Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 435: Night of Wind and Tides (15)

Dragon Raja 3

“How rude!” Enxi muttered, shooting another gunman in the leg as she passed him, then skillfully knocking him out by locking his neck and throwing him to the ground.

A top-notch accountant should be both mentally and physically capable. Enxi strode confidently through the hail of bullets, having already taken care of every possible angle. She couldn’t help but feel proud of her efficiency.

“Damn it! That girl is still in the room!” She stopped abruptly, her face changing.

She had forgotten someone. Enxi had gotten used to ignoring that girl, not out of any particular dislike, but because she was always so cold and strong, standing in the background, silently taking care of things without needing any help. But today was different—her knee was severely injured! The boss was crazy to think sending her to Takamagahara in that condition to protect Lu Mingfei was a good idea.

Inside Zero’s bedroom, smoke filled the air as shotgun blasts echoed. Each shot released hundreds of steel pellets that ricocheted off the walls, leaving the room riddled with holes. Dust hung in the air, reducing visibility to nearly zero.

“Who are these guys? Robbing a bank? This is just a host club—how much cash could there be?” Finger shouted. “If it’s a bunch of hot guys they’re after, why not just say so?”

He and Zero were holed up in the bathroom, with the gunmen blasting the door. If it weren’t for the fact that the bathroom door was in the attackers’ blind spot, they would’ve already been shot to pieces.

Last night, Zero had slept in the basement bedroom, but tonight, she had been moved to the fourth floor, in Whale’s room, with Finger tasked with looking after her.

Whale’s bed was a grand antique four-poster from 18th-century Florence, draped with luxurious down comforters and silk sheets. Finger shamelessly demanded that Zero “scoot over,” comfortably taking up half the bed, sharing the pillows with her.

Zero had initially watched him warily, unsure of his intentions, but when Finger fell asleep within minutes, snoring loudly, she relaxed. It seemed his only interest had been in the bed’s comfort.

That nap had nearly cost Finger his life. If it weren’t for Zero’s sharp hearing, he and the luxurious bed would have been shredded by the first shotgun blast that ripped through the door, embedding hundreds of steel pellets into the mattress. Finger had barely managed to drag Zero down the other side of the bed, tumbling into the bathroom just as the bed frame was reduced to splinters.

Now, standing with her back against the wall, balanced on one leg, Zero clutched a small penknife in her hand. If the gunman stepped into the room, she could slice his wrist in a heartbeat. But he was too cautious, firing into the walls from a distance, clearly intending to punch through the wall with sheer firepower and end the standoff with a single shot.

“He’s a professional,” Zero said, lifting her skirt to check her knee. “At this rate, we have no chance. If I could run fast enough, I could take him out when he reloads.”

“Any other ideas, Your Highness?” Finger asked, trembling. “If not, I’ll stop talking and start writing my will!”

“There are no other options,” Zero replied. “Either someone comes to save us, or he finishes blasting through the wall.” She glanced at Finger. “Sorry for dragging you into this, Senior. If it weren’t for my injured leg, you might’ve been able to escape.”

“Ugh, believe me, I’d love to leave you behind and run,” Finger scratched his head. “But I figure you’re my buddy’s girl. If I leave you, he’ll kill me, and I’ll still end up dead with no place to rest.”

Zero paused, understanding who “buddy” referred to. “I’m not anyone’s girl.”

“I know, I know, there’s nothing going on between you two. But you’ve been so good to that idiot. If you really die here, that idiot will finally realize it and be heartbroken, then he’ll kill me. So, same ending for me.” Finger sighed. “How many beauties have wasted their affection on idiots, huh?”

The gunfire momentarily ceased, followed by the sound of the gunman reloading. He was alone, and his shotgun was the only weapon.

But his reload speed was terrifyingly fast. After just a few seconds, the shotgun roared again, sending dust and debris raining down from the walls.

“He takes about six seconds to reload. If I could reach the door in five seconds, I could take him out,” Zero whispered. “Senior, could I borrow your belt?”

“Why do you need my belt? Without it, I’ll have to hold up my pants!” Finger protested.

