Blade Dance

"do not move."

There was a soft sound as the clothes were torn.

"Roy."

Harlan stopped and looked at him helplessly.Roy's hand has been exploring on his waist since just now, as if he has discovered a new continent.

"Do you want to suffer? Don't touch me."

Roy withdrew his hand and smiled softly.

"You relax. I'm fine, I'm fine."

Harlan's expression relaxed.He tore open the sleeve of Roy's left arm neatly, exposing a bloody wound.A few drops of blood left a row of striking red spots on the light-colored sheets.Because of the timely evasion, the blade didn't cut very deep, but it was as sharp as "Muramasa", and it still bruised the solid texture.

"that person……"

"Maureen Restalan."

"You know him?"

"I visited his family." Harlan looked up at Roy, "After succeeding as commander."

Roy fell silent, as if hesitating what to say next.

"I couldn't stop Lucas," he said.His voice was a little dry.Harlan leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Restalan saw you in front of Hellfire Citadel?"

"Yes."

"If Lucas didn't kill him, would he kill you?"

Roy looked into his eyes without answering.Harlan wrapped the wound tightly, took his hand and wiped the blood with gauze from the fingertips all the way up.

"Why..." he murmured.

"Mr. Restalan met me when he was in Shattrath City." Roy recalled, "He saw me again on the battlefield. Under such circumstances, he must think that I am ungrateful."

He suddenly smiled bitterly: "I am indeed ungrateful."

Harlan shook his head: "Not this one."

Roy looked at him suspiciously.

"……nothing."

Seeing that Roy was still staring at him, Harlan was silent for a while, and then said, "This is my own business, and I don't want you to be involved."

"But is it because of me?"

"Do not."

Harlan thought about it and said, "It's my own negligence that prolongs the problem."

Roy stared at him for a long time without saying anything.

Even in the Aldo Heights, the boiling voices of people can be heard all the way from the central city.Even if it is distant and hazy, the afterglow of the carnival is also vividly revealed.Attracted by that voice, Roy cast his gaze out the window.The bonfire party was coming to an end, but bright fires could still be seen flickering in the direction of the central city, turning the entire sky above into purple.

Harlan followed his gaze to look in the same direction.

"Bonfires keep burning until they run out of fuel, or a heavy rain blows them out."

He looked back at Roy.

"Flame always symbolizes life and light, but it can also burn everything. In a blink of an eye. In a blink of an eye," he raised his hand, blew lightly, and opened his palm at the same time, "nothing will be left Down."

Roy looked at his empty palm, with complex expressions on his face.Harlan withdrew his hand, then stood up, and glanced out the window.

"Let's go," his tone became lighter, "change your clothes and go eat something. I'm hungry." He was about to reach out to pull Roy up, but Roy suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him He pulled over.Harlan fell into his arms defenselessly, sat sideways on his lap, and was then hugged tightly by his arms.

"Don't go."

Harlan froze.

"I did not say--"

"Don't go." Roy buried his face into his shoulders, and tightened his arms a little more, "Just don't go."

Harlan felt the pain.

why?

He never goes anywhere.It never occurred to him to go there.He was the one who stayed put and just waited for Roy to come to him.He thought he was the one who was afraid of losing.

But why does Roy feel this way, afraid that he will leave?How long has he been tormented by this anxiety?

In the past few months, they have been together day and night, but why do they always feel dissatisfied?Something is brewing and changing, something is always ready to move, and there is even a kind of oppression and tension, which makes them feel uneasy even when they are most devoted to each other.

Something has to be broken eventually.

There is no calmness and freedom, no toughness and determination.Roy must not want to admit that he was pleading, but he said "don't go" in a pleading tone.

It's dangerous to depend on someone like this.Harlan was afraid, but he didn't know what he was afraid of.

He broke free from Roy's arms and turned to hug him.

"I do not go."

He rested his head on Roy's shoulder and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm not going anywhere unless you let me go."

----------

The next morning, before dawn, the streets of the central city were deserted.The mist filled the air, and the smell of burning was still in the air.It seems that the city has not yet awakened, but Harlan can always feel the sight through the window and through the door.

I don't know if it's the unique darkness at dawn, or a harbinger of rain, but the sky at this time is extremely gloomy.Only a few dots of the huge bonfire in front of the Holy Light Square are still lingering.The moist morning wind stirred the tiny flames, causing them to sway slightly, but they didn't seem to be going out.

Harlan came to the upper floor of the Holy Light Hall.

"Sir Bishop."

The people of the church who came with him all backed away, and then left the platform, and there was only the sound of their away footsteps in the silence.Archbishop Nasuen was staring at the pillar of holy light in front of him in a daze.There are many tiny particles floating in the bright beam of light, cruising around, and their trajectory is irregular, but nothing can be separated from the beam of light itself.

"Very beautiful. What do you think?"

The archbishop turned to look at him, and without waiting for Harlan's answer, he continued: "Many people have come to ask me if it is an impurity that should not be contained in the holy light. People always think that the holy light should be pure and clean, It is impossible to contain such substances. They are dross and will only pollute the Holy Light, so they should be removed. But in fact, these substances are a vital part of the energy of the Holy Light. Just like beauty cannot exist without specific things. If If you eliminate the part that established the existence of beauty, how can you keep beauty intact?"

"It can't be done." Harlan looked into the archbishop's eyes, "so we can only let them exist."

