Embers of Embers

Chapter 61
Thousands of believers are pouring into this city of the Holy Spirit to celebrate the birthday of God tonight. Although it has already entered winter, they are still hot from the countless heartbeats.
This is a religious festival from the Evangelical Church. According to the "Gospel" records, the so-called god was born on this day. Because of his birth, there was the first ray of sunshine in the dark world, so the sky was filled with fire and rain, which burned the entire world. The world has seven days and seven nights.
The demons wandering on the desolate land died under the rain of fire, and new lives were reborn under their ashes. The solid glaciers also melted, so the raging tide swallowed up most of the world.
A beautiful new world slowly rises after this destruction.
But similarly, this day also has another meaning in the Book of Revelation. According to the description in the book, when God comes, the darkest shadow appears alone at his feet, that is the abyss. Not only does this day appear The gods and the demons they fought with also crawled out of the darkness.
"What are you waiting for, kid."
After stepping off the carriage and stepping on the bloody red carpet, Dean Lawrence looked at Lorenzo who was still standing still and questioned his hesitation.
"I'm thinking."
After a long pause, Lorenzo slowly answered.
"Thinking about what?"
"everything."
As if hearing some joke, Dean Lawrence walked over with a smile.
"It's no longer needed now. All you have to do now is accept that honor and enjoy the carnival of victory."
The hundreds of thousands of years of war between the Demon Hunting Order and the demons have finally ended, and all the sacrifices have become worthwhile. The torches burn brightly in the night, and finally the endless darkness is completely burned away.
The blood turned into mead, the corpse turned into soft bread, and the air seemed sweet.
Lorenzo couldn't help but look around. People's faces were full of enthusiasm and joy. The holy words of prayer were matched with the organ in the church, and the melody kept boiling, as if the whole world was singing.
Yes, this is really a day worth celebrating. I don’t know how long ago a god was born on this day, and in this distant future, the last demon will be crucified on the cross.
So everyone reveled.
"Come on, Lorenzo."
Dean Lawrence once again extended his hand as if it was an invitation.
Behind him, at the end of the red carpet, the door of Saint-Naro Cathedral slowly opened, endless light overflowed from the crack in the door, and then the hymn became louder and louder.
"Lorenzo, what are you waiting for?"
Dean Lawrence still stretched out his hand, but on the other side of him Lorenzo seemed to be frozen in place.
He stared at Dean Lawrence quietly, with pity and nostalgia in his gray-blue eyes.
"No, that place does not belong to me after all...even the entire Feilengcui and the Evangelical Church do not belong to me."
As Lorenzo spoke, he fiddled with his clothes casually. In the holy robe, he skillfully took out an iron box, took out a cigarette from it and lit it.
"I remember you don't smoke."
As if he saw some flaw, Dean Lawrence said slowly.
"Yes, this is a bad habit I developed in the old Dunling."
Lorenzo said, looking at all the celebrations around him, as if he were watching a farce.
"Director Lawrence, do you still remember that you led the specialized training of our demon hunters? At that time, you told us that demons are corrosive. In the face of that terrible erosion, our will can only do To the meager resistance.”
“So we need a morning star to guide us when we are in darkness.”
Dean Lawrence understood the meaning of Lorenzo's words, and he became a little more serious.
"You mean this place is an illusion. Both these seven hills and me are just illusions caused by demonic erosion?"
Lorenzo nodded with a smile. He had seen through all this at some point, but it seemed that he was doing it out of nostalgia and was not in a hurry to leave.
"Well Lorenzo, since you know that this is an illusion, how do you judge it?"
he said again.
The so-called morning star can be many things, an object, a paragraph, or even a natural phenomenon. It is not important to say exactly what it is. What is important is that the first moment you know its existence, you can distinguish between illusion and reality. Reality.
"I remember that you have never found your own star. After all, that kind of thing requires absolute trust and uniqueness. This kind of thing is something that many people can't find."
Like a boat in a storm, human will is crumbling in the storm of demons. If they want to get out of this predicament, they need a direction, a morning star that can guide them out. But the night sky is so prosperous, with endless stars hanging on it, They needed a unique morning star that couldn't be confused with other stars.
"So isn't this the reason why we accept the [Baptism of God's Favor]?"
Lorenzo replied calmly. Halfway through the smoke, the misty white smoke slowly rose.
"In that ceremony, our spirits will be specialized, and at the same time, there will be another memory in our minds that does not belong to us, but that only we know."
He looked like he had the chance to win.
Dean Lawrence stopped smiling rarely, and his kind body exuded a dangerous aura.
