Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 480: Sakura’s Wrath (2)

Dragon Raja 3

Truly deserving of being the manager of Takamagahara! Truly deserving of being the god-like man in Shinjuku’s host world! Truly deserving of being a retired officer from the Maritime Self-Defense Force! Whale didn’t retreat in the face of the Death Servitor but rather stepped forward aggressively!

But just as a glimmer of hope arose in Lu Mingfei’s heart, the golden, serpentine body of the Death Servitor suddenly leaped from the water, tightly coiling around Whale. Lu Mingfei had been so impressed by Whale’s courage that he had ignored the basic difference in strength. No matter how formidable Whale was, he was still only human, while a Death Servitor could tear apart a calf with its bare hands! However, Whale, being a trained soldier, hadn’t neglected his physical conditioning during his time working in the host club. He had a slight edge in reflexes, and before all his ribs were broken, he managed to wrap his arms around the Death Servitor, both tumbling down the stairs together.

Whale was trying to drag the Death Servitor as far away from the cellar as possible. But in the darkness at the bottom of the stairs, it seemed like swarms of fireflies were approaching—a horde of Death Servitors was closing in. The one from earlier had already issued a signal with its scream.

No one could save the people in the cellar now. A pack of vicious beasts was closing in on a group of unarmed men and women, some still dressed in ridiculous high heels, backless gowns, and tight-fitting suits.

“Get the guests… out of here!” Whale shouted to Lu Mingfei through blood-spattered lips as he tumbled down the stairs.

The Death Servitor was dragging Whale underwater, trying to suffocate him, but Whale’s large head stubbornly remained above the water, his eyes locked onto Lu Mingfei. He was placing his last hope in Lu Mingfei, still believing that this young man was extraordinary, still hoping that this exceptional youth would save his guests.

Lu Mingfei remembered what Chime had said to him: “This time… I bet on you to win!” These people were ridiculous. Even though he was just a loser, so many people still believed he would win.

He rushed toward the stairs and jumped into the water, frantically swimming toward Whale. The Death Servitor sensed the new threat approaching and lifted its head to intimidate Lu Mingfei, baring its thorn-like teeth.

Without hesitation, Lu Mingfei lunged forward and fired a bullet straight into its mouth. Shooting was the one thing he was good at—as long as his hands didn’t shake, he could shoot with deadly accuracy. Fortunately, it was an old-fashioned Colt revolver, which, unlike some newer guns, didn’t have a gas port design, meaning it could still fire underwater. The only problem was that the bullets might misfire after getting wet, and if the gun jammed, that would be disastrous. But Lu Mingfei had no time to worry about that. Whale could die from suffocation at any moment. He was the only one here with dragon-slaying training—no one else could save Whale.

All six shots were lucky hits. The first bullet went straight into the Death Servitor’s mouth, and the rest hit its face. After the attack, the Death Servitor went into a frenzy, biting down on Whale’s arm and violently shaking its head, tearing the entire arm from his body!

After delivering this fatal blow to Whale, the Death Servitor immediately turned and lunged at Lu Mingfei, coiling around him. Lu Mingfei’s bones creaked under the pressure, and sharp scales slid across his body, cutting him all over. The creature’s long, sharp fangs hovered just above his throat.

Lu Mingfei was being dragged toward the bottom by the Death Servitor. In a daze, he remembered being underwater at the Three Gorges, with Nono’s long hair floating around her like seaweed as she swam toward him, hugging him and helping him into a wetsuit. At the same time, it felt like he was in the depths of the Sea of Japan, where Erii slowly opened her arms and embraced him as he swam desperately toward her. The two images were so similar, the figures of the two girls gradually overlapping. He seemed to have recalled something, but water flooded his lungs, and his chest felt like it was about to explode, his mind becoming fuzzy.

He could smell death, and this time, no miracle was going to happen. The girl he liked, the girl who liked him, and the devil who claimed to never leave him all the way to the ends of the earth—none of them appeared.

Who would’ve thought that the life of Ricardo M. Lu would end like this, sacrificing his youth to save the founder of the male ikebana path? Just a few minutes ago, he had convinced himself that he didn’t owe anyone anything and that he wouldn’t even save a beautiful girl.

Was it worth it? In hindsight, it really wasn’t. But when he had jumped into the water, he hadn’t had time to think. He just saw Whale and the Death Servitor entangled… well, more like just tangled up, not really fighting, like a clumsy bear… and then he jumped in.

