Gun of Ashes

"I understand, but this is only part of the intelligence. The other part truly concerns you, or rather, the Demon Hunters."

This is merely the appetizer. No matter how powerful the Emperor of Emperors is, Ingwig also has the queen in the Platinum Palace and countless steam-powered guns to counterattack.

"Six years ago, an event called the Night of the Holy Arrival erupted within the Evangelical Church."

Arthur deliberately slowed his speech when mentioning this. He observed Lorenzo, but there was no reaction.

"We don't know the more detailed inside story, but after that, the Demon Hunting Order disbanded mysteriously. Shortly after, the previous Pope signed something called the Thirteenth Secret Order. According to our speculation, that secret order was a massacre order targeting the Demon Hunters."

As if knowing what Lorenzo would ask, he shook his head.

"I don't know, I had already arrived in Old Dunling at that time."

"What if the Thirteenth Secret Order has not ended until now?"

Arthur said again, with a bit of threatening tone.

The ancient hunt never stopped; it pursued every surviving Demon Hunter like a shadow.

"At the end of the telegram is a wanted order. The new Pope made no concealment. The Church is hunting a Demon Hunter who left the Seven Hills six years ago, but recently the Evangelical Church rediscovered his whereabouts. The location is... Ingwig."

Lorenzo's gaze was cold, the Secret Blood surged in his veins, as if anticipating his killing intent, a faint metallic sound came from all directions.

The nuns outside the church looked on in terror as the red-robed Aerial Cavalry descended on iron chains, surrounding every corner of the church, and at the end of the road, knights donned that loathsome armor, awaiting Arthur's command.

"Is this part of your sincerity?"

"The premise of equal dialogue is that we both hold the sword capable of killing each other, isn't it?"

Arthur didn't care much.

"Do you want to bind me to your war chariot?"

Lorenzo nodded slightly. He somewhat understood Arthur's intention. The Church had always been hunting those surviving Demon Hunters, but the Purification Mechanism could protect him; as long as he remained valuable, they would never abandon him.

"Whether the Church's wanted order is for you or not, you possess the Secret Blood, and such powerful force will tempt anyone."

"Are you also attempting to seize the Secret Blood?"

Lorenzo seemed amused, as if he had heard a joke, and laughed.

Arthur, as if knowing why Lorenzo laughed, continued to speak.

"Mr. Holmes, the era has changed. We were once pursued by demons, but now with the rise of industrial technology, we can easily defeat them. More and more weapons, more and more formidable power."

The air was filled with the scent of gunpowder, as if something had ignited.

"The world is changing. You should be aware of what the Church is doing. According to our intelligence, they have been trying to militarize the technology of demons.

And in the northern seas, those Viking nations have seen few pirates recently because they are in the midst of a civil war. A Viking is attempting to unify the warring nations, and he is about to succeed. Even Gaulunaro, just across a strait from us, has started catching up with steam technology. Not to mention that Jiuxia in the east has remained silent all along."

Arthur was once a warrior who only needed to see the battlefield, but now he was a player on the chessboard, needing to overlook the entire game.

"What do you think is the ultimate direction of this world?"

He suddenly asked.

Lorenzo was silent for a moment, then replied.

"I don't know."

Arthur's voice carried a hint of the sound of battle as he replied.

"War."

"The Industrial Revolution has brought tremendous progress, but after this progress are the sacrifices of countless people. Human labor is replaced by machines, and the class gap becomes increasingly vast and solidified. Under this rapidly advancing technology, every nation is teetering, and only war can transfer the conflict."

Like an Evil Dragon breathing beside him, Arthur deduced the world's direction for Lorenzo.

"The barren Viking countries have declining economies, and steam technology is not widely available. Once unified, they will need a way to catch up, and plunder is the fastest method... just like in history, hordes of Viking pirates crossed the seas, but this time, they hold advanced firearms."

"The same applies to Gaulunaro, which is close to Ingwig. Under our pressure, they'll eventually decline. The way to change is to initiate a Radiant War. This time, they must win, and the Pope of the Evangelical Church too, wants the Holy Spirit Evangelical Pope Kingdom to once again control the western world, and a sweeping war is the best method."

Arthur spoke slowly, in what appeared to be a peaceful world, surges and undercurrents were already present, maintaining a fragile balance.

"Mr. Holmes, this is the tide of the times, and no one can stay out of it. Even if you possess the Secret Blood, how long can you endure under the torrent of steel?"

"A war engulfing the entire world is brewing. Its emergence is inevitable."

"But the Secret Blood is a taboo that mortals can't explore. Doing so will only repeat the Church's mistakes."

Lorenzo calmly replied.

"But the decision of whether the sword kills lies in the hand that holds it."

The two fell silent together until Arthur stood up, his eyes slightly cold.

"If you change your mind, you can find Bola. As for Old Dunling, as long as you ensure you won't lose control, we are still very welcoming of you to stay here."

Arthur took out a gun and fired directly at Lorenzo's head, the bullet scraping past Lorenzo's cheek, leaving traces of blood.

"Are you still struggling with whether to kill me?"

The pain took a long time to slowly reach, and Lorenzo suddenly found Arthur quite interesting. Just a slight deviation could have blown his head off, but he didn't do it.

"Of course, Arthur's identity tells me you are still valuable, but as a father, I want to kill you."

Duke Phoenix looked fiercely at Lorenzo before he spoke again.

"Then, farewell, Mr. Holmes."

...

He left, along with the multitude of forces surrounding the church.

Lorenzo touched the bloodstains on his face, then laughed loudly after a long time. This was also Arthur's sincerity. They could capture or kill him; after all, he was merely a specimen of Secret Blood, a walking fortune. But instead, he was left here to make a choice.

But did Lorenzo truly have a choice? A peaceful life was already far away, or perhaps it never came.

The world in his eyes began to ripple, with red and blue intertwined. After the chaos, it was like a video glitch, causing many fluctuations, accompanied by a deep neurological pain.

[Begin connecting to the Static Holy Temple.]

[Begin connecting τψΓΗυωΔΘΦΡΝ...]

As the sound calmed in his mind, the pain finally disappeared. Lorenzo held his head in exhaustion.

"Why not agree?"

A woman's voice sounded in his ear. She gently rubbed Lorenzo's face, pressed closely against him, and then covered Lorenzo's head with her hands, tenderly massaging his source of pain.

"The Demon Hunting Order has indeed been rebuilt. The reappearance of the Static Holy Temple online is proof. But Lorenzo, forcibly interrupting the connection is not punitive."

Embracing Lorenzo's neck, the two were as intimate as lovers.

"Why don't you speak? Aren't you happy to see me again?"

She whispered in his ear.

"I'm not interested in imaginary devils."

Finally, Lorenzo slowly said, then brutally punched down, leaving cracks on the wooden chair as the woman vanished like smoke.

Lorenzo sat alone in the church; after a long time, he picked up the Winchester from the suitcase. He never parted from this weapon, picked up a heavy deer bullet, with the projectiles cast in Holy Silver, then loaded it.

Facing the multi-colored statue, Lorenzo pressed the muzzle firmly under his chin, closed his eyes, and gently pulled the trigger, accompanying a whispered prayer. In the distance, the song of children from the choir reached.

There was a long calm until the gunshot rang out; the shattered Holy Silver Bullet smashed the stained glass, and cries of surprise echoed from the fragmentation. The man leaned against the Winchester; in the last moment, he still dodged the muzzle, his ears filled with intense buzzing, amid which was a faint female voice, seeming to mock his cowardice.