The instant the sealing gourd began pulling at him, Mephistopheles let out a distorted scream. His soul twisted, splintered, and a tiny fragment tore itself free, slipping out of the vortex at the very last second. But most of his essence was dragged inside, shredded and locked away forever.
The demon's remaining wisp hovered in the air like a dying flame, voice shaking with fury.
"You little brat… you actually dared to seal me! I'll return, and when I do, it'll be your death day!"
Ryuuto folded his hands into another seal, eyes narrowing. The ghostly remnant panicked instantly. Without another word, Mephistopheles darted into a cracked space rift and fled like a cornered rat.
"Tch. Useless old fossil," Ryuuto muttered. "Talks big, runs fast."
Thor and Quicksilver, who'd been watching from a safe distance pretending they were part of the battle, felt their chests tighten with humiliation. They traded one look, nodded like two men sentenced to the same embarrassing fate, and sprinted off in the opposite direction.
"Seriously… what a bunch of cowards," Ryuuto sighed and cupped a hand around his mouth. "Try not to trip on your own dignity!"
He didn't give chase. Not worth the calories.
A crisp system prompt chimed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Mephistopheles defeated. Crisis resolved.
Reward: 2 Character Data Fragment Pieces.
+100,000 System EXP.]
Ryuuto exhaled sharply. "Finally, a payout that doesn't feel like pocket change."
Shion snorted in his head, voice dripping with lazy smugness.
[Heh. Try not to get greedy, Host. You'd cry if you saw how hard I worked to calculate that reward.]
"Yeah, yeah. Now tell me how to get the next puzzle pieces."
[One lead so far. Beat Mutant Deadshot. He has a fragment.]
Ryuuto grinned. "Deadshot, huh? Guess today's my workout day."
He immediately dialed Tony Stark.
"Tony, I need Deadshot's info. Everything you've got."
"I'll give you what I can, kid," Tony replied, typing in the background. "But the guy's files are military black-box level. I only managed to scrape one detail."
"Hit me."
"He's hunting you too. Apparently he's not thrilled that you're Axville's new 'Captain X-Men.' He's been training nonstop. If you want him, go to the elite training grounds."
"Great. Drinks on me next time—with Banner too."
"...That sounds like a threat."
Ryuuto hung up and shot across the city.
Meanwhile, Quicksilver slumped on a boulder alone, hair a mess, expression broken.
"…I can't go back like this. I'll get roasted alive," he whispered. "Ryuuto… damn you. Why haven't you vanished yet?!"
Hatred swallowed his thoughts whole.
"It's not hard to kill him," a freezing voice said behind him.
Quicksilver stiffened. "Who's there?!"
"Me. Mephistopheles."
The pitiful, half-corpse, half-wraith version of the demon drifted forward, the Blackheart Devil limping beside him. They looked like rejected horror movie extras.
"You… actually survived?" Quicksilver choked.
Mephistopheles hissed, eyes burning red.
"One day, I will rip that boy's soul apart. Never reincarnate, never die, just suffer."
Quicksilver swallowed. "Fine. What's the price?"
"I need lives. Many. Powerful ones."
Quicksilver's jaw hardened. "Done. Let's work together."
Two disasters conspired quietly in the night.
The elite training ground was packed with fighters from every corner of the world. The air crackled with tension—grunts, shouts, the sound of fists hitting reinforced steel.
Ryuuto stepped inside with both hands behind his head, strolling like he was entering a convenience store.
"Man, hope Deadshot's not a disappointment. I'd hate to break the whole building for nothing."
Every fighter turned to glare at him the moment he crossed the threshold.
Ryuuto raised a finger in greeting. "Ah, yes. The welcoming committee. Sweet of you."
He moved forward unfazed.
Someone scoffed. "Arrogant brat."
Another barked, "Teach him a lesson!"
A mountain-built brawler blocked his path, veins bulging. A second fighter dashed from behind, swinging a kick straight for Ryuuto's spine.
"Two idiots," Ryuuto sighed.
Before either attacker could blink, both bodies went flying. One slammed into the wall and vomited blood instantly. No one saw Ryuuto move.
"What did you just say?!" the muscular giant roared, barreling forward with fists like cannonballs.
Ryuuto cracked his neck.
"Leaf Hurricane."
His leg blurred, and the man was airborne before his punch ever formed.