11-15
Added 2025-01-23 07:09:11 +0000 UTC*Chapter 11: Three Months—Hidan Loses It*
This relentless busyness continued for three whole months.
During this time, the Cult of Jashin mobilized all its followers to hunt animals in the mountains. On the other hand, they spent a fortune purchasing creatures from merchants—some of which were slaves.
All of these became nourishment for Lord Jashin and Kaneki.
Each time they conducted a sacrifice, it naturally took place in the blood pool beneath the idol. After all, who would have guessed that this blood pool was now part of a transmigrator’s body?
Being reincarnated as a blood pool—this must be one of the most absurd scenarios among all transmigrators.
With such an abundant supply of flesh and blood, Kaneki accumulated vast amounts of life energy and obtained a variety of unique genes.
Powered by the influx of energy, Kaneki was constantly using the *[Primordial Creator’s Womb]* to upgrade and create new species of Jashin’s monstrous progeny.
Of course, Kaneki wasn’t the only one benefiting.
In a small space beyond the Shinobi World, our Lord Jashin was greedily indulging in this endless stream of offerings.
“Jahahahahaha!”
“It seems that turning those two brats into my followers was the best decision I’ve ever made!”
Dense black mist churned throughout the space, and countless crimson eyes flickered like stars, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
“I wonder, though—whose work is this?”
Jashin muttered, but soon came to his conclusion.
“It must be Kaneki. That Hidan kid doesn’t seem very bright.”
“At this rate, I’ll only need two or three more years before I can fully break free.”
“When that happens, the entire Shinobi World will tremble before me!”
“Jahahahahaha!”
Unlike the jubilant Lord Jashin, the cult leader stood in the temple with a gloomy face.
Though he could feel Jashin's statue becoming more lifelike, the issue at hand was...
The Cult of Jashin was broke!
Over the past three months, the cult had spent nearly all its savings on sacrifices.
If they continued with this extravagant level of worship, the followers would soon run out of food.
Thankfully, at that moment, someone arrived.
A man cloaked in a black trench coat entered, radiating an aura of authority that made the surrounding followers regard him with awe.
This man was none other than the fourth-in-command of the Cult of Jashin, the Grand Steward, Kikuchi Mitsuru.
While his title might not sound imposing, before the rise of Kaneki and Hidan as Jashin’s Chosen Ones, he was the second-in-command.
He handled the cult’s external affairs, including assassinations, extortion, robbery, and proselytizing.
He was the leader’s right-hand man and the cult’s financial backbone.
“Leader, here’s a letter from Mr. Sakamoto.”
Kikuchi Mitsuru produced a letter from his voluminous coat. His current visit was because of this matter.
The cult leader accepted the letter, patted Kikuchi on the shoulder, and said, “You’ve traveled far—thank you for your efforts.”
“Leader, the hard work is all yours.”
Kikuchi keenly noticed the fine lines etched around the leader’s eyes—lines that hadn’t been there three months ago.
Moreover, the leader’s overall demeanor had aged significantly.
“Is there trouble at headquarters?” Kikuchi hesitated to ask.
The leader closed his eyes with a weary sigh. “Nothing serious. I’ll explain when the time is right.”
He opened the letter, his gaze flickering as he read. “So, Sakamoto wants us to take care of someone named Gato?”
Kikuchi responded, “Yes. Gato runs a shipping company that’s recently risen to prominence in the Land of Waves. It seems he’s trying to muscle into the Land of Rivers’ logistics market. Mr. Sakamoto hopes we can eliminate this nuisance for him.”
“Hmm...”
The leader stroked his chin, weighing the pros and cons. The Cult of Jashin and the Sakamoto Trading Group shared a close relationship. The group was one of the cult’s primary patrons, providing generous annual financial support.
Refusing this request wasn’t an option.
Seeing the leader’s hesitation, Kikuchi finally played his trump card.
“Leader, Mr. Sakamoto said that if we successfully deal with Gato, he’s willing to increase his annual support to 50 million ryo!”
The leader’s eyebrows shot up, a smile finally breaking across his face. “It seems Mr. Sakamoto’s faith in Lord Jashin is as devout as ever.”
He added with a glance at Kikuchi, “Next time, lead with the offer!”
Kikuchi quickly bowed. “Understood.”
The leader turned away, seemingly lost in thought.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion echoed from the base.
“Leader!”
A panicked follower came rushing in from afar.
