Steel Scale Serpent

"Where did this Steel Scale come from?"

Long Ye asked, his expression dark.

"He's my sworn enemy. He has the toughest scales in Ryūchi Cave. They can even withstand my Petrification Senjutsu. Neither of us has ever been able to do much to the other..."

"But somehow he heard you'd defeated me. He abducted that woman to lure you to him, planning to kill you and prove he's stronger than I am."

"Take me to him!"

Long Ye wasted no more words and leaped onto Garaga's head.

Garaga knew how dangerous he was. Not daring to resist, he carried Long Ye off in one direction.

The big-headed snake that had served as Long Ye's mount stood there stunned. Even someone as powerful as Garaga didn't dare defy the boy. Thinking back on what he had done, the snake broke into a cold sweat.

Meanwhile!

In a cavern within Ryūchi Cave, larger than a football field...

A terrifying two-headed serpent gleamed like metal from end to end. Its four dark-green eyes looked down on Pakura.

Pakura's heart sank.

The serpent before her was so strong she had no way to fight back. Worse, its scales defied belief.

Just moments ago, she had used Scorch Release to counterattack, hoping to escape.

But Scorch Release, which had never failed her before, had done nothing when it struck the two-headed serpent. Its defense had stopped the attack completely.

One head looked at Pakura. "Stop struggling. If I wanted you dead, you would be already."

With a wall at her back, Pakura had nowhere to retreat. She forced down her fear and asked cautiously, "So you don't want to kill me. Why abduct me, then?"

The other head flicked out its long tongue and spoke in a voice entirely different from the first.

"You'll find