"When a heart is filled with darkness and desire," Karin said brightly, "it becomes much easier to accept the Lord of Demons' radiance—to offer everything willingly and become a devout believer!"
Just as he thought.
A chill crept up Orochimaru's spine.
This ability struck directly at the weaknesses of the human heart. It was far more terrifying than genjutsu or physical coercion.
If he had recklessly agreed to "try it" earlier, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
His wariness toward the so-called Lord of Demons deepened. Any being capable of granting such an ability was certainly no benevolent god.
He had no desire whatsoever to experiment on himself now.
And he was certain—Karin had used this "Demonic Whisper" on those experimental subjects.
Noticing the faint dissatisfaction in her eyes—perhaps because he had refused—Orochimaru's thoughts raced.
He could not afford to anger this uncontrollable "Demon Child."
But the altered subjects before him held enormous research value.
A faint, almost gentle smile appeared on Orochimaru's face.
If Jiraiya had seen it, he might have sworn he was hallucinating.
"By the way, Karin," Orochimaru said smoothly, "I have the feeling they no longer obey my commands. Since they now believe in your Lord of Demons—and since you've received the Lord's blessing…"
He paused and pointed at one of the fanatical figures sitting quietly in a cage.
"Why don't you order one of them to fully cooperate with my experiments? I'd like to conduct a thorough examination—to understand what exactly changed after they gained this power."
At the mention of research, his eyes gleamed once more, temporarily eclipsing his caution.
If he could decipher even a fragment of this faith-to-power conversion…
It would revolutionize everything.
Karin tilted her head, glancing between Orochimaru and the selected subject.
To her, as long as these believers spread the Lord's glory, cooperating with experiments was inconsequential.
She waved casually.
"You. From now on, comply with all of his experimental requirements. No resistance."
The chosen subject immediately bowed deeply.
"I obey your will! For the Lord of Demons!"
Orochimaru smiled—the smile of a scientist confronting an unprecedented discovery.
The experiment began.
The subject was disturbingly cooperative.
When Orochimaru's scalpel sliced through skin and muscle, even when probing organs, there was no fear. No pain.
Only that ecstatic devotion.
The man even adjusted his posture to make the incision easier, murmuring, "For the Lord of Demons…"
Orochimaru's hand paused briefly.
A deeper unease settled in his chest.
This was total mental domination.
Far beyond the Curse Mark.
He had no doubt that if he ordered the subject to commit suicide, the man would comply instantly.
Simply because Karin had commanded obedience.
Suppressing the discomfort, Orochimaru immersed himself in analysis.
He examined muscle fibers, bone density, chakra pathways.
Compared them to prior records.
The muscles were indeed denser. Stronger.
But beyond that?
Nothing.
No external stimulant. No detectable mutation.
No measurable energy influx.
The enhancement seemed to exist without cause.
When the experiment concluded, Orochimaru removed his blood-stained gloves.
He turned toward Karin, who had watched the entire grisly procedure with open interest—almost appreciation.
"Karin," he said gravely, "his physical structure hasn't fundamentally changed. I can't trace any new energy source. How is this power generated?"
Karin scratched her head, genuinely puzzled.
"Isn't it obvious?" she said lightly. "They're devout believers of the Lord of Demons. Faith itself is power."
That sentence again.
Orochimaru fell silent.
He could tell—this time she wasn't hiding anything.
She truly believed it.
He turned back to the corpse, which still bore an unsettling expression of fervor.
In Orochimaru's worldview, everything obeyed internal logic.
Energy must come from somewhere.
Matter could not simply appear.
"Then…" he thought, eyes gleaming more intensely, "it's not that this power lacks structure."
"It's that my current knowledge cannot yet perceive it."
"This is a door. And I have not found the key."
He etched this failure into memory.
His desire to unravel the mystery of the Lord of Demons—and the power of faith—only grew deeper.
More cautious.
More obsessive.
Then—
A calculating glint flashed in his golden eyes.
"Karin," he said casually, "would you like to see how strong they are now?"
She curled her lip dismissively.
"No. They're weak. Not even close to me. What's the point?"
In her mind, no believer could rival the one personally blessed—herself.
Orochimaru's expression flickered, but he quickly adjusted.
He shifted tactics, voice soft and coaxing.
"Karin… it's been a while since you personally 'cleansed' the world, hasn't it?"
"Shouldn't you… show the Lord your recent progress?"
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