Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 445: The Sword of Damocles (5)

Dragon Raja 3

The fire touched the ground without making a sound. A cross-shaped crack appeared on the blue planet. Flames burning at tens of thousands of degrees raged, and a violent shockwave swept everything away, turning a radius of dozens of kilometers into scorched earth.

No one uttered a word; everyone silently watched the destruction, experiencing the feelings of the one who set his throne in the heavens and wiped out tens of thousands with a wave of his hand.

Only after a long time did they realize that the location of the Divine Punishment strike was Japan. It was merely an animated preview; otherwise, they and the city would have ceased to exist.

“Orbital kinetic energy weapon!” Deputy Director Carl exclaimed, “This technology was supposed to still be on the drawing board!”

“What the hell is an orbital kinetic energy weapon?” Anjou barked.

“Back in 1985, the U.S. Department of Defense initiated a project called ‘Rods from God.’ This weapon involved metal rods about six meters long made of high-density tungsten, manganese, and uranium. These rods would be released from space, falling toward the ground purely under the force of gravity, with fins to adjust their trajectory. Upon reaching the surface, their kinetic energy would rival that of a small nuclear weapon, capable of penetrating any underground bunker. The high heat and temperature would cause an explosive compression in an instant, and the shockwave’s radius would cover several square kilometers. In simple terms, it’s a man-made meteor,” explained Deputy Director Carl. “But as far as I know, the ‘Rods from God’ project encountered significant obstacles—mainly that it was nearly impossible to aim accurately. If the target was Dallas, you might end up hitting Austin.”

A massive 3D design appeared before everyone. Countless intricate components were displayed at high speed, eventually merging into a large satellite orbiting in low Earth orbit. A revolver-like “sword chamber” was situated at the satellite’s center, holding six of the massive Damocles’ Swords.

Everyone instinctively looked up at the sky. Unbeknownst to anyone, the Gattuso family had already placed such kinetic energy weapons in space. This family, devoted to power and supremacy, had a far more terrifying inner strength than they let on.

“Is this technically feasible?” Anjou turned to Researcher Carl.

“Wolfram-uranium alloy rods, built-in gyroscopes for guidance, adaptive fins, satellite constellation tracking… I can’t make out all the details. He didn’t intend for us to see everything clearly,” Carl replied, sweating profusely. “But if their research has reached this level, then a prototype must already exist!”

“Don’t mix in anime references!”

“I believe they’ve already built a practical version. If it’s that kind of weapon, then indeed, no living organism could survive. At the epicenter of its impact, not only would no cell survive, but any biologically active chemical compound would be instantly destroyed.”

The screen shifted back to the South Pacific island. Pompeii was still sitting in the water bungalow, sipping a chilled cocktail. “Based on my intel, the area around the god’s current location is all barren mountains. It’s the perfect place to deploy Divine Punishment. No need to feel any guilt—there’s no one to hit. Just drop the rod from space and shatter the White Empress’ grand dream of returning to the world. I’ve already handed the activation code to that girl named Eva. This is the Gattuso family’s most closely guarded secret, and the greatest help I can offer an old friend.”

“Pompeii Gattuso, you couldn’t resist showing your true colors after all,” Anjou muttered softly, though he knew Pompeii couldn’t hear him. This wasn’t a live conversation; it was a pre-recorded video.

From start to finish, everything they had done was under Pompeii’s control. It was Pompeii who had warned him that Japan might sink, and it was Pompeii who provided the orbital kinetic energy weapon. Precisely two hours before Japan fell into crisis, this video had been sent to Anjou.

The Gattuso family had set up a trap for the god from the very beginning, with Divine Punishment in hand, capable of annihilating even a fully awakened god in an instant. Why was the Gattuso family doing this? How much did the College not know, and how much did the Gattuso family know?

“The biggest mistake Dr. Herzog made was dragging my son into this war,” Pompeii said slowly. “Whether he’s a resurrected demon or an unrivaled schemer, this time, he has offended far too many people he shouldn’t have.”

“When this is all over, be sure to clean Caesar up nicely and send him back to Rome looking sharp,” Pompeii resumed his smug grin. “Tell him his dad loves him.”

