The air in the Defense Minister's bedroom was cold, heavy, and thick with fear.
Ryuuto stood at the foot of the bed, the faint blue glow of the Mind Scepter casting long shadows across the walls.
The man clung to his sheets like they were holy relics. "W–who are you?" he stammered.
Ryuuto tilted his head, voice calm but razor-edged.
"You already know who I am. The question is—why do you think I'm here?"
The Minister's throat tightened. He couldn't answer.
"After what you did to my people, I thought I'd just go back and sleep it off," Ryuuto said with a lazy grin that didn't reach his eyes. "But then I remembered… you were still under the scepter's control. So here I am, making sure you're really awake."
The man trembled, eyes darting toward the weapon in Ryuuto's hand.
"I–I was controlled! It wasn't me!"
Ryuuto leaned closer, his tone casual but venomous.
"You were hating mutants long before anyone controlled you. Let's not pretend you were a saint before someone pulled your strings."
The Minister's lips quivered. "I—I can help you! I'll make a statement! Tell the world mutants aren't dangerous!"
"Oh, please." Ryuuto gave a soft laugh. "That's like a dog promising not to bite again after tearing off someone's leg. Do you think I'm stupid enough to trust that?"
"I have children…" the man choked out. "My eldest is in high school—please—"
Ryuuto's eyes hardened.
"And a lot of the people you killed had families too. You don't get to hide behind yours."
He raised the scepter.
The blue light flared, painting the man's terrified face in icy color.
"If I forgive you, then I might as well shave my head and join a monastery. People like you don't learn unless the world loses you."
The Minister backed against the wall, sobbing. "If you kill me, the government will declare war on mutants!"
"Then let them," Ryuuto said flatly. "Maybe it's time someone reminded them what happens when they push too far."
With a flick of his wrist, the scepter dissolved back into light.
In its place appeared a massive black blade—the Beheading Sword.
A single swing.
A streak of red against white sheets.
Silence.
Ryuuto sighed softly and wiped the blood off on the bedding, his face unreadable.
"You should've slept through this night like everyone else."
As he turned to leave, he froze.
Standing in the doorway was a girl—barely seventeen. The Minister's daughter.
She stared at the scene, trembling, her lips parting soundlessly.
Ryuuto's jaw tightened. This wasn't supposed to happen.
She didn't deserve this.
But if she screamed, the world would know.
He exhaled and slowly summoned the Mind Scepter once more.
The blue gem pulsed. The girl's eyes glazed faintly as he placed the tip near her forehead.
"Your father… did terrible things," Ryuuto said quietly. "Even if I hadn't killed him, someone else would have. You'll tell the police tomorrow that you didn't see anything. You'll remember only peace."
Her expression softened, voice calm and obedient.
"Yes, my master."
Ryuuto blinked, startled for a heartbeat. The scepter's influence was stronger than he'd realized.
The Mind Gem didn't just dominate—it rewrote.
"Go back to your room," he murmured. "Sleep. Forget this nightmare."
"Okay."
When she was gone, Ryuuto stepped back into the portal.
The golden-blue doorway folded shut behind him, erasing all trace of what had happened.
A few minutes later, the night wind swept across the S.H.I.E.L.D. air carrier runway.
Ryuuto landed silently, the blood already fading from his shirt as if the night itself wanted to hide the truth.
Nick Fury raised a brow but didn't ask. He knew better.
"Find him?"
"No one was there," Ryuuto replied evenly.
Without another word, he tossed both the Tesseract and Mind Scepter into the Summoning World and took off, using the Light and Heavy Rock Technique to propel himself through the sky.
The small town of Sixton wasn't far. He preferred the wind to portals tonight—he didn't need more light following him.
Fifteen Minutes Later — Susan's Room
The blonde stirred by the window, phone glowing faintly in her hand.
One in the morning.
She sighed. Love is sweet, she thought, but waiting… waiting is hell.
The window creaked.
Cool air swept in.
Then—something dark blocked the moonlight.
Susan blinked. And there he was.
Ryuuto—hanging upside down like a smug bat, hair brushing against the sill.
"Miss me?" he said with a grin.
Her breath hitched. She reached up and kissed him before her brain caught up.
Then her eyes widened at the faint blood stains on his shirt.
"You're hurt!"
"Not my blood," Ryuuto said, landing softly.
"Whose then?"
He smirked faintly.
"Doesn't matter. It's over."
Susan's cheeks flushed. "You… idiot. I was worried sick."
From the bed, Katie Dee shifted, half-asleep.
"Shh," Susan whispered, panicking. "She'll wake up. And don't—don't talk about that again, okay? You embarrassed me enough last time."
Ryuuto chuckled.
"She's harmless. Relax."
"Easy for you to say. I wanted to melt into the floor that day."
He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "Fine, fine. No teasing."
Then, in that low, easy tone that made Susan's heart skip—
"Got the scepter and the Tesseract. How about we celebrate?"
She smiled softly, the night breeze rustling the curtains.
"Only if you promise not to disappear again."
Ryuuto looked at her, eyes flickering with something between exhaustion and resolve.
"No promises. But I'll try."