"Haha! This is my world! I'm the master here!"
Lauf's laughter echoed across the theater as ice erupted, instantly turning the entire room into a frozen nightmare. His speed and strength surged unnaturally, like a god lending him power. Twin icicles in his hands sliced through the air, shredding Ryuuto's Shadow Clones one by one, clearing the path straight to him.
"Death date for you! Struggle all you want—it's an honor to die at my hands!"
"Yeah, screw that! I'm not dead yet!" Ryuuto snarled, claws of frost biting at him only fueling his fire.
"You're a dead pervert! Ruining a good movie theater to show off your ice tricks… think you're an artist?" He spun, performing Physical Surgery! Leaf Great Whirlwind!
In a blink, Ryuuto closed the distance. Nose almost touching, Lauf's eyes widened in shock. He swung his icy arms, but even Jotunheim's giant strength couldn't match Ryuuto's explosive speed. With a side-step and a powerful kick, Ryuuto sent Lauf flying backward. Icicles surged from the floor just in time to slow the giant's fall, buying Ryuuto breathing room.
"Ass—! I'll kill you!" Lauf growled, pain flashing across his enormous frame. He charged again, desperation in every motion.
"Your popsicles won't save you anymore, big guy. Don't give me freebies!" Ryuuto quipped, standing atop the ice, waiting for Lauf to crash into him.
Then, Lauf's face twisted into a cruel grin. "Little brat… you're mine!"
He raised his arms, and countless ice shards formed midair like deadly daggers, swarming toward Ryuuto's vital points. Massive icicles erupted from the floor, converging with lethal precision.
"Think you're the only one with weapons? Come on!" Ryuuto smirked. Summoning the Decapitating Knife, countless blades erupted in a metallic storm, slicing through the ice shards like paper. The battle's rhythm became a symphony of metal on ice, sharp and fierce.
Water Style! Great Falls Technique!
Ryuuto's hands moved with frenzied precision, consuming Chakra in waves. With a roar of intent, a colossal torrent surged, submerging Lauf's ice assault. The walls of the theater trembled as waterfalls of pure force crashed down, smashing ice and giant alike.
"No… impossible! How… how did you—?" Lauf's voice cracked, stunned, unable to process the torrent.
"Nothing's impossible in my dictionary!" Ryuuto bellowed, summoning a colossal Uzumaki of energy. Before Lauf could react, the spinning, crushing vortex swallowed him whole, leaving him battered and powerless.
Ultron, watching from the sidelines, stomped his foot in fury. "Unbelievable!" he growled. Gwen cheered, pride shining as she watched Ryuuto dominate.
Bang! The chaos ended. The theater lay in ruins, ice and debris scattered across the floor. Lauf, exhausted and broken, lay flat, strength drained, unable to move.
Ryuuto flicked his hair back, cool as ever, striding toward Gwen. "How's that? Pretty great, huh?"
"Awesome!" Gwen exclaimed, diving into his arms without hesitation.
Ryuuto's eyes flicked toward a recovering Ultron, trembling in rage. "What? You wanna try again?"
Ultron's crimson optics flared. "We're not done!"
Ryuuto's grin widened. "Open your eyes and take a good look around. Hah!"
With a wave of his hand, shadows moved, revealing legions of robots and Jotunheim giants rushing forward. Their fury ignited—Ultron's humiliation fueling their assault.
"Hehe… looks like you set up an ambush long ago. Respect for the effort!" Ryuuto clapped lightly, his tone mocking.
Ultron and Lauf's expressions soured, their anger meeting the irony in Ryuuto's voice.
"Jiang Li… I admit it. You're strong. Incredibly strong," Lauf growled.
But before anyone could relax, a figure dropped from above—Mystique, urgent and calculating. "But now… you have no choice but to tell us where Quicksilver is!"