The leader’s brief moment of joy vanished, his expression darkening.
As expected, the follower’s report confirmed his worst fears.
“Leader, the two Chosen Ones are fighting again!”
“I knew it.”
The leader clenched his teeth, while Kikuchi looked on with curiosity.
What kind of Chosen Ones could leave the leader so exasperated and helpless?
“Kaneki! I’m going to kill you!”
In the dining hall, Hidan charged at Kaneki, wielding a black spear.
After three months of relentless training, Hidan’s taijutsu had made great strides.
For others, “reckless” might just be a metaphor. For Hidan, it was a literal truth—he didn’t care about his life!
Each of his attacks was a suicide strike, but even so, he failed to leave a single scratch on Kaneki.
Instead, he was repeatedly and effortlessly slain by Kaneki’s kagune.
Through this endless cycle of ambushing, failing, being decapitated, reviving, and attacking again, Hidan’s taijutsu had undergone a dramatic transformation compared to three months ago.
Hidan’s spear moved swiftly, but unfortunately for him, his opponent was Kaneki.
A massive centipede that had been lurking underground suddenly burst out, striking Hidan in the abdomen and slamming him into the ceiling.
Boom!
The impact left a huge dent in the ceiling.
Hidan coughed up blood, but with his usual nonchalance, he yelled, “Damn you, Kaneki! You always rely on such underhanded tricks!”
Kaneki remained unfazed, adjusting his glasses lightly. “If throwing tantrums could kill, Hidan, you’d have surpassed the Sage of Six Paths by now.”
“Argh!!!”
Hidan erupted in fury, veins bulging as he struggled to break free from Kaneki’s hold.
After all, lies don’t hurt—but the truth cuts like a knife.
In three months of fighting, Hidan hadn’t won even once.
His pride had nowhere to go.
“I’ll take you down with me!”
Hidan suddenly tore off his shirt, revealing rows upon rows of explosive tags beneath.
He grinned maniacally and roared, “Let’s die together!”
༼✷ɷ✷༽
(To be continued...)
Chapter 12: Mom Doesn’t Have to Worry About Me Losing My Head Anymore!
*Boom!*
A violent explosion reduced the entire cafeteria to rubble.
The cult leader, who had just arrived, stood frozen in place, trembling all over, his eyes empty of life.
Kikuchi Miura looked equally stunned. Glancing at the dazed cult leader, he seemed to finally understand why the man had grown so haggard in just three months.
A large group of Cult of the Evil God followers nervously stared at the ruins of the cafeteria.
*So close!*
They had nearly ended up buried in the wreckage alongside it.
*"Cough, cough."*
Amid the dozens of eyes watching, a rock was pushed aside as a charred Hidan crawled out from beneath the debris.
“Hahaha! Damn you, Kaneki! Let’s see if you get out of this one unscathed!”
＼＼\\└('ω')」//／／
Hidan laughed maniacally, completely ignoring the terrifying burns covering his body.
Injuries that would be fatal to anyone else were just another day for Hidan.
Before he could revel in his moment of triumph for more than three seconds, a calm voice interrupted him.
"Looks like you’ve truly run out of ideas. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have resorted to using that dung-like brain of yours to come up with such a childish trick.”
Kaneki’s voice echoed as he calmly appeared atop the rubble. No one knew when he had gotten there.
“What? Impossible!”
Hidan’s face was filled with disbelief.
Kaneki adjusted his glasses. As the charred outer shell of his exoskeleton flaked off, his crimson Kagune: Mantis effortlessly sliced Hidan’s head off once more.
To be fair, Hidan’s attack had been somewhat threatening this time.
If Kaneki hadn’t developed a new Kagune—the Armored Ant(Kakuja)—over the past three months, he might have lost this clone.
The Armored Ant's function was simple but effective: it coated the body in a hard exoskeleton strong enough to withstand blades and explosions.
“*Kaneki! Hidan! Get over here, both of you!*”
The cult leader finally reached his breaking point.
Seeing this, Kaneki reluctantly picked up Hidan’s head and walked over to him.
“If you two are so eager to fight, then go carry out a mission instead!”
The cult leader couldn’t bear to keep these two troublemakers in the headquarters any longer. If he didn’t send them away, they’d destroy the temple sooner or later.
“A mission?”
Hidan perked up, eyes gleaming with interest. “Is it to kill someone?”
