Gun of Ashes

Tears blurred Hu ao’s vision. He felt his body turning cold, as the wound left by the Red Falcon had already spilled a large amount of blood.

”I was so close to something beautiful, Mr. Holmes, why did you have to set it all ablaze?”

This grand coronation ceremony, the revelry of the Believers, Liya’s hymns... all were destroyed. The theater square turned into a bloodied slaughterhouse, Believers dying one after another, and Liya’s pure white dress was stained dark red.

Lorenzo didn’t know what to say, just like when facing Lawrence’s questioning, he couldn’t say a word, and finally could only rigidly declare.

”Hu ao, this is a false God, the God of evildoers, a God that should not exist.”

Yes, it’s evil, Lorenzo deceived himself like this.

Hu ao fell silent, but then he used the last of his strength to roar.

”I am not like you, Mr. Holmes, I am not as strong, not as powerful, I can only try to believe in this kind of thing, deceive myself to escape!”

Hu ao was like an Evil Ghost, using all his strength to reach out, grabbing Lorenzo’s leg, picking up broken iron pieces, crawling towards him to stab him.

”If he is the God of evildoers, then what’s wrong with believing in him? In my mediocre life, only the God of evildoers showed me mercy, he saved me, so I offer my life to him. If he is an evildoer, then I’ll be an evildoer too, even if he is, he is the savior of evildoers!”

Hu ao angrily thrust the iron piece. This attack shouldn’t have hurt Lorenzo, but he didn’t evade, standing dazed in place, letting the iron piece pierce his chest.

The man fell afterward, Lorenzo blankly stared at Hu ao, as though that strike used up all his strength, he fell helplessly to the ground, eyes filled with reluctance.

So close, so very close... Hu ao had already glimpsed the beauty of life, almost within reach.

He died.

The corpse lay at Lorenzo’s feet, the body cold.

In the end, Hu ao was just an ordinary man, drained by blood loss and injuries. After wounding Lorenzo, he died with unwillingness.

A grating laugh sounded, Lawrence mocked Lorenzo.

”Did you see, Lorenzo? I am the righteous one, I am the savior of the world...”

Lawrence’s words didn’t finish, a cold sword flash swept over, and the severed head flew through the air, soon followed by the broken body.

The Secret Blood gradually cooled, and the last of the flames extinguished. Lorenzo stared dazedly at the ravaged theater square.

For a moment, he wavered.

There is no absolute good or evil, only conflicts arising from different stances. Everyone was doing what they thought was ”righteous,” no one could persuade the other, everyone moved forward, racing down a broken path until they achieved their goals, or died along the way.

Everyone is righteous, everyone is evil, everyone can ascend to the Celestial Kingdom, everyone will step into Hell.

Footsteps sounded, and a Warrior walked over to Lawrence’s severed head, pulling the broken mask off the bloody head, skin stuck to the metal from the heat.

He tore it off with force, then put it on his face.

”In the end, I won, Lorenzo. You have strength, but lack the heart to give up everything.”

Lawrence continued as he slowly walked toward Lorenzo.

”Shut up!”

Lorenzo roared, and all he saw were twisted light trails. Then Lawrence’s body was cut into several pieces, the heart crushed, the neck severed, leaving only a blurred mass of flesh.

Walking to the severed head, Lorenzo lifted his foot and stomped down hard, crushing the loathsome mask.

Lorenzo thought this would grant him a moment of peace, but more footsteps came from all directions, surrounding the place.

In the darkness, countless shadows slowly approached, until the light illuminated their faces, revealing countless, pitch-black masks.

”Lorenzo, willpower cannot be killed. No matter how many times you kill me, I will return.”

The crowd spoke in unison.

The sound waves penetrated their ears, and everyone felt fear from this strange scene, then the crowd let out mocking laughter again.

”If you think I’m wrong, then come and correct me.”

Lawrence looked at the dazed Lorenzo, speaking with contempt.

”If you want to destroy me, replace me with a greater will.”

The sound of metal clanging continued, and at some point, the surrounding slaughter gradually calmed down, hundreds, thousands of Warriors surrounded the theater square.

Defeat was determined, Lorenzo lost this time, lost completely.

Should he escape?

Lorenzo had never considered the word.

Then continue to fight? But what is his reason for fighting?

Lorenzo had never felt this lost before, he could barely hold his Nail Sword. He wanted to kill Lawrence, but what was the purpose of killing him for?

For revenge, to prevent the Secret Blood from being misused, or... to cover up his own shame and incompetence?

In an instant, Lorenzo found himself laughable, he hadn’t felt this way in a long time.