The Power of Lord Jashin

The moment the bunny girl's delicate hand touched Simu's chest, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Shut up, shut up!"

Hidan walked into the private room from outside, a fried chicken drumstick in his mouth.

"All this damn music and stench everywhere. It's so annoying!"

Chairman Sakamoto furrowed his brow, but remembering what Simu had said, he held back his anger and instead gave a meaningful look.

Several bunny girls nearby hurried over, pressing their soft bodies against Hidan and surrounding him.

"Sir, please don't be angry."

That sort of attention was irresistible to ordinary men.

But our Hidan was no ordinary man!

He shoved away the two coquettish bunny girls on either side of him and said coldly, "Believe me, I'll slaughter every one of you and sacrifice you to Lord Jashin."

Chilling killing intent spread from Hidan, instantly dispelling the room's suggestive atmosphere.

Simu nudged his glasses and smiled faintly at Sakamoto.

"Chairman Sakamoto, I'm terribly sorry. My younger brother is a little..."

As he spoke, he tapped his temple and gave a look that said, You understand.

Sakamoto could only manage an awkward yet polite smile. "I understand. In that case, let's go over there and discuss business."

"Mm."

Simu stood up.

Hearing their conversation, Hidan's eyes widened. "You bastard, Simu! Who are you calling your younger brother?"

Simu suddenly raised his hand. A mass of spider silk shot from between his spread fingers, swiftly binding Hidan tightly until he looked like a cocoon.

If he hadn't been worried about exposing his abilities, Simu would have already been holding Hidan's head in his hand.

Simu's ability to shoot silk genuinely surprised Chairman Sakamoto.

Is it some kind of secret technique? Or a Kekkei Genkai?

Chairman Sakamoto stared at Simu's palm for a while, until Simu's voice brought him back to his senses.

"Chairman Sakamoto, shall we go?"

"Oh, yes. This way, please."

Chairman Sakamoto raised a hand, his manner noticeably more sincere.

To him, only people with enough strength were worth having as allies.

To prevent any secrets from leaking, Sakamoto sent all the bunny girls away, leaving only a few subordinates by his side.

Judging by their stances, the way they walked, and their scent, these subordinates were probably ninja, just like Kikuchi Miura.

Simu and Sakamoto sat at opposite ends of a long table.

Sakamoto had eight subordinates beside him, while Simu had only a cocoon that he could pick up and use as a weapon at any moment.

"You two certainly live up to your reputation as the pillars of the Jashin Cult."

"You're not distracted by beauty or tempted by luxury. I imagine you have great ambitions."

Sakamoto clasped his hands together and launched straight into a torrent of flattery.

Simu merely smiled. "You're too kind, Mr. Sakamoto. We're here at the Cult Leader's command to help resolve your troubles."

Seeing that Simu had no intention of exchanging pleasantries, Sakamoto got straight to the point. "In that case, Xiaofu, bring the information on Gato over to Lord God Child."

"Yes."

A subordinate beside him answered and quickly produced a file.

It was clear that Sakamoto took the foreign merchant Gato very seriously. He had compiled a thick stack of documents about him alone.

The subordinate called Xiaofu walked slowly over to Simu and set the stack of papers on the table in front of him.

"Please take a look, Mr. Simu. If everything looks good, I hope you can help me get rid of this thorn in my side as soon as possible."

There was a hint of urgency in Sakamoto's voice. Gato had considerable influence in the Land of Waves, and if he managed to expand into the Land of Rivers, Sakamoto's business would inevitably suffer a huge blow.

Meeting Chairman Sakamoto's anxious gaze, Simu didn't open the file. Instead, he nudged his glasses and said calmly:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sakamoto, but we have no intention of going after Gato ourselves."

At those words, the atmosphere in the meeting room instantly froze, and Sakamoto's face darkened.

"So, Mr. Simu, are you playing me for a fool?"

Sakamoto narrowed his eyes, a murderous glint in his piglike face.

As Sakamoto spoke, his subordinates swiftly placed their hands on their weapons. The dreadful aura emanating from them made the air in the room feel even heavier.

"Mr. Simu, I respect the Jashin Cult because it's our ally. But if the Jashin Cult can't give the Sakamoto Trading Company what it wants, then I don't see why we should keep paying the hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of ryo we give you each year."

Sakamoto slowly turned the jade ring on his finger.

He had made himself perfectly clear: he gave the Jashin Cult money so they would do things for him. If they couldn't, not only would they get no more money, but they might even have to pay it back!

With so many people unleashing their hostility, Hidan struggled desperately inside the cocoon, itching to get out and kill someone.

But Simu still wore a faint smile.

He leaned back in his chair, looking completely at ease.

"Mr. Sakamoto, you've misunderstood. It's not that I won't go after Gato. I just don't plan to do it myself."

"Oh?"

Hearing Simu's words, Sakamoto sat up straight, an interested look on his face.

Seeing this, Simu stopped keeping him in suspense and opened the box in his hands.

The moment the black leather case opened, a powerful stench of blood and decay hit them!

Everyone looked inside. The box was divided into dozens of small compartments, each containing something about the size of a palm, pulsing slowly like a heart.

An egg.

Or, more accurately—

a Kagune!

"What is this?"

Sakamoto looked puzzled, while his subordinates grew even more wary, ready to strike at any moment and capture the enemy.

Simu picked up a Kagune and gently tossed it toward Sakamoto.

The crimson Kagune arced through the air before being caught in front of Sakamoto by a subordinate who appeared to be a ninja.

At last, Simu explained, "This is a gift from Lord Jashin. It's called a Kagune. Any ordinary person who eats one can gain the power bestowed by Lord Jashin."

"The power bestowed by Lord Jashin?"

Disbelief was written all over Sakamoto's face. His subordinates wore the same expression: I don't believe it.

Simu merely smiled. "If you want to know whether it's real, Mr. Sakamoto, just have someone try it."

Holding on to the last shred of trust he had in the Jashin Cult, Sakamoto decided to find someone to test it.

He had a subordinate go outside and fetch a random server.

"Eat this, and I'll give you two hundred thousand ryo," Sakamoto said succinctly.

The server they had brought in went from terrified to delighted at those words.

"I'll eat it!"

He steeled himself against his disgust and swallowed the egg in one gulp.

It was only an egg, after all. At worst, he'd get diarrhea. As long as it didn't kill him, he'd have two hundred thousand ryo in his hands!

He could leave the trading company right away and become a small-time merchant.

As he fantasized about the wonderful life he'd have with two hundred thousand ryo, the egg he had swallowed rapidly broke down inside him. It traveled along his blood vessels and gathered at his lower back.

Then—

A heart-rending scream rang out.

"Ah!!!"