Gun of Ashes

Chapter 320: Chapter 12 Festivals

The long night had ended. After Lorenzo finished telling a story that had a profound impact on him, the short storytelling session came to a close. Initially, each person was supposed to share a story, but after hearing Lorenzo’s somewhat mad words, no one felt like it anymore.

The storytelling session meant for relaxation and leisure turned into something like a ghost story in the end. The audience staggered back to their rooms, their minds filled with Lorenzo’s rants... Sometimes, this Demon Hunter was just like a Demon, his idle chatter capable of driving your thoughts to madness.

No one slept well, and when they awoke with the daylight, they all wore weary expressions. But when they pushed open Lorenzo’s room door, this Demon Hunter not only seemed well-rested but was also making pig-like snorts as he slept.

Standing in the doorway, mixed emotions surged for a moment. It was unclear whether it was admiration for Lorenzo’s good mindset or something else. But then again, being the ultimate weapon against Demons, a poor mindset would have driven him mad long ago.

Lorenzo seemed entirely unaware of this, continuing to spout nonsense every day, finding amusement in tormenting the Red Falcon. Perhaps due to excessive caution of Lorenzo’s frenzied speech, everyone tried their best not to talk to him.

Maybe it was out of sheer boredom that Lorenzo occasionally talked to himself, which was frightening.

So sometimes, everyone was quite curious about Lorenzo’s past, what kind of strange adventures could have twisted this Demon Hunter’s personality to such an extent. He seemed more like a ”Damn Hunter” than a Demon Hunter.

But fortunately, this wretched farm stay was finally coming to an end. After a week of isolation and observation, Lorenzo showed no abnormal conditions. The blood sent to the Perpetual Motion Pump was analyzed, concluding that Lorenzo’s Secret Blood remained stable, confirming that he was still human.

And so, this brief vacation came to an end.

”You all look a bit awful.”

The train temporarily stopped at this nonexistent station, and it was the Blue Jade who opened the door to greet them.

She surveyed everyone, noticing that, except for the refreshed Lorenzo, everyone seemed thoroughly harassed.

”It’s a long story.”

Joey was the first to board the train.

”Don’t talk to him.”

The Red Falcon followed, saying to the Blue Jade.

The Blue Jade was a bit puzzled. When the Bluebird boarded, this devout Believer looked bewildered and highly preoccupied. Upon seeing the Blue Jade, he paused, then said nothing, only sighing deeply.

What... what happened?

The Blue Jade looked perplexedly at these people as if they’d been through an ordeal, as if the vacation had turned into a punishment ground.

Finally, Lorenzo boarded the train. He remembered this woman; she also wielded a good Folding Blade.

”Oh, oh! Good morning!”

Perhaps it was the fact that he was leaving this boring ghost place; Lorenzo seemed extremely happy.

His excessive enthusiasm made the Blue Jade somewhat uncomfortable. She instinctually stepped back slightly, her expression a bit awkward.

”Good... morning.”

No, why am I saying good morning to him? We’re not even that familiar.

Before the Blue Jade could gather her thoughts, Lorenzo passed her and joyfully proceeded inside.

To be honest, Lorenzo is someone who can’t sit still. Although the vacation was great, a prolonged holiday becomes somewhat unbearable, much like factory workers who curse the hardship of work while employed, but grow restless lying at home for too long, wishing the factory to reopen so they’d have something to do.

In truth, humans are like this; everyone is a gear unto themselves, but only when the gears are turning does their existence hold meaning.

Though he can’t cut down Demons, Lorenzo terribly missed the days he roamed Old Dunling, full of tension and excitement, which was much more fun than enjoying a farm vacation.

The train slowly started, emitting a cheerful whistle, carrying heavy steam and scattered sparks as it traveled on the tracks. The scenes outside the window rapidly receded, and the clear sky gradually turned gloomy.

Lorenzo gazed out of the window into the distance. At the horizon’s edge, a gray iron curtain slowly rose, and beneath that leaden dome sprawled the booming, ever-working Steel City.

”Mr. Lorenzo Holmes.”

Someone called out, pulling Lorenzo’s thoughts back from the scenery outside the window. Blue Jade sat across from him, holding a stack of files.

It was truly an odd feeling. Blue Jade’s peripheral vision scanned around the carriage. Red Falcon and the others kept a safe distance from Lorenzo, keeping their distance out of respect.

One reason the Purification Mechanism arranged for them to be here was to hopefully let these employees get familiar with Lorenzo. After all, the value Lorenzo currently presented was too hard for the Purification Mechanism to forgo. They needed to be bound to the same chariot.

But there was no time for Blue Jade to figure out what was going on. She had a few final matters to confirm before Lorenzo returned to Old Dunling.

”Mr. Holmes, do you remember anything about the process of ’death and resurrection’?”

Blue Jade asked.

In fact, she wasn’t very familiar with all this either. Blue Jade hadn’t been part of the assassination of Dean Lawrence; while these people risked their lives, she was monitoring the Geiger index of the entire Old Dunling.

Now Blue Jade was rotated back to the front line.

”No.”

Lorenzo shook his head, speaking the truth... at least partially. He still remembered what Watson had said to him in that haze. He had thought Watson was discussing life with him as a dying man’s confession, since Watson had once been a Priest.

