"Want a piece of me? Your opponent is me!"
Gwen launched herself forward without hesitation, blocking the incoming threat with precision.
She was a vision of heroism—new, sleek superhero suit hugging her form, hair whipping in the wind, eyes sharp as torches. No one would dare sneak past her to touch Ryuuto.
"Spider-Man?"
Before her stood a colossus of blue muscle, bare-chested save for rugged pants. His icy gray-blue eyes pierced the air with bone-chilling chill. This was no mere brute. This was Lauf—the Ice King of Jotunheim!
"Pathetic…" Lauf snorted, his disdain cutting through the air like a blade, clearly unimpressed with Gwen's intervention.
With a flick of his hand, massive shards of ice erupted, colliding with Gwen's webs. Simultaneously, his palms rose toward the rapidly falling Ryuuto and Ultron, preparing a devastating strike.
"Damn you, you oversized villain!" Gwen's worry boiled over as she attacked desperately.
Meanwhile, Ryuuto, still mid-flight from his Lianhua-enhanced super-strength leap, slammed Ultron into the hard floor with lethal precision. But before anyone could react, frost rapidly condensed across the theater floor, transforming it into a crystal battlefield. Towering icicles sprang to life, lunging for the falling Ultron, attempting to save him from certain annihilation.
Boom! The shattering collision rattled the room. Ultron's head slammed into the ice, black smoke wafting off his body. He survived, but barely—traumatized and scorched alike.
"Ryuuto… you villain!" Ultron clawed the air, seething with fury. "This is deception!"
"Wisdom, Ultron. You robots aren't exactly known for it," Ryuuto quipped, clapping once. "Besides, I warned you—you didn't want a fight. Now you've hit the floor. Cry me a river."
"You—!" Ultron's crimson optics flared with rage. If he weren't a robot, he'd probably be vomiting blood right now. Struggling, he barely managed to patch himself together, all while barking orders at Lauf.
"Ice King, stop playing around! Kill him! He's got what we want!"
"Really now?" Lauf blocked Gwen's webs with massive ice shards, ignoring Ultron for a moment. His eyes gleamed as they locked onto Ryuuto—prey scent detected.
"Jus' letting a woman protect you, huh? Hah! Pathetic!" Lauf taunted.
Ryuuto's grin widened. "Hey, your unwashed hair alone screams 'haven't bathed in six months.' Why skip Jotunheim to bother me in New York? Impatient much?"
"Big mouth! If you've got the guts, fight me straight!" Lauf's body chilled the air, frost coiling like snakes around him. Gwen tensed but didn't falter. Spider-Man instincts kicked in—she darted, forcing Lauf to react, unable to summon new ice attacks.
"Heh, looks like I don't even need to move. You'll soon be flat on the floor like Ultron." Ryuuto waved at the recovering Ultron, then strode toward Lauf himself.
"Forget it. If you want to die, I'll grant you that wish… with style!"
"Ryuuto, be careful! This guy's ice is deadly!" Gwen leaped to his side, concern etched on her face.
Ryuuto patted her hand. "Relax. I've got him."
He squared off, voice loud and teasing: "You from Magneto's gang too?"
Lauf squinted, ice glinting in his hands. "Does it matter? You die here today. Witness the might of the giants!"
"Oh? Many tried before you… didn't end well," Ryuuto said lazily, finger pointed, stance relaxed yet commanding.
"Good. Hope your strength matches your mouth, or you'll die ugly!" Lauf bellowed, raising twin colossal icicles. He charged with frenzied force.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Ryuuto's seals clicked into place. Over twenty duplicates erupted around him, bristling with indomitable aura, all surging toward Lauf.
"Haha, little bug! Now you'll feel despair—welcome to my Ice World!" Lauf's blue pupils flared, body radiating terrifying energy.
The projection room became a tempest. Rushing winds of biting cold cut through the theater, ice forming layers thick enough to shatter floors and walls. Even Ultron and Gwen, observing, were hurled back by the raw force, hesitant to approach the battlefield.
Ryuuto's grin widened beneath the chaos. The real show—the clash of titans—was only just beginning.
...
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