The Hulk was pure madness given flesh. Anything in front of him—man, beast, tree—it didn't matter. He crushed it. Smashed it. Tore it apart like paper. Even prey that tried to flee couldn't escape. He would chase them down, seize them in those enormous fists, and grind them into the dirt.
Since Tony pissed him off earlier, Hulk had slaughtered only animals. Not people. But if Ryuuto hadn't pulled Natasha away just now? She'd already be a red smear beneath those feet.
"RRRAAAHHHHH!!!"
The monster roared and thundered forward.
Each step cratered the earth, shockwaves rippling out as trees shed leaves like rain. The sheer speed behind that mass of muscle made Ryuuto's jaw clench.
"This thing's supposed to be a walking tank, not a damn sports car—!"
Boom!
A fist like a boulder smashed down, only to strike nothing but air.
Ryuuto's afterimage evaporated as his real body flickered behind Hulk in a burst of speed.
Taijutsu · Leaf Hurricane!
His heel slammed into Hulk's waist, then again, and again—rapid-fire kicks whipping out like blades of wind. But the monster didn't even flinch.
"Tch—figured." Ryuuto vaulted back in a neat flip, landing just as Hulk turned with those burning eyes.
"Skin like iron, body like a fortress… yeah, this'll be fun." A grin tugged his lips. "One kick isn't enough? Then how about ten?"
Hand seals snapped into place.
Ninjutsu · Shadow Clone Technique!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ten Ryuutos exploded into being, each identical, each moving in perfect rhythm. Natasha's eyes widened. She'd seen strange tech, alien gods, magic—but this? This was… different.
The clones swarmed. Two were obliterated instantly beneath Hulk's charge, vanishing into smoke. But the rest—together with the original—unleashed a barrage of Leaf Hurricanes.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
Every strike cracked like bullets against steel plating. Hulk barely noticed. Missiles couldn't pierce that hide, what chance did bare feet have?
One by one, the clones vanished under his fists. Until only the original remained, perched atop a tree branch, panting.
"…So that's why they call you 'the Invincible Hulk.'" Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. "If brute force and explosions don't work, then…" He clenched his fists. "I'll use the power that tears open the body itself!"
Hulk leapt, fist swinging at Ryuuto's head.
"Dodge it!" Natasha shouted, panic breaking her calm.
But Ryuuto didn't panic. He let the branch snap under Hulk's punch, then used the falling wood as a springboard, kicking it midair to launch himself further back.
"RRRAHHH!!!" Hulk howled and lunged like a predator.
Ryuuto blurred thirty meters away in a single flash, dirt ripping apart where his feet had pushed off. He turned, watching Hulk plow headfirst through a towering tree, splintering it like matchsticks.
His teeth clenched. His heart pounded. Chakra surged, boiling out of him like a living storm.
[Ding! Host has chosen to activate Forbidden Art: Eight Inner Gates!]
First Gate—Gate of Opening: Open!Second Gate—Gate of Rest: Open!Third Gate—Gate of Life: Open!Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain: Open!Fifth Gate—Gate of Limit: Open!Sixth Gate—Gate of View: Open!Seventh Gate—Gate of Shock: OPEN!!!
The air screamed. Ryuuto's skin darkened, Chakra veins tearing across his flesh like burning lines. His hair rose on end, whipping in the torrent of power. His body trembled on the verge of self-destruction, every muscle screaming—but his eyes were alight with battle-hunger.
It was a transformation ripped from myth.
Leaves tore free and whirled in the violent wind. The forest bent beneath his unleashed aura.
Ryuuto roared back at Hulk. "Let's see which of us breaks first!"