"Burn with me, Red Mirage! Let's see if your lightning can outshine my flames!"
The Dragon Girl's voice cracked with madness as she unleashed a storm of fire. The explosion lit the sky, swallowing Ryuuto whole. In seconds, the battlefield turned into a sea of flames.
"Captain!!"
Bobby and Steel shouted in panic.
But Arlo didn't flinch. He just smirked, arms crossed.
"Relax. Ryuuto's not dying to something that flashy. He's too damn stubborn."
Bobby hesitated, then nodded. "Right… he's the strongest among us. The one who keeps the X-Men standing."
That's when Steel froze. "Wait… where's Loki!?"
The silver-haired trickster had already slipped into a flickering distortion of space.
"Damn it, he's running!"
"Stop him!"
They launched attacks, but the rift snapped shut before the first strike hit. Loki's grin was the last thing they saw before he vanished completely.
Then—light split the inferno.
Thunder roared, shredding through the firestorm.
Ryuuto burst from the blaze, his cloak singed but his body untouched. Sand armor flaked off him in molten chunks as lightning danced across his arm.
"Flame's cute," he said dryly, Raikiri crackling in his hand. "But lightning bites harder."
He charged, thrusting the blade clean through Dragon Girl's chest. Blood burst across the scorched ground. Her wings twitched once before she collapsed, eyes wide with disbelief.
"How…?"
"You talked too much," Ryuuto muttered.
Arlo whooped. "Captain! You did it!"
Bobby and Steel ran up, grinning.
"Uh… sorry about Loki. He got away."
Ryuuto shrugged. "He'll crawl out again. He always does. Let him think he's clever for now."
Then his grin widened. "Now quit moping. Drinks are on me."
The tension broke in an instant.
"Hell yeah!" Steel yelled. "You heard the man—party time!"
The group headed toward the lights of the city, exhaustion fading into laughter.
But before Ryuuto even made it through the hotel doors—
[Ding! Mission Complete!]
[Reward: Character Data Pack – Hyūga Neji]
[System Experience Maxed! Auto-Upgrade Initiated!]
Ryuuto smirked. "Finally. I was starting to think you forgot about me, Shion."
[Heh. I reward effort, not luck, Host. Now open it already.]
He mentally clicked the new pack. A rush of chakra signatures flared in his mind.
[Byakugan Unlocked! Gentle Fist Combat Style Available.]
Eight Trigrams: Revolving Heaven
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms
Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms
Gentle Fist: Air Palm
Full Eight Trigrams Seal
Ryuuto's eyes gleamed. "Byakugan, huh… Neji's moves? Oh, Loki's gonna hate this."
[Don't get cocky. You've only got fifteen data packs.]
"Fifteen? That's it? I've been busting my ass out here!"
[Collect five more and you'll unlock the Growth Gift Pack. You'll love it. I promise it's stupidly broken.]
He laughed. "Now we're talking."
Even Thor and Magneto together wouldn't stand a chance, he thought. Not against this. Not against him.
"Come on! Everyone, eat, drink—let's celebrate surviving another day!"
Ryuuto raised his glass high, lightning flickering faintly around his fingers.
The feast was grand—mountain delicacies, rich wine, too much laughter. For a moment, the world felt light again.
Then a sharp, mocking laugh sliced through the noise.
"Heh. So these are the mighty X-Men?"
The room fell silent. Bobby and Steel stiffened, eyes darting toward the intruder.
Arlo slammed the table. "Who the hell are you?!"
A figure stepped from a portal of dark energy, smirk curling like a knife.
"Just a bunch of overpaid heroes playing soldier," he sneered. "At best, you're glorified cops."
The lights flickered as another shadow materialized above them.
"You're not even worth the headlines you crave."
His eyes locked on Ryuuto, filled with cold hatred.
"Especially you, Red Mirage. I've been waiting a long time to find you."