The cult leader wearily nodded.
He’d thought about punishing Hidan before, but the problem was, *Hidan didn’t care*.
You couldn’t kill him, and the Cult of the Evil God’s brutal punishments, horrific for normal people, only made Hidan moan in delight.
What could the cult leader do?
The only person who could keep Hidan somewhat in line was Kaneki, who seemed to enjoy decapitating him on a daily basis.
“What’s the mission?”
Compared to Hidan, Kaneki was much more reliable.
The cult leader looked at Kaneki seriously. “Your task is to assassinate a man named Gato. With Hidan’s abilities, it shouldn’t be a problem for the two of you.”
“A fledgling must eventually learn to fly,” the cult leader added meaningfully. “Your senior, Kikuchi Miura, will brief you on the mission details during the journey.”
With that, Kikuchi Miura stepped forward and introduced himself.
“I’m Kikuchi Miura, and I’ll be guiding you on this mission.”
He slicked back his black pompadour and glanced at Hidan before continuing, “I hope you’ll cooperate. After all, only those with unwavering faith and brains can truly serve the Evil God.”
At that, Hidan couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Bastard! Are you questioning my faith in the Evil God?”
Kaneki sighed, rubbing his temples. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s saying you don’t have a brain.”
“Oh, that’s fine, then,” Hidan replied, looking relieved—before his expression shifted. “Wait, WHAT? No one calls me brainless! I’ll kill you, you jerk!” (╬ﾟ◥益◤ﾟ)
Luckily, Kaneki was still holding Hidan’s severed head, so there wasn’t much he could do.
The cult leader massaged his temples in frustration. Turning to Kikuchi Miura, he said, “I’m leaving them to you.”
“Yes, cult leader,” Miura replied dutifully.
As the cult leader left, Kaneki spoke up. “Miura-senpai, I’ll take Hidan to pack our things.”
Miura nodded. “Hurry up; we leave tonight.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kaneki carried Hidan’s head toward the temple.
Along the way, Hidan grumbled in dissatisfaction. “Damn it, Kaneki, why didn’t you let me kill that guy?”
Kaneki chuckled. “It’s not the right time yet. But don’t worry—I’ve got something for you.”
“What? What are you planning now?”
Hidan frowned. He didn’t trust Kaneki to be this generous.
Kaneki tossed Hidan’s head and body into the blood pool with a mysterious smile.
“Relax. I’m giving you a major upgrade.”
“What—”
Before Hidan could protest, Kaneki silenced him with a thick, sticky spiderweb, muffling his cries.
Moments later, Hidan’s body was completely submerged in the blood pool.
Kaneki activated his abilities.
At the bottom of the pool, the blood and flesh had fused together. Scarlet veins spread like tree roots deep into the ground.
Beneath the surface, tunnels dug by Kaneki’s insect minions formed an underground network. Swarms of army ants scurried through the tunnels, delivering dismembered prey to the blood pool.
Within a ten-kilometer radius of the temple, every movement was under Kaneki’s control.
From the depths of the blood pool, a 30-centimeter-long egg emerged.
This was the Kagune’s core—a parasitic organism designed to inhabit a human host.
The egg slowly rose to the surface and settled on Hidan’s back.
Its outer layer sprouted tiny tendrils, tearing into Hidan’s flesh before burrowing deep inside.
“Mmgh!”
Hidan groaned from the pain, unable to scream as bubbles escaped his nose.
The egg’s tendrils spread rapidly through his body. Silky threads shot out from his neck, reconnecting his severed head with the rest of his body.
This was Kaneki’s custom Kagune for Hidan: the Armored Parasite Spider.
Unlike the standard Armored Spider, its abilities were simplified. It couldn’t sprout spider legs for attack.
But its thread-spinning capabilities were greatly enhanced. It could now produce silk from anywhere on the body, allowing Hidan to stitch himself back together even if he were dismembered.
Hidan grinned. “Mom doesn’t have to worry about me losing my head anymore!”
(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و yes.....
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 13: I Knew It Was You, Hidan!
Kaneki had been working tirelessly, and it was obvious that his efforts went far beyond installing an auto-connection system for Hidan.
After three months of relentless analysis and evolution, he upgraded all the existing evil god species under his control.
He even found time to create several entirely new species.
[Evil God Lord’s Nurturing Game]
[Host]: A blood pool named Ken Kaneki
[Level]: 1 (Next level requires 2,000 reputation points)
Note: The host's spiritual power increases as their level advances.
