The Wandering Samurai and his Beloved General (BL)

Haruki believed, in this moment, that he had used up all his luck after receiving two kisses from Lanling. He struggled to clear his mind of any thoughts and focus solely on the present as he gripped his katana steadily.

The wind seemed to sense his discomfort, and a light slash wound suddenly appeared on the guard's cheek, drawing blood.

Haruki and the guard were startled.

"Oh my god! I'm a lady! Not a sack!"

Akiko's voice shattered their thoughts as she pounded on the guard's back, finally snapping out of her stupor. She hadn't registered Haruki's question, nor did she realize the guard's neck was in imminent danger.

The guard quickly glanced around, his eyes darting in search of the culprit who had grazed his cheek, but he found nothing suspicious. His gaze settled on Haruki, and after a moment of hesitation, he cautiously spoke.

"Akiko, stop. There's an enemy."

Akiko's flailing froze, and she obediently stayed silent, but her position was simply too uncomfortable. Her stomach pressed painfully against the other's steel shoulder armor.

"H-Hey, at least put me down…"

Haruki frowned.

The guard slowly raised his hand but stopped when he felt the pressure of the blade increase. "I can't. He won't let me."

"What the fuck! Is he not human?! My stomach hurts—Oh, wait, that expression wouldn't make sense here. Urgh…" Akiko's face shifted from red to white as her focus switched from anger to pain.

Haruki stayed quiet.

Subconsciously, he didn't want the other party to recognize his voice, and if there was a risk to his voice, there was a high chance his appearance would be recognized as well. So, although he didn't want to appear cold, he felt he had no choice.

The beautiful woman also didn't arouse any sort of fondness in him as someone of the opposite sex, and he simply attributed it to the fact that he was utterly, hopelessly, and foolishly in love with Lanling.

A smile threatened to appear on his face as he thought about that, but he pursed his lips to maintain his threatening facade.

The deadlock continued amid the chaotic noise brought by the earthquake.

In the distance, the battalion seemed to have been swallowed by the fissure, with only a few stragglers managing to survive. But the word "survive" was a delusion at that point—those who remained below were tackled by a horde of crocodiles, and the few skilled enough to climb the trees were either killed or captured by the hidden Silver Dragons. Their bodies were quickly inspected to ensure they wouldn't kill themselves before interrogation.

After a few minutes, the fissure snapped shut under the horrified gazes of the enemy soldiers. If not for the swamp's waters having drained by a quarter and the fallen trees, no one would have known the earth had split open moments ago.

It was one thing to create a fissure, but the ability to close it was simply unheard of!

The Silver Dragons had long been aware of their general's strange magical capabilities, so while their shock was lessened, it was still a shock nonetheless.

Lanling surveyed the battlefield from above, relaying orders as he went. When his eyes failed to locate his target, his frown deepened. Without hesitation, he left the cleanup to Mainu and Baili and rushed back toward Haruki's position, bringing along a few mages whose mana reserves had yet to deplete.

Back at Haruki's side, he was silently thankful for the hellish training he'd endured in the army, which allowed him the stamina to keep his katana raised for such a prolonged time. He stubbornly warned the guard not to move while Akiko continued voicing her complaints.

He should have killed them already, but the risk was too great. If the woman randomly spouted nonsense, it might trigger memories he wasn't ready to face. He also didn't have the ability to simply snap his fingers and let the wind rip them to shreds while he closed his eyes.

"Urgh… you scumbag… I just… need you to… put me down—" Akiko's complaints began to weaken and fragment. "Seriously… I'm gonna vomit…"

The guard's face contorted in disgust, but he didn't move an inch, remaining wary of the blade pressed against his neck and the invisible attacker that wounded his cheek.

"No wonder you managed to get this far." Lanling's ever-calm voice sounded from another branch. With a graceful leap, aided by the wind, he landed softly beside Haruki. "Why is the prince of the Black Pythons dirtying himself in the swamps?"

The guard stiffened, clearly shocked that his identity had been exposed.

Lanling wasn't expecting to hear an answer. "Blind and deafen the woman before binding them," he ordered, casually gesturing to the mages who had arrived on nearby branches.

"W-Wait! Lanling?!" Akiko suddenly screamed, twisting and struggling in an attempt to face the familiar voice.

"Mute her as well," Lanling said, his tone dropping a degree colder.

Without a word, the mages began chanting their spells, and Akiko's screams were instantly silenced. She continued to flail and pound, as if doing so would somehow restore her missing senses.

Haruki sighed in relief, finally withdrawing the blade. He left the mages to their work, turning instead to Lanling with a wide smile and bright, eager eyes.

"Didn't I do good? I kept her off of me!" His voice brimmed with unmasked pride, enough to cause some of the mages to falter mid-chant, frantically grabbing onto their comrades to steady themselves.

Lanling couldn't help but wonder if the dog ears and tail he imagined on Haruki were real. He blinked, and the illusion was gone. A quiet chuckle escaped him as his eyes curved into crescents and his expression softened.

"Mn. You did good."

Haruki had only meant to tease Lanling, but the genuine praise lit up his face. His joy was so palpable that the leaves around them began to whirl and dance, stirred by the wind as if mirroring his emotions.

Lanling shook his head with a fond smile, his eyes full of quiet affection.