Madame Viper had never expected to run into Senju Haruto in a place like this.
She had only witnessed his shocking display of power in New York and concluded the abilities he wielded had to be magic. Nothing else made sense.
Mechanical catastrophes could still be explained away as some unknown technology. But Susanoo and teleportation portals? Those were unmistakably sorcery.
The only reason Madame Viper had come to the No-Door Bar was to gather intelligence on Haruto's whereabouts. Despite Hydra's unmatched spy network, she had found nothing about him.
Even after activating her agents inside S.H.I.E.L.D. to dig deeper, the result had been the same: absolutely nothing.
The truth was simple—Senju Haruto wasn't a native of the Marvel world.
He was a traveler from another reality.
No matter how extensive Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence web might be, they could never uncover a past that didn't exist here.
To Viper, the fact that Haruto had erased every trace of himself so flawlessly only proved the depth of his power. And then there was the destructive might of Susanoo—enough to make her pulse quicken with excitement.
One way or another, she had to find Haruto. Convince him. Draw him into Hydra and rule the world at his side.
What she hadn't expected was Haruto's response.
If I help you conquer the world, what benefit is there for me?
The key word had been help.
That meant, in his mind, conquering and ruling the world wasn't difficult at all. The only question was whether he felt like it.
"How arrogant," Viper murmured, though a sly smile curved her lips. "But I like that about you."
She paused. "I can give you something no one else can."
"Oh?" Haruto tilted his head with faint curiosity, though inside he already knew. Compared to his sign-in system, Viper's promises were worthless.
Not just her—even the Elder God she served didn't concern him.
"Go on then," he said calmly.
He wasn't in a hurry to crush her. No one rushes to squash a clown performing tricks. Besides, he was here to relax, to sign in.
At this moment, the progress bar had only reached sixty percent.
"Power," Viper declared, her lips curling in satisfaction.
She was certain no man could resist the temptation of absolute power.
"I can help you step onto the world stage as a king. Imagine ruling over everything—having the world in the palm of your hand. Don't you want to experience that?"
Her voice was honeyed poison. Her desire was simple: Hydra would unify the world, and she would reign as its master. But on her own, such an achievement was impossible.
With Haruto's magic added to Hydra's influence, however, there would be no force on Earth capable of opposing them.
"You could be the king of a new world," she whispered, pausing for effect before adding, "and I… I could be your queen."
This had been her plan all along. If she could lure Haruto in, she was willing to offer not only power but herself. As his consort, she would stand at his side and share dominion.
Her words sent shockwaves through the bar.
Not everyone recognized Madame Viper, but none of the guests here were ordinary. They all possessed abilities, magic, or knowledge that let them sense the danger and cunning power within her.
"Your offer does sound tempting," Haruto replied, leaning forward slightly as though intrigued.
Arthur frowned, puzzled by Haruto's words. Why would he even entertain her? Was he being swayed by her honeyed tongue?
But just as Arthur considered stepping in to warn him, Haruto's tone turned cold.
"But I have no interest in women who throw themselves at me."
His voice was low, edged with frost.
Viper's age alone was enough to betray her long history. To reach her current position, she had used this same tactic countless times. In the comics, she had even gone so far as to marry Wolverine to further her ambitions.
To Haruto, she was little better than a woman who would offer herself to anyone with enough power or usefulness.
And women like that were the kind he despised most.
He wasn't even interested in romance yet. But if he ever did choose someone, women like Kaguya, Mei Terumi, Hinata, or Karin were all far cuter than Madame Viper.
And Hydra? A pitiful little organization, not even on par with his Land of Fire. What use was it to him?
Support me? Haruto thought. As if I'd ever need such a weak group's help.
His rejection was merciless.
"Before my mood sours, you'd better disappear from my sight," Haruto said. His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried.
The entire bar heard him clearly.
It was a brutal slap to Viper's face, stripping away her dignity in front of everyone. And it wasn't just her pride—this was Hydra's honor being trampled.
A venomous glint flashed in her eyes. She had never dreamed Haruto would humiliate her so openly. If she slunk away now, both she and Hydra would be disgraced.
Her followers' faces turned ashen, seething with fury.
"Say that again," Viper hissed, rising abruptly to her feet, eyes burning into him like a serpent baring its fangs.
Arthur immediately stepped forward, blocking her men. He knew a fight was now inevitable.
The other patrons leaned in, eager to watch the show.
"So you're deaf as well?" Haruto said flatly. "I told you—disappear. Don't ruin my mood."
At that exact moment, the sign-in bar hit one hundred percent.
Congratulations, host. Sign-in complete!
Reward obtained: Chaos Magic! (Film version)
...
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