[Evil God Reputation]: 771
[Ability 1]:
[Womb of the Primeval Creator]
Gene Pool: Human gene, Leaf-cutter Mantis gene, Giant Centipede gene, Giant Man-eating Spider gene
Genes Under Analysis: Evil God gene (Analysis Progress: 0.01%)
Creatable Species: Tail Heirloom Centipede, Shell Heirloom Spider, Scale Heirloom Mantis, Shell Heirloom Ant-Man, Human Avatar, Raven, Black Beetle
[Ability 2]:
[Evil God’s Blessing]
Your body is blessed by the Evil God. Until the god’s fall, you possess immortality.
[Introduction]:
"I will create a world ruled by the Evil God!"
Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the reputation of the Evil God Cult had reached 771 points. Yet, it still required over 1,200 more to hit the next level.
As for the three original Heirlooms—Tail Heirloom Centipede, Shell Heirloom Spider, and Scale Heirloom Mantis—Kaneki had enhanced them significantly.
The Tail Heirloom Centipede had its length and exoskeleton strength dramatically improved. Its attack range now extended up to 10 meters, and its exoskeleton rivaled steel in durability, with its surface coated in deadly venom. Any enemy wounded by it would succumb within three minutes.
The Shell Heirloom Spider received an update, evolving into Parasitic Spider, granting the host the ability to emit spider silk from any part of their body.
The Scale Heirloom Mantis had its limbs sharpened and its speed increased, focusing on swift, precise, and lethal strikes.
A new Heirloom species was also developed—Shell Heirloom Ant-Man.
This species allowed the host to grow an exoskeleton, compensating for Kaneki’s lack of defensive capabilities.
Besides the Heirlooms, Kaneki also created two new Evil god species:
[Raven]: Resembling a common crow, it shared vision with its creator. It could serve as a scout or be produced in large numbers to act as distractions.
[Black Beetle]: With keen sensory abilities and razor-sharp mandibles, it could tear through most prey. Its body stored energy, making it suitable for mass production as scouts or for transporting prey.
Over the past three months, Kaneki had strategically scattered ravens and black beetles around the Evil God Cult's headquarters.
The cultists remained oblivious to the fact that the flock of ravens they often saw had been entirely replaced by Kaneki’s creations.
Beneath the soil, in the trees, and even in the cultists’ rooms, countless tiny black beetles thrived.
In essence, Kaneki now controlled everything surrounding the cult's headquarters.
Yet, he craved more.
If it were possible, Kaneki wished to extend his surveillance to every corner of the shinobi world.
Of course, that was unrealistic.
Although the cult had sacrificed numerous offerings in the past three months, most of the energy from these sacrifices was absorbed by the Evil God. Kaneki was left with little more than the corpses.
The energy he obtained had already been consumed during his analysis and creation of new species. Continuing to use [Womb of the Primeval Creator] would now draw from his own life force.
When it came to expending life force, Kaneki couldn’t help but laugh and declare:
"How convenient! After all, I am the proud holder of immortality, the Evil God’s chosen spokesperson, Ken Kaneki!"
Thanks to the Evil God’s blessing, Kaneki’s life force was inexhaustible. As long as the great Evil God remained, Kaneki couldn’t die.
Adjusting his glasses, Kaneki muttered with a smirk:
"Evil God, you wouldn’t want your followers to fail in spreading your faith due to a lack of energy, right?"
The next moment, the blood pool began to boil.
The [Womb of the Primeval Creator] was activated! Kaneki ramped up production.
A massive shadow rose from the depths of the blood pool. The pool's surface split apart, and swarms of black beetles surged out like a tidal wave.
They scattered through every crevice of the temple, spilled into the surrounding forest, and some crawled into the folds of Kaneki’s oversized coat for storage.
These creatures would become Kaneki’s eyes, ears, and strength—extensions of his will.
However, even just producing the black beetles left Kaneki almost entirely drained of energy.
Rather than stop, he intensified his efforts.
This time, he produced Heirlooms!
Creating Heirlooms consumed far more energy than producing black beetles. Kaneki could only manage five or six at a time with his current reserves.
But Kaneki was aiming for far more than that.
At the bottom of the blood pool, hundreds of eggs floated to the surface, resembling newborns awaiting nourishment.
In an instant, Kaneki’s energy was completely depleted, and his life force began to drain rapidly.
