Ryuuto's sharp gaze met Gwen's through the smoke and fire. "Gwen, you take the psycho on the glider. Watch his tricks—he'll try to play dirty."
Gwen smirked, her eyes fierce behind her mask. "Got it. I'll make sure he eats pavement."
In the next instant, she leapt skyward. Her web-line snapped taut, and she swung straight toward the Green Goblin, who let out a delighted shriek as they clashed midair—lasers and webs cutting across the battlefield like a twisted fireworks show.
That left Ultron standing quietly amid the chaos, his arms clasped behind his back, silver eyes glowing with cruel amusement. "Humans," he murmured. "Always so dramatic."
A thunderous boom shattered the air—the Red Giant's massive fist came crashing down. But the blow hit nothing but concrete, leaving a crater large enough to swallow a tank.
"Damn it! You little rat—!"
Before he could finish, Ryuuto was already behind him.
"Idiot," Ryuuto's voice cut through the dust. "Did Ultron never teach you to look behind you before swinging?"
His hands blurred through seals.
"Fire Style—Fire Dragon Bomb!"
Flames erupted from his lungs, forming a massive dragon that roared across the battlefield, engulfing the Red Giant in a sea of fire.
The monster staggered back, skin charring and cracking, but he still stood. His body—mutated beyond reason—shrugged off the inferno with sheer brute endurance. His blood-red eyes glowed hotter than the flames.
"You think fire scares me?" the Red Giant bellowed. "I am fire!"
"Yeah?" Ryuuto's grin sharpened. "Then burn."
The Red Giant lunged, each step shaking the ground. He swung a punch like a cannon blast, forcing Ryuuto to slide back, boots grinding sparks off the concrete. Then both of the giant's hands slammed together—BOOM!—sending a shockwave strong enough to level nearby buildings.
"Die!" he roared.
Ryuuto's chakra flared bright blue.
"Wind Style—Vacuum Bullets!"
A storm of compressed air exploded from his palms, shredding through the Red Giant's shockwave and slamming into his body like invisible cannonballs. The monster staggered, blood splattering across the rubble.
"Ultron!" Green Goblin screamed between dodging Gwen's attacks. "Stop watching and do something! We're getting slaughtered here!"
Ultron tilted his head slightly, still unbothered. "Relax. I'm simply... adjusting the odds."
Then, without warning, he blurred forward, one metallic hand closing around a nearby soldier's throat. The man struggled, gasping.
"Ryuuto," Ultron said, voice icy. "Take one more step, and this human dies."
Dozens of Ultron's drones raised their weapons, targeting the remaining soldiers.
"Captain of the X-Men," Ultron mocked, "how noble are you feeling today?"
"Despicable," Gwen spat, halting her assault as the Goblin cackled in triumph.
The entire battlefield froze—fire, smoke, and silence. All eyes turned to Ryuuto.
He exhaled slowly. Then smirked. "You really are a snake, Ultron. Always hiding behind someone else's throat."
The Red Giant, seizing the distraction, lunged and punched straight for Ryuuto's chest—
CLANG!
The impact echoed like steel. The giant stumbled back, clutching his arm in pain. A thin layer of glimmering sand rippled across Ryuuto's body.
"Surprise," Ryuuto said coolly. "Sand Armor. Learned it from someone nastier than you."
He slammed his palms together.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Thick white fog exploded across the ruins, swallowing the entire battlefield. The drones lost sight of everything. Even Ultron's sensors began flickering.
"Coward!" Ultron hissed. "If you harm a single soldier—"
"Relax," Ryuuto's voice echoed from all directions, mocking and cold. "You think I care about your hostages? If you're stupid enough to kill them, that just makes it easier for me to bury you."
A flash of lightning cut through the mist. Ryuuto's silhouette appeared behind Ultron, blade raised high.
"Decapitation Strike!"
Steel met alloy as his sword cleaved down. Ultron barely managed to twist away, the blade carving sparks across his cheek.
Ryuuto didn't stop. His next jutsu was already forming.
"Water Style—Great Waterfall Technique!"
A wall of water surged from the earth, crashing into Ultron's drone army. Circuits fried. Metal warped. Explosions lit the fog as robots were swept away by the roaring tide.
Ultron's grin finally cracked. "Impressive. Truly the X-Men's pride…" He sneered. "Then die with your pride!"
He hoisted the soldier still trapped in his grip—straight into Ryuuto's path.
"Let's see your hero instincts save you now!"