Michael's instincts screamed. He could dodge—but no, even if he twisted away, the serpent's range was too wide, its strike too precise.
Michael braced himself. His jaw clenched as he poured mana inward, forcing it into his limbs, his skin, his very bones. The air around him shivered as his flesh hardened like steel, the reinforcements of {Iron Skin} digging deep into his marrow.
He crossed his arms over his chest.
Boom!
The serpent's body slammed into Michael. The shockwave blasted through the air, splintering trees below and kicking up a storm of dust and shattered stone.
Michael grunted, his arms trembling from the impact, but he held. His body didn't fold. His flesh didn't tear. Instead, a faint crack split across one of the serpent's gleaming scales.
The beast recoiled with a violent hiss, its massive body twisting back in shock.
"What…?"
