Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 65: Japan Branch (13)

Dragon Raja 3

“We couldn’t find out who bought the formula for Molotov Cocktail, but the Oni Clan is highly suspicious.”

“They cannot be allowed to continue. The forbidden door must not be opened, for what lies behind it is not heaven but hell! Pursuing the power of dragons will only lead to being devoured by them!” the old man’s voice was like rolling thunder.

“Understood!”

“Your position within the family, as well as that of the Execution Bureau, has been on the rise lately. It makes me proud. I can rest assured when I pass on the title of head of the family to you. Don’t let your guard down, my child.”

“Are you really prepared to hand over the family you’ve worked so hard to build to me?” Chisei showed no hint of joy. The old man looked at him, puzzled. “You’re the heir of the Yamata no Orochi. As the heir, you are the natural successor as the family head. Who else would I pass it to? Besides, you’re a man bearing the Amaterasu mission.”

Chisei was silent for a long time. “I’m not really interested in being a yakuza boss. Aren’t you afraid I’ll disband the family? If I did, I could go to France… I’ve heard it’s a good place to live lazily. I met a French friend online. He runs a small sunscreen shop on Montailev Beach and lives pretty comfortably.”

“The famous nudist beach?”

“Yes. Every summer, he opens his shop on the beach and sees hundreds of thousands of naked women. He walks along the beach wearing just a sunhat, carrying a wooden box filled with different sunscreens. When he sees a pretty girl, he offers her a free sample. When summer ends and people start leaving the beach, he locks up his shop, goes to Paris to collect unemployment benefits, and then reopens the next year,” Chisei said, exhaling a puff of smoke. “That kind of life would be nice—sleeping without a gun under my pillow, drinking until I pass out.”

“Are you tired of the violence?”

“Akira told me that a moth born in darkness will throw itself at the fire without hesitation, not afraid of burning to death—even burning others is of no consequence. It’s a moth’s hunger for light,” Chisei said, staring at the swirling smoke above. “When he said that, his voice was full of sarcasm. I can’t imagine a fallen one daring to mock me… But all along the way, I’ve been thinking about what he said. Maybe I’m not in a position to judge him, because I’m not a moth born in darkness—I’m a butterfly that has seen the sunlight. What right does a butterfly have to look down on a moth? Just because a moth’s wings are gray while we wear colorful robes?”

The old man was silent for a long time before sighing. “Chisei, you’ve always been a kind-hearted child… But a man bearing the Amaterasu mission shouldn’t think so much.”

“Amaterasu mission, huh?” Chisei shook his head and smiled. “Let’s leave that aside. I’m ready. Tell me about the college headquarters.”

“This afternoon, we received official notification. The Principal has dispatched an elite team to Japan, targeting something in the deep sea trench. They will conduct an underwater exploration using a manned submersible, which has already arrived at Tokyo Bay. This is an operation led by the college headquarters. The deep-sea team is directly from headquarters, and the submersible was also built there. Minister Schneider will command remotely from across the ocean, and Norma will monitor the entire mission,” the old man said. “We are merely assisting.”

Chisei was taken aback. “The headquarters hasn’t intervened in our affairs for decades. Why are they extending their reach into Japan now?”

“I don’t fully understand either. But the reason that ‘there may be a dragon embryo in the Japan Trench’ is enough for Anjou to get involved in Japan. We can’t refuse—unless we can prove that what’s in the trench isn’t a dragon embryo.”

“Once they send someone with a deep-sea submersible… they’ll inevitably discover the God’s Burial Ground!” Chisei said. “We have to find a way to stop them!”

“No one can stop Anjou once he’s made up his mind. For decades, the shadow of that man has loomed over us, and today, we can no longer bear his pressure.” The old man stared into the furnace, his pupils glowing. “Let’s use this opportunity to bury the God’s Burial Ground forever. It’s only the destination of a dead god. Let her remain as nothing more than bones for eternity. We cannot allow her to return to this world, absolutely not!”

Chisei was silent for a long time. “Once we take this step, there will be no turning back. Father, are you really sure about this?”

“A person always lives as if standing on the edge of an abyss. There’s never been a ‘turning back’ in this world; at best, there’s just a new beginning!”

“Will the heads of the other clans agree?”

“Convince them. Every conquest in this world starts with one man standing up, followed by others carrying banners and heading to the battlefield!”

“Father, you’ve always held such a strong enmity toward the God’s Burial Ground and the Oni Clan over the years. Why is that?”

“Do you think I’m similar to Anjou in some way? Because the fall of the first generation of Lionheart Society left Anjou with an unrelenting hatred for dragons, and similarly, I seem willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate the God’s Burial Ground and the Oni Clan.” The old man took a long drink of his sake. “You’re wrong. I hold no enmity toward the God’s Burial Ground or the Oni Clan. The only reason I want to eradicate them is that I want to put an end to the Yamata no Orochi’s tragic fate in my lifetime! My life won’t last much longer, so let me tightly strangle the demon of tragedy and take it to death with me, just like Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi did long ago!”

“A tragic fate, huh?”

“Do you remember the Norse mythology I told you about when you were a child? The one about the three Norns who spin the threads of fate, stretch them out, and then cut them?”

“I remember. Back then, you said you wanted nothing more than to stab a knife into the Norns’ hearts, so they couldn’t toy with others’ fates like playthings.”

“It was just an expression of unwillingness. In truth, that’s life. Where there is birth, there is death. It’s only because we experience the beauty of meeting that we also endure the sorrow of parting.” The old man said softly, “The fate of the Yamata no Orochi is just like that. The White Emperor created us and also destined us for destruction. To this day, her specter watches over us, dressed in corpse garments writhing with maggots, performing a dance of necromancy. Her descendants are fated to fight and kill each other for her legacy. There will always be Executors and the Oni Clan, and young people will forever spill their crimson blood.”

“Is she the one who weaves our fate?”

“Yes. Though she’s been dead for many years, she still clings to our destiny. Have you ever thought about breaking her loom? Destroying that White Emperor who weaves our fates… smashing them both to pieces!” the old man rasped.

“And would we be freed from that tragic fate?”