Shiki set down the book, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light—until a muffled "Mmph! Mmph!" came from above.
"What now?"
He glanced up at the ceiling and casually dissolved the webbing covering Hidan's mouth.
Finally regaining his right to bark, Hidan immediately started cursing. "Damn you, Shiki! You've been reading for a whole damn day! I'm starving to death!"
Only then did Shiki remember—this guy hadn't eaten since morning.
Well, technically, he had eaten, but it hadn't made it to his stomach.
"Alright. I thought someone as amazing as you, with an immortal body, wouldn't need to eat."
Shiki brushed off the dust and stood up, reeling Hidan's head down with a strand of silk.
Hearing this, Hidan huffed proudly. "Well, sure, I could go without eating since I'm immortal, but you need energy to prepare sacrifices for Lord Jashin and all that—"
"Mhm."
Shiki nodded dismissively.
Hidan bristled. "I'm serious! I won't die even if I don't eat!"
Shiki nodded solemnly. "I believe you. After all, Lord Jashin's gift of immortality means food is optional."
Hidan's face flushed red. This bastard Shiki was clearly patronizing him like a child!
To prove just how mighty Lord Jashin's undying body truly was, he made a decision.
"I'm not eating!"
"Huh?"
Shiki looked at him like he was an idiot.
First, he complains about starving, and now that they're in the cafeteria, he refuses to eat?
Hidan gritted his teeth. "I'll prove Lord Jashin's greatness! I won't let him be disgraced!"
"Uh…"
Shiki scratched his nose, taking a moment to unravel Hidan's logic.
Not eating = immortality doesn't require food = immortality is OP = Lord Jashin is awesome?
To preserve what little camaraderie they had left, Shiki explained, "I really don't look down on you for needing to eat."
This only made things worse. In Hidan's mind, Shiki's words hid a smug smirk.
The moment I take a bite, this bastard's gonna laugh at me with that infuriating face of his!
No way. I'm not eating!
Hidan shook his head resolutely.
Seeing this, Shiki gave up and ordered ten servings of Hidan's favorite pork cutlet rice. Then, right in front of him, he took a slow, deliberate bite.
The crispy, golden-brown breaded pork split open, oozing with molten cheese that stretched into long, fragrant strands—
Hidan clenched his jaw and shut his eyes tight, but the rich aroma still taunted his nostrils.
Shiki ate his fill, then finally reattached Hidan's head.
"Goodnight, Hidan."
With a faint smile, Shiki closed his door.
Hidan's expression darkened as he touched the stitches on his neck—patched up who-knows-how-many times.
Most importantly, he was still starving.
But for Lord Jashin's honor, he had to endure.
By midnight, Hidan could take it no longer.
Pressing his ear to the wall to confirm Shiki was asleep, he crept out and tiptoed toward the cafeteria.
Unbeknownst to him, a small spider watched from the ceiling, observing his every move.
The cafeteria was deserted at this hour, so Hidan slipped in easily.
"Damn you, Shiki… Just wait till I'm full. I'll kill you, and then Lord Jashin will know I'm his greatest chosen!"
Grumbling about the humiliation he'd suffered, he rummaged through the kitchen until he found his beloved pork cutlets.
Though cold, he didn't care—he tore into them ravenously.
"Mmm! So good!"
He chewed loudly, then suddenly frowned. Something hard was in his mouth.
"Ptooey!"
He spat out a thumb-sized object.
"Who the hell hides stuff in pork cutlets?!"
Annoyed, he picked it up—a small scroll.
"A scroll?"
A bad feeling crept over him, but curiosity won out. He unrolled it carefully.
[Hidan, how's the pork cutlet?]
The moment he read those words, shame and fury exploded in his chest, igniting into pure rage.
"SHIKI KAMIZUKI, I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Back in his room, Shiki smirked as he picked his ear.
Right on schedule.
But staying up late wasn't just to mess with Hidan.
In the temple, the blood pool suddenly began churning violently.
The guards on duty rushed to alert the cult leader, who arrived within minutes.
"Leader, look!" A cultist pointed at the ground.
The spilled blood had formed a single crimson character:
[SACRIFICE]
The leader's eyes widened with shock and excitement.
"Lord Jashin… has spoken!"
His hands trembled. After decades of rituals with no response, their god was finally demanding offerings.
Did this mean Lord Jashin's return was near?!
Heart pounding, he immediately summoned every cultist and ordered them to scour the mountains for beasts and poisonous creatures to sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Shiki lay in bed, smiling.
The life energy stored in his body (and the blood pool) had been depleted from gene analysis, creating human bodies, and forging kagune.
Now, he needed fresh energy to continue his research and create more "Jashin-spawn" to strengthen himself.
Rather than hunt beasts alone, why not exploit the cult's resources?
Rest, energy, power—all in one.
A true win-win.
And so, in the days that followed, the entire Jashin cult plunged into a frenzy of activity.