Gun of Ashes

Red Falcon hated waiting to die, yet he had no better solution.

He fired off the remaining ammunition, outside the gate’s crack, the Demon corpses piled up, but as though there was no end, more Demons tried to crawl out, hoarsely calling as if invoking Red Falcon’s name.

The gate slowly merged, leaving a gap only sufficient for one person to pass through, and at that moment, Red Falcon threw the emptied firearm into the exposed gears nearby.

The Furnace Pillar System wasn’t built overnight but underwent countless iterations over time to achieve its current form.

Thus, you could often see outdated mechanical structures within the Furnace Pillar, like some damned patina. The deeper you ventured, the more you discovered those decades-old pieces of equipment, and the central control room where Red Falcon now stood was among the first, and also the most primitive, facilities.

In many places here, you could observe the technicians’ immature and makeshift designs. The console had no clear indices, just one immobile pointer after another, a cluster of valves with barely discernible labels, and these exposed gears used to open and close the door.

Sturdy gears bit into the firearm, twisting it apart, emitting a fragile steel wail, temporarily jamming, halting the gate’s closure as Red Falcon drew the Folding Blade, staring forward.

”What are you doing?”

Merlin glanced back, puzzled by Red Falcon’s actions.

”Lighten the pressure for later... Anyway, we’re dead either way; might as well take out one more demon before dying.”

Though Red Falcon appeared unreliable, he was one of the few elites. Setting aside the mysterious luck, what truly supported Red Falcon to this point was the experience accumulated between life and death.

No matter how many Demons, under this gate’s restriction, to Red Falcon, it’s merely a one-on-one confrontation.

”Relax,” Red Falcon mumbled to himself, ”just... don’t know how many rounds of one-on-one I need to fight.”

A helpless smile appeared on his face as another Demon burst through the crack, approaching the gate while shouting, reaching its arm in, trying to pry the gate open.

The Folding Blade fell sharply, severing flesh and bone together, blood gushing from the cut, followed by a stab through the Demon’s throat, then withdrawn, chopping at the head, splitting it apart.

The Demon slumped and fell, Red Falcon wiped the blood off the Folding Blade, peering through the gap at the army outside.

”Merlin, aren’t you afraid?”

Red Falcon asked, puzzled.

”If I said I’ve been waiting for this day, what do you think of that reason?”

Merlin knocked the valve, twisting it forcefully. Each turn emitted a low hum. He dared not apply too much force; these were old contraptions that could snap easily.

”What do you mean?” Red Falcon asked, not comprehending the Alchemist Merlin’s inner world.

”You don’t need to understand much, just some... personal quirks of mine.”

Merlin twisted the valve, and louder rumbling sounds emerged from behind the pipes.

”In short... the last Merlin will also leap off the cliff.”

”Leap off the cliff? There’s no cliff here!” Red Falcon couldn’t grasp these technicians’ inner thoughts, knowing only that he and Merlin were near death.

More Demons broke through the gate, heading for the door, they vied eagerly, trying to squeeze out the narrow gap, but were cut down one by one by Red Falcon, causing flesh and blood to splash.

The corpses stacked on top of each other, the stench of blood overwhelmed.

”Next.”

Red Falcon stated, lifting the Folding Blade again.

...

Since its founding, the Mechanical Institute has faced the craziest assault.

Demons filled the soldiers’ and Armor of Original Sin’s view at the front line. At this moment, the defense has collapsed. They were unable to halt the Demons’ advance but still held their positions, making their last efforts.

The deafening gunfire had become tiring to the technicians. He already began to grow numb to it.

His gaze appeared somewhat lost, then due to violent impacts, his pain roused him, another technician ran over, supporting him, then shouted at others.

”Quick! Drop the furnace!”

The technician dragged his colleague, shouting continuously. Whether anyone heard him was unclear, but shouting like this was just right.

After a while, his voice received a response, the furnace hanging on the track fell, pouring scorching molten iron.

It was like a burning waterfall, the scalding iron directly splashed onto the Demons’ heads, slowing their furious bodies under the heat and viscosity, then searing them into black charred corpses, the bodies piled together as if a rain-washed ant nest.

”Keep going!”

The technician kept shouting, more furnaces on the track fell, the massive steel crashing the ground, splattering iron liquid.

It splashed everywhere, piled up, blocking the path, but this was not enough. In the technician’s vision, he hoped this operation could seal the road to underground.

But in reality, its impact was very small. Demons had found ways downward; everything done now was just barely delaying... no, not even delaying, just a futile struggle.

”Where... where are we going?”

His colleague being dragged asked, his neck showing much crimson, maybe due to blood loss and impacts, his consciousness was very cloudy.

”The control room! We need to pour all the Anti-Meme substances and overload the Furnace Pillar!”

Surprisingly, the technician and Merlin thought of the same solution. Actually, this was his original job, but this frantic assault disrupted all plans.

”Overload?”

”Yes, overload, use the Furnace Pillar as an Anti-Meme bomb, eradicating all these Demons!”

The technician’s expression was fierce, dragging his colleague forward. Unlike Merlin’s ideas, the Mechanical Institute might have fallen, but not completely.

Demons had taken over the surface facilities, those built on upper levels temporarily hadn’t faced their fierce attack, but being consumed was just a matter of time, the technician aimed to complete his plan before this.

He was close to the control room, a system approaching semi-automation, just needing to pull down valves, press a few buttons, he could control this massive Furnace Pillar, rather than Merlin tirelessly hammering rusty iron praying it still worked.

No prior practice, two groups’ thoughts collided unexpectedly hard.

Luminous fire flickered in the corner of his eye, the technician immediately made a judgment, dragging his colleague into a shadow, the next moment scorching fiery winds roared with explosive noise, its heat washed over metal, nearly turning it red-hot, followed by more explosive sounds, bullets colliding.

”What’s happening?”

His colleague gradually recuperated, leaning wearily aside, confused by the explosions.

”It must be the ammo depot, they’ve blown up the ammo depot.”

The technician panted heavily, the cold air heated to breathe.

Looking towards the ammo depot, the eyes only met dazzling flames, they burned fiercely, countless Demons ran with their bodies aflame.

”Keep going! Move!”

The technician supported his colleague, they were close to the control room, mustn’t fall here by any means.

More shout sounds emerged, like Death God’s knocking, urging their progress.

”Actually, you can leave me.”

His colleague said to the technician, feeling terribly unwell, thinking without him the technician could move quicker.

”Do you think I want to carry you? For safety, overloading the Furnace Pillar needs two people pulling the valves simultaneously, so you’re useful, buddy.”

The technician gritted his teeth, painfully shifting his figure, molten iron flowing below, seemingly traversing within a volcano, one step from death.