Chương 68: Hot Tea

The dust of the massacre began to settle over the shattered stadium, the air thick with the copper tang of blood and the fading ozone of spent Qi. Below, in the massive crater, the last of the beasts were being systematically extinguished by the tidal wave of cultivators. Varek leaned on his heavy blade, his breath coming in ragged hitches. He turned his head, his eyes traveling slowly up and down the woman standing beside them.

On Earth, Himari was cute in a bubbly way, but here, as Kira, she was a striking vision of lethal elegance, wrapped in shadows.

"Wait... Himari? Is that seriously you?" Varek's voice was a deep, masculine rumble, but the tone was pure, unfiltered Riku. He let out a low whistle of appreciation.

"Damn... you're a total babe in this world. I mean, I knew you were pretty, but this? This is next level." Standing just a few feet away, Lia felt a sharp, hot prickle of irritation flare in her chest. With Tim unconscious Lia felt pure feminine jealousy. It was a bizarre, dizzying sensation: he was annoyed that his girlfriend/boyfriend was checking out another woman. Without his own male body to provide a physical outlet for the feeling, it manifested as a sharp, feminine scowl on Lia's beautiful face.

Tim hated that he couldn't just growl or step forward dominantly; instead, he just felt like a frustrated girl watching her boyfriend flirt. Kira noticed the tension immediately. She let out a soft, melodic laugh, the terrifying "silent killer" aura she had maintained dissolving instantly. She flashed a bright, V-for-victory peace sign, her eyes crinkling in that familiar, mischievous Himari way.

"Haha! Yep, it's me!" she chirped, her voice returning to that high-energy, bubbly lilt. She did a little hop, her dark daggers vanishing into her sleeves.

"Surprised? You should see the look on your face, Varek!" She sauntered over, her movements fluid and dangerously graceful. With a playful grin, she threw an arm around Lia's shoulders, pulling her close and leaning in.

"Ah, now I see why it seemed like you were the predator to poor Tim-san," Kira teased, glancing back at Varek.

"You're chasing poor Lia around trying to conquer her, aren't you?" Lia's face went scarlet—a reaction that was half Tim's embarrassment and half the Lia's natural physiology. It was true; ever since they arrived in this world, Riku (as Varek) had been much more aggressive, using the male body's natural dominance to constantly hover over and "conquer" Tim (as Lia). Kira gave Lia's shoulder a supportive squeeze, her expression turning mock-serious as she looked at Varek.

"Don't you worry, Tim-san. I've got your back. I will protect you from Riku trying to conquer you while you're stuck in this body. Girls have to look after each other Yeah?"

"I'm not—we're not—it's not like that!" Lia sputtered, her voice a mix of Tim's indignation and a very un-warrior-like squeak. Varek—towering and radiating the raw, masculine power of a high-level warrior—didn't give Lia a chance to finish her protest. With a sudden, fluid movement he reached out and snagged Lia by the waist. His large hand covered nearly half of her midsection, the heat of his palm seeping through the thin silk of her battle robes.

Before Lia's mind could even process the movement, Varek pulled her in flush against his chest and tilted her head back. He leaned down and claimed her lips in a deep, possessive kiss. Back on Earth, Tim's male body lay unconscious in the dojo, drifting in a deep, healing sleep. Because that physical anchor was dormant, the mental barriers of Tims male mind were dormant. Without his male brain to provide its usual stubborn resistance, Lia's biology took over completely.

Lia's heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. A soft, involuntary gasp escaped her throat, and her hands, which had intended to push him away, ended up curling weakly against Vareks chest. Kira leaned back, her daggers spinning idly around her fingers as she watched the display with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She let out a low, appreciative whistle that cut through the sound of the distant cultivators finishing off the beasts.

"Wow," Kira said, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

"Looks like I'm a little too late for the rescue. I thought I was supposed to be the one protecting you, Tim-san, but it looks like you're being thoroughly... occupied." Varek finally broke the kiss, though he didn't let go of Lia's waist. He looked down at her with a smirk that was pure, triumphant Riku, his eyes burning with a mix of affection and competitive glee.

"The body doesn't lie, does it, Lia?" he whispered, his deep voice vibrating through Lia's smaller frame. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Lia's face didn't just turn red; it turned a shade of crimson so deep it looked like a sunset.... you... that wasn't fair!" Lia finally managed to squeak out, her voice trembling. She tried to pull away, but her legs felt like jelly.

"You're taking advantage of the fact my male body is unconscious!"

"Fair?" Varek laughed, a boisterous, chesty sound. He tucked a strand of hair behind Lia's ear, his touch surprisingly gentle for such a massive form. Kira walked a slow circle around them, looking like she was enjoying the show far too much.

"She's right, you know," Kira added, winking at the flustered Lia.

