Lie Yang had cut off every escape route, one by one.
The fear buried deep in Orochimaru's soul could no longer be hidden.
Orochimaru struggled to raise his head.
His long hair, soaked with blood, clung to both sides of his face.
His golden slit-pupiled eyes locked on Lie Yang, filled with alarm and dread.
Lie Yang looked down at him.
"As I thought."
Orochimaru's chest tightened.
He did not know what Lie Yang would do next.
Nor could he understand what those words meant.
"What?"
There was no killing intent on Lie Yang's face.
His tone was even gentler than it had been before their fight.
"The more someone fears death, the more desperately he pursues immortality, the more honestly his face reveals itself when he reaches the end of his life."
"That fear is fascinating."
Orochimaru froze.
His pupils narrowed at first.
Then they slowly relaxed.
If Lie Yang had wanted to kill him, there would have been no need to say any of this.
Much less put his blade away.
Every attack just now had avoided a truly fatal spot.
Though the shattered blades had pierced his body and severed blood vessels, they had still left him time to use his substitution technique.
That had not been a mistake.
Nor had it been a cruel game.
Lie Yang had never intended to kill him.
The pressure of impending death quickly faded.
Orochimaru lay on the ground, gasping for a long while.
His heart, which had nearly spun out of control, finally began to steady.
"You're not going to kill me?"
Orochimaru's voice was still weak.
He stared at Lie Yang, searching that calm, gentle face for an answer.
Lie Yang did not deny it.
"I never intended to kill you."
The confusion in Orochimaru's eyes deepened.
He