Gun of Ashes

”Looks like we must have a fight, Lawrence.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the figure of the Plague Doctor became twisted and blurred. In the next moment, with a whooshing sound, he shot forward at a speed so fast that only a vague black shadow remained, instantly landing a heavy blow in front of Lawrence.

The two clashed, claws slashing down towards the skull, only to be blocked by the Broken Sword. In the stalemate of power, Lawrence could barely make out the Plague Doctor’s form, a form he had never seen before.

The form of a beast.

The robust scarlet muscles burst out, breaking free from the restraint of the shirt. In the dim light, the texture was clearly visible, claw-like blades pierced out from between the bones, stained with blood from piercing through flesh. The Plague Doctor’s body expanded, the growing muscles fortifying the body, tightly wrapping around the sturdy bones. The whole person resembled a beast, with backward-bending legs, an elongated tailbone, a slender, spiked tail wildly whipping like a long whip.

The corruption spread, unleashed from the Plague Doctor’s body.

Under the pitch-black mask, a blazing white glow shone, and the roiling flames and roaring power surged high. It seemed that what Lawrence held was no longer a Broken Sword, but an unmatched judgment.

Brandishing death forward, fiercely burning.

The legs, bent backward, erupted with unbelievable force, denting the steel beneath his feet in an instant. The Plague Doctor leaped into the air like an agile beast, dodging Lawrence’s slash. Then the slender tail wrapped around a nearby hollow iron frame, limbs clinging to the wall, claws deeply embedded.

He was like a mutated Demon, with a scarlet, hideous body, blood dripping from the edges of the bird-beaked mask.

”I should have realized it earlier, Plague Doctor. Back when you cooperated with me, it was for the Holy Grail’s blood...”

Lawrence looked up at the beast on the wall. There was a familiar scent within him.

”For your ideal, you sacrificed yourself, and so did I, Lawrence.”

The voice under the bird-beaked mask was no longer the previous dull tone. Perhaps due to the body’s mutation, the Plague Doctor’s voice was sharp and hoarse.

”Secret Blood, Holy Grail Flesh... Did you implant those things into yourself too?”

Lawrence recalled the various characteristics of the Plague Doctor. Even when they first met, this guy had shown incredibly bizarre vitality, able to regrow new limbs in an instant even if severed.

”You’re aware of my vitality. I am the best test subject myself, otherwise, why do you think your Secret Blood Legion was born so quickly?”

The Plague Doctor responded, slowly crawling along the wall, waiting for the opportune moment.

”So... what exactly are you, Plague Doctor?”

Lawrence asked puzzledly. Besides the Plague Doctor’s name, Lawrence knew nothing about him.

In the past, he didn’t care about these things because the Plague Doctor was on his side, this powerful tool has always been in his grip, but now it’s different. The Plague Doctor was leaving, this powerful tool would slip out of his control.

”A Scholar, a doctor.”

The Plague Doctor responded with a smile, descending from above.

His body flipped rapidly, and the tail emitted a whistling vibration, crashing down like a long whip. The razor-sharp blade at the end slashed fiercely at the hanging ladder, creating dazzling sparks at the edges.

This strike directly caused the corridor to collapse. Amidst the violent shaking, Lawrence leaped onto another high platform. He drew another Nail Sword, stabbing it into the wall, briefly stabilizing his figure, using the wall to continue his trajectory, turning to leap at the Plague Doctor.

Neither of them gave any sign of blocking, claws and the Nail Sword crossed, each piercing through a different body.

The Plague Doctor flailed his claws wildly like a ferocious beast, sharp spikes snagging Lawrence’s body, while another claw directly impaled Lawrence’s abdomen. Lawrence, on the other hand, wielding powerful slashes, cut down along the Plague Doctor’s right shoulder, slashing diagonally towards the chest. His force was so strong that flesh split inch by inch, stopping only when reaching near the heart.

Scorching blood sprayed mid-air, and the two descended into the darkness beneath the furnace, yet neither ceased their combat.

The Plague Doctor’s half-body was split open by the Nail Sword’s slash, the bones fractured, flesh crumbling. Within the ghastly wound, the white skeleton could be seen, beneath the broken hard shell was a translucent membrane still heaving, inside lay that fiery heart.

Suddenly, the claws extracted, opening up a gaping hole in Lawrence’s abdomen, blood mixed with stomach acid gushed out, along with twisted, tentacle-like things furiously whipping as they fell.

Lawrence covered the wound with one hand to prevent his entrails from spilling out, gritting his teeth as he drove his wrist forcefully, applying pressure on the Nail Sword. With a skin-crawling tearing sound, the Nail Sword slashed through the Plague Doctor’s body, severing the majority of the torso along with an arm from the body.

Fragments of bone and scraps of flesh scattered, dissipating like dust under the dim light.

It’s pain enough to make one faint; they would race along the nerves, finally rushing into the brain driving one mad, but this evidently didn’t apply to these two inhuman monsters.

They were not conquered by pain, instead, they became more exhilarated, their blood boiling under such agony. The powerful vitality surged with the blood, coursing through the veins, waves upon waves covering the body.

A sharp tail spike stabbed from an intricate angle, Lawrence swung the Nail Sword to deflect the sharp edge. After missing the strike, the long tail curled around Lawrence’s waist and abdomen, tightly constricting, continuously squeezing blood from Lawrence’s body. Under the immense pressure, the body began to deform, joints twisting into bizarre angles.