That day, the doctor patted my belly and asked if I felt anything here.
I said I felt someone touching my stomach.
And also…
Don't touch it randomly. The intestines might burst.
Although the process was arduous, the final result wasn't bad.
The scissors were found—really were inside the stomach.
And then the stomach was stitched back up. This time nothing was left inside, thank goodness!
So this matter just ended like that…
Yeah right!
After only one day of recuperation, Hidan—still wrapped in bandages—started racking the rarely-used part of his brain, thinking long and hard.
He wanted revenge, but that wasn't so easy, because…
He couldn't beat that bastard!
It was freaking tragic, damn it!
Then Shinji pushed the door open and walked in, startling him so badly that he actually twitched—really twitched. The kind of jolt that leaves you empty inside afterward.
It was like when you're hiding in your room doing something bad in front of "study materials" on your computer, and suddenly your parents push the door open…
You can imagine the scene yourself.
"Bastard Shinji! What are you here for? I don't want to see you right now!"
"Relax. I'm here to apologize this time—and with full sincerity!" Shinji said confidently. If you ignored the Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe he was carrying, Hidan might've believed him just a tiny bit.
But as things stood, compared to an apology, Hidan was far more inclined to believe this guy had come for revenge!
Because who the hell brings a murder weapon into a patient's room to apologize?!
Seeing that Hidan didn't believe him, Shinji got a little excited and immediately raised the Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe in his hand. "What do you think of this weapon?"
At that moment, the longest blade was only 0.01 centimeters from Hidan's neck. Faced with such an undisguised "threat," Hidan could only force out a stiff smile. "Nice. Very nice."
"Then do you want it?"
"I don't want it, I don't want it—ah!"
The tip of the blade pricked his neck, and Hidan yelped instinctively.
"Sorry, my hand slipped. What did you just say? I didn't hear it clearly. Please say it again."
"I don't want—ah! Akagi Shinji, you bastard! What exactly do you want?!" Hidan slapped the Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe away and glared at him furiously.
"Such an amazing weapon, why don't you want it?"
"Cut it out! You're just here to mess with me, aren't you? What, if I say I want it, you'll really give it to me?"
"Ah, I already gave it to you."
"I knew you—huh? You're really giving it to me?"
Hidan fumbled as he caught the Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe Shinji tossed over, his face full of disbelief.
"This Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe was custom-made specifically for you. The three scythe blades of different lengths make it harder for enemies to defend against when you swing it, letting you injure them more easily, draw blood, and begin your ritual. The ring at the bottom of the handle can be wrapped with a rope for long-range attacks, making up somewhat for your lack of ranged options. In battle, it can also produce unexpected effects."
Watching Shinji stand there, seriously explaining everything, Hidan suddenly didn't know how to react. His hands unconsciously reached out to gently stroke this ferocious weapon—one that had nearly killed him just yesterday.
Only after Shinji finished his introduction did Hidan finally ask, "Is this really for me? Wasn't this weapon something you made for yourself?"
The fact that Shinji had requested to forge a weapon from Leader Takihata wasn't a secret. Hidan naturally knew about it—he just never imagined that Shinji had been making a weapon for him.
That… was that even possible?
Shinji shrugged casually. "I already have the Executioner's Blade. I don't need another weapon for now."
Hidan fell silent. His eyes were fixed on the Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe, but images from the Land of Waves began surfacing in his mind.
"I realized that more straightforward weapons suit me better. Whether it's kunai or black spears, their killing power is too low."
"So what kind of weapon do you want to use?"
"Obviously this!" (Watermelon knife)
"Uh… I think you should maybe put more thought into 'how to obtain the enemy's blood more cleanly and efficiently,'"
"Why? If I chop them to death in one strike, why would I need to collect blood?!"
"In the future… sigh, forget it."
...
"So you really remembered it all along, huh…"
"Tch, such a weird weapon. I don't even want it."
With emotions he couldn't quite explain, Hidan muttered a couple of vague lines that no one but himself could understand. Then he tightly gripped the Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe in his right hand and swung it around with sharp swishes, looking as excited as a kid who'd just gotten a new toy.
As for the cold treatment he'd suffered before, all the grievances, and these injuries…
Hmph. Lord Hidan is magnanimous—he won't stoop to argue with that bastard Shinji.
Shinji didn't disturb him. He just wanted to be a quiet, handsome man, while checking the system notifications.
[Hidan Bond Value +99]
...
[Mission: New Immortal Duo]
[Objective: Interact with Hidan and gain bond points.]
[Bond Value: 500/500]
[Second Stage Completed]
...
[Rewards Issued: Cursed Soul Points x5000, Cursed Technique Enhancement Scroll x1]
...
[Mission: New Immortal Duo] (Third Stage Unlocked)
[Objective: Omitted]
[Bond Value: 500/1000]
[Mission Reward: Cursed Soul Points x1000, Domain Construction Scroll x1]
...
Seeing the rewards he'd received, Shinji's mood instantly improved.
All that preparation hadn't been in vain.
Neglect, provocation, irritation—and finally, a surprise!
The set of tricks he'd learned back in the day from that "Sea King Bar" bro really worked.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the guy's tall-rich-handsome status, overseas prestigious university degree, or the luxury villa worth tens of millions he gave in the end!
Those comments really were just baseless hate. Good thing he hadn't believed them.
After completing the second stage of the mission, the third stage opened up as expected.
The required bond value increased from five hundred to one thousand. It didn't look like much, but in reality, the difficulty had doubled.
It was like a 100-point advanced math exam—getting 60 points was easy, getting 90 was extremely hard, and as for a perfect score… how many dishes did you have to drink to get that wasted?! (Academic gods with Harvard University-level talent, please ignore this line.)
But faced with the system's rewards, no matter how hard the mission was, he had to take it on.
Not to mention the ten thousand Cursed Soul Points he desperately needed—the [Domain Construction Scroll] alone was enough to set his imagination running wild!
If it really was what he suspected…
Hidan, from now on, you're Daddy's good son!
Daddy will raise you for life!
"So? Does it feel good in your hands?"
"Tch, it's so-so. But Hidan will reluctantly accept it. If there's nothing else, you can leave now." Hidan said against his true feelings. In reality, he loved it to death—something made obvious by the bond value that had just increased.
Shinji didn't call him out on it. He turned and left, because he, too, couldn't wait to move on to the next step.
---
20 Power Stones= 1 additional chapters.