The bonding ceremony was held in the central sanctum of the Holy See. Unlike the resplendent cathedral, the sanctum was dimly lit; only a single beam of sunlight pierced through the stained-glass window above the massive divine statue, falling upon the altar at the center. White-robed priests formed a circle around it, chanting hymns to the God of Light.
According to ritual, the chosen priest—under the protection of the circle—would carve the curse seal upon the witch and complete the purification, formally establishing the master-servant bond.
Accompanied by Sister Theresa, Mu Lin entered the sanctum. Her pure white gossamer gown made her look like a sacred bride. She approached the altar; the attending priest stepped forward, guiding her to lie upon it. Shackles on the altar locked her wrists and ankles, fixing her spread-eagled in place.
Knowing what would soon happen to her, Mu Lin's heart turned to ash. She closed her eyes in agony.
A young priest named Clive entered through another door and approached the girl chained to the altar. Disappointment was plain on his face.
Though his grades placed him at the bottom of his class, leaving him little choice, the witch assigned to him was far too ugly. Scrawny build, mottled scars covering face and body, patchy hair—she looked like a mangy cur.
Clive found her so unattractive he almost couldn't bring himself to touch her. Among the new witches, he far preferred Eugenia; unfortunately, with his ranking he could never claim her. He could only curry favor with her master, hoping one day to taste the goddess himself.
Thinking of Eugenia's snowy breasts, then glancing at the hideous witch before him, Clive felt fate had been unkind. But the ritual could not be halted. Resigned, he untied Mu Lin's gown, tore it open, and fully exposed her body. Eyes closed, at least she was female—good enough to vent desire upon. If the chance arose later, he could always kill her and request a replacement.
Being bared before everyone made Mu Lin tremble. That piercing terror surged again; she tried to struggle but could not move against the restraints. The young priest's silhouette overlapped with something buried in her mind. Her legs were forced wide; tearing pain lanced through her core. She could not breathe—every opening stretched, invaded without end. Pain and humiliation battered her consciousness.
Clive thought the witch beneath him was overreacting. He had merely groped her breasts a few times, yet she clenched her eyes shut, brow knotted, sweating profusely and thrashing wildly. He positioned himself at her spread entrance, intending to finish quickly—but neither body was aroused. His half-erect length managed only the head before stalling in the dry passage.
As the priest prodded clumsily, an odd sensation came from the hand on her chest—something writhed inside her, pushing the skin into strange bulges. Mu Lin convulsed violently; her shackled limbs twisted into unnatural angles, joints cracking audibly.
"Form the bond quickly!" The guarding priests sensed something wrong.
Clive hastily cut his palm and pressed the bloody hand to her skin. The instant his blood touched her, Mu Lin's eyes snapped open. Her formerly human chestnut irises had become bestial vertical slits, glowing brilliant gold.
Degeneration!
Every heart in the room sank.
Insect-like segmented bone spikes erupted from her back, tearing through skin. Six spikes lunged predatorily toward the stunned young priest. Just before piercing him, a large hand seized Clive's collar and flung him backward, out of reach.
The burly red-haired man shielded the priest, assuming a defensive stance. His clenched fists gradually petrified, turning into massive hardened hammers.
Mu Lin's transformation continued. The iron shackles snapped easily; her limbs' bones tore through old skin and elongated. Finally, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, a slender-limbed monster covered in white bone armor shed the old husk, unfurling six enormous spikes from its back.
"The bonding has failed—eliminate the monster!"
At the guarding priest's command, the big man shot forward like an arrow. His giant fists whistled through the air, smashing down. The white monster that Mu Lin had become leaped backward; the marble altar shattered instantly beneath the blow.
More attacks followed—spheres of light and lightning assailed from every direction. The white monster flipped and bounded through the air, bone spikes parrying wave after wave. Its skeletal claws gave incredible leaping power; spikes stabbed into walls, allowing it to scuttle spider-like across the vaulted ceiling before crashing through the stained-glass window and escaping the sanctum.