For 500 years, a giant snake god has lived in the ancient mountain. Miyo, an unlucky young woman from the nearby village, has been offered as a tribute: she is to be the snake’s bride. Miyo always feared that the enormous talking snake would devour her whole, but once she’s taken in by the god, he treats her like a wife rather than a meal. His flicking tongue vibrates through gentle words, his powerful slithering body wraps around hers in an embrace. This god is kinder than his monstrous form implies, and Miyo thinks she could learn to appreciate the non-human form his love takes. What does it truly mean to be the bride of a beast…?

• Daija ni Totsuida Musume