"Ah, well, I've actually learned a bit about cooking. And it's not like cooking and laundry are the only things you can do…"
Ryuji raised an eyebrow.
Although his cooking skills had mostly come from applying his martial arts insights to other fields, they still surpassed those of most professional chefs.
Even some protagonists from cooking manga or anime probably couldn't match his cooking skills. After all, if there was something wrong with their ingredients, there wasn't much they could do.
As for him, even a fish that had been sitting around for three days could have most of its biological activity restored through his Dragon Fire, making the fish fresh again.
From the very beginning, it was basically cheating.
"But my dream is to become a good wife..."
Mai pouted and revealed her deepest wish to Ryuji. At the same time, she quietly lifted one foot and, where nobody could see, gently pressed it against his crotch beneath the table.
Ryuji instantly realized from the touch that she wasn't wearing socks.
She was wearing traditional Shiranui-style tabi.
At that moment, as if trying to cool herself down, Mai subtly loosened her collar, revealing a flash of red.
The red wasn't lingerie. It was the traditional attire of Shiranui-ryu.
In other words, Mai Shiranui's iconic outfit.
Ryuji froze for a moment.
Then he saw Mai turn her head away with a flushed face before speaking softly.
"Dad, Mom, and Grandpa are going out today to pay respects to our ancestors and leave some offerings... so... they won't be home."
Mai had originally thought it would take a month or two before her parents and grandfather felt at ease.
But she had never expected them to accept Ryuji so quickly.
She didn't know how much of this was due to her own shameless willingness to throw herself at him and how much was due to Ryuji's abilities.
But the fact that her parents and grandfather approved of him was the most happiest thing in the world for her.
Mai wasn't stupid. She could naturally tell that the reason her mother kept insisting on sleeping beside her every night and reminiscing about the past was because she was afraid that Ryuji would devour her.
It wasn't as if she couldn't tell when her mother secretly checked on her in the middle of the night.
She simply chose to pretend she didn't notice.
After all, they were her parents, and it was their way of showing concern.
Now that her parents had accepted Ryuji, she was even happier.
"Hmm... your parents agreed?"
Ryuji was also somewhat surprised.
"Yes. After all, you're so outstanding. And even if they hadn't agreed, I would've delivered myself to your doorstep anyway."
Twisting a strand of hair around her finger, Mai pretended to be calm as she looked out the window. Although this wasn't the first time she and Ryuji had discussed him taking her virginity, this time was different.
The previous times had all been born from a sense of self-abandonment.
But this time, just thinking about it made her feel as though she was on cloud nine. She was so happy she felt like she might fly away, her whole body light and dizzy.
She wanted Ryuji to hurry up, rip off her clothes and fuck her senseless. But she also wanted it to be romantic, to be fucked until she could only think about him and his cock, while listening to joyful and romantic music.
She also wanted to wear a wedding dress or a white shiromuku[1], receive her parents' blessings and then bee fucked by Ryuji until she loses her mind.
Or perhaps, amid her shyness and slight resistance, she wanted Ryuji to subdue her by using the Shiranui-ryu techniques and then fuck her right there in the dojo until she could no longer think straight.
In short, she wanted Ryuji to have her completely.
But because of these shameless thoughts, she couldn't help feeling a little self-destructive, thinking of herself as a cheap and lustful woman.
But even if I'm shameless and lewd, I can only be shameless in front of Ryuji!
She couldn't help wanting to hide her face, though such an action was obviously nothing more than self-deception.
"Well, that's true."
Looking at Mai's face, even though Ryuji had long since grown accustomed to taking a girl's virginity, he still felt a surge of excitement.
"After all, you've been mine for a long time. If you hadn't come, I'd have taken you away by force."
Ryuji lifted Mai's chin, looking into her eyes that seemed ready to overflow with emotion, while his other hand held her foot.
But just as Mai was gazing at him affectionately, a pleasant voice interrupted them.
"Hello, here's the Big Mac Burger you ordered."
A busty waitress with light brown-colored hair arrived carrying a huge large of hamburgers. But both Ryuji and Mai immediately sensed that something was off about her.
Not only was there a strong killing intent surrounding the waitress, but neither of them had seen her when they had entered the McDonald's.
Ryuji couldn't help but look at her face and then he subconsciously called out her name.
"Kasumi?"
Yes, Kasumi.
Ryuji recognized the female ninja. After all, some games listed the heroine's name directly.
That was the same reason he knew Tifa as well.
The moment her name was spoken, Kasumi reacted exactly as if she had been prepared for it. She swiftly drew the short blade from her waist and pressed it against Ryuji's throat. At the same time, her other hand shoved him back against the booth seat, ensuring that no one outside the compartment could see what was happening inside.
But the moment he came into contact with her body, Ryuji sensed something unusual.
Because this woman's body...
Was unnatural.
More precisely, it felt as though her body had been artificially created. It did not possess the qualities of a normal human body. There were still traces of numerous chemical agents lingering within her, making her entire physical presence feel extremely strange to Ryuji. Her life force was also noticeably more fragile.
"Talk! What is your relationship with the people from DOATEC? Was your Shiranui-ryu involved in the attack on our Mugen Tenshin clan? And do you know anything about my clones?!"
Kasumi's expression was extremely grim.
For some time now, she had been searching for information regarding her clones. After being captured through a DOATEC scheme, although her chastity had remained intact, numerous clones had been created from her. Those clones possessed her memories and martial arts skills.
As a result, she had been hunting down her clones while trying to uncover DOATEC's true plans and destroy the company completely.
But the recent news had been very strange.
First, Douglas, who should have been confirmed dead, had suddenly reappeared. Not only had he come into conflict with certain people inside DOATEC, but he was also building factories while promoting some so-called World Martial Arts Tournament. Having once been captured and cloned after winning a tournament herself, Kasumi naturally suspected that DOATEC was plotting something sinister again.
"Clones?"
Ryuji looked at the short blade pressed against his throat and listened to Kasumi's questions. Although he wasn't completely certain, his senses immediately led him to a particular possibility.
So, he extended his perception.
Within his perception, the disharmony inside Kasumi's body became even more apparent.
Her internal organs and bones felt especially wrong. Though they appeared youthful, they had been forced into the form of an adult. For a short period of time, normal movement and bodily functions would not be a problem, but before long, the congenital deficiencies would cause rapid aging and sudden death.
It can only be described as a tragedy.
And judging by her behavior, she probably still believed herself to be the original Kasumi, which makes the situation even more tragic.
Ryuji couldn't help but sigh inwardly. DOATEC really had done plenty of terrible things. And now that DOATEC was more or less under his control, Ryuji felt it was time to clean up some of the mess.
After all, for him, healing the woman in front of him would require nothing more than a breath of dragon fire and a cup of goddess milk.
So, he moved.
"Have you ever considered another possibility, Miss Kasumi?"
Ryuji's fingers touched the short blade pressed against his throat. Crimson dragon fire instantly melted the alloy knife, forcing Kasumi to reflexively throw it away as the hilt burst into flames. She immediately retreated to what she considered was a safe distance.
But Ryuji's next words made her eyes widen.
"What if you yourself are one of the clones you're talking about?"
~~~~~~~~~~
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[1] A Shiromuku is the most formal and prestigious traditional bridal kimono worn in Japanese Shinto wedding ceremonies.