Embers of Embers

Chapter 187 War Award [Thanks to the leader of morgenstern]
After the blizzard stopped, the violent burning finally stopped slowly after continuing for several hours, like a carnival after a sacrifice, with the remaining ashes dancing wildly like black snow scattered across the sky.
It seemed that everything was over, new and old grudges, glory and shame, all were thrown into the blazing flames and burned up.
The night sky became darker, and there seemed to be a huge black thing slowly diving down.
The giant whale of steel and machinery was swimming slowly in the clouds. The sail cut through the cumulus clouds, and the thick steam overflowed like breath. The engine sounded like thunder, as if it was carrying wind and rain.
“How is the Geiger index response?”
"It's in the stable range and it looks like Lawrence is dead."
The brief conversation took place in the command room. This time Arthur led the team in person. In the somewhat dark space, various indicator lights illuminated his old face.
He stood at the front of the command room. Transparent composite glass covered the ground under his feet and in front of him. Human eyes could barely penetrate it to see the situation on the ground. The fire was burning blazingly, and he didn't know when it would be extinguished.
"Do I need to continue observing?"
Kestrel asked from the side.
Due to the weight of the ship, there is not much ammunition reserve on the Heading to Dawn, and its current military strategy prefers secret transportation.
"Go on, we still need to wait."
Arthur said warily.
The fear of Lawrence has been deeply implanted in everyone's heart. He cannot guarantee what will happen if Lawrence is not dead. Once they dive rashly, they may step into the eroding attack range. All they can do is Continue to wait to ensure that the situation does not change in any abnormal way.
"Do you need the original sin armor for investigation? The only few first-generation armors are in the cabin and can dive at any time."
Kestrel suggested again.
"First generation armor?"
Arthur frowned.
"This is Merlin's suggestion. The second-generation armor is indeed controllable, but facing Lawrence...even the dying Lawrence, the performance is still slightly insufficient, so the sealed first-generation armor was used. Galahad Standby at the rear, he can drive again."
The cold voice echoed, and Kestrel knew exactly what it meant to drive again. Since the last time he lost control, Galahad has been severely eroded. This time, using it will be the end of his life, but he is currently the only one on the Voyage to Dawn. Have experience in driving a first-generation armor.
"Where's Lancelot?"
"They are both consumables, but Merlin said they should be used in more important places."
The conversation suddenly fell silent, and for a while only the mechanical operation and the signal sounds with a single frequency were left.
"There are enough sacrifices for tonight, forget it."
Arthur sighed, just feeling tired.
"So, what should be...canonized for Lorenzo?"
"Canonization?"
Arthur didn't understand what Kestrel said.
"It's like some... identity recognition? For example, the knight's class or something? Although this thing is not important to a dead person, it can be regarded as proof anyway."
Kestrel thought for a while and continued, not quite sure how he should express this.
"Not the witcher part, but the human part of Lorenzo that really existed."
"I didn't expect you to think of this."
Arthur was surprised.
"It's nothing, I just accidentally realized that recognition is a very important thing in many cases. For example, I am no longer a street gangster, but a wall guarding human reason... Although I am still dancing on the tip of a knife, but in this case , even death is a bit of a no-brainer.”
Kestrel continued.
"Human beings are like this, they are always moved by strange things."
"Is that so? It sounds good, I'll consider it."
Arthur replied.
……
There was a thin figure swaying on the edge of the fireworks, and Seriu didn't know how long she had walked, but in the end she arrived here along the sleepers, with a blank expression on her face.
There was no unnecessary explanation. She knew exactly what happened. It was just as if she was deceiving herself. She couldn't believe it. Walking on the battlefield of gunpowder smoke, the blackened land still carried the scalding residual heat and the molten iron that had not yet cooled and solidified. Slowly flowing, it seems like the coming of hell.
Seliu was like a little girl picking up trash, walking back and forth in this metal cemetery, and finally she found what she wanted.
The detective who had the impression that he could hit a car full of people with a Winchester on his shoulders was gone. Half of his body was pressed under the twisted car, his eyes were tightly closed and he was dirty.
