"Is that still Ultron? Damn—he's been beaten so bad even his motherboard wouldn't recognize him!" Lauf's voice trembled as he stared at the scene.
Ultron lay crushed into the dirt, his metal body riddled with holes. Ryuuto's foot pressed down on his head like a trophy. The once-feared machine couldn't even twitch.
"Let me go, you worthless brat!" Ultron roared, humiliation thick in his voice.
Ryuuto tilted his head. "Noisy."
The staff in his hands twisted and elongated, slamming through Ultron's chest plating and pinning him into the ground like a bug under glass. Sparks crackled; the machine convulsed, powerless.
Lauf swallowed hard. This wasn't the same kid from a few days ago—the one everyone mocked as "The Powerless Freak." This was something else. Something terrifying.
"Damn it, I knew Ultron was unreliable!" Lauf muttered as panic clawed up his spine. "I've gotta do something or I'm next!"
He spun toward his last remaining ally. "Destroyer! Cover me! I'm breaking out!"
Tony hovered above, repulsors glowing. "Not happening, Frostbite. You're staying on ice!"
"Frost World!" Lauf's voice cracked through the chaos. Frost exploded from his palms, plunging the entire battlefield into sub-zero temperature.
Tony's armor immediately froze over, servos whining as layers of ice locked his limbs in place. Lauf took that one chance and bolted, the ground shattering beneath each desperate step.
Ryuuto's lips curved into a sharp grin. "Trying to bail already? I'm not done playing, you discount Elsa."
He turned to his weapon. "Ape Demon—keep the toaster pinned."
The transformed staff pulsed faintly and replied, "Relax. If he moves, I'll turn him into a tent peg."
Ryuuto wasn't taking chances. His eyes flashed as several shuriken materialized between his fingers.
Ultron's head jerked up. "What now, flesh bag? You gonna kill me? Do it! I'll just reboot in eighteen years like a real hero!"
Ryuuto smirked. "Hero? You're a glorified blender. Let me fix that mouth of yours."
Sealing Technique: Triad Seal!
The shuriken flew like silver lightning, stabbing through Ultron's limbs and locking his systems down completely. A ripple of energy sealed the machine's power.
Then Ryuuto's hands blurred again. "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Ball!"
A roaring inferno burst from his mouth, smashing into Lauf's frozen world. The explosion melted everything into a boiling wasteland of steam and flame.
Tony burst free from his ice cocoon, coughing. "Thanks, kid! Thought I was gonna end up as a popsicle."
"Heh, don't thank me yet," Ryuuto replied, eyes narrowing. "Your guy's still running."
He vanished in a blur of speed. Lauf looked over his shoulder just in time to see several shuriken slicing through the air toward him.
"Crap!" he yelped, trying to throw up a wall of frost—
—but the blades froze midair, then dropped harmlessly to the ground with a metallic clang.
"What the—? Am I alive?" Lauf patted his head in disbelief.
Ryuuto's gaze shifted upward. "...So you finally decided to show yourself."
A low hum filled the sky as a massive metallic saucer descended, shimmering with magnetic energy. Floating at its center, cloak fluttering, was a silver-haired man radiating authority.
Magneto.
Behind him hovered a formation of mutants—some familiar, others cloaked in power and menace. The sky seemed to bend beneath their presence.
Ultron, still pinned to the ground, cackled through broken speakers. "Ha! You're finished, Red Mirage! Magneto's here—your funeral's about to start!"
Lauf and the Destroyer grinned weakly, relief flooding their faces. "Guess luck's finally on our side!"
Tony landed beside Ryuuto, armor steaming. "Not liking this lineup, kid. We might be in deep."
Banner growled, his green skin shifting back and forth. "Big trouble."
Gwen flipped down beside Ryuuto, eyes fierce but anxious. "Ryuuto… these guys are strong. Like really strong."
Ryuuto's smirk returned. "Good. It's been boring lately." His tone was calm, almost playful, but the air around him trembled with killing intent. "They came all this way—how rude would it be not to entertain them?"
The flames reflected in his eyes, burning like twin dragons ready to devour the storm above.