Gun of Ashes

”No.”

”Why?”

”Naive, boring.”

”Then why do you think I would deceive mortals?”

The scene was silent for a few seconds, Lorenzo felt that beneath the darkness of the helmet, a sinister smile was emerging.

It was divine mockery from above, looking down on all beings.

”I did not deceive them, I merely allowed these children to see the ’real world’, and then they chose death, that’s it, quite simple.”

”Impossible, how could anyone willingly choose death?”

Lorenzo refused to believe it, but his firm tone gradually softened as he thought of something. The Pioneer seemed to sense the change in Lorenzo’s thoughts, watching him as if trying to see something in his expression.

”Indeed, even if the Evangelical Church promised that beautiful Celestial Kingdom, few willingly offered themselves, didn’t they?

Ultimately, the beautiful Celestial Kingdom is just ’enticement’. This method doesn’t work because humanity’s most primitive and intense emotion is fear, and ’coercion’ is the primary force compelling people to act.”

As the Pioneer spoke, he extended his hand, the metal-covered fingertips were only a few centimeters away from Lorenzo, a simple reach and he could touch them.

”Like a simple choice.

You can live in fear, but you will then face endless torment, like being in... Hell, yes! In Hell. But if you die now, you can escape the torment of Hell.

Of course, many might not care about this, as Hell is too illusory. So, I let them experience the ’real world’, personally stepping into ’Hell’.

Then, as you know, nearly everyone chose to die, to escape the torment of Hell.”

The Pioneer spoke nearly madness, Lorenzo once thought he might be a Secret Keeper bringing hope, but now, the Pioneer seemed to be an unpredictable monster.

”Do you want to try, Holmes? Do you want to see it yourself? I’m quite curious, after you step into Hell, whether you would do what they did, like raise the Nail Sword and chop off your own head.”

”You lunatic.”

Lorenzo didn’t understand the Pioneer’s words, but he could feel the madness and darkness within them.

”Of course not, I merely let them see, I never interfered with their choices,” said the Pioneer.

Beside them, the Plague Doctor and Watson were completely silent, unsure how to join this conversation, or perhaps feeling fear from the Pioneer’s words. What they thought was hope turned out to be something darker.

”So why does it happen? Why is there such an existence as ’Hell’ that drives people to suicide?”

Forcing himself to endure, Lorenzo continued to question the Pioneer.

The Pioneer, unknown friend or foe, seemed to be a madman who had lived too long, long enough to have mental issues. Primarily, Lorenzo couldn’t confront his power; facing such a madman, Lorenzo could only tolerate him, trying to extract more intelligence before the conversation completely collapses.

”Hmm... that is a long story; your question touches the origin of all stories.”

The Pioneer seemed leisurely and unhurried, his helmet turned towards the Plague Doctor, seemingly signaling to him.

”What exactly is the end of Ascension!”

The Plague Doctor asked eagerly, the flesh beneath the mask writhing fiercely, countless scarlet eyes tightly fixed on the Pioneer.

If it weren’t for the Pioneer being too mysterious, and the knowledge still useful in his mind, the Plague Doctor might have already been consumed by his own excitement, raising his claws to dissect the Pioneer... well, that was just a thought.

The Plague Doctor didn’t care about sinister conspiracies, nor was he interested in any Apocalypse Society, he only wanted to know what’s at the end of this path.

Facing the anxious Plague Doctor, the Pioneer responded.

”What do you think is at the end of Ascension?”

The Plague Doctor paused, revealing all his experiments and expectations.

”Evolution! Evolution! Endless evolution!”

From bacteria to animals, from wielding sticks to swinging swords.

”Life is driven.”

The Plague Doctor said.

”The hunter will prey on the hunted, and the prey, to avoid being hunted, tries to become stronger... Mortals mastered steel and flame, defeated all creatures, dominated this world, then internally conflict arose, until one strongest King unified everything.”

”But this is still not the end.

Life is driven, it’s like an upward spiral, from the beginning of birth, it can never stop, it will ascend, continuously ascend, and it ultimately has only two outcomes, either extinction or an everlasting ascension.”

The Plague Doctor’s body began to writhe, as if he would soon lose his human form, collapsing into a mass of rampant flesh.

”And then?” The Pioneer encouraged.

”And then...”

The Plague Doctor thought, he looked at Lorenzo, then at the Black Angel.

”Shed the timid flesh and ascend to a greater existence, a completely void Spirit Body, no longer bound by flesh or time.

This is the end of Ascension.”

This is the end of Ascension, an answer everyone had anticipated, but what the Plague Doctor described was only the first half of the answer, and his uncontrollable words revealed the second half that existed only in his mind.

”But like the tadpole and the frog, the caterpillar and the butterfly, will we still be us then?