Gun of Ashes

Chapter 484: Chapter 90: Mourner_2

seems to know something, but he says nothing, just continues to hum the nameless hymn.

He clearly does not have a melodious voice, his singing sounds somewhat hoarse, but fortunately, the singing in the church drowns out his voice, only the nearby 051 faintly hears it.

After a while, 047 suddenly stops and slowly speaks.

”Don’t worry, what’s to be uneasy about? If demons do appear, just draw your sword and kill them, just like we’ve done before, it’s very simple.”

He says this while fiddling with the Nail Sword at his waist, the bright moonlight falling upon it, emitting a faint chill.

sighs helplessly, should he say this Hunter deserves to bear the name Medanzo? 047 is always so steady, like an unbreakable iron mountain, as long as he’s around, the situation remains under control.

Perhaps... perhaps it is also for this reason that he is Medanzo.

”It’s just that you seem really relaxed, even humming a song.” 051 says.

”It’s just to enhance memory, it has no name, no score, only a melody passed down by word of mouth, if forgotten, it’s truly forgotten,” 047 says with a smile, ”I heard this song by chance from a respectable old man.”

He recalls a long-ago escort mission, protecting an elderly man named Lorenzo de’ Medici to his hideaway, and along the way, the old man hummed this song.

The old man said it was an ancient hymn, apart from the orally transmitted melody, everything about it has been lost in the river of history, even he knew of the song from a dying Ascetic.

The elderly man was exceptionally kind, seemingly due to his age, completely different from the evil rumored about him.

”Maybe this melody has long been distorted by us?” the old man suddenly said then.

No one knows how long this ancient hymn has been passed down, relying solely on human memory for transmission, yet human memory is so fragile, perhaps some fragments have long been forgotten, or its melody altered during the long hum of time.

Then the old man said no more, just stubbornly hummed, it was then that 047 realized the old man was very old, so old that even memories were unreliable, he could only stubbornly repeat, engraving this piece of melody deep in his memory.

At that time, 047 did not have a deeper understanding, but now, reflecting upon it, he surprisingly has some novel thoughts.

Lorenzo stands not far away, he involuntarily hums that ancient hymn too, so similar to the memory’s song, in the ceremony of implanting Secret Blood, that old man stubbornly hummed this one as well.

”051, what do you plan to do afterwards?”

As if to comfort the uneasy child, 047 suddenly asks.

”Afterwards? What afterwards?” 051 asks.

”Retirement, after retirement, I plan to go to Old Dunling, and together with two friends, we plan to open a detective agency, it will be a great time.” 047 chats idly, his gaze shifting to the iron mask beside him.

He tries to find a pair of bright eyes in the darkness there, but 051 inexplicably turns away.

”I don’t know, I’ve just become a Demon Hunter, I didn’t think that far.”

”Oh, then you better plan early, after all, it counts as life planning.” 047 says.

first falls silent, then hesitantly asks.

”Can you take me with you then?”

”What?”

”Old Dunling, I think it would be nice to go there too.”

says, bowing his head, the iron mask drooping toward the ground.

is stunned, but then he sighs helplessly, cruelly refusing.

”That won’t do, 051.”

”Why not?” 051 asks, puzzled.

”Because you and I aren’t hunters of the same batch, when I retire, you might still be in service.” 047 suddenly acts as if relaxed again.

is dazed, unsure whether this is a refusal or something else.

Demon Hunters come in batches, 051 is a newly appointed Medanzo Demon Hunter, while 047 has long battled demons, even receiving the esteemed title of Medanzo.

”But, I can wait for you in Old Dunling, 051, of course, on the condition you make sure to live until then.” 047 says.

A Demon Hunter’s career is fighting demons, so-called retirement is merely a hopeful ideal, no one knows who will live to the end.

nods slightly, suddenly feeling the night not so oppressive anymore.

But suddenly the bell rings, loudly and far-reaching, in this silent night.

Lorenzo watching along first freezes, then more bell tolls resonate, the sounds coming from all directions as if warriors with drawn swords and armor, with the flood of sound baptizing the earth.

They ring repeatedly, thoroughly shattering the silence, the pervasive hymn completely covered, leaving only the sound of the evening bell from the hammering in ears.

Like a night-long revelry, this is its beginning.

seems to understand what happened, his gaze resolute, then he draws out his Nail Sword, the pale sword light shimmering like stars under the moonlit night.

”Everyone! Stay alert!”

shouts, the other Demon Hunters having no idea what exactly is happening, but trusting 047, they also draw their Nail Swords, their actions in unity, the echo of sheathed swords gathering into a divine roar.

Lorenzo watches it all, then realizes something, his expression gradually turning terrified and despairing, he shouts loudly.

”Run away!”

In an instant, Lorenzo becomes unsure if this is memory or reality, he just futilely yells, rushing clumsily to 047’s side, pulling hard in an attempt to drag him away from here.

remains unmoved, and Lorenzo suddenly feels great pain, he punches hard, but to no avail, finally collapsing to his knees.

Lorenzo breathes heavily, helplessly realizing his impotence, angrily growling like venting all his sorrow.

All this is just futile; here is a memory, everything Lorenzo sees now has happened before, and he cannot change what has long occurred...

Lorenzo stiffens, then looks up at 047’s cold iron mask, resembling the sculpture of an artist, an angel mourning humans.

... this is not the memory he experienced, it’s 047’s memory, what he went through.

”Run away... you will die...”

Lorenzo powerlessly shouts, like a child recklessly acting, doing something laughable... but it changes nothing, such a night had occurred many years ago, and now those he sees have long died in that night.

He is like a mourner traveling through time, doing nothing but silently standing here, watching these people march into death lost in spirit.

These people are about to die, pierced by swords and claws, killed, devoured, destroyed, dismembered limbs and organs scattered messily on the ground, without anyone knowing.

They are going to die, in this cruel night, silently disappearing, as if they never existed.

Lorenzo’s eyes vacant, he gazes at the grotesque twisted church, softly murmuring.

”Tonight, the great sacred descends here.”

Rising like ocean tide erosion pulses out from beneath the ground, from within that magnificent sacred church, like demons freed, laughter echoes faintly, they want to ignite this sacred city, for their liberation celebration.

It’s like an inverted whirlpool, roaring and rolling erosion like a thousand galloping streams, releasing from the central source, in an instant the invisible tide covers the entire Seven Hills, horrific pressure crumbling every conscious person’s will, pulling at the mind, seemingly ripping the world asunder.

”Demon Hunters! Prepare to fight!”

In the despairing oppression, 047’s eyes blaze like daylight, raising his Nail Sword high, hoarsely roaring.