Ryuuto had once believed his regenerative healing factor made him untouchable—no weaknesses, no dead ends.
But as his mind drifted back to that moment when Deadpool's bullet shredded through his skull, he realized something chilling.
If someone drove a metal rod straight through his brain… and left it there… his regeneration wouldn't help. His body might heal, but his consciousness would be trapped—comatose, empty. A living vegetable.
Once the rod was removed, he'd revive as if nothing happened. But that knowledge alone was dangerous.
If anyone ever found out, they could end him without killing him.
So, yeah—this secret dies with him.
Clenching his fist, Ryuuto quickened his pace toward the spot where he'd disintegrated Deadpool earlier.
At first glance, the battlefield looked empty. The air still smelled of ozone and scorched metal. But then he saw it—
A faint smear of red.
He knelt down. The color wasn't fading blood.
It was meat.
Wet. Pulsing. Moving.
Ryuuto froze. His skin prickled as the flesh twitched like maggots writhing under heat.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
[He's coming back. Again.] Shion's tone was both impressed and disgusted.
[That's regeneration bordering on cosmic trolling.]
"Yeah," Ryuuto muttered, watching in disbelief as the shredded matter began to fuse together—forming organs, blood vessels, bone. Piece by piece, a human silhouette took shape.
One hour later, Deadpool stood again—naked, skinned, and grinning like hell itself just spat him out.
He coughed violently, then burst into laughter. "Ohhh yeah! That was amazing!"
Ryuuto raised an eyebrow. "You're enjoying this?"
"The feeling of death, my friend! Pure nothingness—total blackout! You killed me so completely, I felt gone! And then—bam! Consciousness rebooted! I haven't felt that in ages! Come on, do it again! I want more!"
"…You're insane."
"Insane? Nah, just an enthusiast!" Deadpool said, stretching his flayed arms. "The key part isn't dying—it's that moment right before the void. Exquisite."
Ryuuto sighed. "Even if I did it again, you'd just crawl back. Pointless."
"Pointless?! That feeling isn't pointless!" Deadpool gestured wildly. "It's like a bad relationship you can't quit. I die, I come back—it's romance, baby."
"Did you at least see the Goddess of Death while you were at it?"
Deadpool paused, shoulders slumping. "…Nah. Guess my curse won't even let me meet her. Thanos really outdid himself."
"Then maybe you should ask him to lift it," Ryuuto said coldly.
"Hah! As if! That purple prune's probably brooding on some random planet by now," Deadpool scoffed. "And he's crazy strong. You, me, Tony—hell, even the Hulk—you're ants to him. One step, splat."
"You don't know my full strength," Ryuuto said, voice dropping low. "I barely used half my power against you."
"Really?"
Before the words finished leaving Deadpool's mouth, Ryuuto vanished.
In the next instant, he was behind Deadpool—chakra flaring.
"Rasengan."
The sphere exploded against Deadpool's abdomen, carving a massive hole clean through him. Blood splashed across the dirt.
Deadpool stared down, dumbfounded. "Holy sh— You've been holding out on me!"
During their earlier fight, Ryuuto's speed had been close to his own. But this—this was teleportation-level fast.
Deadpool chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, fine. I underestimated you."
Ryuuto dissipated the chakra and asked quietly, "What's your plan now?"
"Plan? Please. I'm allergic to plans." Deadpool shrugged. "Just don't ask me to join the X-Men. They're good people, but I'm not 'team material.' I tend to stab friends by accident."
"Noted."
"But hey," Deadpool added, finger-gunning. "Since you gave me such a fun death, I'll share a secret. That creep Pyro? He's planning something nasty for you."
"Already knew," Ryuuto replied flatly.
"Aww, you ruin all my surprises." Deadpool twisted his own head backward to face Ryuuto. "Do immortals like us even feel sadness?"
"I'm not immortal," Ryuuto said with a faint smile. "Just annoyingly hard to kill. And yeah—I feel plenty."
He paused, then added, "I thought about sealing you once. Cutting you into pieces, freezing them separately. But you're not evil. Just… chaotic."
Deadpool grinned wider. "Seal me, huh? Kinky."
"Don't test me," Ryuuto warned. "If you ever hurt my friends, I'll do it."
"Fair. So, what's next? You kill me again?"
"If you're asking for it, sure," Ryuuto said. "But on one condition."
"Hit me."
"If I ever need your help—you help me. No questions."
Deadpool saluted dramatically. "Deal! Cross my heart, hope to die—which I can't, but still."
Ryuuto doubted he'd remember. But it didn't matter. Someone like Deadpool could become useful—especially since he could regenerate even from molecules.
"Ready?"
"Do your worst, Red Mirage."
Ryuuto smiled slightly. "You asked for it."
He raised his hand.
Primordial Stripping Technique.
Light flared—pure white. Deadpool didn't even scream this time.
When the radiance faded, only dust remained.
Ryuuto turned and walked away.
Ten minutes before midnight, Tony's comm crackled. Ant-Man's voice came through with a set of coordinates.
Tony ran a quick scan—and froze.
"They're at the center of the schoolyard."
Without hesitation, the trio moved out.
By the time they reached the coordinates, Banner had already transformed into the Hulk, his massive frame shaking the ground. Tony arrived in his Mark IV combat armor, repulsors charged and humming.
As for Ryuuto—he summoned his blade with a thought. The massive beheading knife gleamed under the moonlight.
He grinned faintly.
"Yeah… I still like this one the most."