Ryan stepped forward, his chakra soaring demanding immediate attention from Boros. Hashirama and Uchiha Madara exchanged a glance, then turned their gaze toward him. After a brief moment of silent contemplation, they nodded to each other, stepping aside to allow Ryan to take the battlefield.
Earlier, when facing Boros, neither Hashirama nor Madara had been able to match his speed in a confrontation. They both still wanted to save their pride, but their primary goal was clear: they had come here not for personal glory but to complete their mission in this world. And completing the mission was above everything for a shinobi.
Neither of them had any desire to show off or jeopardize the mission, especially since the consequences of failure were too dire to ignore. Both Hashirama and Madara remembered the rules set by the chat group: if they died in battle, not only would they be erased, but the very world they inhabited would be destroyed as well. Neither of them wanted to risk such an outcome.
With that in mind, they decided to step back and let Ryan take on Boros. It was an opportunity for them to observe just how far Boros's true strength could reach.
As Hashirama and Madara moved aside, Ryan advanced confidently, standing face-to-face with Boros.
Boros, looking unimpressed, scoffed and spoke sarcastically, "So, you must be the strongest among them, huh? I don't see any difference."
Just moments ago, Boros had struck with overwhelming confidence, believing himself unbeatable. His arrogance swelled to an unmatched level, having easily overpowered the previous opponents. But now, as he faced Ryan, his self-assuredness seemed almost comical.
Ryan merely smiled faintly. "Be careful," he said, his voice calm and casual. "Don't get instantly killed by me."
Boros let out a thunderous laugh. "Hahaha! What a funny joke!" His arrogance only grew as he charged at Ryan. The force of his momentum was immense, like a lightning bolt streaking across the battlefield.
Ryan stood still, unflinching, as Boros rocketed toward him. There was no movement, no sign of defense. Then—
Boom!
A colossal shockwave erupted between them, and the air was filled with dust and debris. When the smoke cleared, only Ryan remained standing. Boros was nowhere to be seen.
The battlefield fell silent, the onlookers in shock.
"What...?" Madara of them gasped. "That creature has...?!"
Hashirama and Madara exchanged stunned glances. They'd faced powerful enemies before, but this? This was something they couldn't have imagined. After all the time spent struggling against strong foes, Ryan had defeated Boros with a single punch.
At that moment, Saitama, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Not yet."
Everyone turned their gaze back to the battlefield, confused. Saitama's words hung in the air as they all waited. Then, a small, seemingly inconspicuous piece of Boros's body was noticed on the ground. In an instant, it began to expand and regenerate.
Boros's rebirth ability was horrifying. Even a fragment of his body was enough to restore him completely.
As Boros returned to his full state, a look of genuine surprise flashed across his face. He glanced at Ryan, his expression both awed and filled with burning determination.
"Your strength... is indeed strong," Boros admitted, his voice filled with a rare respect. "To obliterate me instantly in that my true form—impressive." He paused for a moment, the intensity in his eyes growing. "But now, I won't hold back!"
A deep growl erupted from within him, his aura expanding violently. A beam of blue-white light shot from his body, visible to everyone around him, the air around him crackling with power. The atmosphere seemed to shift, becoming charged with energy.
Now, Boros stood before them, his entire being radiating raw strength.
Before, I was holding back in my armored form." Boros said, his voice loud and booming. "But now, I won't hold back!" His words echoed with power.
"At times like this, I unleash everything I have!" Boros roared, his body erupting with intense energy. His form began to shift, the color of his skin turning cherry pink, his hair lengthening as his power surged to unimaginable levels. "Now, let me show you what a real dominator of space looks like!" He threw his head back as if the very air around him bowed to his overwhelming presence. His Meteoric Burst was in full swing, pushing his body beyond normal limits, but at the cost of immense strain on his physical form.
The spectator watching the battle is stunned by this sudden transformation.
Hashirama and Madara exchanged stunned glances.
