The thick black exoskeleton on Mori Shiraishi's body suddenly bulged, its surface reflecting a dark purple light. Releasing explosive power, he directly tore open the reinforced steel cage before him!
Witnessing this scene, Sakamoto naturally flew into a rage.
"Where did this monster come from? Kill him immediately!"
Under Sakamoto's command, his subordinates sprang into action. The first to strike was naturally the closest one, the ninja known as Abu.
"Thinking you can leave this place... aren't you being a bit too naive?"
Abu appeared directly behind Mori Shiraishi with a Body Flicker Jutsu.
After a brief series of hand signs, the chakra within his body rapidly gathered in his palms, which he then slammed heavily onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Mudslide."
The Earth Style chakra was released instantly, transforming the ground beneath Mori Shiraishi's feet into a patch of quicksand.
Mori Shiraishi pounded the ground with his hands, but it was useless. While the heavy exoskeleton on his body provided him with immense strength and defense, it also significantly increased his weight.
Faced with the quicksand, he could only watch helplessly as he began to sink.
However, his parents behind him would not simply stand by and watch.
"Keiko, hurry and help Mori!"
"Understood."
Keiko nodded heavily. The eight slender legs on her back shot out rapidly, firmly grabbing hold of her son.
Shiro Shiraishi, meanwhile, leaped high from the gap in the Octagon Cage. The thick centipede Bikaku behind him swung down from above like a giant sword, slashing toward Abu.
The latter did not hesitate and instantly formed hand signs.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall."
A massive, thick wall of earth rumbled up from the ground, blocking the heavy strike.
The violent collision caused several cracks to appear on the wall. Sensing the terrifying power transmitted through the barrier, Abu's expression turned solemn.
"In just a few hours, they have already gained such formidable power?"
He was genuinely surprised. After all, only two or three hours had passed since the Shiraishi couple had been implanted with their Kagune.
If they could completely master the Kagune, Chairman Sakamoto's dream of rivaling a hidden village might actually not be a mere fantasy.
While Abu's mind wandered, Shiro Shiraishi's next wave of attacks arrived.
The thick, hard Bikaku shattered the Mud Wall directly, and the man charged through the rubble.
From within the dust, Abu hurled several kunai. They pierced through the haze, and the Paper Bombs attached to them were triggered the moment they reached Shiro Shiraishi.
"Boom!"
The shockwave from the Paper Bomb explosion cleared the dust but ignited a fearsome blaze and thick black smoke.
Even though Shiro Shiraishi had used his Bikaku for defense in advance, the violent blast still scorched his tail black and broke it into several sections. The impact of the explosion sent him flying back, landing right in front of Mori Shiraishi.
On the edge of the highest spectator stand, Hidan wore a long black trench coat, his legs dangling and swinging idly in the air. He watched the chaotic scene below with boredom.
"Simu, it looks like your centipede Bikaku isn't all that great. One blast from a Paper Bomb and it shatters."
Simu stood beside him, likewise observing the situation below.
"The power of a Kagune is inherently dependent on the individual. The more power a host can provide, the stronger the Kagune becomes."
Upon hearing this, Hidan let out a "Tch." "And here I thought every Kagune could be like yours."
Speaking of which, he couldn't help but recall the scene where Simu swung his mantis Kagune and decapitated him with a single stroke. Suddenly, Hidan shuddered.
Simu glanced at him sideways, a look of disdain appearing on his face.
Below, urged on by Sakamoto, even more subordinates joined the battle against the Shiraishi family. A barrage of kunai and shuriken were thrown.
To prevent his parents from being harmed, Mori Shiraishi could only act as a shield, using his hard exoskeleton to block all the incoming weapons. Although his exoskeleton was indeed tough enough, numerous wounds inevitably began to appear under such a dense assault.
"At this rate, they won't last much longer," Hidan remarked casually.
Simu adjusted his glasses and said indifferently, "Mori Shiraishi is merely an experimental subject. If he lives, fine; if he dies, he dies."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, as if the beings fighting below were not humans, but a swarm of insects.
"While I look forward to his performance, failure is the most common outcome in an experiment."
"Tsk, tsk..."
Hidan looked at Simu. "You really are cold-blooded, aren't you?"
"Once this experiment is over, there shouldn't be a problem if I sacrifice all these guys to Lord Jashin, right?"
"Of course."
Simu replied without hesitation, "This was meant to be a sacrificial ritual held for Lord Jashin from the very beginning."
Saying this, Simu took the opportunity to tease Hidan: "This kind of sacrificial ritual is far more sophisticated than those performed by people who only know how to kill, kill, kill."
"Bastard Simu! You're looking for death!"
Just as Hidan was about to settle the score with Simu, an anomaly occurred below.
The spectators who had been frantically fleeing the scene suddenly ran back with faces full of terror.
"Monsters!"
"They're all monsters!"
They were in a state of panic.
Outside the shattered gates of the arena, within the endless darkness, countless red spots of light abruptly surfaced. A dense scent of blood surged uncontrollably from the gates into the interior of the arena!
One spectator had just returned to the arena when, as she was running, her body was split in half diagonally from shoulder to waist!
Before she died, a look of terror and disbelief remained on her face.
"The taste of these nobles is truly sweet!"
In the darkness, numerous Ghouls wearing tattered prison uniforms appeared. Various types of Kagune grew from their bodies, stained with foul-smelling blood.
The person who had just performed the instant kill was a female prisoner fused with a Rinkaku · Mantis.
In addition, Ghouls with Bikaku · Mantis, Koukaku · Antman, and Koukaku · Parasitic Spider also appeared one after another. They took various forms, but the one thing they shared was the fire of revenge flickering in their eyes.
The battlefield fell into an eerie silence for a moment.
Sakamoto watched this scene in disbelief. One second he was imagining conquering the world with the Kagune; the next, he was facing this terrifying force. This gap left him feeling incredibly enraged!
After searching around, he finally spotted Simu and Hidan sitting casually on the edge of the stands.
"Kamizuki Simu! What is the meaning of this?!"
"Are you going to betray the alliance between the Sakamoto Company and the Jashin Religion?"
He questioned Simu furiously, but the latter remained completely unbothered.
"Mr. Sakamoto, I haven't broken any contract. I have already placed the Kagune in your hands. How you arrange them is your business."
"As for these people, our agreement never stated that the Kagune could not be given to anyone else."
At this point, Simu slowly stood up and looked down at everyone, his eyes devoid of emotion. It was as if those fighting below were not living beings, but a pile of emotionless data.
"Mr. Sakamoto, only those who survive this ritual are qualified to obtain the power of Lord Jashin."