Gun of Ashes

Chapter 1015 - 51: Massacre (Part 2)

"Reload, open fire!"

The Weapon Master fired again, and a rain of fire filled the sky in an instant, illuminating the sea and suppressing the pirates’ movements. Most of them hid in the cabin, shivering under the fire rain.

The captain stared intently at the menacing figure of the Weapon Master. Unlike the terrified pirates, after the initial shock, he understood the threat that the Weapon Master posed. All he could do was suppress with the fire rain, as these burning steels couldn’t shake the ironclad ship, let alone ignite in the pouring rain.

Most importantly, the Weapon Master could only suppress his own ironclad ship. The fire rain’s coverage was limited, unable to suppress all the ironclad ships, and while he suppressed his ship, the attack from the other ironclad ships wouldn’t cease.

This was just the Morning Glow Advance’s last counterattack. Although he didn’t know what on earth the Weapon Master was, once he captured this ironclad ship, all its secrets would be exposed before him.

Thinking this, the captain’s greed brought immense joy, watching the continuation of the fire rain, but suddenly he thought of something.

Why...?

He listened intently, straining to hear the disturbances over the sea.

Why... did the cannon fire diminish?

With this thought, the captain, disregarding the threat of the fire rain, rushed out of the cabin.

Just moments ago, cannon fire had been incessant, but at some point, the sounds diminished. Did the other ironclad ships give up the attack? Impossible, everyone witnessed the Morning Glow Advance’s firepower; who would dare cease the attack before incapacitating it?

The captain looked towards the other end of the sea. Previously, darkness and heavy rain obscured his sight, allowing him only to roughly discern the positions of other ironclad ships by the glow of cannon fire. But now, under the illumination of the fire rain, everything became clear.

The greed-driven, restless blood instantly cooled, as the captain saw.

Those ironclad ships hadn’t abandoned the attack; they were engulfed in flames.

Ferocious flames burned on the ironclad ships, pirates screamed, their silhouettes starkly visible against the fire light. The impregnable ironclad ships slowly sank, waves rising as if dragging them into the abyss.

In this fiery scene, the captain saw the real demon.

The deck began to collapse and shatter, something sharp pierced through it, like a child birthed forcefully breaking open a steel shell, standing slowly bathed in flames.

With its rise, the keel broke completely under continuous destruction, the ironclad ship crushed by its weight, rivets snapping, armor lifting and peeling away, disintegrating into countless fragments swallowed by the sea.

The demon slowly lifted its head. The captain couldn’t see or know if this thing even had eyes, but he was clear, in this moment, he and the demon were staring at each other.

The fire rain fell, illuminating the darkness with light, but the view was again covered by blackness and heavy rain, the captain losing sight of the demon.

Then another fire rain rose to the sky, lighting the blurred world. But at this point, the burning wreckage no longer bore the demon’s shadow, the ironclad ship slowly sank to the seabed, dying silently as the previously sunken ironclad ships did.

Then he heard it, a sharp sound resonated through the storm, like something rapidly approaching.

Staring blankly at all this, invisible fear fully captured the captain’s mind.

Suddenly, the captain understood.

This fire rain wasn’t for attack or suppression; its sole purpose was lighting the path for the demon’s assault.

A line hook soared through the air, precisely nailing the deck not far from the captain, like a tendril extended by an anomaly in the darkness.

The captain heard the source of the sound, not from the sea, but from the night sky.

Looking up, he saw the fire rain bursting in high air, lighting everything within the sea realm, but it failed to illuminate the captain, for his body was already shrouded by something larger and darker.

Cold iron feathers spread out completely, the falling light perfectly outlined its terrifying form.

Breaking through the storm.

"Odin..." The captain prayed devoutly, trembling hands raising the hand axe from his waist.

It was like an anomaly born from a bloodthirsty battlefield, undying flesh dragging the enemy’s broken armor and Broken Sword, contorting them together into a demon of steel and flesh.

The demon landed before the captain, the hook began to retract, and it stood up straight.

The captain stared intently at the Black Angel, this demon was real, no cursed illusion. The armor slightly heaved, the heart beneath beat, muscles pulling the mechanical, the dark scale armor rhythmically fluctuating with breath.

The terrified pupils reflected the Black Angel.

"Valhalla!"

After a brief silence, the captain shouted loudly.

He raised his hand axe intending to hack at the Black Angel. Even though the captain’s heart was gripped with fear, he fiercely dragged his body forward.

The captain couldn’t retreat; he was a Viking. He ought to die here fighting, rather than fleeing cowardly, otherwise, the Valkyries would no longer favor him and Odin would mock him.

But... but...

In this life-and-death moment, the captain’s thoughts raced, the erosion from the Armor of Original Sin subtly affecting him, and under his collapsing psyche, this influence expanded infinitely.

This was a demon, a hateful demon. Once slain by it, could the divine and brave Valkyries retrieve his soul?

Could they truly defeat this demon before them with their sword and shield?

Even the firmest belief wavered at this moment, the captain’s pace slowed, his grip relaxed, the hand axe slipped and fell, clashing against the armor, sparking briefly.

The captain turned, exerting all his strength to flee, his mind blank, unable to think.

A cold line slashed through, a sharp sound scraped past his ear, overlapping with thunder.

The Black Angel maintained its swinging motion, the falling rain washed away the blood on its wings, and everything before it, whether steel or flesh, crumbled in that instant.

Countless iron feathers rubbed against each other, scraping against the steel surface, leaving deep fissures.

The pirates hidden in the cabin witnessed the captain’s death, his body sliced into countless pieces by crossed blades, cleansed by the rain in a blink, washing away the foul blood.

This was slaughter, Lorenzo knew this well, these pirates had no courage left to resist. They might have once been exceptionally brave, but only against human adversaries. They had never encountered a creature like him.

The Black Angel strode forward, the fire rain on its body illuminating those grim details.

The storm trapped the Morning Glow Advance, and likewise, it trapped the pirates. On this battlefield of despair, they had nowhere to retreat.

The Iron Feather gently caressed the cabin and deck, emitting a piercing noise, slicing through all matter, the sound of death slowly approaching, closing in on the cabin.

Every eye reflected this fearsome demon, hearts pounding heavier and heavier.

"Valhalla!"

Lorenzo didn’t know who first shouted the war cry, but swiftly, under extreme threat, more collapsing shouts responded.

The pirates wielded their weapons and charged out of the cabin, bullets splattered, alongside blades and axes, powerlessly landing on the Black Angel. They gave it their all, yet couldn’t even scratch the armor.

The Perpetual Motion Pump reinforced the armor operating at this moment, some replaceable armor was switched to Pine Iron material, these sturdy metals guarded the armor.

The Black Angel swung the Iron Feather again, sparks burst, the pirates shattered instantly.