Gun of Ashes

After handling everything, Lorenzo let out a long sigh, washed the tools clean, and put them away. He accidentally saw the hazy mirror, a light mist clinging to it, a blurred figure within the fog, staring back at him in the cramped space.

Suddenly, a strange feeling surged up, and as Lorenzo moved slowly, the figure beyond the mist shifted slightly as well. Lorenzo found it difficult to describe this eerie feeling. Then, as if compelled, he raised his hand, and the person in the mist extended a hand toward him too. Their hands crept closer and abruptly stopped the moment they reached the mirror surface.

It felt like an error in perception; the mirror was incredibly cold. Then, from Lorenzo’s touch, the droplets condensed on his fingertips gathered together, cascading down like a curtain of water, dispersing the mist on the mirror.

Beyond the mist was a familiar face, eyes weary, with a ghostly pallor, as if soaked for a long time in the icy sea.

Lorenzo couldn’t help but call out his name.

”Me... Medanzo?”

As the words were spoken, that eerie feeling quickly faded away, as if it were a hallucination, completely shattering. Lorenzo refocused his gaze, realizing it was himself; the reflection in the mirror was him.

Understanding this, Lorenzo found it a bit amusing. Perhaps he has indeed been a bit weary lately, and his mind somewhat unclear.

Lorenzo bore a resemblance to Medanzo, and just now, he had mistaken himself for Medanzo for a fleeting moment.

Thinking this way, Lorenzo looked at himself in the mirror, then turned his body to examine his condition.

Previously, Lorenzo’s body was full of scars. Even with Secret Blood, some injuries were severe enough to leave large scars—they crossed and overlapped, covering Lorenzo’s torso. But now, those scars had vanished, the skin clean and neat, except for the black lines covering his back, without any additional marks.

During the farmhouse time, Lorenzo could hardly believe what Red Falcon and the others said. Blown to pieces, losing most of his body, such injuries that Secret Blood couldn’t save him. Moreover, Lorenzo’s Authority wasn’t like Yanar, with nearly immortal vitality; he should be unquestionably dead in such a situation.

But he was saved by the flesh of the Holy Grail. No matter how unbelievable, the fact that he was still alive was the best proof. After that rebirth, his body renewed, all scars disappeared, the Silver Binding Bolt mostly melted, yet part of it seemed to remain inside his body judging by his weight.

Of course, aside from these changes, what alerted Lorenzo more was Watson.

Since that rebirth, Watson no longer bothered Lorenzo. This Nightmare-like entity loved emphasizing its presence before Lorenzo, but now, it was gone. Medanzo too, the mysterious [Gap] Lorenzo hadn’t reached for a long time.

The more Lorenzo thought, the more fearful he became, these presences occupying his consciousness suddenly vanished, or rather, refused to answer Lorenzo’s call. Watson made sense, Lorenzo was never sure of this entity’s stance, but Medanzo was different. Medanzo was on the same side as him, yet now he too disappeared.

As if Lorenzo suffered some mental illness, Watson and Medanzo might just be figments of his imagination, revived not only with Lorenzo’s body but his nearly shattered will.

Amidst his thoughts, Lorenzo walked back to the window, nestled into his familiar sofa, quietly watching the foggy world outside.

In fact, Lorenzo had another hypothesis, one he never spoke of due to fear of the dreadful truth, restraining even his own thoughts.

Perhaps... perhaps Watson had escaped, successfully fleeing the prison named Lorenzo during the destruction.

Lorenzo’s power was always kept below the threshold. This is because once the threshold is breached, a Demon Hunter begins to demonize, capable of imposing fear’s erosion like a demon; this erosion would create gaps in the prison, providing Watson an escape opportunity.

So, even in his final fight with Lawrence, Lorenzo never surpassed the threshold to confront him. He ensured that even in death, Watson wouldn’t escape. But Lorenzo wasn’t certain about what happened when he lost consciousness.

If what Red Falcon and others said was true, after he ”died,” an Armor of Original Sin named Black Angel went out of control, it killed the runaway Holy Grail Flesh and used it to revive him. Associating with the last moments of consciousness, what Watson said to him in the hallucinogenic ocean.

Watson made him live again, perhaps she even controlled him then, escaping the cage.

Then what about Medanzo? Lorenzo is the prison, and Medanzo the prison guard hidden in the [Gap]. Why didn’t he stop any of it, or did he try and fail? Instead, was completely killed, silently disappearing from his mind.

The more he thought, the more complex it felt, his brain as if it were about to explode, the air seeming so thick it hardly moved, suffocating Lorenzo’s heart and lungs.

Lorenzo confusedly looked at the outside world, lights diffused in the fog. He killed Lawrence but ushered in greater confusion, and now there’s no time to prove any of it. The loss of the Revelation, the visit from Florence...

Maybe Watson hasn’t escaped, hiding somewhere, waiting for Lorenzo’s self-doubt to reach collapse.

These matters were temporarily unsolvable, compared to which Lorenzo was preparing for another issue.

He dragged a box out from under the bed, opened it, and inside were some handcrafted weapons by Lorenzo—Dragon Breath Bullets mixed with Holy Silver, the last two unused Nail Swords, and lots of large-caliber ammunition.

Unlike what he told Joey, Lorenzo’s weapon supplies were abundant, yet for some reason, he continued stockpiling them, as if preparing for something.

The adult world is one of interests, with no permanent allies, only permanent interests.

Perhaps he was having too much fun lately, in this normal life, Lorenzo gradually forgot that absolute rationale.

Lorenzo’s relationship with the Purification Mechanism was merely that of allies; they stood together because of a common cause. But ultimately, the Purification Mechanism served Queen Victoria, protecting the whole of Ingwig, while Lorenzo served only himself, pursuing that blood-stained ideal.

Lorenzo and the Purification Mechanism were different; now they were united against the demon threat, but once the threat is gone, what then?

When someone offers more gratifying benefits?

In the past, Lorenzo hid well, living like an ordinary detective in Old Dunling. But after so much, Lorenzo is no longer shrouded in darkness, even the long-lost Static Holy Temple is reconnected with him. Lorenzo believes he can’t escape the Evangelical Church’s investigation, they might already know of his presence, and for this visit, could he once again become their target?

This is a game already started before meeting, Lorenzo doesn’t know if Florence knows about him, if so, how much do they know? And a crucially dangerous question, Watson as the Pseudo Holy Grail, this is an absolute deadly issue.

A game between two organizations, Lorenzo is merely a leaf afloat between these vortices. Before the exchange of interests, Lorenzo couldn’t guarantee the Purification Mechanism remained his ally, and Lorenzo feared...

Lorenzo feared the day the Revelation was found, whether by the Purification Mechanism or the Evangelical Order... whoever obtained it, it would be a disaster.

It’s knowledge forbidden to mortals, even the holy Church eroded by it, attempting to ascend the throne of the world, but when truly obtaining it, no matter who, can they remain rational before that knowledge?

Or would they become the next, the next corrupted Evangelical Church, cursed in an endless cycle?

Deep breath; the multitude of questions burden Lorenzo, he doesn’t understand the course of events to come, which is also why Lorenzo chooses to hide Heracles, perhaps someday, Lorenzo would become everyone’s enemy, or rather everyone would oppose Lorenzo.