Gun of Ashes

”According to past records, Old Dunling’s rainy season will be ending soon, but usually this nearing end is also when the rain is the heaviest, so please be safe, citizens of Old Dunling...”

A man’s voice echoed from the midnight radio, filtered through machinery, perhaps disturbed by the thunderstorm, with a somewhat noisy electric static.

Lorenzo lay quietly on the bed; the Purification Mechanism didn’t limit his freedom too much. They might be well aware that any restrictions would be meaningless if he didn’t cooperate, and being too forceful would only provoke conflict between him and them.

Wearing a clean white hospital gown, his lethal weapons stored away, according to Arthur, tomorrow the formal research on the Pseudo Holy Grail would begin — this unknown object might be revealed clearly to everyone for the first time.

Yet Lorenzo felt a vague uneasiness, inexplicable even to himself. He was also curious about the nature of the Pseudo Holy Grail; in some regard, he had now reached an agreement with the Purification Mechanism. But those guys hadn’t revealed their next intentions yet — the new Order was no group of benevolent individuals; it wouldn’t perform good deeds without expecting something in return. They must also be plotting something, as well as the remnants of Lawrence.

”Watson...”

That ominous woman, the embodiment of the Pseudo Holy Grail, along with 047, had long disappeared into his consciousness.

Lorenzo felt a mix of fear and relief. If tomorrow’s tests confirmed the existence of the Pseudo Holy Grail, he would still be that excellent Prison Guard, still guarding the dark gate to this day. But if the Pseudo Holy Grail didn’t exist and had escaped at some unknown time, though it would be a major dereliction of duty, Lorenzo could use this as leverage to counterattack Moriarty and prove himself.

The flame of vengeance burned fiercely in Lorenzo’s heart; he wouldn’t easily concede defeat. He must make Moriarty and the new Order pay the price. Perhaps too accustomed to using force, many had forgotten that Lorenzo was initially a cunning figure.

Each player is ready; Black Mountain Hospital is the final betting table.

Footsteps echoed outside the corridor, accompanied intermittently by mechanical noises and the screams of patients.

Lorenzo was unclear about the specific classification within Black Mountain Hospital, but judging by the gaze of the medical staff, his containment level should be the highest tier, with other patients on this floor sharing his level. Due to mental breakdowns, these patients were highly aggressive, but for research purposes, doctors couldn’t perform a frontal lobotomy to turn them into idiots.

Surely, Hig and Joey were locked up here as well.

Considering this, Lorenzo got up from the bed, ready to leave, but someone knocked on the door. A few knocks later, the person pushed open the door and entered.

The eyes behind the glasses shimmered faintly; he wore a harmonious yet eerie smile.

”You seem to be in good spirits, Mr. Lorenzo Holmes.”

In an instant, Secret Blood surged, and Lorenzo thunderously rose to collide heavily with Moriarty, gripping his throat tightly.

”Not an illusion?”

The palm felt real warmth; the man’s body emitted no erosion — unimaginable, the cunning Moriarty actually appeared in front of him in person.

Yet Lorenzo didn’t want to ponder too much, unleashing all his fury.

”How dare you...”

Lorenzo gritted his teeth and muttered lowly. Under Moriarty’s schemes, everything had become what it is now, and he dragged those innocent people into it.

”Are you really going to strangle me like this? Don’t you find ending the game this way rather dull?”

Moriarty smiled, without resisting at all, facing the enraged Lorenzo, his voice even slightly leisurely.

Their figures stood in tension for a long time until Lorenzo slowly released his hold; his gaze was cold, the Secret Blood boiling.

”What’s your purpose this time, Moriarty?”

James Moriarty, perhaps the most troublesome enemy Lorenzo ever encountered. Unlike Dean Lawrence, Lorenzo couldn’t see through his intentions; he was like an insane person in a mental hospital, a stray dog on the street, all his actions chaotic and unpredictable.

Even now, Lorenzo couldn’t fathom what he aimed to do. If serving the new Order, he had much better solutions available, but for some damn game, he didn’t mind complicating matters, even appearing in front of Lorenzo himself.

”Ah... It really stings, but alright, Secret Blood really is a powerful force. If I were an ordinary person, I’d probably have had my neck snapped by you now.”

He rubbed his bruised neck, then sat on a nearby table, sporting an eerie smile, looking at Lorenzo.

”But your current state is quite good, you can already suppress your anger rather than directly killing me.”

”I wouldn’t mind killing you straight away, but I want to know what exactly you’re up to.” Lorenzo said calmly.

Moriarty was a deceitful character; he wove almost perfect plots to control everything about Lorenzo, and now this guy, unguarded, appeared before him, forcing Lorenzo to be on guard. Perhaps in the shadows, something else was slowly brewing.