"Wait up, brother!"
Ryuuto had barely closed the door when a familiar voice called out. He turned—just in time to see Katie Dee phasing straight through the wall, holding Susan's hand as she floated down gently on a shimmer of light-blue energy. Both of them landed beside him, their eyes full of determination.
"Huh? What are you two doing here? Didn't I say I was just heading out to grab supper?"
Ryuuto scratched his head with a helpless smile. Deep down, though, their stubbornness warmed him more than he cared to admit. He didn't want them near the battlefield—but he also knew better than to argue.
Katie only grinned and slid up beside him. "Yeah, we heard. So we're coming with you—supper tastes better when we eat together, right?"
Susan added softly, "Besides, a walk under the stars doesn't sound bad."
Ryuuto sighed, but the corners of his mouth curved upward. "Fine, but listen up. No matter what happens, you follow my lead. Got it?"
"Got it!" both replied in unison.
And so, hand in hand, the three of them stepped into the night—straight toward the storm waiting ahead.
It didn't take long before the air thickened with killing intent.
Figures emerged from the shadows—Ultron's metallic glare, Lauf's hulking form of frost and muscle, Heimdall's burning eyes, and a new figure wrapped in heavy armor that radiated menace. They spread out, surrounding the trio in a tightening circle.
The two sides faced off in silence. The wind howled.
But despite the odds, neither Katie nor Susan wavered. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Ryuuto, their faces calm, eyes bright with the kind of fire that only shows up when you're ready to die for someone.
Ultron's voice broke the silence, dripping venom. "Well, well. We didn't even have to hunt you down, Ryuuto. You came here to die yourself?"
Lauf laughed thunderously. "Hah! Guess he knew running was pointless, so he came to surrender and die."
They laughed like vultures circling their meal.
But Ryuuto didn't even flinch. Instead, he leaned toward Katie with a teasing grin. "Hey, do you smell that?"
Katie covered her nose dramatically. "Ugh! Yeah! Smells like someone hasn't brushed their teeth in a few centuries. Rotten ego, too!"
Susan chuckled behind her force-field shimmer. "No kidding. I thought mad dogs barked—didn't think they reeked too."
Ultron's mechanical eyes flickered red. Lauf's grin vanished. Their mockery stung worse than any blade.
Ryuuto folded his arms, unbothered. "Don't take it personally. Mad dogs bite when they're scared. It's just nature."
That line made even Susan laugh. "You're really gonna get yourself killed one day."
"Maybe," Ryuuto said, his tone turning sharp, "but not by them."
The air snapped.
Ryuuto took a single step forward—and his aura erupted like a shockwave, flattening dust and bending grass outward in a perfect circle.
"You two!" He pointed at Ultron and Lauf. "Still got some pride left? Come at me. I'll make sure you cry for your creator—and your mommy."
"WHAT?!" Lauf roared, ice spikes rising from the ground. "You'll regret that, brat!"
Ultron's arm split into a cannon, power surging. "You dare mock me? I'll rip you apart bolt by bolt!"
But before they could charge—
"Enough!" Heimdall barked, his voice ringing like steel. "Ryuuto, choose how you die. We can make it quick if you kneel."
The four villains fanned out, sealing every escape route.
Ryuuto only tilted his head, eyes narrowing with a faint smirk. "Nice armor, Heimdall. You sure you're not auditioning for Ultraman?"
That earned him a twitch of fury from the Asgardian. His ridiculous horned helmet gleamed under the moonlight, which only made Ryuuto's smirk widen.
He pointed lazily toward the figure beside Heimdall. "And who's this tin can? Your pet project?"
The armored being stepped forward—towering, silent, radiating power so intense it warped the air. Its eyes glowed molten gold.
Heimdall chuckled darkly. "You've got a sharp eye, human. That's the Destroyer. Forged from divine metal. He'll be your executioner tonight."
"Lucky me," Ryuuto muttered.
Heimdall, Ultron, and Lauf stepped back, clearing the field like spectators waiting for blood.
The Destroyer's voice finally echoed—a low, thunderous growl that seemed to vibrate through the ground itself.
"You are Ryuuto?"
Ryuuto met its glowing stare, calm and defiant. "Yeah. The one you came to kill."
He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "But if you're the Destroyer…"
He smirked, energy flickering red beneath his skin.
"…then I guess I'm the one who's here to break you."