Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

The entire room fell silent; everyone held their breath.

A few seconds later, Caesar was the first to sheathe his sword, letting out a cryptic chuckle: "Hmph, you mongrel, you do have some skill," which was tantamount to acknowledging the draw in the duel.

Chu Zihang slowly sheathed his sword, his face beneath the white eye patch revealing no emotion, only a slight nod.

"Ohhhhhh!!!"

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted instantly, sweeping across the entire arena. Regardless of who they supported, everyone paid the highest tribute to this spectacular performance.

Lu Mingfei clapped enthusiastically, a genuine smile on his face. He looked at the two in the arena and thought to himself, "As expected, a master is a master. Even when they're cosplaying and fighting, they can make it feel like the finals."

Chapter 297 Buying Water

Lu Mingfei, sporting an orange spiky wig, wearing a Shinigami uniform, and with Zangetsu at his waist, felt like Ichigo Kurosaki had accidentally wandered into a grand festival in another world.

The initial novelty and excitement were slowly replaced by a real physiological need—thirst—amidst the crowded streets and rising temperature. He licked his dry lips and turned to look at his teammates.

Zero maintained Enma Ai's classic expressionless demeanor, her crimson eyes calmly scanning the bizarre and colorful scene around her, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with her, except that her sailor uniform was particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

Frillie became very interested in the various "magic crystals" shimmering with light sold at the stall, which Lu Mingfei guessed were probably built-in LED lights. He picked up a blue one and examined it closely.

Isabel excitedly posed for a photo with a boy dressed as Toshiki Inuyama from Jujutsu Kaisen, chanting lines like "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" even though the subject was completely inappropriate.

"Ahem, well," Lu Mingfei cleared his slightly dry throat to get everyone's attention, "Are you thirsty? I'll go buy some drinks?"

Zero looked over immediately and nodded slightly.

Isabel had just finished taking photos and came bouncing back: "Ah! President Lu is the best! I want a Coke, with ice!"

Frillie finally shifted her attention away from the "magic crystal." She thought for a moment, "Citral acid, three parts sugar, just regular citric acid will do."

Zero added softly, "I'm the same as you."

Lu Mingfei quickly noted it down in his mind: one bottle of cola, three glasses of lemonade, one of which was his. He patted the Zhan Yue sword at his waist and said with an air of nonchalance, "Alright, you guys wait here, I'll be right back!"

Lu Mingfei felt that he had a similar sense of responsibility as Ichigo when he ventured into the Soul Society alone.

Leaving the crowded main road, Lu Mingfei headed towards the row of vending machines near the teaching building, which he remembered. The further he walked, the thinner the crowd became, and the deafening anime music faded into a faint background noise. Sunlight filtered through the branches of tall trees, casting dappled patterns on the ground, creating a rare tranquility compared to the hustle and bustle of the nearby square.

Soon, the familiar row of vending machines, their standby lights flashing, came into view. Lu Mingfei, with a clear goal in mind, headed straight for the machine that also sold drinks and snacks. He took out his wallet and fumbled for the coins inside.

In Kassel, these old-fashioned coin-operated vending machines still stubbornly survive.

"Clang, clang," several coins were inserted into the coin slot one after another. The vending machine's display lit up, showing that the amount was sufficient. Lu Mingfei pressed the Coca-Cola button, anticipating the familiar clattering sound of the beverage can rolling away.

...There was no sound.

He pressed it again, harder.

The machine screen flickered and emitted a slight buzzing sound, but the outlet remained empty.

"No way," Lu Mingfei's expression fell, a sense of helplessness typical of a loser welling up inside him. He tried patting the machine's casing, with a lingering hope, just like when he used to encounter broken game consoles on the streets of his hometown.

"Hey buddy, give me some face, I'm waiting to deliver water to the goddesses."

The machine did not respond.

Lu Mingfei tried pressing the buttons for other drinks, including the bag of potato chips that didn't look appetizing, but the result was the same. He kept taking the money, but didn't deliver the goods.

Looking at the shipping outlet, Lu Mingfei could feel the bottle of cola and the two bottles of lemonade inside mercilessly mocking him.

