"Ruler of the universe? Sounds impressive..." Shinji said with a faint smile. "But if that's the case, then I have even more reason not to let you go. If things turn ugly, at least I can use you as a hostage."

From everything Loris had revealed, Shinji was now certain she was Boros's younger sister. There was no one else in the universe who would so boldly call themselves its ruler.

"Seems like that might be the case..." Loris murmured, her eyes drifting as if she were helping Shinji piece it together. It didn't take her long to realize his point was valid. If he chose to use her as a hostage, Boros would probably release her without a second thought.

"But I don't want to stay on this planet. How about I take you with me? My spaceship has more than enough space for one more passenger," Loris suggested with a casual tone that didn't quite mask her urgency. "Otherwise, when my brother arrives, everyone here, including you, will be as good as dead."

"I don't want to leave Earth," Shinji replied firmly, shaking his head.

"Why not? Aside from a few adorable animals, there's nothing worth staying for on this planet," Loris said, looking genuinely puzzled. She sounded so much like a certain Frost demon but in an innocent way.

But her sudden anxiety made Shinji narrow his eyes. "You aliens probably wouldn't understand. But tell me… are you afraid of something? So much so that you'd rather leave here even if it means dragging me along?"

"Because..." Loris hesitated, her voice faltering before she finally admitted, "I don't want my brother to find me. If I weren't hiding, I wouldn't be piloting this spaceship alone...!"

"Why? Does he keep that tight a leash on you?" Shinji asked with a curious edge.

"You… can say that, but more than that, I don't want to live the way he does," she explained, her tone heavy.

"You mean his habit of destroying planets whenever it suits him?" Shinji pressed.

"Yes. And if he's in a better mood, he might just challenge all the strongest fighters on a planet before moving on..." she answered with a small nod.

"So, what's his name?" Shinji asked again, feigning ignorance despite already knowing.

"Boros. The strongest of our entire race, undefeated, the universal conqueror," Loris said with quiet gravity. "About twenty years ago, he trusted the prophecy of a fortune-teller who claimed there was a planet with a warrior capable of matching his power. He took that prophecy to heart and spent two decades searching for the said world, determined to find someone who could give him a fight worth remembering."

She then looked at the very strong person who took her down before tightening her forehead.

"I don't know if you're the one from that prophecy, but when the time comes, he will definitely come for you. And with the way he fights, you will almost certainly die."

"So come with me and leave this planet. You'll survive, and I'll stay hidden from him. If you refuse, he'll find me and drag me back without hesitation," Loris pleaded, her voice sincere.

But Shinji only shook his head again. "First, I'm not leaving Earth," he said plainly. "Second, I want to see for myself what the so-called universal conqueror is truly capable of."

"Are you out of your mind?! I've already told you that you're going to die!" Loris burst out, her voice sharp with frustration. She could hardly believe how this man clung to his reckless resolve.

"That's not something you need to worry about," Shinji replied with calm certainty. "I won't die. If anything, the one in real danger is your so-called universal conqueror."

Even if Boros's strength exceeded his own, Shinji had no shortage of ways to protect himself. And in the most desperate of circumstances, there was always Saitama.

Not long ago, he had marked Saitama with the Flying Thunder God seal, a technique that allowed him to summon the bald hero instantly from anywhere in the world.

If it came down to it, he would bring Saitama here in an instant, and Boros would suffer a humiliating, one-sided beating. Still, Shinji preferred not to rely on that last resort. He wanted to win on his own terms, to face Boros head-on and deliver the kind of battle the lonely conqueror had been chasing for decades.

"Heh! Stop bluffing. You only managed to defeat me. My brother's strength is beyond anything your imagination can handle," Loris countered.

She had been forced to submit after their fight, but in her eyes, Shinji was still far from Boros's league. It was a fair assumption that, during their battle, Shinji had used only a small fraction of his power, and he had yet to become the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki.

"That's not for you to decide," he said, smirking. "No matter what you say, I won't run."

"Am I speaking Chinese or what?! You are simply not his match!" Loris's voice rose in exasperation. Were all the people of this planet so stubborn? The universal conqueror was on his way, yet they acted as if nothing could shake them.

And now she was trapped. Without his consent, she had no way to leave.

Shinji, without so much as a glance at her, walked to her spaceship and, with a single motion, pulled it into the swirling void of the Kamui dimension within his right eye. Her last chance for escape vanished in an instant.

"Stop thinking about it. Give it up," he said over his shoulder.

"What in the actual f…?!" Loris froze, stunned. She hadn't expected him to make her ship disappear completely. Unless this world had the materials to build another, she was grounded indefinitely.

"Don't panic. Once I deal with your Boros, I'll give it back to you," Shinji said before explaining his pun. "You know, 'Boros' is 'bro'."

He was certain Boros still valued his sister; otherwise, she wouldn't be so afraid of being found. That made keeping her here all the more useful.

Loris, however, remained unconvinced. "What's the point? By then, it'll be too late. My brother will have slaughtered you all and dragged me away."

"That's not going to happen," Shinji answered, his voice firm. "And explaining why would be a waste of time, you wouldn't believe me anyway."

He certainly wasn't going to reveal Saitama's existence as some kind of reassurance.

"Damn it..." she muttered, torn between anxiety and helplessness.

"Come on. I'll find you a temporary place to stay, but during this time you'll follow my instructions," Shinji said, his gaze steady. "I'm not forcing you for the sake of control. I'm protecting you. Otherwise, someone might beat you, or even kill you, before then."

"Whatever!" She replied reluctantly.

"Then let's go." Shinji reached out, ready to place his hand on her shoulder and teleport her away.

"Wait!"

Without warning, Loris darted toward the mutated Hakimi.

In its calm state, the creature looked like a sweet, wide-eyed kitten. Its earlier rampage had been sparked entirely by the female version of Puri-Puri Prisoner, who had crushed it mercilessly against her unyielding, rock-hard chest. Even the gentlest cat would have erupted in a furious flurry of hisses, claws, and bristling fur after such treatment.