Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 465: Dark Day (4)

Dragon Raja 3

Sakurai Shuuichi desperately raised the cue card higher, but the governor no longer paid attention to him, continuing on his own: “I simply cannot understand those who would loot in such a time of crisis. Can you understand the hearts of the thousands of fathers in Tokyo?”

“Mr. Osho, the so-called terrorist Osho! Listen up! How did I address you? Terrorist Osho! You’ve gone too far! Don’t expect me, Kogane Hiraishi, to bow to your tyranny! Don’t think you can escape justice! Don’t even dream of negotiating with me! I swear I will personally see you hanged! I’ll twist your neck with my own hands!” The governor’s demeanor shifted abruptly, a chilling murderous aura radiating from him as he slammed the sake bottle on the conference table, rising to his feet with eyes bloodshot like an enraged bull.

Sakurai Shuuichi thought, This is bad—he’s drunk!

The governor, now fully fired up by the alcohol, stood on the table with one foot. “Is anyone even thinking about the citizens right now? Those sanctimonious party leaders who took private planes to flee, threatening me with my political career to stay behind! Do you think I care about my political career now? Don’t underestimate me! Let me tell you all, all these years I’ve lived under your thumb! I’ve bent over backward for the demands of major corporations! I’ve licked the feet of party officials! Well, I’m sick of politics! But I’m staying behind! Why? Because my daughter Koko is still in Tokyo, and I don’t have a plane to send her away on, so I’m not leaving either! As for you, Osho, I’ve already decided your fate!” The governor pointed directly at the camera, spitting furiously, “I will hang you and your gang naked from Tokyo Tower!”

“Cut it! Cut it off!” Sakurai Shuuichi urgently called to stop the broadcast. In the end, Kogane Hiraishi had transmitted his frustration and despair to the public instead of delivering a hopeful message. Asking him to spread positivity was clearly too much—how could there be any positive emotions left in a Tokyo on the verge of collapse?

“Damn it! Damn it! Osho, come face me like a man!” Kogane Hiraishi, fully drunk, lunged toward the camera, as if it were Osho himself, ready to strangle the villain with his bare hands.

After Sakurai Shuuichi forcefully pulled him away, the governor slumped onto the couch, defeated. His alcohol-fueled rage had subsided somewhat, and he realized he had said too much. But it was too late—the damage was done. Now, all of Tokyo knew their governor had run out of ideas, that he had no way of saving the city, and that no one could save it. Only someone completely powerless would resort to such empty threats.

Back on Kaiyō Island, Anjou pulled his folding knife from the heart of a Shishou, the creature’s heavy body crashing to the ground as inky black blood oozed from the wound.

Chu Zihang held the ancient Han Bafang sword in his left hand and the long blade in his right, the latter named “Pride.” He advanced through the water, spinning both blades as they danced through the air, cutting the advancing corpses in half. The Seven Deadly Sins were weapons created to slay dragon lords, and using them to slice through the bodies of the corpses was like cutting through butter with a heated blade. The scimitar and Atakan long sword from the Seven Deadly Sins were in Caesar’s hands. With a loud roar, he stepped forward, cutting down a corpse with each move. Dark gold skeletons piled up at their feet. If the tide hadn’t continually washed over them, the bones would have already formed a mountain.

The shore-based combat platform initially displayed impressive power, but its limitations soon became apparent. It was undoubtedly lethal in front of them, but corpses surged from all directions, surrounding the artificial island. They had to blow up the remaining ammunition in the combat platform and retreat toward the center of the island, carrying only light and heavy weapons. The island was littered with vehicles and containers, washed repeatedly by the sea. They ran between these obstacles, occasionally firing back at the pursuing corpses.

They hadn’t come to fight against the entire horde of corpses; their goal was to buy time until the refined sulfur bombs arrived. Waves pounded the shore, sweeping several cars into the sea with each surge. The island shook, and cars clanged together in a cacophony of sound.

The horde slithered toward the center of the island from all directions. Some climbed cranes and dropped down from above, aiming for their heads. Chu Zihang raised his long sword to block, deflecting a descending corpse and sending it flying back into the air. Caesar leapt up, the Atakan sword tracing a massive arc through the air. When the corpse fell, it landed right on the sword’s trajectory, severing its spine. Anjou followed up, thrusting his folding blade into the corpse’s heart, finishing off this dangerous foe.

Their flawless teamwork was thanks to Anjou’s Time Zero. In his domain, the corpses moved as if in slow motion, and they evaded attacks as if dancing through the blades, ducking and leaping with precision. Often, the creatures’ claws came within mere centimeters of their hearts or throats, but in the end, it was always the corpses that fell. This battle made Caesar and Chu Zihang fully grasp the terrifying nature of Anjou’s abilities. Time Zero wasn’t the most dangerous Yanling, but in Anjou’s hands, even bullets seemed to move sluggishly. Anjou had weaknesses, but he was so fast that no one could see them.

