Gun of Ashes

The Flame Holder nodded, speeding all the way over, it had already surveilled the entire battlefield from high above.

The crimson of blood spread across the entire street, corpses piled up like high walls. Gawain not only reclaimed the defense line but pushed it further, to the extent that all the demons were crushed beneath the steel, sinking into the stagnant water.

[Sorry, I am late.]

A voice echoed in Gawain’s mind, the Flame Holder had been quick, but ultimately it was merely an Armor of Original Sin, there was little it could accomplish.

"Sorry for what? Sorry you couldn’t come to save us?"

Upon hearing this, Gawain responded disdainfully.

"And who do you think you are, Holmes, a savior?"

Despite being in a wretched state, Gawain remained proud; he had always been this sort of person, much like standing up straight even when falling in the mud.

The Flame Holder said nothing; there was no expression on its steel face armor. It unfolded its jagged wings, which shielded the rain and storm like a dense forest of swords.

"Don’t take on these irrelevant responsibilities, Holmes. We don’t need you to save us. We are soldiers, soldiers!"

Gawain stubbornly declared.

"No gods, no demons, just humans. Humans can only rely on themselves."

Gawain’s gaze dimmed; he hadn’t felt this way in a long time, he felt relieved, like a burden lifted.

"It’s not that without Holmes’s rescue, human dignity cannot be sustained."

[I... I know.]

A reply echoed in his mind, to which Gawain smiled.

"Yes, just like that. You too are human, a soldier, and not a savior. You can’t save everyone."

Gawain tried to reach out, but his remaining right arm was completely entangled with metal, immobile.

"This isn’t a one-person world-saving operation, Lorenzo Holmes."

Those were Gawain’s final words as his gaze dimmed completely, merging with the pouring rain.

The Flame Holder watched for a long time, its gaze swept over the crimson battlefield, where countless unnamed corpses lay. They were all soldiers, they were saviors.

With flames swirling, the next moment, the tail of the Flame Holder ignited in a fierce blaze, burning its fuel tanks, launching it forcefully, its wings unfolded like blades gliding.

The Flame Holder had no extra time to mourn Gawain. This battle was over, but that didn’t mean others elsewhere were as well.

It could perceive the invasive surge, now clear as light points reflecting before its eyes.

Increasingly intense.

As if an invisible storm was gathering, it unhesitatingly exposed its presence, inviting the Flame Holder toward it.

[Goodbye, Gawain.]

The sound echoed in the silence of its mind, and the Flame Holder stepped toward the center of the storm, past towering corpses standing like statues.

...

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"A married couple reunited, truly blissful."

In the shelter’s hall, Oscar sat in a corner, watching Buscalo reunite with his wife and daughter from afar. Perhaps after slaying a few demons, it really made a change in this guy; he appeared much more confident than usual.

Courage, confidence, decisiveness—even from Buscalo’s wife’s perspective, this bald man with a beer belly seemed to have come back to life.

Rebirth.

For Buscalo, it truly was a rebirth; recalling carefully, he couldn’t think of anyone with experiences as strange as his.

"Are you envious?"

Eve leaned against the other side and asked; she too was exhausted, only hoping to gather enough strength before the next crisis struck.

"Do you think I would envy such a thing?"

As if to cover up something, Oscar raised his voice.

Eve stared at him, unwaveringly.

"Alright, alright, alright, people will always be fascinated by things they themselves have never had."

Oscar waved his hand, eager to dismiss this girl quickly.

"Then why do you call it a grave or something like that?"

Eve was curious; she thought Oscar was an intriguing person, so interesting she couldn’t help but want to understand him.

"Unable to obtain it, yet coveting it, so we deceive ourselves that it’s nothing good."

Oscar said frankly.

Picking up the mottled long sword, he rolled up his damp sleeve and vigorously scrubbed the blade, endeavoring to clean off the stains.

"Looks like Buscalo’s story ends here."

Oscar seemed a bit melancholic.

"What’s wrong?" Eve asked.

"Don’t you think his current situation resembles the end of a story? The unlucky fellow, after overcoming many obstacles, finally returns to his family and enjoys peace under the rain..."

Oscar mumbled, leaning on his longsword to stand up with difficulty.

"It’s a good story, and it should end here. Only a clumsy writer would think of writing a sequel."

Oscar turned his head, looked at Eve, and said to her.

"We should go."

In the distance, Shao Liangxi and Rod had been waiting for a long time. After a brief preparation, Shao Liangxi was armed again, holding a folding blade with a ready-to-fight demeanor.

Eve crossed through the crowd, and just before exiting the hall, she took a distant glance.

Buscalo’s figure had already blurred. Among the moving people, she saw the busy Pres, who hadn’t the time to inquire Eve about various matters, as he tensely maintained order amidst the burning warfare.

"Indeed, it’s not bad."

Eve remarked, leaving the hall with the others.

In the crowd, Buscalo regained sobriety from his ecstasy. Holding his child, he conversed with his wife, wanting to chat about the thrilling tales from his journey and introduce his peculiar friends.

Yet when Buscalo turned around, there was no one there, as if they never existed.

...

"The Demons haven’t pushed through yet; can I understand this as Gawain holding the line?"

Eve stood in the shadow, evading the storm.

She could see Peacekeepers continuously heading towards the front line, and at some point, the sounds of artillery had diminished, as if the battle had ceased.

"Not sure, the communication is still jammed."

Shao Liangxi forcefully knocked the communicator, still filled with chaotic noise, with no response from anyone.

"So what should we do? Hide here, or..."

Rod asked tentatively, being the least authoritative among them and the most timid. Yet due to his work and Shao Liangxi’s request, he had to brave life and death with these people.

It felt terrible; Rod never imagined he would experience such a thing in his life.

"Perhaps... did you feel it?"

Oscar was about to say something but sharply sensed something, a feeling of revulsion from deep within the soul.

His expression tightened, and he grabbed his longsword, attempting to slash, but he couldn’t find the enemy’s trace.

Not just him, others also felt the same as Oscar mentioned it—the feeling of being pulled by something sharp, trying to extract the soul from the feeble shell.

"Demons?"

Eve asked, the situation not surprising, as even tight defenses might have Demons sneak through amid intense combat.

"No... it’s worse than Demons."

Shao Liangxi realized the issue, looking towards the rain mist, where a Peacekeeper was slowly approaching. Supposedly a protector, but everyone could sense the darkness hidden beneath its armor.

The Peacekeeper raised its gun towards them.

"It’s Ro—"

Shao Liangxi shouted, but before she finished, an explosive sound drowned out her voice.

A scorching fire stream swept past, and amid the roar, a blaze-laden Iron Feather hit the Peacekeeper, penetrating straight through its armed arm. Next, the Flame Holder descended from the sky, its sharp Iron Feathers slash like a thousand swirling blades.

[Yo! Holmes.]

An evil anomaly voice echoed in everyone’s ears.

[I intended to crush your core in one go, but before that, I wanted to meet you.]

Crimson flesh oozed and grew rampantly from beneath the Peacekeeper’s armor, like vines, soon entangling the Flame Holder’s Iron Feathers.

[After all, you carry it.]

At the storm’s edge, Roger’s eyes turned into a dazzling white flame. He strode towards the fully armed Mechanical Institute while also controlling his shell, swinging a sword towards the Flame Holder.

Under the same rain mist, Lorenzo sat in the shadow, pale eyes swirling, expression ferocious, tightly gripping the [Echo of the End].

Shao Liangye stood beside him, guarding him and watching him with some concern.

"Lorenzo..."