Chapter 17: Land of Waves

The chaotic night passed, and the sun rose as usual.

Despite the loss of livestock, the villagers, frightened by the sight upon waking, were not keen to delve deeper into the incident. They felt it was better to count their blessings and avoid further trouble.

Shinsuke and Hidan prepared to leave, but to their surprise, the old man returned, carrying a simple lunchbox.

"Who's this? A chicken with a spirit?!"

Even though Hidan's injuries had healed somewhat, his burnt eyebrows and hair had not regrown. The old man, upon seeing Hidan's smooth, bald head, was reminded of a peeled egg.

"Old man, you dare to come back?"

Hidan was clearly displeased, remembering the previous day's events. With both old and new grievances, he was in no mood for leniency.

As for Shinsuke, despite the funny sight, he managed to maintain his composure, though he couldn't help but laugh when he saw Hidan's reaction.

Hidan, now fuming, was visibly irritated by Shinsuke's laughter.

The old man quickly changed the subject, offering the lunchbox. "You've all gotten up. Have breakfast. Ayako worked hard to make this."

Hidan initially scorned the offer but was soon captivated by the perfectly arranged fried pork cutlets inside the lunchbox. The sight made him salivate.

"Don't think you can distract me with food!"

Hidan snatched the lunchbox and eagerly began eating.

The crispy, golden pork cutlets and savory sauce brought a look of satisfaction to Hidan's face. He hadn't had anything this good in a while.

"That good? Let me try," Shinsuke said, intrigued.

To his surprise, Hidan was protective of the food and refused to share.

"Dream on!" Hidan retorted, blocking Shinsuke's attempt and running off with the food.

Shinsuke, amused, could only shake his head.

Turning to the old man, Shinsuke asked, "Why come back after leaving? Don't tell me you're unaware of what happened last night."

The old man downplayed it, saying, "Just a few lost livestock. As long as people are safe, it's fine."

Shinsuke knew the old man was avoiding the topic and continued listening as he described how the livestock went mad and caused chaos. One large pig had even fainted from running into a tree.

Shinsuke realized the old man had managed to avoid danger and even claimed a pig for himself.

"It's time to go, Hidan!"

Hidan returned, wiping his mouth and returning the empty lunchbox to the old man. "Lucky for you, the evil god doesn't need old sacrifices right now. But don't count on this again."

Hidan left, head held high.

The old man wasn't offended, still recalling Hidan's earlier craving for fried pork cutlets. It seemed it wasn't a coincidence.

Days later, Shinsuke and Hidan crossed the Land of Fire and boarded a small boat to the Land of Waves.

Through conversation with the boatman, Shinsuke learned about the Land of Waves' current situation, including the familiar villain, Gato.

At this stage, Gato hadn't yet monopolized the shipping business. The Mira family, once the most powerful in the Land of Waves, was struggling against Gato's aggressive tactics.

The Mira family, having realized Gato's underhanded methods, began retaliating fiercely. They even planned to use the evil god cult as a secret weapon.

After the death of Mira's beloved daughter in a recent attack, the Mira family vowed revenge, even if it meant allying with the cult.

A small boat docked at the Land of Waves, where two members of the evil god cult arrived, ready to bring bloodshed.