Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 415: God’s Downfall (7)

Dragon Raja 3

“How did they find them?” Chisei was taken aback. Two crises were happening simultaneously, and he couldn’t address both. Furthermore, Tachibana Masamune was no longer around.

Fūma Kōtarō pulled open the curtains, revealing a massive outdoor screen beyond the floor-to-ceiling window. On the screen, Caesar, Chu Zihang, and Lu Mingfei’s faces appeared in succession. They were dressed in velvet tuxedos, wearing rhinestone-encrusted bow ties, and even donning shimmering lip gloss. That unsettling feeling of these lunatics dancing around him with little fans came rushing back, making Chisei involuntarily massage his forehead. No wonder the Yamata no Orochi’s intelligence network couldn’t locate their hiding spot for so long. The gap between the thought processes of normal people and lunatics was simply too vast. Who would’ve thought that, at such a critical moment, these three maniacs would hide in a host club—and even go so far as to work there? By the looks of it, they were quite popular.

When the screen transitioned to show Kazama Ruri’s profile, Chisei’s wry smile vanished, replaced by a steely, unyielding expression.

“That club has already been completely surrounded, including aerial and underground routes,” Fūma Kōtarō reported. “This matter is too significant, and everyone is waiting for your personal intervention.”

“Someone deliberately leaked their location to us. Who would do that?” Chisei asked.

“The management of Tokyo’s outdoor advertising screens involves three companies. Earlier this evening, all three received a call from the same mysterious client, requesting an advertisement for the host club. The client paid a substantial fee with a cashier’s check, so the ads were broadcast simultaneously at 3 a.m.”

“So no one knows who the mysterious client is?”

“No one.”

“I can guess—it’s the Osho,” Chisei said. “The attack on Akai began at 3 a.m., and the ad also went live at that time. He wants to create incidents at multiple locations simultaneously, forcing me to remain in Tokyo to handle Chime’s situation.”

“Rather than calling it a scheme, it’s more like mockery. He’s forcing you to choose which matter you consider more important: your younger brother or the entity in the Tomb of Remains.”

“Does he think he can toy with everything in the palm of his hand?” Chisei remarked. “Fūma-kun, which do you think I’ll prioritize?”

“You’ll go to Akai. Although you care deeply about your brother, you’re the patriarch of the Yamata no Orochi. The entity in the Tomb of Remains concerns the future of the clan. If you eliminate it, the clan can break free from the shackles imposed by the White Empress.”

“That’s right,” Chisei took a deep breath. “I am… the patriarch of the Yamata no Orochi.”

“Then Takamagahara’s situation will be handled by me and Sakurai-dono in your stead. We will do our utmost to ensure your brother’s safety.”

“If they resist, you have full authority to take necessary measures. Many years ago, Chime became someone else. You cannot imagine how dangerous he is. It’s better to see him dead than let him escape our control.”

Fūma Kōtarō hesitated briefly before responding, “Understood!”

Chisei grabbed Kumogiri and Dōjigiri and pushed open the office door. Fūma Kōtarō followed closely behind. The two took separate elevators—one going up, the other down—each heading to a different battlefield.

The Alfa Romeo ascended on the lift platform, followed by other vehicles. The platform was located on the side of Akai, designed to elevate flatbed trucks to the well’s edge.

Nagafune didn’t take the platform. As a sniper, he selected his vantage point 150 meters away, covering the surrounding area of Akai within his range.

Asuya had yet to unsheathe his blade. So far, Nagafune’s sniper rifle alone had dealt with the guards around Akai. Compared to the Kantō branch, the guards of the Ganryū Research Institute were insignificant. Killing was the Kantō branch’s specialty.

The air was filled with the roar of rushing water, likely from days of torrential rain filling the Akai with water. Yet, Asuya couldn’t understand how stagnant water in the well could produce such thunderous sounds.

The ascent felt prolonged. Bored, Asuya revved his engine. This mission would soon end. The people deep within the tunnel likely already had control of the excavation machine. Occupying Akai was just a precaution.

He began envisioning his final battle against Chu Zihang, mentally constructing every detail of his offensive, Zihang’s defense, and the corresponding tactics he should employ. Inevitably, every scenario ended with his blade slashing Zihang’s throat. The sensation of that moment—his blade cutting through flesh—would be so exquisite it could make one cry. Immersed in this vision of blood scattering like falling maple leaves, Asuya was lost in thought.