Chu Zihang released King’s Blaze again, sweeping a fiery tornado across the wide highway, reducing the horde to molten skeletons. The downpour turned to steam in an instant, and thick white mist enveloped the artificial island. Without Chu Zihang’s help, they would have been overwhelmed by the horde. Caesar had been right: Chu Zihang was irritating, but undeniably useful. Having him around was like carrying a live bomb.

Chu Zihang gasped for breath, dropping to one knee. King’s Blaze took a severe toll on his body, and after continuous use, he felt utterly drained. One corpse, sensing Chu Zihang’s vulnerability, slithered across the ground like a cobra and lunged at him at the last second. Chu Zihang instinctively leaned back, but Caesar, caught off guard, barely managed to throw his scimitar to pin the corpse’s tail to the ground. The creature, however, stretched further than they expected, dislocating its jaw like a reptile to snap at Chu Zihang’s throat. Both Caesar and Chu Zihang had overlooked the fact that this thing had never been human; its bone structure was entirely different, allowing it to extend its lower jaw in ways they hadn’t anticipated.

At the last moment, Anjou thrust his blade into the corpse’s gaping maw, using its own biting force to slice off the lower jaw. With a swift flick, he severed its upper fangs and, with a final thrust, ended the abomination’s life by driving his blade into its brain.

They had repelled this latest wave of attacks, but it wouldn’t be long before the horde would advance again. The island was nearly submerged, and the tides’ backwash had begun to sweep across the central square. Standing in the several inches of seawater, Anjou wiped his folding blade clean with his sleeve.

They had retreated to the base of the central lighthouse, their final stronghold. Waves rushed between the vehicles, and the white foam slapped against the lighthouse’s foundation. The skeletons of the corpses were washed away by the receding tides, disappearing into the dark ocean. They couldn’t hold out much longer, and escape from the island seemed unlikely. Caesar pulled out a cigar box from his coat and offered one to Anjou, knowing that Chu Zihang didn’t smoke.

“Think you can handle the next wave?” Caesar bit down on the cigar, loading Burning Blood into his Desert Eagle. It was time to use their last powerful weapon.

“I recall you submitted a marriage application that I haven’t approved yet. As someone with a fiancée, do you regret coming here?” Anjou asked.

“A little regret, yes, but my mother always told me that a man should live each day without regrets,” Caesar replied. “And I think I’ve done that. I’d regret it more if I hadn’t come. It’s not every day you get a chance to slaughter so many enemies.”

“Well said. If I had known, I should’ve approved your application earlier. Back then, I thought you were just a punk,” Anjou smiled.

“So, if we make it back to the academy, will my application be approved?” Caesar raised an eyebrow.

“You’re asking about this now? I feel like you’re trying to take advantage of the situation.” Anjou looked at the approaching horde, pulling something from his pocket and tossing it to Caesar.

“What’s this?” Caesar turned over the small crocodile-skin box in his hands.

“My personal seal. When we get back, stamp your application yourself and hand it to the vice principal. He’ll take care of the rest,” Anjou said, patting Chu Zihang on the shoulder. “Turn around.”

Chu Zihang, though confused, obeyed the instruction without question.

Anjou spun the folding knife once in his palm before closing it. He tossed it to Chu Zihang, then reached behind Chu Zihang to pull out “Greed” and “Wrath” from the Seven Deadly Sins. Wrath was a massive Zanbato (horse-slaying sword), while Greed resembled a Scottish broad sword with a straight blade. These were the largest weapons in the Seven Deadly Sins, clearly forged by the Bronze and Fire King to face the most colossal enemies. They all heard the heavy breathing, and a dark, monstrous back appeared in the black tide. This wave was particularly fierce, hiding something massive beneath the water, drawing closer to the artificial island.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Caesar muttered.

“It seems so,” Chu Zihang replied, taking a deep breath.

Sonar scans indicated a massive target behind the horde of corpses, something potentially the size of a blue whale, advancing towards Tokyo along with the horde. Of course, it wasn’t possible for a corpse to be that large, and the Equipment Department had speculated that it might be a fishing vessel overturned by the tsunami. But now they could see it clearly: it was the corpse king they had encountered in the abyss—a dragon-shaped corpse forged from the bones of a dragon. This was Takamagahara’s largest and most dangerous guardian, lurking beneath the sea and exhaling great plumes of white water, reminiscent of a whale’s spout. Erii’s Judgment had severely wounded it but hadn’t managed to finish it off.

Chu Zihang glanced at the folding knife in his hand, its ancient antler handle weathered, with vine patterns engraved along the spine and Anjou’s name carved into it. He had once used this very blade to stab into Jörmungandr’s heart, and now, holding it again, he felt a surge of complex emotions.

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