When Shinji had defeated Boros, he could have immediately used genjutsu to control him, just as he had done with Vaccine Man before. Instead, he chose to first ask Boros for his willingness as a show of respect, deciding that consent would come before coercion.

If Boros agreed, then he could apply the control afterward. If Boros refused, then he would have no choice but to force the control, since leaving someone like Boros alive without control would be a potential threat. If he did not control him, he could not allow him to remain alive.

"Though for someone like me, the ruler of the universe, submitting to another is a humiliation, this life of mine is yours. I have no right to refuse, do I?"

Boros understood his situation clearly and recognized that if Shinji could kill him once, he could just as easily kill him a second time. He no longer cared much about life or death, but since this life was given back to him by Shinji, his personal feelings did not matter, since refusal was not an option.

If he had to be honest, deep down, he did not want to accept it, because for the ruler of the universe to live under someone else's authority was harder to bear than death itself.

At this point, Shinji added, "Or maybe I should put it another way. Aside from forbidding you to harm humans, I will not impose any restrictions. I only want insurance. I will not force you or order you to do anything. Our relationship will still be equal."

With that, Shinji extended his hand toward Boros, offering terms that protected humanity while preserving Boros's pride.

"…I can go with this."

That concession made the idea much easier for Boros to accept, even if he could not refuse anyway. Boros also reached out and clasped Shinji's hand, choosing compliance over pointless resistance and acknowledging the bond that would define their future actions.

"From now on, we will call each other companions, not superior and subordinate," Shinji stressed.

"Alright."

Boros nodded. With Shinji taking such care to respect his pride, he could hardly refuse, and the simple handshake sealed a pact that balanced restraint with dignity.

[Alert! The host has controlled the universal ruler "Boros" with genjutsu. Reward: 200 points!]

Once Boros accepted the invitation, Shinji simultaneously applied the genjutsu control. Of course, he had no intention of breaking his promise; the control was only to ensure Boros could never again harm humans. Since the genjutsu was enhanced by the system, its mechanism was simple, defeat the enemy to gain the option to control, which meant Boros had no awareness that he was under its effect.

The control would activate only if Boros broke his word and tried to harm humans, making resistance impossible, and Shinji simply hoped that day would never come.

"Hmph. Boring…" Follow current novels on novelꞁire.net

Tatsumaki gave a dismissive snort and flew away. She had only come to confirm Shinji's condition, and once she saw he was safe, she had no interest in staying, so she left without looking back.

"How delightful. So Boros will be joining the Hero Association, then? We could just make his hero name 'Universal Ruler,'" Bang said with a grin, all seriousness gone now that the battle was over.

"No. I am no longer the ruler of the universe. This planet has someone stronger than me," Boros replied with a small shake of his head.

"Huh? But 'Universal Dentist' is such a great name. Why give it up?" Saitama had somehow appeared right behind Boros without anyone noticing, as if he had been there all along.

"…!!"

The sudden voice from behind startled Boros, for he had not sensed anyone's approach. He spun around, only to be met by the glare of a bald head.

He recognized it faintly; this was one of the intruders who had boarded his ship earlier. Though they had never crossed paths at close range before, this was the first time Boros could sense the bald man's energy directly.

Not knowing was one thing, but feeling it in person was another. The power radiating from him was immeasurable. Boros could not gauge his exact strength, yet the fact that the man had approached from behind without being detected proved he was far from ordinary.

Still, Boros was aware of his own limitations. His current weakened state meant there was only so much he could recover. Even so, the encounter left him thinking that this planet truly harbored an unusual number of hidden powerhouses. Staying here might not be such a bad idea after all.

Because his attention was entirely focused on measuring Saitama's strength, Boros failed to notice that the bald man had casually referred to him as the "Universal Dentist."

…

Meanwhile, Rank-A Class 1 hero Sweet Mask arrived in City A.

He had been filming a drama in a nearby city when the sudden destruction of City A sent shockwaves and a deafening roar across the land. Without hesitation, he rushed over to see for himself.

By the time he reached the scene, the battle was already over.

"So it wasn't an illusion after all… City A really was destroyed by aliens…" he murmured, gazing at the ruins of what had once been a vibrant city.

Back during the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he had questioned whether what he saw was a mere hallucination. Now, the truth was certain.

"Ah? You're here too, Sweet Mask…" Metal Bat called out after spotting him standing on higher ground.

"Seems the enemy that appeared this time was formidable. But you all completely failed to protect City A. I'm truly disappointed." Sweet Mask's expression hardened.

Though he had learned about the situation during the Infinite Tsukuyomi, witnessing the devastation firsthand stirred his uncompromising sense of justice into anger.

"Hey… are you here to pick a fight? You show up late and still act all high and mighty?" Metal Bat shot back, frowning.

"I may have arrived late, but you were here in City A. You failed to protect it," Sweet Mask said flatly.

"We were inside the headquarters when the enemy suddenly appeared. He destroyed City A with a single strike. Even if we had rushed out instantly, it would have been too late," Atomic Samurai explained.

"So what? You think the media won't hold you responsible?" Sweet Mask retorted, his tone unchanged.

"What do you mean by that? Are you trying to smear us? We fought with everything we had. Whose side are you even on?!" Tatsumaki stepped forward, unable to contain her irritation.

"I'm on the side of justice!" Sweet Mask replied with absolute conviction.

His devotion to justice was extreme, leaving no tolerance for mistakes among heroes. In his eyes, the destruction of City A was an unforgivable failure.

"Except for Kamui, the rest of you S-Class heroes are pathetic. I suggest you all retire voluntarily!"

With that, Sweet Mask leapt down from his perch, landing directly in front of Metal Bat and the others.

"..."

Shinji's mouth twitched slightly at the remark.

Not my problem… but you really didn't need to drag me into your grudges either.