Gun of Ashes

”Ding ding dang, she escaped from here.”

”But her father took away what she loved, betrothed her to the wrong person.”

”She waited for who knows how many years.”

”Ding ding dang, she waited for a lifetime.”

”When her father died, she dug up the grave left for her husband.”

”As an old woman, she went searching for the one she loved.”

”Run, girl! Run, girl!”

”...”

The girl’s song echoed in the storm, Arthur remembered long ago, a girl had softly sung this song to him, saying she liked this song from Leiber.

Arthur asked her what the song meant, she said it was about a father who arrogantly arranged his daughter’s marriage to the wrong person, believing he had correctly planned the girl’s life. Unable to resist, the girl obeyed everything, waiting quietly until her father died, until her husband died, and at that moment, as an old woman, she finally became free to pursue what she wanted.

The girl said she wanted this too, but she wouldn’t wait as long as the girl in the song; she wasn’t so patient. She said she’d find a way to escape, even using unconventional means, and finally reminded Arthur to lock the door when he sleeps.

The icy storm, suffocating wind, and bodily pain weren’t enough to affect Arthur, but now he felt as if he’d seen something terrifying. After a brief moment of fear, he asked confusedly.

”You promised me...”

The crimson shadow hummed the song from Leiber, shouting back without turning.

”Yes! Good kids don’t lie!”

Who knows where she learned it, the sharp blade reversed and struck into the demon’s head. Perhaps not strong enough, the blade got stuck in the flesh, but she kicked furiously at the demon’s joint, forcing it to kneel, then chopped the entire head open like cutting wood.

”But I’m not a good kid!”

As Eve roared, the folding blade stabbed into the demon’s heart, but the resilient muscles trapped the blade from going further.

With one hand tightly gripping the handle, the other continuously hammered the blade’s hilt, with heavy thuds like a blacksmith hammering metal, inch by inch driving the folding blade into the demon’s body, pinning it entirely to the ground.

The erupting blood completely dyed her red, while the cold rain washed away all the filth.

Following Arthur’s suggestion, Blue Jade once spent time with Eve, trying to mend the bad relationship between father and daughter. During that time, Blue Jade told Eve many things, including the snow night that changed Blue Jade’s life.

This feeling was truly unpleasant, like a puppet being manipulated by others’ will. Eve didn’t like this, so she came back.

”So in the end, everything I did was just to prove something to you, right? Whether it’s detectives or demons, I just wanted to prove something, right?”

Eve seemed to be asking Arthur, yet also appeared to be talking to herself.

It was a terrible day, but thanks to this terrible day, many things Eve had never understood became clearer today.

”I just, I just don’t want to hear your arrangements anymore! Who wants to go to some damned island! And marry a stranger? I’d really kill him! Just like this demon! Chop him to pieces to feed the fish!”

Eve shouted terribly, like venting, the folding blade fiercely slashed down. Her strength might not be very powerful, but within her body, that long-dormant power was awakening.

Actually, she was the ultimate product of the Ranger program, the most perfect product. Her heart beat violently, like a powerful pump delivering hot blood throughout her body, all senses became acute. Although far from the strength of a Demon Hunter, this was the current limit of a mortal body.

”I’m all grown up!”

Terrible words, terrible plot, happening in this terrible scene.

For a moment, Arthur didn’t know what to say. Clearly, it was a nightmare-like battlefield, but in the end, it became a place like a family ethics drama. He just knelt dazedly in the water, watching the figure wielding the folding blade.

Like a crimson dancer, he never thought Eve had such a side. She was still innocent, unaware of the terror of demons, and at difficult decisions, she might falter, but she was strong enough. Though among those experts fighting demons, she wasn’t outstanding, at least she could protect herself.

”So get up! Old man!”

Eve shouted at him.

For a moment, Arthur suddenly felt relieved for some reason, though he couldn’t quite understand why.

No one knew exactly how many weapons she hid on her body, the sharp Willow Blade sliced through the rain and pierced the demon’s limb joint. Though unable to kill them, it could somewhat affect their actions.

During her time at Black Mountain Hospital, Eve wasn’t just singing and dancing with those lunatics; she also read many medical books, including human anatomy.

This was Lorenzo’s influence, after all, her first contest with Lorenzo was due to insufficient knowledge storage, being played by that detective.