Gun of Ashes

After the Radiant War ended, the dynasty named Jiuxia arrived at the port of Reindona with their fleet, marking the first time the people of the Western world had seen a nation from the East.

"Do you know where Jiuxia is?"

Producing a key that resembled an iron branch, Bola inserted it into the lock, twisting it vigorously, producing a metallic grate sound.

"East... perhaps."

Blue Jade thought for a moment and then spoke, after all, Jiuxia was often dubbed the Eastern Empire, the only empire.

"Can you be more specific?"

Bola struggled to twist it; it was heavier than he expected.

"I can't think of anything, I haven't been to school, you know that."

Speaking of this, Blue Jade seemed somewhat regretful. She had been struggling so long in Old Dunling, all her energy devoted to survival, with no time to focus on other things.

"Actually, even if you went to university, you might not know clearly where it is, because very few of our explorers have reached there, we know far too little about the East."

Bola continued.

"It's in the East, the far East, separated from us by an entire ocean, so vast that no captain has the confidence to sail across. They feel as though they can never reach it. The only ones who have ever had any contact with them are the Viking nations."

"Vikings?"

In Blue Jade's impression, Jiuxia was a resource-rich and beautiful land. She wondered how it connected with the impoverished Viking nations.

"Yes, actually Jiuxia and those Viking nations are on the same continent, only the winding and towering Caucasus Mountains act like a wall tightly separating these two worlds. There have been legends among the Vikings that beyond the mountains lies a world like a Celestial Kingdom, but few have managed to cross those stormy, snowbound mountains. Even those who left never returned."

Straining to twist the key, Bola's voice was somewhat breathless, and as he spoke, he even laughed.

"It's interesting, isn't it? On the other side of the mountain is a warm world, yet many people will never discover it in their lifetime. It's like us; the mysteries of the demons are just a line away, but we might never uncover them even until our death."

A crisp sound occurred inside the lock, Bola released his hand, triggering some mechanism—all at once, a chorus of metal clangs ensued, and the intricate mechanical structure swiftly rotated, unlocking layer upon layer of the sealed shackle.

Taking a deep breath, Bola was aware of what was behind there and felt a certain pressure.

"Blue Jade, did you know? That arrival of Jiuxia many years ago was actually premeditated."

Bola didn't know why, but he continued talking about matters related to the mission. Blue Jade noticed his oddness but didn't stop him; instead, she listened intently.

"Back at the end of the Radiant War, we already knew of Jiuxia's existence and had established contact. It was a... let's say the largest realm in the entire world. Compared to them, we were just like Old Dunling compared to all of Ingwig."

"At that time, the Demon Hunting Order still existed, and the Evangelical Church used the demon disasters to threaten us. To compensate for our lack of knowledge about demons, we made a deal with Jiuxia."

Bola turned to look at Blue Jade, revealing a confident smile.

"We exchanged steam technology for Jiuxia's demon knowledge and combat technology. Actually, we profited from this; global industrialization's progress is irreversible, and steam technology would eventually become universal worldwide. Jiuxia acquiring this technology was only a matter of time."

"So, with Jiuxia's technical support, the Purification Mechanism was truly born."

Bola placed his hands on the cold metal, then slowly pushed it open with great effort, as if trying to open up the entire world.

The door emitted a hair-raising sound, like some creature grinding its teeth.

Pushing the door open revealed profound darkness; cold weapons seemed to gaze at the two like living beings. In this enclosed carriage, the final barrier between humans and monsters no longer existed.

"You must be wondering why I'm saying so much, right? After all, I don't know if I can hold on, and if I can't, you'll have to take over.

A Sword Holder needs to understand the sword he wields."

The cold lights illuminated the pitch-black space as chilled gas seeped out from the base of Bola's feet, and in that ghastly light was a container akin to an iron coffin.

At this moment, Blue Jade finally realized the danger of this weapon. Even without seeing it directly, she sensed the utmost ominousness from within, not to mention the independent small generator and cooling equipment inside to maintain the weapon's stability.

"What is that?"

Blue Jade asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

Bola didn't rush to enter, standing by the door as if still hesitating. Upon hearing Blue Jade's question, he slowly responded.

"The prototype of this thing comes from the East, Jiuxia. They call it Ghostly Floating Massacre; after modifications and redesigns with the Perpetual Motion Pump, we call this the Armor of Original Sin."

Armor of Original Sin.

Blue Jade felt a chill from the depths of her soul; despite wearing a thick cloak, she couldn't suppress a shiver.

She knew about the Armor of Original Sin but had never seen it. It was said to be a secret weapon derived from the Perpetual Motion Pump, possessing the power to vanquish demons.

It was powerful but carried substantial risks—as in the case of Galahad, since that night Blue Jade hadn't heard from him.

"Unlike the first-generation armor used by the Knight Commanders, this is a second-generation armor with reduced power but also weaker erosion on the user."

"The day before the mission was finalized, it had just been forged in the furnaces of the Borhams Military Factory, and I'm supposed to be the first user, not knowing what unexpected things might happen."

Bola tried to make himself more relaxed, then said as he walked through the door, but just as he stepped completely inside, Blue Jade grabbed him.

"So this was the plan from the beginning? For you to wear the armor and die?"

Now Blue Jade truly understood; Bola's previous chatter was truly a farewell speech, and even the will he wrote at the station was real—this man genuinely believed he would die here.

"To be precise, it is a backup plan."

Bola answered.

"The optimal resolution for the plan would have us holding off the enemy while Lancelot eliminates them. But evidently, everything is progressing towards the worst scenario. Without this thing, we might not even leave the carriage—I wouldn't want to die here, frustrated, without firing a shot."

Walking boldly inside, Bola gently brushed the cold iron coffin. He detested this weapon but, just as Arthur had said, it was the only means to combat the demons, like the Firekeeper in the night; the flame was running out, so one had to leap into the fire, becoming the last firewood.

"Take this. If I lose control, it's the weapon that can kill me. Remember to aim for the head; once the brain's dead, the Armor of Original Sin will lose control of me, and this thing will quiet down."

He pointed to the other corner of the iron coffin where a weapon resembling a spear lay. Bola couldn't help but admire the kindness of the Borhams Military Factory—they not only sent a demon but also threw in a weapon capable of killing the demon.

"What is that?"

Blue Jade was somewhat lagging behind Bola's words. She assumed his previous remarks were mere displays of machismo or charm, but now it seemed he was serious, planning out details from the funeral music to where he'd be buried.

"Spear of Melting, an experimental weapon from the Mechanical Institute. You could think of it as a large thermite compound with a zero-range. The sharp spearhead will pierce the armor, the barbs inside will tear an opening, and the high temperature and liquid metal generated by the thermite reaction will flow in through the grooves."

Pointing to his own head, Bola quipped.

"Just a few seconds, and my head will melt into an ingot."

This was truly not a good joke.