Meanwhile, in a distant dimension beyond the shinobi world, the great Evil God’s hundreds of crimson eyes widened simultaneously!
“What’s going on?!”
The energy it had painstakingly gathered over the past three months was vanishing at an alarming rate. At this pace, not only would its gains be wiped out, but even its reserves would take a hit.
Quickly locating the source of the drain, the god growled:
"It’s the immortality ability!"
The Evil God had only granted immortality to two individuals: Hidan and Kaneki. Under normal circumstances, the energy cost of immortality was negligible compared to its benefits.
But this time, the consumption was absurd—akin to someone dying a hundred times in mere minutes!
"Who could it be?!"
Who on earth could manage to “die” this many times so quickly?
In a fury, the Evil God extended its gaze to the shrine where it was worshipped.
And there, in the blood pool, it saw a handsome man floating leisurely, wearing an expression of pure bliss and letting out... unsettling moans.
"I knew it was you, Hidan!"
'(◣_◢)'
(Chapter End)
Chapter 14: Hidan's Solution
At this moment, Hidan was blissfully unaware that he had been misunderstood by his great Lord Jashin. After soaking in a hot bath, he climbed out of the blood pool.
"Ah, so refreshing!" .+:｡(ﾉ･ω･)ﾉﾞ
Stretching lazily, he glanced at Kaneki and provocatively sneered, "Looks like you're not completely useless after all, trashy Kaneki."
Kaneki gave him a look. A dark red blur shot through the air, neatly severing Hidan's head from his body.
"Mmm~~" ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
Hidan let out a muffled groan.
For a moment, Kaneki couldn’t tell if decapitation was a punishment or a reward for this guy.
What a cursed existence these masochists are.
Especially an immortal masochist!
Under the influence of the kagune’s power, Hidan’s head rolled across the ground several times before finally coming to a stop.
Unlike before, when he would only rage helplessly after losing his head, this time Hidan shot a massive amount of web-like threads from his neck, reattaching his head to his body. Thanks to his immortal vitality, he healed in no time.
Soon, there was no trace of injury left!
"Kyahaha!"
A manic grin spread across Hidan's face.
"Useless Kaneki! From now on, I’m not scared of you chopping off my head! Even if you hack me into pieces, I can still put myself back together!"
"One day, I swear I’ll kill you and offer you as a sacrifice to Lord Jashin!"
Drawing his black spear, he pointed it at Kaneki.
"No, scratch that—I can defeat you right now!"
─=≡Σ((( つ•̀ω•́)つ▬▬ι════════ﺤ
With that, he lunged at Kaneki with his spear.
Kaneki sighed, confused.
Could the kagune somehow be affecting his brain?
No, wait—Hidan didn’t have much of a brain to begin with. Maybe the kagune was acting as one for him?
As Hidan charged, Kaneki didn’t even move. Two crimson kagune limbs sprouted from his body, whipping up a whirlwind of blood-red fury at terrifying speed.
Before Hidan could get halfway, he was engulfed in the storm and hacked to pieces—
Eight pieces, to be exact.
His head, both arms, both legs, and torso were severed into three separate chunks.
“Ha! Trashy Kaneki, your attacks can’t stop me anymore!”
Hidan exuded confidence as he activated the kagune’s power within him, attempting to reassemble his body.
But no matter how hard he tried, the parasitic kagune remained unresponsive.
“Don’t bother,” Kaneki said, crouching down and looking at Hidan’s severed head with a condescending smirk. “These kagune are my creations. I can control their actions whenever I want.”
Hidan's face instantly fell. He roared in frustration, “I knew it! You’re up to no good!”
Kaneki shrugged nonchalantly. “Either way, you can’t beat me. At least this gives you a trump card when you’re fighting someone else.”
Though it made sense, Hidan wasn’t about to accept it so easily.
“Damn you, Kaneki! Get your disgusting kagune out of me! I swear, I’d rather die here than use your stupid creation for even a second!”
“Sure, sure, whatever you say.”
Kaneki didn’t bother arguing. He figured Hidan would change his tune once he truly got hacked to pieces in a fight.
With Hidan’s powers unlocked, Kaneki casually pulled out a box.
Countless *kagune sacs* floated up from the blood pool, and he collected them into the box one by one.
Finally able to leave headquarters and embark on a mission, Kaneki wasn’t about to miss this chance to promote the great Lord Jashin.