“I need it to make a temporary brace for my knee,” Zero explained. “Just a few seconds of support is all I need.”

“Are you crazy?” Finger’s eyes widened. “If you do that to your knee, it’ll be ruined! You’ll end up like a one-legged pirate! You won’t be able to dance or walk—you’ll be hopping around or stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.”

“That’s still better than dying here,” Zero replied calmly.

“Damn it! You’re really putting me in a tough spot!” Finger cursed before dropping to his knees with a thud. “Get on!”

“What do you mean?” Zero looked at him, confused.

“Your Highness, you can ride on me into battle! If your legs can’t move, no problem—I’ve got both legs, and I can run like the wind! But I have to admit, I barely scraped by in shooting and combat training, so I’m just a horse here. I’ll carry you to the door in five seconds, but after that, it’s all on you…” Finger sighed. “Please, do protect me. If I die, all your senior sisters will be heartbroken.”

Zero hesitated, looking at Finger’s broad shoulders.

“Come on!” Finger patted his neck. “I know your nickname in the College is ‘Vacuum Queen,’ and you don’t like being touched, but I swear I showered this morning! You can even feel my neck—it’s clean! And even if it’s a little dirty, does it really matter? Would you rather ruin your knee or ride a man who smells just a little? Let me tell you, if you lose that leg, you won’t be able to wear skirts anymore. Even the prettiest skirt with the prettiest legs won’t look good if you’re hopping around on one foot. And if you fall, you’ll flash everyone!”

Still unsure, Zero hesitated. But Finger didn’t wait for an answer—he ducked down and hoisted Zero onto his shoulders, forcing her to quickly hold her skirt in place.

After taking a deep breath, Finger crouched like a lion ready to pounce. “How’s this height? Can you get a clean strike?”

Zero finally realized just how strong Finger was. His muscles rippled and tightened like waves before setting into a solid mass. Finger’s self-assessment wasn’t far off—he wasn’t just a good horse, he was an elite one.

“Close enough. I’ll aim for the shoulder blade,” Zero said. “Remember, we’ve only got five seconds—he’s about to run out of ammo.”

“Woof, woof, woof!” Finger barked playfully. “Your Highness, you need to believe in me as a good horse, and I trust you’re a sharp blade. We’re betting our lives on each other—seems fair, right?”

“That was barking, not neighing,” Zero corrected.

“Just trying to make you laugh! Loosen up a bit—at least relax that death grip you have on your skirt. If you’re too tense and miss, I’ll end up dead too.”

Zero hesitated for a second, then let go of her skirt and smiled silently. “Someone once tried to make me laugh like that before… Thank you.”

“Now that’s more like a normal girl,” Finger chuckled, patting Zero’s leg. “It’d be a shame if these legs were damaged.”

Surprisingly, Zero didn’t feel uncomfortable with the physical contact. Finger’s rough hands radiated warmth, holding her legs securely on his shoulders. They moved as one, their bodies in sync, like partners in a dance who could read each other’s subtle cues. Even their improvised actions felt as if they’d been rehearsed for a long time.

The gunfire stopped. Finger kicked down the weakened wall and charged at the gunman. The shooter was mid-reload, and Finger moved even faster than Zero had anticipated. At this speed, the gunman wouldn’t finish reloading in time.

But another gun barrel emerged from the dust, aimed directly at Finger’s forehead! The gunman had called for backup, and his partner had arrived, his gun fully loaded.

The shotgun roared, and Finger leaped into the air, kicking off the wall with a lightning-fast spin, narrowly dodging the barrage. He landed right in front of the two gunmen. Zero struck swiftly, embedding her pencil knife into one gunman’s shoulder joint, while Finger kicked the other in the stomach. The first gunman, still trying to pull a tactical knife from his belt, was stopped when Zero slammed the pencil knife deeper into his shoulder blade. Finger followed up with a punch to break his nose, and Zero quickly seized the now fully loaded shotgun from the man’s hand. Finger then kicked the second gunman again, this time snapping his shotgun in half. The gunman fell, and Finger jumped, landing both feet on his head.

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