Under the moonlight, Azula looked very different from her crazed appearance during the day. Though the madness still flickered in her eyes, the gentle glow of the moon cast a softness over her, allowing even a woman like her to show a trace of feminine grace.
Given that she hadn't taken the opportunity to attack him while he slept, he didn't strike imdiately. Instead, he questioned her bluntly.
"Were all the cells fake? How did you get out?"
He had only allowed himself to rest because he trusted the people here to so extent. But this?
If they were even halfway competent, how could they have let soone this dangerous escape? She couldn't have been here for long—what, just a few hours?
"I'm sorry. Their locks were simply too fragile. It was easy for to get out," Azula said, with a gentle, almost sweet smile. "I didn't an to mislead you. At first, I only wanted to injure you—just enough to force Zuko and Aang to heal you, so I could buy more ti to escape... I really am sorry."
She tucked her hair behind her ear as she smiled, almost adorably.
But Ryuji could still clearly see the madness in her eyes.
It wasn't subtle. Her gaze was unfocused—she appeared to be looking at him, but it felt more like she was staring through him, into sothing that didn't exist.
Her eyes darted rapidly, her lips trembled slightly, and her hands were shaky and restless.
She looked calm on the surface, even poised, but Ryuji could tell that emotionally, she was at the brink of collapse.
He recognized the signs.
He had once been the sa.
Who can truly remain calm when faced with death and destruction?
Ryuji knew his feelings toward the 7 Days to Die world were so complex precisely because he had reached the limits of his sanity so many tis there—forcing himself to stay calm, to survive. That's how he'd transford from a re office worker into who he was now. That survival instinct, that need to rebuild and control, ca from being pushed to the edge over and over again.
Soone in that kind of state doesn't need a reason to act—or rather, the tiniest reason would be enough to make them do sothing drastic.
And consequences don't matter.
Because of this shared experience, Ryuji felt he had a rough idea of what Azula was thinking.
"I can guess what you're trying to do. You want to use for revenge. Or maybe you're just trying to drive a wedge between and Toph," he said flatly. "But Azula, I'm not interested in a woman who almost killed . And as a prisoner, you have nothing to offer ."
He reached out and grasped her chin.
"Sure, you're beautiful. A lot of people would probably do anything for a woman like you. I like attractive won too—especially ones with mature, grown-up bodies like yours. Toph's just a brat, definitely not my type. But if I had to choose between the two of you, I wouldn't even hesitate. I'd choose Toph."
He was serious about what he said.
"Toph might be socially inept, but you… you're sothing else entirely. You're a genuine terrorist. I can put up with her weird jokes, her odd hobbies, but you? I don't understand you at all. You tried to kill without reason. That doesn't make you so tragic, misunderstood girl. It makes you a monster."
Trying to steal his sword didn't count as a real motive—especially since her fire and lightning were far more dangerous than his blade.
The mont he said the word monster, Azula's eyes widened in fury. Her hand shot out toward his throat, as if she wanted to strangle him on the spot.
Ryuji silently prepared to unleash his dragon force—ready to burn through her heart the second she made a move.
But instead, Azula cried out a na.
"Ursa!1 You really do think I'm a monster!"
Her face twisted in pain, madness returning in full force. Ryuji, anwhile, was completely baffled.
"What's this Ursa stuff? Look, whether you're a monster or not, that's for you to decide—not anyone else. I called you that because you tried to kill . Would you like soone who hurt you? Don't be ridiculous. Just get out of here. I don't care if you escape or whatever—just don't show your face to again."
She'd basically offered herself to him, and while he didn't care for it, he also had no intention of killing her.
Unless she attacked him again.
But just as quickly as her rage had flared, Azula's crazed expression vanished once more, leaving Ryuji speechless.
"So... do you think seeking power is wrong? Is it wrong to rule through fear?"
Her voice was dazed, unfocused. Ryuji wasn't even sure she was talking to him, but he still answered instinctively.
He was polite, after all.
"Huh? are you really talking to right now? Anyway—what's wrong with pursuing power? And ruling through fear? It's not inherently bad."
That answer set her off again. Azula stared at him wildly, her eyes still hollow.
"Then why did they all betray ?! Ty Lee! Mai! Zuko! Father! And now YOU! Why did everyone betray ?!"
Now Ryuji was just annoyed.
"If you're gonna have a breakdown, take it sowhere else. I swear I'll hit you if you keep this up."
"Just tell why—and I'll leave!"
"You think you deserve an answer?"
Azula's mind seed to snap back to the present mont. She looked at Ryuji and finally saw him, not her parents. But her fractured mind still projected onto him—he had beco a twisted amalgam of the mother and father who had both abandoned her.
Yet he was also Ryuji—the only outsider in Team Avatar, the only person besides Aang to master two different elental techniques.
"I'll teach you how to wield lightning!" she cried. "Your fire bending is already impressive—you just lack a teacher. Zuko won't teach you. Iroh won't. And Aang—he's afraid you'll surpass him. Only I can show you how to turn fire into lightning! Once you learn it, you'll understand—I never ant to kill you! How could I have known there was a bomb on you?!"
