33. Utter Madness

"Huh? Has this guy lost his damn mind?"

Hidan stared at Sakamoto, who had just gulped down eight or nine Kagune in one go, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.

For a normal human, enduring the mental corruption of even one Kagune was already a feat. But this bastard had swallowed so many at once—this was pure, unadulterated suicide.

Then again, if he didn’t, he’d be as good as dead against Shiraishi Mori anyway.

"This is getting more and more interesting."

A rare smirk tugged at Shiki’s lips.

Experiments were only worthwhile when you observed every possible outcome.

Under Shiki’s watchful gaze, an unholy, twisted aura erupted from Sakamoto’s body like a tidal wave of madness.

The Kagune he had devoured writhed inside him, their power bursting forth in a grotesque metamorphosis.

"AAAAAAAAAGH—!!!"

Sakamoto’s mouth stretched wide in a scream of pure agony.

The Kagune warped his flesh and soul, dark-purple exoskeleton violently sprouting from every inch of his body.

"DIE!"

"EVERYONE—DIE!!"

His howls of pain marked the final collapse of his sanity.

The proof?

His body was no longer human.

His legs fused together, encased in segmented armor, elongating into a monstrous centipede-like tail stretching dozens of meters long.

His upper body wasn’t spared either—sickle-like blades replaced his arms, while his head split open, reforming into a nightmarish insectoid maw, its jagged mandibles gnashing with a sickening click-clack.

"He’s gone completely berserk."

Shiki slowly adjusted his glasses, his hand slipping out of his pocket.

Unlike the appreciative gaze he had given Shiraishi Mori, his eyes now held nothing but disdain—the look reserved for a failed experiment.

"This guy’s way stronger than that brat, right? Why the hell do you look so unimpressed?"

Hidan frowned, baffled.

Wasn’t stronger always better?

Shiki sighed. "Fine. Since today’s results have been decent, I’ll humor you."

Hidan gritted his teeth—he hated when Shiki talked down to him. But he couldn’t do shit about it.

Ignoring Hidan’s irritation, Shiki continued:

"While Shiraishi Mori is no longer strictly human, his soul remains dominant. He fused with the Kagune, but he is still in control."

"Sakamoto, however, sold his body and soul to the Evil God—to the Kagune—out of fear of death."

"What stands before us now isn’t Sakamoto. It’s a Kagune wearing his memories, acting on his lingering impulses. Soon, even those will fade, and he’ll become nothing more than..."

"A mindless monster, enslaved to the Evil God’s will."

"Tch."

Hidan clearly didn’t get it.

"Souls, bodies, wills—who gives a shit?"

"Just kill ‘em all and offer ‘em to Lord Jashin. Problem solved."

Shiki rolled his eyes. Of course that’s his takeaway.

__

The abominable aura radiating from Sakamoto put Shiraishi Mori on edge—but not in fear.

Only disgust.

"A coward who abandoned his own soul..."

Mori’s eyes flashed with contempt before he charged straight at the towering monstrosity.

Sakamoto, reveling in his twisted new power, let out a guttural screech.

"DIE!!!"

His gigantic centipede body lashed out, dozens of bladed legs scraping sparks across the deck as he surged forward.

In an instant, his massive tail—thick as a tree trunk—slammed down like a falling pillar!

Despite his size, Sakamoto was fast.

Mori met the attack head-on, his armor-clad fist smashing into the bladed limb with a deafening CLANG!

BOOM!

The shockwave shattered the ground, fissures spiderwebbing outward.

Mori knocked the limb aside—but Sakamoto’s body was fifty meters long.

He wasn’t just fighting a man.

He was fighting a natural disaster.

Before Mori could recover, the entire bulk of Sakamoto’s monstrous form slammed into him, sending him flying like a ragdoll.

CRASH!

Mori embedded into the arena wall, the already battered cruise ship groaning under the impact.

"Cough—! Ghk—!"

He dragged himself out of the rubble, blood gushing from his mouth.

His chest was caved in—without his exoskeleton, he’d be dead already.

"KILL… KILL… KILL!!"

Sakamoto’s mandibles clattered, his mind gone, driven only by the last embers of his hatred.

When he saw Mori stand again, he attacked once more—but this time, Mori dodged.

He weaved through the wreckage, avoiding Sakamoto’s sickle-arms and crushing tail, searching for an opening.

But Sakamoto wasn’t just chasing him.

He was destroying everything.

The ship shook as his massive body flattened fleeing ghouls like bugs—splattering them with a mere twist of his form.

BOOM!

Another brutal swing sent Mori smashing through the deck, his exoskeleton shattering, bones snapping.

This time—

He didn’t get up.

"KILL… KILL… KILL!!"

Sakamoto’s triumphant roar echoed across the ruined ship.

"Tch. So the bastard won after all."

Hidan picked at his ear, annoyed.

That single remark drew Sakamoto’s attention.

"...Kill?"

His hollow, bloodshot eyes locked onto Shiki and Hidan.

For a split second, he seemed confused.

Why are there still two people left?

But reason was beyond him now.

With a mindless shriek, he surged toward them, his monstrous body obliterating everything in its path.