Archbishop Nasuen nodded, and then stared at him for a long time without saying a word.There was an inaudible sound of particles colliding from the dome of the temple, but it was so quiet that Harlan realized that it was raining outside.His first thought was that the campfires must all be out.He imagined the wind whistling with the downpour, and the dead leaves dancing wildly in the rain.

"And because the Holy Light itself is powerful and holy, people can't do anything." When the archbishop's voice sounded again, the sound of the rain was almost deafening.The whole dome was shaking.The archbishop faced the holy light again, raised his head, and looked up along the beam of light, his voice was a little fuzzy.

"But if one day there is a mutation in the energy of the Holy Light, I'm afraid people will not hesitate to blame the mutation on those substances—blame the ugliest part on the surface."

He looked at Harlan from the corner of his head: "Even if there is nothing wrong with them."

"My lord, please—"

"You have three days."

Archbishop Nasuen interrupted him, turned around and continued to face him with his back, but his voice was clearly transmitted behind him, calm and full of strength.

"You used three days to make a decision to start this journey, so please also take three days to consider your next choice. After that, I will respect it."

He paused for a moment.

"I will guarantee your safety within three days, please consider carefully."

When Harlan walked out of the temple, the rain was lighter than expected.The dome amplifies the effect of the rain sound.As expected, the bonfire was completely extinguished.The raindrops fell in a patter, which also washed away the burning smell in the air.

People in the rain seem to have been waiting for a long time.

They stood together in the rain, their eyes met, and the dense rain covered the expressions on each other's faces.

Harlan took a step forward.

"If you have anything to say, just say it here."

A silence followed.In the ten years since the first acquaintance, Harlan and Orson have never experienced such a long silence.The rain wet their hair, their cheeks, their clothes, their shoes, the dagger on Harlan's waist and the bow on Orson's back.Everything was soaked and cold to the bone.The rain slid down between Orson's facial features, outlining those handsome lines, but his face was as rigid as a poor sculpture, as if he could no longer make another expression.Harlan watched him, waiting for him to speak first.He has rehearsed this scene in his mind many times since last night, and the difference between reality and time is only time and place.He always thought that he couldn't help but speak first, but now he didn't even have the slightest desire to speak.

I can't get back the feeling of getting along with him in the past, and I can't imagine what it should be like.

Orson frowned suddenly.

"Give up." He said, his voice hoarse, but his tone was very firm.

"Give up what?"

Orson didn't answer, just stared into his eyes.

Companionship, comfort, trust, everything that those black eyes once brought, now only strangeness remains.

"Maureen Restalan did not join the army. He was not present when the previous commander died."

Harlan realized his voice was shaking.

A strange excitement flashed across Orson's face.

"Did you know? The weapon master failed to repair the flaw on the 'Muramasa' sword." He said, "Even though the gap is very small, it can't be repaired."

Orson glanced up at the sky, rain dripping into his eyes.

"Also, with a famous sword like 'Muramasa', people always study every part of it carefully. Such a small gap becomes obvious because of meticulous scrutiny."

"That is the battlefield, and he is not a murderer. No, there is no 'murderer' on the battlefield."

"Watching his companions kill those who have favored him, he is guilty of the murderer."

Anger welled up in his blue eyes for a moment.By the time Orson reacted, Harlan had already punched him hard in the face.He staggered back a step, almost without hesitation, the next moment he rushed up and kicked Harlan in the stomach.Hearing Harlan let out a muffled groan, he bent down and took a few steps back, his body curled up violently.Orson realized that he had used too much force, and a look of regret and panic appeared on his face.He subconsciously unloaded the bow and arrow from his back, and was about to run to help Harlan.But before he could do that, Harlan had already rushed in front of him, punched him in the ribs, and then grabbed his arm, swiftly and mercilessly throwing him on his back to the ground.

"Why?" Harlan covered his stomach with his hands, looking down at him, his face full of pain.

Orson laughed.

He lay on the ground in a defeated posture, relaxed his limbs, and raised his hand to wipe the broken corner of his mouth.

"Why?" he said, "I'm asking you why. Different races, rival camps, that was there in the first place—I didn't warn you—and now it's a sworn feud. Unless You are really crazy, otherwise I can't explain any of your actions now."

Harlan gasped, staring at him motionless.It's like he didn't hear his answer.

"why are you?"

Orson froze.

"I know the hate is on the verge. I know too many people see a demon hunter and want to kill them. I don't want to admit it, I don't want to face it, but I know it's waiting for me. But why you?"

Harlan's voice was broken.He covered his face with his hands, wiping the rain off it.

"I know the danger is around me, but why—"

Harlan tried to squat down and fell to the ground.Orson looked at him, feeling his heart ache.

"Harlan."

His throat was hoarse, which must have been drowned out by the sound of the rain.But he couldn't tell the second time.

"If I had noticed sooner it wouldn't have happened, would it? At least it wouldn't have been presented in this way. If I had backed down earlier and left earlier, no one would have been hurt."

Harlan closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his hands.

The ground was wet, cold, and hard, and Orson didn't want to wake up.His hands were clenched into fists, and he stared at Harlan's face, unable to speak a word.The rain was rushing down, as if it would never stop, as if it was going to submerge the whole city.There was a seemingly endless silence until they were soaked from top to bottom, until their internal organs seemed to be soaked in icy cold water.

Harlan stood up.

"Your concern is like a cage."

He turned and left, leaving Orson alone in the rain.