[Ugh... Fine!]
Under Ryuuto's relentless demands, Shion finally materialized five steaming buckets of ramen in front of him. The rich, savory aroma hit the air like a kunai to the senses, instantly hijacking everyone's attention.
"Whoa! Ryuuto-kun, did you just summon food?!" Katie Dee's eyes sparkled as she bounced in place. "It smells amazing!"
"Save some for us!" Gwen and Susan practically teleported to his side, tugging at his sleeve like kids at a carnival.
"Haha, relax! There's enough for everyone," Ryuuto said, grinning. "And if not, I'll just make more. We feast tonight!"
They huddled together under the desert sun, slurping ramen and laughing. The warm broth filled the air with comfort—like peace after chaos.
And then, peace died screaming.
"Mercy, my hero! Just one bite?"
Ryuuto froze mid-noodle. "Oh no. Not you again."
From a nearby crater emerged Deadpool, grinning like a dog begging for scraps. Before the merc could get close, Ryuuto's sand shot up, wrapping him tight and suspending him midair like a gift bag no one wanted.
"Dude, come on! Don't be stingy!" Deadpool whined, wriggling helplessly. "You can't wave hot noodles around a starving Canadian and not share!"
Ryuuto sighed, spinning the chopsticks between his fingers. "You want ramen? Fine. But why should I give you any?"
Deadpool blinked. "Uh... friendship?"
"Wrong answer."
He tapped his chin. "Okay, okay, how about this—if you promise not to flirt with my beloved Lady Death, I'll stop picking fights with you!"
Ryuuto's eyebrow twitched. "...When exactly did I ever flirt with a skeleton goddess, you idiot?"
Still glaring, he pointed a chopstick at him. "That's not enough. You want food, you give me something useful."
Deadpool thought hard, smoke practically coming out of his mask. Then he perked up. "Wait, you want me to go after Magneto, don't you?"
The sand released him, dropping him beside Ryuuto.
"Heh, so you can think," Ryuuto said. He tossed a ramen bucket his way. "Eat up. That's a preview of what I'll give you if you help me keep tabs on that metal-bending old man."
Deadpool inhaled the ramen in seconds. His eyes went wide. "Holy chimichangas... this stuff's incredible! What is this flavor!?"
"Secret shinobi recipe," Ryuuto said smugly. "Now, about Magneto—don't just spy on him. Annoy him. Sabotage him. Make his life miserable. If he sneezes, I want you to be the reason why."
Deadpool tilted his head. "You want me to troll the world's most dangerous mutant? For one bucket of ramen? Buddy, I've got standards!"
Ryuuto's grin sharpened. "Then how about this—you do that, and I'll find a way to contact Lady Death. I can even set up a meeting. Dinner, candles, dramatic violins. The whole thing."
Deadpool froze. "You can do that?"
"Of course," Ryuuto said, slapping his shoulder. "You've tasted that ramen, right? Think she'd like it?"
Deadpool trembled, mask stretching from the biggest grin imaginable. "Bro. If you can pull that off… I'll do anything! Spy, assassinate, interpretive dance, whatever!"
Ryuuto chuckled darkly. "Then it's a deal. Kill Magneto if you can. Even if you fail, just keep him off balance. And if you succeed? I'll find your goddess—or end you myself so you can join her. Either way, you'll get your 'eternal love story.'"
Deadpool saluted, face dead serious. "Ryuuto, my brother from another manga—expect good news soon!"
He blasted off in a streak of light, heading straight for Magneto's lair.
Ryuuto slurped the last noodle and smirked. "Finally. Some peace and quiet."
He glanced at Gwen and Susan playing nearby, the desert breeze soft against their laughter. "Alright. Next targets—Green Goblin, Ultron, Loki… and Joker. Let's clean house."