Gun of Ashes

”No, according to our plan, the Inexpressible will be imprisoned forever behind the Forbidden Metal, severing all cognition, eternally forgotten, even the watchers will do the same, watching until their death, until everyone forgets everything, that’s what we are supposed to do.”

Isolate erosion, eternal forgetting.

The Pioneers nearly succeeded, according to their design, the threat of the Inexpressible was to be eliminated, yet it still resiliently survived, the Anti-Memes failed to sever all pathways. Although it fell into slumber, its mutterings still penetrated the Forbidden Metal, driving mortals into nightmares, and in their unconsciousness, prompting the birth of Demons.

This means that Lorenzo has never truly faced this enemy; for centuries, humanity has fought only its mutterings.

”Then... why did the Demon Hunting Order appear above the prison later? It was supposed to be forgotten, wasn’t it?”

Lorenzo didn’t understand, if they deliberately concealed it, why was the Demon Hunting Order built upon this shadow, and still drawing power from the Well of Ascension... from the hands of Devils, obtaining the power to fight against Devils.

”That’s another story, and the protagonist of this story has already arrived.”

The Pioneer slowly stood, lifting the silver-white spear, looking towards the other side of the darkness, able to hear the storm’s resonant roar.

Something is approaching.

It was then that Lorenzo suddenly realized, the Pioneer was merely passing the time with these words, he was waiting for someone, waiting for his arrival.

”Pioneer... why, why help us?”

Watson finally found the loophole in this series of statements, the Black Angel stretching its Iron Feather, flames surging in the gaps.

”You have guided the way, repelled Leviathan, and explained these mysteries to us... so what about before? When Merlin arrived here, he must not have escaped your sight, why did you choose to speak to us but not to him?”

There is no goodwill that appears out of thin air, even for a strange and mysterious character like the Pioneer, who knows how much of his human nature remains after all these ages?

He has watched this world coldly for so long, why did he choose this moment to intervene, steering the course of the world?

”Because now I’ve made a choice.”

The Pioneer spoke, raising the spear, pointing towards the direction of the storm’s advance.

”The war has been ongoing, but we have no room for retaliation anymore. To imprison the Inexpressible, our civilization regressed several centuries and continues to decline in the following years.

We have lost the ability to eradicate the Inexpressible, can only pray for its long slumber, but its mutterings are so intense, stirring up one black tide after another in this world.

Facing this desolate world, what is the use even if Secret Keepers preserve the flame of humanity? Factories won’t build themselves out of thin air, weapons won’t hone themselves, not to mention the Inexpressible has polluting most of the knowledge, those stored mediums can only be destroyed, history severed, technology collapsed, we can’t even smelt the most basic Forbidden Alloy.

We have to start all over again, then fail under the attacks of Demons.”

The Pioneer mocked.

”You are not the only one who tried to change all this, Holmes. Over the lengthy years, there have been many worthy of being called heroes, but without exception, they all failed, turned into dust, forgotten by people.”

Once, all Secret Keepers withered, the glory of the past dimmed, most Watchers lost, history and knowledge became blurred, hard to recognize.

Nation-Builders rebuilt civilization again and again, only to collapse again amidst the Inexpressible’s mutterings, then start anew, in a constant cycle of reincarnation and iteration, all things turned into a handful of yellow earth.

Only the Inexpressible enjoys eternal slumber.

Lorenzo felt uneasy, he murmured.

”So what’s your choice, Pioneer?”

”Me?”

The Pioneer thought for a moment, then responded.

”Why not admit our failure? Reality has proven that with all the might humanity can gather, we still can’t kill it, barely imprisoning it, putting it in slumber is all we could achieve.

Doesn’t this further prove, this is the more magnificent existence, this is the path humanity ought to walk, isn’t it?”

Lorenzo drew the Nail Sword, the Black Angel also spread its Iron Feather, the Plague Doctor transformed into a scarlet beast, revealing sharp fangs.

”You... want to awaken it?”

Lorenzo woke up, gritting his teeth.

”Yes, look at this world, Holmes, the glory of the past is in such disarray, why not simply end it all and devote oneself to a greater existence?”

The Pioneer’s words turned into crazy mumblings, resonating like thunder around their ears.

”Nothing is eternal, human history is the same, since we’re already in chronic death, why not simply, decisively draw a line?”

The mottled silver-white Armor crackled with many fissures, evil anomaly’s hateful aura leaked from the gaps, Lorenzo could not describe this feeling, in an instant, he felt only endless darkness and despair.

Bone and flesh, rolling eyeballs and sliced hearts, exposed lungs expanding and contracting, amid steaming pools of blood, the incessant cries of infants...

In a trance, Lorenzo felt a huge hand pierce through his abdomen, tightly gripping his internal organs, twisting fiercely, even tearing apart his muscles and bones.

This is the world after death, the world consumed by the Inexpressible.

That’s why people desire death, to escape this darker despair.

”Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. The reason I’ve done so much is merely to give you another chance, to give humanity one last chance to fight back.”

The Pioneer’s voice carried a twisted smile.

Uncertain if he truly intended this or if it was the last remnants of his humanity asserting itself, after completing all this, the Pioneer chose to reveal his purpose.

”Regardless of the outcome, all this evil will come to an end.”

Lorenzo breathed deeply, the negative emotions in his mind soared instantly, his arm holding the Nail Sword started trembling, as if the next moment Lorenzo would swing the blade to sever his own head, ending this prolonged suffering.

He smelled the scent of blood.

Amid this obscure madness, Lorenzo reluctantly turned his head, seeing the wailing Froki, clutching his pen tightly, pressing it fiercely against his own neck, piercing skin and flesh.

He wailed, praying for the end of pain.

Lorenzo kicked hard, knocking Froki over, interrupting his suicide while swinging the Nail Sword, attempting to slay the Pioneer. But the deeper darkness soon enveloped Lorenzo’s consciousness.

He lost all strength, heavily collapsed onto the ground, in the peripheral view, he saw a vague face.

Lorenzo knew it was the Pioneer, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t discern the Pioneer’s appearance from his view, not a shred of useful information, as if he faced utter void.

”Inexpressible...”

Lorenzo whispered.

Just like the Well of Ascension imprisoning the Inexpressible, this silver-white Armor is not meant to guard against attacks from the Gap, but to bind the Pioneer to prevent him from leaking this madness power.

As the Pioneer spoke, more cracks emerged on the silver-white Armor, he was about to break free.

”A fair, conclusively ending war to end all wars.”

With that, the mottled Nail Sword sliced through the night sky, piercing with a cold chill beneath the ice, the following moment daylight rose, casting dense iron woodland into grotesque shadows.

At the end of the light, Adren Levien strode forward.

He roared in disgust.

”Roger Cruz!”