Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 278: A Friend of Justice (14)

Dragon Raja 3

Yet Caesar couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease—the slithering sound of the serpents was drawing closer! For reasons unknown, the burning Death Servitors seemed aware of their movement toward the elevator. It was as if they had seen through Chisei’s strategy. But they were hidden in the smoke, and without Caesar’s heightened sense of hearing, the Death Servitors should have been blindly wandering in the fire. Caesar began to wonder if it was all just a figment of his imagination.

He turned back, helping Chu Zihang drag Chisei toward the elevator. The C4 was burning in the fire and would explode soon—they had only a few minutes left.

They finally reached the elevator, and all their faces paled. The recent seismic waves had not only cracked the floors and walls, but they had also broken the steel beam above the elevator doors, causing the walls to collapse and block the entrance!

Their only exit was sealed. Not even the power of King’s Blaze could tear down the walls of Genji Heavy Industries. In a few minutes, the explosions and flames would engulf the entire floor. In the end, they would still end up as collateral damage alongside the Death Servitors.

“I never imagined my death would come by jumping into an oven at a roasted snake banquet…” Caesar kicked the collapsed wall in frustration, but it didn’t budge.

“What was the death you had in mind, then?” Chu Zihang asked, drawing his long sword from his waist.

“There’d be a live band, women in sexy gowns, and champagne by a pool. Fireworks would fill the sky, and the world’s press would be waiting outside my mansion for news of Caesar Gattuso’s death.”

Suddenly, Chisei, leaning on Chu Zihang’s shoulder, hobbled over and tried pressing the down button on the freight elevator. The button lit up, and the numbers above the elevator slowly started to change. Incredibly, the freight elevator was still functioning!

They had assumed that when the VIP elevator was destroyed, the freight elevator had been too. The freight elevator had plummeted rapidly, and they thought it had crashed. As for whether Lu Mingfei had been inside and survived, they hadn’t given it much thought—they had bigger problems to deal with. But against all odds, the slow-moving old elevator had survived the earthquake. Their damned luck had saved them at the last moment. A few more minutes, and the freight elevator would reach their floor.

“So that useless guy is still alive too!” Caesar’s voice carried a tone of relief.

Chu Zihang felt a slight stir within. Caesar’s first reaction had been about Lu Mingfei’s survival. It turned out that even though Caesar hadn’t said much, he had always been concerned about the guy’s fate.

Chu Zihang cut a piece of C4, inserted a detonator, and stuck it to the elevator door. He stood aside, pressing himself against the wall. With a deafening explosion, the aluminum door, reinforced with steel, was blown open.

“Great! But it looks like those things want to take the elevator too,” Caesar said, turning to look behind them.

The hissing of slithering bodies and the eerie cries of babies grew closer, now loud enough for even Chu Zihang and Chisei to hear. Bright serpentine shadows began to appear through the flames and smoke. The Death Servitors, engulfed in fire, had fought through the pain and were heading their way. It hadn’t been Caesar’s imagination—the Death Servitors truly had a way of sensing their location. The one wielding the twin blades slithered forward gracefully, resembling the serpent god Naga from Indian mythology. Its twin blades, glowing red from the fire, churned up clouds of flame as it advanced. Caesar’s large-caliber lead shot had not dealt it a fatal blow.

“Your blood!” Chu Zihang whispered. “They can smell the blood on you!”

Caesar finally understood. The Death Servitors’ primal hunger for blood and carnage was hardwired into their minds, and they wouldn’t let their prey go, even in death. Chisei’s blood was the most irresistible to them. Earlier, Gen had injured his shoulder, and the blood had soaked into his Nanban Dou armor. This type of Japanese armor had grass mat padding inside, making Chisei a walking tracker soaked in blood. Not even the strong scent of burning could mask the trail.

“Take off his armor and throw it into the fire!” Caesar growled.

“It won’t work. The Death Servitors will quickly realize it’s just armor and continue tracking us,” Chu Zihang said as he swiftly removed the armor’s straps. He then donned the crucial chest and shoulder pieces himself, especially the blood-soaked shoulder armor, to mislead the creatures.

“I went out first during that time under the sea. This time, leave the task to me. When the elevator arrives, call me. I’ll escape from the fire as quickly as possible, just give me some covering fire.” Chu Zihang’s expression remained emotionless as always. He never hesitated or argued over who should take on the dangerous work.

He unloaded a shell from his shotgun, sliced open the plastic casing with a blade, and sprinkled the gunpowder over Chisei’s shoulder. Caesar had already lit his cigar, pressing it hard into the wound. Flames rose, causing even Chisei’s face to spasm in pain—the burning sensation at the nerve endings was enough to make most people faint. The burn temporarily cauterized the blood vessels, drying the blood on the wound, thus eliminating the scent of blood from Chisei’s body. Chu Zihang holstered his shotgun under his coat and drew his long sword. He wasn’t as proficient with firearms as Caesar, and in such a situation, a sword was more reliable. In his memory, the man charging toward the throne had wielded nothing but a long sword.

“Hey,” Chisei called out.

Chu Zihang turned his head, and Chisei tossed him Kumogiri. “This sword can cut through a Death Servitor’s bones.”

Chu Zihang gave a slight nod, without expressing thanks. He suddenly launched himself into the fire, his coat flaring like the wings of a great eagle. The Death Servitors reacted swiftly, their hissing and slithering sounds chasing after him.

Caesar glanced at the floor numbers of the freight elevator. It would be about two minutes before it arrived at the mural hall. In other words, Chu Zihang had to hold out for at least two minutes. Caesar began loading bullets into his Sten submachine gun, trying to stay calm by keeping his hands busy.

Fighting Death Servitors in close combat—Chu Zihang was insane. Even one-on-one, he might not prevail in a brawl, but now he was being chased by dozens, maybe even hundreds of burning Death Servitors. But Chu Zihang had always been this kind of madman—everyone had something they were willing to go crazy for. Caesar slammed the magazine into place.

“I read about you and Chu Zihang. You’re supposed to be rivals back at the college, right?” Chisei leaned weakly against the door.

Series Navigation

<< Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 277: A Friend of Justice (13)Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 279: A Friend of Justice (15) >>