Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Sekiro

They and their sleds were enveloped in a two-meter-wide field, where the field met the air with a barely perceptible, subtle distortion, like a large invisibility cloak covering them, making them completely blend into their surroundings.

Word of Power: Illumination, a wind-type Word of Power. The caster creates a small field centered on themselves, where light refracts in strange ways, creating an effect similar to invisibility.

Logically, Mai Shude should have felt at ease hiding in the light of the underworld, but she couldn't suppress the restlessness in her heart.

The sun had already dipped below the mountainside, and the evening glow resembled cotton burning red, yet in the distance, there was a blinding light like that of midday.

Even with the distortion caused by the light, Mai Shude was forced to squint: "Damn it, what is that?!"

"I don't know." The girl with no particular identity calmly spurred the sled onto the road, away from the blinding light.

Mai Shude took a deep breath and took out her phone.

"Where the hell have you been?!" After about 3 minutes, Mai finally dialed the number.

"Mai, aren't you done yet?" The other person asked lazily, their voice muffled, as if they were chewing something crispy.

"Stop eating your chips! We saw a person on fire! Like a steel furnace about to explode!" Mai shouted. "Could that be Norton awakening? Next time, can you please stop releasing your plans like you're squeezing toothpaste! Tell me everything!"

"Impossible! Norton isn't due to wake up yet!"

“I can testify that what the long-legged girl said is true,” the girl with no connections said.

"Even Sanwu says so..." The sound of chewing potato chips suddenly stopped, and one could imagine the scene of the potato chips that had just been put into the mouth falling to the ground from the open mouth.

"Take a video and send it to me," the potato chip girl said anxiously.

The girl with no identity or background made the sled dogs stop, and then the dogs and the entire sled disappeared into the air like shadows disappearing into the darkness.

Mai Shude cursed and canceled the photo shoot, then started filming a video with her phone.

It was a terrifying figure, burning with thick, golden, liquid flames. His back was charred black, like cracked earth, covered with fissures, with red lava flowing through them. With each step he took, a bright red footprint twisted by the heat appeared on the ground, made of molten concrete. Thick black smoke rose from those footprints.

Under the enormous red sun, he moved forward, leaving a trail of crimson light that overshadowed the sun's radiance, as if a messenger of God had come to announce the coming of the end times.

The video was uploaded to a luxury suite in a Chicago hotel. The support staff member, who was lounging in his pajamas with his legs crossed, was shocked. His frantic voice seemed to leap out of the phone: "Damn it! That's not the normal Norton! That's a crazy version of Constantine! What did you guys do?!"

"I didn't do anything! I almost got blown up by a savage just now!" Mai was furious. "He doesn't seem stable at all. Is your plan to blow us all up here?!"

"This shouldn't be happening! The Norton who should have appeared was supposed to be in his normal state! This is the Dragon King out of control, which is extremely rare. His body hasn't grown, and his abilities aren't stable. He looks incredibly powerful because he can't control his power. His body could collapse at any moment!"

"I'm the one who let him out," the girl with no connections suddenly said.

"Isn't your mission to sabotage the experiment?" Chip Girl asked in surprise.

"My boss gave me a new task at the last minute," the girl with no job, no income, and no connections said. "He sent me a piece of copper ore and a calligraphy brush."

“A calligraphy brush… could it be the one I brought back from Bronze City?” Jiu De Mai frowned. “A pure black nib?”

"Yes," the girl with no connections replied.

"Boss... what exactly does he want to do?" Mai Shude was completely confused.

“In short, you guys should run!” Potato Chip Girl said, “The King of Bronze and Fire, once he collapses, will trigger ‘Word of Power: Candle Dragon’, sequence 114. Words of Power after sequence 88 are very unstable. 89-100 are rated as dangerous, 101 to 112 are high-risk, and those after sequence 113 are rated as top secret, because that is the power of the Dragon King.”

"In Chinese mythology, the Candle Dragon is a divine beast that governs the sun. In the realm of words, it represents pure fire violence, capable of burning down a city or drying up a river, and even igniting underground magma, causing mountains to erupt. Mission terminated. I suggest you run as far away as possible."

...

Swimming pool.

