Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 372: Grand Escape Into the Sunlight (9)

Dragon Raja 3

The sea beside Meitsuji Town was exceptionally calm. No tsunamis would reach the station, which is why this little structure existed. Tokyo Love Story had chosen this small station as a filming location because of its proximity to the sea, but otherwise, it had no particular features—just a somewhat modest white platform illuminated by mercury lamps, casting a pale light that made the tracks glisten.

Lu Mingfei squatted on the platform while Erii crouched on the pebble beach, playing with the little shrimp and crabs. She had left her high heels on the platform, now wearing Lu Mingfei’s sneakers.

Caesar, hiding in a seaside cabin about 200 meters away, observed the seemingly aimless pair through binoculars.

After coming down the mountain, Lu Mingfei and Erii had gone to a local restaurant where they ordered a variety of food—grilled chicken skewers, grilled cape mackerel, and mixed rice—practically ordering everything on the menu. While they were eating, a fishing boat returned to port, and the fish market owner delivered a freshly caught flounder by motorcycle. The local custom was for fishermen to sell their freshest catches directly to the restaurants for a good price. Most diners couldn’t afford such “express-delivered” fish, but wealthy customers occasionally indulged. Without hesitation, Lu Mingfei bought the large flounder, grilled it on a diamond-shaped iron grate, and shared the fish with other patrons who applauded the young, discerning foreigner. Erii sat by the stove, her face glowing from the warmth.

They wandered around the lantern-lit main street afterward, buying local porcelain dolls. It wasn’t until nine in the evening that they headed out of town. However, instead of retrieving their rented Porsche 911, they bought train tickets and entered the station.

Chu Zihang slipped silently into the cabin. “I checked. There’s a 9:45 p.m. train back to Tokyo, with a transfer at Matsuyama to the Shinkansen, arriving in Tokyo at around 3 a.m.”

“Perfect timing,” Caesar remarked. “Drive here, take the train back, just in time to catch the boat. But I wonder how he plans to get the deposit back on that Porsche 911?”

“The deposit isn’t a big issue,” Chu Zihang replied, looking toward the dark mountain. “I’ve had a strange feeling all along, like we’re being followed.”

On a lookout post about a kilometer away, used to monitor forest fires, Mai, dressed in black, knelt with an AS50 sniper rifle equipped with an infrared scope.

Through the scope, she could see Caesar and Chu Zihang hiding under the window of the seaside cabin. Chu Zihang slowly turned his head, scanning the surroundings, while Caesar continued to eat grilled cape mackerel, seemingly quite fond of the local cuisine.

She wasn’t worried about Chu Zihang spotting her. At this distance, combined with her Dark Light ability, she was completely hidden in the darkness.

However, she was surprised by Chu Zihang’s sharp instincts. Judging by his expression, he seemed to realize he might not be the only one tailing them.

Static crackled in her earpiece as Su Enxi waited 500 kilometers away in Tokyo for good news, and their boss could join the communication at any moment.

She turned the barrel of her gun toward the platform, first aiming at Lu Mingfei’s back. He was slouched against a pillar with a newspaper beneath him, looking listless, likely digesting his meal. Lu Mingfei wasn’t her designated target, but top snipers often locked their sights on all moving targets, memorizing their positions. In the chaos of battle, sometimes irrelevant individuals could suddenly become priority targets. She then aimed at the back of Erii’s head. The densely packed columns on the platform slightly obstructed her view, but with the power of the AS50, she could easily shoot through the pillar and hit Erii.

Her rifle was loaded with bullets made from the Philosopher’s Stone, capable of lethally wounding even high-level hybrids and dragon kings.

“Distance: 983 meters. Wind direction: west to east. Wind speed: 3.4 meters per second. Humidity: 45%. Light fog forming over the sea, slightly reducing visibility. Target fully locked,” Mai whispered.

With one order, she could fire. The 983-meter range was no challenge for her; the slight drop in visibility and the gentle breeze were also insignificant. There was nothing on the seaside platform that Erii could use for cover. A single pull of the trigger, and the strongest known hybrid would fall into a pool of blood.

A light drizzle began to fall, with fine strands of rain drifting in the mercury-colored light. As the sea breeze and drizzle mixed, the temperature dropped quickly. Lu Mingfei flipped up his collar to shield himself from the wind and waved to Erii, who was still on the pebble beach.

He checked his phone—9:40. They had been waiting for about half an hour, and no train had passed yet. This rural station was truly small.

The last train of the day, the one they needed to catch to Matsuyama, was a slow train. From Matsuyama, they could transfer directly to the Shinkansen and reach Osaka in just over two hours, bringing them much closer to Tokyo.

The rain suddenly intensified, and Erii ran back from the beach with her hands over her head. Her deep purple dress was slightly wet. She handed Lu Mingfei a small hermit crab she had picked up from the beach. The little crab hid in its shell but blew tiny bubbles.

“The train is almost here. Let’s stay on the platform,” Lu Mingfei said. “Change your shoes back and return my sneakers.”

Erii nodded, using a pillar for support as she switched back to her high-heeled Roman sandals and returned Lu Mingfei’s sneakers. At that moment, they could hear the sound of the train’s whistle approaching.

“We’re going back to Tokyo,” Erii wrote to Lu Mingfei, though her gaze lingered on the dark, rainy mountain. She had no idea that there was a pitch-black gun barrel aimed right at her forehead, and her eyes were full of reluctance to leave.

“Yeah, it’ll take a few hours to get there,” Lu Mingfei said, shaking the sand out of his sneakers and putting them back on.

They stood side by side at the edge of the platform, watching as the train’s bright headlights cut through the night, drawing closer. Erii hugged her giant Rilakkuma, and Lu Mingfei held the porcelain dolls they had bought in Meitsuji Town.

The wind stirred the fine rain as the brightly lit night train slowly came to a stop before them. The doors slid open, and Lu Mingfei and Erii boarded. The train was empty—after all, the heavy rains in Tokyo had deterred travelers from venturing out to Meitsuji Town, so there were few passengers returning to Tokyo on the late train.

Years had passed, but this train was identical to the one Akana Rika had taken in Tokyo Love Story. The worn plastic seats reflected the lights, shining brightly, and photos from the show were hung on the walls. Lu Mingfei sat down on the empty seats, imagining how that woman named Akana Rika had felt years ago as the train rumbled on the tracks and the waves crashed against the shore outside. She had made an agreement to meet the man at the station, saying, “If you don’t come, I’ll leave by train.” But in the end, she had taken an earlier train and left, and when the man arrived, panting, all he saw was the white handkerchief she had tied to the railing. She had always been punctual, never gave up, but she hadn’t kept that final promise.

Series Navigation

<< Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 371: Grand Escape Into the Sunlight (8)Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 373: Grand Escape Into the Sunlight (10) >>