Embers of the Holy War

Stray Dragons

After the meeting with Valerie, Guang and Jin made their way to Forsa, a town in the outskirts of Starlight Metropolis where Sol Invictus was home to. Somewhere around here, Valerie had booked a hotel for them to stay at while they investigated the blackout case.

Why might Guang be investigating this, you might wonder. It was because of the potential connection between Sui and the Black Lotus. Even now, as Guang and Jin made their way to their room, Guang was still mulling over the information given by Valerie.

"The Black Lotus is an organisation native to Naylen, the nation of misled humans. Their members, just like their nation, worship the demon king. The more capable fanatics have banded together, forming the Black Lotus. In the past couple of years, they have infiltrated Alca and have been quietly scheming, even recruiting some of our people to their side. The Four Noble Truths - their elites - are the most powerful within their ranks. Their goal is to support the demon king's mission in destroying the world, which is why I'm asking for your help in retrieving the ruby."

"Why though?" Guang questioned. "It's not like Alca is in crisis. Sol Invictus is functioning fine, so there isn't a need to go retrieve the ruby, right?"

"Sol Invictus is functioning fine because we have been preparing to switch power sources for some time. Therefore, peace is still maintained," Valerie explained solemnly. "But imagine something that can power an entire nation falling into the enemy's hands. The possibility is endless - there is no telling what kind of abomination they could create with the ruby in their possession."

After hearing all that, Guang can't help but think they must be up against some really powerful, crazy people out there. For them to be able to bypass Alca's security and steal a national treasure without being caught - isn't that something notable?

Guang felt like he was forgetting something really important. Had he heard about the Black Lotus somewhere else before?

"Guang."

With a frown on his face, Jin was pointedly staring at him. Ah. He just realised he was standing frozen on the threshold of their hotel room.

Laughing nervously, he quickly stepped into the room. A few steps away, he paused. He turned back around only to close the door he nearly forgot to.

Jin's brows furrowed in that particular way that showed he was concerned. "Guang, are you alright? You seem a bit out of it."

Even someone as oblivious as Guang himself noticed he was getting a little too lost in his thoughts. Sitting down on a chair, Guang faced Jin, whose expression had morphed into one of confusion.

"Jin, I want you to back out of this."

The moment the words were out from his lips, Guang wished he hadn't spoken them. From the look Jin was giving him, he figured he had only a few hours left to live.

"Huh?" Brashly, Jin stomped his way over. It was all Guang could do to not squeak with every ground-shaking step that Jin took.

Leaning down face-to-face with Guang, Jin forcefully pressed his index finger into Guang's chest. Did Guang overestimate how much time he had left to live?

In the deadliest tone Guang ever had the mercy to hear, Jin asserted, "Have you forgotten the duty of a Long?"

Guang mildly noted how his palms were getting sweatier by the minute. "To protect the nation from threat."

"That applies the same to me as well."

"But you don't have to! This is between me and the demon king. I can handle this myself!"

"You can't handle this yourself!" Jin yelled, pulling Guang off his chair by the collar. Guang was taken aback by the furious fire burning in Jin's eyes. "If I'm not there, who would be there to protect you?!"

It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was the older brother, he was supposed to be the one protecting Jin.

Placatingly placing a hand above Jin's hand, Guang said slowly, "I'm telling you to back out because the journey ahead is dangerous."

Jin huffed sarcastically. "Even an idiot can tell you that."

"So why won't you?" Guang demanded.

"Because we're what's left for each other!"

For a few seconds, Guang was beyond stunned. Jin slackened his grip on Guang's collar, leaving Guang to fall back onto his chair.

That's right. It wasn't just him. Jin too had lost his parents, the manor, and their servants. The people and the place they had grown up with had all gone up in flames. The only legacy the Long family had left were him and Jin.

Clicking his tongue, Jin turned his back against him. "Do I even have to spell that out for you?"

Oh. Jin was embarrassed. Perhaps he was a bit too forceful there to make Jin say such cheesy words. Feeling bad, Guang rubbed his neck. "Sorry. I didn't consider your perspective."

Jin shook his head. "It's fine. You may be concerned about my safety, brother, but I'd say it's best you look out for your own back. As the reincarnation of Hero Rayler, you're more likely to be targeted than me."

There was truth to his words. The biggest obstacle in the demon king's path was most certainly the hero; namely, Guang himself. While it sounded terrible, in Guang's books, it wasn't all bad. As his enemies would be coming for him, this just meant that he could find Sui easier.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask something."

Guang perked up. "What is it?"

"Have you met the demon king before? Why do you call him Sui?"

Ah. He may have forgotten to tell Jin about his and Sui's meeting fifteen years old when Guang was just a little kid. To be fair, the topic had never come up before, so he never had the opportunity to tell anyone. Besides, it was a precious time between him and Sui - something he wanted to cherish by himself for as long as he could. Considering the situation though, it was better that he shared about Sui with Jin. Jin was the smarter one between them; perhaps he may be able to create more strategies on how to find Sui.

After hearing Guang's story, Jin was silent. When ten seconds passed and Guang thought he might have overwhelmed his little brother, Jin took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Alright, I see the situation now. It explains how you reacted the past two weeks."

Guang scratched his cheek. "Yeah. You might think I'm insane, and it sounds quite far-fetched, but that's why I don't think Sui's some merciless evil lord that wants to destroy the world."

"And if he is?"

Guang...doesn't want to think about that. Mustering a big smile, he hopped off his chair. "Say, what's for dinner? I'm starving!"

Jin, thankfully, was able to read the room and dropped the topic. For now, Guang will not think of anything else but meeting Sui. To achieve that, he will hunt down every single lead he comes across - even if that is pursuing the formidable and surreptitious Black Lotus.