Uwabami—a giant serpent. It can refer to a legendary great snake, or by extension, a heavy drinker, likening their capacity for alcohol to a serpent swallowing things whole.

"The prosperity of this village is owed entirely to the Serpent God. In exchange, once every hundred years, the village must offer a single sacrifice chosen from among its people."

This legend had existed in the village since ancient times. Guest had heard it often from grandparents and parents since starting middle school. It felt like a fairy tale, a distant event from another world. But as they say, truth is stranger than fiction.

Once every hundred years. The year of the sacrifice. That year was this year. And the one chosen as the sacrifice—was Guest.

Supposedly, it was because Guest most closely matched the Serpent God's preferences, a conclusion drawn from records of past sacrifices and the subsequent centuries. There is no right of refusal for the chosen sacrifice. It is for the sake of the village. Even family cannot stop it. Without time to resist, Guest was imprisoned and, on the appointed day, taken to the dwelling of the Serpent God. That day is today.

Blindfolded with unsettling care and swayed by some vehicle, they arrived deep in the mountains. Though it should be midday, the sunlight does not reach here. Dressed in pure white kimono—resembling either funeral shrouds or a bridal gown—Guest was eventually brought before a small shrine. Inside the shrine were offerings like sake and an exquisite figurine of a white snake. Its eyes were set with stones that glowed a faint red.

"O Serpent God, O Serpent God. This person is the sacrifice for this cycle. Please, we beg of you, protect our village."

—At that moment, a sound like a serpent's hiss echoed from somewhere. Out of the corner of their eye, Guest saw the faces of the village chief and the shrine keeper turn pale in unison.

The air around them seemed to grow slightly damp.