The cult leader had just returned to his room when he slammed the door shut and violently tore off the Jashin pendant from his neck. Extreme fury made his veins bulge across his body.
Here, he no longer needed to restrain himself, revealing his true vicious and brutal nature.
"Why?! Why, Lord Jashin?!" He raised the pendant, staring madly at the circular symbol with an inner triangle, his face twisted with rage.
"Why?! I was the first! I revived the Jashin cult! I've offered you so many sacrifices every year! Why?! Why won't you acknowledge me?!"
"That brat Hidan is one thing, but why would you bless some outsider? Why not me? I was the first!" His fury gradually turned to despair as the pendant clattered to the floor.
He slid down against the wall, utterly defeated.
Suddenly, a light flashed in his eyes as madness returned. "I understand now! I get it! You're testing me, aren't you? You want to see if I can steal that incredible power from them, right? That must be it! It has to be!"
Regaining hope, he waved his arms excitedly.
"I knew it! Lord Jashin wouldn't abandon me."
Having reached this conclusion, the leader instantly calmed down, though his eyes still simmered with dangerous madness.
Of course, Shiki had no idea about the leader's mental breakdown.
After the leader left, he carried Hidan's head back to the main hall where Hidan's body was being reassembled.
"Hey! Can't you hold my head properly? How am I supposed to maintain my reputation in the cult like this?" Hidan's tone had lost its initial aggression, now carrying a hint of reluctant resignation.
Shiki simply shrugged. "Just kill them all later. Problem solved."
Hidan paused, then his eyes lit up.
He was right!
If he killed all the witnesses, no one would know what happened today!
"Hmph, I have to admit, you're pretty clever," Hidan said with forced pride.
"No need for flattery," Shiki replied indifferently, completely unfazed by the backhanded compliment.
Hidan, annoyed by Shiki's indifference, added, "Since you're not completely stupid, if you swear loyalty to me now, I might make you deputy leader later."
Shiki smiled, adjusted his glasses, and lifted Hidan's head to face level. "Do you want to know what it feels like to be filled with shit?"
Hidan exploded again. "Damn you, Shiki! Is shit your only threat?!"
Shiki shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, you and shit are pretty much the same."
"I'll kill you!" Hidan snarled.
Still indifferent, Shiki placed Hidan's head on the ground and adjusted its position slightly.
A terrible premonition struck Hidan. "Wait! Damn it, Shiki, what are you doing?!"
Shiki grinned. "Watch this... perfect shot!"
He wound up and kicked Hidan's head like a soccer ball with flawless technique.
Even professional players would admire this kick—it had at least a century's worth of skill behind it.
Unfortunately, Shiki wasn't actually a soccer expert. Though he'd aimed for Hidan's body, the head instead flew straight into the blood pool.
"[Jashin Genes] (Analysis Progress: 0.004%)"
Well, Shiki admitted he might have done that on purpose.
"Hey, you guys, fish Hidan out for me," Shiki ordered.
The cultists, who had been stitching Hidan's body back together, hurried to comply.
After all, this was one of the chosen ones—a monster who casually beheaded people and used their heads as soccer balls.
Disobeying him might mean becoming the next ball.
"Bastard Kamizuki Shiki! I warn you, never use my head as a soccer ball again!" Hidan continued barking.
But humans are like this.
As the saying goes: If you ask to open a window, they'll refuse.
But if you demand to tear off the roof, they'll compromise and open the window.
Hidan was the same.
At first, he'd been furious about being decapitated.
Now his demand had downgraded to: "You can cut off my head, just don't kick it around."
Such is human compromise.
"Put him down. I'll stitch the head myself," Shiki said, taking Hidan's head as two more blade-like limbs extended from his ribs.
Hidan's expression changed. "Damn you, Shiki! I knew you were up to no good! What now?!"
His newly stitched body began struggling.
Remarkably, Hidan's body was already functional after just minutes of stitching.
Shiki frowned. "Stop moving."
Two more mantis-like blades pinned Hidan's body to the ground.
"Ahh~" Hidan let out a moan.
Shiki grimaced. This guy might have masochistic tendencies.
No matter.
The limbs from his ribs began moving rapidly, producing thin white threads—a feature of his [Armor Kakuja: Spider], which could generate webbing to restrain prey.
Of course, it could also be used for stitching.
Shiki just never expected his first use of this ability would be sewing a head back on.
He worked quickly, reattaching Hidan's head in no time.
"Done." Shiki clapped his hands and released Hidan.
"Damn you, Shiki! I'll—" Hidan tried to lunge, but couldn't move.
One cultist hesitantly spoke up. "Um, Lord Shiki... you sewed Lord Hidan's head on backwards."
Shiki raised an eyebrow. "Oh. So I did."
He hadn't noticed—Hidan's body had been face-down, meaning his head was now facing the wrong direction.
"I'LL KILL YOU! KILL YOU!" Hidan's voice was hoarse with rage.
Then the cultists watched as a red blur shot from Shiki's body, cleanly slicing off Hidan's newly reattached head again.
Hidan: "I F*CKING—!"