"Khan! Is it always this intense?"
Ryuuto rubbed the bridge of his nose, silently cursing the sheer hot-bloodedness of Steve Rogers. The guy screamed like he was about to fight his father's arch-enemy—or maybe even the gods themselves.
Suppressing a wry smile, Ryuuto decided to play polite first. Task first, sass later—that's the strategy.
"How about we grab two cups and sit down to talk about life's ideals?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Steve's massive shield slammed down just centimeters from Ryuuto's forehead. The gust of wind sent fallen leaves skittering across the pavement.
"Huh! I'll say it one last time! Today, I just want to fight you. No one can stop it, and you will never admit defeat!"
Seeing Ryuuto remain calm and unmoving, Steve's eyes gleamed. A full-on warrior's aura burst from him as he clenched his fists.
"If you're a man, accept my challenge!"
Ryuuto rolled up his sleeves in response, his gaze sharp and his body brimming with deadly energy.
"Fine. It looks like a man's ego is really unbearable today!"
The air thickened as Steve gripped his shield tighter, doubling the tension to insane levels.
"Steve, I promise you a fair fight. Let's make this a proper duel!"
"Really? Then let's go!"
Steve finally got serious, the thrill of a worthy opponent igniting his blood. He surged forward—but Ryuuto held up a hand. A sly glint danced in his eyes.
"Wait. I have one condition before we duel. You must agree willingly."
"What? What's the condition?" Steve asked, scratching his head, already accepting Ryuuto as a formidable rival.
"It's simple. If you lose to me, you become my little brother. From that moment on, you obey my orders without question or betrayal. Deal?"
"Little brother…?" Steve froze, embarrassed, tangled in thought, bowing his head briefly as he considered it.
Ryuuto's grin widened. He wasn't budging.
"No negotiations. Agree, or no fight. Even if you somehow get beaten, you'll accept it and never retaliate."
Steve furrowed his brow, sighing. Ryuuto's expression was deadly serious—there was no lying here. If he didn't agree, a fair fight was impossible.
"Fine. I promise." Steve's jaw tightened.
"But there's a caveat," he added quickly. "I only obey orders that are just. If you collude with villains, I won't follow."
"Haha! That's fair! Even if you doubt me as the captain of the X-Men, you should trust my character!" Ryuuto chuckled, satisfied that Steve had finally taken the bait.
With mutual respect acknowledged, both warriors readied themselves.
"Ryuuto, I forgot to mention… your skill is impressive! But my shield never loses!" Steve's eyes were sharp, unwavering.
"Good! Me neither. I haven't known failure since I started! Today's no exception!"
"Then let's give it everything we've got!"
Steve bolted forward, shield gripped tightly, charging like a cheetah with each footstep shaking the ground.
Earth Style·Light and Heavy Rock Technique!
Ryuuto immediately formed hand seals, energy coursing through him, and rushed to meet Steve head-on. The air itself seemed to crackle as their auras collided, sparks flying from the sheer force.
"Eat my shield!" Steve shouted, hurling the spinning, gleaming disc straight at Ryuuto's head.
"Khan! Using a hidden weapon now, huh?" Ryuuto joked, retreating only slightly, gauging the strike.
Under Steve's watchful eyes, Ryuuto leapt, speeding up mid-air—but not to dodge. His arm, reinforced with rock-hard energy, smashed toward the shield. Full-on collision. Head-to-head.
"Hope you're not too heavy, Cap. Don't disappoint me!"
Steve's gaze sharpened, every muscle tensed as he rushed forward, evaluating if Ryuuto could withstand the hit.
Boom!
The impact rang out, a muffled thud as Ryuuto's punch struck the shield. Sparks scattered, but Ryuuto's fist remained unscathed. The shield, knocked off course, spiraled weakly across the street—proof that Ryuuto could stand toe-to-toe with Captain America.