A muscle twitched in Zumi's cheek. Pride? Relief, perhaps? The echo of his own undeniable desire for the woman who now lay before him screamed in his veins, a promise of power and pleasure that set his skin alight. As he stared down at Bia, her beauty transfigured by her transformation, he allowed himself a brief moment of victory.
Bia kept her eyes trained on him, her gaze unflinching. A challenge? Or perhaps it was the innate defiance of a woman who had been a goddess, a guardian, a force to be reckoned with, once upon a time.
Reaching one hand out, Zumi slowly threaded his fingers through Bia's black crimson-tipped hair, his touch causing her sigils to flare brighter. His fingers tightened around her hair, his knuckles ghosting against her cheek. He tilted her head back, forcing her gaze up to meet his. "Say it again. Say my name."
Swallowing hard, Bia maintained her defiant gaze. "Zumi Kogane," she said, her voice thick and husky. Her chest rose and fell with each ragged breath, her arousal evident in the way she writhed beneath his touch. The pulse beneath his fingers quickened, and a slow, predatory grin spread across Zumi's face.
"Mine," he declared, pulling her to her feet with a firm tug on her hand. His other hand snaked around her waist, pressing her against him. The heat from their bodies melded together like the tantalizing promise of what was to come, making her shudder in anticipation.
"Yours," Bia breathed, the single word heavy with admission and surrender.
He traced a finger down the dragon tattoo that snaked around her side, his touch sending shivers running down her spine. She moaned, her body arching into his touch, her fists clenched in the fabric of his shirt. He chuckled, the sound reverberating through his chest, his eyes dark with desire.
"Prepare yourself, Bia," Zumi murmured against her ear, his words a promise laced with command. "Tonight, I intend to stoke the fire between us until it becomes an inferno. Before dawn breaks, you will know without a shadow of a doubt who you belong to. Not only the Monkey King, but Zumi Kogane."
System: Affirmation: Zumi Kogane now has the full devotion of Bia, the Goddess of Force and Strength. Please be sure to proceed with caution, host. The following steps will shape not only this narrative but the entire cosmology of this world.
Zumi smirked, his eyes shining with anticipation. His hand tightened around Bia, pulling her even closer as he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear.
For the next hour, their bodies moved as one, a dance of shadows and light across the tamate mat floors, until both lay spent and breathless in each other's arms. Bia gazed up at Zumi, her former divinity humbled by the mortal who had claimed her heart completely. A chime echoed in Zumi's consciousness—the system announcing his newfound power: Strength and Dexterity increased by 1000 points, the reward for Bia's surrender. With a gentle touch to her flushed cheek, Zumi summoned garments from his inventory. "Put these on," he said, his voice low and tender. "When you return, we have matters to discuss."
The monastery chamber was silent, the incense smoke curling lazily through the air. Zumi sat cross-legged on the polished wooden floor, his calm presence filling the room like an unshakable mountain. Moonlight fell through the paper windows in long beams, painting the chamber in silver.
Bia stepped forward, her eyes fixed on him. For a moment, she hesitated—not out of shame, but because of what this moment meant. She had already laid down her pride, her divine authority, her strength as a goddess. Now, she was stripping away the last barrier between herself and him.
When the final piece of her divine robes fell away, she stood with nothing to hide. The goddess of force, once untouchable, bared herself completely—not as a weapon of the heavens, not as a figure of myth, but as a woman standing before the man who had claimed her heart.
The air grew heavy. Zumi did not avert his gaze, but neither did he look at her with hunger alone. His crimson eyes carried something deeper—acceptance, recognition, reverence. He saw her.
Slowly, deliberately, Bia reached for the clothes he had given her. The jacket embroidered with white dragons, the fitted crop top, the dark pants—all human garments, yet now sacred in their own way. She dressed in silence, each piece a symbol of her rebirth. When she slid the jacket across her shoulders, the dragons seemed to coil with life, as if acknowledging the vow etched into her very skin.
At last she stood clothed, transformed. No longer the untouchable goddess wrapped in divine silks—now she was Bia, the woman who had chosen Zumi above all else.
She took a slow step toward him, her voice soft, trembling only with the weight of honesty.
"You've seen me as no one else has. Stripped of my divinity, stripped of my pride. Do you understand, Zumi? I belong to you—not because of the Monkey King, but because you are you."
Zumi rose from the floor, his presence enveloping her. He reached out, his hand brushing along her waist where the dragon tattoo curled, fingers tracing the vow she had sealed into her flesh. His touch was firm yet gentle, grounding her.
"I understand," he said, voice steady as stone. "And I accept you—not as a goddess, not as force incarnate—but as Bia, the woman who chose me. From this moment, you are mine."
