Gun of Ashes

This is the battle within the [Gap], but Lorenzo has no interest in fighting right now; all he can think about is finding a way out.

Blood smeared his face; in the instant of his exchange with Ed, Lorenzo understood that he simply couldn’t compete against him. It was likely that what Watson had encountered when she wrote to him was also such an eerie existence.

A ghost existing for millennia, drifting within the [Gap].

Lorenzo couldn’t imagine how vast the knowledge in Ed’s mind must be after all those years, or how deep his ascension was.

Of course, the most crucial thing was Ed’s identity, as a Watcher, the only being with autonomous consciousness Lorenzo has encountered so far. Perhaps he was the founder of the Watchers.

So, the fence... or rather, what on earth lies beneath the Well of Ascension?

Sprinting through the Static Holy Temple, the deeper he went, the more Lorenzo realized the complexity of the environment within; it was completely different from the Static Holy Temple he was familiar with, resembling a labyrinth.

A threat of death pursued him, and like a hunted prey, Lorenzo dashed madly through the labyrinth, unable to find the way out.

A sharp sound of wind rang out; Lorenzo suddenly halted, and the next moment, a deep crack split the ground before his feet, a rusted Nail Sword impaled upon it, gently swaying.

Had Lorenzo failed to stop, the sword would have had the chance to pierce through his body.

Normally, he might not have been bothered by such an injury, but now he existed in spirit form within the [Gap]. Although he wielded Authority · Gabriel, Lorenzo knew how childishly clumsy his mastery of this power was.

”Why? Why prevent others from exploring the truth?”

Lorenzo turned around and shouted at the approaching figure.

Ed’s steps were steady; his sword pouch, containing several mottled Nail Swords, some broken, some with jagged edges.

He didn’t answer Lorenzo’s question. Unlike his initial calmness, Lorenzo could clearly see Ed’s distorted face, furious and hateful towards Lorenzo crossing the fence.

Ed drew a new Nail Sword again, gripping it tightly.

The next second, he swung the Nail Sword like the wind approaching.

...

”Advance! Advance!”

Hebdo waved his arms vigorously, shouting excitedly.

Along with the acceleration of the Morning Glow Advance, they raced forward, quickly distancing themselves from the Sea Serpent, escaping the storm like an iron curtain, moving under the dazzling sunlight.

Seeing the vast white world, many people’s hearts were illuminated, realizing how vital light is to humanity.

On the ship, the Demon also killed systematically; with the external threat gone, dealing with the twisted flesh seemed easy for the soldiers, who effortlessly slaughtered most of the Demons.

Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction; the heavy ram acted like a sharp sword edge, cutting through all obstacles along the way.

Although the Black Angel remained silent, there was a bit of hope forming in everyone’s minds; they could still move forward, they could still survive.

But amidst the joy, only the Plague Doctor maintained a solemn gaze, fixing on the Armor of Original Sin standing on the deck.

After some rest, the Plague Doctor had recovered; most of his body was restructured, exposing crimson flesh that appeared intimidating, so not many approached him.

He just sat in the corner, observing the surroundings.

”Don’t lose too quickly, Holmes.”

The Plague Doctor muttered.

Unlike these joyous people, the Plague Doctor had truly seen the full form of the Sea Serpent; he also knew that the will controlling such a body was immensely powerful, far beyond comprehension. He never thought Lorenzo could win; all Lorenzo could do was buy more time for them to sail further.

The Plague Doctor saw the girl named Selyu still guarding the Armor of Original Sin; she was probably waiting for Lorenzo to awaken. But the Plague Doctor knew Lorenzo had no chance of waking up; since the moment he invaded the [Gap], he had entered into death.

”However, if the apocalypse is related to these things, then Lawrence, it looks like you might actually die because of it.”

The Plague Doctor self-talked.

He had heard of Lawrence’s prophecy of the apocalypse; for a long time, he considered it the ramblings of a zealot and didn’t think someone as powerful as Lawrence could die so easily.

But as they delved deeper into the Silent Sea, he had witnessed far too many anomalies, realizing the world was far from simple and pure as they knew it.

Waves vigorously slapped against the hull, the ship slightly trembling, followed by the sound of shattering ice as they crashed through one iceberg after another, racing onward.

Cliff let out a deep breath; not everyone gets the chance to walk out of such a hellish plight. He looked back at the hateful existence, then his eyes narrowed, breath turning rapid.

”Sea... Sea Serpent!”

Cliff pointed at the sea behind and shouted loudly.

Everyone held their breath as their gaze fell there.

The Sea Serpent had disappeared.

The Sea Serpent, previously frozen on the sea surface, had vanished, and the surrounding sea fell into turmoil again.

A vast and overwhelming despair choked Hebdo’s throat; Ascalon couldn’t fire again shortly, the Black Angel remained silent, and the injured Iron-clad ship no longer possessed the power to resist God.