Just as he was scratching his head, considering whether to find a tool or simply give up, a figure walked up to another vending machine next to him.

She was a girl, not very tall, wearing a rather unconventional cosplay outfit—a futuristic white and blue bodysuit, somewhat resembling an early design of a combat suit or spacesuit from a science fiction anime. A wide, metallic belt cinched her waist, accentuating her slender yet powerful figure. Her long black hair was tied back in a neat high ponytail, and she wore tactical goggles with similar blue shimmering decorations that covered the upper half of her face, revealing a sharply defined jawline and tightly pursed lips.

She also planned to buy a drink and skillfully operated the machine next to her. Lu Mingfei's futile banging on the machine and his sighs caught her attention.

She turned her head and glanced at the unresponsive machine in front of Lu Mingfei, then looked at his utterly miserable expression. Without any warning, she suddenly raised her foot and kicked the side of Lu Mingfei's vending machine, near the coin slot.

"Bang!" A dull thud, not too loud, but definitely solid.

Lu Mingfei was startled by the sudden violence and almost jumped back. However, a miracle occurred.

"Thump, clang!" First came the sound of a Coke can rolling down, followed by two bottles of lemonade falling into the chute.

Lu Mingfei stared dumbfounded at the three bottles of drinks lying peacefully in the delivery slot, then looked at the girl next to him who had already withdrawn her foot and was calmly taking out an energy drink from her machine as if nothing had happened.

"Uh, th, thank you!" Lu Mingfei quickly bent down to take out the drink. The cool touch came from his palm, and he hurriedly thanked the violent repairman who had helped him.

The girl unscrewed the energy drink in her hand, took a sip, and turned her tactical goggles toward Lu Mingfei. Her voice was crisp, with a touch of nonchalant coolness: "No big deal. These old-fashioned machines sometimes just deserve a beating. The internal latches are prone to misalignment; a vibration will fix it."

Her words and tone were quite direct, even a bit rude, but combined with her brisk movements and attire, they gave people a strange sense of reliability.

Holding three bottles of drinks, Lu Mingfei's curiosity overcame his earlier embarrassment. Looking at the other person's outfit, which didn't quite resemble a typical anime character, he tentatively asked, "Excuse me, who are you cosplaying as?"

The girl put down her drink and casually leaned against the vending machine next to her: "Interstellar? Mass Effect? ​​Or any sci-fi character you think is fine. It's not strictly cosplay, I just thought this outfit would be convenient to move in and fit the futuristic theme."

She paused, then added, "My name is Inuyama Risa."

"Huh?" What a strange surname. Is the person Japanese?

"That's my surname. I'm an exchange student sent by the Snake-Headed Eight Family." Inuyama Rin knew that Lu Mingfei might overthink things, so she made a point of explaining, her tone tinged with self-deprecation.

Lu Mingfei was taken aback for a moment, then realized. The Snake-Headed Eight Families, the Inuyama Family—they were from her Japanese branch. He quickly introduced himself: "Ah, Miss Li, hello! I'm Lu Mingfei."

Chapter 298 The Girl from the Japanese Branch

“I know you.” Inuyama Rin nodded, her gaze lingering for a moment on his orange wig through her tactical goggles. “S-rank, Lu Mingfei. A celebrity at the academy. Today you’re cosplaying as Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach?”

"Yes, yes, yes!" Lu Mingfei was a little surprised that the other person actually knew him and even recognized his cosplay character, which greatly increased his liking for this cool-looking girl. "You just said you're an exchange student from the Japanese branch campus?"

"Yes. The Snake Clan has sent a delegation to headquarters for a semester-long academic exchange. The main topic is the comparative analysis of the modern application of alchemical equipment and the dragon gene sequence." Inuyama Rin's tone was very calm, as if she were presenting a report, but the content made Lu Mingfei secretly click his tongue. As expected of elites, even the direction of their exchange is so hardcore.

"How does the main campus feel? It's quite different from the one in Japan, isn't it?" Lu Mingfei tried to start a conversation. After all, the other party was an international friend, and from the Snake Clan. He felt it was necessary to show the friendliness of the main campus students.

