Chapter 58: What Color Do You Like?
"Hyah!"
Empress's slender legs spun like a windmill—front kick, side kick, axe kick, back kick, spinning hook kick, double flying kick, whirlwind kick—all the practical taekwondo techniques flowed out of her in a dazzling display. Especially that whirlwind kick: pivot, spin, leg whip in one seamless motion. Gorgeous. Brutal. Perfect.
Her sparring partner was me.
This time I didn't bother with the sponge pad. Just bare hands. Every single one of her kicks I caught or parried head-on. The techniques that used to feel like giant cleaving blades I could barely block? Now they felt… manageable.
"Haa… haa…"
After thirty solid minutes of full-contact, Empress finally hit her limit. That last kick left her panting hard, sweat dripping onto the dojo floor in fat plops. I hurried to the small wash area and grabbed a fresh towel.
"Empress, wipe off. You're drenched."
The little tyrant took the towel, but her voice came out small and a little down.
"So… Onii-sama's martial arts have already surpassed mine."
I knew perfectly well my "skills" came from a cheat. Nothing like the sweat and grind she put in every single day. So I softened my tone.
"I've just got a few more years on you, plus I'm a guy—bit more raw strength, that's all. Empress is still invincible."
"Enough. No need to comfort me." She quickly shook it off, wiping her face. "It's fine. A ruler can't hog the position of Great General anyway. Having a stronger Onii-sama just means I've gained a mighty warrior at my side. This is good."
Typical Empress—bounces back fast.
She started toweling off properly while I opened the mini fridge and pulled out a chilled bottle of energy drink.
"Here, Empress. Recharge a little."
"Mhm."
She twisted the cap off and threw her head back to chug. The motion pushed her already-developing chest forward, and with all that sweat her training shirt was basically glued to her skin. You could vaguely see the fair skin underneath… and—wait.
Are those… two little points poking through?
She's not wearing a bra?!
I jerked my head away so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.
Empress finished the bottle in one long pull, tossed the empty into the bin and announced, "I'm going to shower and change. You prepare breakfast. We leave for school in an hour."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I was already half-bowing with a grin when—suddenly—her body swayed. She dropped like a puppet with cut strings.
I lunged and caught her.
"Empress?! What's wrong?!"
She took a deep breath against my chest, cheeks flaming, then struggled to push me back.
"After pushing to the absolute limit for over thirty minutes… then chugging water on an empty stomach… head rush. It's normal. I'm fine."
I exhaled in relief—but my arms didn't let go.
Still holding her, I said seriously, "If anything's wrong, you tell me. You're the ruler. Your health affects the whole kingdom, got it?"
"I know."
For once she didn't snap back. Just nodded meekly.
Only then did I finally release her.
The second she was free of my "evil clutches," she let out a huge breath, cheeks still scarlet. She shot me a glare, clutched her chest protectively, and stormed off.
I blinked.
In that split-second glimpse—I saw it.
A perfect handprint right on the front of her shirt.
Oh.
My palm had… landed somewhere it absolutely should not have.
I stared at my own hand. My fingertips still carried the phantom sensation—soft, warm, slightly damp.
Breakfast passed in a blur.
Soon I was pedaling the electric bike with Her Majesty riding pillion as we set off for school.
Same intersection. Same long-ass red light—99 seconds today.
The usual policewoman wasn't there; just two traffic volunteers who completely ignored me carrying a passenger.
I planted both feet on the ground to steady the bike. With my hands free, I started massaging my cheeks, trying to get the blood flowing.
Ding-ding.
A bicycle bell.
I turned—and froze.
It was Aoi Yuu. My desk-mate. Pedaling up on an ancient, gigantic old-school bicycle. Phoenix brand. The kind you see in 1960s photos.
Yuu's not short, but she's still a petite girl. Seeing her perched on that massive relic was the definition of mismatch.
The bike was so tall she couldn't touch the ground with both feet when stopped, so she hopped off and let out a small breath.
"Yo, morning, Yuu."
"Ah—Hoshino-san. What a coincidence."
She looked genuinely surprised.
We'd been desk-mates for two years, but running into each other outside school was rare. The only other time was three days ago when she got cornered by that "Magical Girl Squadron."
"That bike… what's the story? It's huge. You sure you like riding that vintage monster?"
"It belonged to my grandpa and grandma. I can't bear to replace it. They loved this bike. It's over fifty years old, but they kept it in perfect condition."
"Ah… sorry."
I winced. Foot, mouth, insert.
Yuu quickly shook her head.
"No, Hoshino-san didn't do anything wrong. No need to apologize."
"Still. I spoke without thinking. Anyway—we've sat next to each other for two years already. Can we drop the '-san' and 'classmate' stuff? Feels like we're back in the 60s calling each other 'comrade.'"
"Eh…? Ah, sure."
Her cheeks instantly went pink.
Seeing her classic shy mode activated, I couldn't resist teasing.
"Okay, let's test it right now. I'll go first. Yuu. Your turn."
"H… H… Ho… Hoshino…"
"Just a name! Why so hesitant? How about we add a 'kun'? I can call you Yuu-chan, you call me Hoshino-kun. Easy."
"I…"
Her face turned tomato-red. She practically buried her chin in her chest. No way Hoshino-kun was coming out of her mouth.
I was about to laugh when my own face suddenly froze.
I slowly—painfully—twisted my head.
Empress was staring straight ahead, expression blank, like she was contemplating the meaning of life.
But one of her hands had latched onto the soft flesh at my waist.
And was currently performing a full 360° counterclockwise twist.
The pain was apocalyptic. My face contorted. I wanted to scream. I didn't dare.
This was the legendary prelude to Dragon Fury.
"E-Empress…"
My voice shook.
She turned to me with the sweetest smile imaginable.
"What is it, Onii-chan~?"
No chuuni bombast. Just pure, angelic little-sister mode.
The sweeter the smile, the more terrified I became.
I looked at her with pure pleading eyes.
That was when Yuu finally noticed her.
"Hoshino-kun… is this your little sister?"
"Hello, Onee-san. I'm Hoshino Akari—Takumi's little sister."
The grip on my waist loosened—just a fraction.
I let out a breath of relief.
I genuinely wanted to cry.
Under my shirt I was definitely a mottled mess of red and purple right now.
Teasing a female classmate in front of my little tyrant sister?
Truly the most brutal battlefield in existence.
Wanna read ahead? Join my Patreon and support the story — up to 6 new chapters are published for you every day!: patreon.com/ArealMaster