Quicksilver looked like he'd swallowed a bug. After losing several of his so-called "elite" Mutant enforcers without even scratching Ryuuto, the man was practically vibrating with rage. He grabbed one of his trembling subordinates by the collar and hissed through clenched teeth:
"Mess this up again, and you know exactly what happens to you."
"B-but…"
They all stared at each other, the courage leaking out of them faster than his IQ.
Ryuuto appeared among them in a flicker of speed, casual as a ghost stepping through an open door. A heavy, suffocating pressure rolled off him, making every one of Quicksilver's men freeze solid.
"You're still sending these clowns at me?" Ryuuto said, voice flat. "I almost feel insulted."
"W-wait!" Quicksilver yelped, hands flying up as Ryuuto raised his fist. "I'm not fighting you! Not this time! Just stand there, don't move. You'll see. Someone… someone terrifying is coming to kill you soon!"
"Oh?" Ryuuto tilted his head. "Which fossil is it this time?"
And right on cue, Shion dropped her voice into his ear, lazy and smug as always:
[Ding. Host has eliminated multiple targets. Hidden Hunt Mission complete. Character Data Fragment +1.]
Nice. Two fragments collected, four to go. Progress felt good.
[Also… Host… kindly note that a super-dangerous enemy is approaching. Like, the 'even I don't want to watch this' kind of dangerous.]
If they want to try, let them try. As long as they show up, they're getting folded.
Since they're coming anyway, shouldn't there be a mission?
[Well… about that… this time the system's doing "combat evaluation." No fixed quests. Rewards scale with the chaos you cause.]
Figures. Even the system's lazier than Shion's voice sounds.
[Excuse me? I heard that.]
It's affection. Accept it.
[Hmph. Then do your best, Host! Make it flashy!]
Ryuuto smirked.
Behind him, Quicksilver's men were panicking again.
"This guy's smile is freaking me out…"
"Don't fight him! You'll die before your punch even lands!"
"No kidding!"
Just as everyone's nerves were fraying, the air itself shifted.
A crushing, cosmic pressure swept through the forest, dimming the sky as if someone had smudged out the sun.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
"Finally," Ryuuto muttered. "I was getting bored."
Two silhouettes tore open the air above them, descending with enough force to make space tremble. Quicksilver burst into manic laughter.
"Jiang— Ryuuto! You're finished! These two aren't just anyone. You're dead. Completely, utterly dead!"
Ryuuto didn't even spare Quicksilver a glance. His eyes were locked on the newcomers.
One was Thor, lightning forming a halo around his body.
The other…
Ryuuto's jaw tightened.
Mephistopheles. The old devil of old devils. The kind of being whose existence felt like a cosmic typo that refused to be deleted.
Great. Just what he needed.
"Thor! Over here!" Quicksilver hollered. "This punk killed my men—"
Thor nodded politely, then turned to Mephistopheles with a small bow.
"Senior Mephistopheles, please teach this arrogant brat a lesson. He's been bragging nonstop. Calling himself the strongest king. Insulting us. Honestly, it's embarrassing."
Mephistopheles' grin was all hunger and hellfire.
"No problem. That kid's soul shines beautifully. I want it."
Ryuuto moved first.
A flurry of chakra-forged blades ripped through the air, targeting both Thor and the devil himself. Quicksilver's entire group jumped back in terror.
Thor stepped forward, planting Mjolnir into the ground. "You dare—"
"Let me," Mephistopheles murmured, extending one clawed hand.
He didn't dodge.
He didn't block.
He opened his mouth.
And swallowed every single blade whole.
Then belched.
"Hmm. Not much offensive power," he said, licking his lips. "But the flavor's decent."
Silence crashed over the battlefield.
Even Thor went pale.
Quicksilver's legs shook so hard he nearly collapsed.
For the first time that day, Ryuuto's expression shifted—not fear, but the kind of irritated disbelief every kid gets when they realize the final boss is cheat-coded by the developer.
Fantastic.
Just fantastic.
This was about to turn into one hell of a fight.