“Hmm. The architectural style, the atmosphere,” Inuyama Rin glanced at the still bustling square in the distance. “However, this kind of event is quite interesting. It’s hard to imagine that there would be such group entertainment in the Japanese branch.” She carefully chose her words.

"Haha, right! I also think it's quite rare." Lu Mingfei found a point of resonance and opened up a little more. "Usually everyone is either studying dragon script or training incantations, they're too tense. Occasionally having a day of crazy fun like this makes me feel much more relaxed."

Inuyama Rin smiled slightly. "Indeed. It's a novel experience to see normally serious professors and students dressed in all sorts of strange clothes. For example, Professor Schneider's Darth Vader was very lifelike."

The two chatted about the anime festival. Lu Mingfei discovered that although Inuyama Nashi seemed a bit cold and spoke directly, she wasn't difficult to communicate with. She was very curious about many things at the Kassel headquarters, and her occasional opinions were often insightful.

Lu Mingfei even complained to her about the epic duel between Caesar and Chu Zihang earlier. Inuyama Rin listened quietly and finally commented, "Both Caesar and Chu Zihang are very outstanding people, and their strength ranks among the top in the Snake Clan."

Time slipped by unnoticed amidst relaxed conversation. Lu Mingfei had almost forgotten that he had been sent out to buy drinks, and he had also forgotten about the three girls still waiting in the square. Until—

"Buzz, buzz."

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Lu Mingfei took it out and saw a text message from "Frilian": [Lu Mingfei, where did you go? Or did a vending machine swallow you? Zero and Isabel are starting to suspect you've been sexually assaulted.]

"Oh no!" Lu Mingfei slapped his forehead, realizing he had lingered there for far too long. He hurriedly said to Inuyama Riki, "Um, sorry! My friend is waiting for me, I have to go back right away!"

Inuyama Rin nodded understandingly, "Go on. See you next time, Lu Mingfei. Hmph, next time you'll cosplay a different character."

"See you next time, Inuyama!" Lu Mingfei, carrying three bottles of drinks, didn't bother to say anything more and turned to run towards the square. His shihachi outfit and orange wig looked somewhat comical as he ran.

Watching his hurried departure, Inuyama Rin leaned against the vending machine, took another sip of her energy drink, and muttered to herself in a voice so low that only she could hear, "As expected, he's an interesting person, just like the rumors say."

Lu Mingfei jogged back to the place where he had parted ways with Ling and the others, panting heavily. From afar, he spotted the three figures, each with a distinct style yet equally striking.

Zero stood quietly in place, Enma Ai's attire making her resemble a black datura blooming amidst the clamor. Frilian looked up at a cloud drifting across the sky, her cloak fluttering gently in the breeze. Isabel kicked at the pebbles at her feet, somewhat bored, Sailor Moon's twin tails drooping slightly.

"I'm back! Sorry, sorry! There was a problem with the machine, which caused the delay!" Lu Mingfei quickly stepped forward, handed the iced cola to Isabel, and then handed two bottles of lemonade to Zero and Frilian respectively.

Isabel took the cola, gulped down a large mouthful, then let out a long sigh of relief, reviving. Her big eyes darted around, a sly glint in them, and she leaned closer to Lu Mingfei, asking in a sinister tone, "Mingfei~ You've been gone so long, was it really just a machine problem? Or did you run into some pretty girl on the way and chat so much you lost track of time?"

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat, a hint of panic flashed across his face, and he blurted out, "Huh? How did you know? Yeah, she's a Japanese-style pretty girl, and pretty cool too..."

As soon as he said that, he sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off.

Zero didn't speak, but silently handed the lemonade he had just unscrewed to Lu Mingfei. Then he stretched out his hands and naturally hugged Lu Mingfei's left arm tightly. His crimson eyes looked at him calmly, as if to say, "Hug me."

Almost simultaneously, Isabel let out an exaggerated "Wow!" and threw aside her half-finished cola. She grabbed his right arm, treating him like a giant doll, shaking him and saying, "Wow! She really is a beautiful girl! And a Japanese one at that! President, you're so lucky! You can trigger an encounter event just by buying a drink!"

