Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 413: God’s Downfall (5)

Dragon Raja 3

Only then did Shio realize it was a girl. Her voice carried a chilling edge, but there was still a hint of youthful innocence.

“I figured out the Osho’s weak point… haha… I figured it out!” Shio laughed a few more times, then pushed himself up from the console with an air of supreme confidence. “I know what the Osho is afraid of!”

“What is the Osho afraid of?” the girl asked.

“He’s afraid of me opening the Well of Remains early!” Shio declared loudly. “If I open the Well of Remains before the tunnels connect, the water from Akakikawa will carry the deity’s embryo into the Red Well! I can pour five thousand tons of mercury into the Red Well! I’ll ignite thermite bombs! I can turn the Red Well into a dragon’s hell! He’ll never get a living deity! I’ll kill it! He sent the Kanto branch and bribed my men because he’s afraid I’ll open the Well of Remains by force! Right now, at this very moment, the Osho fears me the most! That’s why he wants me dead! Hahaha!”

The girl listened silently to his maniacal laughter. She was not an encouraging audience, offering neither applause nor disdain. It seemed Shio’s crazed display had nothing to do with her, even though her presence implied a significant connection to the events.

Shio felt a tinge of regret. At the peak of his brilliance, there was only this one audience member.

Only she would know the extent of his wisdom, for the moment he executed his plan, Shio would have to die.

“Can you operate the tunneling machine alone?” the girl asked.

“No problem! I’m the foremost expert on this equipment in all of Japan!” Shio jumped onto the towering machine and clung to the control console. “I’ll adjust the fuel valve, doubling its output temporarily! Do you know what doubling the power means? It means the tunneling speed will quadruple! Of course, I’ll have to solve the overheating drill problem by running the water cooling system at full capacity! The tracks are a concern… damn it! We haven’t laid the tracks yet. I’ll have to use spike treads instead, which will cut my speed by about 20%… 20%… 20%… then there’s the debris issue. If I can’t transport it fast enough, the blockage will—damn! That would be disastrous…”

The girl watched his frantic movements, her eyes fixed on this lunatic’s figure, so excited he resembled a monkey finding a banana tree. He seemed to have completely forgotten how close he’d been to death just minutes ago—or that his life would soon end.

Shio’s plan wasn’t overly complicated, but opening the Well of the Buried Corpses in a rush meant that he wouldn’t be able to escape the tunnel himself. This meant he would be swept away by the waters of the Akaoni River into the Red Well, dying alongside god and the Vipers.

But he didn’t care, because, in the final moment, he overturned the situation and cornered the Osho! On this chessboard, he was hardly a critical piece. If Chisei and the Osho were the commanders of their respective sides, he was at best a minor piece, like a bishop or a knight. Yet in the end, it was he who achieved victory.

“Damn it! I still need half an hour to do this!” Shio suddenly recalled a major problem. Breaking through a 20-meter-thick rock wall required 30 minutes, but the Kanto Branch reinforcements would arrive soon, and the guards outside couldn’t stall them for more than a few minutes.

“You’ll have 35 minutes,” a girl said, turning to leave.

“Are you a bodyguard sent by the patriarch to protect me?” Shio suddenly realized he hadn’t asked this crucial question.

“No, I have nothing to do with your clan, but, like your clan, I do not wish to see the gods awaken.”

The girl was already walking far away.

She removed her thick protective suit as she walked. Beneath that armor-like garment, she wore a white dress, the hem bouncing just above her knees, looking a bit like a school uniform. Shio couldn’t clearly see her features but noticed she wasn’t frail or emaciated. Instead, she was graceful, like an elf darting through a dense forest. It was hard to imagine someone like her remaining so calm during bloody killings, with a cold tone that made it seem as though most of the world’s emotions were irrelevant to her.

“May I ask your name?” Shio called out loudly.

“There’s no need. You’re about to die anyway,” the girl stopped in the distant darkness, her voice as cold as ice.

“You’re right. Remembering someone doesn’t require knowing their name. But still,” Shio bowed deeply, “I am Shio. It’s an honor to meet you, and I am glad to fight on the same side as you in this final moment!”

He unfastened the Kikuichimonji Norimune from his waist and threw it with all his strength. The girl caught it with a single hand. Neither said anything more as she turned and walked away. Behind her, the massive drilling machine roared again, deafeningly.

Meanwhile, Caesar was playing mahjong. Chu Zihang was his upper hand, Finger his lower, and their opponent was an extravagantly dressed customer. Lu Mingfei served tea.

Takamagahara prided itself on fulfilling any reasonable request from its guests. Of course, requests couldn’t be too excessive, like asking a host to strip and shout “I love you” from the rooftop. Today’s customer had a modest request: she wanted Basara King, Ukyo, and Heracles to play a few rounds of Japanese mahjong with her.

Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded. Are you lonely? Are you cold in the dead of night? Did losing three hands in a row shatter your pride, so now you’re here seeking redemption?

Once at the table, Lu Mingfei quickly realized her true intention: a live-action strip mahjong game.

Caesar had lost to the point of being left with just his underwear and a sock. Chu Zihang was doing slightly better, managing to keep his pants on. Finger, however, fared the worst; a careless move left him feeding her multiple tiles, and now he was down to nothing but a loincloth, having chosen to wear a kimono tonight.

The customer had come prepared, wearing two scarves. She had only removed a single stocking and both scarves so far. Facing three opponents, she played with vigor and enthusiasm.

Caesar, Chu Zihang, and Finger naturally teamed up. Caesar sought to protect the Gattuso family’s honor, Chu Zihang wished to preserve his dignity, and Finger… well, he didn’t mind losing everything himself, but he thought watching the customer lose would be far more entertaining. Lu Mingfei even peeked at her tiles while serving tea, trying to give Caesar hints. Yet they were still losing ground, as the customer turned out to be a council member of the Kansai Mahjong Association.

Their only strategy now was to stall. The customer had paid for the hosts’ time, and the game began at midnight with a three-hour limit. With only ten minutes left, Caesar planned to hold out until the time expired, retreat with his underwear intact, and refuse any requests for an extension.

However, the alluring customer undid two buttons on her top, shifting her shoulders enticingly. “Gentlemen, play boldly now. If any of you wins this round, I’ll take off my blouse first.”

Finger couldn’t resist the bait. He claimed to be impervious to torture but had always said, “How can you endure seduction if you can’t handle torture?” He believed giving in to seduction was only logical. He began to play recklessly, allowing her to complete two sets.