"What...?"
As Hayashi watched the sharp snake fangs rush toward him, growing larger in his field of vision, his first thought was how to dodge.
But no matter how hard he urged his body to move, he remained firmly locked in place, unable to budge.
He wanted to turn his head, retreat, raise his hand-
Yet he could not do a single one of those things.
The White Snake Sage before him seemed to have seen right through his little schemes. She had used some strange means to make his entire body rigid.
With her snake head extended, the White Snake Sage even had time to give a couple of low, raspy chuckles.
Only then did she bite Hayashi's arm.
The instant her fangs pierced his arm, he felt none of the pain he had expected.
Instead, there was a strange, cooling sensation.
Then Hayashi felt some unknown liquid flowing through her fangs into his arm, spreading throughout his body.
The next second-
A searing heat immediately swept through his entire body.
An unusual pain radiated from inside him, while the skin on his back felt as though it were being violently torn apart.
Every drop of blood in his veins felt as though someone had set it alight, one after another.
Deep within his marrow, it felt even more like something that had long lain dormant was being forced open by this energy, inch by inch!
The scorching agony finally freed Hayashi from the White Snake Sage's hold. He dropped to one knee and bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, desperately trying to stay conscious.
Then he looked up and saw the White Snake Sage slowly retract her head, leaving only her low, raspy laughter.
"White Snake Sage... what are you... doing?"
Hayashi was drenched in