"Mmm… that feels refreshingly good."
Li Ke yawned and stretched lazily, glancing out the window at the bright morning sun. He nodded in satisfaction. Beside him, Azula lifted her head obediently. The wild madness that once dominated her expression had completely vanished, replaced by a soft blend of shyness, happiness, and a hint of dazed confusion.
As Li Ke stood up, his heavy length swayed in front of her. Azula instinctively clutched the blanket tighter, but the memory of that mind-shattering pleasure made a spark of longing flicker in her eyes.
She had truly been fucked senseless. Without the Red Dragon's healing flames, five or six straight hours of relentless, back-to-back orgasms would have killed her. Instead, thanks to that incredible restorative power, she had experienced heights of ecstasy that few women ever tasted—being carried to climax for twenty or thirty minutes at a time.
Li Ke himself wasn't entirely sure how he had grown so skilled at wielding the Red Dragon's healing fire, but he figured it was because the Red Dragon Queen had used it on him so many times that the knowledge had simply transferred. In the end, if it worked, he wasn't going to overthink it.
Still, the most important matter right now was—
"Alright, Azula. What are you planning to do next?" Li Ke turned to look at her. "I'll be leaving this world soon."
"Huh?"
Azula froze. She had instinctively assumed she would follow him, but his words caught her off guard.
"You… you're not taking me with you?"
She stared up at him, looking suddenly small and pitiful.
"Well… I'd like to, but I'm not from this world," Li Ke said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Azula tasted wonderful, but he couldn't simply stop his journey here.
"What?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief, staring at him as if he had struck her.
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Li Ke pulled out his tablet. This world had many strange things, but nothing like this. With his help, Azula watched clips from other worlds. She fell silent, her expression growing heavier with every passing second.
Disappointment flooded her eyes. She had finally found a true companion—someone who could stand beside her—and now even he wanted to abandon her.
Without a word, she stood up, not even bothering to put on clothes, and headed for the door.
"Fine… looks like I've been betrayed again. It's okay. I'm used to it. You can leave."
Her voice sounded utterly defeated. Li Ke had planned to let it go, but then he noticed her walking straight toward his sword. Before he could react, she grabbed it and slashed it across her own throat.
Blood sprayed violently across the room as Azula's body collapsed to the floor.
"!!"
Li Ke's eyes widened in shock. He rushed forward instantly, pressing the Red Dragon's healing flames against the gaping wound on her neck.
The severed flesh knit back together rapidly under the fire's power. Azula coughed a few times, then looked up at him with a bright, triumphant smile.
"I knew you would save me."
She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Of course she had dared to do it—only after learning about his healing ability.
"You… Even with tricks like that, I still can't stay," Li Ke said, looking at her with exasperation.
"I know," she replied sweetly. "I just wanted to remind you that I'm a crazy woman. A bad woman. So if you never come back… if you betray me… I'll take your child with me when I die. You'll remember me for the rest of your life."
Li Ke let out a scoffing laugh at the threat.
"You're overthinking it. I already burned it all away. You can only kill yourself."
He wagged his finger playfully. Did she really think he wouldn't take precautions?
"Oh? Then what is this, darling?" Azula smiled mischievously and produced a small glass bottle filled with thick, cloudy white liquid. "Thank you for holding back and not using my other hole while you were taming me."
Li Ke's face stiffened—then he immediately realized something was wrong.
That wasn't his!
But it was already too late. Azula popped open the bottle. The contents instantly turned into a dense white mist that enveloped his face.
An overwhelming wave of drowsiness crashed over him. He tried to summon the Red Dragon's flames to purge the effect, but his heavily depleted stamina only made the drug act faster. The moment a flicker of flame appeared, his body gave out and he collapsed into Azula's waiting arms.
Azula cradled the unconscious Li Ke, her face twisted with a dark, obsessive affection. He had given her answers, warmth, and a future. How could a wicked woman like her not keep a few insurance policies?