Suddenly, the darkness was torn apart.

It was a jet-black straight ninja sword, slicing down with the full weight of its wielder, cutting through both air and water. The ninja sword pierced through the back of the Death Servitor’s neck, skewering its throat, and then the blade twisted, severing its spine.

A slender but strong hand grabbed Lu Mingfei by the collar, pulling him out of the water. Then soft lips pressed against his, delivering a fierce kiss, so forceful that Lu Mingfei shuddered.

Having his first kiss stolen by an unparalleled beauty should have been exciting, but Lu Mingfei was trembling not from excitement, but because the kiss was so powerful that the difference in pressure collapsed his lungs, forcing all the water out of them.

What a “whale drawing water” kiss! Forget about French kissing; compared to this, it was nothing! Following this, a sharp slap brought Lu Mingfei’s dazed brain back to reality.

Mai casually threw him into a puddle and turned her head to spit out the water in her mouth. “You’ve got some guts, groom,” she said in a commanding tone, like a queen.

Though she was dressed in a black ninja outfit, completely different from the golden sari she had worn at the auction, those rare, long legs of hers still gave away her identity. Lu Mingfei stared in shock and stammered, “Y-y-y-you…”

Mai didn’t bother responding to him. She had been using Dark Light to conceal herself in the cellar, observing Lu Mingfei’s every move. She had seen all his fear, cowardice, and hesitation. There was no need for more words.

She picked up the severely injured Humpback Whale and tossed him to Lu Mingfei, shaking her head. Whale had been too impulsive, using mere flesh and blood to face a Death Servitor, which was as hard as steel. The wound from his torn arm would continue to bleed profusely, and without a hemostatic agent or plasma, his chances of survival were slim.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to save this temporary subordinate, but protecting Lu Mingfei was her highest priority. To ensure that goal, anyone could be sacrificed—even herself.

She drew another ninja sword and quietly stood in front of the stairs. The Death Servitors could sense the immense pressure she was exerting and hesitated to approach. Though the injuries caused by the ancient dragon serum hadn’t fully healed, with Mai’s bloodline, suppressing the Death Servitors was still within her capability.

Lu Mingfei dragged Whale into a corner, hurriedly pulling back the raincoat to inspect the massive wound. Blood flowed like a fountain from the torn arm, and no matter how much he pressed with cloth or tied it off with a belt, he couldn’t stop the bleeding.

“Sakura… I didn’t misjudge you,” Whale said with difficulty, his eyes shining brightly even in such a moment. “You’re… the man I chose at first sight.”

To remain this lucid after losing so much blood could only be described as a flash of brilliance before death. Lu Mingfei held Whale tightly to prevent his body temperature from dropping too quickly. “Manager, stop kidding around. I know you told Fujiwara Kansuke that I’m nothing but a poppy. Didn’t the last poppy you had end up hugging a client and committing suicide by burning charcoal? The poppies under your wing are always losers, not even capable of making money for you.”

“Even though he died, he was still beautiful…” Whale said, gasping. “He died, but his ikebana didn’t… If I die, my ikebana won’t die either.”

“Is it worth it? Going to such lengths for the guests. They come when they want, get drunk, and leave. In the end, all that’s left is an empty place for us to clean up,” Lu Mingfei thought to himself, heart aching, but he couldn’t cry. He thought, Manager, I feel so bad for you, but could you be a bit more serious? You’re saying such stupid things that my sadness is starting to feel less intense! Don’t you know who’s important in this world and who isn’t? Guests come here, spend their money, and get what they want—it’s just a transaction. At the end of the night, when the music fades and the people are gone, you’re left cleaning up the messy dance floor, sometimes sitting on the steps playing your harmonica, looking so lonely. That’s just how cruel the world is. The people who love you aren’t as many as you think. In the end, everyone is alone, so why go to such lengths?

“It’s worth it!” Whale whispered, but his voice was firm. “Those women come here for me… They are Takamagahara’s esteemed guests. Takamagahara could only survive thanks to them… They love me so much, so of course, I would go through fire and water for them.”

Lu Mingfei stared at the man in front of him, not knowing what to say. He couldn’t bring himself to lie. Manager, you’re really overestimating yourself. Those women don’t love you; they’re here for the fresh young guys like the boss and senior brothers. Maybe you were once a breathtakingly handsome man, but now you’re just a male version of a housekeeper. Why do you even bother? Male ikebana? What on earth is that? It’s just nonsense.

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