Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 81: Road to the Underworld (5)

Dragon Raja 3

“Be glad you’re working with the young master. If you were with me, chopping off all ten of your fingers wouldn’t be enough,” whispered Akechi Asuya, the head of the Kantō branch, who was sitting in front of them.

Yasha and Crow immediately fell silent, with Crow subtly flipping his middle finger at Yasha. Between the two of them, this sign meant “OK,” as if to say, “I accept your bet.” Yasha returned the gesture.

Uesugi Erii indeed used Yasha’s strategy, repeatedly utilizing light kick followed by medium punch into Hyakuretsu Kyaku. The strength of this combo lay in its long range and minimal risk; when executed well, there was almost no chance for a counter. Ryu’s strategy was exactly what Yasha had expected—he was willing to take some damage to guard instead of retreating to the corner. Ryu’s health was still enough to drag out the fight against Chun-Li, but getting cornered could mean the end for him. Each of Chun-Li’s hits was increasing Ryu’s power gauge, and soon he would have enough for another devastating Metsu Hadouken. Yasha grinned confidently; among the three, Crow was the type who strategized best, excelling at planning, but it was Yasha, forged on the streets, who truly understood the essence of street combat.

Chun-Li leaped again, using a mid-kick to hit Ryu’s head. This was to lure Ryu into using Shoryuken. This time, Chun-Li left a little distance when she jumped, which meant Ryu’s light Shoryuken would miss her, allowing her to land first, close to the corner… She was going to use the move Crow suggested; this was her last chance. But Ryu kept defending, rolling back after Chun-Li’s hit, retreating to the corner he had been avoiding all along, because his power gauge had finally filled, and the “Metsu Hadouken” was ready. Even if Chun-Li landed and blocked, it would be useless; Ryu’s strongest move would deplete her health bar entirely.

Yasha rubbed his fingers together, mimicking counting money, while Crow frowned, lamenting the money he was about to lose. Chun-Li rebounded off the corner! This was a skill unique to Chun-Li and the ninjas: when close to the corner, she could use it as a wall to rebound. In a spectacular close-up, Ryu stepped into a horse stance, shouting as he launched the “Metsu Hadouken,” a tidal wave of energy. But he lost his target—Chun-Li’s corner rebound had delayed her landing time, though by only half a second, the tidal wave of energy passed right under her.

Chun-Li landed, and Ryu’s power gauge was empty… Chun-Li went in with a heavy kick, canceled mid-way, into an EX Kikoken, dashed forward, close punch, canceled again, EX Hyakuretsukyaku… Kikosho! A perfect combo! The EX Kikoken, EX Hyakuretsukyaku, and Kikosho all connected, and Chun-Li spun, her legs turning into deadly blades that kicked Ryu into the air.

“Just a tiny bit of health left, damn it!” Crow cursed internally.

The timing of this combo was perfect, capable of reversing the entire match. However, Ryu still had too much health remaining. Though every move in the combo landed, heavy kick and heavy punch were canceled to connect the combo, which left Ryu with just a sliver of health. Chun-Li landed, and Ryu followed. Both were left with just a sliver of health; any slight touch would end the battle. In this situation, Ryu had an absolute advantage because he had the light Shoryuken, which came with invincibility frames. Yasha breathed a sigh of relief; when there were no missions, he and Crow spent their time playing “Street Fighter IV,” and over time, they had become quite skilled. He could easily imagine that Ryu’s player had already input the command for the light Shoryuken, which would activate the instant Ryu stood up, making him invincible to any attack while airborne. Even if Chun-Li tried to block, the Shoryuken would still take her last sliver of health.

But instead of the expected light Shoryuken, Ryu had stars and birds circling above his head—he was stunned by the combo! Yasha and Crow suddenly realized that while the combo might not have had the highest damage, it had the highest stun value!

Chun-Li walked over and lightly jabbed Ryu, “K.O.”

Chisei handed the controller back to Erii: “Don’t dwell on a single victory. Finish the meeting before playing again.”

He had entered from the side door, kneeling quietly behind Erii after arriving. In the final moments, when Erii was destined to lose, Chisei had grabbed the controller and used a corner rebound to delay the landing, followed by a fierce counterattack. He had taken only five seconds, five seconds to forcibly snatch victory from the opponent’s hands. His tone when speaking to Erii wasn’t harsh, nor was he coddling her—it was more like an elder brother speaking to his younger sister, with a hint of sternness.

“I’ll play with you when I have time,” Chisei added.

Erii nodded, putting away the controller, appearing especially obedient in front of Chisei. The awkward situation in the hall finally came to an end. Chisei stood up and bowed deeply, his kimono and etiquette both flawless: “Sorry for being late. I have inspected the shrine, and all security concerns are addressed.”

After a few seconds of silence, Tachibana Masamune was the first to applaud, followed by everyone else.

“As expected of the young master,” Crow admired.

“As expected of the young master,” Yasha echoed softly. “Even Masamune-sama didn’t get this much applause when he arrived—he truly is Amaterasu.”

“No, I meant his drinking capacity, and the fact that he can still lie so calmly after all that alcohol.”

“It’s good that you’re here. Sit down quickly—having you personally ensure our safety in this stormy weather is really asking a lot of you,” Masamune said.

Chisei sat down beside the small table labeled “Gen”, and suddenly the entire hall fell into extreme silence. The sound of rain became even clearer, almost threading through their ears. Everyone turned their gaze towards Masamune, who adjusted his kimono and stood up, stepping back a few steps before bowing deeply. This move surprised everyone, and the elders with status in the family immediately prostrated themselves, with the younger generation following suit. Yamata no Orochi followed a very old family system, where the head of the family was revered. Normally, even having a chance to meet Masamune was an honor. Some of the usually arrogant branch leaders turned meek as sheep the moment they stepped into Masamune’s office. If Masamune didn’t reprimand them but offered a few kind words, they would feel immensely honored. But now, Masamune was bowing to them—such a gesture was beyond what they deserved.

Some people realized that today’s agenda might be even more shocking than merely restructuring the underworld. The martial artists of the Sengoku period said that rhetoric was like drawing a bow: the more you pulled back, the more powerful the arrow would be. The more humility and gentleness there was before addressing the main issue, the more shocking the main issue would be.

“I have served as the head of the family for ten years now. In these ten years, I have had the privilege of knowing all of you, of being recognized by you, and of sharing this chapter of history with you. These years have passed without regret. Thanks to your support, I have barely managed to keep this family together, though many things were not done perfectly, and I have caused trouble for all of you,” Masamune said.

“It is Tachibana-sama who takes care of us,” said the head of the Fūma family.

“It is Tachibana-sama who takes care of us!” everyone echoed in unison.

Series Navigation

<< Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 80: Road to the Underworld (4)Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 82: Road to the Underworld (6) >>