[Ding! Mission issued! Eliminate or Rescue: Juggernaut.]
[Reward: Life Potions × (1–100 bottles)!]
Ryuuto froze.
"…Wait. Kill or rescue? The hell kind of bipolar quest is that?"
He rubbed his ear like the system must've glitched.
"Shion, say that again. I think you stuttered."
[Nope. You heard it right. Either kill Juggernaut… or save him.]
Ryuuto stared at the invisible air in front of him.
"Yeah, that totally clears it up. Thanks, useless goddess."
[I told you, the system doesn't glitch. It's called a Balance Mission. Two opposite outcomes, one target. Complete either side and you win. Rewards differ depending on which side of the scale you tip.]
"So, one path gives one bottle, the other gives a hundred?"
[Correct.]
Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. "Then tell me which one gets me the jackpot."
[…Unknown.]
"…You serious right now? I gotta guess which moral decision pays better?"
[I think it's kind of fun!]
He sighed, dragging his palm down his face. "Fun for you, maybe. I'm the one running on fumes since that whole mess with Hela."
Life potions had been drying up lately, and Shion's store hadn't refreshed in ages. If there was ever a time to score big—it was now.
"Alright, Shion, you said we're close, right? Where's Juggernaut being held?"
[In the underground shelter up ahead. Ten minutes at your normal speed… half an hour if you're dragging those two with you.]
Ryuuto glanced at Susan and Katie Dee. "Half an hour it is, then. Let's go."
They dropped from the night sky like ghosts—Susan turned invisible, Katie phased through concrete, and Ryuuto moved like a crimson blur.
But the second they touched the rooftop, the sirens howled. Red lights flashed like a demonic rave.
Ryuuto muttered, "That's not a good sign."
Susan's voice came through the shimmer of invisibility. "My cloaking's perfect. They shouldn't be able to see us."
"Infrared," Ryuuto replied, deadpan. "You told me before—if they've got thermal sensors, we're cooked."
Within seconds, guards flooded the rooftop. Rifles locked onto them.
"Don't move! We'll shoot!"
Ryuuto just laughed, low and amused.
The sound made the entire squad freeze.
"It's him!" one officer shouted. "It's the Red Mirage—Captain of the X-Men!"
That was all it took. Panic. Every gun fired at once.
Bullets froze mid-air, harmlessly bouncing off Susan's invisible barrier. The guards' expressions twisted as they realized the rounds weren't hitting anything.
"Relax," Susan whispered urgently. "If we kill them, every camera here will record it. The moment the footage leaks, the world will think the X-Men have gone rogue. You'll become their scapegoat."
She wasn't wrong. Ryuuto exhaled sharply through his nose. "…Tch. Fine."
He snapped his fingers. "Katie, phase us down."
They sank straight through the rooftop like ghosts passing through water.
Inside the surveillance room, guards stared in horror at their monitors. Three glowing heat signatures had just dropped through solid concrete.
"Wall-phasing mutants! Cut them off at Level Two!"
"Switch to gas weapons! Don't let them reach the basement!"
On the second floor, the trio reappeared.
Ryuuto released Susan's hand. His patience had reached its limit.
"These guys just don't learn…"
Susan immediately sensed his killing intent. "Ryuuto, no! If you lose control, this'll spiral into chaos—"
Ryuuto's crimson eyes glinted. "I don't care about chaos. Since I woke up in this cursed world, I've only done what I want. And right now—"
He clenched his fist, lightning crackling faintly at his knuckles.
"—I want to crush these insects."
The guards hesitated only a second before firing again—but this time, the weapons were different.
Katie's eyes widened. "Brother, that's a gas gun! The toxin's derived from King Cobra venom—one whiff and we're paralyzed! Even skin contact is enough!"
Ryuuto grinned. "Heh. Guess Natasha didn't waste her lessons on you after all."
Lightning coiled around him like living armor. "Let's end this before it spreads."