Gun of Ashes

Arthur softly muttered the invisible fear.

”The Pseudo Holy Grail is corrupting those around you, using you as the source point.”

In an instant, it seemed as if countless invisible hands grasped Lorenzo, restraining his limbs, choking his throat. The New Order had planned all this long ago, and now all the conspiracies overlapped, creating the current situation.

Saying what? The New Order’s words aren’t credible? Lorenzo himself felt such defenses were weak and futile. Meanwhile, Anthony continued his pursuit, that grotesque scar slowly twisting with the writhing of muscles, as if a living centipede.

Anthony smiled at Lorenzo, uttering devil-like words.

”Isn’t this enough proof? Or do you want to see more ’evidence’?”

Evidence...

It was a feeling of helplessness, self-reproach, and anger.

With gray-blue eyes, Lorenzo locked Anthony’s visage within those abyss-like pupils. Lorenzo was very clear about Anthony’s words; it was both a threat and a provocation.

Moriarty hid in the shadows, as long as Lorenzo continued to resist, he would fabricate one ”evidence” after another. This was Lorenzo’s negligence; he was too complacent. After killing Lawrence, he thought he could somehow live like a normal human with seemingly normal social interactions, but he was a fire burning in the darkness of death. His light illuminated those around him, making those Lorenzo cherished discover terrible abnormalities.

Those familiar people...

The time for choosing had arrived: to draw the Folding Blade and kill everyone, thus escaping this place, or to step into the New Order’s conspiracy, allowing those people to survive.

To transform into a human, or to become a monster.

The oppressive air almost congealed into heavy lead stones, filling the Iron Serpent’s carriage, recklessly squeezing everyone, the atmosphere was suffocating to the extreme.

”I accept... I accept your containment, Arthur.”

Under immense pressure, the voice became indistinct, yet upon hearing it, Arthur exhaled a long breath, expelling all the foul air from his lungs. He really felt it, the intense murderous aura just moments ago, seemingly in the next second Lorenzo would ignite that soaring Purifying Flame, sparking a war in Old Dunling regardless of the consequences. But what surprised him was that even the unruly Lorenzo had moments of concession; he accepted, but then he spoke again.

”Fr. Anthony.”

The voice sounded.

”You are now my enemy, Fr. Anthony.”

The voice was calm, without any fluctuations, not intense. Without careful listening, it might even be drowned out by the rumble of the Iron Serpent and the sound of rain.

This should have been a fierce threat, but spoken like this it became ordinary, leaving people indifferent. Then, the voice sounded again.

Arthur looked at Lorenzo, and in an instant, it was as if someone grasped his heart, a fear named emotion spread from the heart’s pulse to the whole body.

Lorenzo seemed normal, his expression calm without a trace of anger, just as before, his gaze was stern. But this time, Arthur felt a sense of familiarity; for a moment, he suddenly remembered what Lorenzo looked like the first time he met him.

In fact, Arthur had seen Lorenzo seven years ago, during the Red River Tragedy, that was truly unforgettable, the Thames River stained red, severed limbs and organs rising with the currents, some even washed up onto the streets. The ravaging gangs of the Lower City District were completely eradicated, and the Empire, commanding Bola, rose above it, fully controlling the Lower City District.

Arthur saw Lorenzo in the information provided by Bola, in a black-and-white photo. If it weren’t for Bola’s plea at the time, Arthur would have been prepared to kill Lorenzo, but in later interactions with Lorenzo, Arthur gradually forgot that intent, and now he suddenly remembered.

Remembering why he wanted to kill Lorenzo at that time.

Back then, Duke Phoenix was ”Arthur,” leading the Purification Mechanism in battles against demons, and when he saw Lorenzo, he suddenly had a strange illusion. Clearly, the person in the photo looked so normal, but Arthur could feel from it an unnamed fierceness and madness, as if in the next second he would break free from the confines of the photo, wielding a sword to slay everyone...

It was a demon-like human, no, accurately speaking, a human-shaped demon.

”You are now my enemies.”

The demon’s gaze was hollow, as if staring into unknowable void.

”New Order.”

The bright lights pierced through the rain curtain, the armored Iron Serpent rapidly advancing along the tracks, toward the black silhouettes rising beyond the rain curtain.