The ninja dogs huddled together, tails low, guilt practically leaking off their fur. Bru scratched his head with a paw. "Boss… feels kinda dirty to bail like this, doesn't it?"
Parker snorted, flexing his jaw like he was about to bite fate itself. "Forget 'principles.' Principles won't stop us from becoming dog-meat stew. Ryuuto is fine. Those two witches? They're nowhere close to beating him."
Every dog nodded in perfect sync and backed away from the battlefield. Survival instincts: on point.
Ryuuto stood alone, hands tucked casually behind his back, smirking like he'd already read the final page of this fight. His calm wasn't bravado. It was the "I'm too tired to care" sort of confidence.
"So this is your grand plan?" Ryuuto tilted his head lazily as two figures lunged toward him. "You really caused all this noise for… that?"
"Keep laughing, brat! We'll wipe that smirk off your face!"
Madame Spider hit him first, her limbs whipping out in a frenzy. Tiny invisible needles filled the air, each dripping with corrosive toxin.
Ryuuto let out a sigh. "This again? Try something that won't put me to sleep."
Shadow Dance Leaf!
He vanished into motion, weaving through the poison storm like a dancer bored of the stage. His fists and kicks hammered into Madame Spider, launching her screaming across the field.
"Don't think no one can stop you!" the Secret Guest shrieked. Violent magic gathered above her, forming a massive phantom with hollow, glowing eyes. A beam of destructive light ripped forward, shaking the space like it was about to fold in half.
Ryuuto's hair fluttered from the pressure, but his expression didn't change.
"You're not qualified for that."
Eight Inner Gates.
First Gate. Open.
Second Gate. Open.
Third Gate. Open.
Fourth Gate. Open.
Fifth Gate. Open.
Sixth Gate. Open.
Seventh Gate. Open.
A detonation of chakra tore the air. Before the beam could even scorch him, Ryuuto lifted one hand and caught it, compressing it into a crackling orb between his fingers.
"This is your forbidden magic? Cute."
"You… you…"
The Secret Guest's face drained of blood. Her terror smelled like a cold winter storm.
"Keep going! Kill him!" Madame Spider shrieked, rushing blindly back into the fray.
Ryuuto flicked forward, driving a knee into her skull. She collapsed instantly, limbs spasming.
"This time, you stay dead."
"What are you doing?!" the Secret Guest screamed as Ryuuto's hands blurred through seals.
"Cleaning up your trash."
Dust Release: World Stripping Technique.
Madame Spider's remains dissolved into pure dust inside a shimmering barrier, atomized in a heartbeat. Silence fell like a blade. Even time seemed to hold its breath.
The ninja dogs popped back out, howling triumphantly.
"Knew the kid had it!"
"Wang! My prediction skills are terrifying!"
The Secret Guest broke, voice cracking. "Madame Spider!? Answer me!"
But the echoes died fast. The battlefield was sealed tight by Ryuuto and the dogs.
"Don't bother. She's gone. If you miss her, I can arrange a reunion."
He stepped toward her, eyes sharp enough to carve stone.
"W-wait! Let me live!"
The compressed light reformed in Ryuuto's palm, rotating with soft menace. She crumbled completely.
"Good choice. Now talk. How many of you are left? And which idi— who released you in the first place?"
"I-It was Quicksilver— ah!"
Something blurred. A streak of aurora tore through her forehead. She fell to her knees without even registering her death, eyes wide and empty.
Ryuuto clicked his tongue. "Quicksilver, huh? Mention your name once and you jump out like a moth to a flame. Real subtle."
A gust swept across the battlefield. A squad of figures rushed in, Quicksilver leading the charge, arrogance practically painted on his face.
Ryuuto cracked his knuckles.
"Parker. Bite his butt when I tell you. And be quick… he runs like a scared cheetah."
"Understood! Even if he were a boar, we'd gnaw him down to bones!"
The ninja dogs bared their teeth, eager for the chase.