Gun of Ashes

[Going to die.]

The thought of death flashed through Notar’s mind, and for a moment, he wasn’t really afraid; instead, there was a kind of ecstatic release.

Notar could finally escape this endless nightmare. Though he seemed very much like a coward, fleeing like this might be a good ending.

Just like this...die.

The blazing aluminothermic bomb hit the demon, interrupting its path. The scorching metal penetrated its body. It swung its claws, trying to slice through the surroundings, but soon a sharp folding blade stabbed into its throat and violently tore it open again.

Bones cracked, warm blood sprayed out. The demon was not yet dead; its twisted head still tried to bite, but the barrel of the aluminothermic rifle was directly thrust into its mouth, the trigger pulled, and the scorching bullets burned deeper until its chest was a charred mess.

Selyu kicked the still smoldering corpse away, and Cliff, who had caught up behind her, reloaded the aluminothermic rifle.

She seemed to be saying something, but Notar couldn’t hear; his mind was completely captured by madness, every single moment was torture.

”Notar!”

The voice suddenly became clear.

Selyu aggressively injected a shot of Florun potion into Notar. As the potion spread, the insane murmurs diminished significantly, but could still be distinguished in the vicinity.

Notar was gasping for breath, dragged up by Cliff who had caught up.

”Return to your post, Captain Notar.”

Selyu shouted in his ear.

Notar stared blankly at this bloodstained girl, hearing her words. Only then did he realize his hands had released the wheel.

He raised his hands, obeying Selyu, and just as he was about to grab hold of the wheel, more shadows enveloped the command room.

One demon after another clung to the surroundings, eyeing the people inside the cabin with greedy fangs.

”Demons!”

Notar exclaimed in shock, for he had no courage left to face them. But Selyu kicked him in the body, forcing him to lunge forward and grip the wheel.

”Just hold it tight! Leave the rest to us!”

Selyu said, swinging the folding blade, chopping down the arms reaching into the command room.

Cliff followed closely behind Selyu, wielding the aluminothermic rifle, continuously firing, each scorching stream precisely hitting the attacking demons, driving them out of the command room.

Galron held the folding blade in one hand, using the other hand to prop himself with a cane, protecting Froki in the corner, fiercely hacking down any demon daring to approach.

A ceaseless cacophony of gunfire erupted from outside, as the rise of white light incited the demons’ attack into greater fervor; seen from overhead, the deck’s defense line was beginning to collapse, with demons swarming one after another, seemingly endless, as though they could never be eradicated.

”Hell!”

Notar howled in anguish, beginning to hate it all, his hands trembling as he grasped the wheel, yet he lacked the power to turn it.

While Selyu fought against the demons, she watched Notar with peripheral vision.

Following Lorenzo’s orders, Selyu was commanded to stay here to keep an eye on Notar; given Notar’s current state, he should have been replaced, but unfortunately, through the sea battle, those meant to replace him were either injured or dead, leaving only the chief mate, who wasn’t much better off. When the soldiers reached his room, they heard a series of bloodthirsty panting through the door.

All things considered, Notar was still quite important right now, with no one capable of replacing his position temporarily.

The command room was also extremely crucial, and it couldn’t fall.

The soldiers fought around the perimeter of the command room, yet some demons broke through their encirclement and attacked towards the interior.

Greeting them was the counterattack from several people, with folding blades and aluminothermic bombs combined, Selyu relying on her early years experience and agile steps didn’t need to worry much for now, but it was Notar’s mentality that made one uneasy.

Under this trial of death, Notar’s sanity was wavering. Perhaps what he feared was not the threat of death, but this prolonged torment before demise.

”Notar! Iceberg!”

Selyu saw something, she shouted at Notar.

The pitch-black night was dispelled by the rising daylight, the light illuminated the sea area, also lighting the path ahead, countless broken ice floes accompanied the surge of seawater, crashing into the hull of the Morning Glow Advance, and with the deepening approach, the ice chunks grew larger, visible was an iceberg fragment of considerable height, quickly closing in on the Morning Glow Advance.

In the deeper silent sea was a frozen domain, its surface covered by colossal icebergs, and the ram of the Morning Glow Advance was meant for breaking ice.

”Turn!”

Galron also yelled at this moment, at this rate, the iceberg fragment would directly collide with the side of the ship, causing severe damage to the hull.

”I... I...”

Notar trembled as he held the wheel, momentarily feeling as if he wasn’t holding the wheel, but rather the wheel was gripping him.

Selyu’s shouts, Galron’s urging, Cliff’s low roar, and...and those chaotic murmurs.

Demons lurked all around, only a few meters away, and now Notar couldn’t cry out nor could he hide; he had to stand here, control the wheel.

The shattered hard ice crashed towards them one after the other, toppling demons rolling in the sea; blood stained the cold, resembling enormous rubies.