He glanced to his right. Next to him was Komori’s Porsche 911. Komori slowly licked her cherry-colored lips, her gaze locked onto Asuya, her sleek black hair falling to obscure half her face.

It seemed Komori’s infatuation had flared up again. She and her sister, Rakuyo, were twins, their codename the legendary “Yukikusa Twin Blades.” Komori had successfully seduced every man in the Kantō branch—except Asuya. Asuya wasn’t interested in women; he was only fascinated by dissecting corpses. For Komori, this was a significant defeat. She vowed to conquer Asuya to fulfill her goal of seducing the entire Kantō branch. Komori was undeniably beautiful, and Asuya didn’t dislike her that much. If he defeated Chu Zihang, he might just indulge her advances as a form of celebration, Asuya thought idly.

The lift platform reached the top of Akai. For the first time, Asuya saw the massive vertical shaft, its surface area approximately one square kilometer—large enough to hold an underground lake. At this moment, silver-white liquid was gushing from a dozen outlets along the well walls, cascading into the depths below like dragons spewing water. The liquid slammed into the walls, breaking into countless silver droplets, the force so intense that it dented the steel panels lining the shaft. Thick, silvery-white mist rose from the depths, and Asuya took one breath before immediately holding it.

It was mercury vapor—highly toxic. No wonder the well roared like thunder. Five thousand tons of mercury stored in the walls were pouring into Akai. Although this amount was insignificant compared to an underground lake, mixing it with the water at the bottom created a mercury pool deadly to dragons. It seemed their allies in the tunnel hadn’t succeeded yet. Shio was still in control of the excavation machine and intended to open the Tomb of Remains early, letting the entity and Akagikawa’s waters flow into Akai.

They’d have to leave Miyamoto to die.

The construction platform above was desolate, with no one in sight. The workers seemed to have fled. Asuya shifted into gear and moved forward cautiously. According to their intel, Akai didn’t have heavy weapons—nothing posed a threat to them.

The sound of machinery came from below, making Asuya wary. He stepped on the brakes.

A freight elevator was slowly ascending. It was just a fenced platform lift. Standing at its center was a girl in a white dress, holding a massive black umbrella and carrying a disproportionately long blade.

Kikuichimonji Norimune. The girl bore her family’s sacred relic, the Kikuichimonji Norimune.

She stood amidst the raging storm, seemingly at the mercy of the winds that could whisk her away at any moment. Surrounding her were a dozen mercury fountains, like a cascade of the Milky Way, with white mist and silver droplets suspended in mid-air.

Ashuya instinctively gripped the hilt of his blade. The girl stood amidst the cascading streams of mercury, resembling a forest sprite. Yet, seeing how steadily she held her umbrella, Ashuya knew her hand would be just as steady when she drew her blade.

The sharp crack of gunfire rang out. It was Nagafune’s sniper rifle—he was aiming for a long-range kill. But the girl deftly slipped behind a metal frame, the bullets sparking against it as they ricocheted off.

“Don’t shoot. Your bullets are useless against her,” Ashuya said, activating his radio.

He had already figured it out: the shared elevator where the girl stood was the shortcut to the tunnel. They had no choice but to seize control of that elevator. The car’s air conditioning couldn’t filter out mercury vapors, and prolonged exposure would be dangerous for both the team leaders and the girl.

If sniping was ineffective, there was no choice but a full-frontal assault. Suddenly, Ashuya gave the order: “Move out!”

Kotake’s Porsche was the first to charge forward, speeding onto the platform ahead. She yanked the steering wheel hard, causing the car to spin and the side of the vehicle to slam into the girl. Simultaneously, Kotake drew her blade and flung open the car door, using it as a makeshift shield.

The girl pressed her hand against the door, and it came to an immediate stop. No matter how much strength Kotake applied, the door wouldn’t budge, as if it had been welded shut. The force rebounded back onto Kotake’s wrist, instantly fracturing it.

Stunned, Kotake abandoned her short blade and reached for the gun in her glove compartment. But before she could pull the trigger, the girl placed a hand on the gun’s mechanism. With a smooth motion, the spring and barrel disassembled, brass bullets scattering to the ground. The gun was reduced to a heap of parts within a second.

The girl tapped her finger against Kotake’s temple, and Kotake immediately lost consciousness.

Stepping out of her hiding place, the girl pinned a golden badge to her chest.

“The Half-Rotted Yggdrasil.” Everyone recognized the insignia—this girl assisting Shio in guarding the Crimson Well was actually from Cassell College Headquarters!