"Come on! Let's go another three hundred rounds!"
The battlefield lit up like someone ripped open the sky. Energy bursts, exploding shells, shockwaves hammering the ground. Every blast dug new craters until the whole wasteland looked like a meteor shower had thrown a tantrum. Nothing alive remained in a hundred-mile radius. Not even a bird with poor judgment.
"Run faster! The faster you run, the more fired up I get!"
The Garbage Worm screeched joyfully, convinced victory was already in its slimy hands. It didn't even bother paying attention to Ryuuto anymore.
Typical.
Ryuuto clicked his tongue. "You done yapping? Great. Time to beat your face in and remind you what real power looks like."
A scarlet ripple flashed through his eyes.
Mangekyo Sharingan.
Susanoo.
Yasaka Magatama.
In the span of a heartbeat, crimson spiritual armor erupted around him, towering and skeletal, its aura sharp enough to cleave the air. The Garbage Worm froze like someone pressed pause on its brain.
"What... what is that?!"
Panic drained the color from its face. The thing actually trembled so hard its teeth clattered together.
Ryuuto didn't give it a chance to reboot. Susanoo surged forward, hurling spinning magatama like meteor discs. They slammed into the guard robots, detonating them in a storm of fire and shrapnel. Trees uprooted, earth cracked, sky boiled red.
"Boom!"
The robots vaporized in a spray of burning metal. Flames rained down like apocalyptic confetti.
The Garbage Worm's knees nearly buckled. It pumped every ounce of energy into its armor, desperate just to survive the shockwave. It smashed into the dirt, scrambled up, then bolted like a terrified rabbit.
Only now did it understand: Ryuuto wasn't prey.
Ryuuto was the monster.
And the thing was too stupid to realize sooner.
It sprinted with everything it had, muttering curses and prayers and despair all at once.
Too late.
A voice fell like a guillotine from above.
"Oi. Which idiot was screaming at me to 'run faster' a second ago? Why are you crawling away now?"
The Garbage Worm folded onto the ground, shaking.
"I-I'm sorry! My lord! Misunderstanding! Huge misunderstanding! Please! Spare me!"
Ryuuto sighed. "I said your head's coming off today. Don't make me repeat myself."
"Then die with me!"
The creature's eyes snapped with madness. It lunged, unleashing every taijutsu technique it somehow copied:
Leaf Hurricane.
Konoha Gale.
Leaf Whirlwind.
Shadow Dance Leaf.
Front Lotus.
Cute. Unexpected. Still useless.
Ryuuto cracked his knuckles and met each technique with brutal, effortless counters. His own moves landed clean, efficient, merciless. Within seconds, the Garbage Worm was face-down in the dirt, limbs twisted, armor shattered.
"I… I'll never forgive you!" it spat, green blood dripping.
Ryuuto tilted his head. "Threats? Now? Really?"
Mangekyo flared.
"Amaterasu."
Black flames bloomed across the Worm's body, eating through armor, flesh, everything. It rolled, screamed, clawed at the dirt, but Amaterasu didn't care about its feelings.
When it realized it couldn't even speak anymore, it charged Ryuuto with suicidal desperation.
Ryuuto looked almost bored.
"Pathetic. I'll purify you properly."
A second pulse of Mangekyo crushed its last hope. The creature burned into nothing, not even ash left behind.
[Ding! Task completed. Reward: 100,000 EXP. 50 Shuriken. System auto-upgrading...]
Ryuuto exhaled. "Any special reward for the upgrade?"
Shion materialized lazily, stretching like she just woke up from a nap she didn't deserve. Her appearance was annoyingly adorable, which only irritated Ryuuto further.
"Hm? New package?" Shion yawned. "Use the ones you already have first. Or go beat up a few big shots. Either works."
"So stingy," Ryuuto muttered.
He ended the connection and sensed military forces approaching fast. With a flicker, he vanished in a streak of light.
Elsewhere, in a cold abandoned factory, several intimidating figures gathered around Quicksilver.
"Why drag us to this dump?" one growled.
"No gifts, no pay. You expect us to risk our necks for nothing?"
The complaints piled up instantly.
Quicksilver didn't flinch. "Relax. There are benefits. And I only want one thing."
He leaned forward, expression darkening.
"Kill Ryuuto. The Red Mirage… the current Captain of the X-Men."