"You look like a ripe tomato, Lia-chan. If Riku keeps this up, there won't be anything left of 'Tim' for me to save. You're being conquered, fair and square." The flush on Lia's face faded instantly, replaced by a sudden, deathly pallor as the adrenaline of the kiss evaporated.

"Wait..." Lia whispered, her voice trembling.

"My body... Riku, what happened? The last thing I remember was the park." Varek's smug expression softened into one of deep, lingering concern. Riku remembered the scene vividly: the black lightning, Tim disappearing and reappearing, and then his crumpled, smoking body on the grass.

"It was bad" Varek said, his deep voice unusually somber. He kept his hand on Lia's waist, but this time it was for support rather than conquest.

"You looked like you'd been hit by a freight train. You were barely breathing, and your chest... was a mess." Varek saw the genuine panic in Lia's eyes. He kept a steadying hand on her waist, his expression shifting from playful conquest to the protective.

"Hey, breathe. You're okay," Varek said, his voice dropping to a comforting rumble.

"We're safe, Tim. Or at least, our bodies back home are." Yui showed up. And Tim... she isn't just a martial arts teacher. She surged upward into the sky, carrying you and me like we weighed nothing. She didn't even use a flying sword. She manifested her Qi into this shimmering, translucent hand that just... cradled us." Lia's eyes widened.

"She flew on pure Qi? Without a sword or a treasure?"

"At least Core Formation," Kira interjected.

"On Earth, that's basically a god. She brought us all back to the dojo. Right now, your body (Tim's body) is laying on a couch in the back house. Master Kurokawa is there too. He's been using his own qi to stabilize you." Lia let out a shaky breath, her knees feeling weak.

"So we're at the dojo? We're actually safe?"

"Yeah," Varek said, nodding.

"We're all sitting around the low table in the center room, drinking tea and waiting. Himari and I are awake back there, but you're still under.

"They're waiting for you to wake up, Tim-san," Kira said, stepping forward and giving Lia's arm a gentle, supportive squeeze.

"Riku and I are just sitting there, trying to act normal while these two powerhouses look at us like they know all our secrets. It's awkward as hell." Varek smirked, pulling Lia slightly closer again.

"So don't stay away too long. It's a lot less scary back there when you're awake to deal with the Master's cryptic stares. Plus," he leaned down, his voice a low whisper against Lia's ear, "I think Himari has a crush on that giant guy who saved her, so I need you there to help me make fun of her." Kira froze, her daggers momentarily ceasing their idle spin. Even in the dim, shadow-streaked atmosphere of the stadium, the sudden rush of heat to her face was unmistakable.

She looked at Varek, her eyes wide with a mix of betrayal and sheer embarrassment.

"You... you big-mouthed gorilla!" Kira hissed, her voice a sharp contrast to the lethal "Kira" persona.

"I do not have a crush on him! I was just being... polite! Grateful! He saved my life!" But the "Kira" persona was crumbling fast. The legendary shadow assassin was currently glowing like a heated coal, her usual icy composure melted. Back on Earth The heavy, expectant silence of the dojo was suddenly shattered, not by a word, but by a physical reaction. Himari, who had been sitting quietly and sipping her jasmine tea to settle her nerves, suddenly let out a strangled, soft squeal.

Her face, which had already been dusted with a light pink hue, erupted into a deep, unmistakable scarlet that reached all the way to the tips of her ears. The heat radiating from her cheeks was almost enough to steam the tea in her cup. Master Kurokawa paused, his teacup halfway to his lips. He looked at Himari with a raised eyebrow. Beside her, Riku nudged Himari with her elbow.

Riku didn't need to say a word; the mischievous glint in her eyes perfectly mirrored the predatory smirk Varek was wearing Trillions of miles away in the stadium. Takeshi, still feeling clumsy and overwhelmed in his new, massive body, looked at Himari with genuine concern. He leaned forward slightly, the floorboards groaning under his weight.

"Are you okay, Himari?" he asked, his voice a deep, worried rumble.

"You're... you're really red. Is the tea too hot? Or are you feeling sick from the... the monster?" Himari didn't dare look up. She kept her gaze fixed firmly on the swirling tea leaves at the bottom of her cup, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She could feel the weight of his gaze—the gaze of the man who had literally fought a Demon to save her.

"I-I'm fine!" she stammered, her voice an octave higher than usual. She took a frantic, oversized gulp of the tea, nearly scalding her throat in the process.

"The tea is just... it's really hot! That's all. Super hot. My face always gets like this when I drink hot things. It's a... a medical condition." She risked a tiny, fleeting glance at Takeshi through her lashes, only to find him looking back with such earnest, heroic concern that her face somehow managed to turn an even darker shade of crimson.

"Medical condition, huh?" Riku whispered under her breath, loud enough only for Himari to hear.

"Funny how it only flares up when the 'muscle-bound hunk' starts talking to you." Himari's only response was to hide her face behind her teacup, wishing with every fiber of her soul that she could use Kira's shadow-stepping ability to vanish right through the floorboards.