Lu Mingfei froze on the spot, his left arm held captive by Ling's cold embrace, his right arm occupied by Isabel's warm and lively hug, and a bottle of lemonade still in his hand. He couldn't move at all. He could feel the mixed gazes of envy, jealousy, and amusement from those around him.

Isabel pressed her face against Lu Mingfei's arm and continued to joke in her sweet yet teasing voice: "Oh no! Zero, look! Our S-class master is too charming! He gets snatched away by pretty girls just by going out! We have to keep a close eye on him!"

"Don't talk nonsense, I just chatted with a girl from Japan for a while."

"Oh my, so you're from Japan, Zero, what do you mean?"

Although Zero didn't speak, the strength in her arms around Lu Mingfei tightened slightly. In Lu Mingfei's eyes, the calm face beneath Enma Ai's disguise seemed shrouded in an invisible shadow of possessiveness.

"Frilian, help me!"

Frillie stood to the side. "Lu Mingfei, who is he? I don't care."

Lu Mingfei: "..."

He just wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground, or perhaps he wished that his cosplay of Ichigo Kurosaki would actually vanish in a flash. He finally understood firsthand that sometimes a girl's enthusiasm and concern were even more overwhelming than dealing with Deadpool.

Chapter 299 The Wedding Should Be Fun

At the edge of the square, in the shadow cast by the ancient knight statue, a crimson flame flickered and then faded. Caesar Gattuso leaned against the cold stone pedestal, having changed out of his gleaming Gilgamesh armor and put back into a well-tailored casual suit, the collar casually open. A slender cigarette was held between his long, thin fingers, and wisps of smoke rose from it.

Nono sat on the edge of the pedestal next to him, swinging her legs. She had also taken off Alice's pink dress and changed into a simple black dress, casually draped with a motorcycle jacket. Her long, smooth hair swayed gently in the night breeze. She played with a glowing spinning top she had picked up from a stall, watching it spin in her palm, emitting a faint blue light.

"Had enough fun?" Caesar took a drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaled, and his gaze fell on the student council officers in the distance who were tidying up the stage lights.

"It's alright," Nono said without looking up, focused on the spinning top in her palm. "It's much more interesting than studying those boring dragon runes. At least watching Professor Schneider in his Darth Vader armor scolding people is a hundred times more interesting than listening to him scolding people in the Executive Department while wearing an oxygen mask."

"Indeed, Lu Mingfei did a good job."

"He just got lucky," Nono commented bluntly, finally stopping the spinning top, holding it in her palm, and looking up at Caesar. The moonlight cast a soft shadow on her bright face. "But it's good that everyone, including you and me, can temporarily forget who we are and what we're supposed to do, and just fool around for a day."

A brief silence followed, broken only by the night breeze blowing across the square.

Nono suddenly seemed to remember something and casually said, "Speaking of which, I received an invitation a couple of days ago. Martha Guderian, remember? Two years ahead of us, the one who dated a guy from the North American branch back in school. Getting married in Florence next month."

Caesar thought for a moment and nodded: "I vaguely remember. Her father was one of the veterans of the academy's equipment department."

“Yes, it’s her.” Nono swung her legs. “I heard the wedding is going to be a Renaissance-themed one, and all the guests will have to wear clothes from that era. There will also be a masquerade ball in an old manor. It sounds like a lot of fun.”

"And then there's Carl von, who graduated last year, and the French girl he met during his social practice. They held their wedding in a vineyard in Burgundy, turning the wedding into a three-day wine festival. It's said that even the local mayor got drunk in the end."

Nono listed the various weddings of these Kassel College graduates.

Caesar listened quietly, the cigarette between his fingers burning silently. He knew that Nono hadn't brought these things up unintentionally. Their relationship, in the special environment of Kassel, had long since transcended that of an ordinary campus couple.

Chen Motong, the heir to the Gattuso family, and another person burdened with different yet equally heavy backgrounds, marriage is never just a matter between two people. It's more like a ceremony already marked on the timetable of fate, or a meticulously planned chess game involving the interests of multiple parties.