12. Mom Never Has to Worry About Me Getting Beheaded Again!

BOOM!

The violent explosion reduced the entire cafeteria to rubble.

The cult leader, who had just arrived, stood frozen in place, trembling, his eyes vacant.

Kikuchi's face was etched with disbelief. He glanced at the stunned leader and finally understood why he had aged so drastically in just three months.

Dozens of cultists stared at the wreckage in horror.

That was close!

They had almost been buried along with the cafeteria.

"Cough... cough..."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a charred figure pushed aside a chunk of debris and crawled out.

"HAHAHAHA! Damn you, Shiki! No way you walked away from that unharmed!"

Hidan laughed maniacally, completely ignoring the horrific burns covering his body.

Injuries that would be fatal to anyone else were just another Tuesday for him.

But before his triumph could last even three seconds—

"Seems you've truly run out of ideas if you're resorting to tactics as brainless as your own."

Shiki's voice rang out casually. Somehow, he was already standing atop the ruins, unscathed.

"WHAT?! Impossible!"

Hidan's face twisted in shock.

Shiki adjusted his glasses as the charred exoskeleton covering his body crumbled away. His [Kakuja: Mantis] lashed out, effortlessly decapitating Hidan—again.

To be fair, Hidan's attack had posed some threat this time.

If not for the new Kagune Shiki had developed over the past three months—[Kakuja: Ant-Man]—this body might have been lost.

The ability was simple: it coated the user in a hardened exoskeleton durable enough to withstand blades and explosions.

"SHIKI! HIDAN! GET OVER HERE!"

The cult leader had finally reached his limit.

Shiki sighed and obediently carried Hidan's head over.

"If you two are so eager to fight, then go on a mission!"

The leader couldn't take it anymore. If these two stayed at headquarters any longer, they'd reduce the entire temple to rubble.

"A mission?"

Hidan's eyes lit up. He craned his neck excitedly. "Are we killing people?"

The leader nodded wearily.

He had tried punishing Hidan before, but—what was the point?

The guy couldn't die. The cult's most brutal tortures only made him moan in pleasure.

What was he supposed to do?

The only one who could keep Hidan in check was Shiki—who regularly beheaded him for fun.

"What's the mission?"

Compared to Hidan, Shiki was the picture of reliability.

The leader met his gaze. "You're to assassinate a man named Gato. With Hidan's abilities, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Eaglets must learn to fly," he added solemnly. "Kikuchi will brief you on the details en route."

On cue, Kikuchi stepped forward.

"I'll be guiding you on this mission."

He slicked back his hair and eyed Hidan. "Let's hope you cooperate. Only the faithful—and the intelligent—can truly serve as Lord Jashin's envoys."

Hidan's eye twitched.

"You bastard! Questioning my faith?!"

Shiki pinched the bridge of his nose. "If I had to guess, he was calling you brainless."

Hidan relaxed. "Oh, just that—"

Then it hit him.

"YOU DARE CALL ME STUPID?! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Thankfully, with his head in Shiki's grip, he wasn't going anywhere.

The leader massaged his temples. "They're your problem now."

"Understood."

Once the leader left, Shiki spoke up. "Senior Miura, we'll gather our things."

Kikuchi nodded. "Make it quick. We leave tonight."

"Right."

Shiki hauled Hidan toward the temple.

Along the way, Hidan grumbled, "Why'd you stop me from killing that guy?!"

Shiki smirked. "Not yet. I've got a gift for you."

"Huh? What now?"

Hidan frowned. Shiki was never this nice.

Without warning, Shiki tossed Hidan's head and body into the blood pool.

"Relax. You're getting an upgrade."

"Wait, what—"

Hidan's protests were cut short as Shiki gagged him with webbing.

Then, he was submerged.

Shiki activated his ability.

The pool's depths had transformed into living flesh, with crimson tendrils branching underground like roots.

Beneath the surface, an ant colony had carved a vast network of tunnels, harvesting every living thing within a 10-kilometer radius and funneling nutrients back to the pool.

In essence, Shiki had turned the area into his personal surveillance zone.

Under his command, the pool expelled a 30-centimeter-long egg—the core of a Kagune, a parasitic lifeform that merged with its host.

The egg latched onto Hidan's back, sprouting tendrils that burrowed into his flesh.

"Mmmph—!"

Hidan groaned as the egg fused with his spine. Then, silken threads shot from his neck, stitching his head back onto his body.

This was [Koukaku: Parasitic Spider]—a custom Kagune designed for Hidan.

Unlike standard [Koukaku: Spider], it couldn't sprout bladed limbs.

Instead, its silk production was enhanced, allowing Hidan to regenerate even if dismembered.

Hidan's Verdict: "Mom never has to worry about me getting beheaded again!"