The entire air-raid shelter was in ruins. Dust, smoke, and chunks of concrete filled the air as figures leapt out from the collapsing rubble like sparks bursting from an explosion.
"Damn it—seriously? That old man went down that fast?!" Loki snarled, barely dodging a frost blast from Bobby and a flying steel punch. His glare locked on Mandarin, who was lying crumpled amid the debris.
"Focus, horn-boy!" Bobby sneered, launching another ice spike. "You're next on the list!"
"Let's see how smug you are after this, Frostbite!" Loki barked, summoning green light around his palms—only for Colossus to slam down beside him, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the ground.
Meanwhile, Arlo was holding his own against the Dragon Girl, sparks and wind shredding the ground between them. For once, the X-Men had the upper hand.
But then—Mandarin's broken form began to twitch. His breathing grew ragged, eyes burning with a desperate, feral glow.
"You… forced me to use this power…" he rasped. "Now, you'll die for it!"
Without hesitation, he slammed all ten of his power rings together. The energy surged violently, wrapping his body in a red-and-black inferno. His human form warped, twisting into something monstrous—horns sprouting, veins glowing like molten lava. For a brief moment, Mandarin looked less like a man and more like a devil.
"Great. Now he's a discount Mephisto," Ryuuto muttered, squinting at him.
Mandarin raised his hand, unleashing a hurricane of raw energy.
"Then let's see who breaks first." Ryuuto's fingers blurred through seals. "Earth Style—Stone Fortress Wall!"
A massive wall of rock surged from the ground, towering over the battlefield like a mountain. The hurricane smashed into it, shattering against solid stone.
Mandarin roared, leaping high into the air. "I'll blow your head off!"
Ryuuto just smirked. "Blow this, old man."
Lightning crackled along his arm as he channeled chakra. His punch met Mandarin's in midair—two forces colliding so violently that time itself seemed to pause.
The shockwave obliterated what was left of the shelter. Bobby and Loki stopped mid-fight, shielding their faces as the blast rippled outward.
"Holy hell…" Bobby muttered. "That power—!"
Mandarin's scream split the air. He was losing again, his monstrous form buckling under the sheer pressure.
Ryuuto brushed the dust from his shoulder. "Playtime's over."
He bit his thumb, slammed his hand to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Smoke erupted—and from it emerged a towering simian covered in scarred armor and battle beads, nostrils flaring steam.
The Ape Demon King looked down at him with irritation. "Tch. What now, kid? You drag me out just to smash some geezer again?"
"Less whining, more swinging. Transformation—Vajra Staff Form!"
In an instant, the demon's body morphed into a massive, golden staff that landed squarely in Ryuuto's grip. Energy surged through his arms.
"Come on then, old man. Let's finish this."
Mandarin bared his fangs, pulling the last dregs of his life force together. "You can't kill me! I'll take you all with me!"
"Big words for a corpse."
Ryuuto's rock armor glowed red-hot as he swung the staff, which extended hundreds of meters in an instant—straight through Mandarin's chest.
The sound was like a thunderclap.
Mandarin's body convulsed violently, blood dripping from his mouth. His eyes, wide and disbelieving, locked onto Ryuuto.
"Wha… how…?"
Ryuuto twisted the staff once, the ground splitting under the sheer power. "You thought your rings made you invincible? Guess again."
Mandarin's scream was swallowed by the explosion that followed. The air turned crimson. When the dust settled, only ashes and blood mist remained.
[Ding! Mission complete!]
[Reward: Hokage Character Data Pack x1]
[+100,000 EXP. System level-up in 80,000 EXP!]
"Heh. Nice haul." Ryuuto smirked, wiping soot from his cheek. His aura still flared like wildfire, making Loki and Dragon Girl pale.
"Hey, Shion," he said with a grin, "if I kill Loki and his lizard girlfriend too, do I get a bonus?"
[Ehh, who knows? Might be a hidden quest. Go nuts, Host!]
"Tempting." Ryuuto cracked his knuckles, his grin widening.
He raised his blade. "Loki! Your team's dead. Guess it's your turn now."
Loki's smirk faltered. "Dragon Girl—handle him. I'll… prepare our exit."
"Oh no, you don't." Ryuuto's eyes gleamed crimson. "You're not slithering away this time."