Gun of Ashes

”No, as Bluebird said, release them to lure the demons.”

Arthur coldly issued the command, and under this order, everyone’s hearts stirred slightly; some sank deeper into depression, while others breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn’t have to kill those patients. Although they were doomed to die, at least it wasn’t by their own hands. They comforted themselves in this way, struggling to persist in their despair.

”Is it like this again...”

A weak voice arose, and someone sighed softly at everything happening.

This was a paradoxical issue. The Purification Mechanism fought against the demons to maintain human sanity, yet now, to uphold sanity, they had to sacrifice these people instead.

The train roared in, and Arthur understood well that Blue Jade and the others were sharp weapons, but he was the one who could wield them. They merely followed orders; everything else was Arthur’s burden to bear.

No one said anything as they silently followed Arthur’s command and began to act. Joey, who had just recovered, still didn’t understand what was happening, but judging by the grim atmosphere, it seemed like everything had reached a critical moment.

Abandon the patients...

Joey’s head throbbed a bit, his gaze lingering on Red Falcon before floating away.

Just moments ago, he was one of the patients, lying on a stretcher in a drowsy sleep. If it weren’t for Red Falcon, he might have been one of the abandoned, or perhaps Arthur didn’t want to abandon any potential strength and called him back.

No one knew what was going on, and there was no time to verify anything. Seeing the awakened Joey, the others were a bit surprised, but before they could say anything, Blue Jade tossed an aluminothermic rifle to Joey. It was stained with blood, seemingly just taken from a soldier’s corpse.

No need for any words of defense now; under such grim circumstances, everyone tacitly agreed to Joey’s rejoining.

”Eve is the first person born with innate enhancements after the Ranger Project. You could say she is a born Ranger...” Arthur said.

”Sounds like the offspring of two Demon Hunters... Can Demon Hunters even reproduce?”

Red Falcon couldn’t help but make a crude comment, which Arthur ignored. Though Red Falcon spoke lightly, everyone knew he was somewhat like Lorenzo; the more terrified he was, the more he talked to comfort himself. Red Falcon seemed on the verge of breaking under pressure.

”The Queen has decided to restart the Ranger Project, continuing research on Eve’s unique traits. She must survive; perhaps the era of Knights will end, and Rangers will replace us in fighting demons.”

Arthur said solemnly, his gaze then falling on Owes.

”And he... he has ties to the Royal Family, with the primary protection targets being Eve and Owes, prioritizing their escort out.”

The others nodded and then sprang into action.

The Upper-Rank Knights forged ahead while the important targets were sheltered in the middle. Due to Owes’ limited mobility, he was carried by Red Falcon. The boy, like a delicate doll, said nothing but kept his gaze fixed forward. Red Falcon couldn’t understand what he was looking at.

Before leaving, Joey took one last look at the safe house. The patients wobbled out like bewildered children, completely unaware of what was happening.

Hig should also be there... Joey still remembered the last scene he saw before the doctor injected him with a sedative; he saw Hig wearing the same patient garb, his body already showing signs of mutation...

Joey shook his head vigorously, gritting his teeth to avoid distracting thoughts that could interfere with the following actions.

Yes, he should be like a weapon. Weapons had no so-called emotions; only in this way could he unreservedly commit acts of cruelty that ordinary people couldn’t.

Just like Lorenzo, like the Demon Hunters, perhaps the Order’s original intention wasn’t to control the Demon Hunters. In that difficult and dark era before the steam engine and during the age of armor and blades, maybe only in this way could Demon Hunters continue their slaughter.

Sacrifice everything to become a monster, a weapon.

Gunfire erupted, the booming blasts shattering Joey’s thoughts. Without a moment’s pause, the team began to sprint forward, demons charging down the corridor. The dense aluminothermic bombs temporarily pushed them back, as the team pressed on.

They couldn’t be delayed; being held up would mean not reaching the lift zone before their ammunition ran out. Voices mingled in an incomprehensible chaos.

The mission went smoothly. By calculations, once they passed through the corridor ahead, they would reach the lift zone. Everyone felt a hint of joy, having expected a fierce attack from the demons, none anticipated such a smooth passage, so smooth it elicited a bit of unease.

Although he was being carried, the violent jolting caused Owes considerable pain, his gaze vacant, even somewhat humiliated.

He loathed this—his free soul trapped by a strange curse within a feeble body. Whatever Owes did, he needed others’ help, like a breathing dead thing, or a pet crowned with a noble name.