"Heh. Nice trick. Thanks for the free demo."
Ryuuto grinned as the energy sphere screamed toward him, heat distorting the air. His crimson eyes spun like a vortex—Sharingan, activated.
"Kamui."
Space twisted. The blazing sphere vanished mid-flight, sucked into a rift that sealed with a shimmer.
"What the—what did you just do?!" shouted Nova, his voice trembling.
Ryuuto shrugged, casual as if he'd just tossed out trash. "Relax. I didn't destroy it. I just… sent it somewhere else. A special pocket dimension. Guess your 'doorman' can keep it company."
A heartbeat later—thud.
A severed head rolled across the cracked marble floor, its charred face barely recognizable. The room froze in horror.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me… You killed him!" Nova's voice broke into panic.
"Nope. You did," Ryuuto said lightly, pointing at him. "You fired it. I just redirected. So really, this is all you."
Behind him, Bobby, Steel, and Arlo spread out, cutting off Nova's escape.
"Still wanna fight?" Bobby taunted. "You might as well kneel now. Maybe we'll let you die quickly."
Nova's hands shook—but a manic grin split his face. "You think I'd surrender? Dream on! If I go down, I'm taking you all with me!"
Energy erupted from his body, distorting the air, shaking the earth. The luxury hotel around them collapsed in a storm of debris and fire.
Ryuuto's expression hardened. "Unfortunately for you—"
He slammed his hands together. Sand surged from the wreckage, wrapping around Nova like a tidal wave.
"—I'm way better at clean-up."
The world turned gold-red as the sand imploded. When it cleared, Nova was barely conscious, his skin cracked like molten glass.
"Still human, right?" Nova rasped weakly.
Ryuuto stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "Depends on the day."
Gentle Fist Style – Eight Trigrams: Three Hundred and Sixty-One Palms!
A flurry of precise strikes landed faster than sight. Each hit pulsed chakra into Nova's body, sealing every meridian point until his energy overflowed with nowhere to go.
"Arlo, back up!" Ryuuto barked.
"Got it, Captain!"
The last strike landed—
BOOM!
A light brighter than dawn swallowed the battlefield. When it faded, nothing remained of Nova but dust glittering in the air.
Silence.
[Ding! Hidden Mission Completed!]
[You've defeated a high-tier enemy and unlocked a Lucky Spin!]
Ryuuto sighed. "High-tier? That clown? Shion, your system really overestimates people."
[Hey, don't blame me. I just read the code, Red Mirage. Wanna spin or sulk?]
"Spin it. Let's see what fresh disappointment you've got for me this time."
A holographic roulette appeared, symbols flashing—Mystic Arts, Genetic Boost, Chaos Function… and then it froze. The air hummed.
"...You lagging again?" Ryuuto muttered. "Don't crash now, I'm not rebooting you mid-battle."
[Relax. You rolled a rare function: Foresight Protocol. It lets you sense which powerful idiot's coming for you next.]
Ryuuto blinked. "That's… actually useful. You feeling okay, Shion? No bugs today?"
[Don't get sentimental, Master. I just like seeing you struggle with style.]
Ryuuto smirked. "Sure you do." He wiped sweat from his temple and looked toward the shattered skyline. "So… who's next?"
[Warning: New SSS-Level Mission Detected!]
[Incoming Threat: Thor Odinson and an Asgardian strike force. Objective—defend Earth and survive.]
Ryuuto's grin turned sharp. "The guy with the hammer, huh? Fine by me."
He turned toward the horizon just as thunder split the clouds. A pillar of lightning tore through the sky, striking the earth miles away.
Ryuuto cracked his neck, Sharingan glowing faintly. "Guess the next round's starting early."
The storm roared back in answer.