Magneto's voice was calm, velvet over steel. "Charles, we both know what each of us wants. Look at the headlines—mutant fear, mutant hatred, endless streams of persecution. The government protects ordinary people, not us. If we keep waiting, more mutants will die. If you want mutants to survive, join the Brotherhood."
He extended a hand as if offering friendship.
Charles didn't move. Magneto's gaze turned toward Ryuuto. He smiled with a predator's patience. "Your power is extraordinary. In the rainforest you showed raw, destructive strength—and today you bent the battlefield to your will. I saw you swallow those officers with living serpents. I saw you dissolve missiles into nothing. Ryuuto, you must feel how the world treats us. Will you stand with me?"
Ryuuto didn't speak. He watched, eyes on their faces, checking for signs of control.
Loki's scepter, if it was in play, left a telltale haze in the eyes—cloudy, electric blue. Magneto's pupils were clear. Mystique's eyes were her usual color. No sign of external mind control. That meant today's slaughter came from their own intent.
Ryuuto's silence shifted to a direct question. "What's your plan?"
"Take power," Magneto said simply. "We start with Chicago—second-largest U.S. city, strategic, symbolic. If we take Chicago, it becomes a base. Mutants will flock to us. The government will crumble under its own fear and incompetence. Avenger interference? Irrelevant. Join me and I will make you the most powerful mutant alive."
"Ryuuto—don't listen! He's manipulating you!" Jean called, voice tight.
Ryuuto kept still. He remembered how the rainforest had felt, remembered the roaring teeth and the missiles evaporating under his hands. He smiled, a small thing that didn't reach the eyes. "You invited me in Australia before. I said no then. I'll say no now. If you want a younger brother, that's not my path."
He reached out his hand to Magneto in a casual, almost friendly motion.
The movement struck Magneto like a slap. His jaw tightened. If Ryuuto had been any lesser, Magneto might have threatened him. But Ryuuto had erased missiles and split the battlefield with strange arts; his power made the old rules unreliable. Magneto was forced to temper his rage into a smile.
"If you refuse," Ryuuto said, voice flat, "then leave. And if any student or teacher at this school dies because you declared this place your Brotherhood headquarters, I will hold you responsible. I will kill you."
The room went quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Ryuuto had a strange, hard look in his eyes—like something ancient and calm had stirred behind them. Jean and Charles exchanged glances; even Mystique's smile faltered.
Magneto blinked, then asked evenly, "Ryuuto, what do you want?"
"You ask so plainly. Fine—my aim isn't poetic." Ryuuto inhaled. "I want mutants to stand, but I will not side with the massacre. I refuse to stand with humans who enslave us, but I will not stand with those who slaughter innocents. And one more thing—Loki's scepter can control minds. It must be taken. If Loki still wields it, it cannot be allowed to exist."
Magneto's face hardened, but he kept his composure. "We may cross paths again. I hope one day you reconsider."
"Then that day will be the day you try to be my little brother," Ryuuto said dryly.
Magneto and Mystique turned and left, their shadows long on the path. After they were gone, Charles finally spoke, softer than before. "Ryuuto—I need to know more about your goals."
Ryuuto met Charles' gaze without flinching. "First target: Loki's scepter. We cannot let it remain in Loki's hands."
[Ding! System Note: Presence Detected — Leadership Talk Logged.]
Shion: "Oho. Verbal sparring with gods and magnetic uncles. Host, your stare is doing the heavy lifting — cute. Don't dawdle. Scepter retrieval mission starts soon."
Ryuuto didn't answer Shion aloud. He simply watched the skyline where Magneto had disappeared—quiet, ready, and quietly sharpening like a blade.
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