On the other side, Tagitsuhime's neck suddenly stretched over ten meters, snaking through the air like a dragon in flight as her fanged maw lunged toward Ryoma's throat.
Her ability, Bind, allowed her razor-sharp teeth to clamp down on a target's neck, flooding their body with heat that paralyzed movement while inducing hallucinations—rapidly eroding their will to fight.
But just as those fangs were about to close—barely thirty centimeters away—Ryoma's hand snapped up and seized her mid-strike. The crushing strength in his grip made resistance meaningless. With a casual flick, he fully extended her serpentine torso before slamming her entire body into the ground.
BOOM!
A deep crater burst open in the solid bedrock of Ryūchi Cave. Tagitsuhime had triggered Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation to shield herself at the last moment, but the stone plates formed around her shattered instantly.
Pain surged through her body… she couldn't even move a finger.
"This guy really doesn't know the meaning of holding back...!"
Fear flashed in the slit pupils of Mianxin-hime and Ichikishimahime as they watched.
Mianxin-hime remained immobilized within Ryoma's genjutsu, but Ichikishimahime reacted quickly—chakra surging as her form flickered and vanished behind a burst of sage art.
"Teleportation? Invisibility? Or something else?"
Even though her chakra signature vanished, Ryoma released the six powers surging within him, sweeping the area. In an instant—he sensed her exact position. The little blue-haired serpent sage was fleeing, cloaked in invisibility.
"Run? Do you think you can escape?" Ryoma formed a single-handed seal.
Wood Style: Silent Killing Technique!
A thick wooden branch shot forth with terrifying speed, wrapping around the invisible girl and binding her mid-air.
"Don't hit me! Don't hit me!"
Ichikishimahime squeezed her eyes shut and wailed dramatically. Such behavior left Ryoma speechless—wasn't this supposed to be one of Ryūchi Cave's dignified sages? She acted no different than a frightened child.
"Enough."
His cold voice silenced her instantly. She stared up, trembling and pitiful.
Ryoma was not soft-hearted. He wouldn't loosen his grip just because she appeared innocent. He still remembered the purpose of coming here.
"Take me to the White Snake Sage. Do that, and I'll release you. This is your last chance."
"I-I promise! You've passed the trial! You can meet the White Snake Sage!"
With no courage to refuse, Ichikishimahime immediately yielded.
Once Ryoma received the answer he wanted, another seal dismissed the binding wood. Mianxin-hime's illusion was dispelled as well. Meanwhile, Tagitsuhime finally regained mobility as wooden tendrils wrapped around her, transferring a surge of chakra for rapid recovery.
The three serpent women stared warily at Ryoma—an unreadable, complex fear hiding behind their cold expressions. When had such a monster emerged among the human race?
Just as they prepared to depart, the nearby stone wall suddenly ruptured. A massive shadow burst through the collapsing rock, rubble scattering everywhere.
A colossal crimson serpent slithered out—its reverse scales glinting with menace. Over a hundred meters long, its body dragged across the ground with a deep hissss, while its single remaining eye radiated savage bloodlust and unrestrained killing intent.
"Not good! The earlier commotion must have awakened Manda!"
Tagitsuhime's mature and always-composed demeanor shattered instantly—her expression bordering on horror. Mianxin-hime and Ichikishimahime looked equally terrified.
Manda—the most violent serpent in Ryūchi Cave.
Blinded in one eye during past battles, its rage became uncontrollable. It destroyed everything in its path, friend and foe alike.
Even the White Snake Sage avoided provoking it. Every serpent in Ryūchi Cave feared this beast—none dared approach.
Manda's blood-red eye now locked onto them, murderous intent radiating from its massive body. It was clear—it intended to tear apart whoever had awakened it.
"Ryoma! If you want to live, run!"
Tagitsuhime screamed.
But the moment she shouted, Manda was already in motion.
Its gigantic tail whipped the air, unleashing a violent shockwave as the serpent's enormous body surged forward—covering more than two hundred meters in a single lunge—barreling straight toward Ryoma and the others.
Compared to Manda's colossal form, Ryoma and the snake sages were no bigger than insects.
With a thunderous crash, Manda loomed over them.
"We're done for… Manda doesn't distinguish friend from foe—this is the end!"
They braced for their bodies to be pulverized—yet the expected agony never came.
Instead, the three opened their eyes in shock—there was wood in front of them. A massive wooden hand had erupted from the ground, completely blocking Manda's assault.
"Don't cause trouble."
Ryoma's calm voice echoed as the gigantic wooden palm seized the serpent and slammed it into the ground.
BOOOOM!!
The shockwave blasted outward, knocking Ichikishimahime off her feet. Tagitsuhime and Tsurushimahime staggered, vision spinning. Manda shrieked, its huge body pinned so firmly that the surrounding earth sank several meters.
The serpent glared up at the human who held it down, fury burning in its lone eye. How could a mere human overpower it?
Manda thrashed wildly—only to be forced down again.
"Still not convinced?"
Ryoma sneered as he increased the pressure. Bones creaked and scales popped—like a mountain was crushing its spine. Instinct kicked in. The beast's will to survive overrode its rage.
Manda went still.
Ryoma felt the resistance vanish. Glancing down, he saw the once-ferocious serpent now lying submissively—his violent pet-training technique proving unexpectedly effective.
The three snake sages watched in disbelief.
Was this obedient creature really the same rampaging monster from moments ago?
Ryoma casually patted Manda's head, like one would a house pet.
"Stay. Don't move."
The serpent obediently coiled its huge body into place and stopped cold.
Without sparing the stunned snake women another look, Ryoma waved his hand.
"Enough wasting time. Take me to the White Snake Sage."
...
TN:
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