The Kraken finally blew apart the last of the sand restraining him, ready to blast Ryuuto into ocean fertilizer—
—only to freeze when Ryuuto burst through the dust with lightning coiled around both hands.
A sphere of raw thunder cracked and hissed in Ryuuto's grip. The sight wiped every thought out of the Kraken's mind. His brain just… blue-screened.
This wasn't how Loki promised things would go.
He didn't even try to run. Instead, he pointed a trembling finger toward Loki, jaw hanging open as if to scream you lied to me.
Ryuuto wasn't interested in dramatic last words.
Lightning Style. Raikiri.
"Sorry, seaweed-for-brains," Ryuuto said, voice dripping with annoyance. "That busted foghorn voice of yours isn't fit for karaoke night. I'm doing the world a favor."
The Raikiri punched straight through the Kraken's chest. Blue blood splashed like paint, and the creature's head lolled as life drained instantly from its body.
Ryuuto yanked his arm free.
"Next."
With a disgusted flick, he hurled the Kraken's corpse toward Loki and Aurora. Then he vanished, reappearing in a burst of afterimages to start a full-force counterattack.
"Damn it! Fooled again!" Loki snarled, eyes bloodshot. Losing another ally hit him harder than getting hit by Thor's hammer.
"Loki, what do we do? He's insane!" Aurora backed away, trembling the moment Ryuuto's gaze cut toward her.
"What do you think we do? Attack! Don't let him move! That brat has lost his mind!"
Aurora sucked in a breath. "O-okay!"
She unleashed her ability recklessly. Energy surged through the nearby coconut trees, uprooting them and suspending them in the air like wooden missiles. Trunks and coconuts spun so fast they hummed, then launched at Ryuuto in a relentless barrage.
But instead of diving forward like before, Ryuuto simply hovered, forming seal after seal with frightening speed. Sand surged beneath him, rising into a shield as he countered every projectile without losing rhythm.
Aurora's panic sharpened.
"What… what is he doing?"
"Does it look like I know!?" Loki snapped.
Aurora swallowed. "Maybe we should just retreat. We can fight next time…"
Loki hesitated. If even Aurora was scared, things were bad.
Ryuuto didn't give them the luxury of thinking.
"You're not escaping," he said, voice booming. "You die here."
"What—? Where did this sand—!?"
Loki and Aurora jerked in shock. Sand wound around their limbs like living serpents, tightening and dragging them down. They couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't even scream properly.
Ryuuto smirked. "You picked the wrong place. This is a beach. My playground. Enjoy the trip, losers."
Sand Waterfall Funeral.
The ground exploded. A colossal storm of sand rose like a desert dragon swallowing the sky, engulfing both Loki and Aurora. Their muffled screams echoed through the storm before they disappeared beneath the crushing weight.
"Ryuuto! If I live through this—I'll make you pay!" Loki roared, face twisted, burning his life force to open a desperate spatial rift.
"Take… take me!" Landslide shouted, his body still trapped under layers of sand, only his head sticking out.
Loki didn't even look at him. Survival beat friendship every time.
Aurora clawed toward Loki in a final act of desperation, but the sand compressed violently.
BOOM.
A shockwave ripped across the coastline. New York trembled as if giants were pounding the earth.
High above the destruction, Ryuuto floated with his arms crossed, satisfied.
"This'll be a tourist hotspot soon," he muttered. "Hope they charge extra for the crater."
He didn't bother checking for survivors. No signatures. No presence. If Loki or Aurora lived by some miracle, they wouldn't be showing their faces anytime soon.
[Ding! Host, congratulations~ Task completed! Big batch of system experience acquired! Only 120,000 points until next level!]
Ryuuto stretched his neck. "Nice. Guess I'll grind a few more missions."
[Mm. Host can definitely do it. People believe in you.]
"Shion, open the character data pack from last time. I'm in the mood for a good pull."
He shot toward Gwen and Susan's direction, eager to brag about his win while rubbing his hands together.
"I've got thirteen packs now, right? Gonna be fourteen any second."
[Affirmative, Host. Opening now.]
[Ding! Congratulations! Host has obtained the character data of Yamato! Wood Release abilities unlocked!]
Ryuuto's grin stretched ear to ear.
"Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun."
His whole body vibrated with new power.
...
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