As that dazzling golden light flowed upward, piercing through the space barrier and disappearing into the dim and gloomy clouds, a faint, indistinct roar seemed to come from beyond the heavens.
However, not much anger could be heard in that roar; on the contrary, it actually revealed a hint of shock and suspicion.
In the next instant, the streaks of dark purple smoke pouring from the firmament and into the shinobi world came to a jarring halt.
Without these continuously swarming dark purple mists, the shinobi world, which had been on the verge of collapse, suddenly calmed down. Even the gloomy and oppressive dark clouds hanging overhead seemed to dissipate quite a bit.
"What is going on!?"
Ada's face was full of surprise.
Mastering the Shinjutsu Omnipotence and possessing the Senrigan, her perception of the shinobi world was the most acute. Especially after Otsutsuki Shibai was banished by the joint efforts of Karin, Hikari, and Kaguya Otsutsuki, having lost her natural enemy, her perception had become even sharper.
Immediately after, Karin said solemnly: "The invasion of the Hegemon... it seems to have stopped!"
Because she had the God Tree to assist her perception, she was the second to notice something was wrong; a touch of doubt appeared on her solemn expression.
Then Hikari and Kaguya Otsutsuki, these two Kekkei Mora, also sensed the anomaly and looked at each other.
Amado asked: "What exactly happened?"
Everyone shook their heads.
At this moment, no one could give him an answer, because no one knew why the Hegemon had suddenly stopped the invasion.
Amado then instructed the Communication Unit in the underground shelter through his headset: "Immediately summarize the intelligence from everywhere; I want to know exactly what has happened!"
Soon, a massive amount of messages came from the bases and shelters still operating throughout the shinobi world.
Listening to the reports in his headset, Amado's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, but the shock and suspicion in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
Sasori, standing nearby, asked: "What is it exactly?"
Amado said in a deep voice: "Currently, it can basically be confirmed that the Hegemon's invasion targeted at our shinobi world has stopped."
Sasori was in disbelief: "Completely stopped?"
Amado nodded slightly: "Mm. According to observations from over a thousand observation points everywhere, those streaks of dark purple smoke that were piercing the space barrier and falling from the clouds to invade the shinobi world just now have all been cut off. The data reflected from various reinforcement nails confirms that the tearing of the planet's core has also stopped!"
If the disappearance of those dark purple mists in the air only indicated that the Hegemon was no longer pouring power into the shinobi world, then the fact that the core was no longer being torn apart proved that the shinobi world had stopped collapsing.
For everyone who had already prepared to go to their deaths, this was undoubtedly the best news.
However, after a series of great wars, the shinobi world was already riddled with holes. From the Hegemon's standpoint, it was impossible to let go of this fat meat that had reached its mouth regardless of the cost. Therefore, the only explanation was that someone had done something to make it impossible for it to continue invading the shinobi world.
In an instant, everyone present simultaneously thought of that figure—the one who served as the pillar of the shinobi world yet had never appeared on the battlefield!
Karin said: "The Leader has acted!"
"Mm!"
Hikari nodded heavily.
At a time like this, the only one who could stop the Hegemon from devouring the within-reach shinobi world was Shinji.
Amado looked into the distance, gazing at the still-dark clouds above: "If that is the case, the battlefield is likely no longer within the shinobi world!"
Everyone was startled.
Regarding Shinji's long delay in appearing since the start of the war, no one had complained much, because almost everyone was certain in their hearts that Shinji would act at the most critical position and the most critical moment—because Shinji had never disappointed anyone!
But even including the Kekkei Mora like Karin, Hikari, and Kaguya Otsutsuki, no one had thought that Shinji would leap out of the shinobi world to fight the Hegemon in the deep universe!
Sasori sighed faintly: "That madman!"
Anyone could hear that the word madman from Sasori's mouth did not contain a derogatory meaning, but was praise imbued with complex emotions.
After the brief shock, many people present had already reacted, realizing that the so-called Barrier Project, as well as the series of world-shaking battles centered around the Barrier Project, were actually just a setup laid by Shinji.
The entire Research Institute—no, it should be said the entire shinobi world, including the several Kekkei Mora—were only pawns in this game.
Shinji's purpose had never been the superficial resistance against the Hegemon.
