Gun of Ashes

”All body indicators are approaching normal levels, the Geiger Counter is stable, no signs of continuous flesh expansion, the pilot’s consciousness is clear...”

The image of an Ouroboros was engraved on the white robe, and countless people moved around the Black Angel.

Lorenzo had no time to relish the joy of success. Realizing that Lorenzo could control the Black Angel, those researchers who had hidden behind cover emerged, carrying various kinds of detector-like devices, prodding him all over while recording all sorts of data.

”You are a miracle, Lorenzo.”

The mechanical arm slowly descended, Merlin gripping a nearby protrusion, appearing above the Black Angel.

”Previous test pilots have all died, directly consumed and decomposed by flesh, as if this armor had a consciousness of its own, killing those people, treating them as nourishment... It might be because you also have Holy Grail Flesh, maybe it sees you as kin.”

”Being recognized as kin by a Demon is not a good thing.”

A low voice emanated from behind the plate armor; Lorenzo did not like the current situation.

”Pressure is normal; it seems the intensity of corrosion hasn’t increased with its awakening. Or perhaps, I am its kin, having some resistance,” Lorenzo followed Merlin’s thoughts to explain his current feelings. ”I feel a bit itchy... I can’t reach those control rods and the like. I remember the Armor of Original Sin has certain functions that rely on them, right?”

Lorenzo’s experience driving the Armor of Original Sin was limited; he remembered parts of the operation methods from reading the Weapon Master’s manual.

The Armor of Original Sin is essentially a demon fused with machinery, with human will meant to replace its brain to command this evil anomalous body.

This is a huge and heavy armor, primarily powered by a steam engine and the Demon’s flesh itself. Once the pilot enters, nerve electrodes are inserted, linking the pilot’s nerves to the Demon’s, combining their strength to control the Demon using human consciousness.

Therefore, driving the armor is a perilous task; during the linking process, consciousness is exposed entirely to the demon, and most people can’t endure for long before being corroded. Only specially trained knights have limited capability to endure it.

So controlling the armor is not very technical; when your consciousness connects to that part of the demon, the armor becomes an extension of your body, and you simply control it as you would control yourself. Yet there’s a portion that consciousness cannot solve—it is the machinery used to restrain the flesh.

Technology has not reached the point where the Perpetual Motion Pump can directly control that mechanical part, so the mechanical structure on the Armor of Original Sin requires some small control rods and buttons placed inside the already cramped cockpit, mostly concentrated around the hands for convenient control.

”For safety reasons, those functions are temporarily offline.”

Merlin said to Lorenzo.

”To ensure the combat effectiveness of the Armor of Original Sin, we have externally attached many weapons, like armor-mounted firearms, grappling hooks, etc. However, these weapon components were all dismantled during the experiment, so those buttons and control rods are temporarily useless... But please be careful not to press randomly; some relate to the steam engine.”

Merlin spoke halfway before quickly warning Lorenzo.

”What should I do now?”

Lorenzo couldn’t help but ask; the environment inside the armor was far from ideal, sticky flesh enveloping him, and some mucus flowing. More unsettlingly, Lorenzo felt something seemed to grip his back, not the electrodes, but rather something like proliferating flesh fusing him with it.

No time to ponder what happened after traversing the [Gap] in the Static Holy Temple, Lorenzo only wanted to quickly dismiss Merlin and crawl out of here.

”Wave your hand... try to control this armor, initially you might feel clumsy, which is normal.”

Merlin signaled others to stay away from the Black Angel, and once they retreated, Lorenzo attempted to move the armor.

The feeling was wonderful; Lorenzo was connected to the Black Angel, extending the Demon Hunter’s body, intending to lift his arm, with the nervous system giving muscle commands, pulling bones to lift the mortal’s arm, while the same command was given to the demon’s flesh, twisted meat pulling the Steel Body, raising the arm covered with iron feathers.

A strange sensation lingered around Lorenzo, with the narrow gaps in the face armor limiting his vision. Though he couldn’t see his movements, the bizarre tactile sensations transmitted over.

The feeling of each iron feather brushing against another, these things weren’t external, but iron material growing from the flesh, filled with nerves beneath the metal shell.

”Don’t make too big movements; a casual wave might slice us into pieces.”

Merlin called out again, though his voice was much more distant this time, climbing a few notches up the mechanical arm to maintain distance from Lorenzo.

Although Merlin’s swordsmanship barely counts as outstanding among alchemists, that merely allows him to hack a few of those frail alchemists with poisonous substances from years of experimentation, facing the Armor of Original Sin he stands no chance.

Everyone looked at all this in awe; since its birth, this armor has been extremely ominous. In total, it only had two drivers and three usage records. Galahad was the first driver; the result was Galahad fell unconscious within, unable to drive the armor again, and was severely tormented himself.