Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 384: Place Without Heaven or Earth (3)

Dragon Raja 3

“If they clear the area, would they overlook the underground parking lot?” Caesar asked.

“Of course not. If I were Tachibana, I’d shut down the elevator and seal the staircase and car entrances. That would trap anyone inside the underground parking lot,” Ruri said. “Even if you’re hiding there, it won’t help.”

“The gates are easy to break,” Chu Zihang said. He was qualified to say that; in front of King’s Blaze, gates were as fragile as paper.

“These aren’t ordinary gates. All of Tokyo Tower’s gates are explosion-proof and bulletproof. The tower was designed as a broadcasting tower, and it can still function as one. If it were occupied by enemy forces or terrorists, the consequences would be unimaginable. So, Tokyo Tower was designed to withstand military attacks,” Ruri explained. “But you can enter through the cable ducts. Since Tokyo Skytree took over the broadcasting duties, the cables have been removed, leaving the ducts empty, large enough for someone to pass through.”

“We’re doing all this. What will you be doing?” Caesar stared at Ruri.

“To be blunt, I don’t believe Gattuso-kun or Chu-kun can defeat Osho,” Ruri said calmly. “Your job is merely to corner the prey. The one who will kill him can only be me.”

Caesar wanted to retort against this quiet arrogance, but recalling Chisei’s dual-blade onslaught, he admitted it wasn’t something he or Chu Zihang could handle alone. And considering Ruri’s imperial bloodline, it wasn’t hard to imagine that beneath his calm, almost maiden-like surface, his offensive power was even greater than his brother’s.

“So we need one more person—someone to control the area around Tokyo Tower,” Ruri said, turning to Lu Mingfei. “He should be skilled with a sniper rifle and capable of precise long-range kills.”

Lu Mingfei quickly waved his hands. “Thanks for the trust, but if you believe I can do this, you must be blind… Oh, I don’t mean it like that. What I mean is you should value your lives more! I get nervous easily, and when I’m nervous, I start cursing. Don’t even mention a precise shot—give me a heavy machine gun, and I’d still miss!”

Caesar shrugged without saying anything. Though Lu Mingfei exaggerated, he wasn’t entirely wrong. While he had some shooting talent, he wasn’t exactly a cold-blooded sniper. He had only performed above expectations twice—once against the Akabane and once when he shot Caesar and Chu Zihang. Entrusting the task of controlling the area to Lu Mingfei indeed felt like putting their lives in questionable hands.

“Nice to meet you, Ricardo-kun. In some ways, I’ve been looking forward to our meeting,” Ruri said, smiling as she gazed into Lu Mingfei’s eyes.

Lu Mingfei thought to himself, Brother, even though you look beautiful and can play the role of a woman, I know you’re a man. Your seductive looks don’t work on me. If seducing glances could persuade someone, I wouldn’t mind giving you a few!

“I like your eyes. They inspire a sense of awe in me,” Ruri continued.

“I think that might be because I’m a little nearsighted…” Lu Mingfei awkwardly responded, feeling uncomfortable with such high-level flattery for the first time in his life.

“No, it’s not dullness. You’re hiding something,” Ruri said slowly.

Lu Mingfei froze for a moment.

“The most precious things are, of course, not something everyone can see. They’re always hidden far from people’s sight. The sharpest killing intent isn’t something that’s constantly exposed either. Something that dangerous must be concealed, only revealed when it’s time to kill.” Ruri teased, playing with the meaning in Lu Mingfei’s eyes. “That’s why I respect your gaze. There’s something sharp hidden in your eyes, something that can pierce through the murky veil at any moment.”

Ruri’s eyes were as clear as a lake, as if stars were twinkling in its depths. Making eye contact with him made one feel ashamed of their own inadequacies. Lu Mingfei gradually found it hard to bear the pressure and lowered his head, staring at the table.

He had no idea what nonsense Ruri was spouting; he just felt like he was being toyed with. He was indeed hiding something, but it was nothing more than his emotions, which were mixed with inferiority and helplessness. He had always been good at hiding. Back in high school, he used sarcasm to mask the distance he felt from others, pretending not to notice their disdainful looks. Now, he used self-deprecation to cover up his feelings because everyone thought that a person who jokes around wouldn’t have strong emotions, and therefore wouldn’t covet other people’s girls. He played the role of a lazy, vulgar man with no ambitions, thinking that maybe this version of himself would be more likable.

He secretly hated the real him—the sensitive, cunning, lonely, hopeless kid, always caught in a state of anxiety but powerless to change anything.

All that talk of killing intent and eyes deserving respect was just mockery. What he was trying to hide was his terrible self, so why expose it so cruelly? Life is hard enough as it is—why tear him down when he’s already struggling to keep himself hidden?

“Osho called Tachibana precisely when Uesugi Erii returned to the Yamata no Orochi family. Have you thought about why it was at that exact moment?” Ruri asked quietly.

Lu Mingfei was startled.

“For all these years, Tachibana has painstakingly raised that terrifying oni. What role does she play in this grand scheme to resurrect the god? If we can stop it, she’ll be safe. But if we fail, she might be used as a pawn. In other words, taking care of Osho and Tachibana will ensure that girl’s safety. Is that reason enough to persuade Ricardo-kun to join us?” Ruri smiled.

He was very interested in Lu Mingfei, all because of one gaze in a photo. But he couldn’t quite explain the feeling. He just knew that Lu Mingfei was hiding something. Ruri’s intuition told him that Lu Mingfei was a person with a story.

Ruri could easily distinguish between someone with a story and someone without. He himself was the best actor, and he was indeed testing Lu Mingfei, trying to pressure him into revealing his true self.

“Alright, I’ll join.” After a long silence, Lu Mingfei reluctantly agreed.

Ruri achieved his goal, but he was somewhat disappointed. Lu Mingfei’s response seemed to come from helplessness, not from the transformation Ruri had hoped for, where a lazy cat would suddenly turn into a fierce beast when its territory was invaded. Lu Mingfei kept his head down, so Ruri couldn’t even appreciate the look in his eyes.

“If there are no further questions, take some time to rest. Today will be a long day,” Caesar said, clapping his hands.

“Yes, this long day… I’ve been waiting for it for far too long,” Ruri sighed wistfully.

Chu Zihang stacked the soup bowls onto a tray. As the tray was lifted off the bar, Ruri suddenly froze, feeling a chill pierce through his body, as if an evil spirit were staring at him. He had only experienced this feeling a few times before, and every time, when he turned around, Osho was standing quietly behind him.

He immediately stood up, scanning his surroundings with alert eyes, but saw nothing suspicious. He lowered his head and glanced at the obsidian glass bar top, and suddenly realized where that eerie feeling came from. Just a few seconds ago, Lu Mingfei had been looking down, but in the reflection of the obsidian glass, he had been staring at Ruri.

That wasn’t just a lion defending its territory—it was as if some malevolent spirit had been using Lu Mingfei’s eyes to gaze directly at him!

Ruri shivered slightly, but Lu Mingfei had already stood up and returned to his room.

Series Navigation

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