"I love you too!"
Ryuuto laughed, pressing a quick kiss to Gwen's cheek, a proud smirk curving his lips. He could feel it—Gwen had completely fallen for him, destined to be his in this life.
Gwen said nothing, simply nestled against him, basking in the warmth and security of his arms.
"Dididi!"
His phone rang, breaking the moment. Ryuuto snatched it up, pressing answer before even glancing at the screen.
"Captain! Big trouble! Dozens of lizard-like monsters just appeared in New York City. They're tearing everything apart—army can't contain them! Citizens are panicking!" Roar's frantic voice blared through.
"Really? Looks like it's time for the X-Men 15 to spring into action," Ryuuto said, eyes narrowing with determination. "These lizard freaks aren't going to terrorize anyone on my watch."
"But… Bobby, Steel, and Jean Grey are all on other missions. It's just you this time," Arlo said with concern.
"Understood. Post the coordinates, Arlo. Gwen and I will handle this ourselves," Ryuuto replied.
"Be careful," Arlo warned.
"Always am," Ryuuto said with a confident grin.
Within minutes, over a dozen coordinates popped up on his phone—scattered all across the city. This was clearly a premeditated attack. But Ryuuto didn't flinch. Since arriving in this parallel world, fear had never slowed him. He would become the strongest—no compromises.
"Where to first?" Gwen asked, fire igniting in her eyes at the sight of his resolve.
Ryuuto's grin widened. "Hehe, nearest Chinatown. Let's clean house." He reached out, lightly poking Gwen's nose. "Scared?"
"Not at all. As long as I'm with you, I'll go anywhere!" she said, gripping his hand tightly.
"Good. Let's take them down—one by one."
In an instant, they vanished, leaving the city streets behind.
A dark-green lizardman suddenly burst from an alley in Chinatown, tattered shirt flapping, eyes glowing red, fangs bared. The creature's long tongue flicked hungrily as it surveyed the oblivious pedestrians.
"Huh? Filming a movie? That makeup is insane!" a bystander remarked.
"Seriously, it looks real!" another laughed, stepping closer with their phone.
Then chaos erupted.
The lizardman lunged at a blond man trying to snap a photo. "No! My God!" the man screamed as the monster clamped down on his throat. Blood sprayed, screams pierced the air, and the crowd panicked, scattering in all directions.
The creature only grew wilder, drinking from the bodies, roaring madly as it pursued the fleeing civilians.
Suddenly, a volley of cobwebs shot from above, tangling the lizardman's limbs and slamming it into the ground. The beast thrashed, eyes blazing with fury, but Gwen was already on it.
"Monster, face me! You think you can terrorize innocents?" she yelled, leaping forward.
The lizardmen attacked Gwen without hesitation, but she moved with precise Spider-like skill, shooting web after web, binding the beast tight.
Within moments, she shot it high into the air, hundreds of meters above the street.
"Time to pay for your sins!" Gwen shouted, releasing her grip.
The lizardman plummeted, crashing to the pavement with a bone-shattering thud. Flesh crumpled, eyes bulging—its reign of terror ended in an instant.
Ryuuto watched quietly, evaluating the upgraded lizardmen with a sharp eye. He knew the mastermind behind this plot had to be stopped, and he wasn't about to let any of these monsters linger. Gwen handled the immediate threat, but the real battle was just beginning.