Seven days later, Shinji Akagi was finally released from confinement.
He sat alone in the dining hall, quietly eating lunch.
Curry chicken.
Heavy portions.
Plenty of meat.
Decent flavor.
More than acceptable.
Life inside the Jashin Cult, stripped of morality, was oddly stable.
Training.
Blood extraction.
Experiment cooperation.
Sleep.
Repeat.
If one ignored the nature of the place, it almost resembled routine.
Compared to war orphans and refugees constantly hovering on the edge of death, his circumstances were practically luxurious.
Food.
Shelter.
Relative safety.
Sometimes Shinji even entertained a dangerous thought.
If he kept his head down…
He might survive like this indefinitely.
But he knew better.
The Jashin Cult would not last forever.
Organizations like this always collapsed.
Whether by outside extermination or internal implosion.
And if Hidan truly survived into the future while the cult vanished…
Then the implication was obvious.
One day, this place would burn.
Shinji took another bite of curry.
If that day came…
He would not go down with it.
A chair scraped violently across the floor.
Shinji looked up.
Hidan had kicked it over.
His expression was dark.
Unrested.
Irritated.
Still furious about losing the hot spring duel.
Seven days of confinement and ideological "correction" had done nothing to improve his mood.
"Eating?" Shinji asked calmly.
He shoveled another mouthful of rice into his mouth.
"Want some?"
"Die!"
Hidan drew his black spear and charged.
Shinji did not move.
He stepped aside.
The spear missed.
Hidan attacked again.
Miss.
Again.
Miss.
Shinji continued eating.
Only when his plate was empty did he finally look up.
Hidan froze.
A crimson X-shaped marking had appeared across Shinji's forehead.
Like blood pressed into skin.
Blood Art: Red Dominion – Crimson Scale Surge.
Shinji's cursed energy spiked.
Blood accelerated through his veins.
Heartbeat thundered.
Muscle density increased.
Reflexes sharpened.
He moved.
One step.
One punch.
Hidan vanished.
He slammed into the wall behind him.
The stone cratered.
Blood exploded from his mouth.
His spear clattered across the floor.
Silence.
Hidan slid down the wall, staring.
Impossible.
A week ago, they were equals.
Now he couldn't even touch Shinji.
Shinji spoke evenly.
"I can control circulation, pulse, and cellular density."
"I'm forcing my blood into overdrive."
"It raises strength and speed."
"In this state, you're too slow."
Hidan roared and grabbed his spear.
He charged again.
Shinji sighed.
A week ago, this would have been difficult.
After nearly bleeding to death in the hot spring…
After days of internal observation…
He had discovered this application.
It was dangerous.
Severely damaging.
Extended use could shorten his lifespan.
But for short bursts?
Overwhelming.
Shinji slipped past the spear.
His fist buried itself into Hidan's abdomen.
Hidan's eyes bulged.
Air exploded from his lungs.
Shinji's knee followed.
Straight toward Hidan's face.