"No! The Destroyer's actually losing?! Stop that kid—now!"
"It's too late."
From a distance, Lauf's composure finally cracked. Panic rippled across his blue features. The Destroyer wasn't just an ally—he was their anchor. If he fell, they'd all be dragged down with him.
Heimdall's grip tightened on his blade. His golden eyes trembled, reflecting the chaos. "This… can't be happening."
But it was. And none of them could move fast enough to stop it.
The Destroyer, armor half-shattered and sparking, glared at Ryuuto. Even now, his pride refused to bend. "You dare use that lightning again? Wait… no. This energy—what is that?!"
Ryuuto's hand glowed with a whirling storm of light—a sphere that pulled the air itself into its rotation, crackling with compressed destruction.
"New trick," he said with a grin, lightning dancing across his face. "You're the first to see it. Feel honored."
The Destroyer's sensors screamed alarms. He felt, for the first time, something close to fear. The instinct to run clawed at him—but it was already too late.
Ryuuto's voice dropped low. "Let's see if your 'indestructible body' can handle this."
He slammed his palm forward—the blazing orb detonated point-blank on the Destroyer's chest.
The ground shook.
Air twisted into violent wind.
A roaring sphere of light swallowed the Destroyer whole.
Ultron, Lauf, and Heimdall stumbled back, shielding their faces as a hurricane of pure energy exploded outward.
"No—!"
The Destroyer's voice distorted, breaking into static, then silence.
A blinding flash painted the sky white. When it faded, the battlefield fell quiet. Metal fragments rained down like silver snow.
The Destroyer lay broken—armor shredded, core extinguished. A god-killer reduced to scrap.
[Ding! Mission Complete!]
[Reward: Hokage Character Data Package x1]
[Keep up the good work, Host.]
Ryuuto exhaled, shoulders relaxing as Shion's lazy voice hummed in his mind. His heart still raced from the fight, but he couldn't help grinning. "Just one data package? Come on, Shion, I nearly got fried out there! Throw in two or three while you're at it!"
[Tch. Greedy much?]
[You barely survived and you're already begging for bonuses? Typical Host behavior.]
Her tone was teasing, the verbal equivalent of an eye-roll. Ryuuto could practically hear her folding imaginary arms.
He sighed dramatically. "Hey, I'm not greedy—it's for world peace! The stronger I get, the faster I can take down the next batch of lunatics. Sounds heroic to me, yeah?"
[Nice speech, but no. System rewards are bound by code. You finish a mission, you get your candy. No extra scoops, deal with it.]
"Man… this system's stingier than a vending machine." Ryuuto groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "No wonder I'm still not max level. Fine, whatever. I'll save the new data package for later. Gotta vent some leftover anger first."
[Finally, something we agree on.]
A faint chuckle escaped him as he deactivated his lightning, hair fluttering in the fading wind.
From behind the rubble, two familiar figures appeared—Susan and Katie Dee. Their faces lit up, relief flooding their expressions.
"Ryuuto! You did it!"
"I told you my brother would win! He's the strongest man alive!"
Their voices carried pure joy. For a moment, the battlefield felt almost peaceful.
But that peace didn't last.
The surviving enemies—Ultron, Lauf, and Heimdall—stood frozen, staring at the wreckage of the Destroyer. Fear replaced their arrogance. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the hum of Ryuuto's fading chakra.
"Damn it!" Heimdall hissed, knuckles white around his sword. "That kid… he was hiding this much power the whole time?!"
Lauf swallowed hard, his massive hands trembling as the icicle weapon in his grip cracked. "We… we can't win against that monster."
Ultron, ever calculating, watched Ryuuto intently. His synthetic eyes flickered as data streamed across them.
"Calm yourselves. He's still human. That means he has limits. No matter how powerful he seems, he can't sustain that energy forever."
He leaned closer, scanning for a weakness—anything. "He's methodical. Every strike, every move, perfectly calculated. The Destroyer didn't lose by chance. That kid planned it."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Lauf barked, sweat freezing on his blue skin. "Let's finish him while he's still recovering!"
Heimdall hesitated, doubt flickering in his eyes. "You'd better hope he's as tired as he looks…"
Ryuuto, still standing amid the smoke, tilted his head slightly, sensing their intent. His grin returned—sharp, dangerous.
"Oh, you guys still want to fight? Cute."
Lightning crackled at his fingertips again.
The next round was about to begin.