After all, it had been three months since he arrived in this world, and the *"System"* still hadn’t leveled up!
How could he pass up this opportunity to boost the cult’s reputation while on a mission?
“Damn you, Kaneki! Just wait! I’ll definitely get my revenge!”
Nearby, Hidan rubbed his neck. Even with immortality, being decapitated so many times had left him with some weird sensations.
“If you’re done, let’s go,” Kaneki said, hoisting the box and stepping out of the temple.
Hidan followed, grumbling under his breath.
Neither of them had much to pack. Kaneki only needed a spare set of clothes, while Hidan, true to form, brought nothing at all.
For him, the mission site was only a day’s journey away—two days round trip, with another two or three days for the task itself.
Why bother packing? Worst case, he could just wear his clothes inside-out.
---
“You’re surprisingly quick,” remarked Kikuchi Miura, nodding approvingly as the two approached.
Beside Kikuchi stood two other Jashinists, his assistants and companions for the mission.
In reality, calling them mission participants was a stretch—they were more like supervisors.
The cult leader trusted Kaneki and Hidan’s strength to handle the task, but he also knew the two could cause chaos if left unchecked.
Especially Hidan. Without supervision, it wouldn’t be surprising if his actions led to the entire cult being targeted by the Five Great Nations.
“All right, quit babbling. Let’s move,” Hidan said impatiently.
Kikuchi shot him a sharp look but said nothing, heading straight into the forest.
The other two cultists dared not utter a word either.
At headquarters, everyone feared the wrath of Kaneki and Hidan, the cult’s two "divine envoys." Crossing them was practically suicide.
Especially Hidan—he’d behead you just for looking at him the wrong way.
The Jashinist headquarters lay deep within a mountain forest. The surrounding woods were lush, though devoid of large animals.
Anything bigger—be it tigers, bears, or even rabbits—had long been sacrificed to Lord Jashin.
Now, as Kaneki and Hidan walked through the forest, they saw only tiny black beetles scuttling about and the occasional crow flying overhead.
---
As they walked, Kikuchi began briefing them on their mission.
“Our task is to reach Village by tomorrow evening, use our Jashinist necklaces to contact Mr. Sakamoto, obtain intelligence on Gato, then proceed to Gato Shipping Company’s headquarters and eliminate him.”
Hidan yawned, clearly uninterested.
“Why bother with all that? If you want to kill Gato, just find him and take him out. Simple.”
He shot Kikuchi a disdainful glance, as if mocking his intelligence.
Kikuchi’s face darkened. “Gathering intel on the enemy is essential before any battle!”
Hidan gave him a look of pure contempt. “Only weaklings need intel. The strong just kill their enemies and offer them to Lord Jashin.”
(End of Chapter)
*Chapter 15: The True Shinobi World*
Kikuchi Miura’s face darkened, as though he wanted to say something more. But Hidan’s nose twitched, and his expression suddenly lit up with excitement.
“Hmm? I think I smell fried pork cutlets!”
─=≡Σ((( つ•̀ω•́)つ
Without giving Kikuchi Miura a second glance, Hidan dashed off in the direction of the enticing aroma.
Kaneki followed, and sure enough, a small town appeared before them. Without hesitation, he trailed after Hidan.
“Lord Miura, should we—”
Two cultists of the Jashin faith hesitated as they looked to Kikuchi Miura for guidance.
After all, the man before them was the high priest’s most trusted subordinate and the previous second-in-command of the Jashin Cult.
On the other hand, there were Hidan and Kaneki, the so-called “children of the gods,” who thought nothing of lopping off heads at a whim.
If possible, the two cultists preferred not to offend either side.
Watching Hidan and Kaneki disappear into the town, Kikuchi Miura clenched his fists tightly and said coldly, “Hmph, follow them.”
Upon reaching the town, Hidan immediately found a fried pork cutlet shop and began devouring food with gusto.
Kaneki sat beside him, equally unrestrained in his eating.
The two of them had enormous appetites, and in no time, their table was stacked with over twenty plates.
“Ah~~ That really hit the spot!”
Hidan leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach contentedly. He glanced sideways at Kaneki, who maintained his usual expressionless demeanor, and said, “Hey, you bottomless pit, are you even human?”
Kaneki casually picked his teeth with a toothpick and replied indifferently, “It’s not that I eat too much; it’s that your stomach is too small. How else can you better serve Lord Jashin without eating more?”
