Gun of Ashes

”What trigger?”

”The trigger for the battle to begin.”

...

Approximately how long, maybe dozens of seconds, or perhaps dozens of minutes, [Wangchuan] bombarded Roger head-on, although this couldn’t kill him, it gave him immense wounds, and what followed was more to come.

He was expelled from Lorenzo’s [Gap], his will crushed all the way, until it returned him to his original body.

In the shadows, Lorenzo was also flung by an invisible force, slammed against the wall, amidst shattered dust, gasping heavily, spitting out blood.

Roger bore most of [Wangchuan]’s assault, but there was still a portion of power that struck Lorenzo, making him feel worse than death.

In pain, as the trigger was pulled, memories obscured by Anti-Meme in Lorenzo’s mind began to revive, an influx of information poured into his brain.

His expression first showed pain, then a hint of joy, and subsequently Lorenzo realized the shifting situation, grabbed the coronet from the corner and donned it, to shield against Roger’s follow-up assault.

Then he got up clumsily, unsure if Edren would be dragged into Lorenzo’s chessboard as planned, but just like Gawain said, humans should rely on themselves, not hope for miracles to happen.

”Good luck, Watson.”

Lorenzo muttered as he dashed out of the corridor, torrential rain spilled on his body, he turned his head and saw Shao Liangye in the distance.

He hadn’t gone far, always staying here, waiting for Lorenzo.

”What do we do next?”

Currently, only Lorenzo’s trigger has been pulled, he has regained most of the memory obscured by Anti-Meme, but Shao Liangye hasn’t yet.

”Go to the Mechanical Institute, Roger is delving into the Furnace Pillar to destroy the Death Row!”

Lorenzo shouted, starting to run.

He hadn’t run far when he felt a bit tired, it seemed too slow, but just then, a booming sound came from beyond the rain fog.

An Armed Iron Serpent broke through the puddles, then stopped beside Lorenzo, the door opened, a familiar face appeared.

”Yo! Need a ride?”

Joey smiled at Lorenzo, the carriage was filled with fully armed Cleaners.

...

Outside Old Dunling, on the rails, a hidden legion outside the story was also stirring at this moment.

”What are we going to do next?”

Arthur asked Zuo Tang beside him, looking at the rain-fog-covered city, he felt a sense of unease.

All forces have spread out, if the demons have any intelligence, they should be surprised, they have surrounded Old Dunling, but now there’s another stronger legion, encircling both them and Old Dunling.

This is an annihilation battle, in a human city, there only needs to be humans.

”Wait for the second trigger to be pulled,” Zuo Tang seemed not in a hurry, leaning on the carriage side, ”after the second trigger is pulled, you will lead the latter part of the battle.”

”The latter part? So we’re only in the first part now?” Arthur asked, ”What about Left Garrison?”

”Who knows? When devising the Mechanical Deity, it was Left Garrison’s request, he probably thought he would die in the first part, and thinking about it, too, with Death Row as bait, Roger wouldn’t spare anyone, especially commanding officers like you, you’re inherently targets Roger must eradicate... someone needs to make a sacrifice.”

Zuo Tang said this expressionlessly, as if the one about to die wasn’t Left Garrison, but just an irrelevant person.

”Don’t worry Arthur, the Mechanical Deity has just begun, we are all gears, one after another, for the same purpose, willing to rust and break.”

After saying this, Zuo Tang fell silent, under the storm, on the armed train, towering barrels were raised one after another, Ascalon was in its final adjustments, ready to cleanse the sins with fire rain.

...

”In the Mechanical Deity operation, you’re just an option, with you, we have a great chance of winning, without you, it won’t be that much worse.”

Watson said, reaching out a hand, and in that instant, Edren sensed the astonishing hostility.

As if for a moment Watson became some strange entity he had never encountered, nameless mighty power convulsed under the will, even he had rarely been able to resist.

”Is that so...”

Edren somewhat understood her meaning.

”If you refuse, then according to our initial plan, this would be the worst scenario, we would face both you and Roger, so when Lorenzo was invaded by Roger, using himself as bait, he leveraged [Wangchuan] to strike Roger heavily, while I would kill you here, then continue with Lorenzo’s plan.”

”Extreme jumping dozens of times, then deploy [Echo of the End] into the Well of Ascension?”

Edren sensed the floating power around Watson, she was indeed the true Sword Holder, the bearer of [Echo of the End].

Roger had always been fed false information, even if he really killed Lorenzo, he would only expose himself prematurely, and then Watson in the shadows would launch an unexpected assault, using [Echo of the End] to overthrow him in one go.

But Watson didn’t do so, she was still persuading Edren, to send him to death, simply because the root source of the problem was The Inexpressible, solving both Roger and herself was just a timely remedy, she needed to preserve strength, to destroy The Inexpressible.

Gazing at the presence before him, Watson seemed as though existing outside this world, completely detached from the story.

”And then?”

Edren continued to ask.

”This is a highly risky move, if successful, I will kill you and sever the path, then Lorenzo will unite with other Anonymous to root out Roger in Death Row, thus ending all wars.”

”This plan isn’t perfect, riddled with flaws, no assurance, it’s simply... simply...”

Edren shook his head with a smile, couldn’t help but speak.

”It’s simply a gamble, I know, we are all aware, but there’s no choice, fighting weak against strong, sometimes luck is indeed needed.”

Watson didn’t deny the ridiculousness of the plan, in fact, it’s an inevitability, no one knows when the crisis will come, this is their only resistance left.

The two stared at each other, silence prevailed.

Edren stepped forward a few steps more, standing alongside Watson, overseeing the city.

He, like Roger, had wandered in this city for a long time, but unlike Roger who killed many, Edren found some genuine sense of being alive in the city.

Edren has lived too long, so long that aside from the blind stubbornness within, it seemed not much was left.

He recalled something, rummaging in his pocket, taking out a few hard disks, stained with dirt and traces of alcohol scent.

The image of that drunken fool passed by, wondering under such desperate calamity, what state he would be in now, probably already dead.

Yes, he most likely died, a drunk like that couldn’t survive in this catastrophe.

But he needn’t have died, if Edren had killed Roger many years ago, even ended everything in that era not yet desperate...

”You’ve shown me death, loyalty, devotion... aren’t you going to say more, try persuading me?”

Edren curiously asked, the Mechanical Deity plan needed him, but Watson remained cold, without any begging demeanor, just as she said, he seemed truly expendable, yet Watson explained all the conspiracies and schemes to him.

This strange twist confused Edren greatly.

”I opposed this plan from the beginning, I thought we should provoke a duel between you and Roger, then find the chance to kill both of you, but Lorenzo thought you could be convinced, no... in his view, you seem from the start to be one of us, after showing you all this, you would loyally execute our plan.”

Watson looked at Edren, examining this rigid, cracked face.

”You mean to go to death? Then why?”

Edren asked.

After a long pause, Watson spoke of something else.

”You’re the Pope of the Evangelical Church, the Dean of the Demon Hunting Order... How should I address you? Majesty, or Dean?”

Edren didn’t respond, he merely gathered the coins in his hand, with a stern face, overlooking the city, his figure straight, like an upright sword.

”Another war... another war aimed at eradicating demons.”

Who knows how long it had been, Edren drew out a Nail Sword leisurely, speaking with a rare relaxed tone.

”Call me Grand Commander, during the Crusade, that’s what the knights called me.”