"You're hopeless."
Ryuuto didn't even bother arguing. One step forward—
Leaf Great Whirlwind.
His roundhouse kick landed clean across Deadpool's ribs, sending the mercenary flying with a crack that echoed through the hall.
Jean Grey winced. Wanda covered her mouth.
"Uh… did he actually die this time?" Jean whispered.
"Ryuuto-nii, do I really have to keep using Origin Magic on him? He looks so pitiful…" Wanda murmured, torn between sympathy and confusion.
"He's fine," Ryuuto said with a smirk. "Honestly, even if Magneto and Thor both keeled over, this idiot still wouldn't. The guy's got a Regenerative Healing Factor thick enough to embarrass the gods."
Wanda blinked. Jean raised an eyebrow.
Ryuuto cracked his knuckles.
"If you don't believe me, watch."
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
He flicked his hand. A dozen steel shurikens multiplied mid-air, exploding into a storm of silver light. Deadpool barely had time to stand before the barrage shredded him into something not quite human, not quite meat.
"Oh, yes! That's the stuff!" Deadpool screamed joyfully, riddled with holes. "Give me more! I crave emotional damage!"
Jean stared. Wanda stared. Even Ryuuto paused.
"…See?" Ryuuto sighed. "Cheap as hell."
He patted Wanda gently on the shoulder.
"Don't feel bad. He's the ultimate practice dummy. If you want to wield Origin Magic like a pro, you need to get used to hitting things without hesitating. Just go ahead. Blast him."
Wanda swallowed, then nodded with determination.
"Okay!"
A surge of crimson energy bloomed from her hands.
Deadpool's eyes sparkled.
"That's it! Hit me with the legendary Origin Magic! Maybe it'll finally kill me—"
Boom.
He took it head-on. Then froze.
His body went limp, not dead, but… dreaming. A hallucination swallowed him whole: one where he wasn't cursed by Thanos' madness, where the Goddess of Death actually loved him back, where his entire tragic love arc finally worked out.
Deadpool burst into happy sobs, staggering in circles as if dancing with invisible joy.
"I'm free! I'm finally free! My goddess loves me! Ha—ha—ha—!"
He bolted through the corridor at full sprint, screaming praises to no one, and disappeared beyond a corner.
Wanda blinked, tongue peeking out sheepishly.
"…Did I overdo it?"
Ryuuto chuckled. "Not at all. In fact—congrats, Wanda. You've officially mastered Origin Magic. From here on, we fight side by side."
Wanda's smile lit the whole hallway.
The three of them moved on, chatting and laughing. Wanda blended naturally into the X-Men now, no longer someone Magneto could twist or use. It felt… right.
A NEW THREAT APPROACHES
The next day passed quickly. Ryuuto was in the middle of explaining "basic life advice" to Wanda when Bobby Drake burst into the room, drenched in sweat.
"Captain! Bad news! We detected a massive energy fluctuation above New York — less than a few dozen kilometers out! Could be a high-tier Mutant!"
"Oh?" Ryuuto stood, eyes sharpening. "Then I guess I should check it out myself."
Wanda immediately grabbed his sleeve, eyes shining.
"Ryuuto-nii… can I come too?"
"Of course. Wherever I go, you go."
He turned to Bobby. "Assemble the team. We move now."
Bobby saluted. "On it!"
Minutes later, waves of X-Men shot into the sky like steel arrows—so many that half the villain world watching from the shadows started sweating.
And far away, on top of a skyscraper—
Quicksilver lowered his binoculars.
A sick grin spread across his face.
"Run along, Ryuuto. Hope you come back alive… though honestly, I'm rooting for the opposite."
Nebula folded her arms. "Why don't we move in now? If you want him dead so badly—"
"Because we can't beat him. Yet."
Quicksilver's tone sharpened. "Let others soften them up first. When the moment's right, we sweep in and finish the job. Then? The world falls into our hands."
Nebula didn't look convinced—but followed him anyway.
THE SKY ABOVE NEW YORK
Ryuuto took Wanda's hand and used High-Speed Movement, arriving before the others. Cold wind whipped around them as they hovered above the city.
"That's it," Ryuuto said with a grin. "Strong aura. Reckless. Definitely someone worth punching."
He folded his arms, staring into the empty blue sky.
"Come on out, big guy. I'll let you make the first move."
The air trembled.
Something powerful was descending.