Her desperation reached its peak. She grabbed his hand and placed it firmly on her chest.
"Not just lightning—I can give myself to you too! Just give the answer! Why?!"
"..."
Ryuji was, admittedly, tempted by the idea of lightning bending. But he wasn't convinced he could actually learn it.
At that mont, the ground suddenly trembled.
Azula jumped back in a flash. A wall of earth erupted between them just as soone smashed through the door.
It was a bald man—Aang—bursting into the room.
"Azula! Get back in your cell! Zuko and I never ant to hurt you!" he shouted.
Relieved to see Ryuji unhard, Aang watched as Azula vanished out the window. He gave Ryuji a quick nod, then took off after her.
Ryuji got up and peered outside, spotting the others—Toph included—chasing after her. So rode waves of water or balls of air. Zuko, hilariously, launched himself Iron Man-style by igniting his hands and feet.
"Tch. Hope they lock her up for real this ti," Ryuji muttered before lying back down.
That crazy woman and her prison breaks? None of his business.
As long as they left him alone.
But much to his dismay, the next morning at breakfast, the rest of Team Avatar returned—looking dejected. Clearly, they hadn't caught Azula.
Ryuji, munching on the food brought to him, thanked the ssenger, then glanced curiously at Aang.
"So… is there anything weird about my bending?"
He raised his hand and conjured a small fla, letting it dance above his palm. Zuko and Aang were watching closely—the Fire Nation prince and the world's greatest bending expert, respectively.
Aang leaned in, curious. He had long wondered how Ryuji could use two conflicting elents without suffering ntal or spiritual side effects. Aang himself could only bend four elents because he carried the spirit of the Avatar—a divine being. But Ryuji? He had no such entity inside him. And yet he showed no signs of instability.
"Hmm. I'd need to examine your body more closely to be sure. Is that okay? I swear, as the Avatar, I have no improper intentions," Aang said sincerely, concerned that Ryuji might suspect him of sothing shady.
"Uh… You don't exactly seem like the type who's into n."
Ryuji held out his arm. If push ca to shove, he was ready to admit he wasn't from this world. No need to keep pretending.
As Aang placed a hand on his arm, the arrows on his head and hands glowed briefly, and Ryuji felt a strange energy flow through him—quick but intense.
Monts later, Aang's expression returned to normal. He looked completely puzzled.
"Nothing unusual. Do you feel anything weird? Your bending is just like anyone else's. You just seem to lack formal training, which is why you use a lot of energy when you bend."
Ryuji blinked.
"So… I could figure out how to bend lightning on my own?"
Aang scratched his bald head, clearly unsure. But Zuko imdiately shook his head and spoke up.
"No. Lightning bending is far too dangerous. Even if you can use it, trying to learn it without guidance will only hurt you. If you're serious, co to the Fire Nation—I'll find you the best teacher. But for now, it's too risky. Your fire bending's strong, but your technique is rough. You'll need three to five years of proper training before you can even start learning lightning."
Zuko was dead serious. Aang nodded in agreent. He, too, had struggled imnsely with lightning bending—it wasn't sothing anyone could just figure out.
"Ah, got it. Sorry, I just thought it looked really cool. And powerful."
Ryuji didn't bla them for withholding it—Azula had clearly treated it like a precious bargaining chip.
Still…
"If you ever want proper bending training," Aang said gently, "you're always welco to co to ."
Zuko nodded, not taking Ryuji's words too seriously. Aang, standing off to the side, was even more casual, flashing Ryuji a thumbs-up with a grin.
"I feel the sa way!"
Ryuji returned the gesture with a smile and ca to a conclusion:
These people really are good folks.
Feeling a sense of camaraderie, Ryuji decided to share sothing with them—so beef jerky he'd brought over from the Food Wars world, even though he didn't have much to begin with.
But instead of eating it right away, they tucked it away and continued their search for Azula. Ryuji, on the other hand, went off to explore the town, specifically looking for sothing akin to a brothel.
It wasn't because he was particularly lustful—he just wanted to study the local beauty standards and body types. And to be honest, he also wanted to avoid ending up in so awkward situation with Toph being too busy with Zuko to, well… engage with him.
But—
"Why is there nothing like that here?" Ryuji muttered in frustration as he sat in his room, staring blankly into space.
He honestly couldn't tell if Zuko was a good ruler or not.
On the one hand, Zuko didn't take his duties seriously, running around town without attending to state affairs. On the other hand, not even a single establishnt offered adult services in this little town.
Just as he was about to queue up so old downloaded movies and call it a night, a shadow landed abruptly on his window.
He turned his head with a sigh, already guessing who it was—and sure enough, it was Azula.
She still had that unhinged, manic glint in her eyes, but she'd changed clothes and clearly taken ti to fix herself up. Now, she looked stunning.