"Water is the greatest enemy of fire. If you have studied the science of words, you will know that the symbol of words is a pentagram. The five elements of earth, fire, water, wind, and spirit restrain each other. Fire-type words can penetrate many barriers, but it is difficult to penetrate water. Therefore, if he awakens a certain fire-type word, this is the best place to suppress the power in his body."

Fingel was very serious. He stood in the deep water, where the smell of disinfectant was very strong. Lu Mingfei supported Lao Tang's arm with his hand and caught Lao Tang's legs from below.

The moment he entered the water, steam rose from Lao Tang's skin, accompanied by a sizzling sound.

Fingel saw that Lu Mingfei's palms were scalded and blistered, and his skin color had changed, but the guy didn't utter a sound.

Old Tang's head was the only part of his body sticking out of the water. Fingel placed Old Tang against the edge of the pool and poured water over his head with both hands.

Lu Mingfei took off his school uniform jacket, revealing that the green fuzz on the back had turned a burnt brown and smelled of burning. He put his hands in water to cool them down. "How is Lao Tang doing?"

“It’s terrible.” Fingel’s face was grim. “His awakened Word of Power sequence is very high, but his body seems unable to bear this power. The power cannot be channeled or released, and his body will face collapse. The best solution is for him to wake up and pour out too much ‘spirit’ into an empty space, but in his current state, he is simply unable to chant the Dragon Rune.”

"Can't we just let that 'Night Watchman' activate the commandments again?!" Lu Mingfei clenched his fists, his face grim. "Tell them I'll deal with the intruders! No need to use any spells!"

“It’s no use.” Fingel shook his head. “Once the process of awakening the power of words begins, it cannot be reversed. ‘Discipline’ is just suppressing ‘spirit’ within the body, not making it disappear. Using ‘Discipline’ is like building a dam to block a flood. It’s fine against ordinary small floods, but against a rare large flood like this, it will only cause a more serious impact the moment the dam collapses.”

“We… can only pray that he pulls through…” Fingel clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the pool wall. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the smooth wall around his fist.

"Brother... Brother..." A long, drawn-out call suddenly echoed in the swimming pool, which should have been empty.

The footsteps grew clearer as they approached, as if they were separated by only a wall.

Lu Mingfei drew his knife and sensed a very powerful aura.

"Fingal, take Old Tang a bit further away."

Fingel made a gesture, grabbed Old Tang, and swam away into the distance.

At the same time, a flurry of footsteps sounded.

Four teams, all armed, poured into the swimming pool from the main entrance: the student council led by Caesar, the Lionheart Society led by Chu Zihang, and two teams led by Ye Sheng and Jiu Deyaji respectively.

About a hundred people were standing on the paving stones opposite the pool.

The venue is very large, and even with so many people in it, it feels quite empty.

Fingel swam over there, and Caesar directed a few people to go into the water to help him and Old Tang reach the shore.

Medical staff brought out various instruments and equipment and began to monitor Lao Tang's condition, trying to save this comatose person of unknown origin.

Ye Sheng waved to Lu Mingfei, beckoning him over.

Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment, glanced at the gun barrels in everyone's hands, put away his knife, and circled the swimming pool to rejoin the main group.

Medical staff wrapped bandages around his burned hand to treat it.

“Something’s coming,” Lu Mingfei said. “What is it?”

“We don’t know either,” Ye Sheng replied. “In short, it’s very dangerous, and we’re here to stop it.”

"Is it a dragon? When the alarm went off, I heard Norma say that the dragons had invaded."

“Perhaps Norma misjudged the situation.” Ye Sheng shook his head. “I don’t know how Norma judged it as a dragon invasion. I thought this kind of thing only happened in theory, because for hundreds of years, every dragon that was about to awaken was killed before they even left the Dragon Tomb.”

"But do you remember what happened last night?" Lu Mingfei looked at the Karmaru at his waist. "That ancient dragon... the resurrected ancient dragon..."

"Of course I won't forget." Ye Sheng leaned down and whispered in Lu Mingfei's ear, "Don't worry, we know our place. We're all here to support you. Professor Mans said your strength should be kept secret, but in this kind of emergency, we still need to rely on our secret weapon."

“If it weren’t for you, Aki and I definitely wouldn’t have risked coming here to confront the enemy directly. Have you seen the surveillance video? It’s terrifying. Its temperature is probably as high as the surface of the sun.”

