The battle's aftermath still crackled in the air. Magneto's battered figure hovered weakly beside his flying craft, surrounded by a handful of cloaked mutants whose power made even Charles and Nick tense. No one wanted another round—too much had already been lost.
Magneto's glare burned with humiliation. "Don't get too proud, boy! I'll come back for you one day!"
Ryuuto tilted his head, his smirk sharp as a kunai. "Relax, old man. I'm just letting your head stay on your neck for now. Next time we meet, I'll be the one taking it off. So do yourself a favor—heal fast and hope we never cross paths again."
The wind carried his words like a taunt etched in flame. Magneto could only grit his teeth, board his ship, and vanish into the sky, his army limping behind him. The so-called Master of Magnetism—utterly crushed.
"Brother, you were amazing!" Katie Dee's voice broke through the fading dust, joined by Susan, Gwen, and Natasha rushing toward him with awe.
Ryuuto chuckled, brushing the ash from his cloak. "Naturally. Someone has to protect you beautiful disasters for the rest of my life."
He threw an arm around the four women with a grin that screamed smug satisfaction, then waved lazily toward Charles and Tony. "Professor, Iron Man—cleanup's all yours. I've had enough explosions for one day."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for defeating Magneto! Reward: 50 bottles of Life Potion! Bonus: +100 Role Fusion Points!]
The system's chime rang like a silver bell, clear and teasing.
"Told you," Ryuuto muttered under his breath, "when I do something, I do it beautifully. This busted system should at least try to keep up."
[Hehe, you've done well this time, Master. The reward is generous. The system will now begin upgrading—new functions will unlock soon.]
"Yeah? Then I'll actually look forward to it. By the way, that's a hundred fusion points, right? I can dump them wherever I want?"
[Correct. Any role under 100% integration can be enhanced.]
Ryuuto's grin widened. "Then fill up Hidan, Kakuzu, and Tsunade—max them out!"
[Confirmed. Integration complete. You now possess their full ninjutsu and combat techniques.]
Ryuuto clenched his fist, feeling raw chakra surge through his veins. "Perfect. With this power… I'll tear through anyone who thinks they're a god in this world."
Gwen looked up at him, eyes shimmering with both pride and unease. "You're getting so strong, Ryuuto… I'm scared I'll never catch up."
"Yeah," Susan murmured. "When you're that far ahead, won't you leave us behind someday?"
Ryuuto sighed, amused, and gently tapped each of their noses. "You think I'm that cold? No matter how far I go, I'll always keep you close. That's a Red Mirage promise."
The girls smiled, the tension melting away. Together they wandered through the newly repaired streets of New York, lights flickering like a calm after the storm.
Then—another familiar chime.
[Ding! New mission issued: Track down and stop the Green Goblin—currently wreaking havoc in New York!]
Ryuuto's jaw tightened. "That cackling maniac again? Does he ever take a day off? Also—weren't you supposed to be asleep, Shion?"
[Ehe~ This is the last mission before I upgrade! Fail it, and the system will clear your progress… maybe with penalties.]
"You've got to be kidding me," Ryuuto groaned. "You really enjoy watching me suffer."
Still, his smirk returned almost instantly. "Fine. A job's a job." He stretched his arms, the faint crimson glow of chakra sparking at his fingertips. "Time to hunt."
He turned to Gwen. "Let's go. Monster-hunting date, you in?"
She blinked, then smiled. "Always."
Within minutes, the pair sprinted toward the airport—the last reported location.
The scene there was chaos. Smoke, screams, shattered glass. Civilians fled in waves as the Green Goblin swooped through the air on his glider, tossing pumpkin bombs like twisted fireworks.
"Ha! Run, little ants! I'm not done yet!"
"Damn it!" one of the armed officers shouted. "He's too fast! We can't get a clear shot!"
"Then hit him anyway! We take that psycho down or we'll have a crater for a runway!"
From the shadows of the terminal, Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. "Perfect timing. Guess the fun starts now."
The Red Mirage was already moving.
...
Read up to 100 chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
patreon.com/Zyxxar