As the blows closed in, one from above and one from the side, it was as if time slowed down.
Noah's eyes contracted wildly, zooming in on the blows, his lips stretching into a grin.
With a sudden thwip, his tail erupted from his back, scales glinting in the light of the training hall.
It lashed out like a striking whip, coiling around Arlo's fist mid-swing.
The appendage tightened, yanking the arm violently to the side before the blow could connect.
Arlo stumbled forward, his impossible balance thrown into chaos by brute force.
Noah twisted his torso just in time, but Damien's descending punch still grazed across his chest.
Pain erupted all over his chest, and a soft crack echoed in the air as at least one rib gave way.
Noah gritted his teeth from the pain, bending with the attack, and his knee came roaring upward in answer.
It slammed into Damien's jaw with a sickening crunch. The bigger man reeled, spittle and blood spraying from his mouth as his head snapped back.
