Gun of Ashes

Moon Naredo... or perhaps Red Falcon, he looked at the detective in front of him with great interest. There were many legends about this guy, he just didn't expect to meet him today.

The mysterious detective who arrived in Old Dunling six years ago, in order to gain Bola's support in Old Dunling, single-handedly orchestrated the horrific Red River Tragedy of that time.

Red Falcon could barely be considered a participant, and he was quite clear about that case. At that time, various forces in the Lower City District were rising, nobles colluding with gangs, and Bola's status was teetering. He had no control over this group of thugs. To regain his dominance in the Lower City District, Bola gave Lorenzo the first task.

To investigate evidence of crimes committed by those gangs and nobles. As long as there was evidence, the army would enter the Lower City District and reshuffle everything, and those nobles attempting to control the Lower City District would also be liquidated.

In return, Bola would provide Lorenzo, a foreigner, with a new life, a completely legal identity, the dream job, and a brand-new life.

Lorenzo managed to do it in the end, but in a way that went beyond everyone's imagination.

He found those people, tortured them into confessing everything, and then killed them. By the time Bola arrived, the entire Thames River was floating with corpses, the turbid river darkening with red, accompanied by screams, with one name after another being added to the list.

"Ah, honestly, Old Dunling really isn't a good place. Seeing a sunny day once in hundreds of years only to have your mood dampened."

Lorenzo became chatty, looking out at the darkness beyond the window, his hands couldn't help but pinching the petals in the flower box, crushing them, exuding a faint fragrance on his hands.

"Yes, but the west is much better. Although it's for work, let's consider it a trip."

Red Falcon replied with a smile.

He originally thought Lorenzo Holmes would be a cold-blooded killer, but after spending some time together, the initial impression was broken. But, he did not let his guard down, as anyone could disguise themselves.

"Hmm, I'm going to the restroom."

Saying this, Red Falcon nodded to Lorenzo and then headed towards the carriage behind, turning his head for just a moment with the smile disappearing, replaced by an icy look.

This mission was extremely important. To ensure that the weapons from Borhans wouldn't be discovered by some curious passenger, Red Falcon boarded first to guard the cargo. He just didn't expect to meet Lorenzo here.

According to Bola's bedside account, it was him who abducted Eve Phoenix. Although it's unclear how he escaped from the Underground Palace, it's evident this mysterious detective is connected to the Demon.

The Purification Mechanism takes a hard stance on this kind, following the normal protocol. On the second day after the Underground Palace collapsed, Knights with advanced weapons would knock on Lorenzo's door. However, due to Lorenzo's accomplishments in the Red River Tragedy, combined with the absence of an Upper-Rank Knight, Lorenzo's arrest was postponed.

Now, this troublemaker is on the Radiant, Red Falcon isn't sure what he's up to, but just in case, he should notify Bola.

Pushing through multiple iron doors, after passing the front carriages, even the train attendants hadn't noticed an extra carriage at the very front of their train.

Behind the heavy steel plates were heavily armed soldiers, equipped with weapons from the Mechanical Institute, just a bunch of cold killing machines.

A radio station was placed in the middle of the carriage, with all sorts of supplies available. Rather than a carriage, it was more like a mobile command post, with soldiers guarding the far end. Beyond that was the forbidden door, where the weapons from Borhans quietly lay sleeping.

"Tell Bola to prepare, we have some unwelcome guests here."

Having said that, Red Falcon took a revolver from the weapon rack, hiding it under his coat. Preserving goodwill hinges on having a weapon in hand, for this man who can stealthily emerge from the Underground Palace, any amount of vigilance isn't too much.

With these thoughts, Red Falcon prepared to return to his seat, but suddenly, a thunderous gunshot rang out from the rear end of the train.

...

A few minutes earlier.

Watching the departing Red Falcon, Lorenzo looked out of the window with boredom. Yet, there was nothing outside, just a dark blur. His gaze listlessly scanned the carriage, scrutinizing the passengers.

Initially, Lorenzo was also a novice in the detective industry. He remembered reading in a certain book that the best way to cultivate a detective's "deductive method" was by observing passers-by. From their attire to their demeanor, inferring a person's occupation, experiences, and more.

Initially, this training was a bit difficult for Lorenzo because he couldn't help his gaze being drawn to the young girls on the streets, which led to being hunted by the street patrolmen...