He simply hadn’t died. When Lorenzo regained consciousness, he found himself stark naked on a smoky battlefield, sticky all over, pierced by a cold biting wind.

He didn’t feel much at that moment. A dizzying sensation overwhelmed him until he woke up later.

Blue Jade nodded. According to previous records, Lorenzo had mentioned he remembered nothing. Her questioning was in hopes this period of leisure might jog something loose in his memory.

”Are you aware of the loss of control of the Armor of Original Sin?”

Blue Jade’s gaze became serious, this was the main question of this inquiry.

After the battle ended, the Black Angel, which had absorbed the Holy Grail Flesh, stood like a gigantic tombstone on the battlefield. The interior of the cockpit was completely covered by the overgrown flesh, the original mechanical structure twisted, and the control system thoroughly destroyed.

The fear brought by that bizarre armor at the time was not much less than that of Dean Lawrence. Although it had stopped functioning and the demon’s flesh had gone dormant, you could still discern its difference.

At its core, the Armor of Original Sin is biological armor, a living weapon, yet it has no will of its own, merely a walking corpse.

But when you find yourself inside it, observing it with reverence, you might have a momentary illusion, mistakenly thinking it’s alive, not in the sense of a walking corpse, but possessing a soul.

It was as if a ghost passing through the millennia was hiding in the shadows of the armor, quietly peering at the world.

Merlin arrived just in time, filled with interest in this bizarre phenomenon, so the Black Angel was transported back to the Perpetual Motion Pump for in-depth analysis.

”I’m not sure, I’ve only touched that thing once, and I lost control immediately,”

Lorenzo recalled his experience of operating the Weapon Master. He wasn’t fond of that dreadful weapon, though such things are considered the romance of men. However, the Demon Hunter and Armor of Original Sin overlap highly in functionality, and a Demon Hunter’s power doesn’t need the augmentation of the Armor of Original Sin, except in a few extreme environments.

”No, it’s your second time.”

Blue Jade said.

”I know, but, as I said, I have no memory of all this. When I woke up, I was already lying in the workshop, and you were all pointing heavy weapons at me.”

Lorenzo said casually, still concealing the existence of Watson, his greatest secret.

Blue Jade looked deeply at Lorenzo, trying to find a moment of panic or other details that could reveal Lorenzo, but it was clear she was no match for him; he had the demeanor of someone immune to fear.

”One last question, can you confirm the death of Dean Lawrence?” Blue Jade asked finally.

Lorenzo’s eyes sharpened, and he nodded affirmatively.

”That bastard is definitely dead. I stabbed him several times and even bit his head off,” Lorenzo said, revealing his well-maintained teeth.

”Decapitated, and at the time the explosion ignited fuel tanks, high temperatures and continuous explosions... that bastard couldn’t survive.”

Lorenzo confirmed, ”Didn’t you say it yourselves? The out-of-control Black Angel killed the last Holy Grail Flesh, that guy had no chance of surviving.”

Blue Jade’s eyes grew heavy.

”Are you sure?”

”I’m sure, nothing can survive that explosion.”

”But you survived.”

Lorenzo hesitated and then said, ”I might be an exception, even you guys can’t figure it out, can you?”

”Alright, fill out these forms, and your isolation can be lifted,” Blue Jade said.

Lorenzo took the forms and began filling them out, muttering as he wrote.

”I thought you’d keep me isolated longer?”

”It’s just coincidentally the holiday, releasing you early.”

”Holiday?”

Lorenzo paused his pen, looking up at Blue Jade, who found Lorenzo’s behavior a bit baffling, she said.

”Didn’t you check the calendar?”

Calendar? To be honest, the life in the countryside was boring, but amidst this boredom, time seemed to slow down, making people relax and comfortable, even someone like Lorenzo forgot the concept of time in its warmth.

”Today is Divine Birthday, if you’re not celebrating, they have to go home too, it’s a rare holiday break for the Purification Mechanism.”

Blue Jade continued, finally clueing Lorenzo in.

”Divine Birthday?”

Lorenzo was a bit bewildered.

He began recalling the journey during this time, to his memory, the festival, ”still a month away,” had suddenly arrived today, and he couldn’t tell if time passed too quickly, or if he had neglected these things in life.

At this moment, he had a strange feeling, slumped back in the chair, a festival he had spent who knows how many times, now felt oddly different. He couldn’t quite say what, just that... something was different.

”It’s already... Divine Birthday.”

Lorenzo sighed deeply, no one could understand Lorenzo’s thoughts at this moment.

He looked out the window at the ever-expanding Steel City, where clouds hung over it, factories roared, and cold winds roamed the streets.

It’s a cold city, but also the city he had lived in for a long time, greeting everyone amicably every day with a Winchester, strolling the streets with a Staff Sword.

Everyone together, amidst blades and shadows, singing and dancing.

In a trance, the old year is about to pass, it has been his seventh year in Old Dunling.

Lorenzo reached into his pocket, but the cigarette box was long gone, he reached out in vain, his expression somewhat dazed, even the Demon Hunter couldn’t help but feel reverence for the power of time.

”So quickly...”