Ryuuto's shadow clones scattered into the forest like a swarm of hunters chasing prey.
Once they were gone, he scooped Susan into his arms and bolted through the woods, the wind howling like a wild animal behind them.
Susan, seven years older than him, didn't mind the age gap. Maturity wasn't just about numbers — and in that moment, the way Ryuuto carried himself, the way his eyes burned with focus, made her feel something she couldn't quite name. Her heart, once blank and untouched, suddenly splashed with color.
Of course, Ryuuto wasn't thinking about romance. He just wanted to reach Thor fast. His Speed Technique could push his body to the limit, but Susan? She was only a bit faster than a normal human. Carrying her was just... efficiency.
Meanwhile, Thor stood before Reed, Johnny, and Ben — all three looking like they'd just woken from a bad hangover.
The shockwave from Thor's earlier thunderstrike had knocked Loki's control right out of them. Regret washed over their faces as Thor spoke grimly.
"That trickster Loki… He's planning to use the scepter again. Probably to open another damn wormhole and bring aliens back to Earth!"
Just then, a red blur streaked across the field.
Wind exploded around them as Ryuuto skidded to a stop, setting Susan down. Her golden hair was a tangled mess from the speed, cheeks flushed as she tried to catch her breath.
Johnny's eyes narrowed teasingly.
"Sis… are you in love or something?"
Susan cleared her throat, glaring daggers at him.
"It was just a ride."
"Oh? Then maybe I should get a turn next time," Johnny shot back with a grin.
Reed coughed awkwardly before stepping forward, extending a hand to Ryuuto.
"Apologies for earlier. Loki had control over us. If not for your quick thinking, we'd have done something unforgivable."
Ryuuto clasped his hand firmly.
"No harm done. Honestly, I'm just glad Susan didn't end up hating me for blasting your lab apart."
Reed smiled slightly.
"When this is over, come back to the base. I've never seen anyone tear through the Isolation Room like that. I'd like to... study your chakra mechanics, if you're willing."
Ryuuto shrugged.
"Sure. Once we're done chasing your little god of mischief."
He turned to Thor.
"I've sent my clones after Loki. If he's still in this forest, they'll find him."
Thor sized him up, lightning flickering faintly in his eyes.
"I don't care who you are. Can you catch Loki or not?"
"Probably." Ryuuto smirked. "Unless he's hiding under a rock, yeah, I'll get him."
"Fine," Thor grunted, planting Mjolnir into the dirt before sitting on it like a makeshift stool. "I'll wait. Fail, and I'll go find Stark myself."
"Deal."
Ryuuto sighed, finding a stone nearby and flopping onto it. The others chatted in the background — Susan laughing as she bickered with Johnny again — but his mind was elsewhere.
He wasn't worried about fighting gods. He was worried about running out of juice.
Big Jutsu like Lotus Bloom, Rasengan: Grand Sphere, and Primordial Stripping burned through his chakra like crazy. Without enough Life Potions, he couldn't keep that pace for long — and worse, those damn potions couldn't be bought or crafted.
Shion, you there?
[Always~ What's up, Host?]
Her voice purred inside his mind — soft, teasing, with that usual lazy drawl that made his thoughts drift for a second before he caught himself.
You said the system keeps collecting new data, right? Any updates on Life Potions? I need a reliable way to stock up. If I get stuck in a drawn-out fight, I'm toast without them.
[Hmm… technically, the System is evolving all the time. So maybe, if you're lucky, you'll unlock a better method soon! But right now? Still random rewards!]
So… still RNG hell. Got it.
[Hey! Don't glare at me! The System doesn't just throw out missions whenever you're bored. It calculates them based on world dynamics and your current narrative momentum!]
Yeah, yeah, I just wanted something to do.
[...Fine!]
[Ding!]
[Thanks to Host's persistence, a super simple mission has been issued!]
[Mission: Make Thor smile from the heart! Reward: 10 bottles of Life Potion!]
Ryuuto froze.
He slowly turned his head toward Thor — the six-foot-tall god of thunder, currently sulking like a depressed bear.
"System…" he muttered darkly. "This is your idea of super simple?"
He pointed toward Thor, who looked like someone had run over his dog, crushed his hammer, and insulted his mother all at once.
"You expect that guy to smile? From the heart?"
[Good luck~!]
Ryuuto pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled through his teeth.
"...System. You're the real villain here."