Seeing Azula perfectly unhard while the rest of Team Avatar was still out scouring the area for her left Ryuji speechless.
"Isn't Aang supposed to be the strongest in the world? And isn't this Zuko's kingdom?" he muttered.
Azula didn't even bother knocking. She slipped in through the window and sat beside Ryuji, completely at ease.
"Aang's mind is elsewhere—he's in heat for that Water Tribe girl. And he's not exactly great at finding people. As for Zuko…"
She let out a mocking laugh.
"He only got the throne because of his bending. Many still don't accept him, and quite a few people still support more. Plus, helping the Avatar end the war and ensuring the Fire Nation lost? That didn't sit well with a lot of people. But he insisted on doing it, further dividing the world."
Ryuji nodded, his expression unreadable—and then reached for his gun, aiming it at her casually.
Azula smiled instead and slowly started unbuttoning her top, revealing smooth, pale skin beneath.
"I was a bit rough yesterday," she said softly. "So I'm here to make it up to you. I'm yours now, darling… uh, what was your na again?"
She paused mid-seduction, suddenly embarrassed.
Ryuji stared at her, exasperated. Seriously? You're half-naked and you don't even know my na?
"Ryuji," he said flatly.
"Oh! Ryuji… Got it. Sorry—I just got too excited. I hope you understand," she said with a hint of madness returning to her eyes.
"I'm trading the most precious thing a girl has in exchange for an answer—an answer I should have known long ago. One my parents should've told . One I now have to extract from a man I've only just t… an answer that undermines everything I've ever believed in…"
Ryuji blinked slowly, unimpressed.
"...You're the one who ca begging, okay?"
"Exactly! That's why I want you to feel sorry for —to increase the chance you'll give the answer! So if I let you sleep with , will you really tell ?"
Azula leaned in close, her eyes manic with desperation.
Ryuji looked at her madness and let out a long sigh.
"You don't need to give up your virginity. Just tell the secret behind lightning-bending."
Azula didn't even hesitate. She smiled and launched straight into an explanation.
"The secret is the collision of two forces—but the most important part is releasing that energy outward. Here, let show you the hand gestures and incantation."
She went through a full set of movents, stark naked and completely unashad. Ryuji, ever practical, took out his phone and recorded her from every angle, making sure to capture her gestures and voice clearly.
He wasn't about to start learning this technique right away—at the very least, he wanted to wait until he had so dkits on hand. Compared to chanting spells, this form of elental control—seed far more suited for a diocre student like him.
And besides, he'd need to double-check everything with Toph when the ti ca.
After recording everything, Ryuji double-checked a few details and, once confident it was all accurate, finally gave her a serious look.
"You're using the wrong thod."
"What do you an?" Azula asked.
"You admit you don't like soone who hurts you, right? But at the sa ti, you think fear—if intense enough—can prevent people from betraying you, correct?"
"Correct," she answered firmly.
Ryuji continued calmly, "Then let ask you: can you make soone who isn't afraid to die fear you? Fear only works because people are afraid of losing sothing. If soone's afraid of losing sothing you can take away, sure, you can control them. But if they're not afraid of you… your thod is aningless."
"Azula, you misunderstood the essence of fear. You tried to control people with fear without ever understanding where fear cos from."
Azula went still, recalling Mai—a woman who loved Zuko more than her own life. She'd once told Azula that her love for Zuko outweighed even her fear of Azula.
Ryuji had heard enough of these philosophical lectures back on Earth to be tired of them, but he kept going.
"Azula, fear cos from love. People fear death because they love life. They fear losing money because without it, life becos miserable. You only saw the power fear gives you—you never saw what caused it. Your mother and brother feared you, yes—but they feared losing you, not because you were powerful, but because they still loved you. It's not that fear has no effect in controlling others, it's just that you don't know how to use it."
"If I were you," Ryuji added, "and I wanted the throne? I wouldn't do it with brute force. I'd make Zuko fear the idea of losing . I'd make him afraid of upsetting , make him want to give the throne just to keep smiling. That's true control. What you're doing just invites resistance."
Even Ryuji was surprised by his sudden philosophical outburst. Normally, if he were royalty, he'd just enjoy life, party hard, and let soone else worry about the throne.
But sothing deep inside him—so instinct—told him to say all this. That it would be worth it. So he followed that gut feeling and said it all.
"...I see," Azula murmured, her eyes montarily going blank.
Then, in the blink of an eye, her expression changed—her gaze sharpened, her smile curled into sothing more alluring.
Suddenly, she threw herself on Ryuji, pressing her lips against his in a fierce kiss. As he struggled to breathe, she pulled back, raised one elegant finger to silence him, and declared in an imperial tone:
"I think you'd make an excellent father to my children, Ryuji. So, by the authority of the Princess of the Fire Nation, I command you to beco my husband—and surrender your seed for the sake of our royal lineage!"
Ryuji: "...…"
Still crazy, I see.
~~~~~~~~~
T/N: Give so Power Stones guys 😶🌫️
(Azula's mother)
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