Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 319: Ghost of Black Swan Bay (4)

Dragon Raja 3

Caesar and Chu Zihang remained silent. Ruri’s three stories were indeed grand gifts, but they were also complex and intertwined, making it difficult to discern the truth. In modern-day Japan, everyone had their own agenda, and everyone seemed like a conspirator. They were all willing to do anything to seize control of the gods and the power sufficient to rule the world.

Perhaps the only exception was Chisei, that idealistic turtle who was determined to be a friend of justice, though the existence of justice itself remained in doubt.

Finally, Chu Zihang broke the silence. “If all your stories are true, then Bondarev obtained the technology to create Death Servitors from Black Swan Bay, fled to Japan, infiltrated the Yamata no Orochi clan, and continued Herzog’s research using their resources. Because, on Christmas Day in 1991, Black Swan Bay was obliterated by a vacuum bomb, and only one person survived—Bondarev. He took Herzog’s research materials with him, and only he knows how to use genetic technology to cultivate Hybrids. But I have one question—who told you about the events of 1991? If Bondarev was the sole survivor of the explosion at Black Swan Bay, then only he would know the details, and he clearly wouldn’t tell you.”

“Osho told me,” Ruri replied.

“And how did Osho know?”

“He didn’t say. I’ve simply passed on to you what he told me, word for word,” Ruri said, looking directly into Chu Zihang’s eyes. “I’d like to remind you of one more thing—Tachibana and Osho have access to very similar technologies.”

Chu Zihang suddenly realized something and shivered slightly. “There was more than one survivor of Black Swan Bay! Osho witnessed that fire that lit up the Arctic!”

“Yes! Tachibana’s history only goes back thirty years, and Osho also appeared in Japan thirty years ago. Everything traces back to that time, and all causes and effects began then!” Ruri said each word with deliberate emphasis.

Chu Zihang and Caesar exchanged a glance. Though this was only a hypothesis, Ruri’s reasoning was entirely logical. A single thread of fate connected the events of Black Swan Bay thirty years ago to the current crisis in Tokyo. The cause had long been sown, and the consequences were about to unfold.

“Why are you telling us all this?” Caesar asked.

“I want to cooperate with you,” Ruri said.

“Did I hear that right? A high-ranking member of the Oni Clan wants to collaborate with Cassell College?” Caesar raised an eyebrow. “Your goal is to resurrect the gods, while our organization exists to slay dragons. We have no basis for cooperation. A fight seems more appropriate than an alliance.”

“You would be working with me, not with the Oni Clan, and certainly not with Osho,” Ruri said, raising his elegant eyebrows. “You want to kill a god, and so do I. In today’s Japan, you won’t find any allies except for me.”

“You want to kill a god? Why? You’re the second-in-command under Osho. If the White Empress’ resurrection means that the Oni Clan will evolve into dragons, you’ll become the leader of a new dragon race. What’s in it for you to kill a god?” Chu Zihang asked.

“First of all, I don’t believe that humans have the ability to control gods. Secondly, Osho is not someone who can be trusted. He raised me solely because of my bloodline, as my blood holds great significance for his research. But once he finds the god, I will lose my value to him and can be sacrificed at any moment. Osho is a ghoul, and everyone is his food. I am also part of his stored food—just not served at the table yet. A few days ago, the girl I liked was devoured by him. I can imagine him licking his teeth behind that mask, thinking about how delicious she was. In that moment, I really wanted to kill him.” Next to Ruri was a sword rack, and on it lay a long sword with a cherry-red sheath.

“A ghoul?” Chu Zihang asked.

“That’s Osho’s theory. He says this world is a place where people eat each other, though not in a physical sense but by devouring each other’s value. The thugs on the streets extort protection money from shopkeepers, prostitutes, and drug dealers—they feed off those people’s efforts to survive. Gang leaders take money from the thugs, feeding off them. It’s no different outside of the criminal world. Business owners recruit workers and feed off their labor to become wealthy, corporations feed off business owners, banks feed off corporations, and politicians are the biggest gluttons of all—they feed on everyone. He says the world is this cruel: either you eat or you get eaten, so you must do everything in your power to devour others to grow stronger. The higher you climb, the more you can consume.”

“What a disgusting and insane theory. People like that should just be killed. If you’ve thought about it, why haven’t you acted? You and your brother are royalty among Hybrids. You can kill whoever you want,” Caesar said.

“I’ve tried—several times, but never succeeded.” A trace of fear flashed in Ruri’s eyes. “At first, I refused to obey him and fiercely resisted. I cut his throat, and he died. I went to remove his mask, only to find that it was actually fused to his face. When I tried to pull it off, it ripped the skin, revealing bloody tissue beneath. I was so terrified I ran away. But the next morning, Osho appeared before me, wearing the exact same mask, smiling and asking how I was, as if nothing had happened.”

Caesar and Chu Zihang both shivered internally. If Tachibana felt like a conspirator, Osho felt like a demon—some indestructible ghost.

“What do you propose for cooperation?” Chu Zihang asked. “To kill a god, we first need to find the god. But we don’t know its form, nor its hatching ground. It could be a piece of bone, a deformed eight-headed dragon embryo, or something that looks human.”

“Why not take another approach? Let’s kill those who want to resurrect the god first!” Ruri’s eyes locked onto Caesar’s, and a sharp edge suddenly emerged from the once docile young man.

“You want to eliminate Tachibana?” Caesar asked.

“No, Osho is first. He wants to resurrect the god, and we must stop him. But I can’t defy his orders. Most of the Oni Clan believes in Osho, and if it comes down to me versus him, they will choose him. But if Osho dies, I will become the leader of the Oni Clan. I can then unearth Osho’s plan to resurrect the god and follow the clues to find the god before it awakens, killing it before it’s too late. Afterward, I’ll negotiate cooperation with Cassell College. The Oni Clan’s demand is simple: to replace the Yamata no Orochi clan as the dominant force in Japan, becoming the new Japan branch. We will help you maintain order in the Hybrid society of Japan. Then, I will step down as the leader of the Oni Clan and become a true kabuki actor. You can monitor me, and if I lose control, kill me. But please, don’t throw me into some prison on a deserted island.”

“It sounds good, but how can we trust you? Maybe your first act as leader of the Oni Clan will be to resurrect the god and monopolize its power,” Caesar said. “That’s the kind of thing my own family would do.”

“You’ll have to trust me because you have no other allies in Japan.” Ruri handed Chu Zihang a folder. “This contains the details of Osho’s experiments with evolutionary drugs and human testing. This should be enough to sentence him to death in court, right? As friends of justice, I know you wouldn’t kill someone unless they truly deserved it.”

“Why do you want to work with us? Don’t you have those subordinates outside?” Chu Zihang asked.