Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 367: Grand Escape Into the Sunlight (4)

Dragon Raja 3

“I never miss a chance with talented people. Beauty is a talent too. As Chesterfield said, ‘A beautiful woman is as important as a talented man.’” Caesar said, “I don’t think that girl is as dangerous as we thought… okay, yes, she killed some people… okay, not some, but quite a lot—76 people is a lot. But wasn’t it a stress response? If someone attacked me like that, I’d throw grenades at them too.”

“She has a bloodline issue. Her destructive power is uncontrollable, whereas you know when it’s appropriate to throw a grenade and when it’s not.”

“She does have bloodline issues, but you’re not completely free of them either. Didn’t I testify that you were normal at the hearing?”

“First, it’s not up to us to determine how dangerous she is—that’s the School Board’s job. Second, yes, Chesterfield did say that, but he also said, ‘Don’t neglect to observe a woman’s heart because of her flaws in appearance; beauty fades with time, but the heart grows stronger.’ And lastly, I am a normal person.” Chu Zihang reassembled the engine.

And so, the two crazy frogs resumed their synchronized leaps across the lily pads.

“Hey, hey, hey! I’m talking about something serious here. You know what happens to a Hybrid with bloodline issues. There’s an island in the South Pacific owned by the College, and on that island is a single sanatorium. A boat only visits once every six months. Those with bloodline problems are confined there. They can enjoy the blue skies, sunshine, and beaches, but they’ll never leave that prison. They can look out in all directions, but all they’ll see is water. You were almost sent to that island yourself when the investigation group questioned your safety. If they deem that girl dangerous after sending her out of Japan, she’ll end up on that island too.” Caesar continued, “The island is called Tartarus, the abyss from Greek mythology where Zeus imprisoned the Titans after their defeat. No one escapes from there—that’s another kind of hell.”

“What are you trying to say?” Chu Zihang wiped the oil from his hands.

“The first ones to come into contact with that girl were us. We were also the ones who witnessed her killing the corpse guards, so we’ll be the ones to write the report about her to the College. After the School Board gets hold of such a valuable individual, they’ll definitely want to lock her up in Tartarus for research. But we should give her a chance. Everyone deserves a chance, right? No normal person would side with those politicians on the School Board, right? If you’re a normal person, you should co-sign my report to help prove that Uesugi Erii isn’t an uncontrollable evil monster. In most situations, she’s very disciplined.” Caesar’s face appeared from under the hood. “Our report will determine that girl’s future.”

“Listen,” Chu Zihang said in a low voice, “no one will believe your report. My testimony won’t help either. Uesugi Erii really is an evil monster, a super Hybrid with the power of ‘Judgement.’ There won’t be an investigation committee for her. She’ll be sent directly to Tartarus.”

“If that’s the case, putting her on that ship is the same as sending her to prison,” Caesar froze. “Damn, is that what a gentleman should do?”

“You’re the leader. You know your authority, and you know the mission of the Secret Party. You just don’t like it, so you want to resist it. But no matter what, we can’t give that girl a future. She’ll spend her life in Tartarus, just like the Yamata no Orochi family would only dare to keep her locked up in a vault! I’m willing to give anyone a chance, but she never had one to begin with.” Chu Zihang spoke slowly and deliberately. “It’s not you or me who dislikes her—it’s the world that rejects her.”

“Lu Mingfei doesn’t know that putting her on the ship will send her straight to prison! How am I supposed to tell him? He still thinks that the girl will be well taken care of by the Chinese branch and that he can visit her once we’ve handled this situation!”

“Then don’t tell him anything.” Chu Zihang also looked into the distance. “Now, I need some coolant. Are you going to buy it, or should I?”

Caesar glared at Chu Zihang, and Chu Zihang glared back. Their eyes seemed to hold a sharp edge.

“Damn it, I’ll go buy it! I can’t stand being around someone as mechanically stubborn as you!” Caesar turned and walked away.

Chu Zihang watched his back. “If I were the one buying it, you still wouldn’t have to stay here with me.”

Caesar didn’t respond. Cherry blossoms and fallen leaves fluttered down behind him as he walked on the moss by the roadside, slowly fading into the distance. Chu Zihang leaned against the car door and looked up at the clear, washed-out sky.

By dusk, Lu Mingfei and Erii had reached a small town on the southwestern tip of Shikoku, over 400 kilometers from Tokyo. The Porsche had run for a full four hours.

The open parking lot was deserted. Lu Mingfei casually parked the car, and as he opened the door, he heard the sound of the tide. They couldn’t see the ocean; a mountain must have been between them and the sea, but the sound of the waves echoed between the sky and the earth.

“The sea?” Erii wrote for Lu Mingfei, her eyes shining with excitement.

Lu Mingfei nodded in response.

This was probably the first time Erii had heard such a gentle sound of the tide. On the night they had descended into the depths of the ocean, she had heard the sea as well, but that had been the ocean at its fiercest—clouds thick in the sky, gale-force winds, and towering waves that rose like mountains and then shattered.

Lu Mingfei pulled out his compass, unfolded the map he had prepared in advance, and led Erii toward the small town nearby. A sign at the entrance read “Meitsuji Town.” The streets of the town still retained the atmosphere of the 1950s, with wooden, traditional Japanese-style houses lining both sides. In front of the shops hung indigo-dyed curtains, and the few modern buildings were just two or three stories tall. Cherry blossoms bloomed here and there between the buildings. At this time, the streets of Tokyo would be bustling with people, but here in this seaside town, the streets were almost empty, save for a group of uniformed elementary school students walking by.

Although Erii had lived in Japan all her life, she had never been to a quaint Shikoku town like this. Everything seemed new to her, and she dragged her feet, unwilling to hurry. Strangely, the foreigner, Lu Mingfei, seemed more familiar with the town than she was. He wove through the narrow streets, but every few steps, he would find that Erii had disappeared. He had to turn back to find her—sometimes in front of a tofu shop, sometimes outside a fabric-dyeing store. Finally, running out of time, Lu Mingfei grabbed her hand, and they jogged together.

This way, they managed to catch the last mountain train. The train was built next to the town’s shrine, and its track climbed at a steep 45-degree angle, clattering noisily as it ascended.

Before Meitsuji Town became a tourist destination, it had been a copper mining town. The local men worked as miners, riding this old mountain cable train to the top of the mountain to dig for copper. Eventually, the mine carts were converted into sightseeing trains.

Dense trees grew on both sides of the track, from the common pine, beech, walnut, and maple trees to the rare red spruce, Korean fir, and winter cherry. Wildflowers like honeysuckle and wild roses bloomed between the trees. The trees formed a thick canopy over the track, making it feel as if they were traveling through a tunnel of ever-changing colors—a tunnel composed entirely of leaves and flowers.

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