Gun of Ashes

”Some demons that shouldn’t have appeared, have appeared, Shao Liangye.”

Lorenzo and Shao Liangye moved quickly through the heavy rain, wearing raincoats, they appeared like two dark ghosts, wandering between the city.

”What are you referring to?” Shao Liangye asked.

”Those demons that have acquired authority.”

”Acquired... authority?”

”Yes, more precisely, demons that have drawn power from the darkness and manifested it. You can think of them as Demon Hunters who have lost control,” Lorenzo said, recalling, ”I’ve encountered such demons rarely, but each is very troublesome.”

Burning demons, demons clad in iron armor, almost immortal demons...

Lorenzo suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He had read the report issued later by Black Mountain Hospital; during that almost endless storm, the Purification Mechanism had encountered such demons.

Autopsies revealed that they were Demon Hunters driven mad by receiving an overdose of Secret Blood injected by Plague Doctors, yet Lorenzo had also encountered similar native demons.

”So-called demons are essentially mortals distorted by ’Ascension’; they are crushed by the information contained within ’Ascension,’ their bodies warping in turn, gaining power from madness.”

”But don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just treat them as more powerful demons.”

While saying this, Lorenzo’s hand remained tightly against the hilt, ready to draw his Nail Sword from its sheath at any sudden movement.

Shao Liangye held a Folding Blade, with crimson Light Armor under his raincoat, walking beside Lorenzo, his other hand gripping a shotgun.

He occasionally looked down at the shotgun in his hand, asking with some surprise.

”Is it really alright to give this to me?”

”What’s there not to be alright about, I can hardly use it anyway,” Lorenzo said without turning back.

”You said this gun holds extraordinary meaning,” Shao Liangye said.

”Yes, but no matter how extraordinary the meaning, this gun isn’t in its original form anymore,” Lorenzo said, ”it’s already damaged, what you see now is just a simple notion.”

”It’s merely a vessel for that notion, build another one if it breaks, just hope that craftsman survives this storm.”

Lorenzo’s expression was relaxed, cracking a joke not particularly funny.

”Besides, this is a gun, Shao Liangye, it’s not some sort of artwork. More suited for killing enemies than hanging on a wall.”

Shao Liangye did not respond, his fingers gently brushing over the small inscriptions, holding the Winchester firmly.

It was a curious sensation, the Winchester preserved so well, like a new gun, yet after being engraved with the little poem, it felt exceedingly old and heavy, exposed to countless storms.

”Moreover, if its original owner knew, he’d probably hope it goes through constant warfare rather than gathering dust in a corner.”

Hearing Lorenzo say this, Shao Liangye shifted his focus from the firearm, only seeing Lorenzo’s back, unclear of his current expression.

He had previously asked Lorenzo similar questions, curious about who the gun’s original owner was, but Lorenzo never gave a formal answer, only saying it was a friend of his.

Like a nightmare he wished unmentioned, that secretive story, Lorenzo didn’t wish to narrate it. Perhaps it would die with Lorenzo someday.

A slightly odd smile appeared on his stern face, amidst such perilous circumstances, Lorenzo couldn’t stop his overactive nerves.

If I were to tell the story of 047, how would I say it?

Lorenzo frequently troubled himself over this.

Can’t just say, hello everyone, what you are seeing is 047... 047’s corpse, I am a ghost resurrected on his body, you can call me Lorenzo Holmes, or 042?

No matter how you think, it sounds incredibly absurd to anyone, sometimes even Lorenzo finds the relationships a bit confusing, so he simply gave up pondering over it.

But when seen this way, he really is quite like a ghost.

Like a revenant corpse.

”The intensity of the erosion is rising rapidly.”

Shao Liangye suddenly said, being Anonymous, he was protected by multiple Anti-Memes, which made him highly sensitive to the fluctuations of erosion.

”Hmm, looks like we’re very close now.”

Lorenzo also gazed into the depths of the rain and mist, already hearing the gunfire like thunder, and the roars of beasts.

”Afraid, Shao Liangye?” Lorenzo suddenly asked.

”I am Anonymous, that’s my duty.”

Shao Liangye calmly responded, as he walked beside Lorenzo.

Lorenzo smiled faintly, saying no more, collecting the emotions on his face, turning icy, like a mask of steel.

In an instant, an invisible force spread out from the front, a power that struck the soul. There was no light or heat, no thunder or lightning, it released in an instant, shaking everything.

Countless raindrops stopped momentarily, then deviated in different directions, the puddles at their feet rippled ceaselessly, as if boiling.

The erosion reached its threshold, triggering the Anti-Meme weapon, an invisible tidal wave swept across Lorenzo and Shao Liangye.

No need for more words, the two began to run, sprinting toward the explosion’s source.

...

Night Owl stared blankly at the sky, through a small crevice, clearly seeing the sky cluttered with dark clouds, so gloomy, only leaving the turbulent glow of lightning.