Chapter 6 — No Sense of Fair Play
"Seriously, it's already this late… hey, aren't you leaving?" Hidan chose to strike first.
Shinji let out a soft chuckle, a pained expression crossing his face. "Don't worry about me. My leg cramped up, need to rest a bit. You go ahead; I'll catch up."
Hidan: "..."
Damn it! I actually believed you!
For some unknown reason, Hidan was suddenly certain that Shinji must be thinking the same thing he was. Damn it!
"No worries, I'll wait for you."
"You don't have to. Go on ahead."
"I'm not leaving."
"Then neither am I."
The people around them: "..."
These two… are they seriously sick in the head?
Ignored so elegantly, Takihata's face darkened, a mix of anger and suppressed laughter crossing his features. "Fine, if neither of you is willing to leave, then stay in there as long as you like!
"Leave a few people to watch over them. Anyone who tries to get out, beat them back in! Also, draw blood every hour. The experimental data must continue to be recorded—no interruptions!"
"Yes, sir!"
Those assigned immediately smirked wickedly.
Not leaving, huh? Fine.
We'll just drain you dry next!
After Takihata and his men left, Shinji and Hidan both twitched slightly, but neither would admit defeat. After all, they both had "immortality"—a few vials of blood wouldn't kill them.
However…
Six hours passed.
Shinji and Hidan still showed no sign of giving up.
Their faces had grown pale, clearly from the blood drawn, and prolonged soaking in the hot spring had left them dizzy and lightheaded.
At that moment, someone approached, holding a syringe as thick as a child's arm, a sinister smile on his face. "Time again. Are you two going to come out now and apologize to the Sensei, or contribute a little more of your precious blood?"
He deliberately emphasized "precious," considering how thick the syringe was and that after five draws, there wasn't much left. Precious indeed!
Any normal person would have been drained dry by now!
But these two had special constitutions—their blood regenerated multiple times faster than ordinary humans, plus immortality—allowing them to hold on.
Still, if this continued, the next draw would have to be straight from the brain!
Seeing the inevitable forced blood-donation ritual approaching, Hidan's already pale face turned a faint green.
But admitting defeat so easily? No way.
"Still holding out? I think you're done for," Hidan muttered, head spinning, testing the waters.
Shinji, feigning relaxation, smiled lightly. "Feels good. I'm about to fall asleep. Just wish the water were hotter—less satisfying."
Hidan didn't believe Shinji for a second and continued his own boast, "Yeah, I could swim in freshly boiled water when I was six."
What the hell? How were you not burned alive?!
Boasting now defies all logic?
Shinji let out a soft chuckle. "Ever tasted lava? That flavor's unforgettable!"
Hidan's mouth twitched. Taste lava? That'd melt your cheeks off!
"How about we count to three and go out together?" Hidan tried thinking straight.
"Sure."
"One, two, three!"
"..."
A hilarious scene unfolded: neither moved. They shot each other contemptuous glances, silently saying, "Knew you wouldn't keep your word!"
"Why aren't you moving?"
"Neither are you!"
Hidan was completely at a loss. Clearly, Shinji had prepared to exhaust him to the very end.
Finally, Hidan gave up pretense, grit his teeth, and pushed out a word beside him, "Draw!"
Shinji was even more straightforward, silently extending his arm.
Draw then, who's afraid?
The cult member couldn't help but feel some admiration but didn't slow his pace. Alongside a companion, they began drawing blood.
But as they drew, something seemed off. The blood in the syringe wasn't increasing!
Turning back, they saw Shinji's head tilted, breathing stopped, skin shriveled—a perfect impression of being drained dry.
Well, of course no blood could be drawn!
The man panicked. "Something's wrong! Notify Sensei immediately!"
Someone rushed off to inform Takihata.
"What now?"
The cultist who had just drawn Hidan's blood was equally shocked, nearly dropping the full syringe.
If anything happened, a thousand cuts wouldn't be enough punishment!
Before the miracle replayed, Shinji and Hidan's importance alone was worth more than half of the Cult of the Evil God! They had every reason to be feared!
"What now? Quickly get them out! Especially Hidan—nothing else must happen!"
"Right, right, rescue them…"
They scrambled to carry the two out.
Hidan, pale as death, finally let a genuine smile slip across his face. He didn't resist being carried out.
After all, the result was still his victory!
Shinji, you bastard, today belongs to me.
But Hidan's celebration was premature.
Just as he thought it was all over and he had won, his eyes widened in shock.
"No! You cheated! Let go of me, now—"
Shinji, seemingly in a deathlike state from the blood loss, suddenly shoved away the cultist about to carry him out.
Then he sank back into the hot spring, a subtle smile curling his lips as he mouthed, "Enjoy your walk…"
By the time Hidan realized it was probably a Shinji trap, it was too late.
The cultists, fearing Hidan might suffer, ignored his weak struggles and carried him out with minimal effort.
Hidan went completely slack, like a melted wax figure.
Defeated…
He never imagined he would lose in such a hollow way.
"Akagi Shinji! You have no sense of fair play!"
Hidan wanted to yell, but losing is losing.
In a brutal fight, no one cares if you used sneak attacks or cheap tricks. Only those still standing, still alive, are the true victors.
And what Hidan couldn't comprehend was how Shinji still had the strength to resist at this point.
They'd both soaked so long, and so much blood had been drawn…
Wait!
If he remembered correctly, in that final draw, Shinji hadn't actually lost much blood—he'd tricked everyone with his appearance!
Once Hidan understood why he'd lost, he could no longer hold on, blackness overtaking his vision.
At the same time, Shinji finally received the system's mission completion notification and breathed a sigh of relief.
He had indeed pulled a little trick, using the Blood Manipulation Technique to control his own blood, preventing it from being drawn.
The goal: fool everyone at the crucial moment into thinking he was in danger.
Given their importance, even if the nearby people suspected he wasn't truly dead, fear of taking the blame would achieve the desired result.
Use the trick too early, and it would expose him. Too late, and he wouldn't have the strength to recover—leading to total failure.
Luckily, his timing was perfect.
From afar came the chaotic sound of running footsteps and Takihata's angry shouts.
"What are you standing there for? Get them out now!"
Unwilling to face the enraged Cult Leader, Shinji relaxed his mind and allowed himself to sink into unconsciousness.