Gun of Ashes

”Fury, fury.”

”Railing against the fading of the light.”

These words should have been shouted, yet in Lorenzo’s mouth, they became incomparably calm, his gaze like still water, murmuring of what once was.

”This is the encouragement of an old friend to me.”

Lorenzo looked at Shao Liangye, took the Winchester he handed over, a smile lingering on his face.

”Not bad, I like it,” Shao Liangye replied.

The office was quiet, more peaceful than ever; the sky outside was gloomy, but everyone felt as if bathed in afternoon sunlight, savoring a brief tranquility.

This place felt like a haven from the stormy winds and rains they would face once they stepped outside.

”So boring... Do you all like boredom?”

Shao Liangxi asked curiously, observing everyone with a relaxed demeanor; only she found it dull.

”Do you know the best fate for a weapon?”

Lorenzo asked the girl, and in Lorenzo’s eyes, not just Rod, but Shao Liangxi too seemed like a child who had not grown up, with a deep curiosity about everything.

He didn’t dislike this somewhat naive attitude; it was better than becoming a cold weapon like them.

”Killing the enemy? Killing powerful foes, I know there’s such a tradition.”

Shao Liangxi stood up, casually picking up the Nail Sword placed beside her, feeling its weight, and stroking its sharpness.

”A sword has no name of its own; only upon killing a strong enemy can it be named, recognized, and written into history.”

Her eyes slightly lost focus, as if immersed in that resplendent legend.

To Shao Liangxi, it seemed so; though everyone in this room appeared lazy, she knew well each of them was a fierce executioner, their slaughter stained with blood, even herself included.

Unexpectedly, Lorenzo shook his head, speaking slowly.

”No, the best end for a weapon is to be sealed away, forgotten by all.

Without conflict, there are no weapons.”

After Lorenzo spoke, he sensed the doubt in Shao Liangxi’s eyes, waving his hand, ”I know, it sounds incredible coming from me, but it’s true.”

”Look around.”

Lorenzo pointed at the office he had built.

”I’m truly retired, stored away the Nail Sword, forgotten the Secret Blood, pretending to live as a normal person... Living as a detective, if you don’t believe it, open that drawer; inside are records of my commissions, I really have been living well.”

Shao Liangxi pulled open the drawer, and as Lorenzo said, it was filled with dusty papers, looking as though they hadn’t been updated in a long time. Casually picking one up, she found a slightly comical commission written on it.

”Catch a mistress?”

Shao Liangxi was incredulous.

”This is normal; isn’t an ordinary person’s life like this?” Lorenzo felt no embarrassment.

”Boredom is quite nice,” Red Falcon slowly lifted his head, joining the conversation, ”Boredom means no anomalies, no demons, no enemies, we don’t need to wield swords, just rest here.”

Red Falcon’s mind was full of thoughts about retirement, always feeling that if it weren’t for these chaotic matters, he would already be basking in the sunlight of some bright afternoon, reading a book, fishing, and then beside him...

”Retirement is wonderful.”

Red Falcon murmured to himself.

”I thought you liked working,” Eve, who had been silent, put down her pen, stretched, and then spoke to Red Falcon.

Red Falcon had risen through the ranks, everyone thought he would eventually leap into management, yet this guy surprisingly wanted to retire like Lorenzo.

”It’s all forced; if possible, who wouldn’t want to retire?”

Red Falcon pondered the future, thinking and finding nothing.

”Rather than retirement, I’d like to live a different life, one without fighting and killing.”

”Do you know what such a life is like?” Lorenzo became interested, asking.

”I don’t know...”

Red Falcon thought about it, childhood memories long faded, from as far back as he remembered, he had been struggling in the mire, yet he wasn’t sad, instead showing a smile.

”It’s because I don’t know that I want to experience it, who knows, I might find it boring, live for a while, and then return to the Purification Mechanism.”

The story reached a crossroads, turning in another direction.

”Or maybe... maybe I’ll find such a life so good that I sometimes forget my past.”

”Sounds pretty nice.”

Lorenzo nodded affirmatively, the present scene truly wonderful, quiet and serene, perfectly so, he reached out to light a cigarette, intending to indulge further, but the next second his hand froze in midair.

He opened his eyes abruptly, gray-blue pupils flickering with pinpoints of blazing white.

The serene atmosphere froze, then shattered.

Everyone noticed it, Lorenzo’s change in demeanor; just now he seemed to be gently asleep, but at that moment he became solemn and oppressive, like a beast tensing its nerves, baring its fangs.

”What happened?”

Red Falcon immediately went into action, looking at Lorenzo, eager to glean useful information from his eyes.

”Invasion, there’s an invasion nearby.”

Lorenzo stood up, taking the Winchester and Nail Sword, his gaze scanning back and forth, searching for a target.

Upon hearing his words, the others also picked up their weapons, fully on guard, a faint murderous air permeating between them, as if the prior beauty and serenity were mere illusions.

This was their bloodthirsty and cruel essence.

Lorenzo pursued the sense of invasion, his gaze drifting, extending to the window, trying to look higher, but was blocked by the roof.

He lifted his head, the light outside the window quickly turned bloody red, as if crimson blood were pouring from the sky.

”This is...”

Red Falcon looked at the red light, momentarily dazed, but soon remembered something; Lorenzo acted even quicker, flipping over the table, pushing the door wide open, stepping into the cold wind.

Lorenzo lifted his head, surrounding pedestrians did the same, raising their heads to gaze at the sky.

”What’s happening...?”

The few who followed outside were also stunned, raising their heads like Lorenzo.

In their vision, the dense clouds shone with scarlet light, and that light continued to descend, tracing crimson paths, one after another, weaving trajectories to the sky.

”This is... an alarm! The Broken Dome’s alarm!”

Red Falcon finally remembered the key, shouting loudly, and the others realized what was happening through his shout.

In the depths of those clouds lay the core of the Purification Mechanism, atop the Dunling Tower, the Broken Dome.

”The Broken Dome has erupted into a crisis, one so dire they can’t handle it themselves, hence releasing an alarm and calling for aid across the city.”

Red Falcon’s voice carried a slight tremor, as this situation only appeared in manuals, now transforming into reality.

”And usually when such a situation occurs, it signifies the Broken Dome... has fallen.”

Eve whispered, witnessing the descent of the light trails, along with an overwhelming pressure.

A name slowly surfaced in everyone’s mind, exuding evil and deceit.

Roger Cruz.

He had ambushed the Broken Dome, and only he could achieve all this with absolute suppressive force.

”Lo...”

Eve was just about to call Lorenzo’s name, hoping he could do something, but saw Lorenzo standing there, eyes closed.

He didn’t respond to anyone’s calls, but soon, they all felt something spreading.

In an unnoticed corner, shapeless and intangible power was surging.

Between the cracks of his eyelids, a blazing white glow rolled, Lorenzo opened his eyes, staring into the sky.

With his gaze, a section of the heavens crumbled, something was falling, the wind roared, emitting a piercing wail.