"You were right—I won't use fear," she whispered, brushing her lips against his in a tender kiss. "So instead, my dear, I'll let you live forever in the fear that I'm carrying your child… and you'll never be able to leave me."
She dressed quickly, then lifted Li Ke effortlessly and carried him out of the room.
Of course, she left a little gift behind for Toph.
She had only met the girl a few times, but she was absolutely certain that the inventor of metalbending had slept with Li Ke.
When Aang's group finally returned, they found only a messy room and a single note.
Zuko's face turned green the moment he read it. He glanced worriedly at Toph, hesitating.
"Toph… I'm not sure if I should tell you this."
Aang leaned in curiously, then his expression mirrored Zuko's. Sokka and Katara quickly followed suit, their faces twisting into dramatic, exaggerated shock.
"What is it?" Toph demanded, her voice already darkening. She had caught the scent in the air and already had a bad feeling.
"Tell me!"
She stomped her foot. The entire house shook violently.
Zuko swallowed hard, glanced at Aang's innocent look for support, and finally spoke.
"She said… your husband tasted really good. Next time we meet, she'll bring the child to see us… and she invites you to be the baby's godmother."
Zuko thought the news was both good and bad. Azula's madness might be tempered by marriage… or she might pass her grudges down to the next generation. He felt conflicted.
Toph's reaction, however, was far simpler.
Toph: "..."
The earth trembled. The house trembled.
The next second—
"I'm going to kill her!!"
Toph's furious roar shook the heavens.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Li Ke came to, he found himself not in a bed, but inside a damp cavern. He was stripped bare, and to make matters worse, he felt a lingering, sticky dampness between his legs.
Checking his belongings, he found most of his gear intact—with one glaring exception. His tablet was gone, replaced by two gold bars of the exact same size.
Li Ke covered his face with his hand, speechless. He had never imagined Azula was this kind of woman. To think he'd be played like this right after they'd gone at it!
He sighed. "Guess I'm still too green."
As he sat up, he noticed a slip of paper tucked under where his head had been. He picked it up; it was a note from Azula. The message was brief, but the implications were massive:
"Take a guess—did I do anything while you were unconscious? Did I get what I wanted? My dear, the next time we meet, I'll bring a few girls to help me carry on your bloodline... but remember, I am the only True Queen. Thank you for your kindness; I'm sorry for exploiting it, but I will never let anyone leave me of their own accord again.
Oh, by the way, I left a note for Toph before I departed. I told her you left because you couldn't stand her being so short, having smelly feet, and—how shall I put it—being 'lacking' in the chest and curves department. My spies tell me she's planning to kill you. Do be careful."
Li Ke had only one thought after reading it: "She's absolutely insane."
He shook his head and stuffed the note into his pack. He wasn't too worried about the tablet itself—his 'private' collection of movies wasn't on there—but the device contained a complete industrial database: blueprints and tutorials for an entire technological civilization. It even had satellite technology that was obsolete on Earth but would be god-like in this world.
He'd originally planned to use that data to bargain with Lux for her... well, for a very specific first time. But now, it was in Azula's hands.
He didn't doubt for a second that a woman as brilliant as Azula would realize its value. By a single lapse in judgment, he had fundamentally altered the future of this world.
However, sitting next to his backpack was a massive stack of scrolls. He scanned through them and found an exhaustive collection of Bending manuals: Waterbending (including healing), Earthbending, Airbending, and various sub-skills like Lavabending. On several of the covers, two words preceded the authors' names: The Avatar.
These were secret records written by past Avatars.
"Interesting..."
Clearly, Azula hadn't just robbed him. In terms of sheer difficulty, acquiring these scrolls was likely harder than stealing his tech. Of course, in terms of raw value, there was no comparison. Bending manuals could only train those born with the gift; the technology Azula took could allow her to dominate the entire planet. If she managed to develop guided missiles and chemical fertilizers, it would be a total "dimensional strike" against the rest of civilization.