Her breath caught. She bowed her head slightly, crimson hair spilling forward like fire, and whispered with absolute finality:
"My strength, my life, my eternity… all that I am, I give to you."
The monastery seemed to breathe with them, as if the ancient walls had borne witness to the birth of a vow that transcended gods and men.
Bia and Zumi sat cross-legged on the cold, dusty floor, their knees almost touching. Zumi's gaze was a furnace; Bia's cheeks flamed under its heat. She could feel his strength pulsing through her veins—he owned her, and he knew it. Without warning, he spoke, his voice low and urgent, and she hung on every word as if it were his last.
"When I was a kid, the slums were my prison—endless turf wars, brutal beat-downs, families caught in the crossfire. I hated it. Innocents bleeding in the gutter. Then came the day I thought I could leave it all behind—heading to New York City, dreaming of something better. That's when I met her." His eyes darkened with memory. "She usurped the Yorkdale Destroyers from her brother Takashi, took command in an instant. I walked away believing I'd never see real power again."
At the name, Bia's breath caught. "Yorkdale…Destroyers…Of course." Her voice sounded distant, like a memory surfacing from deep water. "From my own past with the Monkey King. I was vice-commander of the Monkey Raiders—his secret army. We clashed once. Takashi was the fiercest mortal I ever faced back then."
Zumi nodded. "He's gone now. His sister, Reina, inherited his throne and shattered every rival. To this day, no gang in the slums breathes without her consent. They call her the Commander of the Yorkdale Raiders, Reina "The Black Flame" Kurogami, now strong enough to storm the mafia strongholds if she wanted. Before I left, Reina saved me from one of the worst lieutenants of a rival gang. I owe her my life."
He paused, weighing her with a hungry gaze. "Bia, I need you to rebuild that secret army. Forge it into an unstoppable force—something impossible to ignore. Draw Reina's attention, challenge her Raiders, then offer your hand in alliance. Make me look unbeatable in her eyes—so that when she hears my name, respect and loyalty will follow. Train them, strengthen them, push them to the brink. When they stand at their peak, I'll step in and speak with Reina myself."
Bia's pulse hammered in her ears. No hesitation trembled in her throat. "Consider it done." Her voice was steel. "I'll recreate the Monkey Raiders—stronger, fiercer. Reina will have no choice but to stand with us. And when you arrive, she'll see you as the apex predator." She leaned forward, eyes blazing. "I will make it happen—for you." Called the Gang Kogane Dragons when you start it. Please depart immediately as you leave. Please let Hina enter here and sit before me." Zumi kissed Bia on her lips as she got up to leave and said bye to her.
As Bia rose to her feet, she cast a glance back towards Zumi. He nodded, his crimson gaze brimming with a trust that sent warmth radiating through her. She returned the nod with a sense of determination before turning away and striding to the monastery entrance. Her step was confident, her purpose clear. She was about to wage a war—a war for Zumi Kogane. As the door slid closed behind her, she said goodbye to her past life, ready to embrace her new journey.
Hina entered as asked, the soft creak of the door closing behind her sealing the silence of the room. Suddenly, the air shimmered — a golden radiance bloomed outward from Zumi, filling every corner until the chamber seemed like the heart of a sun. Hina's breath caught in her throat; the glow felt heavy, sacred.
Zumi's voice cut through the brilliance, calm yet unyielding.
"Sit before me. We need to talk."
Hina hesitated only a moment before kneeling, folding her legs neatly beneath her. The glow reflected in her wide eyes as she whispered, "Zumi… what is this? This light… it feels alive."
"It's time you knew everything," he said, his gaze firm but not unkind. "You're going to be my closest aide — my shadow, my confidant. For that, you deserve the truth."
Her brows furrowed, curiosity and unease battling within her. "Everything? What could be so heavy that you've hidden it even from Gia?"
Zumi leaned forward, his voice lowering as if the walls themselves might betray his words. "Because it's not just about me. It's about destiny."
He told her of his life in the slums, of hunger and survival, of the relentless climb that eventually brought him to New York. He spoke of Ana, of the strange and fateful meeting that altered the path of his existence, and of the mysterious power that coursed through him.
At last, he held her gaze with solemn finality.
"I am the four-thousandth reincarnation of the Monkey King."
The words struck Hina like a thunderclap. She gasped, her hands trembling slightly in her lap. "The… Monkey King? You mean the legend? That's impossible…"
"No," Zumi said with quiet conviction, "it's inevitable."
Silence stretched between them before Hina managed, "Then… what does that mean? For you? For us?"
"It means I carry not just his power, but his burden. My mission is not only to unite the underworld of New York — though I will, through war if necessary — but also to fulfill a vow as old as time."
Hina's voice wavered, caught between awe and fear. "What vow?"