"So it's 42?"
All he could think of was the strange but meaningless number Lorenzo said before, but that thing was a bit too ridiculous as a morning star.
What 42?
42 birds, 42 swords, or is it the bronze iron plate with the writing 42 engraved on it?
It's too general to pin down.
So Lorenzo shook his head and rejected that answer.
"No, it's me."
"what?"
Dean Lawrence didn't understand Lorenzo's words for a while, but soon Lorenzo gave an explanation.
"Lorenzo Holmes. The name itself is a morning star, isn't it?"
"But there are many people in this world. What if someone has the same name as you?"
Once the wrong guiding starlight is followed, the boat will no longer be able to sail out of the storm.
"No, because this name is very special, it's not even a name, it's just a symbol instead of a name."
Lorenzo liked this name very much, it was the embodiment of desire.
"not to mention……"
Putting his hand on a familiar position, he pulled out a sharp sword blade from under the robe.
No one was upset when Lorenzo drew his sword, because he was a priest, a Templar, and a witcher.
This is a place where faith can be condensed into substance. Everyone who can step into it is a believer in God. There is absolute trust between them, which is ridiculous but as solid as steel.
No one would think that Lorenzo could do anything blasphemous. After all, they felt that he was the same as them, the most devout believer.
"What do you want to say?"
Dean Lawrence also put his hand under the robe. The sword that had been with him for many years was quietly hidden in the red robe, waiting for his orders.
"I want to say, more importantly, this is not my dream... this is his."
"Like the name Lorenzo Holmes, the name hasn't been born yet.
Lorenzo quietly looked at the face reflected on the sword blade. It was not Lorenzo's. Except for the same gray-blue eyes, the two faces were completely different.
It's been a long time.
Looking at the familiar look in the blade, Lorenzo was filled with emotion. Even after so many years, his influence on him still exists. Even when he almost forgot about him, he was dragged into his dream again. , in a dead man’s dream.
Therefore, Lorenzo realized the illusion here from the very beginning. This was another person's memory, another person's dream. He was not at Qiqiu on the day of God's birthday, and he had no right to talk to Lawrence. Long direct dialogue, only he has, the person who lives deep in his soul.
"If it weren't for me and I have something else to do, I would really like to stay here for a little longer."
Lorenzo whispered, looking at the beauty that no longer existed, and the next moment he slashed with a sharp sword.
Dean Lawrence is worthy of being the leader of the Demon Hunting Order. Even though he is no longer in his prime, his reflexes are still outstanding. It is even said that he is one step faster than Lorenzo. His sword blade is as fast as thunder, like lightning splitting through the night. , tearing apart the air and making rolling thunder.
The metal collided together, and sparks intertwined with the harsh crash, like a ringing bronze bell.
Everyone's eyes were focused here. A piece of iron fell from the sky. It was a broken sword blade, which was inserted into the red carpet after falling.
"As expected of you..."
Lorenzo held the broken sword and couldn't help but admire that Father Lawrence was still so powerful even in the illusion, so powerful that the result was achieved in just the first round of confrontation.
"Your will has been eroded. This is not a dream, but a real reality."
The sharp sword blade was gently placed on Lorenzo's neck, and Dean Lawrence's eyes were serious.
This situation is also common in the sect. The demon hunter's erosion has been deepening in the years of fighting, until he can no longer distinguish between reality and reality. In the conversation just now, he has been trying to guide Lorenzo to find his own star and escape. It was dark, but he had obviously confused everything and was trapped in the storm.
"I don't have one... Dean Lawrence."
Lorenzo didn't care about the life-threatening sword blade, and still had that unscrupulous smile.
"You're acting like a psychopath trying to prove you're not a psychopath."
"So this is an unsolvable loop, right?"
"We can heal you."
"You mean reinforcing the silver bolt?"
Lorenzo smiled, as if he was mocking him. When Dean Lawrence fell silent, he continued to speak.
"Actually, there is another way to prove whether this is a dream."
There was something ominous hidden in the words. Dean Lawrence noticed the difference and waved the sword in his hand almost subconsciously. But this time he took a step slower, and the broken sword penetrated Lorenzo's chest directly. He laughed wildly and Remember everything about this city.
If you are trapped in a dream, then just wake up, if only you can.
"Nice to see you again, Dean Lawrence."
The blood gushes out uncontrollably, leaving the warm body, as if saying goodbye, he said.
"Things of the old era, let's end here."
With a smile, he yanked out the broken sword, and in the astonishment of Dean Lawrence, Lorenzo pierced him again.
(End of this chapter)