Gun of Ashes

In the midst of the blazing inferno, a figure leapt up, hurling the girl under his arm with force. With a scream, Red Falcon was knocked back by this unexpected disaster, and in mid-air, the second-rate detective twisted in an almost eerie manner, as the blazing white fire surged from the gun barrel, arriving alongside the thunder.

Countless hands stretched out from the sea of fire, attempting to cross this searing boundary, but heavy bullets fell soon after, driving them back one by one. Then Lorenzo, grasping the silver-white sword, descended like lightning, so fast that only a pale white light could be seen.

Whether it was steel, flames, or the bodies of demons, they were dazzling sparks, like a falling swarm of stars, all severed completely.

"Cut the hooks!"

Red Falcon pushed Eve aside and shouted at Lorenzo.

But this detective seemed to have no intention of following his orders. He slowly turned around, looked at Red Falcon, and asked.

"Is there any of that burning weapon left?"

"You... what are you trying to do! Quickly cut the hooks!"

Red Falcon felt like he was about to explode. Was this guy insane? Even if he wanted to die, he didn't have to drag them along!

"These many demons must be cleared. Once they escape, given their contaminating nature, the situation would only deteriorate. I have to clear them here."

Even though he was no longer a demon hunter, the professional illness persisted. Only one between Lorenzo and the demons could survive.

He swung his sword with no emotional fluctuations, casually piercing through the attacking demon, then he turned around and raised the shotgun, filling the entire view with gunfire.

But this wasn't a solution. Soon, the swarming demons surged like a tide, forcing Lorenzo to continuously retreat. At the last moment, he also jumped into the armored carriage, shutting the heavy door tightly.

Inside the carriage was pitch-black, the heavy panting and rapid heartbeat mixed with the countless claws scratching at the steel, creating what seemed like a symphony for a funeral, and they were the dead inside the coffin.

"Are you crazy! You clearly had the chance to cut the hooks off! At the train's speed, they can't catch up!"

In the darkness, Red Falcon lunged forward, grabbing Lorenzo's collar and yelling at him. Because of Lorenzo, everyone in the carriage was bound to go down with him, and with the weapons transport going wrong, no one could assure whether the subsequent mission in Ende Town would be affected.

"But they must die."

Lorenzo was entirely unconcerned with the enraged Red Falcon. He smoked, and in the darkness, the small glows were so distinct.

"You should understand the existence of demons, right? I guess Old Dunling also must have something similar to the Demon Hunting Order."

He spoke casually, but it hit Red Falcon right in the heart. He hadn't expected this detective to know so much. Not only did he know about demons, but he was also aware of the Demon Hunting Order's existence.

Six years ago, Seven Hills suddenly closed off externally, with the massive Holy Hall Knight Order guarding its perimeter conducting a city closure. This confinement lasted for two years, with no one being able to enter or leave. Even after the incident, the tightness of Seven Hills reached an unprecedented level.

No one knew what actually happened. Neither the kingdom's spies nor emissaries could enter that Land of Divine Favor. And due to this stringent protection, information flow was delayed for a long time, with the Purification Mechanism only learning of the Demon Hunting Order's dissolution six years later.

So where did this damned detective learn about it?

Red Falcon had no time to ponder as Lorenzo continued speaking.

"Those demons must die here. They number in the hundreds or thousands. Once they spread, it's like a plague outbreak. Even if everyone dies here, they must be wiped out, do you understand?"

Lorenzo tightened his grip on Red Falcon's collar, blowing a puff of smoke in his face. In the faint light, his face appeared menacing.

The demons must die.

"So, have you understood me, Moon Naredo sir?"

It was as if the Evil Ghost whispered beside your ear, carrying that terrifying madness. This detective was serious, even if everyone died there, he had to kill all those demons.

"But there's no need to die, right? So is there anything available here? Like that burning weapon, or heavily armed reinforcements?"

In a sudden change of tone, the burly man who was trying to bring everyone to death vanished, the change of scene so swift that even Red Falcon was a bit bewildered. Looking aside, in the darkness, Eve nodded to him helplessly. This lunatic was like this.

"So, if you have any trump cards, quickly bring them out!"

Seeing the still-dazed Red Falcon, Lorenzo shouted.

"Station... yes, we will soon reach a station, where our main force is. But there's interference, and our radio cannot send the message. We must find a way to prepare them."

Arriving at Bola's station without any warning, such a large number of demons would cause significant casualties. Perhaps even before the operation began, the mission for the Holy Coffin would be declared a failure.

"How far are we from that station?"

Lorenzo calmly asked.

"Should be soon."

"Bring that burning weapon along!"

Suddenly, it seemed he thought of something, and Lorenzo pulled Red Falcon up.

"What are you going to do?"

Red Falcon couldn't understand. Lorenzo might be strong, but facing the hordes of demons, he was powerless to resist.

"What else, let off fireworks!"

Lorenzo was full of confidence.

"Since the distance is uncertain, set off that weapon every now and then. With such huge flames, as long as your people aren't blind, they should see it."

"You mean to use the flaming bullet as a signal flare?"

Red Falcon was stunned. This was truly a so-called ingenious idea—an iron-melting signal flare.

"The optimal solution, most people survive, demons are cleared."

As Lorenzo spoke, he walked toward the heavy door. Outside were sharp sounds like tens of thousands of steel needles scraping the metal surface. Those were bloodthirsty demons trying every means to pry Lorenzo and the others out, like getting food from a can.

Soldiers took out more flaming bullets, which were wide firearms with deadly white phosphorus incendiaries at the forefront.

Clearly, Red Falcon was in charge, but the immediate crisis under Lorenzo's overall control utterly crushed their confidence. Just like the last hope, in the insane desperate situation, having someone remain sane was reassuring.

"No, no, no, are you crazy! We can't hold on!"

Only then did Red Falcon react, screaming. Somehow, his ideas were led by Lorenzo, making him believe this damned plan might actually work.

How many demons were outside? Hundreds or thousands?

Facing that massive tide, they couldn't hold for long. Opening the door might even be an issue regarding whether they could exit the carriage.

"Don't worry, you handle the signal flares, leave those demons to me."

Lorenzo spoke as he pushed open the door, the incoming fierce wind carrying that bloody death aura. This detective had never given Red Falcon the option to decide. The door was opened, and apart from following this lunatic to the end, there were no other choices.

[Secret Blood Awakening 17%, detached from stable value range.]

As the door opened, the scorching flames rose from those grey-blue pupils.

"You all still seem unsure how to fight these monsters..."

Looking at the hesitating Red Falcon, Lorenzo seemed to mockingly say, the shotgun hung below him, then another sword was drawn from the briefcase. He gripped both swords, his voice deep.

"Between us and them, it has always been... do or die!"

And thus the sword roared, carrying the blazing white flames, countless demons powerlessly retreated under the slashes. The figure stood between the carriage and the demons, an extraordinary might surpassing humans, single-handedly choking the tide of death.

He shouted.

"Run!"