The Sixth Ring World.
After a gap of several months and having fully restored his condition, Shinji once again set foot in this world targeted by two separate Hegemons.
Upon entering, Shinji immediately inspected the Chibaku Tensei he had used to seal a portion of the Reproduction Hegemon's body.
"Oh?" Shinji let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
He discovered that the celestial body suspended in space was no longer isolated; it was now surrounded by a massive circular metal track. Numerous monitoring satellites drifted nearby, keeping a constant watch on its status.
Shinji knew at a glance that Alice and her team were behind this, so he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he focused on sensing the condition of his seal.
"As I thought..." he whispered, his expression turning solemn.
The situation was exactly as he had anticipated. In just a few months, the Chibaku Tensei had suffered severe erosion. Its inner core was in a state of disintegration, threatening to fall from orbit at any moment.
"Using a seal to deal with a Hegemon really isn't that simple."
Chibaku Tensei was currently his strongest sealing technique. In ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths and his brother had used this move to seal Otsutsuki Kaguya. Even after a thousand years, Kaguya—a Kekkei Mora—had been unable to break free, proving the technique's longevity.
However, a full-power seal by Shinji, containing only a small fraction of the Reproduction Hegemon, had been corroded to this state in just months. It was clear that relying on sealing techniques to solve a Hegemon once and for all was unrealistic.
Whoosh.
Just as Shinji prepared to deal with the celestial body, Alice—codenamed "Radiance"—flew up into space in her $\Omega$ combat suit, arriving beside him in a streak of rainbow light.
"You've arrived!" Alice spoke respectfully, like a subordinate greeting a superior.
Shinji didn't dwell on her tone; his strength earned him the respect of any "Lampbearer." He simply pointed at the metal track and asked, "What is that?"
"That is the latest gravitational stabilizer," Alice explained. "Our satellites detected a trend of disintegration in the celestial body you created, so we installed this device to slow down the process."
"I see," Shinji nodded.
The disintegration was entirely due to the core being gnawed away by the Hegemon's power. While the stabilizer couldn't reverse the process, it was a clear gesture of goodwill and did provide a minor delay.
Shinji then instructed, "Step back for a moment."
"Yes!" Alice obediently retreated several dozen meters.
Shinji waved his hand again. Alice paused, realizing she wasn't nearly far enough, and retreated dozens of kilometers in a single burst. Simultaneously, the monitoring satellites began to clear the area.
Once the area was clear and only the unmovable track remained, Shinji raised a hand toward the sphere.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, the massive celestial body Shinji had created exploded instantly, turning into a belt of floating debris.
As the seal shattered, the fragment of the Reproduction Hegemon regained its freedom. It twisted its mass and, rather than fleeing, lunged violently at Shinji.
Shinji's expression didn't flicker. He reached out and clenched his hand in the void.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
The debris floating in space was pulled by a sudden gravitational force, instantly coalescing into a brand-new celestial body, sealing the Hegemon fragment once more.
Because the erosion happened from the inside out, Shinji couldn't repair the old one; he simply made a new one. The original stabilizer was crushed into dust during the event and incorporated into the new core.
Alice flew back, her face unable to hide her shock at seeing Shinji dismantle and recreate a celestial body so casually. Even though she had constantly revised her estimate of his strength, this was still hard to believe.
Creating a celestial body wasn't an impossible feat for her with the right equipment and time. But crushing one and reshaping it by hand? That was entirely outside her imagination.
After confirming the fragment was re-sealed, Shinji and Alice returned to the surface.
There, "Greed" Hengo, "Arcane," the old martial artist, and several new faces among the "Lampbearers" came forward to meet them.
Alice introduced the newcomers: "This is 'Gladiator,' and this is 'Specter'..."
Clearly, because a super-power capable of rivaling a Hegemon had appeared in their ranks, Alice's team had gained massive fame in the Lampbearer circles. Many who had been hesitant were now joining up.
The community had never lacked those who wanted to destroy Hegemons; they just lacked hope. Now, with Shinji, they weren't just resisting—they had a chance.
"Captain!"
After Alice finished the introductions, the assembled Lampbearers bowed in unison. They had seen the reconstruction of the seal through the satellite feeds. The new members, in particular, were now completely convinced of his status.
Shinji looked at Alice. "Captain?"
Alice smiled. "My strength is not enough to lead a team that intends to face Hegemons. This position rightfully belongs to you. Please, do not refuse."
Hengo added, "Yeah, we're all behind you!"
Shinji smiled and finally nodded.