The Test Subject

After dinner, Simu carried Hidan into the laboratory.

When their Cult Leader saw Hidan dangling from Simu's hand, he tiredly rubbed the space between his brows.

"Listen, Simu. I know Hidan has an Immortal Body, but that doesn't mean you can—"

Before he could finish, Hidan cut him off.

"Cut the crap. Why'd you call us here, old man?"

The Cult Leader glanced at Hidan, the words of admonishment caught in his throat.

He'd thought that, even if Hidan's personality had been a little rotten since childhood, at least he'd raised the boy himself, hadn't he?

That had to be better than this God Child who'd appeared out of nowhere, surely?

Now, though, the Cult Leader wished Simu would just cut Hidan into a few more pieces.

Even Simu was a little curious about how Hidan had managed to survive until now. He hadn't even had an Immortal Body before.

"Ahem!"

The Cult Leader was, after all, the head of a cult. He could keep his emotions in check better than certain people who liked to cut off other people's heads the moment they laid hands on them.

He looked at the two Chosen of God before him, a flicker of barely perceptible envy and resentment in his eyes.

"I called you both here because I want to know what abilities you received from Lord Jashin."

As if to maintain his image as the Jashin Cult's leader, he added, "After all, Lord Jashin governs countless powers. I want to see what blessings you've received."

In truth, he should've asked them yesterday, but Hidan had left him so confused that he'd forgotten. What the hell did he mean, that cat was thirty-seven years old?

At the question, Hidan sprang into action. With a swagger, he tipped his head to the side—and promptly rolled off the table onto the floor.

Uh...

After an awkward three seconds, Hidan's face flushed red as he roared, "Damn it, Simu! Pick me up!"

Simu hesitated for a moment, then cautiously pinched Hidan's hair between two fingers and hauled him back onto the table.

Having failed to look cool and thoroughly lost face, Hidan gritted his teeth and endured the indignity of being yanked around by his hair.

"Ahem!"

Hidan cleared his throat and resumed in a grand, imposing voice, "As Lord Jashin's most beloved representative, I inherited his Immortal Body and Curse Power."

"No matter what kind of damage I suffer, I won't die. What's more, with the Jashin Ritual, I can inflict the same injuries I suffer on my enemy!"

As he spoke, Hidan's eyes grew dangerous and feverish.

He couldn't help licking his lips. "Just give me a drop of their blood, and I'll kill even the Sage of Six Paths!"

Then he turned to Simu and threatened him. "You'd better watch your back, Simu. Once I get your blood, you'll know nothing but endless pain!"

Simu adjusted his glasses, unmoved by Hidan's threat.

To be fair, Hidan's ability was a real nuisance. As long as he kept it secret, he could kill an enemy silently from a thousand miles away.

After all, who would imagine that a drop of blood casually left behind on a battlefield could become the blade that took their life?

It was an extremely practical skill with real strategic value.

That said...

Simu glanced sideways at Hidan's slicked-back hair on the table. He hardly looked like someone who'd kill in secret.

If this guy wanted to kill someone, he'd probably charge straight at the enemy, waving a weapon and shouting, "Long live Lord Jashin!"

That was why the Cult Leader felt so bitter about it.

Why had Lord Jashin bestowed his blessing on Hidan, who only knew how to cut people up, instead of on his own loyal servant?

He'd been there first!

Unfortunately, from what Simu could tell, Lord Jashin hadn't had much choice.

After learning about Hidan's abilities, the Cult Leader nodded slightly.

The Jashin Cult could probably develop some new services around Hidan's unique ability—long-distance curse killings, for instance.

"Since that's the case, show us what you can do."

The Cult Leader rose slowly and had someone bring in Hidan's body, then tie it to a cross.

"Hey, hey! I can put up with being experimented on, but watching you experiment on my own body is way too weird!"

Hidan complained bitterly.

It wasn't his fault. No normal person could stomach an experiment like this.

But Simu wasn't normal.

"Simu, give him a few cuts."

"Yes."

At the Cult Leader's command, Simu didn't hesitate to use his [Koukaku: Mantis] to slash Hidan twice.

"Ahhh~"

Hidan let out a sound that defied description.

The Cult Leader's expression twitched for a moment, as if he were struggling to restrain himself. A few seconds later, he leaned toward Hidan's wounds.

"As expected, this regenerative ability is ridiculous."

The Cult Leader couldn't help marveling. Hidan's wounds had already healed within a few seconds.

"Since his regenerative ability checks out, let's test the other one."

The Cult Leader clapped his hands, and an underling immediately brought over a slave.

"Simu, put him back together."

"Mm."

Only then did Simu set Hidan's head back on his neck.

"Damn it, Simu! You put it on backward!" Hidan roared, facing the wrong way.

"Sorry."

Simu adjusted his glasses and rotated Hidan's head a hundred and eighty degrees with one hand.

"There, that's better."

A faint smile appeared on his face. Two appendages sprang from his back and whirred around the stump of Hidan's neck, quickly spitting out spider silk to glue his head and body together.

"I'm finally back!"

Hidan spread his arms as if he'd been reborn. He looked at Simu and thought it over, but decided not to hold it against him for now.

Once he caught Simu off guard and got his blood...

Heh heh heh!

After that, Simu would have to do whatever he said. If Hidan told him to go east, he wouldn't dare go west. Hidan could make him do whatever he wanted.

Watching Hidan's foolish grin, Simu frowned. "Did your brain leak out with the pork cutlet earlier? What are you grinning about?"

"What did you say?"

Hidan glared at Simu.

"Enough!"

The Cult Leader wearily called a halt to their bickering.

"Just test your ability already."

"Fine. I'll show you what true Jashin power looks like!"

Hidan's expression turned wicked. He looked at the bandit the cultists had brought in and, under the man's terrified gaze, thrust his weapon clean through his...

Skin.

The bandit let out a huge breath, like air escaping a punctured ball. He'd thought he was about to die!

"Ever felt despair?"

Hidan raised the bloodied black spear to his mouth, then licked it with his pink tongue.

"So... delicious!"

As Hidan made his perverse display, his skin turned black and white all over.

He cut open his own arm with the spear, letting his blood spill freely onto the ground. Then he scraped his toe across the floor, drawing Jashin's symbol: a circle around a triangle.

"Are you ready to face despair?"