Malekith froze as Ryuuto's fist came down like a meteor.
There wasn't even time to dodge. His body simply refused to move.
"STOP—!"
The plea broke into a wet crunch as half his face caved in under Ryuuto's punch, dark blood spraying across the shattered obsidian ground. Even the endless dark energy swirling in this realm struggled to stitch him back together. Under that overwhelming force, Malekith's aura flickered like a dying candle.
Ryuuto dusted off his knuckles, expression flat and merciless.
"You yell 'stop' and think I'll listen? Who taught you how the world works? I'm killing you."
He struck again. And again. A blur of blows, brutal and absolute. Malekith's body folded under each hit, his head snapping back, limbs twitching uselessly. He couldn't even raise his chin.
"What are you idiots waiting for!?" Malekith shrieked, blood bubbling at his lips. "Get over here! If you stay frozen, we're all dying to this brat!"
The surrounding dark elves, trembling and pale, finally snapped out of their terror.
"The leader is in danger!"
"Attack together! Suppress the demon!"
"Don't let him get close!"
Dark energy surged as dozens of them charged.
Ryuuto snorted.
"A whole crowd of background extras. Cute."
He grabbed Malekith by the skull and slammed him down, twice, three times, until the dark elf lord went limp. Then he tossed him aside like a ruined prop. The body crashed into the stone and sank deep, buried in a crater.
Ryuuto flicked his eyes toward the charging mob.
"Perfect timing. I've been meaning to test this thing."
He pulled out the mysterious scroll he'd earned earlier. One bite to the thumb, one press of blood—done. It was a one-use item, but these dark elves weren't worth anything more.
"Try not to die too fast," he muttered.
Boom.
White smoke burst outward. When it cleared, every dark elf froze mid-charge.
Nine massive tails unfurled first, cutting through the smoke. The pressure alone slammed dozens of dark elves to their knees, trembling uncontrollably.
The Kyuubi himself stepped forward, fangs bared.
"Kid… you again?"
"Was anyone else going to answer the scroll?" Ryuuto shrugged. "No time for small talk. Wipe them out. I've got bigger problems."
Nine Tails snorted, amused. "Since you managed to summon me, I'll help. This once."
He inhaled deeply.
Tailed Beast Bomb.
A sphere of concentrated chakra formed, nine tails lashing around it. Then he fired.
The blast tore through the army of dark elves like a divine eraser, vaporizing everything in its path. Screams ricocheted across the dark world.
"Fight the monster!"
"We can't! Run, run!"
"Where's the leader!? Someone help the leader!"
Panic swept the battlefield. The dark world began to collapse into chaos.
Ryuuto didn't bother watching. He activated high-speed movement and vanished, reappearing just outside the collapsing realm with Jane in his arms—still peacefully asleep.
The Tai particles inside him writhed and pulsed violently, as if trying to rip their way out. He gritted his teeth. Anyone else would already be a corpse. His mental strength barely kept the energy from blowing him apart.
He rushed Jane straight to the Mutant School infirmary, laying her down gently.
The moment he stepped back—
[Ding! Chain Quest: Phase Three Complete!]
[Reward obtained: Three puzzle fragments — Character: Uchiha Itachi]
[Fragment progress nearing completion. Keep up the pace, Host!]
Ryuuto blinked. "Finally. Took long enough. Any actual bonus for all this suffering?"
[If the Host prefers, each fragment can be exchanged for five lottery draws. Generous, right?]
"Why would I trade the fragments I nearly died collecting? Unless you're giving it free, forget it."
[Heehee. Totally your choice, Host.]
He exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Shion… the Tai particles are going hyperactive again. Any idea how to keep them from murdering me from the inside?"
[Simple. Open your Summoning Realm and dump them in. As long as they're sealed there, no villain can get their hands on them.]
"…That actually lines up with what I was thinking."
He braced himself, focusing. Chakra roared through him as he forcibly guided the rebellious Tai particles upward. A breach opened—silent, swirling, eternal.
He cast the particles into the Summoning Realm, sealing it shut behind them. The violent pressure inside his body vanished in an instant.
Ryuuto exhaled, shoulders dropping.
Counting everything he'd collected so far—
Tesseract.
Mind Stone.
Tai particles.
Three out of six.
Not bad.
His lips curled slightly.
He was getting close.
Step by step, blow by blow…
Closer to standing at the very peak of this universe.