Caesar’s face darkened. If it weren’t for the fact that they were in front of so many people, he would’ve spat at the projection of his flamboyant father.

“Contact Eva,” Anjou ordered. “I need to know when Divine Punishment can be deployed!”

The 3D projector emitted a soft blue beam, and Eva appeared within it, wearing her school uniform. “I’m fully integrated into Tokyo’s internet systems. I’m online whenever the principal calls.”

“Did Pompeii give you the activation code for Divine Punishment?” Anjou asked.

“Two minutes ago, I gained control over Divine Punishment,” Eva said calmly. “I am now the controller of that orbital weapon. As soon as you give the order, I will drop a tungsten rod from space with enough power to turn the area where the god is located into a sea of fire.”

“Can you do it right now?”

“No, there’s a time restriction. The orbital kinetic energy weapon is essentially still an artificial satellite. It orbits in low Earth orbit, completing one rotation around the Earth every 90 minutes. It can only release Divine Punishment when it is directly overhead in Tokyo. Right now, the satellite codenamed ‘Sky Watcher’ is on the other side of the Earth. It will be above Tokyo in approximately 70 minutes. We likely only have one shot—if we miss, we’ll have to wait another 90 minutes for Divine Punishment to be ready again.”

“Alright, 70 minutes. Let’s see if this city can hold on for 70 minutes.” Anjou turned to Sakurai Hideichi. “We need the exact coordinates of that well. A misfire could result in innocent casualties.”

“That well is a military target, and its coordinates are classified—only the clan leader knows,” Sakurai Hideichi replied. “I’ll contact the clan leader now, but he’s been injured and is undergoing emergency treatment. I’m not sure about his condition.”

“I only need the coordinates! As long as he’s still breathing, make him talk to me!” Anjou said coldly. “That arrogant bastard has already made a mess of things—he can at least do something useful now!”

“Yeah, I’m an arrogant bastard, and I’ve made a mess of things,” a voice said softly from behind Anjou.

The conference room door opened, and Chisei stood there, bandages wrapped around his chest, his expression hollow and pale like a ghost.

“The 13th reservoir well, design codename ‘Red Well,’ is located in the mountains near the Tama River. The coordinates are right here.” Chisei slid a note across the table to Anjou. “An hour ago, we lost contact with the ninja troops stationed at Red Well. The Oni Clan has taken over, and without a doubt, the god is in that well.”

Even that small movement caused his wound to reopen and bleed. With his royal bloodline, he should have healed faster, but some non-physical force was preventing his recovery. Ruri’s sword had pierced his chest, nailing the righteous boy within him to the sofa. It was as if his soul had been lost, and he had become a wandering ghost.

Anjou glanced at the note, then handed it to Deputy Director Carl behind him. “Take this to Eva and have her prepare Divine Punishment. Everyone else, leave the room. I need to speak with the clan leader alone.”

The conference room was now empty, save for Anjou and Chisei. The sound of waves echoed around them, and occasionally, a flash of blinding lightning lit up the room. Time was of the essence, but neither man spoke. Chisei silently smoked a cigarette.

“When I came to Japan this time, you were one of the few people I wanted to see, but you kept refusing to meet me. This is the first time I’ve traveled thousands of miles to see a former student, only to be turned down again and again,” Anjou finally broke the silence. “Quite a thing, considering you once received my Principal’s Scholarship.”

“Receiving the Principal’s Scholarship was my pride as a student; refusing to meet with you was my dignity as the clan leader,” Chisei said softly. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t a good student—I didn’t learn the most important things from you. Nor was I a competent clan leader. Those people believed I was Amaterasu, and they were willing to die for me. But I couldn’t give them a new future, and instead, I led the family to its demise.”

“All these years, and you’re still haunted by the past, Chisei.”

“Are you talking about Chime? Did Caesar tell you?”

“You told me yourself. Don’t you remember? Many years ago, you told me this story, though you left out the names and didn’t say it was about you. Back then, you asked me, ‘What price can a person pay for justice?’”

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