"You are the real monster!"
A voice filled with fear and anger rang out from the shrine entrance. General Sao, clutching his stomach, was staring furiously at Hayashi.
Hayashi understood his rage. As a general, whether for public or private reasons, soldiers were his most crucial foundation.
And what had just happened?
——
Under the extreme pain of being devoured by everything, Hayashi's flesh and blood instinctively rioted.
Naturally... the crows in Itomori Town watching the stone carvings also moved.
They tore open the elegant facade of crows. Muscles, bones, and blood vessels all seemed to awaken their own consciousness, attacking every living thing around them.
General Sao was originally reporting the situation here to some leaders, discussing Hayashi's ambition to become emperor.
Discussing whether they could bribe him in other ways... The next moment... a strong gust of wind came from behind him.
Pfft!
Relying on his sharp perception, he managed to dodge slightly, but he was ultimately old.
'What happened?'
This thought had just surfaced in his mind when, the next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his side abdomen.
A strange red thread had pierced him there, and the severe pain was spreading!
It was devouring his flesh and blood!
He clearly perceived this situation and immediately pulled out a dagger, attempting to sever the extremely fine red thread, which resembled a crow's blood vessel.
Clang!
The dagger struck the blood vessel, emitting the sound of clashing steel.
He couldn't cut it!
Seeing this, he switched to his pistol and shot the fine thread, finally managing to break the red thread.
The segment of the red thread remaining inside his body continued to devour him rapidly.
Following his blood vessels, it quickly covered most of the skin on his waist and abdomen.
'I'm finished.'
As this thought echoed in his mind, he looked up toward Itomori Town, and an even more terrifying despair enveloped his heart.
The scene was like an evil god descending; the entire Itomori Town was covered in flesh and blood tissue, like a drawing of hell... only Miyamizu Shrine remained.
The saintess's protective barrier was shining, being lashed by endless flesh and blood tentacles. It looked precarious.
'Am I going to die?'
The sharp pain made him instinctively place his hand on his abdomen, and the parasitic red thread instantly wriggled and pierced through his palm... Just as he gasped in despair, believing he was about to die.
Believing Hayashi was wantonly displaying his military might.
A pink arrow flashed like a shooting star.
The riot stopped.
The severe pain in his abdomen ceased. The red thread returned to calm, and as it twisted, it even replenished the flesh and blood that had been devoured.
——However, touching his abdomen, he always felt a strange sensation.
A weird sense of extension, as if he wasn't touching his own skin, but some terrifying parasitic hide.
It was disguising itself as his skin.
"!"
Fear confused his heart, but immediately looking at Itomori Town, seeing the flesh and blood revert to the form of crows, while his own soldiers... Rage filled his mind. Fear made him want to flee, but he couldn't hold back.
He quickly rushed into Miyamizu Shrine and questioned Hayashi.
"General Sao, you..."
Seeing his furious appearance, Elysia cried out in surprise, but she quickly realized what was happening.
Previously, both she and Jeanne focused their attention on Hayashi, but now they understood. Although they faced the most terrifying riot of Hayashi's main body.
But what about the whole of Itomori Town?
"I apologize… I will take responsibility."
Hayashi said apologetically.
Perhaps this was the flaw of [Perfect Cell Control]: extreme control and extreme unity meant that if any problem occurred with his personal will... all his other flesh and blood would also suffer problems.
Under normal circumstances, with the white lion guarding him, he wouldn't face such issues; he could resist ordinary mental contamination.
But what just happened... that was pure synesthesia. It wasn't mental contamination; that video merely 'told' Hayashi the feelings of that O5 council member.
——Pain!
The sheer pain was unbearable for Hayashi's willpower.
"Responsibility?"
General Sao was so angered by Hayashi's reply that he laughed, his expression clearly mocking.
'How can you take responsibility?'
Without saying more, as if seeking death, he raised his gun and fired a shot at Hayashi.
Clang!
The bullet was deflected by a long flag.
General Sao's angry gaze turned toward Jeanne.
"I..."
Hanging her head, Jeanne dared not meet his eyes.
Elysia, standing nearby, opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, she was like a wilted flower, unable to muster any vitality, her face full of confusion and self-reproach... She blamed herself for not reacting faster just now.
If she had reacted the instant Hayashi rioted and stopped his actions, none of what followed would have happened!
It was all her fault.
Yukino stared blankly as all this unfolded, her head buzzing, unable to do anything.
"Thank you..."
Hayashi patted Jeanne, who was bowing her head and avoiding eye contact.
"It was my fault; don't blame yourself."
Hayashi said to Elysia.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine, whether it's the sacrificed soldiers or Itomori Town."
Hayashi said to Yukino.
After speaking, Hayashi walked up to General Sao, lifted the hand holding the gun, and placed the muzzle against his own glabella.
There were no words, but the meaning was clear.
'Shoot!'
Although he didn't understand Hayashi's actions or why he had just rioted like an evil god.
But General Sao had no desire to understand right now.
Without the slightest hesitation, he fired the shot.
The bullet might be able to break the capillary-like blood threads, but it absolutely could not penetrate Hayashi's skin or skull.
But the instant the bullet made contact with his skin, Hayashi's skin actively welcomed the bullet.
His cells simultaneously underwent apoptosis.
But the statues began to move.
Soon, Elysia, Jeanne, Yukino, and General Sao were surrounded by stone carvings.
And just then, time froze... time reversal.
Itomori Town returned to peace.
Mitsuha's stone carving also returned to her original maiden's room. Mitsuha, frowning on the tatami mat, suddenly woke up with a start.
"Oh no!"
Subconsciously, she yanked off the covers and, without putting on shoes, ran into the room of her younger sister Yotsuha and her grandmother.
"Mitsuha?"
Perhaps the old woman's sleep was already poor, or perhaps Mitsuha's movements were too big and loud.
Grandmother Hitoha opened her eyes in confusion and called out to Mitsuha questioningly.
"Sister?"
Yotsuha also rubbed her sleepy eyes in confusion and called out to Mitsuha.
"Thank goodness you... are okay!"
With a sob in her voice, Mitsuha suddenly hugged her bewildered grandmother and sister.
"Don't cry, don't cry, Grandma is here! Did you have a nightmare?"
The elder patted Mitsuha's thin back and comforted her lovingly.
"I don't know, I was just suddenly very scared. Scared that you and my sister would suddenly become cold, cold like stone… I'm so scared!"
Mitsuha said in terror, tears streaming down her face.
Her fear infected her grandmother and sister, but lacking any external perception, they only knew that Mitsuha was very scared and sad right now.
"Don't cry, Sister; look, isn't Yotsuha warm?"
At this moment, Yotsuha, who usually bickered with Mitsuha, was no longer mischievous. She reached out for her sister to touch, trying to prove that she was warm.