Gun of Ashes

”The barrier protects the [Truth].”

Watson replied, and in a trance, she felt she had figured everything out.

”You know? 016, I’ve always felt I should be written into the history of the Evangelical Church. I will be the greatest Pope, the Emperor of Emperors.”

For some reason, Sainy Loter suddenly began to boast. He was so arrogant, so powerful.

”I have confirmed the existence of that era, in that time when people had forgotten it, I confirmed its existence.”

His words carried a hint of madness, and under the glow of the fire, the face of the corpse seemed as demonic as the devils carved on the well wall.

”Do you remember the [Divine Favor Baptism], 016?”

He suddenly asked.

”Aren’t you curious about that wondrous, fantastical world?”

”Have you never thought about the connection between that world and our own?”

”After mastering the Authority of Gabriel, have you not realized the essence of the [Divine Favor Baptism]?”

The barrage of questions fell upon Watson. She thought she was the one closest to the [Truth], yet before Sainy Loter, she felt like a child learning to walk. Nobody could have imagined what this demonic figure had paid over the years.

Watson thought of it.

In a moment, it was as if another door opened to her, or as if the heavy curtain was pulled away, and she saw the [Truth] of the [Divine Favor Baptism].

”Yes... is that how it is? Every Demon Hunter first encountered the [Gap]...”

Her pupils gradually filled with terror. The connection between the Demon Hunter and the ”Static Holy Temple” was not only through bloodline but because they had initially come to the ”Static Holy Temple”, or rather the [Gap] of the ”Static Holy Temple”.

This is the essence of the [Divine Favor Baptism].

In that ancient ritual, the will of the Demon Hunter connected with this vast demon below, and the so-called Heart Core Network connection was essentially entering the [Gap] of this demon.

Those wondrous, fantastical worlds, those sights and experiences, all were the memories of this demon.

It had witnessed that unknown era.

”This is the meaning of the existence of the barrier. It is protecting this demon... protecting the past remembered by this demon.”

Sainy Loter gazed tenderly at this land of flesh and blood.

”That wondrous, fantastical world is that unknown era. It is our past, our former glory, so what exactly happened? Why did everything turn out like this?”

He smiled faintly.

”Aren’t you curious?”

”So... is this my value? You want me to [Gap] invade this demon, this demon called Leviathan, and find the [Truth] from those ancient memories.”

Watson couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the sword. This was Sainy Loter’s goal, to use her to glimpse this [Truth], yet it was also what Watson wanted to do. For a moment, she couldn’t even find a reason to refuse.

So much had been sacrificed, so many had died, and the [Truth] of this world was right in front of them.

”No...”

Sainy Loter suppressed his elation, knowing this wasn’t the right time.

”The risk is too great. This is a perfect barrier that, despite the passing years, still protects the [Truth]. Perhaps it still holds defenses unknown to us.”

”016, your power is precious. If anything happens, we could be saying farewell to both you and the [Truth]. Rather than taking such risks, why not test him first.”

Sainy Loter stepped aside, and it was then that Watson noticed a corpse kneeling before him. No... it wasn’t a corpse. That withered chest was still faintly rising and falling. At the end of this hell, someone was actually alive.

Watson saw the person’s face clearly. Perhaps because today’s revelations had been too shocking, Watson’s state of mind no longer wavered. She even felt that this guy’s appearance was in line with the development of events.

”Then, excuse us, 016.”

Sainy Loter seized the old Pope’s head, peeled back his eyelids with his fingers, and forced him to look at Watson.

”Please invade his [Gap].”

”No... No! You can’t do this!”

The old Pope seemed to realize what was about to happen. He wept and wailed, trying to stop it, but he was powerless.

Before his eyes, Watson and Sainy Loter had completely taken on the guise of devils, driven by that seductive curiosity, advancing towards a secret that should not be recalled.

”No, you don’t understand what’s happening. You don’t know what we’re truly facing!”

The burning firelight consumed the old Pope. Watson was already approaching, her gaze intense, and no one would halt in the face of such temptation.

”Kill me! You should emerge!”

The old Pope screamed in despair, but this time he wasn’t speaking to the two of them. He was calling out to something.

And so, in the void, countless eyes slowly opened, witnessing everything. Someone had crossed the [Boundary], and they tried to stop it, but the Holy Silver barrier halted their advance.

[Requiem Program anomaly detected.]

[Anomaly detected.]

[Anomaly.]

After repeated attempts, the Silencers spoke mechanically in whispers, meeting their gaze in the void and finally speaking in unison.

[Correction required.]

[Confirm correction.]

[Awakening...]

The will of the void dissipated, and from its deeper recesses, the sound of a beating heart shattered the millennia-long silence. Life, born within, let out a child’s whimper, softly murmur-like, it said.

[For the continuity of humanity.]