“The swimming pool can neutralize its flames, and you also have new alchemical bullets. We will cover you and help you knock it to the ground. The final blow will be left to you, just like last night.”

Ye Sheng pulled the safety lever, his finger resting on the trigger.

Everyone present was Lu Mingfei's companion. Professional medical personnel were treating Lao Tang, and Ye Sheng and Ya Ji would direct the team to create opportunities for him. It seemed that all he needed to do was draw his sword and strike the unmentioned monster's ninja kill point.

His tense mood finally eased for a moment. He turned his head and looked at Old Tang in the pool.

Pain was etched on that familiar face. The doctor used a stethoscope to assess his condition, while Fingel helped retrieve the testing equipment from the water.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Shudeya put her hand on his shoulder and smiled kindly, a smile that healed the heart and brought peace of mind.

“I will seize the opportunity. By the way, can I bring someone with me to your wedding? I would like to bring a friend.” Lu Mingfei pursed his lips and touched the hilt of his pistol and the knife.

"Of course, you're welcome anytime." Ye Sheng also put his hand on his shoulder, smiling and revealing his white teeth.

Chapter 104 Crossroads

The quiet swimming pool was suddenly filled with noise.

Red flames appeared on the plastered walls made of piled-up bricks and concrete. The smooth bricks softened like cheese being heated in a microwave oven, as the extreme heat brought these solids to their melting point.

The temperature rose several degrees in an instant, and the deformed wall emitted distorted heat waves. A circular hole appeared, and the surrounding bricks and concrete melted into lava, flowing across the ground.

That face came into view.

His pupils burned, gleaming with a brilliant gold, yet his skin seemed to crack open like the earth's surface, with lava flowing within. A terrifying face slowly unfolded into an equally terrifying expression.

He opened his mouth and whispered, "Brother."

Lu Mingfei heard his call; the voice was hoarse and childish, like a child whose throat was dry and hoarse from a cold.

He slowly walked towards the crowd and stepped into the swimming pool. White steam instantly rose up, and the water near him boiled, constantly bubbling.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, and even with the doors and windows open, it wouldn't dissipate anytime soon.

"Fire!" Ye Sheng commanded his troops to pull the trigger.

Caesar, Chu Zihang, and Jiu Deya also issued orders.

The dark muzzle of the gun was aimed at the still-glowing shadow in the pool. The gunshot was like a thunderclap, and a rain of bullets fell.

They were all equipped with M4 rifles, firing 900 rounds per minute of steel-core bullets in millimeter caliber. The magazines were emptied instantly, and they were immediately replaced and fired again.

No one held back; the dense barrage formed a wall of imperial guards, ready to crush anything that came near.

However, not a single bullet hit the shadow. It was as if there was an invisible barrier around him, and all the bullets turned into molten steel when they got within about 2 meters of him.

The molten steel flowed at high speed on the shield, accumulating more and more, and the projectiles crashed into it in vain, like moths to a flame.

A dozen trails trailing black smoke headed toward the figure; those were rifle grenades, capable of destroying an infantry fighting vehicle with a direct hit.

The figure continued forward, molten steel flowing and enveloping the grenade. A muffled thud followed, without even a flash of light from the explosion.

In the control room, the professors received the video sent back by Norma.

"Bullets and grenades have no effect on him, so what is it?!"

"Damn it! He can command fire and metal; he belongs to the lineage of the King of Bronze and Fire!"

Manstein dialed the Night's Watch's number again.

"Dad! Can you release 'Commandment' now?!" Manstein yelled into the phone. "That dragon... it must be a dragon releasing a high-risk Word of Power in the academy!"

“Don’t joke around, son. ‘Discipline’ can’t possibly work on my higher-ranking bloodline…” The old cowboy’s voice was somewhat deep. “That dragon was a first-generation species.”

"The First Generation? Isn't that... the Four Great Sovereigns?!" Manstein was drenched in sweat. "Quickly, order the students to evacuate!"

"It's already being done!"

Schneider shouted into the microphone, "Everyone take cover! Everyone take cover!"

"That's the King of Bronze and Fire! I repeat, that's the Dragon King! Everyone evacuate immediately! Evacuate the swimming pool immediately!"