pinning him to the side of the train car.

The Demon Hunter had a fierce expression, hardly pausing. He pulled his arm, directly letting the Nail Sword pierce through, then lifted it again to strike Lawrence.

Inside the cramped cabin, sword rain broke out again, sharp blades whistled, and the high-frequency screeches were like thunder.

For a human, the wounds he sustained would have meant death countless times over, but for the Demon Hunters, they could continue on, the sinful Secret Blood constantly repairing the damaged body, removing human parts, and inserting Demonic strength.

This was the forbidden exchange Lorenzo has long been aware of.

Just like the equivalent exchange in alchemy, extracting strength inevitably bears a cost.

”It should end now, Lorenzo.”

Lawrence said coldly, seemingly sentencing him to death.

His figure suddenly accelerated, wielding the Nail Sword in hand, as if the executions’ spikes pierced Lorenzo’s joints. The next moment he reached for his waist, drew another Nail Sword, and pierced, repeating the process.

Initially, Lorenzo still had some power to resist, but soon he couldn’t keep up with the relentless assault, helplessly getting pierced by the Nail Swords. As if crucified, multiple Nail Swords interlocked and confined his body, finally holding him firmly in place.