His true purpose was to use the shinobi world as a battlefield to consume the power of the Hegemon of Terror, and finally shift the battlefield to the deep universe to engage in a decisive battle with the Hegemon of Terror in space, resolving the threat of the Hegemon for the shinobi world once and for all!
Realizing this, a look of worry appeared on Hikari's face.
She knew better than anyone present what a Hegemon meant. In the food chain of the entire universe, Hegemons were the undisputed top. They fed on worlds, and besides each other, no other living beings could threaten them.
They were gods!
This was not an exaggerated metaphor, but a blunt description of a cruel fact.
In past history, who knows how many civilizations and how many powerful experts had launched challenges against Hegemons. But without exception, these civilizations and experts who challenged Hegemons either vanished into the deep universe or became the Hegemons' food.
Kaguya Otsutsuki was somewhat uneasy; she looked around and asked the others: "Will he win?"
Karin said categorically: "The Leader will definitely win!"
Hikari nodded in agreement: "Mm!"
Ada hesitated for a moment and said: "But the opponent is a Hegemon! A Hegemon that can easily swallow our entire shinobi world and can freely elevate Otsutsuki Shibai to a level beyond Kekkei Mora! Can he... can he really win?"
Amado's expression became solemn.
Now he could confirm that the entire Barrier Project was the setup Shinji used to consume the Hegemon of Terror.
Shinji's setup was simple and unadorned, yet exceptionally ingenious.
Because the Barrier Project perfectly matched the normal reaction every world should have when facing a Hegemon's threat. Thus, facing the shinobi world's Barrier Project, the Hegemon of Terror's response had not been lacking in the slightest; it followed the rules, just like every world it had devoured in the past.
The reason the current situation appeared was because within this setup Shinji laid, there was only one variable the Hegemon of Terror could not grasp—and that was Shinji himself!
Throughout the entire process of the Hegemon of Terror's erosion of the shinobi world, Shinji's confrontation with the Hegemon of Terror had run through from beginning to end.
But in the early stages of the confrontation, Shinji had always hidden behind the scenes. Even when surrounding and killing the Upper Moon One controlled by the Hegemon of Terror and the fake Itachi Uchiha created with Fear Projection, Shinji had never personally acted, always doing so through the hands of others.
This made it impossible for the Hegemon of Terror to accurately assess Shinji's strength in the early stages of the confrontation.
By the late stages of the confrontation, the Hegemon of Terror's probing of the shinobi world went deeper step by step, but by this time, Shinji had already brought out the Research Institute as a shield. The Hegemon of Terror's attention was attracted by the Research Institute's rituals one after another.
To be sure, the emergence of the Research Institute and the batch of experimental subjects mastering Shinjutsu created by the rituals gave the Hegemon of Terror a brand-new understanding of the upper limit of the shinobi world's strength, knowing that Kekkei Mora level powerhouses existed within the shinobi world.
However, during this period of time, while Shinji used the great war within the Six-Ring World to gain a deep understanding of the Hegemon's details, he also used the six worlds of the World Destruction Society to frantically collect Chakra Fruits, breaking through to the realm of All Creation Power in one go, once again hitting the Hegemon of Terror with an information gap.
Therefore, regarding Shinji's true strength, even up to the moment Shinji decided to act, the Hegemon of Terror was completely ignorant.
This was Shinji's chance of victory!
Karin looked at Amado at this time and asked: "What can we still do now?"
Amado shook his head.
Ada frowned: "What do you mean?"
Amado said: "This is no longer the battlefield!"
The battles within the shinobi world had not yet ended; those puppet shinobi controlled by the Hegemon of Terror were still rampaging throughout the shinobi world. But the true battlefield was no longer in the shinobi world. From the moment Shinji decided to act, all the remaining battles within the shinobi world became insignificant.
And the deep universe outside the space barrier was a forbidden zone that everyone was unable to set foot in, even for those as strong as a Kekkei Mora.
Therefore, from this moment on, no matter what the shinobi world did, it could not change the battle situation. All everyone could do was pray!
Kaguya Otsutsuki once again asked the question from before: "Will he win?"
This time, neither Karin nor Hikari was in a hurry to answer, but instead looked at Amado.
