"Hey, has this guy lost his mind?"
Hidan spoke in surprise as he watched Sakamoto consume eight or nine Kagune in one go. For a normal person, enduring the mental distortion of just one Kagune was a feat in itself. Sakamoto's act of eating so many at once was pure suicide. However, if he hadn't eaten them, he would have been no different from a dead man before Mori Shiraishi.
"This is getting more and more interesting."
A rare smile appeared on Simu's face. To him, an experiment was only worthwhile if one could observe every possible outcome. Under Simu's watchful gaze, an incredibly twisted and staggering aura erupted from Sakamoto like a tsunami. The Kagune he had swallowed swirled violently within his body before finally exploding outward.
"ARGH!!!!"
Sakamoto pried his mouth open and let out a wail of extreme agony. The Kagune relentlessly contorted his soul and flesh. Countless dark purple exoskeletons burst forth from every corner of his body.
"Die!"
"All of you, die!"
Accompanied by his pained roars, Sakamoto's mind finally shattered completely. The ultimate proof was the total transformation of his physical form.
His legs were entirely encased in exoskeletons and fused together, extending segment by segment until his entire lower body turned into a terrifying purple centipede dozens of meters long. His upper body underwent equally horrific changes. Dark purple exoskeletons covered his skin, and his hands transformed into giant scythes. His head was reshaped by the Kagune into a massive insectoid skull. A hideous, tooth-filled mouth-part grated together, producing a revolting noise.
"This fellow has gone completely berserk."
Simu pulled his hands from his pockets and slowly adjusted his glasses. Unlike the appreciative look he gave Mori Shiraishi, the look Simu gave Sakamoto was one reserved for a failed product.
"This thing is clearly stronger than that kid, right? Why do you look so disdainful?"
Hidan was utterly confused. Weren't these things supposed to be better the stronger they were?
Simu glanced at Hidan. "Since the harvest this time is decent, I'll bother to answer your question."
Hidan felt annoyed and wanted to hit Simu, but he knew he couldn't win the fight. Ignoring Hidan's suppressed frustration, Simu continued his explanation. "Even though Mori Shiraishi is no longer a normal human, his mind—or rather, his soul—remains in control. You could say that while he has merged further with the Kagune, he is still Mori Shiraishi in spirit."
"Sakamoto is different. Out of fear of death, he sold both his flesh and soul to Lord Jashin—the Kagune. Consequently, he is now nothing more than a mass of Kagune that still holds a large amount of Sakamoto's lingering will. For a short time, this body will act according to that will. But as time passes, that will will dissipate, and he will become..."
"A monster entirely dominated by Lord Jashin."
"Tsk."
Clearly, Hidan did not understand Simu's explanation. "Souls, flesh, wills... how troublesome. I'll just kill them all and sacrifice them to Lord Jashin later."
Simu rolled his eyes. He knew Hidan would react that way. Meanwhile, the terrifying aura radiating from Sakamoto made Mori Shiraishi tense up. He was tense, but not afraid—certainly not terrified.
"Coward who abandoned his own soul..."
A flicker of disdain crossed Mori Shiraishi's eyes. He sprinted toward the monster that now towered dozens of meters high. Sakamoto relished the twisted yet immense power surging through his body. His eyes flashed with a lethal light.
"Everyone, die!"
With a non-human roar, his massive body lunged into motion. His sharp legs struck the ground, sending sparks flying and dust billowing across the battlefield. Suddenly, Sakamoto shifted his weight, and his sharp, thick centipede tail crossed the entire stadium in an instant, smashing down toward Mori Shiraishi!
Despite his massive size, Sakamoto's speed was not slow. His body, lined with hundreds of blade-like legs, appeared before Mori Shiraishi almost instantly. Facing a leg nearly half as tall as a man, Mori Shiraishi chose to meet it head-on. He threw a heavy punch wrapped in dark red exoskeleton!
In an instant, sparks flew everywhere. The terrifying force radiated outward, creating a web of cracks in the floor. Mori Shiraishi used raw strength to knock the leg aside, but one must not forget that Sakamoto was now sixty meters long. Even if a leg was knocked away, that massive body still swung toward him like a crushing weight!
The force of a frontal impact from such a massive frame was not something Mori Shiraishi could resist. Upon contact, he was swatted away like a fly, slamming deep into the Colosseum wall. The already dilapidated cruise ship shook violently.
"Cough, cough..."
Mori Shiraishi struggled to crawl out of the broken wall, thick blood pouring from his mouth. The blow had caused his chest to cave in significantly. Had it not been for the exoskeleton, he would have died on the spot.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Sakamoto opened his mandibles. His mind was entirely warped; his actions were now merely following a lingering impulse to destroy everything in sight. Seeing Mori Shiraishi stand back up, Sakamoto twisted his massive body again and launched a fierce assault.
Having witnessed that terrifying power, Mori Shiraishi stopped trying to trade blows. He began dodging frantically around the stadium. He tried to get close a few times, but he was driven back by the horrific scythe-like Kagune on Sakamoto's arms.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
While chasing Mori Shiraishi, Sakamoto began mindlessly destroying the ship's hull and slaughtering other Ghouls. To him, the average Ghoul was a toy. Often, a mere twist of his body was enough to crush several to death.
The battle raged on.
"Boom!"
Mori Shiraishi was swatted away once more, smashing into the ground like a cannonball. The force shattered his exoskeleton and even broke his bones. This time, he did not get up.
"Kill!"
Sakamoto's triumphant roar echoed throughout the ship.
"Tch, so this guy wins in the end."
Hidan picked his ear, looking quite displeased. These sudden words caught Sakamoto's attention.
"Kill..."
Sakamoto turned his head and stared fixedly at Simu and Hidan. Within his tyrannical gaze, there was a trace of confusion. It was as if he were wondering: Why are there still two people here?
But the current Sakamoto only wanted to destroy the world. Without stopping to think, he twisted his horrific body and charged straight at Hidan and Simu!