Ryuuto didn't wait for introductions. The moment the veiled mutant stepped forward, he shot in with a vicious Leaf Great Whirlwind, aiming to put her down before she caused trouble.
A low, amused chuckle came from the headhunter behind her, like she already knew how this would play out.
She didn't even look worried.
Then the kick landed.
Ryuuto's heel slammed through the woman's torso with a thunderous bang… only for her body to explode into a swirling gray sandstorm that whipped around him with a shrill, grating roar.
"Tch." Ryuuto's eyes narrowed, heat rising in his chest.
A perfect counter.
And exactly the kind of opponent he wanted.
"So you play with sand too…?" His fingers twitched eagerly. "Fine. I'll show you what real sand control looks like."
Guard of the Shukaku — Sand Shield!
A solid wall of hardened sand burst from the air in front of him, instantly blocking the storm. The swirling grit hissed against the shield like claws scraping metal, but not a single grain broke through.
Ryuuto didn't stop there.
He sent another wave of sand out, enveloping the sand-user, forcing the storm back with raw pressure. The sky darkened as the winds whipped into a vortex, sand spiraling in a towering column.
The headhunter flinched.
"This brat… wasn't he supposed to be water-affinity? Why can he control sand!?"
For the first time, panic cracked through her arrogant mask. She scrambled to trigger her Psychokinesis, shoving her power toward Ryuuto.
"No—this can't spiral out of control! You! Release all the mutants in the warehouse! Right now! Even if I have to butcher this kid piece by piece, he dies today!"
Her crew froze.
"Boss… those mutants—no one can control them—"
She snapped.
Psychic energy tore from her eyes as she Hypnotized one of them on the spot. The man grabbed an awl and stabbed straight into his heart.
"Do it. Or every one of you dies."
That worked.
The rest fled in terror.
Meanwhile the sand-user trapped in Ryuuto's grip struggled, her form flickering between body and storm.
"Who are you…? How can you command sand like this…?" Her breath shook with disbelief. For the first time, she looked afraid.
Ryuuto tilted his head.
"You really don't get to ask me that."
Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!
Compressed air detonated from his palms, blasting straight into her weakened form. Her storm shuddered violently, the pressure within collapsing.
"One last chance," Ryuuto warned, voice icy. "Drop the fight now and I'll consider letting you walk away. Don't make yourself a footnote in someone else's mess."
Her expression wavered.
Hesitation cracked through her defensiveness.
But the headhunter screeched, "You dare try to steal my people!? I'll kill you myself!"
Her psychic power surged, latching onto the sand-user's mind and forcing her energy into a monstrous overdrive. A massive sandstorm erupted, three times larger than before, spiraling toward Ryuuto like an enraged dragon.
Ryuuto sighed.
"So we're doing this. Fine."
Wind Style: Infinite Sandstorm Breakthrough!
A roaring cyclone erupted around him, shredding the forced storm apart. Sand blasted outward in tidal waves, so fierce even the distant headhunter had to cover her eyes.
The sand-user hit the ground hard, reverting to her human form before collapsing unconscious.
Ryuuto's gaze snapped to the headhunter.
"Your turn."
He launched himself down from the swirling mass beneath his feet, cutting through the air like a falling spear.
The headhunter's eyes twitched violently. She pressed her fingers to her temples and unleashed a tidal wave of psychic energy.
Hundreds of mutants in the warehouse behind her burst free, their eyes glazed under her control.
"Rip him apart!" she screamed.
They charged.
Explosions tore the sky open. The whole battlefield erupted in streaks of mutant energy, swallowing Ryuuto under an avalanche of destruction.
The headhunter grinned wildly.
"Let's see you crawl out of that, you little—"
A voice cut her off.
"Disappointing."
The smoke cleared.
Ryuuto stood untouched, encased in a shimmering sand armor. Every blast that hit him had simply rolled off the shifting surface.
The headhunter's pupils shrank in horror.
"What… what are you!? Is that some kind of Regenerative Factor!?"
Her psychic grip wavered. The controlled mutants stilled, staring in shock as Ryuuto formed seal after seal, his movements crisp and unhurried.
The battlefield fell silent.
Even the sand seemed to hold its breath.
...
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