Ada and Damon also looked toward Amado at this moment, waiting for his answer.
Because in everyone's eyes, Amado, who was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of leading the Research Institute by Shinji, might be able to give a more accurate judgment.
Amado still shook his head: "I have no way to judge exactly how much the great war within the shinobi world consumed the Hegemon of Terror, nor can I estimate how strong the main body of the Hegemon of Terror entrenched in the universe actually is, so I cannot make any judgment!"
Though he said this, Amado knew that even if the shinobi world had performed excellently enough so far and Shinji was beyond imaginationly strong, the shinobi world's chances of winning were still not high.
...
This did not require any complex calculation; the Hegemon's existence itself was the best evidence. Because if a Hegemon could be defeated, the thousands of civilizations throughout the universe would not be shivering under the shadow of the Hegemon.
In the deep universe.
Shinji looked back at the multi-colored shinobi world behind him, which was covered in cracks and looked like a glass lamp.
"So this is what the shinobi world looks like..."
The deep and silent universe made all things appear small, and the shinobi world was no exception.
Being within it, Shinji did not feel his blood boiling or his fighting spirit soaring; on the contrary, he appeared somewhat excessively calm.
His gaze shifted, and Shinji looked at the shadow entrenched at the far end; that was the main body of the Hegemon of Terror.
It looked like a massive vortex hidden in the shadows, its edge surrounded by a ring of a meteorite belt composed of countless meteorites, and at its core was a massive red vertical pupil!
Shinji gave a light laugh: "Hey, are you still afraid?"
The Hegemon of Terror's vertical pupil opened and closed, and the meteorite belt at the edge spun through the universe like a silver chain: "Foolish ant!"
A terrifying aura rapidly spread through the universe, making one's skin crawl.
Shinji, however, did not retreat but moved closer: "Then... why are you hiding so far away!"
Swish
Before his voice had even fallen, he turned into a dazzling, brilliant golden light, lunging straight for the main body of the Hegemon of Terror!
The Hegemon of Terror let out a roar, and the meteorite belt surrounding it spun, attacking Shinji like a shimmering silver river.
Although separated by a vast distance, because both sides' speeds were at their peak, they closed in an instant.
Upon approaching, Shinji discovered that every single meteorite in the belt was staggeringly large, almost comparable to the moon. Thus, it was not Shinji's illusion before, but truly a whole galaxy of celestial bodies lunging toward him.
"Hmph!"
Shinji gave a light snort without expression, and the golden sword in his hand slashed out.
Rumble rumble
Accompanied by a piercing golden light, a series of roars rose and fell in the silent, deep universe!
Those were the laments of countless celestial bodies being shattered by the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!
The silent universe had not been this lively for a long time.
Within the endless meteorite belt, Shinji's speed grew faster and faster. Slowly, he, who had turned into a brilliant golden light, began to flicker and jump, rapidly traversing the meteorite belt section by section until he arrived in front of the Hegemon of Terror, in front of that opening and closing blood-red vertical pupil.
"Stage Two, Divine Emperor Mode, Open!"
Thoom
Sun-like dazzling golden chakra erupted from Shinji's body as if substantial, wrapping around the already golden-glowing Shinji and forming a churning mantle of chakra flames!
With the activation of Divine Emperor Mode, the surrounding universe became attuned to Shinji.
At this moment, Shinji's aura was close to that of the Hegemon of Terror opposite him, like a deity confronting the Hegemon of Terror.
Shinji was still not satisfied and activated Susanoo Tomoshibi, squeezing every eye currently under his command.
A massive amount of ocular power dissipated, causing the space around him to begin to twist.
Shinji flipped his palm, dissipating the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion he had just condensed, and transformed it into nine Truth-Seeker Orbs.
The Truth-Seeker Orbs, which should have been ink-colored, were rapidly wrapped in his golden chakra flame mantle, turning into one golden Truth-Seeker Orb after another.
At this time, Shinji gave a light laugh: "You are weaker than I imagined. Was the previous consumption too great?"
Within the space-vibrating intent of the Hegemon of Terror, there was nothing but mockery: "You think consumption can wear down the immortal?"
Shinji grinned: "Then let me cut you open and see if you are truly immortal!"
