"Tch tch, you look like hell. Still planning to resist? Just surrender already."
Ryuuto's tone was mockery dipped in boredom. He twirled a shuriken between his fingers, sighing as he stepped closer to the trembling Alchemist.
"Tell you what," he said. "I'll make it quick. Saves you the suffering—and me the hassle."
He already knew this leftover grunt from the Brotherhood wouldn't amount to much, but loose ends annoyed him. And Ryuuto hated leaving messes behind.
"Wishful thinking!" the Alchemist spat, eyes wide and wild. "I'll never surrender! If you push me further, we'll all die together!"
Gwen landed softly behind him, cutting off his retreat. "You talk too much," she said, eyes narrowing beneath her mask.
For a heartbeat, the air grew heavy. Dust floated midair. Even the wind seemed to pause.
Then the Alchemist began to shake. "You forced me to this!" he screamed, voice cracking. "Fine—let's end it all!"
He thrust out his hands. The streetlights warped, shop signs shimmered, and even the flowers and insects around him turned to glittering metal. Every object within sight shifted with a harsh metallic gleam, radiating energy that made Ryuuto's instincts scream.
"This psycho's transmuting everything," Ryuuto muttered. "Gwen! Don't let that dust touch you—he's trying to turn us into metal too!"
The Alchemist laughed like a man unhinged. He hurled handfuls of metallic dust toward them, shimmering like gold flakes of death. Gwen somersaulted sideways, avoiding the cloud. Ryuuto blurred back, his sandals grinding sparks on the ruined floor.
"Hah! Running now? Then get out of my sight!"
"Metal is the purest form of beauty," the Alchemist roared, arms wide as shards and pipes levitated around him. "I'll grant you the blessing of perfection—eternal, unbreakable metal!"
A thousand blades of steel hovered, then rained down toward Ryuuto and Gwen.
"What a melodramatic freak," Ryuuto snapped, forming a one-handed seal. "You love metal so much? Fine. I'll bury you with your treasures."
The ground erupted. Sand flooded upward, swirling around Ryuuto until he was armored in golden dust. A spectral crane formed from the storm, shielding him as the metallic barrage slammed harmlessly against it.
"Try harder," Ryuuto taunted, flashing forward.
The Alchemist screamed. Blood—golden, metallic—trickled from his mouth as he forced more power out of his body. The strain twisted his face into something barely human.
Even dying, his hatred burned bright. "If I fall… you're coming with me!"
But before his final attack could form, his body froze. A chill crept up his spine. He looked up—too late.
Gwen dropped from above, twin webs whipping out to grab the metal debris and slam them back toward his skull.
"So you want to sneak attack me?!" he howled, jerking his hand to summon a barrier.
Pain exploded through his legs. He glanced down in horror—sand coiled around his ankles like living serpents, climbing higher with every heartbeat.
"Sand Binding Coffin," Ryuuto said quietly.
The Alchemist gasped, struggling, his voice trembling. "You… you sneaky brat!"
Ryuuto smiled faintly. "I told you—you'd die under the Pyramids."
He clapped his hands together, chakra surging. The sands beneath the Alchemist surged and rose, spiraling upward into a massive pyramid of compressed earth and dust that swallowed him whole.
"Sand Waterfall Great Burial!"
The structure tightened, twisted, then imploded with a deafening crack. The resulting shockwave blew the debris away, leaving only drifting sand—tainted with a faint metallic shimmer.
Not even bones remained.
"Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Gwen whooped, throwing her arms around him. "You were insane out there, Red Mirage!"
Ryuuto grinned, catching his breath. "Heh. I do try."
[Ding! Mission Complete.]
[20,000 System Experience Acquired.]
[Next Level: 232,000 XP Remaining.]
"Not bad," Ryuuto muttered. "No bonus rewards?"
[Relax, Host. Because you obliterated four enemies in one mission, the System rewards you with a Hokage Character Data Pack!]
Ryuuto blinked. "Wait—what?"
[Fufufu~ maybe now you'll stop whining about being 'low-tier.' Try opening it, if you dare.]
He could practically hear Shion's smug smirk through the static.
"Cheeky AI," he muttered, but the corner of his mouth curled. "Fine. Let's see what this 'data pack' really does."
The sandstorm faded around him, but the fire in his eyes didn't. Somewhere deep inside, the system's voice purred again.
[Next evolution… loading.]