Gun of Ashes

”Good morning, Owes.” Although they hadn’t known each other for long, Eve casually rested her arm on the side of Owes’ wheelchair and started chatting with the boy.

”Oh, I don’t know what’s going on today. Even though it’s raining, people usually come out to take a stroll, but today, no one came.”

Eve found it a bit strange, while Swift remained silent. She almost felt grateful to this girl for interrupting the conversation.

”Maybe they’re watching the rain from their rooms.”

Owes replied offhandedly. This girl was full of energy, a stark contrast to this gloomy hospital. At times, Owes felt overwhelmed by Eve’s joy, as if nothing dark could trouble her.

You could say she’s strong-willed, born ready to join the Purification Mechanism to slay demons. Or you could say she’s heartless.

Owes often heard Arthur talking about these things. Bola represented strong willpower; not everyone could survive the Silent Sea. Red Falcon, on the other hand, seemed heartless. Who would have thought that the carefree fellow joined the Purification Mechanism just for the staff dormitory?

”Eve... Owes, you’re here too.”

Another voice rang out. Bluebird, fully armed, approached with a squad of soldiers in tow.

”What’s going on?”

Swift felt a bit uneasy at the scene.

”You two come with us to the safe house.”

At this point, Bluebird didn’t bother with unnecessary cover-up and spoke directly.

”Safe house?”

Eve was still a bit unsure of what was happening, but the soldiers had already surrounded her and were forcibly taking her away, regardless of what she said.

”Swift, report to the research area. The experiment is about to start.”

A soldier took hold of Owes’ wheelchair and pushed him along with Eve. As they crossed paths, Bluebird took another look at Owes. He felt a sense of familiarity with the boy but couldn’t recall where he had seen him.

However, these were no longer important. The experiment was about to commence, and most patients at Black Mountain Hospital were to be temporarily secured to prevent a possible attack by the new Order.

The entire Black Mountain Hospital was in motion. Steam wafted from the corners, soldiers in black cloaks clutching deadly weapons. They might not reach those potential enemies, but as with the strategies against demons in those dark times, just piling on bodies was enough. If these men could delay by a second or two, it could provide a chance for the Armor of Original Sin to strike.

The steam engines roared to life, metal puppets slowly rising under the rain. They had completely abandoned the notion of concealing themselves, carrying heavy fuel tanks on their backs, with cold rain cascading down the edges of their blades.

Joey, strapped into a straitjacket, was bound to an iron bed. He strained to rise, just enough to barely see the rain beyond the window and the iron entities moving within it.

”Armor of Original Sin... Why are they here?”

He murmured softly, but before he could ponder more, searing pain erupted from his mind.

Once the Secret Blood reached a critical point, the demon hunter himself became a source of terrifying corruption. Moriarty had begun by eroding Joey with this very method.

Moriarty was a demon hunter, one from the new Order. What exactly was he planning to do?

Joey longed to prove it all, but now he was a corrupted madman. No one at Black Mountain Hospital would listen to him. Even if someone could validate it all, considering Moriarty’s hallucinatory powers, Joey believed those who witnessed Moriarty with him had their perceptions distorted.

He had become part of the conspiracy, yet he still didn’t know what Moriarty truly aimed to do.

Suddenly, the door swung open, but this time it wasn’t a nurse who entered, but soldiers.

”What are you doing?” Joey sensed something amiss and shouted loudly.

”Upper-Rank Knight, Mystic Phoenix, is undergoing treatment due to corruption.”

The soldiers recited his identity, clearly there to fetch Joey.

”Take him to safe house number three.”

”What safe house? What happened! What’s with the Armors of Original Sin!” Joey shouted.

”He’s too noisy. Nurse! Sedative!”

The soldier yelled, but then, more bizarre voices echoed.

”Let me go! I am a general! I want to die at the front line; don’t think you can take me to the rear!”

”Too rough! Too rough! Can’t it be more elegant?”

Incessant bizarre voices mixed with soldiers’ screams.

”This old man is biting me! Let go!”

”You deserters! Deserters!”

”Sedative! Sedative! Where’s the nurse?”

The whole scene turned into chaos, but due to his restraints, Joey couldn’t see what was happening. He only felt himself being pushed and pulled around, followed by a needle piercing into his vein, as his consciousness grew heavy.

It was like a ridiculous farce until the last moment he closed his eyes when he saw another figure strapped to an iron bed.

”Hig?”

It should have been Hig, though his body had turned an ashen blue, with joints distorted from corruption. But it ought to be Hig.

In that instant, Joey seemed to realize something. Suddenly, he understood what Moriarty was trying to do, how meticulously he had orchestrated it all, only for Lorenzo Holmes.

He yearned to voice it all, but there was no opportunity. His consciousness was gradually sinking.

...

”Is this Black Mountain Hospital? But I never realized its existence. What’s going on?”

A heavy voice sounded from beneath the bird-beak mask. The Plague Doctor observed this mysterious hospital amidst the rain. Despite the route they took being so clear, the Plague Doctor, as if under some influence, never realized the ”road” existed.

”Probably some kind of anti-meme? Lorenzo de’ Medici seemed to have researched this stuff too but eventually turned to the study of immortality due to the frail human body.”

A woman’s voice spoke. Turning to look, it was a nurse. The Plague Doctor remained silent for a moment, then continued.

”Well... Lawrence, you’re making me feel a bit uneasy.”

”What’s uneasy?” Lawrence asked.

”Alright, it’s nothing. But where’s your main body now? Weren’t you supposed to come along with me?” the Plague Doctor inquired.

”Engaged with something more urgent,” Lawrence replied.

”Okay... But if this place is protected by some anti-meme, how did you find it?” the Plague Doctor curiously asked, noting that Lawrence’s secrets were far more than expected.

”Beacon. I have more than one beacon,” Lawrence referred to Owes. Using this beacon, he pinpointed Black Mountain Hospital’s exact location.

”So, are we just going to walk in like that?”

”What else?”

”You could just abandon this body and leave, but if I face the main forces of the Purification Mechanism, I might die here, Lawrence.” The Plague Doctor said.

”Don’t worry, they’re currently concentrated in the research area. We’re now in the light symptom area, where defenses are weakest.”

His pupils glowed subtly. Through Owes’ eyes, the actions of the Purification Mechanism were exposed to his view, and even the new Order was likewise exposed. When Moriarty discovered Hig, the new Order was revealed to Lawrence.

”The new Order and the Purification Mechanism remain on guard against each other. If stale, Moriarty alone isn’t enough to stir any waves.” Lawrence said.

”So we need to give them a little nudge, right?”

The Plague Doctor’s voice brimmed with delight. He opened the iron box he carried; the inferior Secret Blood he had transported was all here, the shimmering crimson liquid radiating a vibe of hostility and madness.

”Leave the next steps to you, Plague Doctor. There are numerous patients in the light symptom area, and this Secret Blood is sufficient to trigger a demon tide. I believe the new Order won’t miss this chance.”

”So what are you going to do?” the Plague Doctor asked.

”Meet an old friend.”

Lawrence said as he closed his eyes. The sounds of wind and rain receded, and in the endless darkness, a faint light appeared. He then opened his eyes and saw the man behind the long table.

”Long time no see, Cardinal Miguel.”