Based on his brief understanding of Bending, Li Ke could already imagine the terrifying impact those powers would have if applied to industrial development.
He felt a momentary pang of worry, then simply spread his hands.
"Forget it. It's not my world anyway. Let them do what they want."
He was just an innocent passerby—a poor, pathetic traveler who had been 'violated' by a female demon. Whether Azula had successfully "harvested" him and gotten pregnant was a problem for years down the line.
Besides, it wasn't like she was in her fertile window. His "marksmanship" wasn't that good; there was no way he'd land a "one-shot kill" under these circumstances.
Most importantly…
Li Ke pulled up his system interface and let out a dry chuckle. His Energy Points hadn't budged. Azula hadn't actually touched him while he was unconscious! If she had, that energy bar wouldn't still be sitting exactly at 4,020.
The night had been incredibly lucrative, though—Azula alone had provided over 2,000 energy points in a single session.
"Alright, no use moping. Time to move on."
He scribbled two quick notes and weighed them down with stones. The first was for Azula: a blunt promise that the next time they met, he'd "educate" her until she lost her mind, along with a warning not to touch the other note.
The second note was for Toph. It was simple and honest: he'd been drugged and kidnapped by Azula against his will, but he'd be back in a few months, so she shouldn't overthink it.
Li Ke knew Azula was likely watching from the shadows. He also knew that in a game of schemes and "low blows," he couldn't beat a woman like her—not yet. She had the backing of Fire Nation loyalists, while he was still a stranger to this world's geography. Without absolute power, staying here was just asking for trouble. It was better to leave and come back later to settle the score.
Still, he had to admit: the "bad girl" archetype had its charms. But a villainess who had been completely broken by him—one who cried out for her parents in the throes of passion—was far more endearing.
He glanced at a recording on his spare phone: a shot of Azula's vacant, ecstatic expression as she wailed for her mother. With a cold smirk, he backed up the file, left the phone on the ground as a "parting gift," and opened the (Endless Traveler) interface.
He scanned the list and picked the cheapest destination: the world of Nico Robin. He needed a place to farm energy points without getting bogged down in messy politics and "fate of the nation" dramas. Azula and Zuko's family issues were way too much of a headache for now.
"Let's see how they've 'developed' in a few months," he muttered.
He hit the travel button. His body turned translucent, slowly fading into the air until he vanished entirely.
Shortly after he disappeared, Azula stepped out from the back of the cave. She spotted the phone immediately. Curious, she turned it on—and was greeted by the sight of her own shattered, weeping face on the screen. She slammed the device shut instantly, her face flushing with a mix of rage and something else.
She looked toward the spot where Li Ke had stood, then at his notes, murmuring to herself: "So, you really are a god? What an annoying man... I haven't lost to you yet!"
She narrowed her eyes, huffed, and turned back into the darkness. Waiting for her was a high-ranking official, a man who had recently pledged his loyalty to her over Zuko.
"Was that... your husband, Princess?" the official asked tentatively.
"Yes," Azula replied. A smile played on her lips as she thought about the books on political theory and world history she'd seen on Li Ke's tablet. "And he is your future King."
Ruling the world for its own sake didn't interest her anymore. She just wanted to complete the hegemony she had started—to prove Zuko and the Avatar were wrong. The world was just the means to that end. And Li Ke would be her only husband. In her eyes, not even the Avatar was worthy of her; only a god or a traveler of worlds would do.
"Let's go. We have work to do. We need to find beautiful women worthy of his bloodline. Oh, and Ty Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors, didn't she? Find an opportunity to capture them. My husband will need a personal guard of women ready to serve him in bed at a moment's notice."
The official was momentarily stunned by the request, but he bowed his head submissively. "As you wish, Princess."
Not long after, Li Ke's note reached Toph. But along with the note, Azula had included a "bonus": a detailed sketch of her and Li Ke kissing, along with "proof" of their night together.
Toph went into a total rampage.