She was a little afraid to look at it. It was like a burned corpse. Most of the body surface had been burned black by the high temperature. The vitality that the demon hunter was proud of could no longer save him, just like a body bitten by a wild beast. Broken rag doll, broken and withered.
In fact, unlike the sensational passages in the story, where the emotions surged to the extreme, there was no touching plot. Seliu couldn't think of anything to say, nor could he feel the existence of any emotion. It was just a blank, everything It's all blank, a nightmare from which I can't wake up.
Lorenzo has always been so restrained, restraining the human part. He is obviously a living person, but he has to restrain all emotions for that ridiculous long-cherished wish.
As he said, those who get too close to the demon hunter will indeed have no good end, but in the end Lorenzo still ensured Seleu's safe escape... No one can figure out what this demon hunter did in the end. What kind of thoughts do you have at all times?
Slowly sitting down, she couldn't even feel the existence of things around her. Even the flesh and blood struggling and squirming in the sea of ​​fire couldn't attract her attention.
Lawrence was dead, but the flesh and blood of the Holy Grail was still there. It finally occupied the entire body, trying to climb out of the fiery sea of ​​flames.
After an unknown amount of time, she stood up again with a ferocious look on her face.
"Lorenzo Holmes."
Maybe it's because he's too similar to Lorenzo, and his angry look also has his shadow.
"Lorenzo Holmes, you bastard can't just die like this!"
Looking at the dirty face, even if this witcher is about to die, he still has a bloody rotten temperament, and the corners of his dry mouth are raised, as if killing Lawrence is the fulfillment of some damn long-cherished revolutionary wish.
"Yeah, you can't die yet."
The girl whispered repeatedly, as furious as she was solemn.
Just like many previous conversations, the meaning of this demon hunter's life is too fragile. There are only two things in this madman's mind, either killing monsters or on the way to kill monsters.
This guy's life is a complete tragedy, and now that the damn demon hunter has completed his revenge, it doesn't matter whether he goes to heaven or to hell.
But this is not enough, not enough.
……
"I... am I dead?"
Lorenzo slowly raised his head. He was still sitting on the bench in the familiar ice field.
"almost."
Watson sat next to Lorenzo and she answered.
Lorenzo was a little surprised at first, but then accepted it calmly.
"Maybe he is about to die, and nothing else seems to matter."
"Even if you are wary of me?"
"Of course."
Lorenzo replied, "If I die, you will die too. Wouldn't it be nice not only to kill Lawrence, but also to die with you?"
Watson smiled and shook his head, and she continued to speak words that Lorenzo could not understand.
"You seem to have really forgotten a lot and you haven't recovered yet?"
"Forgot something? It doesn't matter anything anymore, Watson, I'm going to die, no amount of memories are as good as smoking a cigarette... If I could, I would still like to have a meal."
As expected of Lorenzo, he was going to die talking nonsense.
"So what happens next, a strange train comes through the sky and takes me to hell?"
Lorenzo said as he looked at the end of the ice field. He had always had this strange sense of déjà vu. This place was like a bench waiting for the bus, but what lunatic would build a station here?
"You know exactly what the afterlife is like, Lorenzo."
Watson said.
The somewhat amused face gradually calmed down, and Lorenzo answered.
"Nothing, just like falling asleep and never waking up again."
"Then why not try to survive?"
"Maybe I wanted to escape."
The two chatted casually. It was rare that the demon hunter would calm down and chat with the terrifying weirdness, just like a confession before death.
"escape?"
Watson was a little surprised. He didn't expect such words to appear in Lorenzo's mouth. Lorenzo just nodded seriously.
"Yes, after all, demon hunters still have human parts. We are not pure humans, nor are we pure demons. We live in the gap between the two worlds, walking in the gray between black and white."
"I still have human weaknesses...cowardice, compassion, empathy, etc..."
"Do you really think it's fun to kill monsters every day?"
Lorenzo asked rhetorically.
"But I see you enjoy killing, right?"
