"Can you actually see me?!"
The Chameleon's composure shattered the instant Ryuuto's crimson eyes locked onto him. He'd been clinging motionless to the wall, invisible to normal sight—until Ryuuto came sprinting straight for him.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
Ryuuto's leg blurred through the air. The kick slammed into the Chameleon's head with a crunch, sending him spinning. Dazed stars danced across the villain's vision before he even hit the ground.
"Shadow Dance Leaf!"
That was only the beginning. Ryuuto's movements became a blur—strike after strike raining down with brutal precision. Every hit cracked through the Chameleon's guard, swelling his body with bruises. For once, invisibility offered no escape.
"Damn you! I'll kill you!" the Chameleon roared. His mouth opened wide, and his long, scarlet tongue lashed forward like a whip.
Too slow.
Ryuuto caught it mid-air, his grip iron-tight. "Nice tongue. Mind if I keep it?"
The villain howled in pain, twisting violently, his entire body curling up as Ryuuto yanked the tongue like it was a rope.
"How dare you show off in front of me? Guess I'll peel you like the filthy reptile you are."
With a sharp pull, Ryuuto hoisted the Chameleon into the air, leaving him flailing helplessly.
"Let me go!" the villain snarled, his body trembling as sharp spines shot from his back, slicing toward Ryuuto.
"Fine. As you wish."
Ryuuto's hand flicked. A ball of sand materialized midair—dense, compressed chakra-infused dust. It blocked the projectiles easily, then rebounded them with terrifying speed. The spikes tore through the Chameleon's side, scattering droplets of blood.
The villain barely had time to gasp before Ryuuto flung him like a ragdoll.
"Enjoy your flight!"
The Chameleon crashed into a nearby building with an earth-shaking boom, vanishing into a cloud of concrete dust.
Across the district, Gwen's battle with the Green Goblin was reaching its peak. She'd fought alongside Ryuuto long enough to level up her instincts—and now, she had the upper hand.
Green Goblin cursed, deflecting another web strike. "Damn it! I knew Ultron's offer smelled like trash! Should've let him handle it himself!"
"Quit whining," Gwen snapped. "You won't leave this city standing. You'll answer for everything you've done!"
"Answer? I'll rule it!"
In fury, Goblin unleashed a volley of lasers from his gloves, flooding the air with red streaks. Gwen weaved through them effortlessly, her movements sharper, faster—almost inhumanly graceful.
Her gaze flicked to a lightning rod perched atop a nearby tower. A plan sparked instantly. She fired web-lines, anchoring them in place, and yanked hard.
"This again? Useless!" Goblin cackled, ducking low on his glider to dodge the webs. "Spider-girl, go home and play with flies!"
But his laughter faltered when he saw Gwen smirking.
"Heh. You might wanna look behind you."
"What—?"
The massive lightning rod came crashing down from above, spearpoint gleaming like a blade of divine punishment.
"Damn it!"
Goblin dove, flipping his glider upside down at the last second. The rod missed his head but impaled the underside of his ride, frying circuits and sending sparks everywhere. The glider spun out of control.
"Spider-girl! You'll regret this!" he roared, slamming his hand on the self-destruct.
The glider rocketed toward Gwen before exploding midair in a fireball that lit up half the block.
Smoke billowed. Gwen barely escaped, webbing herself to a high building. When the flames cleared, the only thing left was the acrid scent of burning fuel.
"Tch. Slipped away again," she muttered, shaking soot from her hair. "Persistent freak."
She swung back toward Ryuuto's location.
When she landed, she was greeted by a scene both disturbing and hilarious—Ryuuto holding the Chameleon by the neck like a chicken, the villain's legs twitching helplessly in the air.
"How's that? Hurts, doesn't it?" Ryuuto said casually, his smirk cold and merciless. "Your partner bailed. You're the only trash left. Last chance—talk, or choke."
The Chameleon wheezed, eyes bulging. Then, with one final surge of defiance, he lashed out—his clawed hand aiming straight for Ryuuto's heart.
"Wrong move."
Crack.
Ryuuto twisted his wrist. The sound of a snapping neck echoed through the ruins. The Chameleon went limp, lifeless.
"Should've stayed hidden," Ryuuto muttered, dropping the corpse.