Having said that, he activated the power of the Lamp, covering the nine golden Truth-Seeker Orbs with the lamp's light. Then, with a phantom grip of his palm, the nine golden Truth-Seeker Orbs spun and merged into his palm, condensing into a new golden sword!
The Hegemon of Terror's blood-red vertical pupil trembled.
But before it could make any more reaction, the brilliant golden light pierced in ruthlessly, penetrating it with an indomitable momentum!
Although compared to the Hegemon of Terror's massive blood-red vertical pupil, the golden light appeared insignificant, that ray of golden light was still stubbornly blooming.
The Hegemon of Terror's intent continued to vibrate in the universe: "You can actually wound me?"
Shinji gave a light laugh: "What's the hurry, it's just the beginning!"
"Minuscule insect, you have enraged me!"
The Hegemon of Terror began to roar, and with its roar, the entire universe seemed to be trembling.
Soon, its roar came to a jarring halt. Conversely, the golden light penetrating its blood-red vertical pupil grew more and more brilliant, more and more dazzling.
The Hegemon of Terror cried out in shock: "How is this possible!? I am immortal!"
From within the golden light came Shinji's slightly tired voice: "You are not immortal; you just haven't met me!"
The Hegemon of Terror asked: "No! No! What are you going to do?"
Shinji smiled: "So you can feel fear as well. How ironic!"
"Damn it, what exactly are you going to do? You cannot kill me; continuing like this is just futile consumption!"
The Hegemon of Terror's intent echoed continuously in the universe; it had completely panicked.
However, the golden light penetrating the blood-red vertical pupil did not diminish in the slightest. Shinji did not hesitate to burn himself, still striving to let the light bloom!
The Hegemon of Terror proposed a condition: "I can let this world go!"
Shinji did not respond!
The Hegemon of Terror cried out in shock: "Do you want to perish together? You foolish fellow, what can you gain by doing this?"
Within the brilliant golden light, the voice of the Lamp sounded in Shinji's ear.
[Expel the Hegemon of Terror to complete the return mission: Dawnbreak...]
Listening to the long-lost voice of the Lamp, the corners of Shinji's mouth curled slightly, but the burning did not stop, and the golden light was still stubbornly blooming!
[Completion of the mission allows for return...]
[Expulsion is sufficient...]
[If you continue to fight, you... will die!]
The voice of the Lamp echoed continuously in Shinji's ear, moving from a detached mechanical tone to gradually carrying urgency and emotion.
This was the collective will of the shinobi world!
It was worried about Shinji, yet at the same time deeply feared the Hegemon!
The Hegemon of Terror was also roaring: "Stop! While there is still time, end this damnable war!"
The Lamp was advising Shinji to quit while he was ahead...
The Hegemon also bowed its head to Shinji, requesting a ceasefire...
As long as Shinji nodded, victory was within reach!
However, the fighting spirit on Shinji's body was still boiling—no, it should be said it was growing even higher!
The corners of his mouth that had been turned up gradually leveled out. Within his already firm gaze, there was added a touch of wantonness, a touch of wildness, and a touch of resolve!
Perceiving Shinji's will, the Hegemon of Terror was lost: "You... what exactly do you want?"
Shinji said coldly: "I only want you dead!"
Swish
The light that had been accumulated for so long completely bloomed at this moment!
The Hegemon of Terror's blood-red vertical pupil was instantly swallowed by the dazzling golden light, leaving only a wail echoing in the deep universe.
Almost at the same moment, the Hegemons entrenched in various parts of the universe all heard the final wail of the Hegemon of Terror.
Without exception, all the Hegemons at the top of the food chain were shaken to their core!
This echo, unprecedented in the universe, meant the fall of a Hegemon, and also the end of immortality!
For the first time, the Hegemons felt clearly what fear was!
...
In the universe outside the shinobi world.
Shinji, like a dying ember, floated in the universe.
The brilliance had already dissipated, and the universe had returned to silence. Looking around at the empty surroundings, Shinji had a face of indifference. The Hegemon of Terror annihilated here was no more noble than a meteorite; a so-called Hegemon was just a creature that was a bit harder to kill!
Author's Note:
I revised this final chapter many, many times and really racked my brain over it. I hope everyone is satisfied with it.
Every story eventually comes to an end. See you in the next book!