"I didn't expect him to have another form," Hashirama murmured, his voice tinged with surprise.
Madara, still processing the revelation, scoffed in disbelief. "Wait... we were defeated by him when he wasn't even at full power? How... embarrassing."
Their words hung in the air, a mix of frustration and surprise, as they realized the true scale of Boros's strength.
Boros's power far exceeded anything they had expected, and the realization struck them hard. After all this time, having fought countless powerful foes, to have been bested by someone who wasn't even using his full strength— it was almost too humiliating to bear.
Both of them, despite their pride, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Boros was not just strong. He was a force of nature, a being who had transcended the limits of anything they had ever seen. And now, he was truly serious.
They were fortunate—very fortunate—because this time, they hadn't come alone. Ryan stood by their side.
Had it been just the two of them, Hashirama and Uchiha Madara realized, facing Boros would have been nothing short of disastrous. They could have been seriously injured... or worse, actually killed. Never in their wildest dreams had they considered such a possibility before meeting Boros. But seeing the sheer magnitude of his power firsthand, they understood now. There were always people beyond the limits they had imagined, even in a world where they had considered themselves nearly invincible after all their years of training.
And yet, Boros was someone far beyond them, even in his base form. But the key was this: Ryan could handle it.
At that moment, Hashirama and Madara exchanged a look, their concern subtly apparent. They had fought battles together, grown as comrades, and even though they had immense strength, the sight of Boros in his full power made them worry. Could Ryan truly take on such an opponent?
Hashirama, with a furrowed brow, broke the silence. "Ryan, can you handle him alone?"
Madara, ever the stoic, added in his deep, calm voice, "Do you need the two of us to step in?"
Both of them had always shared a deep bond with Ryan, and neither wanted to see their comrade hurt in this battle, even if they were all Hokage, bonded by more than just duty.
Ryan couldn't help but chuckle softly, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. He shook his head, smiling. "I said you two," he began, his voice light but filled with confidence. "You're looking down on me too much, aren't you?"
He gestured toward Boros with a casual wave, not fazed in the slightest by the monstrous presence before them.
"Just a space pirate," Ryan continued. "No big deal at all."
Hashirama and Madara exchanged a glance, and then both nodded in silent agreement, a small smile tugging at their lips. Ryan's unwavering confidence reassured them, though they still watched the fight with bated breath, knowing full well that Ryan was not one to be underestimated.
Get ready to see Ryan in battle!
Everyone knew Ryan's character by now. They understood that he wasn't the type to make empty promises and didn't fight a single battle until he was sure of the victory. Sure, he could come across as arrogant at times, but they knew better than to mistake it for mere pride. The truth was, Ryan's strength had always been formidable—so much so that his words were more like a declaration of his inevitable victory.
And Boros? He was losing patience.
"Stop bragging!" Boros bellowed, his voice filled with fury. "Die!"
With a roar, Boros unleashed his most powerful attack, the Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon. A blinding, searing beam erupted from his body, racing toward Ryan with such force that even the sunlight was swallowed by its intensity. The sheer power of the attack was enough to tear through the fabric of space itself.
But Ryan, cool and unflinching, merely stood there, eyes narrowed as the beam closed in. Then, without hesitation, he swung his fist.
Boom!
The world seemed to shake as Ryan's punch collided with the incoming blast. Shockwaves exploded outward, ripping through the surroundings like a tidal wave of energy. The alien warships surrounding them crumbled, torn apart by the sheer force of the impact.
The two forces clashed in a spectacle of destruction, their battle tearing apart the very ground beneath them. For half an hour, the world trembled under the might of their combat, debris, and dust flying in every direction as explosions lit the skies.
Finally, as the smoke began to clear, the figures of the two combatants emerged, standing amidst the wreckage of their cataclysmic clash.
Ryan was still there, unscathed, standing tall and unfazed. And Boros, though visibly battered, remained, glaring at Ryan with a mix of fury and grudging respect.
---
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