Alright, let's not talk about these unpleasant things for now. Lorenzo's gaze fell on a nearby passenger, sizing him up.

An ordinary middle-aged man, clad in a washed-out grey overcoat, carrying a heavy suitcase, quite like Red Falcon. This should also be a miserable middle-aged man on a business trip, head resting on the seatback, drowsy.

Then there was the next one, the next one...

Pushing forward with his observations, Lorenzo realized there were no women and children throughout the carriage, not even many elderly people. Mostly, it was people like Red Falcon, overworked souls.

Lorenzo stood up, feeling something was amiss. This route was to some extent also a tourist route, yet here were all working men, no women or children, which seemed very wrong.

Showing little expression, for the sake of safety, he picked up the suitcase and flower box, casually moved through the carriage, pushing open one iron door after another. Whether it was attendants or anyone else, there was a certain ineffable feeling, as outside was the ultimate darkness, like the train had unknowingly slipped into the Abyss.

But suddenly he seemed to see something and sat down in the corner of another carriage.

"So why are you here?"

People who have connections with the darkness will also connect with each other, like lamps in the dark, they always see each other, even though the girl in front of him was disguised beyond recognition, the scent of Secret Blood was so striking to Lorenzo.

"Because I have a commission I want to give you."

Raising her head, Eve's pale face was smeared with dirty coal ash, her bright eyes filled with fear.

After escaping the Phoenix Manor by train, Eve found Lorenzo's home according to the address on the business card, but it was Mrs. Van Rudd who opened the door. At that time, Lorenzo had already set off for the Central Train Station, and Eve ran desperately to catch the Radiant at the last moment.

"...What happened?"

The girl's gaze made Lorenzo cautious.

"I saw... those Demons."

Eve finally uttered the word Demon. Under constant pressure, she had to face the creators of her Nightmare.

"Right beside me, they were staring at me, saying they found me..."

Her voice trembled. Since escaping Phoenix Manor, this has been a journey of deadly escape, with unprecedented terror in the darkness, seeming that Demons have been lurking ever since.

"Found you? You mean Spiritual Vision? That's just a certain level of illusion, it won't affect reality. Just think of it as a waking Nightmare."

Lorenzo was familiar with this sort of thing due to his regular consumption of Wind Tobacco, comforting Eve.

To some extent, Lorenzo was actually trying to find a way to get rid of Eve, because the end of this journey was the mysterious Holy Coffin, and ordinary people who came into contact with it would only be eroded into members of the Demon, while someone like Eve who possessed Secret Blood, once completely eroded, would be an even more dangerous Demon than the normal ones.

Though he had killed many teammates before, Eve was still so young, and there was no need to go to that godforsaken place.

"No, it's different from an illusion, it really can see me."

Eve said anxiously, her mouth slightly open, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't describe it, she racked her brain but didn't know how to explain it.

"Just like... like... two worlds overlapping into one!"

Eve shouted loudly.

"Didn't you say before? As it deepens, they can see us. I'm sure that Demon saw me!"

Eve was speaking with all her might, the darkness chasing her, attempting to swallow her flickering flame.

An ominous and bizarre force encompassed everything, the pollution of the Demon has many transmission methods, one could say anything carrying "information" can be a medium for them.

A ray of describable light.

A painting depicting the Demon's image.

A book detailing battles against them.

Or perhaps a girl discovered by the Demons and speaks of them in fear.

"I've been... discovered..."

With a final burst of energy, Eve spoke with fear and exhaustion.

As the circuit burned, the carriage's lights extinguished one by one, eerie twisted shadows slowly rose from the dark corner, the world of Nightmares briefly overlapping reality, with a frenzied fury grinding with claws and teeth.

Eve drew the Revolver named Funeral Bell, aiming its barrel at the nameless darkness, she was terrified, and angry, but it was all too dark, too dark to see anything.

"Ah... what a hassle."

In the darkness, surrounded by wolves, the man spoke helplessly, feeling like an office worker who had worked for many days only to be suddenly called for overtime just as he was about to go home to rest.

A warm hand gently patted Eve's head, as if comforting her, then the girl smelled a refreshing floral scent, and tender petals fell like snow in the darkness, swirling wildly.

Petals still stuck to the Winchester, inhaling the fresh scent mixed with gunpowder, as the flower case heavy thudded on the ground like a funeral, more petals followed, falling, blinding firelight bursting from the gun barrel, illuminating the surrounding darkness and the ferocious passengers.