[A pertinent question, to be sure, but Akechi's frown only deepens before he blows a small sigh.]

All signs point to them transforming into the monsters we've encountered throughout this voyage. Moreover, it would seem their souls remain trapped inside their beastly forms, regardless of how vicious they've become.

[It's still just a hypothesis, but one he's documented with care. An unpleasant one, but one that bears repeating.]