Gun of Ashes

”So this is politics, is it?”

Merlin was reading the contents of the Ranger Plan while speaking with Arthur.

”There’s no helping it. We represent an institution, a nation, not an individual. If it were just me, I’d have already taken up a blade myself, though I might not stand a chance against those Demon Hunters.” Arthur told a joke that wasn’t particularly funny.

”We don’t have a legitimate reason to strike before the New Order formally attacks. Besides, they’re all Demon Hunters—it’s still uncertain who would prevail.”

”Such a troublesome matter... in fact, I think this is exactly what the New Order intends. All of this is just a piece of their conspiracy,” Merlin said.

”Let’s just hope that everything we’re speculating is wrong, that the New Order truly wishes to cooperate with us rather than yearn for their former glory,” Arthur wondered aloud. ”About the Pseudo Holy Grail research, how are you preparing?”

”I’ve got a rough idea. Based on the materials Dean Abigail provided, Lorenzo might have forgotten the intelligence regarding the Pseudo Holy Grail due to psychological defense mechanisms. The existence form of the Pseudo Holy Grail might very well not be material but some kind of ethereal... Spirit Body.”

Merlin looked up at Arthur. As an Alchemist, he had many novel conjectures from this information.

”Mind, will, spirit body—these things can actually be grouped under one category: what we call the soul.”

”Seems like this goes beyond your understanding?” Arthur said.

Merlin nodded and continued.

”Alchemy’s most straightforward manifestation is in metals; the soul of metal is its ’color’ and ’luster.’ Thus, killing base metals and resurrecting them as sacred ones, from ’death’ to ’resurrection,’ perfecting the soul, this is Ascension, approaching the gateway of Truth.

Understand and reconstruct.

This is also the case when it comes to human souls, but you’re aware alchemy has declined; the so-called alchemical soul exists only in fragmented records. No one has truly witnessed it in nearly a hundred years.”

Merlin took a sip of water, his hollow eyes observing his own pale skin.

”I’ve tried for Ascension on myself before, and you can see the result—I ended up in this neither-human-nor-ghost state.”

He sighed as he spoke. Merlin pursued the Truth and didn’t mind throwing himself into the crucible for it.

”If the Pseudo Holy Grail really is some kind of spiritual form, I suspect Lorenzo himself might be the Pseudo Holy Grail.”

”What did you say?” Arthur asked.

”Remember what Lorenzo recounted? The experiments on the Pseudo Holy Grail took place in the Well of Ascension at the Static Holy Temple. According to the intelligence he gave us at the time, refining Secret Blood was also through that Well of Ascension. On the Night of the Holy Arrival, the Old Order might have performed a human Ascension, shedding material constraints and solidifying spirit, creating a Spirit Body that could escape the material shell.

But that formless Spirit Body was no longer controllable, so they created a shell to control it... or rather, a cage.”

”Is that what you think the Pseudo Holy Grail’s birth involved?”

Arthur’s eyes sharpened as though he was only a step away from the truth of this mystery. But Merlin’s next words extinguished his newly ignited passion.

”It’s just a hypothesis since the formal experiments start tomorrow.”

There was no emotional change on Merlin’s young, wooden face. This was the price of his failed experiments, but at least he was still alive and had the chance to witness it all.

”This is research, Arthur: proposing hypotheses, verifying them, then overturning past accumulations to establish new understandings on the ruins.”

”However, I do have some disagreements with Abigail’s hypothesis,” Merlin continued.

”She says the impact of the Night of the Holy Arrival on Lorenzo was so great that even his iron will couldn’t help but choose to forget those events. But might it be possible it’s not his fault?”

”What do you mean?”

”Supposing—this is just a supposition—even now we’re unclear about the nature of the Pseudo Holy Grail, aren’t we? All our intelligence depends on the New Order, and we can’t ascertain if they’re deceiving us... What if Lorenzo’s forgetting of those events was caused by the Pseudo Holy Grail?”

Merlin stared into Arthur’s eyes, his gaze like an abyss threatening to swallow Arthur whole.

”Isn’t it strange? The great fire of the Night of the Holy Arrival burned all the data—do you really think flames can destroy everything? Or did someone in the shadows destroy all the intelligence regarding that night? Assuming the New Order isn’t lying about that, there might be a stranger explanation.

Like Anti-Meme.”

Arthur’s heart turned cold instantly. Under Merlin’s guidance, he suddenly considered many things.

”An interesting hypothesis...”

”More accurately, a terrifying one,” Merlin said with a blank expression. ”If this hypothesis is correct, then everything would have a reasonable explanation. In contrast to the Holy Grail, the Pseudo Holy Grail possesses powerful Anti-Meme qualities. Under this effect, all related information was erased...

Do you think Lorenzo Holmes, that monstrous guy, would really be brought down by a tragedy? No, his memories were likely intentionally forgotten due to the Anti-Meme properties.”

Merlin’s facial muscles tensed as he spoke with calm but appeared excitedly hideous beneath the surface.

”But it doesn’t matter; we’ll have the answer tomorrow.”

He tapped his finger on his forehead.

”It’s all in there, all the secrets are in Lorenzo Holmes’s head, in the deepest part of his soul.”