"Heh. You're right—this little ninja hound's nose is sharp as ever."
Ryuuto smirked, patting Gwen's shoulder before narrowing his eyes toward the bustling street ahead. His hand rose to shade his vision as he muttered, "From the smell of it… Green Goblin's not far. Hiding somewhere up ahead."
"Woof! That creep's been holed up right under that building!" Parker barked, paw pointing toward a half-collapsed basement entrance. But his tail twitched uneasily. "Wait… his scent's fading fast. Like he's already gone."
"Yeah," Gwen said quietly, her brows furrowed. "Something's off. The air feels wrong. We shouldn't go near that place." Her fingers brushed Ryuuto's sleeve. "Please, don't rush in."
Ryuuto gave her a small, confident grin and gently ruffled her hair. "You're not wrong. Someone is planning something… and it's aimed right at us." His smile turned razor-sharp. "But hiding time's over."
He stepped forward, voice cold as steel. "Come out already. I'm done playing hide and seek—"
BOOM!
The street erupted in fire. The explosion ripped through the ground, throwing dust and debris into the air.
"Holy hell!" Ryuuto shielded Gwen instinctively. "I didn't expect this world to be this insane!"
[Warning! High-frequency sonic energy detected!]
A deafening screech ripped through the air before Shion's warning could even fade. Windows shattered. Cars buckled. The sound waves slammed into them like invisible hammers.
"Be careful!" Gwen shouted, pulling Ryuuto aside as Parker scrambled onto his shoulder, claws digging in for dear life.
"Gah! My ears! What the hell is that?!" Parker barked, tail puffed out like a terrified cat.
A figure materialized through the smoke—blue armor glinting under the broken neon signs, waves of vibrating energy rippling around him.
Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. "You're… Sonic Man?"
The villain gave no reply. He opened his mouth, unleashing another sonic blast that tore through a row of cars like paper.
[Ding! New S-Rank Mission Issued: Defeat Sonic Man! Reward: Classified]
"Oh, perfect," Ryuuto muttered. "The system's got jokes now."
[Don't be grumpy, Master~! You'll be fine. I believe in you!]
"Shion, I swear, one day I'm uninstalling you."
[You wouldn't dare.]
He grinned despite himself. "Fine. Let's make this flashy."
Lightning crackled around his body, his chakra flaring to life. Sparks danced along his arm as his fingers curled into a blade of light.
"Lightning Style: Raikiri!"
In a flash, five shuriken made of raw lightning spun from his hand, streaking toward Sonic Man. The villain barely dodged, the electric arcs carving molten scars across the pavement.
Sonic Man's eyes widened. "You can control lightning? You're a mutant too?"
"Not exactly." Ryuuto's smirk deepened. "I'm worse."
Sonic Man took to the sky in panic, unleashing continuous waves of sonic blasts that turned the entire block into a vibrating war zone. The sound waves howled like jet engines, rattling the bones of anyone within range.
"Do you think height will save you?" Ryuuto's voice echoed from below. Then—he vanished.
"What—?!"
Sonic Man's eyes darted frantically. But the only sound he heard was his own pulse pounding—until a cold whisper brushed his ear from above.
"Too slow."
He looked up—and froze.
Ryuuto was already descending like thunder, lightning flooding his arm, aura flaring with pure killing intent.
The sky turned white as Raikiri pierced downward.
"Oh, no… this is bad!" Sonic Man barely had time to gasp before the impact sent shockwaves across the district.
Ryuuto landed, cloak whipping in the wind, smoke curling off his arm. "That's for picking a fight with the wrong guy. Don't worry—I'm not gonna kill you."
Before the lightning could fade, a new light filled the sky—deadly, blinding.
A barrage of laser beams and ice spikes tore through the clouds, converging right on him.
"What the—?!"
The attacks came fast, coordinated, precise. Someone had timed this ambush perfectly.
"Ryuuto! Get out of there!" Gwen screamed, running toward him without hesitation. Her face was pale, but her voice didn't shake.
She'd decided—if the world wanted him dead, she'd face it by his side.
...
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