Watson said without giving any face, Lorenzo was speechless for a moment, but then continued to answer.
"Okay, I have to admit that it's really cool to kill them... But it's really tiring."
Lorenzo said somewhat sadly.
"Everyone is dead, and I am the only one who survives. All I can do is use my anger to pay tribute to everyone. Even if I don't want to continue, that anger will still drive me, but after all, I am not a perfect person...or a monster. I am a crippled guy, with the strength of a demon and the weakness of a human being. I will eventually get tired and reach the point where I can no longer walk..."
"Do you know that feeling? It's like you have a hell of a mission. You know you can't leave it behind, and you must never leave it behind. But one day you are going to die, and you want to obey death, and you will be free. , say goodbye to the mission.”
"So this is your escape?"
Watson asked.
Lorenzo nodded.
"Yes, this anger has been burning for too long. I have been burned out, from firewood to ashes, and I have just released the last remaining heat... I really can't burn anymore, even so If I die, no one will blame me..."
Lorenzo said casually, it felt good to be released from the heavy pressure. He even wanted to go out and have fun as an ordinary person for a day, without any damn monsters and revenge, but it was a pity that he had no chance.
The cold wind passed by and rolled up the snowflakes, like floating curtains, sweeping across Lorenzo's face, making it extremely cold.
"No, Lorenzo."
"what?"
Lorenzo looked at Watson, unable to hear her words clearly.
"I said you can't die yet, Lorenzo."
Watson stood up, as if he noticed something, his expression became a little subtle.
"You are mortal, as all life is, but... not today, Lorenzo."
She looked at Lorenzo arrogantly, with cold eyes.
Lorenzo's heart trembled. He was shocked by this strange thing for the first time. He could never figure out what she wanted or what she would do, but then he heard the steady roar in his ears. sounded.
"Your anger hasn't gone out yet, right? You're running away just because you have no hope, right?"
Lorenzo looked at her in a daze, his hand penetrated his body, and tightly held the heart that was gradually stopping.
Yes, he had no hope at all. Under the bombing, even with the secret blood, he was as fragile as an ordinary person, so he chose to die calmly.
This is not escape, but desperate giving up.
"I know you too well, Lorenzo."
"Those long-lasting pains have been tormenting you, and the flames of anger have been burning. You have already reached the depths of hell, and you are one with the demons."
She whispered softly in her ear.
"Everything you ask for must come with a price."
Severe pain burst out along the heart, and the beating that had calmed down became strong again. It roared like the sound of a war drum.
"what have you done?"
Lorenzo bent over in pain. The pain was indescribable, as if it was torture from his soul.
"That's the price."
Watson held his head and forced him to look at him.
"If the firewood has been burned out, then add more to it. You are destined to die in a raging rage, rather than disappearing peacefully.
This is part of the curse. "
So on the burning battlefield, Seliu said angrily.
At this moment, her identity is no longer the protected beggar, she is Seleucid, Seleucid Stuart, the young Duke with honor.
"If the meaning of your existence is so fragile, then let me strengthen it for you."
She murmured to herself, gripping the broken sword that was still warm on the ground, and swung it ferociously regardless of the scorching temperature.
"Give you more...meaning of living..."
Seliu roared like an underage lion cub.
"Lorenzo Holmes, I recognize your existence as a human being!"
"In the name of Stuart."
The broken sword rested on the broken shoulder.
"I grant you!"
There seemed to be countless ghosts screaming, waving swords and shields, and singing praises to everything that seemed to overlap with a hundred years ago.
War granted!War granted!War granted!
They sang.
The sound of metal comes through the long history.
The tide-like erosion was inspired by the dying wreckage, and spread to every part of the battlefield in an instant.
The Geiger Index on the Sail to Dawn reaches its peak, the secret blood surges, and the long-lasting curse drags the dead soul back to the present world.
[Secret Blood Awakens 31%]
The heart of the war drum roars.
　The first ally in this book!Thanks to morgenstern for saving Lorenzo’s life.
　
(End of this chapter)