Gun of Ashes

Lorenzo kicked open the last door, a hot gust rushing in, the entire power room already covered by blood-red light, countless lumps of flesh and roots filled the room, twisted flesh perched atop the fiery boiler, within the wrap of flesh a cold head embedded like a gem, the hollow eyes only had the burning flame left.

This was the Yanar Demon Hunter causing all of this, just as Lorenzo thought, if one wants to fully take control of the Reichenbach, the power room is the best point of dispersal.

So what about Moriarty? What is that treacherous snake doing now?

Lorenzo thought so, and within the scarlet light, Moriarty smiled at him.

In an instant, coldness swept across his heart, Lorenzo instinctively closed his eyes to avoid Moriarty’s gaze, at this moment several Nail Swords pierced through his body.

Stabbing joints, slicing flesh, nailing into the ground.

No... I should have killed all the other demon hunters.

In the corner of his vision, Lorenzo saw countless red lines supporting those broken bodies, each one like a puppet controlled, obeying commands.

Yes, they were all killed by Lorenzo, now the attacker was the Yanar Demon Hunter, its flesh assimilated those dead bodies, using them to attack.

Not only that.

”I still win, Lorenzo Holmes.”

Within the scarlet light, Moriarty’s smile took a sinister turn.

In this hellish battlefield, compared to these broken corpses, and the ferocious Lorenzo, Moriarty seemed more like a normal person, yet beneath this normalcy lay a terror driving everyone insane.

”You... used me...”

In acute pain, Lorenzo realized his mistake, ever since boarding the Reichenbach, they were constantly scheming and probing each other.

Moriarty knew Lorenzo was aware of the conditions to activate Authority: Raphael, so when Moriarty and Lorenzo met, Lorenzo would definitely avoid making eye contact with Moriarty, and at the moment Lorenzo lost sight, that was the best time for Moriarty to attack.

Lorenzo’s vigilance became his weakness, the already positioned Nail Sword fell, perfectly injuring him from various angles.

Joints stuck by Nail Sword, body pierced and nailed, huge wounds exposed, forcing Lorenzo to prioritize saving himself over attacking.

Did I lose?

No, not yet, the head wasn’t severed, the heart wasn’t destroyed, Secret Blood still boiled, Lorenzo still had a chance to counterattack.

Without any hesitation, Secret Blood surged towards the forbidden zone, as long as the final limit was broken, nothing could bind Lorenzo anymore.

Yet suddenly the rising Secret Blood cooled down, the Nail Sword stabbed into Lorenzo’s chest, pierced his heart, he lifted his head, Moriarty was close, smilingly looking at him.

Lorenzo looked at all of this with disbelief, but immediately laughed at his own naive thought.

This is a battlefield of life and death, the enemy won’t leave any chance of survival, the moment he stepped into Moriarty’s trap, his death was already destined.

After all, his enemy is him, the abominable James Moriarty.

”Looks like I won, Mr. Holmes.”

Moriarty said gently, twisting the sword handle, shredding Lorenzo’s heart little by little.

Death arrived, yet Lorenzo’s reaction to death surprised Moriarty a bit.

He thought Lorenzo would cry, howl, beg for mercy, but Lorenzo did not do so, he lifted his head, the rising flames extinguished, his gray-blue eyes reflected his own image.

Lorenzo started laughing.

Injured like this, his laughter sounded raspy, thick blood coughed out.

”What are you laughing at?” Moriarty asked.

”So, you’re right, Moriarty, we are indeed alike.”

Lorenzo ignored him, continued speaking to himself.

”We are indeed alike, sometimes your ’chaos’ can actually be inferred, after all, you are me, I know myself too well.”

Lorenzo’s words made Moriarty feel a bit uneasy, even if he had Lorenzo under control, even if Lorenzo orchestrated the attack on Reichenbach, it was easily neutralized, but now, this dying guy made him feel a bit of fear.

Something seemed about to happen, something beyond his control.

”We are too much alike, neurotic, arrogant, narcissistic, even crazy.”

Lorenzo drooped his gaze, raised his hand to grasp the piercing blade.

”So, if it were me, if I defeated a formidable foe, with my vile nature, I’d be delighted, I wouldn’t hide in darkness watching him die powerlessly, but stand in person watching him, witnessing his death, then mock him recklessly.”

”So, Moriarty, I’m dying, a dying man wouldn’t arouse your vigilance, right? After all, you’ve already won, a winner has the calmness of a winner, the mercy of a winner.”

”So, Moriarty...”

”So right now, you must be your true self, correct?”

Sudden coldness enveloped Moriarty, he suddenly realized what Lorenzo intended to do.

Moriarty’s most troublesome feature was his disordered Illusion Realm, even with Lorenzo fully alert, he couldn’t guarantee complete avoidance, but he knew, only under one condition is Moriarty absolutely real.

The moment he defeated me.

”I’m too obsessed with eradicating demons, giving you the chance to destroy me, but likewise, Moriarty, aren’t you too obsessed with me as well? Isn’t all you’ve done trying to turn me into your ideal monster?”

When Lorenzo loses, Moriarty steps out of the woven Illusion Realm, standing real before him, mocking him.

This was that moment.

When Lorenzo loses, it was his final chance of victory.

”Monsters come for revenge! Moriarty!”

Secret Blood exploded in the veins, blood not yet cooled boiled again, twisted nailed arms bizarrely reversed, grasping Nail Sword broke all restraints, roaring with thunder.

At the same time, Moriarty gripped Nail Sword, forcefully driving it into Lorenzo’s chest, those calm eyes ignited again, Lorenzo didn’t avert his gaze, stared dead at the daylight before him, letting it burn out the darkness in his eyes.

Authority: Raphael.

No matter what kind of vitality Lorenzo had left, no matter what kind of plan he devised, under such circumstances Moriarty completely captured Lorenzo’s will, dragged him into that insane Illusion Realm.

He won.

Moriarty thought so, couldn’t help but laugh, indeed in the constant probing and scheming, in the end, he still won.

But suddenly he couldn’t see Lorenzo, more accurately he couldn’t see anything, a terrifying darkness filled his vision, followed by agonizing pain, steel thunder sounding beside his ears.

A grinning wound exploded atop Moriarty’s head.

Though captured by Authority: Raphael, in the final consciousness Lorenzo still instinctively swung his sword, Nail Sword cut open Moriarty’s head, cleaved down the temple, shattered the skull, along with the burning eyes severed completely.

Moriarty clutched his bleeding face, wailed bitterly while retreating, along with his agony the sea of flames surged fiercely, burning through the power room, consuming the struggling two into the furnace.

Lorenzo maintained his final sword-swinging posture, the whole person halted like a sculpture, consciousness gradually sinking, strangely he felt himself falling into a cold deep sea, the air carried the scent of sea breeze.