In reality, Kaneki’s digestive system was unlike that of ordinary people. No matter how much he ate, his body rapidly converted the food into energy.
Twenty plates of fried pork cutlets? He could easily handle another hundred.
Not that it was necessary.
Once the two finished their meal, the bald, middle-aged owner of the cutlet shop approached them hesitantly.
The man, with his characteristic bald patch and a small mustache under his nose, had a towel slung over his shoulder. Smiling nervously, he asked, “Gentlemen, did you enjoy your meal?”
The owner’s cautious attitude was understandable—Hidan hardly looked like an upstanding citizen.
Running a small family business, the man was understandably worried about offending such dangerous individuals.
Waving dismissively, Hidan laughed and said, “It was great! Old man, your pork cutlets are top-notch!”
The middle-aged owner didn’t mind Hidan’s disrespectful tone and forced a smile. “I’m glad you liked them.”
Hidan, now full and content, got up and prepared to leave.
It was then that the owner stopped him in a hurry.
“Excuse me, sir…”
Hidan turned around, perhaps in a rare good mood from the meal, and asked without his usual hostility, “What is it?”
Rubbing his hands nervously, the owner said, “Well, um, you haven’t paid for your meal yet.”
For him, the fifty-plus servings of pork cutlets were a significant expense.
“Huh?”
Hidan scratched his head and turned to Kaneki, looking genuinely puzzled. “Wait, you have to pay for food?”
Seeing the earnest confusion on Hidan’s face, Kaneki sighed inwardly.
This guy isn’t pretending—he genuinely doesn’t know you’re supposed to pay for meals!
The owner grew visibly more anxious.
Kaneki glanced at Hidan. “I don’t have any money on me. Maybe Senpai Miura does.”
Hidan’s eyes lit up, and he smacked his palm with his fist. “You’re right!”
With that, he stepped outside, pulled a flare gun from his pocket, and fired it into the sky.
The blood-red signal flare exploded overhead, catching the attention of Kikuchi Miura and his men in the town. They rushed to the shop in no time.
What they saw upon arrival was a lounging Hidan and Kaneki calmly sipping tea.
Hidan’s face lit up when he saw Kikuchi Miura. “Perfect timing! You’re finally here. Pay for our meal, will you?”
Kikuchi Miura froze, his expression incredulous. “You used the Jashin Cult’s emergency signal… to call me here to pay for your meal?”
Hidan tilted his head. “What else?”
Crack.
Kikuchi Miura clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked audibly.
Hidan, unfazed by Miura’s reaction, casually strolled past him. “Kaneki, let’s go hit the hot springs!”
Pushing his glasses up, Kaneki replied, “Hot springs, huh? That does sound appealing.”
At this, Kikuchi Miura finally snapped.
“You two have gone too far.”
Drawing a long blade from his coat, he glared at them with a murderous glint in his eye. “Since when has the Jashin Cult ever paid for meals?”
In the next moment, his blade flashed, and the shopkeeper’s head fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
Even in death, the shopkeeper’s face was frozen in shock, as if he couldn’t comprehend losing his life over such a trivial matter.
Kikuchi Miura didn’t spare the man’s body a second glance, treating the act as casually as killing a chicken.
“I don’t care what kind of ‘god-children’ you two think you are. As members of the Jashin Cult, you’d better follow my orders.”
Blood dripped from the blade as Kikuchi Miura fixed them with a cold stare.
Kaneki turned slightly, his glasses reflecting a faint, icy glint. “Trying to put us in our place, are you?”
Hidan licked his lips with a twisted grin.
“You’re so annoying.”
He glanced at Kaneki and asked, “Any objections if I kill him?”
Kaneki, seemingly satisfied by the question, shrugged. “Go ahead. I don’t like noisy people either.”
“Perfect.”
Hidan’s face flushed with a sick excitement as though savoring the anticipation.
“You—”
Kikuchi Miura gritted his teeth in rage.
He had intended to assert dominance and solidify his position, but the utter disdain from the two had only infuriated him further.
“If that’s how it is, I’ll teach you a lesson in Lord Jashin’s name.”
The tension escalated instantly, and the atmosphere crackled with hostility.
As for the headless corpse and the grieving family of the shopkeeper?
No one paid them any mind.
This was the Shinobi World.
The true Shinobi World.
(End of Chapter)