Zumi rose, the golden aura intensifying as though the heavens themselves stirred at his words. "To find the four goddesses who once stood by the Monkey King as his eternal wives. They are scattered, waiting, bound to me through destiny. Bia, the Goddess of Force, you've already met. She was the first to return. But there are three more: Serafina, Goddess of Darkness; Athena, Goddess of War; and Leafa, Goddess of Nature. I must find them — and I will."
Hina's lips parted, her heart racing at the enormity of what he said. "You're… destined to gather goddesses? To reclaim them as your wives?"
"Yes." His voice rang with a finality that brooked no doubt. "Only when they stand by my side again will the cycle be complete. Only then will I have the strength to unite not just the underworld, but the world itself."
Hina lowered her gaze, her mind spinning. But then — slowly, surely — she looked up with fire in her eyes. "If this is truly your path… then I will not stand aside. You said I'm to be your closest aide. That means through wars, through destiny, through gods and demons alike, I stand with you."
Zumi's aura softened, golden light dimming into something warmer. "Do you pledge this freely, Hina? To follow me into battles that may never end, against powers that might tear this world apart?"
Her voice did not waver.
"I pledge it with my life. My strength, my hands, my heart — they belong to you, Zumi."
For the first time, Zumi allowed a faint smile. "Then rise, Hina. From this night forward, you are not just my aide. You are my right hand in the wars to come."
The golden light pulsed, as if sealing the vow between them.
he golden light around Zumi pulsed once more, as if the world itself acknowledged Hina's vow. Her words still lingered in the air — a sacred promise, freely given.
Then, before either could speak again, the familiar chime of the System echoed in Zumi's mind.
System Notification:
Loyalty [Hina] has reached its peak.
Respect: MAX.
Intimacy: MAX.
Hina has pledged her life to you.
She has become a System Character.
A sudden heat filled the room — not suffocating, but alive, like the breath of a forge. Hina gasped as her long silver hair ignited into fiery crimson, glowing like molten magma. Each strand radiated a soft, steady heat, shimmering faintly as though it carried the breath of an eternal flame.
Her golden eyes blazed brighter, flecked with hints of ember-red. The faint aura of heat rolled off her body, wrapping her in a mantle of living fire. Power clung to her skin like armour, but it was not threatening — it was the physical manifestation of her vow.
Hina touched her transformed hair with trembling fingers, staring at the strands that glowed like flowing lava. Her voice wavered between disbelief and awe.
"Zumi… what's happening to me?"
Zumi's gaze softened, though his aura remained steady, commanding. "The System has marked you. This is proof of your vow — your pledge has bound you to my destiny. From this day forward, you are more than my aide. You are part of the legend."
Hina lowered her hand, then straightened her back, the heat of her new form making her presence fiercer, more unshakable. A faint smile curved her lips — resolute, fearless.
"Then let them all come — gods, demons, or kings. I will burn with you, fight with you, and never leave your side."
The molten glow of her hair flared brighter at her words, sealing her transformation.
The System's voice rang out again, clear and absolute, sealing her fate.
System Notification:
New Ability Unlocked: Volcanic Ascension
Description: Hina channels flames and molten heat through her muscles, enhancing strength far beyond human limits. Her aura erupts like a living volcano — heat, pressure, and raw force radiating outward. The closer she fights beside Zumi, the more her power burns.
At once, her fiery red hair flared brighter, casting molten light across the walls. A searing wave of heat spread from her body, warping the air, but not harming Zumi — to him, it felt like standing near a warm, steady blaze. To anyone else, it would feel like being at the mouth of a volcano about to erupt.
Hina clenched her fists, and as she did, faint streams of ember-like energy raced along her arms. Muscles tightened, every fiber burning with new vitality, her strength multiplied. The aura rolling off her was no longer just fire — it was the unstoppable presence of tectonic force, molten pressure and volcanic power barely contained within human flesh.
Her eyes widened in realization, breath short with exhilaration.
"I… I can feel it. The fire isn't just around me. It's inside me. My muscles… my bones… they're alive with it."
Zumi nodded, his expression steady but proud.
"Good. That is your gift — your vow given form. You are now a living volcano. When you fight, the world will know it."
The flames in her hair softened, simmering into a steady glow like magma beneath the surface, but her aura still pressed against the walls of the room with terrifying weight. Hina straightened, her molten-red hair falling in waves behind her like liquid fire, her eyes burning with new purpose.
She dropped to one knee, bowing her head low.
"Then let my fire burn only for you, Zumi. My strength, my life, my very soul — they belong to you now."
The System's final whisper echoed in Zumi's mind, as if the universe itself had acknowledged her oath:
System Update:
Hina [Right Hand of the Monkey King] has joined your Legend.