"Finally got rid of that walking disaster! Hah!"
The moment Deadpool vanished down the corridor, Quicksilver exhaled like a man released from purgatory. He strutted out from behind the other mutants, grinning as if he hadn't spent the last hour hiding behind Toad.
Magneto, standing tall in the center of the Brotherhood's hall, slowly rubbed his gloved hands together. His crimson eyes slid toward Quicksilver, cold and sharp.
"Quicksilver," he said, voice echoing through the chamber, "what exactly were you and Mystique doing in New York? Did you think I sent you there to play games with Ryuuto?"
Quicksilver froze. "R-reporting to you, Father! We followed your orders strictly! We fought that brat to the bitter end!"
He forced a smile, though sweat trickled down his neck. His mouth worked fast—his brain, even faster. "It's just... that kid's too damn slippery! He's got Iron Man, Wolverine, and half the X-Men backing him up! We hit a small setback, that's all. But I swear, his arrogance won't last long!"
Magneto's gaze darkened. "I don't need your excuses. I care only for results."
He turned sharply, his cloak flaring like a crimson storm. The other mutants shrank back instinctively, holding their breath. No one dared move. When Magneto was quiet, people tended to die.
"Listen well," Magneto continued. "We accelerate our plans. No more delays. Our goal is simple—eradicate that boy and his allies. When we're done, this world will kneel before mutants!"
"Yes, sir! Mutant Brotherhood, hail!"
The roar shook the metal walls. Even Quicksilver shouted along, though he quickly slipped into the crowd before Magneto's mood turned again. He knew better than to stay near when his father was simmering.
Left alone in the hall, Magneto raised his hands, a faint crimson glow pulsing between his fingers. "Ryuuto," he whispered with a twisted smile, "I'll enjoy watching your fall. You were doomed from the moment you crossed me."
He laughed, a dark, echoing sound that filled the room. But far away in New York, Ryuuto was doing anything but falling.
The pool sparkled under afternoon light.
"Come on, Ryuuto! Catch me if you can!"
"Ryuuto, I'm right here—you seriously can't see me?"
Three women—Susan, Katie Dee, and Gwen—were splashing and teasing him. After so many missions, Ryuuto figured he deserved a break.
"Don't run so fast," he called, grinning. "I'm not gonna eat you."
He cut through the water like a fish, fast and effortless. Katie Dee phased through the waves, unaffected by the pool entirely, while Susan used invisible force fields to dance above the surface, laughing as she dodged him.
"Brother, no ninjutsu! You have to play fair!" Gwen scolded playfully.
"Fine, fine," he chuckled. "Not like I need it anyway."
Even without chakra tricks, his strength was ridiculous now. He darted across the water in seconds, closing in on the girls as laughter echoed off the walls.
Then came the familiar chime.
[Ding! System upgrade complete. New feature unlocked: Full Character Integration.]
Ryuuto froze mid-stroke. "Wait, full what now? That sounds awesome. Explain, Shion."
[Lazy host finally asks!] Shion's voice yawned through his head. [Once a character's data package reaches 100% integration, you can merge it completely. That means no more switching—every jutsu, every ability, permanently fused.]
His eyes widened. "Hold on. So if I max out two characters, I can use both their abilities at once?"
[Exactly. Stack them up and watch your enemies cry.]
"Hell yes!" Ryuuto's grin stretched wide. His pulse raced. "Alright, tell me—have I maxed out any yet?"
[Congratulations! Your first Rock Lee data package is at full integration. Konohamaru's at 98%, and Ōnoki's at 96%. You're practically there.]
"Rock Lee, huh?" He clenched his fists, veins pulsing with excitement. "Then let's fuse it. Now."
[You sure? Integration's irreversible.]
"Do it. I'm not wasting another second."
[Heh. Fine, fine. Sit still, master. Try not to explode.]
As her voice faded, energy flooded his body. His muscles tensed, the water around him rippling as if alive. A faint green aura, reminiscent of Lee's chakra gates, pulsed from his core.
"Shion," he muttered, feeling power surge through every cell, "you're amazing. Don't let it get to your head."
[Tch. You humans and your compliments. It's embarrassing.]
Ryuuto laughed, tilting his head back as light burst across the pool. The others stared, mesmerized, as a storm of chakra erupted from his skin.
The "Powerless Freak" was gone.
Only Red Mirage remained.