Susan froze mid-step, wide-eyed like a startled Barbie doll. Ryuuto leaned close to her ear, voice low and deliberately mysterious.
"Anyone locked in this isolation chamber can't use their powers—mutant or otherwise. But physical strength still works. Meaning… if someone's strong enough, and that strength doesn't come from powers, it's still fair game."
Susan frowned, skeptical. "That's true in theory. But with your current fists? You can't even crack the glass, let alone punch through that alloy door."
Ryuuto smirked. "If you've never tried, how can you be so sure? Doesn't sound like something a genius would say."
Her brows twitched. Even now, when everything looked hopeless, he was calm—too calm. Maybe he was pretending just to keep her from panicking.
When she looked away, clearly uneasy, Ryuuto turned toward the reinforced door in silence.
Even though his ninjutsu was sealed here, Chakra still flowed through his veins.
The isolation field couldn't erase that. His system had already transformed his body; his meridians were real, permanent.
That meant—
Taijutsu was still on the table.
Ryuuto: Yo, Shion, can I trade for a Life Potion?
*[Shion]: Hm? Not seeing it yet. The only way to get one is through system rewards. Don't tell me you're planning to open the Eight Gates again?
Ryuuto: Nah. But I can't let Loki control Susan. If she loses it, even the Avengers or the X-Men couldn't stop her. You've seen what happens when her force fields turn inward—she becomes an invisible blender of death.
[Shion]: …fair point. Oh, by the way, each top-tier skill drains massive Chakra. You'll need a Life Potion every time or your body collapses. Without one, even low-tier jutsu won't fire.
Ryuuto: Exactly why I asked, baka system.
[Shion]: Heh. Can't help ya~. Good luck dying! ❤️
Ryuuto: Thanks, sweetheart. At least you're good company when you're not useless.
*[Shion]: Tch. Don't flirt with me, mortal.
He chuckled quietly. "I'll see you one day, Shion—when you have a body of your own."
[Shion]: In your dreams. That's a long, long way off.
Ryuuto: "Then I'll just keep walking till I get there."
[Shion]: …Idiot. Fine. Keep grinding. I'll update the data when I find something new.
Ryuuto exhaled once, then his gaze sharpened.
Eight Inner Gates — First Gate, Open!
Second Gate, Heal Gate, Open!
Third Gate, Life Gate, Open!
Each shout slammed through the isolation field like a thunderclap.
By the time the Seventh Gate flared open, blue energy bled from his pores. The radiation tried to neutralize his Chakra, but he forced it back through sheer willpower. His body screamed, muscles splitting, veins glowing crimson.
Then he smiled—and swung.
BOOM!
The alloy door caved in from a single punch.
Second strike!
The electronic lock shattered.
Third—
He kicked. The door launched off its hinges like a cannonball.
On the other side, Reed, Johnny, and Ben were just arriving. The door hit Reed first—flattening him like a rubber pancake against the wall.
Before the genius could react, his elastic arm shot forward to grab Ryuuto's neck.
Too slow.
Ryuuto leapt clear, landing outside the chamber.
[Ding! Life Potion Acquired!]
[All stats restored to peak condition!]
It was his last bottle. He didn't hesitate. One gulp, and the pain vanished.
Ben roared and charged, fists like meteors.
Ryuuto weaved through seals midair.
"Earth Style—Rock Fist Technique!"
Their blows collided—
KRAK!
Ryuuto's rocky arm absorbed the impact, but even with Lee's physique, taking The Thing head-on was suicide.
"Earth Style—Light and Heavy Rock Technique!"
He blasted off the wall like a bullet, hanging upside down like a bat on the ceiling. Dust rained from the impact crater below.
Then thunder rolled outside the facility, followed by a massive explosion.
Thor.
No doubt about it—he'd found Loki.
Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. I couldn't care less who wins… but that scepter—
That thing held one of the Infinite Gems.
Rumor said whoever gathered all six and mounted them on the Infinity Gauntlet would become godlike.
But the Living Tribunal—the cosmic judge—would personally destroy anyone who dared. The Gems' power meant nothing to him.
Ryuuto wasn't hunting them. But if fate tossed one in front of him?
He'd damn well take it.
Hand signs flashed again.
"Earth Style—Super Weighted Boulder Technique!"
BOOM!
Ben, Johnny, and Reed were crushed under invisible gravity. The floor cracked and gave way; the trio plummeted through in a rain of concrete.
Susan dashed forward, trying to form a safety field beneath them—but Reed's arms lashed out mid-fall, wrapping around her throat.
Her gasp echoed in the shaft as all four of them vanished below.
Ryuuto watched the dust settle, eyes glowing faintly.
"Sorry, guys. I've got bigger stones to catch."