Gun of Ashes

Lorenzo was a little dazed; this rarely happened to him, but it truly had. He could clearly feel something ridiculous collapsing inside his heart, then twisting into something even stranger.

Amid his chaotic thoughts, a towering building rose into his field of vision.

Old Dunling, Central Train Station.

As the traffic hub of Old Dunling, this place was always extremely crowded, and now that crowding had turned even worse. Soldiers walked the streets maintaining order, and towering Peacekeepers loomed among the throng.

Their polished metal armor reflected the masses like a mirror; their terrifying posture quieted the scene somewhat, yet still could not suppress the emotions of the crowd.

In a few minutes, the train carrying the Jiuxia envoys would arrive; for many people, this would be their first time seeing these foreigners from the Far East.

No one knew whether it was curiosity about the East, or the mentality of viewing some rare species. People came and went, sealing this place up, not leaving even a drop of space.

Lorenzo pulled open the carriage window and took a distant look at the scene, then the carriage carried them away toward another place.

This was only a smokescreen; the true envoys had long since arrived, and the meeting venue was not here, but in a far more secret place.

Lorenzo lifted his head and looked at the gloomy sky. Between the roaming Iron Whales, a high tower thrust into the depths of the clouds.

"Dunling Tower."

Lorenzo murmured. The core of the Dunling Plan, and now the core of the Purification Mechanism—the place where the Broken Dome was located.

This meeting would unfold there.

After weathering so many storms, Lorenzo felt he had already forged a calm and unflustered state of mind, yet even now he could not help feeling a faint excitement.

He was going to meet not only the mysterious Jiuxia, but also the "variable" of this war. He was very much looking forward to what kind of surprise these people of Jiuxia would bring.

Whether it would be the sort of surprise that could reverse the tide of battle.

...

Dunling Tower, the Broken Dome.

Aside from the roaming Iron Whales, this was the highest point in Old Dunling, wrapped in advanced technology and coordinating the operation of the various systems of the entire city.

Arthur sat at one corner of the round table. To his left, seated in order, were Gawain, Percival, and Gareth.

Throughout the long war, the mortality rate of the Purification Mechanism had always remained high; even the Knight Commanders were no exception. These were currently the only Knight Commanders the Purification Mechanism had left, and the remaining vacancies had yet to be filled.

To his right were the heads of the various departments—Merlin, Abigail. Perhaps to cultivate successors, Nikola and Eve were also present at this meeting, but their seats were far to the back, almost swallowed by the shadows.

On the other half of the round table sat the Anonymous delegates with Left Garrison at their head. Behind them, Rod stood in place, constrained and rigid, sweat of nervousness trickling down.

He had no right to take part in such a meeting, but because of his role as interpreter, he had been brought in. Everyone within his field of vision counted as a big figure in the Purification Mechanism, and now Rod was sharing a room with them.

The feeling was rather strange. On top of that, these people’s Western speech was all quite good, so Rod felt more like a guard—but he was not the only guard present.

Rod turned his head slightly, sneaking a look at Mr. Cai, who was standing not far away. Sharp as ever, Mr. Cai noticed Rod’s gaze and looked back. Just as before, he said nothing, then showed a smile.

He really did seem to be a mute.

"Because of His Majesty’s health, these matters will be handled by me," Arthur broke the long silence.

"Mm, understood," Left Garrison replied.

At the meeting decades ago, the previous queen had already laid these things bare; for Left Garrison, this was no secret.

"However, are we not starting yet?"

Left Garrison looked around. The round table was large, so many seats were still empty. He felt that everyone who should be here was already present; it was time to begin.

"We have a newly appointed Nation-Builder; she has the right to participate as well. It’s just that I don’t know why she’s this late. And there’s also Mr. Holmo Holmes."

Arthur glanced at his watch. Strictly speaking, they were not late; a few minutes still remained before the scheduled start. Yet given the solemn nature of this meeting, they should have arrived long in advance.

He thought of Duke Stuart’s relationship with Lorenzo and had a rather bad premonition.

"Is that so... In that case, why don’t we talk about this Mr. Holmes first. To complete the voyage to the Silent Sea and return from the World’s End—he has my full attention."

Clear daylight poured down from above the dome, casting over Left Garrison’s face and sketching ferocious shadows across his aged wrinkles.

Arthur considered for a moment, then asked.

"What would you like to know?"

"What sort of... person is he?" Left Garrison asked.

The question seemed to stump Arthur. His expression stiffened for a moment, his gaze drifting as he looked toward his colleagues, as if seeking some answer from them.

None of this escaped Left Garrison’s observation; he began to laugh.

"It seems he must be a very interesting man."

"Interesting... perhaps. I think he’s a very complicated person, hard to understand, always in disguise. Very few people can see his true face," Arthur said after pondering for a while.

"And have you seen it clearly?" Left Garrison asked.

This time Arthur did not hesitate for long. The journey thus far surfaced before his eyes—again and again brushing past death. He spoke with certainty.

"Yes. In matters like this, he is an expert—and one who can be trusted."

"Good. We need such experts," Left Garrison smiled. "The so‑called Echo of the End is in his keeping now, isn’t it?"

"That’s right. I can’t think of anyone more suited to hold that thing."

"Is that so... We’re very interested in that object as well. If possible, we’d all like to bring it back to Jiuxia for a good, thorough study. After all, Anti-Memes are our specialty."

Left Garrison smiled. Before Arthur could say anything further, he denied his own words.

"But unfortunately, that is impossible. This thing should be used to stop the restart. We have no time to study it, and no capacity to study it."

"Secret Blood, Demon Hunters—in different environments, under different influences, we walked different paths, and now all those paths converge on a single point, waiting for us to move on."

Left Garrison sighed, gazing at the people on the other side of the round table. Time had passed so quickly; he had never imagined that everything would have changed into what it was now.

"The more we flourish, the stronger our enemies become."

"Just like what’s written in the Gospel," Merlin spoke up at this moment. "Evil Anomalies breed in God’s shadow. The greater God stands, the deeper the shadow falls."

"But now we have a chance to put an end to it all. The hope is slim, but it’s worth a try."

Left Garrison nodded slightly, agreeing with Merlin’s words.

This would be a calamity sweeping the entire world, sparing no one. Even Jiuxia, with its Forgotten Great Wall, would be no exception. Everyone’s fate had been bound to this terrible enemy, thundering forward together.

"However, Mr. Holmes is a Demon Hunter, isn’t he?" Left Garrison asked.

"Mm."

Arthur replied, a faint unease stirring in him.

"A Demon Hunter who has stepped once more onto the road of Ascension—that is to say, he might also become a new ’path,’ correct?"

Left Garrison’s eyes turned vicious. To break free of this dark fate, all connections had to be severed, Lorenzo included.

"I know what you’re worried about. Mr. Holmes understands this as well. As for these matters, you don’t need to worry—he’ll handle them perfectly," Arthur said.

"Really?"

Left Garrison was dubious. His mission was extraordinary; he had to ensure that no accident whatsoever occurred, that everything would end here.

Arthur nodded firmly; he was vouching for Lorenzo.

"I’ve worked with Mr. Holmes for a long time. I still feel I don’t truly understand him, but at least I know, at certain times, what kind of decision he will make."

"He will eradicate all of this. He is a Demon Hunter—the last Demon Hunter."

Footsteps sounded outside the door; someone was coming. The stride was swift as that person pushed the door open.

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