"Ryuuto! You damned beast—how dare you do this to me?!"
Thor's roar cracked through the clouds, but his words were drowned out by his own agony. His right arm hung at an unnatural angle, muscles shredded, lightning sparking wildly from the wound. He looked down—and froze. The flesh was almost atomized, reduced to glowing embers.
Panic flooded the god's face. His legendary fury turned into something raw and human—fear.
Ryuuto grinned, eyes gleaming. "What's wrong? The mighty thunder god can't take a little pain?"
He never intended to let Thor walk away easily.
"Come on, Thunder Boy. Call your hammer back. I'd hate to end this before you've embarrassed yourself a little more."
"Damn you!"
Mjolnir whirled in the distance, drawn to its master. Thor tried to counterattack, summoning another surge of lightning—but his movements were shaky. The god who once leveled cities could barely stand.
For the first time, Thor faced a truth he couldn't deny.
He couldn't beat this man.
Not today.
Grinding his teeth, he yelled hoarsely, "Ryuuto! This humiliation… I'll repay it one day! Asgardians—fall back! Retreat, all of you!"
With that command, the battered Asgardian warriors began withdrawing from the ruined battlefield.
Ryuuto's smirk didn't fade. "Running already? How lame."
Tony Stark's voice came over the comm, metallic and amused. "Orders, Red Mirage? I say we make 'em regret picking this fight."
"Do it."
The Avengers needed no further encouragement.
Iron Man, Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue—each unleashed their attacks in a final barrage, blasting through the retreating army. Asgard's forces crumbled into chaos, lightning and fire clashing with mutant powers in a final, explosive storm.
But before they could celebrate, dark energy surged from the shadows. Figures poured from dimensional cracks—tall, pale soldiers with jagged armor and glowing eyes.
"Dark Elves," Ryuuto muttered. "You've got to be kidding me."
Malekith, pale and smirking, stepped forward. "Thor retreats. We'll handle the cleanup."
He raised a twisted rifle that pulsed with dark energy. Bolts of shadow rained across the field, splitting Tony's armor and forcing Iceman into defense.
"Thor, go!" Malekith shouted. "We'll buy you time!"
Thor hesitated—just long enough to throw Ryuuto one last look filled with fury and shame—then vanished in a streak of lightning.
"You idiots picked the wrong day to interrupt my win streak," Ryuuto growled.
He slammed his hands together, chakra flaring red-hot. "Wood Style—Tree World Birth!"
The battlefield erupted with towering trees, roots twisting like serpents and tearing through the ground. Dozens of dark elves were instantly caught, crushed, or flung into the air.
Malekith snarled. "Hmph! Another day, Red Mirage. You'll see the Dark Realm soon enough."
He unleashed a wave of dark energy that tore open a rift behind him, dragging his soldiers through. Within seconds, the entire force vanished—leaving only wreckage and silence.
The clouds finally broke. Sunlight spilled over the ruins of New York.
"Captain, should we chase them?" asked Cyclops, his visor still glowing.
"Negative," Captain America replied firmly. "We regroup. The city comes first."
Ryuuto shrugged. "Yeah. Let the clowns run. I'm not wasting my chakra on clean-up."
Tony landed beside him, dented armor smoking. "City's stable. Civilians are clear. You really turned the God of Thunder into a meme today."
"Guess I'm trending again," Ryuuto said, smirking.
Charles Xavier's hover-chair floated over. "We still don't know why Thor allied with Malekith. That partnership could mean something much worse."
Ryuuto clenched his fist. "Then we'll crush them when they crawl out again. Peace won't protect itself."
Iron Man extended his hand. "Then here's to keeping this planet in one piece."
All around them, the remaining heroes gathered—Bobby, Wolverine, Hulk, Scott Summers, Rogue—each battered, but still standing tall.
News drones hovered overhead, flashing lights and snapping shots as the world watched its heroes against a backdrop of victory and ruin.
[Ding! Mission Complete!]
[Reward: +100,000 EXP | 50 Ninja Shurikens | 40 Health Potions | 2 Character Puzzle Fragments]
Ryuuto blinked. "That's it? No secret weapon? No cool armor drop?"
Shion's voice rang in his head, playful and smug.
[Tsk, tsk. You humans always want fireworks. The fun part's coming.]
"Oh, here we go…" Ryuuto rolled his eyes. "Explain the 'Character Puzzle' thing."
[Hehe~ Master, there are nine total fragments. Collect them all, and you'll unlock an exclusive data package—an iconic shinobi character from your world. Trust me, you'll love this one.]
"Really? Who are we talking about?"
[See for yourself.]
In his mind's eye, two glowing puzzle fragments materialized, forming the outline of a tall man with a cloak of crows.
Ryuuto's breath caught. His pulse spiked. "No way… that's—!"
[Correct. Uchiha Itachi. The genius of the Sharingan.]
Ryuuto could barely contain himself. "You're kidding! The Itachi?! My favorite legend! This is insane!"
[Congratulations, Host. You've unlocked 2/9 fragments for the "Uchiha Itachi Data Package." Complete it to acquire his full power set and exclusive ninjutsu arsenal.]
Ryuuto grinned, excitement flickering like lightning in his eyes. "Finally, something worth grinding for."
...
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