"Brothers! It's our turn—X-Men, hit these bastards back!"
Bobby's roar ignited the battlefield. Scott, Arlo, and the others—bleeding, surrounded, exhausted—suddenly surged with new fire. Ryuuto's arrival flipped the tide like a storm ripping through a stagnant sea.
Mutant Brotherhood soldiers faltered, stumbling over each other just to escape the blaze and chakra storm carving through their ranks.
But nobody—not a single soul—could look away from the clash between Ryuuto and Magneto.
They knew the truth:
whoever won that duel decided the fate of the entire battle.
"Ryuuto… you've grown stronger."
For the first time in years, Magneto's pulse jumped. The twin Raikiri blazing in Ryuuto's hands radiated a power he hadn't felt since the darkest wars. Sweat prickled his palms—but he refused to show even a flicker.
"You've grown… but you still die here."
"Old man, stop yapping."
Ryuuto's grin widened, wild and sharp.
"If you think you can win, prove it."
"Fine. Die!"
Magneto flung out his arms.
Cars, shattered weapons, buried pipes—every scrap of metal in the area ripped free of the earth. A massive iron chain burst upward like a striking serpent and slammed toward Ryuuto with the force of a tank.
Ryuuto didn't budge.
Raikiri flashed—
one cut, two cuts—
steel screamed as it split apart, shards raining down like black snow.
"Can you cut them all?" Magneto sneered. "Fly, metal! CRUSH HIM!"
A storm of black silhouettes blotted out the sky, metal shrieking down in a hailstorm.
Quicksilver bent over laughing. "He's done! He can't slice that much—he's dead meat!"
Ryuuto's smirk deepened.
"Boom!"
The ground exploded as Ten Thousand Snakes burst through the earth, jaws wide and dripping venomous saliva.
"MASTER! I'M BACK! LET ME TRY THIS OLD MAN'S FLAVOR—HOPE HE DOESN'T TASTE LIKE RUST!"
Its monstrous head lunged straight for Magneto's unguarded back.
Quicksilver's jaw dropped so far it nearly unhinged.
Magneto spun instantly, yanking the chain back to whip the serpent away—
CRACK!
The chain smashed across Ten Thousand Snakes' fangs, sending the giant serpent skidding back with a furious hiss.
"DAMN CHAIN! HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY MEAL!"
Ryuuto barked an order.
"Ten Thousand Snakes! Go feast on the grunts—I'll handle the geezer!"
"Heh! I'll pick the fattest ones!"
The serpent launched itself toward the Brotherhood ranks. Screams followed.
"Sick of this—Nightblade, get over here! Kill him!"
Magneto abruptly reversed direction, flinging all metal toward Ryuuto to stall him, and sprinted toward Wanda.
A masked figure dropped from a rooftop, landing behind Magneto.
He wore matte armor, wrist blades crackling with dark energy.
Ryuuto clicked his tongue. "Wow. Running away and sending expendables? Magneto, your dignity is evaporating."
The newcomer didn't speak. His killing intent did.
He charged.
Revolving Heaven!
Ryuuto spun, unleashing a storm of chakra that shredded Magneto's metal barrage into glittering dust. Quicksilver shrieked and dove out of the way.
Magneto used the brief opening to sprint toward Wanda, who trembled beside the old woman.
"Don't you DARE grab someone right in front of me!"
But Nightblade appeared in Ryuuto's path and raised his arm.
"Your opponent," he said coldly, "is me."
Dozens of razor-sharp darts launched from his gauntlet like bullets.
Ryuuto snorted.
"You don't even know Magneto sold you out. And you're still loyal? Pathetic."
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!
Ryuuto's shurikens split mid-air into dozens more, smashing through the darts in a blaze of sparks.
Nightblade leapt into the air, dodging every projectile with fluid precision.
"Remember my name," he growled. "I am Nightblade—the one who ends you today!"
He drew a compact laser rifle and unleashed a torrent of blue beams.
The shots ripped through Ryuuto's chest—
Nightblade smirked triumphantly.
Until the body turned into—
A log. Full of holes.
His smirk froze in place.
"Substitution Jutsu…" he whispered.
A shadow fell behind him.